Joe

by Jacqueline Druga

  Elliott reached forward. “I’ll walk you home. You can even vent to me on the way.”

  Hal thought, ‘Vent. Vent’. “Shit.”

  Both Ellen and Elliott stopped moving.

  “Ellen?” Hal asked. “Was anyone in your home other than Dean after the séance?”

  “No, not at all.”

  “So when we left with Frank, you remained.”

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “Elliott,” Hal said. “I’ll walk her home I want to see Alex anyhow since my father is her guardian angel.”

  Elliott stopped. His hand dropped as well as his expression. “But, Captain, I really would like to walk her home.”

  “I’ll do so, thank you.”

  Elliott huffed.

  “Excuse me?” Hal asked. “Good God, Elliott, I’m not taking her home to molest her. Don’t be so green, it’s not your shade. Let’s go, Ellen.”

  “Sorry, Elliott.” Ellen gave an apologetic look.

  Elliott sighed out. “No problem.”

  Once outside Ellen turned to Hal. “What’s going on?”

  “Elliott said vent.”

  “Oh. Oh.” Ellen perked up. “Excellent. Thanks. I didn’t know you liked when I did that. Fine. Andrea came over with the Hoi Weenies and I never got one. Then, then, Frank left and left me with the mess. Ben from Fabrics lost his fuckin turban on the way . . .”

  “Hold it.”

  “What?”

  “What are you doing?”

  “Venting.”

  Hal shook his head. “I said the word vent. Not venting. It clicked in me.”

  Ellen tilted her head curiously.

  Hal explained. “My dad’s voice came from somewhere. It didn’t come from the doll. It was all over the room. Which tells me.”

  “Speakers.”

  “Exactly.”

  “The vents?” Ellen asked.

  Hal grinned. “Exactly.”

  ****

  Roy walked with enthusiasm into the clinic with Dean. “Thank you so much for calling me.”

  “Not a problem, I remembered you had mentioned it to me.”

  “So exciting.”

  “Yeah. Always is.”

  “Andrea couldn’t be here?” Roy asked.

  “No, she is exhausted.”

  “This is the first baby being born since my arrival here.”

  “They don’t happen every day,” Dean said as they walked down the corridor.

  “Ah, yes, and not long from now it will get worse.”

  Dean stopped. “The infertility virus.”

  “I forgot. You went to the future to develop a fertilization technique for ovum.”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you get a sample of the virus?”

  Dean shook his head.

  “You know, perhaps we need to go to the future. Get that virus and work on it.”

  Dean smiled. “That is a brilliant idea.”

  “Because you know what happens, right?”

  “The LEP get out of control. Isn’t that a simple solution, though?” Dean said. “Just don’t use any frozen embryos.”

  “That would be one solution, but we still have to deal with the LEP that develop on their own and breed. If the Great War never takes the path, if it happens like in Aragon window, then the LEP will continue to populate. They get wiped out during the Great War of my future.”

  “Whoa. Whoa. Frank’s Killer Babies are the LEP that I saw in Aragon Window.”

  “Yes.”

  “Another simple solution.”

  “Eliminate the LEP,” Roy said. “Or do what Frank suggested A DNA reversal and transformation of them while they are embryos.”

  “All?”

  “Or put the drug in the food supply so when they reproduce.”

  “Can that be done?” Dean asked.

  “I don’t see why not. If it can be thought it can be done.”

  “I like that attitude.”

  “Thank you” Roy smiled. “I still think we should utilize the HG Wells and get a virus sample.”

  “I do too.”

  ‘Dean!” Melissa’s call came from the other side of the double doors. “We need you.”

  “Shit. Ok. Ready?” He asked Roy.

  “Oh, yes, I want to see the baby be born. Is this where they keep the AGH?”

  “The AGH?”

  “The Artificial Gestational Habitat.”

  Dean snickered and reached for the door. “Gestational Habitat, yes. Artificial?” He pushed open the doors, walked in, and Roy followed. “Hardly.”

  Roy was bubbly, upbeat, until he saw the woman on the table, feet in stirrups, exposed.

  Dean waked to the sink. “Ready to watch.”

  Roy turned white, then Roy ran out.

  ****

  They watched the Horse Soldiers. Something Ellen and Hal had done since they were kids. It never got boring. Taking turns, reciting lines from the movie with the actors. It wasn’t without interruption. Hence why they watched it. The kids were hyper and Hal didn’t want to check the vents until they were asleep.

  He was going to check every vent in the house, even though the séance was held in the living room. Just to be sure. It wouldn’t hurt.

  Ellen was messing with the kids, trying to get them down, and then she decided to take a shower. While she did that he checked the vents in the living room and kitchen. Didn’t see anything. He sat on the couch and waited until she was finished so he could check the bathroom. While waiting for her fall asleep. Too much booze, he supposed.

  “Hal.” Ellen woke him.

  Hal opened his eyes.

  “Done.”

  He focused in, she was wearing a towel on her head and her robe. “Ok. Thanks.” He stretched, grabbed the screw driver and walked down the hall behind her.

  Ellen went into her bedroom and Hal turned into the bathroom.

  Two vents, as Ellen told him. One connected to Billy’s room, the other the main bedroom.

  First vent was easy. He popped it off, used a flashlight, and didn’t see anything but a sleeping and peaceful Billy.

  He went to the other vent. But as soon as he popped it off, he stopped.

  Ellen was brushing her hair.

  He didn’t think anything of it until he saw her sit on the edge of the bed. She looked down to her hands, a lost look on her face. Something was wrong.

  He replaced the vent and left the bathroom.

  “El.” He called out.

  “Come in.”

  Hal opened the door. “The vents are clean.”

  “Thanks.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. Well. Alcohol.”

  “Not feeling well?” Hal asked.

  “No, feeling sorry.”

  He drummed up a look that showed he didn’t understand and Hal walked in. “What do you mean.”

  “Alcohol you know, intensifies feelings.”

  ‘What are you feeling sorry for?”

  “Myself.”

  “What?” Hal laughed.

  “Serious, Hal. I am married to your bother, but I haven’t seen him. He’s never around. He doesn’t talk to me.”

  Ellen.” Hal walked to the bed and crouched before her. “Listen my brother has a lot of responsibility. I know it’s tough. He’ll come around.”

  “Not if he doesn’t know.”

  “I’ll talk to him.”

  “He hasn’t touched me in a month.”

  Hal chuckled “Really in the scope of things, to some of us a month is not long.” Hal’s hand reached up in a friendly gesture and lay on her knee. It made him stop. Suddenly an odd and uncomfortable feeling hit him when he saw not only how close he was to her legs, but the bareness of her skin creeping through her robe.

  Ellen put her hand over his. “How long?”

  Hal swallowed. “How long what?” he asked all while thinking, ‘Let go of my hand Ellen.’ He wanted to pull it away but he didn’t want to embarrass himself by taking an innocen
t gesture wrong, “How long has it been?”

  “It’s been too long for me to talk about.” He was about to get up, change the subject when her hand moved exposing more of her thigh.

  Ellen leaned down to him, whispering in his ear. “Why haven’t you tried to have me?”

  “Ellen.” Hal closed his eyes.

  “Why?”

  “You belong to my brother.”

  “Your brother shares me in this world.”

  “But I don’t … I can’t …” Hal paused. The warm sensation of her breath against his ear made his eyes close tighter. “This is uncomfortable for me.”

  “But you’re not moving.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Then I will.” Ellen slowly opened her legs a little more.

  Hal wanted to scream. He wanted to scold her, tell her, sex, sexual contact was like alcohol to a recovering alcoholic. He put it out of his mind, buried it. Occasionally desire it but knew it wasn’t in his best interest to think about it. But suddenly all that suppression, years of it, was blasting forward with the simple, just showered scent of a woman.

  Instinct over whelmed him and Hal lifted some grabbing tightly to her face. He brought his lips close to hers, widened them and stopped. “I can’t kiss my brother’s wife. I can’t.”

  “Make love to me Hal. No one has to know.”

  “I can’t.” He plopped down. Mistake. Her legs were there. “The emotions.”

  She slipped the robe from her thighs. “It doesn’t have to be emotional.”

  He stared at one spot, a bare spot on her thigh. She wouldn’t know what emotions it would bring no matter what he did. In fact, just doing nothing, just seeing her so open, was stirring things in Hal he buried when he learned he could never have a woman again. But there it was her leg. Slowly he lowered his lips to her thigh.

  He gasped when he tasted her skin. Skin still moist from showering.

  He smoothed his lips over her, tasting her leg more and Ellen moaned.

  A moan that went through him.

  Bringing his mouth to hers, he began to kiss her, hard and long. Nothing but the feelings and the moment was on his mind, until he felt her hand on his pants, fiddling with zipper.

  When she released him, Hal pulled from the kiss. He had to. He couldn’t breathe. His entire body froze in a moment that hadn’t happened in forever. Someone touching him.

  She had barely gotten out the words, ‘Don’t stop’ when he was already following her command.

  A simple move of his body with hers and Hal entered Ellen.

  It had been so long he didn’t know how long he’d last.

  “Hal.” She whispered his name.

  He didn’t want to move. He tried not to, but just as he did, just as he neared the edge Hal . . . woke up.

  “Hal.” Ellen removed her hand.

  His head was foggy, still reeling in the effects of the dream. He had to wake up. Remind himself he was dreaming. Snap back to reality. “Shit.”

  “You fell asleep.”

  “I know.”

  “I’m done.” She pointed back with her thumb. “You can check the vents now.”

  “Ok. Thanks.” Hal sat up.

  “You were out.”

  “Yeah, I was.”

  “well, I hope you enjoyed your nap. Get to the vents.” She giggled and walked way.

  “Christ. Enjoyed.” Hal rubbed his eyes and murmured. “You don’t know the half of it.”

  ****

  The beep-beep was fast across the screen, and it caught Frank’s attention.

  “See what I mean?” Mark asked. “It does that.”

  “And it never did that before in the Killer Baby region.”

  “Nope.”

  “Maybe it’s the fetuses.”

  “I think they’re still too small to be picked up. Now watch.”

  The beep turned triple.

  “See.” Mark pointed. “Goes from Killer Baby region into the next one then back.”

  “They’re jumping perimeters.”

  “And they have never done that.”

  “Fuck. Ok. Thanks. Go home. Thanks for explaining.”

  “No problem. Night Frank.”

  Mark walked out of the tracking room door, and no sooner had he left, Roy knocked.

  “Hey, Roy.”

  “Do you have a moment, Frank?”

  “Yeah, come on in.”

  Roy walked inside, shut the door and took a seat. “I need to speak to you.”

  “Sure. About what?”

  “I was traumatized tonight and I do not know how to deal with . . .” A series of fast beeps caught Roy’s attention. “What was that?”

  “Fuckin’ Killer Babies are doing something different. And now they’re jumping perimeters.”

  “You must destroy them Frank. All of them if I cannot come up with a way to transform their DNA.”

  “Can we not talk about destroying them until it’s no longer an option? They’re like my kids.”

  “The Killer Babies are like you’re children?”

  “Yes.”

  “I can see that in a twisted way. You all run the same speed.”

  “Exactly. So what’s up?” Frank asked.

  “A baby was born tonight.”

  “Cool.”

  “And I expressed to Dean that I wanted to see. But, I was not thinking about technology. Most women do not give birth in the future. They do not go that route. I assumed it was artificial here. Then I walked into the birth room.”

  “And you saw the baby coming out?”

  “Oh, no, I never made it that far. The woman was barbarically strapped to a table with her legs spread open. Her private parts exposed.”

  “You’ll have that.”

  “Why?”

  “How else is the baby going to get out?”

  Roy blinked. “Certainly not that way.”

  Frank laughed. “Yes, that way.”

  “From where?”

  “Roy, come on. You’re fucking brilliant. You don’t know where babies emerge from?”

  “Uh, yes, Frank. Everyone does. From the Artificial Gestation Habitat hatch.”

  “What about when the mother carries them.”

  “They have to cut them out of their bodies. Women do not come equipped with an exit hatch.”

  “Um, yeah, they come equipped with an exit and entrance hatch.” Frank held up a hand. “Hold on, let me show you.” He pulled forth a tablet and began to draw. “This is a woman.”

  “That is very good Frank, that looks like what I saw. Only it was very furry.”

  Frank winced. “Some woman went so natural again when the world ended.” He shuddered. “Anyhow. This here is . . . this is where the sperm goes in. The sperm goes up a little tunnel into a hub called the uterus. The hub has extra tunnels. Two and the sperm travels there, meeting the egg.”

  “Got it.”

  “The egg settles in the hub and when the baby is down the mother pushes it out the sperm entrance.”

  “It sounds so messy and painful. No wonder women in the future stopped having babies that way. How do you program it?”

  “Program what?”

  ‘The baby.”

  “You can’t.”

  “Yes. We do. We feed data to the child so it is instinctively knowledgeable of a trade. The Hoi Transfer it is called.”

  “We don’t do that yet. We let the kids learn everything from scratch, that way they can determine what they want to be instead of us programming them.”

  “Seems like a waste.”

  Frank laughed.

  “This is so interesting. I wish it would have been something I learned.”

  “Didn’t you figure things out the first time you had sex. I know it took me till the fourth time.”

  “I have never had sex. I have had erections. But not sex.”

  “Oh my God.”

  “What?”

  “I have an idea.” Frank picked up the phone and dialed. “Are you up
for an anatomy lesson?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Frank nodded. “Jenny. Hey. Frank. Yeah. Listen I have Roy here. He’s like the bubble boy from the future. Book smart, not street smart. Seems Roy isn’t familiar with the female anatomy at all. They left that part out for him.” Frank paused. “Not that either. Anyone you can find someone to give him a lesson? Thanks.” He hung up.

  “What did she say?”

  “She said as long as El isn’t bothered, she’ll find someone for tomorrow or show you herself.” Frank produced an ornery smile.

  “Thank you. I’ll leave you now. You’ve been helpful.”

  There was a knock on the door.

  “Come in,” Frank called out.

  Hal walked inside. “Hey Frank.”

  “Hey, Hal, this is a surprise.”

  “Are you busy? I can leave.”

  “No, Roy was just leaving.”

  “Leaving happy, too,” Roy said. “I was confused on female anatomy and Jenny has graciously offered to show me hers. Thank you Frank for asking.”

  Frank gave a thumbs up.

  Hal still had a look of disgust on his face when the door closed. “You’re not right.”

  “What? It’ll be funny. I won’t be there. But I’ll ask for a report.”

  “That’s just wrong.”

  “What’s up?”

  “I came to see if you wanted to go home. I would watch this for you.”

  Frank shook his head. ‘Robbie already offered. He’ll be here soon.”

  “Good. Cause you need to spend time at home.”

  “I know.” Frank stared at Hal. “What’s up? You look like you have something on your mind.”

  “I kind of do. Hating to do so . . . I need your advice.”

  “Oh.” Frank sat up. “Fuckin sweet. Go on.”

  “Hmm.” Hal took a second. “Say you have something that you love to do.”

  Frank nodded.

  “Say, you can’t do this anymore.”

  Frank nodded.

  “So, you put this one thing out of your mind, because you can’t have it.”

  Frank nodded, listening.

  “For years and years it stays subdued, the urge to have this.”

  Frank nodded.

  “Then suddenly, the littlest thing sets it off and you want to have it again. But you can’t. How do you do it?”

  “Do what?”

  “Subdue it again.”

  “Subdue what?”

  “The thing you want to do.”