Alvin Baylor Lives!_A 21st Century Pulp

by Maximilian Gray

  Alvin panted and continued, “The only other Corporate shuttle in the belt is docked here. Isn’t that right, Bossman?”

  The big man nodded. “Yeah, just two, but why should I stand with you? You look like you about to pass out.”

  “Because Meyer’s just another warden, and she put us in a hole called 243 Ida.” Chatter arose at the comment. “You want freedom? If we stop this crew, we’ll have six months before they can get back here. And we’ll have two ships capable of long-range flight.”

  “You’re proposing we mutiny and return to Earth on our own?” asked Choi.

  “That’s the only way we’re getting back.”

  “You’re nuts,” said Beckman.

  “No, I’m playing to win.”

  A pain lanced through his forehead and he groaned.

  “I’m in charge here,” said Beckman. “You’re in no condition to lead a revolt.”

  Alvin gritted his teeth. “Care to put it to a vote?”

  Beckman sneered at him and laughed.

  “Why don’t we do that?” said Dr. Choi.

  Beckman froze.

  She took her eyes off Alvin and addressed the group. “Anyone in favor of giving Alteris what they want?” she asked.

  Silence.

  “Anyone want to kill them?”

  The ’roiders cheered and hollered. They banged on the tables and jumped to their feet. Beckman glared at her.

  “You just created a monster,” he said. His words were barely audible beneath the shouts.

  Choi turned away from him and looked back at Alvin. “I think it’s settled.”

  “Good. I need to lie down,” said Alvin. Then he passed out.

  Forty-Six

  Alvin awoke. The emergency lights strobed. When they went off, colored pinpoints of light lit up the equipment in the med lab. Two heart monitors beeped in rhythm.

  He sat upright and looked over. Rinsler’s eyes were open.

  “How long have I been out?”

  “About eight hours,” said Rinsler.

  The lights strobed in the hallway, as well. Seven or eight bodies littered the floor.

  Alvin looked back into the room. Tosh and Yumi were gone.

  “What happened?”

  “Your speech at the meeting,” said Rinsler. “I listened in. It was a bit violent and aggressive, but I suppose that’s what you were after.”

  The clank of metal boots echoed on the deck outside.

  “Here they come now,” said the scientist. He sat upright.

  A CorpSec team entered the hallway outside. They wore black suits polished like onyx with “Security” emblazoned across their chests. Their visors were opaque with no visible facial features. Bossman was with them. He was dressed in a battered fabric jumpsuit, but he was armed with the same rifle as the others. “This way,” he said. His voice echoed down the hall.

  “Lot of dead,” said the officer beside him. He seemed to be the leader.

  “We had some disagreements,” said Bossman.

  They stalked forward toward the med lab and stopped a foot from the glass. The officer stared inside as the lights flashed on and off.

  “Fuck,” whispered Alvin.

  “That him?” said the officer.

  “Yeah, that’s Baylor,” said Bossman.

  “Stay here.”

  The four CorpSec men nodded and took up positions at the ends of the hallway. The dead ’roiders lay on the deck between them.

  “Tyrell, you’re with me,” said the officer.

  Bossman nodded and walked into the med lab first. When the lights strobed across his face, he winked.

  He’s with me. They’re playing dead.

  The officer stepped in front of Bossman. A helmet-mounted flashlight powered on.

  “You must be Dr. Rinsler.”

  The scientist shielded his eyes from the glare. The orbs sat in his lap.

  “That all we came here for? Those little things?” said the man from behind his black visor.

  Rinsler pulled them close like little babies and recoiled.

  The orbs began to whisper.

  The sounds were unintelligible, but gave Alvin the impression they were afraid.

  The officer turned to him. “How do, Baylor?” He examined Alvin’s battered body and chuckled. “Not too good, apparently.”

  Alvin flashed a wry smile. “Is Meyer watching?”

  “She’ll see this feed, when it reaches Earth,” said the man.

  “If I have to use them to stop you, I will,” said Alvin. “We can all die.”

  “You’re a funny guy. Hand them over.”

  “I’m not talking to you, shithead,” said Alvin. “Meyer, if you leave us alone, no further harm will come to your operations. 243 Ida is ours. You can keep the apartment.”

  “I’m sorry, Sabrina,” said Rinsler. “We’re going private with my work. You have been a generous benefactor, but our objectives are not aligned.”

  The officer laughed. “The insurance claims have already been filed. Our orders are to terminate you.”

  “So are theirs,” said Rinsler. He pointed to the hallway outside.

  The officer looked out the window.

  The ’roiders lying on the deck leaped to their feet and attacked his team from behind. He started for the door, but Bossman raised his rifle and fired. The man screamed a death gurgle as his helmet was welded to his head.

  His black-clad body fell to the floor with a thump. A waft of burnt plastic filled the room.

  “His Opti-Comp should have uploaded by now,” said Bossman.

  Out in the hallway, the CorpSec team was overrun. The ’roiders attacked two at a time and ripped away their weapons. When one man fell, they swarmed the next. Corporate Security let loose screams of anguish as they were beaten to death.

  One of the ’roiders ran to the door with a stolen rifle. He aimed it at Bossman, who said, “Ho ho, man! I’m with you.”

  The green-eyed ’roider scanned the ground and saw the terminated officer. He nodded at Alvin and stepped away from the doorway.

  “Shit,” said Bossman. “Can we have the lights?”

  The emergency strobe ceased and the base lights came back on.

  “So your name’s Tyrell?” said Alvin.

  The man smiled. “It’s Bossman, muthafucka. I ain’t that guy no more.”

  He laughed. “You almost had me fooled. Where is everybody?”

  “In the atrium, waiting for you to tell them what to do next,” said Bossman.

  Alvin marched his way down to the atrium. He was tired and dehydrated. The skin around his burnt temples ached and his arms were bound up in splints. Yet his spirits were on the rise.

  They trusted me. Why?

  He came to the transparent door. The glass was cracked from the riot. Buzz was inside standing at the front desk. He looked up and waved him in.

  “Alvin! How are you feeling?”

  “I’m better.” The sounds of conversation came from beyond the hydroponic foliage. “Are the others inside?”

  Buzz nodded. “We sent the strongest and waited here.” He paused. “Except Beckman.”

  “What happened to Beckman?”

  “He wouldn’t listen.”

  Buzz tapped the air and a floating display appeared. He spun it so Alvin could see.

  It was a recording of the base cameras.

  Five CorpSec officers exited their vessel. They moved in formation through the zero-g hangar and entered the base. Bossman was there to meet them.

  “We had a plan,” said Buzz, “but Beckman panicked—insisted they were here to take us home. Dr. Choi tried to stop him.”

  On the screen, Beckman met up with the CorpSec team. They leveled their rifles at him and he put his hands in the air.

  “Thank god you’re here,” he said. “We’ve been out of communication.”

  The black-helmeted officers stood impassively.

  “I know what the company sent you for,” said Beckman. “I can lead
you to it.”

  “That dick,” said Alvin.

  On screen, the officer spoke. “Jamie Beckman?”

  “Yeah, that’s him,” said Bossman.

  Alvin looked at Buzz.

  “We weren’t sure whether to trust Bossman,” said Buzz, “but we had no choice.”

  “I know you!” said Beckman. “You helped me a few days ago day. Remember?”

  “Where is Alvin Baylor?” said the CorpSec officer. He shoved the shorter man back with the tip of his rifle.

  “I can take you to him,” said Beckman.

  “Just tell me where he is,” said the officer. He fiddled with the grip on his weapon.

  “The medical bay.” Beckman’s voice trembled.

  The officer shot him in the head.

  Alvin grimaced. “Damn it, he should have stayed put.”

  Onscreen, the invaders resumed walking. Buzz dismissed the floating display.

  “We told him,” said Buzz. “Everyone was convinced after that.”

  Alvin hadn’t much cared for Beckman, but he didn’t deserve to die.

  “They’re waiting for you,” said Buzz. “They need a leader.”

  Alvin nodded. He walked past the front desk and the hydroponic plants to the back of the room. A white archway gave way to a green field of grass. He passed through and found blue sky and white clouds overhead. It was a diorama of Earth with real foliage and digital vistas. He let the light of the faux sun warm his face and took a deep breath. It felt fresh, even if it was just recycled base air. It felt like—Earth.

  Ahead, he spotted three chattering ’roiders standing on a knoll while flowers swayed in the breeze at their feet. They were broken men, covered in bandages, and they limped around trampling the flowers. Beyond them were two bright-pink trees whose leaves blanketed the shore of a small stream.

  Is that real?

  Alvin walked forward. When they saw him, they fell silent. He smiled and continued past.

  At the bank of the running water sat Dr. Choi and Tosh. They tended to Yumi, who lay strapped to a gurney, still unconscious, her limbs in casts. Sioux sat nearby fingering the pink leaves that dotted the area. The bright petals contrasted starkly against her brown skin. She saw him coming, flashed a broad smile, and stood to greet him.

  “This is amazing,” he said. “I didn’t know this was back here.”

  He turned his left palm over to catch the falling pink petals. Pain shot through his injured arm as a few drifted into his hand and he pressed them softly between his fingertips. He looked up at the blue sky and took a deep breath.

  “You kept it all alive,” she said.

  The three ’roiders came closer to listen. Alvin didn’t know them, though he recognized their faces. They no longer scowled; instead they looked expectant.

  Tosh looked up at him with an angry glare. Alvin was taken aback, his mood dashed.

  A clamor came from the entrance. All eyes turned to the raucous cheers coming from the doorway as the other ’roiders returned with Buzz and Bossman.

  When Alvin turned back around, Tosh was on his feet with a finger leveled in his direction. “I hope you’re proud of yourself!” he yelled through the din of celebration.

  The new arrivals went silent while they commingled with the group.

  “I did my job until I couldn’t anymore,” said Alvin. “Just like everyone here.”

  The ’roiders chattered and nodded in unison.

  “We have no pay, no pension, no future!” yelled Tosh.

  The ’roiders went silent.

  “No,” said Alvin. “We won’t be retiring in plastic bubbles on Mars, living on a shoestring pension for printed food.” He turned to address everyone as he spoke. “Because we’re going back to Earth with riches in our pockets. Rinsler’s invention can turn rocks into gold.”

  The ’roiders cheered.

  Sioux and Choi watched with concern. Tosh was unmoved.

  “What about Yumi?” His voice was full of venom. “Is she going back?”

  “We’re all going back.”

  Tosh locked gazes with him while the little crowd kept silent.

  Alvin held his gaze, but spoke to Bossman. “Did you find any?”

  “They only had one on them,” said Bossman. “The company is cheap.”

  Alvin tipped his head toward Tosh.

  Bossman looked at him with a question in his eye.

  “For Yumi,” said Alvin. “I’ll heal the old-fashioned way.”

  Bossman handed over a nano-tech first-aid kit.

  Tosh’s face softened as he took it. He dropped his glare, then he dropped back down to Yumi’s side and passed the kit to Dr. Choi.

  “Have we locked down that shuttle yet?” said Alvin.

  Bossman shook his head.

  “Well, let’s get to it. We need to be ready.”

  “Ready for what?” said the ’roider with bright-green eyes.

  “To go back to Earth,” said Alvin, “and change the way the game is played.”

  A cheer rose up across the group.

  Several of the ’roiders reached out their hands to touch his shoulders in a show of respect.

  He’d not had camaraderie for a long time. It felt good, but he did not reminisce on his gaming days. The past wasn’t with him anymore—the ’roiders were.

  “Let’s get to work,” he said.

  The men and women began exiting out of the atrium.

  “Can we get a hand,” said Choi.

  Buzz and the green-eyed man knelt down to help lift Yumi’s gurney. They followed Dr. Choi and the others out.

  At the doorway Buzz paused to give a nod. Tosh looked back and did the same. The group exited, leaving him alone with Sioux.

  She looked around at the crushed flower beds and sighed.

  “I’ll give you a hand,” said Alvin.

  “Oh really?”

  He wiggled his dangling fingers and lifted his left arm slowly and with great effort.

  “Better than no help at all. Gotta keep this place looking beautiful.”

  A while later, after they had managed to clear the trampled flowers, Alvin and Sioux sat down under the cherry blossoms and stared up at the sky. All was peaceful for the moment, but with so much unknown ahead, he found it hard to stop worrying. He awkwardly shifted his back against one of the trees.

  “You should try meditating,” said Sioux.

  “I’m not sure I have the mind for it. I’m always thinking.”

  “All the more reason to do it,” she said.

  “Not just yet.”

  “Then when?” she asked.

  “When I’m ready. Right now, I have things on my mind.”

  “You aren’t the things on your mind. Don’t fall victim to your habits,” she said.

  They were silent for a while, listening to the sound of the leaves in the breeze and babbling stream.

  “Did you leave anyone behind?” she asked.

  “No. I’m alone,” he said.

  Katy.

  The thought stung. He pushed it away.

  “None of us have families, either,” said Sioux. “It’s a condition of employment.”

  “I guess we’re alone in this together,” he said with a chuckle.

  “Who knows where it goes from here,” she said with a smile.

  Alvin was silent. His mind drifted back to Katy.

  “Good thing you had that CorpSec man in your pocket,” she said.

  “It was your gardening skills that bonded us.”

  “No, I think you both just hated working for the Man—or Woman, in this case.”

  Alvin laughed.

  “Okay, I’ll try it,” he said. “What do I do? Close my eyes and talk to God?”

  “No, you don’t talk, you listen—to your own thoughts.”

  “I do that all day.”

  “Now do it without judgment.”

  He crossed his legs and assumed what he thought of as a suitable meditation position.

  “Do
I chant or something?”

  “No, just sit there. Just be.”

  “Okay, here I go. I’m ready to be a healthier person.”

  “There is no ready.”

  What does that mean?

  He took a deep breath and exhaled his worries.

  Forty-Seven

  Alvin floated through the doorway into the machine shop where Dr. Rinsler had taken residence. The scientist hovered above a battered console with exposed electrical guts. His black hair and beard trailed from his face and swayed in the microgravity. He was surrounded by an array of electrical components. He grabbed one out of the air and inserted it into the console.

  “You know Buzz changed our encryption keys when he brought the network back up,” said Alvin. “They can’t listen in.”

  “I don’t care,” said Rinsler. “I work on isolated systems only.”

  “Good luck getting that old thing to work.”

  A day had passed, and the scientist’s appreciation for socializing remained nonexistent. The spheres floated in the air nearby. Alvin heard them whisper in high-pitched tones. The sound reminded him of children at play. He watched Rinsler’s bare feet sway above his head as he reached inside the large computer console. His toes sprouted hair as prodigiously as his head and face, and Alvin longed to see him in grip socks again.

  “Is there something you need at this particular moment?” said Rinsler.

  “Just checking in. The news is reporting this place as a total loss. They’re gossiping about how much Alteris will make on the insurance payout. You know they get five hundred million for each one us?”

  Rinsler scoffed. “You destroyed a moon. Schrödinger’s cat is out of the box. Meyer has to cover.”

  “Have you heard from her yet?”

  “Yes, a final communiqué,” said Rinsler.

  “What did she say?”

  “She was apoplectic. Said you were a loose cannon, but she wants to hold on to me. Also said they were only going to kill the others.”

  Rinsler snagged another component out of the air and stuck his arms back inside the desk.

  “You believe that?” said Alvin.

  “I believe our goals were misaligned. She was useful for a time.”

  He’s still hiding something.

  “I need your trust if I’m going to get these ’roiders back to Earth,” said Alvin.