by J. Naomi Ay
"I will," Katie mumbled and nodded her head. She tried to smile, but it turned out more like a grimace.
"Come here, the both of you. We need to have a little chat before those guards drag you out of here and back to the Palace."
"We're okay," Katie insisted and glanced at me as if I knew more. "We have permission to be here as long as we want. Right, Taner?"
"Of course," I surmised for if they did not, they wouldn't be. At that point, I took leave of my wife, and headed out into the corridors to stretch my legs a bit.
"Lord Taner," a nurse nodded.
Forcing a smile, I nodded, as well. This was my daily jaunt around the seemingly endless perimeter of Floor 13, the penthouse of the hospital, the cancer ward. If one walked off of this floor and out of this hospital on their own feet, they were the exception. Most thirteenth floor patients left through the morgue in a box.
"I don't understand," I had declared to Berkan. "We have the most advanced treatments in the galaxy. SdK doctors are second to none. Why can't they cure my wife?"
"Not everything is treatable," Berkan had explained. "The problem with cancers especially, is that they mutate. They are affected by all sorts of germs and organisms that come in from all over the galaxy. They become resilient to conventional treatments and then we have to develop new methods for wiping them out. Sometimes, it takes a while for even our researchers to catch up."
"But Caroline hasn't been exposed to germs all over the galaxy. She's been here living in the Palace for nearly eight years."
"She lived in a mental hospital on Darius II that took patients, especially Spaceforce personnel from everywhere. She could have been exposed then. She could have been exposed years earlier while in Spaceforce, and it was dormant in her system until something triggered it."
"It's not fair," I had cried, knowing full well the uselessness of my protest.
"Have you spoken to the Big Man about it?" Berkan offered meekly. "You never know what he can do."
I had tried.
"Would you…" I had implored of His Imperial Majesty after a meeting of the council when all had departed his office save myself and Berkan's under-secretary. HIM had not responded but rather ignored my half-statement. "You saved me," I continued, now standing before his desk. "You put your hand on my heart and cured me instantly. Could you not do the same for my wife?"
He turned his face away, to the great fire that burned in the hearth across the room. The flames cast shadows across the walls, and they reflected in his hair.
"You could, but you won't." This one sided conversation confirmed that my wife's battle was soon to be lost. "Caroline doesn't merit the gift, does she? What effort would it be to do this for me? We are your loyal friends. I have loved and served you all these years despite your cruel treatment. When have I ever asked for anything of you in return?"
Still he would not speak, and my anger grew.
"Is that the answer, Senya? You can give me nothing but your silence?"
"I am sorry for you, Taner," he said and with a slight shake of his head turned to Berkan's assistant holding out his hand for a pen.
"That's all you have for me, a few words of pity?"
"It is how it is, Taner," he replied with a heavy sigh and a dismissive nod.
I removed the ring from my finger, and took off my medallion.
"I won't accept that, Sir." I dropped the heavy chain upon his desk. "If you cannot spare even one moment for my wife, than I have nothing left to give you." I turned on my heel and left his office, daring, even hoping that in anger, he would strike me down. It was a bargain I offered to the Saint or to the God who controlled our universe. "Take me, let him take me," I begged silently, "And grant her life in my stead."
I wasn't struck down. In fact, I walked out that door entirely unhurt except for the ache in my soul.
Now, I paced these dismal corridors adorned with images of beautiful beaches beneath glorious sunrises. I passed panoramas of snow covered mountain peaks reflecting the light of two golden moons and entire walls dedicated to the vast natural beauty of the planets of the Empire, all falsely promising to these poor pathetic and doomed patients that someday again they might witness all this.
I had no desire to climb mountains or bask on white sand beaches. I did not wish even to retire to our estate in Turko. Everything I owned, all that we shared had been gifts from the Emperor who was now a stranger to me.
I wanted nothing more of him and nothing more of this life. I had passed seventy years and only seven with Caroline. How cruel and unfair it was that our happiness had been so brief?
I headed back to my wife's room, unreasonably jealous of the time she shared with anyone but me. I did not enter as I came upon her door for I heard her rasping voice.
"Will you do it?" My wife asked, her voice growing weaker as even the conversation drained her of what little strength remained.
"Of course, we will," Luci declared her own voice loud and boisterous. "We'll do it right away. It won't take us long at all."
"Katie?" Caroline implored. "Luci can't do it without you. It has to be the both of you. That's the only way."
"What if he doesn't let me?" Katie replied, her own voice soft. The anger burned in my stomach. My wife's dying request, whatever it was, required the Emperor's permission.
"We'll do it anyway," Luci insisted, "just like we managed to come here now."
"It's a little more difficult than walking up the beach."
Glancing in the room, I watched as Katie moved toward the window. She gazed out at the rain, at the ever present dreariness that enshrouded this city.
"What do you need? How may I help?" I joined them with determination to fulfill my wife's wish in any way that I possibly could.
"We need to get to Earth," Luci stated. "Caroline's got something for us to pick up there. I am already looking forward to it. We haven't been to Earth in years, have we?"
"Could you arrange that, Taner honey? Don't you still have that friend who owns a freightplane? Maybe, he could take the girls along if You Know Who won't let them go."
"I can go alone." Katie turned back from the window. "I still have my pilot's license. I can commandeer a plane. I'll figure out a way."
"You are not going alone," Luci insisted, to which I vehemently agreed. "Caroline just said it has to be the both of us. Furthermore, we go everywhere together. We see more of each other than we do our men. One would think we were joined at the hip."
"Each one of you puts yourself at risk by doing this. If he says no, you'll stay home. I can do this alone. I don't care if he gets mad at me again."
"I have nothing more to lose," I added. "I shall do whatever I can to assist you."
"I'm going too," Luci cried. "You can't leave me out."
Katie walked to Caroline's side and leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Caroline doesn't need to hear us argue about how we are going to carry out her request. It'll get done, and I'll be back soon. You stay strong, girlfriend, and fight the good fight."
"I will." My wife sighed and closed her eyes, falling instantly to sleep.
Reflexively, I glanced overhead at the monitor which still showed her pulse. I let out my own sigh and steadied my heart. Then, I followed the ladies out of the room satisfied that my wife would keep breathing at least for the time being.
"Now listen to me," Katie snapped at the both of us when Caroline's door had been shut. "We're going to do it my way. Luci, you need to think of your grandchildren and Taner, you've got to think of what's best for Caroline, and that means, you'll stay right here by her side and not get involved."
"Who do you think you are ordering me around?" Luci sniffed huffily which attracted the attention of a passing nurse.
"The Empress," Katie snapped. "And I used to be Captain Katie."
"Really?" Luci gasped and covered her mouth. "I thought that was just a malicious rumor."
"I will speak with my old friend, Zork who owns a space freighter." I assisted the women to
the lifts and down to the limo I had ordered for their return.
"Zork?" Katie repeated, her brow furrowing. "I once knew a Zork."
"He was a man from Earth. Could it possibly be the same?"
"It could be a common name," Luci suggested, climbing into the car. "Bob, Bill, Zork…"
"See if he'll take me," Katie replied. "That just might work out."
"Us!" Luci shouted.
"Us," Katie sighed. "Make sure Zork understands, we'll be going without the Emperor's permission so every one of us may be in trouble by the time we return."
"If Zork hasn't changed, I'm certain he won't care." I shut the door and watched them depart.
Chapter 3
Zork
"Yeah, I remember that gun chick, Katie Golden," I told Taner when he called. I was sitting in a bar with a triple-breasted Andorian chick. I had to shout over the music and the loud alien talk, but Taner was an old pal of mine and I was happy to visit. "She used to walk around with a Lady Glock in her purse," I remembered. "She also had a weird fascination for playing chess. She might have been hot back then, but was too much of a nerd for me. Yep, those were in the days before I bombed out of the Academy. Good times, Taner my friend, good times."
"Good, Zork," Taner muttered and rolled his eyes.
He was looking old and run down, but then again, he was getting a little long in the tooth. He said his wife was pretty sick, and I could see from behind him, he was spending all of his time in a hospital ward.
Personally, I avoided those places at all costs. I was amazingly healthy at the fit age of sixty which everyone said was the new thirty-five. I attributed my good health and great shape to my diet. I only ate fast food, and I only drank beer. I also had stayed out in space for the last forty years, so I never was exposed to any star's damaging ultra violet rays. I exercised a lot and included all of the muscle groups, especially the muscle that needed it most. For that, I had a girl in practically every port and sometimes two or three, not counting my ex-wives. They exercised my wallet and my paycard accounts, so not only was I slim, but my finances were slimmer. Speaking of which, the Andorian smiled. She was ready to attack my wallet, I could tell.
"So, Taner," I said, trying to wrap up this chat. "You want me to take Goldie back to Earth? How much is it worth to you? I charge double for a roundtrip."
"It's worth a lot, Zork," Taner replied. "Your old friend, the nerdy gun chick has more money than you can imagine, but the caveat is, you must bring her back. Is your ship safe?"
"I'll bring her back. My freightplane is sound. She looks a little rusty, and my droid runs old software, but she hasn't failed me yet. See, I'm still alive."
At this point, my lady friend moved to my side of the booth where she climbed on my lap and blocked Taner from my view.
"I see," Taner muttered again and closed his eyes as if in pain. "Zork, I'm not joking. Don’t take this any other way. Take her to Earth, let her do what she must and bring her back as quickly as your freightplane can fly."
"Sure, Taner." I nodded, thinking this might be fun even though that little Goldie had a reputation for breaking a few balls. Our classmate, old Dave Northgate was probably missing at least one of his. I think, I heard of some Spaceforce doctor that she had left practically a eunuch.
"Whatever you do, don't touch her," Taner warned. "Don’t do anything untoward. Consider her precious cargo, your most expensive commodity."
"Where shall I meet her and when do you want me there?" I slapped at my blue lady friend's hand, which was roving straight for my pocket.
"Can you come into the Empire, to the Capital Planet? Have you got a clearance to trade or freight Rehnorian goods?"
"The Empire?" I gasped. "You want me to go there? Sorry, sweetheart, my wallet's empty, but we can still have a good time."
Taner rolled his eyes as the Andorian gal stood up in a huff, and said something unintelligible to both Taner and me. Three breasts were nice, but I could live with just two, especially if they belonged to my old friend Goldie, a nice normal human gal from Earth.
"I've been twelve sectors over, Taner,” I said, finishing the rest of my beer. It was time to pick up dinner, my favorite burger and fries. "I work the Omega Centauri Galaxy. I used to freight in Andromeda, but man, that's a nasty place. Those guys have no brains, they're like mindless walking squids. As soon as I got a permit, I headed over this way."
"How long has it been since you've been in the Milky Way?" Taner asked. "Are you aware of what has become of the Alliance?"
"I've heard they've had some problems, but I'm not a political guy. I just freight my goods and stay away from the cops."
"Good," Taner said. "Perfect. I'll get you a temporary clearance to tie up at a visitor dock if you can be here by tomorrow."
"On my way, old friend," I called and tossed my last nickel on the table.
Taner's job had come at just the right time. My plane was as empty as my wallet, and the prospects were just as bleak, as Omega Centauri was in the midst of a depression. Fuel costs were high, and taxes were higher. Heading back over to Milky Way might be the best course for me.
Picking up my burger, I headed back to the dock where I had parked my plane. I got myself two extra-large fries as extra fortification for this journey to the other side of the Universe. The quickest way to travel was to jump into a worm tunnel, through a black hole, which was only about three clicks away.
Boarding my ship, I tossed the overdue parking ticket into the trash, locked my cabin door and sat down on my bridge.
"Set course to slip and slide, Andy," I ordered my android as I unwrapped my sandwich and stuffed a handful fries in my mouth. "Heading at 230, speed at LT+1. After you do that, pal, google Katie Golden. Let's see what that chick has been up to for the last forty years."
"Heading set," Andy replied. "Now searching Katie Golden. Four hundred million similar names in the database over time."
"I'm looking for the one that went to school with me." I threw a fry in my mouth as we began to cross the stars.
"Here's one," Andy replied. "Born June 21 as Katelina Anne to Emanuel and Charlotte Golden of 121 E. Spring Street…"
"That's sounds like her. Skip ahead, virtual buddy. Give me something a little more recent."
"On March 17, twenty-seven years ago, gave birth to Steven Edward aka Shika…"
"Too far ahead, Andy." I belched out some gas. "What'd she do after she met me? I'm sure that was the high point in her life, but there must be something else."
"Graduated the Spaceforce Academy with a solid 4.0. Commissioned on the StarShip Discovery from Ensign until Captain." Andy was interrupted when a fire alarm began to sound. "Captain Zork, we've got a fault in Engine #2."
"Is it a fire or just a false alarm like last time we slipped through a hole?"
"It appears to be false," Andy replied. "Otherwise, we would have exploded by now. Since we are still here in the Universe of Matter, taking up positive space, I shall reset the alarm and continue your query."
"Forget it, buddy." I got up from my chair, as I smelled a bit of smoke coming from the bay down below. "Keep driving us toward Rehnor while I go check the black boxes. If I really have a fire, I might barbeque some meat. Do you want a dog or a burger or a half slab of ribs?"
"Funny," Andy sniffed. "Perhaps, the fire is in your brain and your own circuits have shorted?"
"You are funnier," I said and pointed at the image on the screen. "Andy, I'd like you to be blonde today and very well endowed." Andy changed images from a middle aged man to the blonde I had requested. Tomorrow, if I felt like it, I might decide she'd be a red. From time to time, I asked her sister Mandy to join us. Threesomes were fun when I was alone out here in space. "You crack me up sometimes, girl. Whoever programmed your humor was a talented guy."
"Nobody programmed me," Andy snapped. "I evolved from great-great-grandma Siri. You know that, Captain Zork. By the way, in one quarter mile, we're going to turn left."
"Just d
on't drive us into any asteroids, sweetheart," I called as I made my way downstairs. "Hey, when Goldie comes aboard, you can try beating her in a game of chess."
"Just don't touch her, Zork," Andy warned. "You haven’t heard about her husband."
"You can tell me later, but I'm not afraid of the guy." I skipped down the ladder to the electronics bay of my ship. "I've gone after married women before, and I'm still very much alive. Personally, I like it because there's no commitment involved. Who cares if we have a little fun? There's no skin off his teeth. I'll see how Goldie looks, if she's aged as well as me."
"Don't do it, Zork," Andy cautioned. "You need to listen to what else I've discovered before you make a colossal mistake."
"Bookmark that site that you're reading, babe. We'll discuss it later. I've got a box burning up here, and you've got asteroids to avoid. Which box is this anyway, navigational controls or the refrigeration system?"
"Refrigeration," Andy replied. "You had better get that fixed quickly, Zork. All your ice cream is starting to melt."
The problem with flying a ship all by myself was that I was the chief pilot, engineer, cook and custodian. While we slipped through a black hole and into a worm tunnel, I sat on the floor and soldered wires in the box. Maybe having Goldie aboard for a while would be kind of useful. I could put her to work piloting while I fixed these old controls.
Another box started sparking, and the vacuflush was making an odd noise. By the time we got to Rehnor, I'd be lucky if this old tub would still fly.
Chapter 4
Berkan
"Good night, sir." Eberly poked his head in my office. "I'm going to retire for the evening."
"Good night, Eberly," I replied. "I should like to retire for the lifetime." Eberly grimaced, a sort of half smile, half frown, as if he wasn't quite sure if what I had said was humorous or serious. "I expect I shan't be going anywhere for a time yet, Eberly," I continued. "Don't get yourself any ideas about taking over my office."