The Miserable Planet #4 Read online

  ~

  The room was small, but pleasant enough. It was more like a little hotel than a military base. Tuck had a good sized bed, private bathroom and on the far side of the room he could step outside to a porch. A touch screen protruded from the wall next to the door. He turned on what he thought was an old television. Not really wanting to find anything interesting he hoped he could just fall asleep to whatever came on. However, once the television turned on he realized it was no television at all. It was some sort of radio. The song that played was soft and easy. He could fall asleep to that.

  His stomach gurgled.

  He wished the general had provided food like he said he would. He made his way to the control panel wondering if he could order room service. He poked around, but could not figure out how it worked.

  “Stupid machine. I just want something to eat.”

  “What would you like?” A woman’s voice came from the ceiling.

  “What? Who are you?” He was poised ready to fight.

  “No need for anger sir. You are my guest tonight. If you desire anything only speak it and I will heed your words. How may I be of service?”

  He scratched his head trying to figure out why the room was talking to him.

  “I’m hungry. What do you have to eat?”

  “I have many things in the kitchen. Would you like me to prepare a meal?”

  “How about a sandwich? Salami and pepparoni?”

  “As you wish.”

  “Oh…room…can you slather that baby in barbeque sauce?”

  “Please, call me V. And yes, I can add barbeque sauce. Would you like hot or mild?”

  “I don’t care. Just put something on it.” I wonder how Calvin would get along with her.

  Five minutes later Catalpa appeared at his door with his sandwich.

  She bowed keeping her eyes on the ground.

  He took a bite in the doorway. Sauce dripped on his chin.

  “You must be the foodbot?” he said with a full mouth. He looked closely at her face. A dent graced the side of her cheek that was not there before.

  Suddenly, her eyes shot up at him, “I’m not a robot.”

  He stopped chewing.

  “Is there anything else I can get for you?”

  “No, thank you.”

  She bowed quickly and left.

  The door slammed shut by itself leaving Tuck by himself. Not wanting to be in the room, but also not wanting to explore whatever weird compound he was in he went outside to the porch. He was on the highest floor. The city must have been on the other side of the building because there was very little light except for the night sky.

  He laid down on his back forgetting about his sandwich. Countless little stars sparkled in the darkness. The constellations were a little out of place from Mars’ position, but he could still find some of the usual ones: the dippers, Polaris, Orion and his belt and Pleiades. He traced their shapes with his finger thinking about life. He thanked God for getting him through so much. Too many things had happened that he could not take it all in. What was everyone else going to do? Who was Citra? Who was this general guy? What was he going to do tomorrow? Where was he going to go?

  Then he saw it. There, in all her glory floating through a million miles of space and dust was the redheaded goddess.

  Aries.

  That was home and that was where he wanted to go. But where? He had abandoned his people and would be hunted for the rest of his life. Could I survive in the wilderness of Ioa? Just because it was unclaimed and unexplored did not mean that anyone could live there. He recalled the stories he had heard growing up-he trusted these memories enough. Only murderers on the run lived out there and many of them did not make it. There were a few mountain men who chose the hard life. They had their reasons, but him? Perhaps he was worse than a murderer. He had deserted his country. Yet still, Mars called.

  The sliding door to the adjacent apartment slid open. It only took Avers a second to hop the little rail to lie next to him. Neither said anything for some time. They sat there just staring into the now bright night sky.

  “How have you been feeling?” Tuck spoke first.

  “You messed me up pretty good, but I’m a fast healer.”

  The stars moved in concert, slowly, across the black sea.

  “You look for her,” Avers said. “Does she look back?”

  Tuck followed the next constellation with his eyes. He took a deep breath. “Would you go with?” he asked.

  “I look for the same thing you look for.”

  He said nothing.

  “We were brainwashed you know? I’ve figured that much out about us. But they can’t erase our memories. Only confuse them. Repress them. It’s in there somewhere. That’s how you know you’re a Christian. Citra saw it.” Her voice lowered, “I read her letter. They couldn’t stop a memory so deep. That’s who you really are and that’s how I know you really are a Christian. Only your most passionate instincts rise out of the murky cloud on their own.”

  She took a deep breath exhaling warmly on Tuck’s shoulder.

  “My dreams have you in them. I think it’s you, but I don’t know. That’s why you must drink the potion. It will clear things up. Don’t trust Citra; trust me. Once you remember who you are you’ll help me know who I am and I if we were…”

  He turned to his side to face her. She was looking at him. A thought, painful, but good, bubbled in his head. It was the memory of a recent dream. He was bound in chains; a sack over his head. Someone punched him in the stomach. Others screamed. Someone grabbed his arm while another person forced him into a chair. Someone put a needle in his arm. The sack was removed revealing a dimly lit room. Woozy, he fell to the floor. He held someone’s hand. It was soft and smooth. Dark hair. Long. Down passed her shoulders. He saw her lips; pink with lipstick. She smiled big and at him. He opened his eyes.

  Avers.

  The memory felt different than most.

  “Do you find her?”

  “I look.”