Naveen pressed her ear against the glass, but the high-pitched
cries of newborns didn’t include hers. Tears streaked down the window as robotic
hands descended and snatched the lifeless shell she gave birth to from the
bassinet and out of sight. The nameplate was replaced with another. The robotic
hands returned with another baby whose proud parents disregarded the hysterical
mother as they celebrated beside her. Naveen’s heart sunk to her stomach and
she collapsed. Sebastian, who until that point sat with his face planted in his
palms, lifted his tormented wife from the cold floor and carried her away.
Sebastian entered the darkness
of their bedroom with a tray of hot tea and biscuits. He spoke the words
“enhance lighting” and the room instantly brightened. And there she was, a
despondent Naveen fetal positioned beneath the sheets.
“Naveen, baby, come on,” he
pleaded with the back of her head. “It’s been days now. You need to eat something.”
“It
could’ve been the trip to Munzi,” she said sluggish and raspy before facing
him.
“Stop it, Naveen!” he snapped. “Visiting
my parent’s wasn’t the issue and you know it!”
“You can’t even breathe without
a mask the air is so toxic! And we were there for three days! Three friggin’
days! I knew you should’ve gone alone…”
“What
do you mean? It wasn’t your fault so stop blaming yourself.”
Naveen
shot up, “Me… I’m not to blame! They’re your parents, Sebastian! You’re the one
who wanted to see them, not me!”
In a fury, Sebastian slammed the
tray down on the nightstand so hard everything on it spilled onto the bed, “So I’m the reason Sophie died?”
“Get
out!” screamed a teary Naveen. “Get out, Sebastian! Just get out!”
“Fine!
I need a drink anyway.”
After
an hour or so of flying around the backseat of a shuttle-taxi, Sebastian
finally ended up at the Hotwired Octopus. It was the type of joint you wouldn’t
want anyone to know you went to, but on Thursdays nights you were sure to have
the time of your life. No sooner did he enter, Candy, a stripper-bot stuck her
breasts in his face.
“Ah,
Mr. Atell; you’re earlier than usual. Finally taking advantage of the
early-bird special?”
“Not
now, Candy,” Sebastian scanned the place as if he was looking for someone. “Is
Deacon here?”
“But
it’s only forty credits and includes five minutes of one on one fun time!”
“I
said no! Now, is Deacon here or not?”
Candy
sighed disappointingly, “Of course he’s here! He practically lives here. Now, you
know the rules; if you’re not dancing, then you must drink.”
Sebastian finally saw Deacon at
the bar with ten shots waiting for him, “Trust me, I’ll be doing a lot of
that.”
“But I don’t make money off
drinks!”
Sebastian sidestepped the
stripper-bot and flopped on the empty bar stool next to Deacon.
“My lil’ bro finally arrives!” he
slurred.
“Hey,
bro, I see you started without me,” sassed Sebastian.
“You took too long.” He slid the
entire row of shots over, “Here, suck down those lady troubles!”
“Lord knows I have enough of
them right now.”
“No, stupid, I meant the drinks.
They’re called lady troubles. Candy
hopped behind the bar and whipped ‘em up just for you, but of course I had to
try one or two first to make sure you’d like it.”
Sebastian
just shook his head then gulped a shot.
“So
talk to me, bro,” said Deacon as he took a pull from his vapor pen.
“I feel terrible about Naveen,”
he sighed. “Every time this happens… I just
hate seeing her so – screwed up. You know, she actually thinks our trip to Munzi
was the reason she lost the baby?”
“You’re serious?”
“Yeah, well, a part of me felt
like an ass when she said it, but I don’t know.”
“Listen,
the whole toxic fume shit goin’ on ain’t nothin’ new. Mom and dad refuse to
leave and ain’t nothin’ ever happen to ‘em. Ain’t nothin’
happen to me or you neither. Hell, we’d still be there if the Commission and
the Union didn’t force us out and into good
ol’ Ashuria.”
“If
we didn’t come here, then Naveen and I wouldn’t have met.”
“That’s
true; but over the eight years you guys been married, how many times have you
gone back to visit? Twenty or so, some shit like that?”
“Maybe
so; we visit our parents at least twice a year.”
“If she’d never blamed Munzi before, then why now? I’m telling you, bro, that broad’s full of crap!”
“If she’d never blamed Munzi before, then why now? I’m telling you, bro, that broad’s full of crap!”
“Whoa,
Deacon, what the hell, man?” asked a riled Sebastian.
“Sorry,
bro. It’s just that it’s sumthin’ different every time. I know she’s upset; she
has every right to be, but she can’t put this on you and you can’t let her. If
you do, you won’t be able to live with yourself and that’s the truth.”
“Then
what else could’ve happened then? What caused her radiation levels to skyrocket
like that?”
“It
could’ve been anything, man!” said Deacon taking another pull. “It could’ve
been those shitty security scanners at the shuttleport, for God’s sake, but it
wasn’t you or Munzi; that much I know.”
“This
is tearing us a part, Deacon!” said a somber Sebastian. “If I can’t give her
the family she always wanted then she’ll walk out on me. I know it…”
“Are
you listenin’ to yourself? Naveen ain’t goin’ nowhere. I dunno why, but she
loves you too much. You guys will get through this, trust me. As a matter of
fact, lemme see your phone.”
Sebastian
dug out his phone from the inner pocket of his beaten leather jacket. Deacon
tossed his onto the bar top then waved his hand over the screen and a hologram
of his contact list projected. He spoke the words, “Open contacts to Fertility
Inc.” Once the information displayed, Deacon said, “Copy and transfer to my
lil’ bro over here.” The projection duplicated itself and retracted into
Sebastian’s phone.
“There,
that should settle it,” said Deacon. “Don’t say I ain’t never gave you nothin’.”
Sebastian
was totally confused, “Fertility Inc.?”
“Remember
when Jeanie fell and broke her hip at the fuel cell mill?”
“Yeah,
but what does that have to do with anything?”
“When
we tried to have lil’ Deacon, we had some issues. Come to find out, a bone
fragment was stuck in a fallopian tube. Our doctor-bot thought it was
impossible to fix, but then he told us to give Fertility Inc. a try. They actually
replaced her tube with a fake one, man! And then boom! Nine months later my
little badass son was here and he’s been tearin’ my damn house up ever since.”
“You never told me that.”
“Yeah well, the whole thing had
Jeanie pretty wound up. Just figured we’d keep it to ourselves, you know?”
“If this Fertility Inc. place is
so great, then why haven’t I heard of it before?”
“Maybe ‘cause you been livin’
under a rock or sumthin’! I dunno, man, but they’re like – leadin’ the organic
robotics movement and shit. You should pay attention to the news every now and
then, bro.”
“I
don’t know. Naveen can’t go through that again, being pregnant and all. It was
our fourth try, Deacon. This time she carried full term and the radiation killed
the baby. The last thing I want is to put her through the misery of losing
another one.”
“Trust
me, they can help.” Deacon got up from the bar stool, “I gotta take a piss. Look
after my drinks, will ya?”
“Sure…”
“Seriously, man, really! Last
time I asked somebody to watch my drink, Candy, who you love so much, slipped me one of them brainwave inhibitors. Next
thing I knew, I woke up in the champagne room with my pants half way off my ass
and my wallet cleaned out.”
“What
the hell, man! Did you report her to the manager?”
“Damn
right! But that prick-bot said I got a
hundred lap dances! Who in the hell gets a hundred lap dances from Candy with her pointy ass? It didn’t matter
no way, he had the receipt and surveillance video to prove it, so, I just took
it as a loss and kept the party goin’.”
“That’s
nuts, bro,” he laughed. “I thought you had to piss?”
“Oh,
yeah. Be right back.”
While
waiting for his brother to return, the television screen across the bar caught
Sebastian’s attention.
“Good
evening. This is Wynter McCain of the Ashuria Primetime News reporting live
from the Commission of Planetary Energy Headquarters where just a few moments
ago, the Ashurian Military Bomb Squad diffused a nuclear claymore. A
janitorial-bot discovered the high tech explosive in a storage closet on a
clandestine level. He then contacted the local authorities. Military officials
say that the credit for diffusing the bomb is due to Rasher & Thorpe
Industries’ new countermand detonation
technology devices. Investigators
suspect this botched attack was carried out by the Munzi-based terrorist
organization, The Faceless Rebels, whose
attacks have grown more violent since the Planet Fuel Conservation Act of 2130
was enacted almost decade ago…”
Sebastian slammed a shot and
saluted the news cast just as his drinking partner returned.
“What’s
going on?” asked Deacon, stuffing his shirttail into his pants.
“Oh,
the usual,” he said plainly. “Stupid politicians almost got their asses blown
to kingdom come – again!”
“Ha!
Serves ‘em right for lettin’ the fuel cells empty; now the toxic fumes are
poison people! The Interstellar Union builds all these fake-ass planets, chock
‘em full of mofos, and then decide which ones get the goods to thrive. Access
to planet fuel is a basic human right!”
“Yeah well, just like Earth-One
and E-Two, Munzi’s going to shit no matter how you slice it.”
“I’ll drink to that.”
The brothers exchanged glass
clanks then downed the last two shots.
“Wait,
you said almost,” realized Deacon. “What
happened?”
“R.T.I.
happened. They gave the military countermand devices.”
“Holy
shit! You mean the ones you designed?”
“Yup…”
said Sebastian with no enthusiasm.
“Shit,
bro. Why the long face? You just like, saved a bunch of lives! Well, kinda; I
mean, you’re every bit a hero as those soldiers.”
“If
you say so…”
“Damn
right I say so! Ooh, here comes Candy and right on time. We need to celebrate.”
“Deacon,
I really gotta get back to home to Naveen.”
“I
understand, Sebastian, I do, really, but don’t leave until you have one more
drink with me.”
“Fine,
just one more,” he agreed reluctantly.
“Awesome!
Hey, Candy, fetch us another round of lady troubles, will ya?”
Sebastian made a huge ruckus
when he stumbled into the pitch black apartment and knocked over a vase. With a
baseball bat in hand, Naveen turned on all the lights.
“What
the hell are you doing out here?”
she asked ready to swing for the fences.
“Ah,
I’m sorry!” he blurted shielding his blinded eyes. “I broke your mother’s
crystal vase. I’ll replace it in the morning.”
Naveen
fumed, “Oh God, you smell like you were with Deacon! Ugh! I’m going back to bed.
You can sleep on the couch!”
Sebastian
grabbed her by the hand, “Wait, Naveen, just wait a second!”
“What?”
“Listen… Deacon told me about
this place.” Frustrated, she tried to pull away. “Naveen, listen! They can help
us – to become the family we always dreamed of.”
“You’re
drunk, Sebastian. I don’t have time for this nonsense.”
He pulled
his wife into the living room, “Computer, display search results of Fertility
Inc.”
A
hologram projected the company’s profile and articles about its promising
advancements in organic robotics.
“Deacon
told you about this?” asked Naveen while scrolling through the pages in awe.
“Believe
it or not, yeah. Look, I’m so sorry about all of this, baby. The last thing I
want to do is cause you more pain. Let me make it up to you. I can make us an appointment!”
“Whoa, Sebastian, it’s way too
soon to even be thinking about this.”
“You’re right. We don’t have to
make any decisions right now, but we could at least find out what our options
are and then go from there.”
“I’m so scared...”
“Me too, but I love you so much.
I just want you, us, to be happy again.”
Naveen
leaned in and kissed her husband, “I love you, Sebastian.”
The couple
gushed with anticipation as the appointment day arrived. As soon as they
entered the lobby, they were greeted by a blonde bombshell of a woman who was
dressed to the nine.
“Good
morning, I’m Ms. Rosethorn, the operations director of Fertility Inc.,” she
shook their hands. “You must be Mr. and Mrs. Atell.”
Naveen
was a deer in headlights. Everything from the modern museum-like complex’s
architecture to its interactive kiosks was absolutely breathtaking. Sebastian
was overwhelmed too, but he tried not to let his wife notice.
“Oh yes, I recognize you from
the articles,” he said with a smile. “We’re pleased to meet you.”
“Likewise; shall we begin the
tour?” asked Ms. Rosethorn.
“Sure thing!” exclaimed Naveen.
“When it comes to making our
clients happy, we spare no expense. Everything we manufacture is second to none
and we truly believe that our organic robotics program is the future. Take a
look.”
Sebastian and Naveen saw the state of the art
technology up close as a live ovary replacement wowed its crowd.
“Our
procedure specific doctor-bots follow protocols to the letter, and they’re
without incident. As you can see, the organ is activated by an infusion of
planet fuel which also helps to counteract radiation poisoning. Once the
transplant is complete the organ assumes the DNA of its host and becomes a
natural part of the body. ”
Sebastian
was confused, “I don’t understand. Of all things, why do your organs contain
planet fuel?”
“Simply
put; when the Earth was created, it gave us life and everything we needed to
sustain life. Then in death, we returned to the Earth and the process repeated
itself. Planet fuel contains organic and inorganic nutrients for synthetic
planets to fructify. It’s the natural evolution of life that allows our organic
robotics program to flourish.”
“Sounds
flaky to me,” said Sebastian. “I mean, people are fighting and dying over
planet fuel! I’d like to think the great minds of Fertility Inc. would’ve simply found an alternative.”
“Is
our program without controversy; of course not. However, Mr. Atell, we are giving
people, second chances. Isn’t that what you and your lovely wife came here
for?”
Before
Sebastian could retort, Naveen chimed in, “Please forgive my husband. He’s just
a bit astounded by all that you do here. Since hearing about you he hasn’t
stopped talking about it.”
“There’s
no need to apologize, Mrs. Atell. It’s a lot to take in.”
“I
do have a question, though. How long does it take, the procedure I mean?”
“All procedures are completed
within three minutes,” explained Ms. Rosethorn as the crowd applauded at the
conclusion of the procedure. “See, all done. Now the patient will be
transferred to a restorative chamber where she’ll remain for twenty-four hours,
after which, she’ll be all healed up and ready for sexual activity.”
Naveen blushed, “Oh my!”
Sebastian couldn’t help but to
smile at her, “Okay, I think you sold us! So what’s the next step?”
“While your wife undergoes a
physical assessment with our doctor-bots, I’ll have her medical history sent
over. And while you wait, Mr. Atell, why don’t you have your biochip scanned at
our finance department.”
“Um, okay,” he said nervously as
gave Naveen a reassuring kiss. “I’ll see you in a bit, babe.”
Once
the formalities were done, the wishful couple waited in Ms. Rosethorn’s office.
Its ambience and soft music was supposed to calm their nerves. However, the
more time that went by, the more restless they became. Their anticipation was
at an all-time high when the operations director returned and sat at her desk.
“Mr.
and Mrs. Atell, I have good news and bad news,” said Ms. Rosethorn, plainly.
“Which would you like to hear first?”
Worriedly,
they looked to each other at first, but then Naveen answered for them both,
“The good news…”
“Mrs.
Atell, after going over your medical history, it’s been confirmed that the
radiation spike you suffered was indeed caused by an overexposure to Munzi’s toxic
fumes.”
Naveen lost it, and just started
balling her eyes out.
Sebastian exclaimed, “But that
doesn’t make any sense! Muzians have babies all the time!”
“True,
but the death rate of fetuses who are exposed to the toxic fumes is rising at
an alarming rate. At one time people, who grew up there, like you, developed a
higher tolerance. That’s why the radiation doesn’t affect you as much as your
wife. Over the years the toxicity has worsened and as you two have visited the
planet, her levels steadily rose, making conception and childbirth rather
difficult for her. Your last trip was the proverbial nail in the coffin. The
radiation has literally fried your wife’s entire reproductive system. So for
childbirth to be possible, we’ll have to replace it– all of it.”
“Okay,
that’s enough, lady!” cried Sebastian. “We’re outta here!”
“How
is any of this good news?” asked an utterly confused Naveen who demanded
answers.
Ms. Rosethorn
smiled, “Because, Mrs. Atell, we here at Fertility Inc. can fix you. It’s an
extensive procedure requiring more than three minutes of course, but if you give us the opportunity, we can make
your dreams come true.”
“So,
what’s the bad news then?”
“After thorough review of your
financial profile, Fertility Inc. will be unable to grant a line of credit. Your
only option is to pay the fee of which is ten million out of pocket.”
“What! Our credit rating is damn
near perfect!”
“Your credit rating isn’t the
issue; it’s your income or lack thereof.”
Naveen exploded, “But that’s
impossible! My husband makes damn good money and besides, we have we have
health insurance!”
“Actually,
no you don’t,” blurted Ms. Rosethorn with a smirk. “According to the
information here, your coverage has lapsed. I’m sorry, but unless you can figure
it out, there’s nothing I can do for you.”
“Your
information is wrong!” yelled Naveen. “Tell her, Sebastian! Go on! Tell
her!”
Sebastian was speechless, for
him at that moment was less than a man. He couldn’t even look his wife in the
eye, “She’s right, Naveen…”
“I
can’t believe you!” flushed with embarrassment, Naveen stormed out of the
office.
“I’ll
call you a cab; it’s the least I can do,” offered a heartless Ms. Rosethorn.
“I’m sorry to have wasted your
time.”
Sebastian chased after Naveen
until he finally caught up with her as she got in a shuttle-taxi. She wasn’t at
all pleased with him sitting next to her.
“Where to?” asked the pilot-bot.
“Ashuria Towers, lower block
thirty-seven b,” replied Sebastian.
The shuttle-taxi took off into
the chaotic air traffic.
“I’m not going anywhere with you!”
cried a livid Naveen as she went to open the door. “Pilot, let me out!”
“I’m sorry, ma’am,” he said
politely. “But we’re in traffic and I can’t pull over.”
Sebastian pleaded, “Naveen, just
calm down! I can explain.”
“What the hell happened back
there, huh? Tell me what’s going on!”
It was like a heavy burden was
lifted off him in the form of a ton of bricks that hit his wife, “I lost my job...”
“What! But I thought R.T.I.
extended your contract for two more years?”
“Yeah, well, apparently they
didn’t like it too much when I showed up late – and drunk...”
“Oh my God, Sebastian, what has
gotten into you?”
“It’s just that, everything’s
eating away at us. Maybe, I’m selfish, but I thought a drink or two here or
there would help more than it hurt. I was wrong. They bought me out of my deal
and terminated our health insurance the same day. The last bit of buyout money
was spent on your medical needs. That’s why I insisted that we visit my parents
last time. We were finally having a baby. I thought if my dad could get me back
in at the fuel cell mill, then that’ll hold us over for a while, but, with no
planet fuel, there’s no need for fuel cells. So…”
“So, you got me excited for this
Fertility Inc. shit and for what?”
“I thought I could work
something out. I just wanted to make you happy.”
“I just want us to have a baby!
But I guess I’m asking for too much…”
The pilot-bot interjected, “I’m
sorry to pry, but I’ve picked up many couples in your predicament. I just tell
them where I took my wife. We have six children now. We just can’t stop I
suppose!”
With her curiosity peeked,
Naveen interrogated, “Well, where did you take her?”
“I won’t lie; it’s a black
market operation that’s supplied with Fertility Inc.’s defective organs. These
days it’s called Wraith Clinic. They refurbish the organs and sell them to the
highest bidders.”
“But you heard us back here,”
she said still a bit wound up. “We have no
money!”
“The
highest bidders don’t always pay with money,” explained the pilot-bot as they
arrived at their residence.
“Where
is this, Wraith Clinic?”
He
said it like it was no big deal, “Rebellion City…”
Sebastian gasped, “Are you
crazy? That’s the Faceless Rebel’s base camp for God’s sake! We can’t go there! They’ll kill us!”
“Not
if I escort you,” revealed the
pilot-bot. “Come with me and you won’t be harmed.”
“Thanks,
but no thanks!” he went to get out. “Let’s go, baby.”
“Wait,”
cried Naveen. “I wanna do it.”
“What!
Have you lost your ever-loving mind? Not only would we be asking terrorists for
help, but it means we’ll have to go back to Munzi! If the terrorists don’t kill
you then the toxic fumes will! Your body can’t take the radiation!”
“Ms.
Rosethorn said the organs are immune to radiation and they’ll become a part of
me. Maybe I’ll develop a resistance. Either way, it’s our only chance for a
family. I want this so bad I’d go alone if I have to, but please, Sebastian,
don’t make me…”
The
conviction in her watery eyes was impossible to deny.
“How
do I know I can trust you?” he asked the pilot-bot.
“You
don’t, but as your wife said; this is your only chance.”
“Okay
then. So, how does this work?”
“It’ll
take me a few days to set it up. I’ll contact you then.”
He
hesitated, “Alright…”
“I
can detect your apprehension, sir. I assure you, there’s nothing to worry
about.”
After a few weeks, Naveen’s
patience wore thin and Sebastian was ready to wash his hands of the whole thing,
but then his phone rang. It was a rainy Tuesday when they got the call from the
pilot-bot who was already waiting outside. Just as promised, he safely guided
the couple to Munzi and through the vile streets of Rebellion City.
Once they arrived at Wraith
Clinic, a team of armed guards, who didn’t take kindly to the pilot-bot’s
tagalongs, blocked their entry. The guards’ faces hidden behind tinted anti-radiation
masks suggested that they may have been Faceless Rebels, but there was no way
to know for sure. The pilot-bot got into a heated exchange with the guards that
ended with them demanding to see Sebastian’s interstellar passport. Sebastian
never had a gun in his face before then, but he was more afraid for his wife
than anything so he complied. Without taking the guns off of them, the guards passed
Sebastian’s passport around until they each had a chance to study it. Finally,
the head guard threw it back at him and they were allowed to enter.
The place was such a dump it
ought to have been condemned. Nobody greeted them nor was there a lavish tour
of the facility. They wandered the hallway until another team of masked guards
stuck their guns in the couple’s back and ushered them to a room more like an
old meat freezer than an office. They waited forty-five minutes before they witnessed
two men, one in a dingy white lab coat and another one in a King Tut
anti-radiation death mask, arguing through the glass of the door. Neither
Sebastian nor Naveen could hear them, but it appeared the presumed doctor was
begging the masked man for something. The doctor’s head hung in defeat and the
two of them entered. The masked man sat at the desk while the anxious doctor
stood at his side.
“Good evening, I’m Dr. Wraith,”
said the doctor whose hand twitched as he reached to shake theirs.
“Pleased to meet you,” said the
apprehensive couple in unison.
“Perfect. Let’s get to it shall we? Due to our lack of
funding, we don’t have doctor-bots here like Fertility Inc. The entire
procedure will be done by me, but don’t worry. You’re in great hands.”
Sebastian couldn’t ignore the
doctor’s twitch, the dirt under his fingernails, nor the bloodstains on his lab
coat, “Are you sure about that?”
“Yes. Here at Wraith Clinic, we
take good care of all of our charity cases.”
“Charity cases?” wondered
Sebastian. “I don’t get it.”
“After speaking to my benefactor
here,” he looked to the masked man before continuing, “it’s been decided to not
charge you for the procedure or the organs.”
Mixed emotions fell over him,
“Really? Well, I heard not everyone pays with money. You gotta want something in return, right?”
“You’re right, bro,” said the
masked man plainly. “We do want something…”
Both Sebastian and Naveen were
flabbergasted. The voice seemed familiar, but King Tut’s face muffled it.
“What the – why did you call me
that?” asked Sebastian.
The man removed his mask and the
couple’s jaw dropped.
“Deacon!” cried Sebastian in
disbelief as he rushed his brother. “What the hell are you doing here, man?”
Suddenly, the pilot-bot grabbed Sebastian,
slammed up against the wall, and then with a gun in his face primed it to fire,
“Don’t speak or even spit unless I
tell you it’s okay! Mess around in here and you won’t return home with your
lady, your call!”
“Sure, damn – I’m sorry!”
“It’s okay,” Deacon told the pilot-bot.
“Let him go.”
“You’re with the Faceless
Rebels?” asked Naveen.
“I am the Faceless Rebels,” said
Deacon proudly.
“What the hell, man!” exclaimed
Sebastian.
“Allow me to explain. When you
and I left for Ashuria, you went for a job while I was sent by our leader on a
mission.”
“What mission?”
“You, bro. It was more like my
initiation really.”
“Bullshit!”
“It’s true. Your expertise of
weapons; it was invaluable information for us. And since you were my brother, I
needed to figure out a way to get that info from you without your knowledge and
of course, keep you alive in the process.”
“You’re lying! There are
thousands of more qualified experts out there. Why me, huh?”
“Because, we lived under the
same roof and you trusted me. And you’re wrong; no one was more qualified than
you. You just chose the wrong career path. You could’ve been a lord of war, but
instead you became a peace keeper. There’s no money in keeping peace.”
“Are you drunk, Deacon, because,
you’re not making any goddamn sense right now!”
“I’ll admit, I overindulge from
time to time; get a little wild, but I’m smarter than you think.”
“If you’re telling the truth, you’re
a murderer!”
“Again, that’s where you’re
wrong. We’re, shall I say, non-violent. Of course we’ve gotten into a skirmish
or two, but we don’t kill. Killing doesn’t resolve anything. Remember when I
told you to pay attention to the news? Well, screw that. The media only shows
you what they want you to believe. We have a voice, the Interstellar Union is
trying to silence us, but they can’t. I’ve got Faceless Rebels everywhere.
Under my leadership, we’ve managed to infiltrate nearly every major corporation
on Ashuria. Soon, we’ll be able to turn the tide; get those bastards to repeal
the Planet Fuel Conservation Act altogether.”
“And what if they don’t?”
“Then we’ll have no choice but
to force their hand. Without the Commission of Planetary Energy in the way, all
legislation regarding planet fuel distribution would be suspended; until a new
commission is formed at least. Then all planets, including Munzi, would receive
equal access to the life blood of synthetic planet operation.”
“I thought killing doesn’t
resolve anything?”
“It doesn’t, but it’s like I
said, there’s no money in keeping peace.”
“Couldn’t people just leave? When
they passed the act and depleted Munzi, the Interstellar Union offered relocation
stipends, remember? That’s what paid our
way to Ashuria.”
“Depleted? More like they let it
go to oblivion with zero regard for the people! Those stipends aren’t worth the
paper they’re printed on! Ashuria, Germon, and New Mars are ninety-five percent
populated. Most citizenship applications were denied despite our stipends! The
Commission and their Union puppet masters know damn well what they’re doing!
They did the same thing to E Two. You and I were the lucky ones, but luck isn’t
on our side anymore.”
“Why?”
“Because, one day, the resources
needed to refine planet fuel will be exhausted. So in preparation for the
inevitable apocalypse of the entire Union, they got the bright idea to buy time
by creating smaller, more fuel efficient planets.”
“Population control…”
“Bingo! However, the real reason
why the act was voted into existence in the first place was because we began to
develop alternative fuel sources abundant enough to power all planets for
millennia and beyond. However, instead of turning the technology over to the Commission
and them making it a cash cow for the elitist Union, we want to keep it for
Munzian prosperity whereas each citizen would have an ownership stake for
generations, but of course, the planet fuel shareholders, i.e. the Interstellar
Union, don’t like it when someone’s taking food out of their fat mouths.”
“So they cut Munzi off,”
realized Sebastian.
“Planet fuel powers every piece
of construction equipment, every tool; hell, even robots gotta shoot some up to
stay functional and without it, we can’t finish the development of this
technology and we’re left to rot. They’re hoping one of us cracks under
pressure; gives up the tech.”
“If that happens, they’ll have
the money and the power.”
“And we’ll have nothing but a
giant graveyard, but that’s not going to happen.”
“All of this may justify your
cause, but why bring us here?”
“Because,
shit is about to get real and I can’t shadow you anymore, lil bro. I need you,
we need you. There was just no other way.”
“All that shit about Fertility
Inc.; you could’ve just told me to come here in the first place?”
“You know as well as I that if I
said to go to the terrorists for help
there’s no way you would’ve listened to my drunken ass! Yet, I felt your pain,
and when you told me what you and Naveen were going through, I honestly wanted
to help. You’re my brother; I couldn’t stand to see you like that. So, I sent
you to Fertility Inc. True, I counted on your pride to go through with it
despite your financial situation and you didn’t let me down. As a result, I was
able to get all the info needed to determine whether or not I could help you.
Fortunately, I can.”
“Even so, what in the hell makes
you think that I’m going to allow you people to so much as lay a finger on my
wife?”
“Well, Naveen doesn’t have to go
through with the procedure, but I sure as hell can’t let you leave now, can I?
You know who I am; we’re faceless for a reason. Look, Sebastian, this is bigger
than us; our home, where we grew up, where our parents live; it’s dying. Sure
our affiliation with Fertility Inc. gives us access to planet fuel, but it’s
not enough. We need to get that act repealed, Sebastian.”
“So, I guess that’s why it’s
free, huh, bro?”
“Freedom isn’t free, neither is
happiness. You want Naveen to be happy, don’t you? After all, isn’t that why
you risked your lives to come here in the first place? Look at you, you’re so
desperate. Well, I’m about as desperate as you are right now. We all are.”
His mind was all over the place,
“What do we have to do?”
“Give me your new countermand
detonation device technology, and I promise to make your dreams come true, and
then some.”
Sebastian looked to Naveen.
“I’m not afraid,” she said with her
body language suggesting the contrary.
“I know, baby. That’s why I love
you.”
Eleven grueling hours later, Dr.
Wraith finally allowed Sebastian to see his wife as she hovered weightlessly in
a restorative chamber.
“Your wife will need to remain
here until she regains consciousness and her vitals stabilize well enough for
travel. When the alarm sounds, she’ll be ready.”
“How long will that take?”
“Not much longer; just think of
it as having buns in the oven.”
An emotionally rattled Sebastian
was unamused, “Was that supposed to be funny?”
“Um… I’ll just leave you alone
now…”
Another day passed before the alarm went off. Sebastian stood by as the restorative chamber
automatically opened, revealing a fully healed Naveen. Dr. Wraith gave her one
last exam and then cleared her to go home.
The
next time Naveen woke up, she was surprised to be in her own bed and to see her
husband waiting beside her. However, she must’ve felt really gross, because she
jumped right into the shower. Sebastian went over to check on her, but Naveen
pulled him into the burning hot water and they made the most passionate love
since their wedding day.
Over
the next nine months, they often joked about their shower episode being the
time they conceived. Jeanie threw Naveen the baby shower of a lifetime. Their
parents and friends came with gifts out the wazoo. Even the pilot-bot’s wife
partied with them. Sebastian got his old job back with Rasher & Thorpe
Industries under a new contract that tripled the worth of his previous deal. Life
was beautiful and they couldn’t have been happier until one day, while at the
supermarket, Naveen’s water broke. As soon as he heard the news, Sebastian
ended his demonstration of the new countermand device with his colleagues,
tossed it in his briefcase, and dashed to Ashuria General Hospital.
After laboring well into the next
afternoon, they finally welcomed their new healthy baby boy. The doctor-bot
lifted their little miracle up so the new parents could see him.
Naveen cried, “I can’t believe
we did this… We did this!”
“Look how perfect he is!”
“Would you care to do the honors?”
the doctor-bot asked handing Sebastian the scissors.
“You bet!”
No sooner did he cut the
umbilical cord did all of the electronics in the room, including the doctor-bot,
go absolutely berserk.
“What’s happening?” yelled
Naveen in terror.
“I, I’m not sure!” shouted a
confused Sebastian over the relentless beeping of the heart monitor.
He quickly retrieved his son
before the doctor-bot repeatedly smashed it’s head against the floor.
Naveen’s stomach lit up like a
Christmas tree as she screamed in agony, “It hurts! It hurts! Get it out of
me!”
“Get what out?” panicked Sebastian
over whatever in God’s name was blaring on the television.
“Everything; everything they put
inside of me! I can feel it digging into me! Ah!”
Suddenly, Naveen’s tears were
black and smeared like tar when Sebastian wiped them. “What is this?” The
all-too-familiar fumes were a dead giveaway, but still it made no sense to him,
“Planet fuel? Oh no… Jeanie!”
As soon as he opened the door,
the soundproof privacy barrier was compromised and everyone on the maternity
level witnessed the clamor taking place.
Jeanie ran over, “Jesus, what
the…”
Sebastian dumped his son in his
sister-in-law’s arms, “Get him outta here now! And call the authorities! Tell
‘em to send up a bomb squad a.s.a.p.!”
“A bomb squad?”
“Just do it!” he demanded
furiously.
She went to run, but Naveen
stopped her, “Wait! Let me look at him! Please?”
There was no way she could still
see with all that planet fuel in her eyes let alone speak as her mouth
salivated with it. With their baby in tow, Jeanie ran for dear life. Naveen’s
screams flooded with so much planet fuel she nearly drowned. The lit Christmas
tree her stomach was flickered stroboscopic-like. Human hospital staff finally made
their way to the room, but as soon the first person crossed the threshold the
mechanical door slammed shut, severing his arm in the process, and locked thus leaving
the once wishful couple trapped inside. And then the lights blew out.
Naveen practically vomited black
between words, “Get – it – out! Stop – it, Sebas
– tian!
“I don’t know how!” he exclaimed.
“That bastard Dr. Wraith is the only one who could! Unless…”
With his wife’s flickering
stomach combating the dark, he rummaged through his briefcase until he found
the thimble-shaped contraption. Sebastian activated the countermand detonation
device. It hovered above where it sensed
the electronic disturbing frequency, right over Naveen.
“Holy shit!” he spewed as the
holographic display revealed the unexplainable.
“What – is – wrong?”
“It detected a frequency typical
of a nuclear claymore, but…”
“But – what?”
“There are multiple frequencies,
as if more than one nuclear claymore is present, but I can’t pinpoint the
wavelengths to block them ‘cause they keep changing!”
“What – the – hell – does that –
mean?”
“It means I can’t diffuse it!”
“God –damn it! You better –
try!”
Sebastian pressed the
holographic keys like a man possessed. The room quaked as it fell apart around
them. The now headless doctor-bot continued to smash his body into the crater
he created underneath him. Naveen couldn’t keep up with the unending mouthfuls
of planet fuel anymore. The countermand device failed to block the frequencies
time and time again, but Sebastian wouldn’t give up until his fingers literally
bled, and then all of a sudden everything just – stopped.
Naveen spat the last bit of
planet fuel, “Are we dead?”
“No, baby,” said Sebastian as he
embraced her.
“Why not?” she asked as normal
tears fought past the caked up oily blackness.
“Because I stopped it.”
She tried to wipe her eyes, but
she freaked, “I can’t see! Sebastian, I can’t see!”
“Calm down and try to relax,
baby. We’ll get your eyes checked out once we get out of here. You’ll be fine,
don’t worry.”
“Where’s our son?”
“He’s with Jeanie; he’s
perfectly safe.” Sebastian couldn’t fight back tears of his own, “Don’t worry.
Everything’s fine. Everything’s going to be just fine, I promise.”
“Sebastian…”
“Yes, Naveen…”
“I love you.”
“I love you too, baby.”
All at once, what was left of
the electronics went evermore intensely berserk and then the lit Christmas tree
her stomach was flickered stroboscopic-like once more, one last time; until it
escaped her and swallowed everything in its path, then spit it all out again,
and brought with it a fire breathed from hell that then rained from the torched
skyline.
“Good evening. This is Wynter
McCain of the Ashuria Primetime News reporting live from the downtown metro
district where just behind me, the Commission of Planetary Energy Headquarters
used to stand amongst dozens of businesses and residences including Ashuria
General Hospital. As you can see, there’s nothing left but remnants of the blast
cloud and debris. I’m told by military officials that the destruction spans an
estimated fourteen city blocks. Such an abundant loss of life is catastrophic
to say the least and I’ve been informed that we could see a body count
escalating well beyond the ten thousand mark. The investigation is ongoing, but
military officials say they know who’s responsible for this despicable attack.
For that, we’ll switch over our broadcast to a live feed at Flagship Hall where
Grand President Leeds Hawkland is giving his address.”
“First and for most, our
thoughts and prayers are with the families’ of the victims of this terrible act of war. Never has there been an
attack of this magnitude on Ashurian land, but I vow as your grand president it
will be the last! Your heard me correctly, this is an act of war! We have enough intelligence to confidently
implicate the Munzi -based terrorist group, Faceless Rebels, as suspects. Listen
to me people; Munzi is obsolete! It consumes more planet fuel than Ashuria,
Germon, and New Mars combined! The Planet Fuel Conservation Act was enacted
specifically to protect our reserves. Munzi’s citizens were given the
opportunity to relocate before the fuel cells emptied. They had their chance,
yet they choose to remain on a dying planet and fight a lost cause! That’s not
our fault, people. So, as of this moment, the Faceless Rebels and the citizens
of Munzi are considered war criminals and as the laws of our Interplanetary
Union stipulate, they’re to be brought to justice! On behalf of the people of
Ashuria, I declare war on the Faceless Rebels and their entire planet! We will
rid ourselves of the true cancer in our midst! So hear me and hear me good; to
any Munzian or sympathizer who still stands on that fake-ass soil when the Ashurian Military nukes the living shit out
of it, let God have mercy on your souls!”
Jeanie
commanded the television to mute the news broadcast. She poured two glasses of
merlot and handed one to her husband as she joined him on the couch.
“Well nephew, it looks like we
gotta lotta work to do,” said Deacon to the newborn baby boy he held.
