No Place Like Home

part 1

Twenty five days and I'm off this rock....
Twenty five days and twenty four nights...

I hate thinking about that now that I'm actually enjoying myself...

I put on my broad brimmed hat and old leather jacket and walk out the door. Black on black, there is no other way.

The place Johnny was going to meet me was a bit bar on the farside of town. It was kind of run down, but in a good way. It had the look and feel of someone's favorite shoe but without the smell.

It was an old Victorian sitting in the warehouse district. You could tell by looking in the windows that the inside had been completely gutted out to make room for the bar. During the day it stuck out like a sore thumb, but at night it was just another dimly lit shadow on the main road full of metal boxes. The only indication of what it really was, was the light peering out from inside and the bouncer on the steps to the door.

Normally, I would take a taxi right up to the door, but tonight I thought I would get off a block back and enjoy the night air. My visor scanned the area and filled my eyes with a thermal image of shadows of the day's activities. Nothing but thermal ghosts of luke warm crane engines kept me company. My headphones filled my ears with the sound of wind as it blew by.

Coming up to the door, I passed by Keven. The old augment didn't even bother looking up as I walked up the steps. He didn't look like much for an eighty year old, just a street guy with an old brown jacket and blue pants. However, he could still bench press a Buick with you in it, if he wanted to.

Opening the wooden door I was greeted with silence, the only sound that could be heard was the clinking of glasses and the pouring of drinks. As usual the place was packed for a Friday night, people hanging out and chatting via sim-link. There were a few people looking up at an empty stage but that was about it.

Johnny was at a wood table being served by a plastic doll. Her placid features reminded me of a store manikin trying to serve drinks. Why that was ever considered a style I'll never know.

As I sat down, Johnny turned to me and smiled. His brown eyes turned green behind his gold rimmed glasses. He hand signed to me if I wanted anything to drink.

"Just a whiskey soda." I responded.

The waitress couldn't hide her confusion behind her poker face, her eyes gave it all away. Johnny turned to her and relayed the request via sim-link. You can talk in a bit bar but no one bothers. Only Keven ever got the inside joke about me and Johnny using hand signs.

"So, not too long before you leave?" he signs.

I just shrug as the waitress brings back the drink.

"I need to stop finding places to hang out or I might never leave." I sign back to him.

"Then I guess you aren't going anywhere then." he signs as he points to the stage.

"Switch to channel 13." he then signs before I look away.

I look at the red dot on the brim of my visor and a menu pops up. With a quick blink and flick of my eyes, I adjust the internal antenna to pickup 13ghz.

On the small round stage Olivia Ong appears before my eyes. In a white cocktail dress she looks at me and begins to sing. The earphones fill my ears with a familiar tune.

"Fly me to the moon, and let me play among the stars..."

You sob. I smile and recline back in my chair. I guess I'm not going anywhere tonight.....

part 2

One hour passed by, then another and another. Before I knew it, it was two in the morning. When had gone through two full lists of songs and 7 drinks before we called it a night. The echo of Ol' Yelloweyes' "Carolina in the Morning" was still bouncing around in my head as we headed for the door.

Although Keven was no longer on the steps, we both knew he was still around. Cigar smoke filled the air reminding us that he was near by.

A yellow taxi was waiting for us by the curb, the driver was called ahead of time by Keven. We poured ourselves into the cab and headed towards Johnny's townhouse. Both me and Johnny were pretty much a part of the cab for the ride home. Neither one of us spoke as the driver quietly drove the empty streets. The only sound was the engine, tires and roadway as they had a conversation to each other.

When we stopped, he turned to me and smiled. "Anna is going to expect you to stay the night."

This is more of a warning than request on his part. Despite being his wife, Anna took care of both of us equally. To her, I was the brother she never had. As if on que the door opened up to reveal the silhouette of a 5 foot 2 Russian redhead in a night robe.

With the measured patience that comes from years of working the streets, the cabbie waited for her to come up to the driver's side window to pay the fare. At the same time, me and Johnny worked our way out of the indentations we created and left the cab for the open door.

In the background could be heard a rising exchange between the cabbie and Anna over the fare. It ended with a muttered "yes madam" by the cabbie that could be heard from a mile away. He left shortly afterward. In all my time, every argument that I know of ended with those words. I was told even the "Street Side Rapist" learned that one after trying to make her his last victim. I say last because shortly after their encounter he was found by the police in the hospital with a shattered jaw.

Both me and Johnny walked into the living room next to the open door and sat down on the sofa. Anna came in shortly after and headed straight for the kitchen. As she walked through the hallway next to the living room I saw her face was still red enough to make me think she had a sun burn.

Five minutes passed by with sounds coming from the kitchen of things being opened, cooked, then poured into two cups. She reappeared in the living room with two cups of coffee. Her face was back to it's usual color, however I knew better than to ask what happened.

She sat down on the sofa next to Johnny and looked at him.
"Next time call me when you are ready and I will come pick you up." Her accent was as heavy as russian accents could get, however she spoke perfect english. It was if the words themselves didn't even dare come out any other way.

"Yes, Madam" Johnny said as he kissed his wife on the cheek. Although neither one of them owned a car the matter was now closed. Her features softened a bit after he kissed her. In a way it was now safe to talk. In normal circles it would look like Johnny was pretty whipped, however he knew ways to get by her and used them when he had to.

"I have a blanket for you so you won't get cold" she said as she looked past him to me.
"You can sleep on the couch for tonight. We should have the guest bedroom ready by the next time you visit." she looked back at him and then got up pulling him up with her. Both of them headed back to the hallway and towards the bedroom.

She came out a moment later with a blanket and a pillow. I was still in the same spot only with half a cup of coffee instead of a full one. She sat down next to me and put the things in her lap.

"John tells me you are heading out soon." she said solemly
"I am. I had a job offer on Tranquility Base." I replied matching her mood.
"When will you be back?"
"The contract is for a year."
"Just be careful, I can't travel that far to save your butt you know." she said as she put the things in my lap.
In one smooth motion she got up and took the cup of coffee from my hand. She took off my hat and bent over to kiss me on my forehead.
"Goodnight." With that she left the room.
The overhead light in the room dimmed. I took off my visor rigg and placed on the ground by the sofa.

As I settled in, thoughts swirled around my head. Until I met them, I didn't have a family. No one to miss me if left, no one to see when I returned. Life was so much more simpler in those days and so much more lonelier as well.

part 3

My dreams were cluttered with the sounds and sights of what I expected to come and what already happened. It seemed my life flashed forward only to rewind past the point it started. In the middle of it all I felt like the editor of a cheap movie trying to make sense of the direction the director wanted the film to go. If I had a bottle of cheap whiskey and pills next to me, both would now be half empty.

In the mist of it all was one memory I found and held onto. It was the image of a ballerina performing on a barren stage to an empty room. In the background could be heard the song 'Hall Om Mig'. I only knew this because I asked a janitor later on. He said she plays it every time she's practices on stage.

Behind her was the lunar surface. It shined through the clear tridium glass of the cathedral like wall that separated her from the vacuum of space. I was in the theater simply known as "The Cathedral". It had an official name, but it was so pompous that it would put anybody to sleep just by resiting it.

As I watched her, her movements were in perfect step with the heavy rhythm of the music. She moved with a grace and forcefulness I had never seen before or since. Most lunas could almost dance in the low gravity, she flew. As she finished her set, I felt like nothing else mattered. For a nine year old this was something new. Seeing the whole thing now as an adult I still can't really find better words than "wow".

When the music was over she walked off stage. I had to meet her. I couldn't think of any thing to say, but I had to meet her. As a scrabbled down the walk way and upon to the stage I nearly fell over. In low gravity I was clumsy as they get, but it really didn't matter since she was now back stage.

I worked my way past the curtains, ropes and weights to the dressing room just off stage. I must admit I was afraid she would have a luner boyfriend waiting for her with flowers or something, but there she was standing in front of a mirror sizing herself up.

"Hi" That was all I could squeak past my mouth.
She just looked at me with the same fierceness that she had on stage. I felt like I was being stared down by my mother after I screwed up.
"Hi" she said back not breaking her gaze.
"Uhmmm... nice dress..." Years later I would still beat myself up over that one.
"Thanks, can I help you?"
"......uhmmm...yeah, how do you move like that?"
"Like what?" It seemed like she was starting to get impatient with me.
"Like....Wow." After I said that her stance relaxed abit and it looked like she was trying to hold back a smile.
"Practice."
"That was practice?....."
"Yes." By now she was relaxed and actually smiling. I couldn't believe it, she was smiling.
From on stage we heard, " Diana? Are you ready to go?"
"In a minute mom." she called back with a little bit of frustration in her voice.
"We have to go now Diana or we'll miss your brother's recital."
Her mom called back echoing her frustration.
"I have to go." she said as she turned around and grabbed a bag next to the mirror.
"I practice again tomorrow." she said as she walked passed me.
I at first I couldn't respond. The message hadn't hit my brain yet.
When it did I quickly turned around and leaned out the door.
"I'll be there!" I shouted back. I could barely see her past the curtains but it looked like her whole body smiled as she heard me say it.
From a distance I later heard, "Who's your friend?" as the doors closed to the room.

It turned out she was just 4 years older than me.

I came every day I could to watch her practice. To me it was more important than spending time in my Ulna's workshop. My grandmother didn't mind, she said my father was the same way. Although she never explained it because she would start laughing. When I asked my father, he just would ignore the question and talk about something else.

I never actually got to see her perform, we were only up there for a month. I never really saw her outside of the theater. She told me it's because her life is so busy. Her mom makes her do so much and fusses over every little thing. I made up for it by bringing her lunch after her practices. We would sit and talk and at times run around the theater like children.

When it was time for me to go back, I tried to stay for as long as I could. I even waited for her at the theater. Before I left for the last time, she kissed me. She said it was the first time she ever kissed a boy.

I never knew what happened to her. Truth being told in the years to come I was so tied up with other thoughts that I forgot this memory. It was one of the few jems in a box full of garbage.

That was the last thing I remember when I woke up. It was still too early in the day to do anything so after shifting around on the couch I fell back asleep.

part 4

It was 6 o'clock in the morning when I woke up again. It might as well been noon, I wasn't going back to sleep. I moved around on the couch for a minute or two then I sat up and reached for my visor rigg. The cold plastic was as comforting to me as a warm pair of old slippers. I slipped it on and switched it to night mode with a flick of my eye. The room glowed before me in rich shades of green as the area was bathed in infrared light.

I slowly worked my way out of the blanket and into a standing position. Despite being awake my body still felt like lying back down.  There is only one solution for this.... I look at the red dot and pull up the music menu with a few blinks. Nothing like  loud guitar riffs  to make one move forward. It didn't matter which song I chose I knew I was going to start waking up or go def trying.  The guitar solo started up just as I worked my way to the hallway.

Two minutes of earsplitting music later I was in the kitchen making coffee. I had set the coffee maker to make 5 cups. I knew that this was a good of a way as any to thank Johnny and Anna for their hospitality. As the coffee maker continued to fill the bin I washed the cup I got from the overhead shelf and placed it back with the others.

Walking back to the living room I looked around. It just didn't seem real to me. It wasn't the space that was the problem, it was me. I've been in this home dozens of times and each time I felt it had meaning to it. Now it just feels like a space with four walls and really bad crown molding.

I folded the blanket and put it next to the pillow, then gathered my things and left. My town home was just a few houses down so I walked. The time alone allowed thoughts roll around my head like cold beef stew. Each chunk just moved about at it's own pace and only changed direction when hitting another piece. From time to time I would stir it only keep things moving.

My visor constantly shifted the colors of the world from light green to dark green as it adjusted to the rising sun and street lights. I knew what the real colors were so it never bothered me to see the world in one hue.

In the distance was a dark green block of metal parked next to an unassuming town home. The van hadn't moved in days and it showed from all the pollen on it. "Lenin's Revenge" never saw much action these days. I really had no need for it.

I walked up the steps and unlocked the front door. Home sweet home.  Although my town home was about the same size it always felt bigger. I never really had much furniture or much need for any. The only room that was always lacking space was the lab next to the projection room. With nothing better to do, I head to the bathroom for a shower and change of clothes with plans to get to work. Although I don't have to start working until Monday, I'm bored and need something to chew on for a while.

part 5

The shower helped relax the tension that was starting to build up. I had two projects hanging fire. One of them I needed to have done by the end of the week. The other would take longer and was much more personal.

As I got out of the shower I looked at the steamed mirror and drew a happy face. Supposedly, if you do something like that the image stays after the steam is gone. I wonder if the next owners will notice it.

A quick change of clothes later and I was in the projection room. Originally it was set up to be a spare bedroom, but I installed various equipment in it to project images on to the walls. Although it was possible to work with that alone, I used it with my visor to create a true artificial space. With a smart floor placed over the hardwood, I had my very own holodeck.

As I walked on to the thousands of locked small bearings that composed the floor, the walls lit up with images of a space station. Right now true artificial gravity may be  sci fi dream,  in my world, however,  it's an everyday  reality.  I put on my visor and get to work.

The room sensing that I wanted to start walking down the hallway presented before me unlocked the bearings and allowed me to walk in place. I followed the corridor towards the forward most part of the station. My destination was the lookout on the tip of the station. The look out was a 300 degree view of space itself. As the station orbited a distant planet, I could see untold number of things. If I wanted to I could have the station visit other worlds both fictional or real. The tie-in with the NASA Space Imaging Relay allowed me a wide range of things to look at. 

Reaching the lookout the current image was of the constellation Orion and the surrounding stars. As I stopped, the bearings locked in place and allowed me to walk around the room as if I was really there. I always came to this place when I had work to do and didn't want to be bothered.

A quick circle around the room and I was ready. With a few hand jesters screens appeared before me with information I needed to get started. My job these days was data mining. Companies pay me to find the lost, forgotten, or misplaced information that hides in their servers. If any piece of it existed, deleted or otherwise, I could find it. With the sea of information that floods most companies these days, AI's handle most of the storage issues. Unfortunately, to find anything you need an AI to do it. I provide a service to those who are unable to find things through those means. While I do provide other services besides this, this is the one that pays the best.

This weeks job requires me to find accounting records scattered across thirty servers in five countries. The AI responsible suffered a logic breakdown and scattered things to the four winds. Apparently too many requests were placed on it at the same time....

Although I have been given root access to the servers and access to the AI's source code, I haven't been given access to gateway between servers. This means that I have to access each server remotely instead of accessing them from inside the network. Apparently, I would have to talk to a different department for that level of access. Leave it to a corporate bureaucracy to micromanage each thing.

To be continued......