Nicole sat in a folding chair, looking ashamed as Dee stood over her like an angry mother. She slowly chewed on a large chunk of raw salmon.
Nicole Marie Governor-Murderer, or whatever your last name is now. What actual in the fuck of all things are you doing?”
“I don’t know.” She whispered.
“Are you on drugs, because all Delmarians are on drugs did you try his drugs?”
“NO! You know I don’t do anything hardcore. I drink a little, and I probably have way too many free sponsored energy drinks but that’s it.”
“Honey you’re eating raw fish in the dark. You look sick, what is this?” she asked, lifting up a blender bottle with a strange residue of pulpy white and yellow.
“I made a smoothie.” She said, chewing away. Dee smelled the bottle. Did you blend up raw eggs and raw fish?”
“I wanted something salty.” She sobbed and Dee examined her eyes and noticed the pupils were fully dilated.
“Is Vinn hurting you or abusing you or something and you can’t get out, because we will get you out!” she asked.
“No he’s a sweetheart. This isn’t Vinn.”
“Is it just stress, because you married an alien and have to have sex with him now until the divorce is finalized?” she asked. “and you just really find comfort in sushi?”
“Dee, not that it’s your business but the sex was amazing. I’m not upset about the sex, even if we got divorced and went back to just dating, I would be going back to the sex part, believe me.”
“That’s far enough, a no would have worked there too.”
“Sorry.”
“Is it the other guy?” Dee asked darkly.
“No…maybe. I don’t know.” Nicole replied, realizing she didn’t know.
“Look I get it, I’m a loud mouthed security risk and if Jack turned into a damn werewolf the other day I would not be shocked anymore, but everyone seems to think he pulled some magic out of his ass and as much as I hate to admit it… He seems to do that a lot. I can’t imagine how scary that was for you to be alone and having a literal mythical beast eyeing you like a snack and walking right in your house, knowing you couldn’t do a damn thing to stop him. That’s fucked up, and that is exactly why it pisses me off that we have a zero gun policy here when giant bunny minotaur’s that can flip a car can just walk around and go shopping around us. It’s not a fair playing field, especially when the cops favor the monsters, because half the cops here are monsters. I thought racism was complicated on Earth. Now it’s got layers and aliens and we’re on the bottom tier. That’s why I got weirded out when you started dating one. I thought shit, if some human guy was picking on her I could punch his teeth out and at least scare the guy. I can’t scare that thing. I’m like a hamster to that thing. I didn’t know Vinn, I didn’t trust him, now I’m glad he’s here, we’re getting some of the scary people on our side. But sometimes it seems like they just keep getting bigger and we’re always outnumbered. But for some reason jack has plot magic and Vinn would give his life for you. So I can’t believe this but, I think we’re gonna be fine. Don’t lose your mind over it. You’re stronger than that.”
“Why don’t I feel like it’s over?”
“Because we’re the paranoid bitches in this group. That’s what we do. We overthink and lose sleep and you blackout and have waking nightmares and you don’t even wanna know what I did the other day, but you can’t go running off into scary haunted tunnels by yourself. Honey you’re really pushing it on our luck. And frankly I’m insulted you didn’t bring me. If you’re gonna do something stupid and reckless that could get a bitch killed, why did you not bring me?” she smiled. Nicole laughed and felt a little better. You don’t need to be scared of that Delmarian guy, you got friends that got your back, a big scary tough one and Jack with…whatever the hell he has that can scare one of them.
Dee…I’m not scared of him…I’m scared of what’s in the tunnels, and how did I get out? Something pulled me out or I would have drowned. It wasn’t Vinn. Who pulled me out?”
“You dreamed it. There’s no monster in the tunnels, Nobody is watching you, and you’re okay. And that bastard can’t hurt you.”
Gizzy sat at her desk, staring at a screen with Kraken’s profile on it.
“You bastard.” She huffed. “If you ruin this for me, I’m going to kill and clone you back so I can kill you a bunch more, and then start your boss.” She growled to herself as the door opened and the secretary stepped in pale as a ghost, tears in her eyes, but a smile as well. She looked blissful, holding up a phone.
“What? I’m kinda busy dealing with a complication right now, can they wait?”
“It’s him.” She whispered.
“Tell that fat sack of ass I don’t answer to his every call.”
“Not Gandalf…HHIIIMMM.” She said handing the phone to Gizzy. Gizzy’s eyes dimmed and she became silent and nervous. She grabbed the phone.
“Hello? I am so sorry, I would never dream of insulting your honor, sir, I thought it was someone else. I never imagined you would contact me personally. I’m thrilled, I’m just…Yes, everything will be ready for the conference. The, sir you can have whatever seat you want, you can have mine and I’ll stand the entire meeting, I’ll hold the damn thing up if you wish. Facing the north window during sunset? What a spectacular idea, Sir you will not regret this, this will be history being made. I would also feel obligated to congratulate you on your victory against me long ago, it was an honor even to lose. I look forward to seeing you again on our world, and you have my word security will be spotless.” She said placing the phone down and solemnly bowing.
“It’s not a video call.” She whispered. “He can’t see you.”
“It doesn’t matter if he saw it. I want the conference room completely renovated, I want the entire room physically rotated to face the alignment of the sunset. If there is a building in the way, remove it.”
“Are you speaking literally?”
“Absolutely. I want a perfect view from that room. Nothing obstructing.”
“Ma’am it is the tallest structure on the surface, the only possible obstruction of the view would be the wings of the red temple.”
“Then have them move the temple.”
“Yes Ma’am?”
Dee and Silverback sat on the edge of the bed, looking a little nervous and excited.
“So you really wanna watch this together?” He asked.
“You know I over-think everything and imagine it worse than it is. I have to know and I want you to watch it with me. Maybe it’s fun, maybe it’s kinda sexy, it’s kinda like porn.” Dee teased.
“It’s educational holograms on Delmarian sex I don’t think it’s gonna be anything appealing. I think it just bothers you and your imagination is running wild.”
“Aren’t you even slightly curious, or worried? The rumors, the assumptions.”
“A little bit. Who wouldn’t make assumptions?” Silverback huffed.
“Well, maybe it’s not even that weird. She seemed okay with it. How weird can it be? Remember when we had sex for the first time?”
“Absolutely. You were beautiful, ravishing.” He beamed.
“And I was kinda worried because you’re half Eridani. Sure you LOOK pretty human but you never know. I was like what if it’s weird. What if he has 2 dicks, or no dick and just something totally else, what do I do with that? I got so worked up I spent an hour in the bathroom pretending to shower just over-thinking and then, I popped a Xanax and came out all cute, and there you were. Naked and hot as hell. And I thought Oh my god, it’s just dick. It’s orange like the rest of you, but otherwise it’s just a hot guy and some orange dick, I know how to do this. This is easy. It was fine. It wasn’t that different. How do we know they’re not just like a big hairy guy? My worry was for nothing. Let’s watch it and alleviate our doubts.” Dee said pressing play on her phone. “Whoa, that’s a lot of selections.” She noted.
“Are those different chapters? This hologram is over 4 hours long?” he noticed.
“Screw it, I’m skipping to the genitals…” she said scrolling forward. “There’s another menu just for the genitals? WHA-uh 14 chapters of just genitals!?” she gasped. They both leaned closer at the chapter thumbnails in confused wonder.
“What do these chapter titles even mean?” she winced “Erections, stages 1 through 4?…what are the other 2 stages? Where could you possibly go from there? Pseudo-prehensile impedimenta? What do any of those words mean, and it’s a whole chapter just on that.” Dee yelled.
“I know two of those words and they don’t belong with genitals.” Silverback pondered. “Click the animation.” He suggested. I don’t want to.
Dee you started this, click the damn animation.” They both jumped and scrambled for the phone. “Stop the animation!” he yelled. “I was wrong.”
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“MY EYES!” she screamed
“It just gets worse as it plays! How is it that complicated!? Who designed this thing, NASA? IKEA!? This is like an HR Geiger nightmare…wait, this is still stage 2.”
“OH MY GOD!” she growled, pressing the stop button harder.
“Does that say 1 to 1 scale?” he barked angrily. “That’s not even fair!”
“NOOOOOOOOOO000oooohohoho!!!!” Dee sobbed. “I wanna go home!”
“We are home.”
“FFfuuuuhuhuhuck.”
“Dee what have you done?” He yelled as she sprinted from the room.
Vinn sat on the couch watching the news as Nicole sat beside him.
“Oh that’s weird. They just discovered the red temple on the surface that’s been there for thousands of years is actually slightly off center from its original spot due to volcanic shifting. They’re gonna move the entire temple 600 feet to the north in to pay respect to it’s heritage. Seems excessive to me but the crowd is excited. I think they’re gonna have a big ceremony. You wanna go? It’s topside?”
“To watch them slowly move a temple 600 feet over the course of days? Not really.” She said, sipping her off-white smoothie. The faint smell of fish in the air.
“Good it sounds boring as hell. I just thought you might wanna see like…actual space. Some humans have this confinement problem where they don’t see the sky and it drives them…um, unhealthy.” He hinted.
“I don’t have human confinement syndrome, or alien moon syndrome.”
“Just trying to make you feel better. Let you get out and get some fresh air. That’s where the rich people live; they have way nicer air in that dome.” Vinn said as the tunnel door creaked open and jack stepped out, looking like a wet coal miner.
“Did you see it?” Nicole asked, hopping up on all fours like a dog on the couch.
“I got clearance from Gizzy and checked the tunnels. Every stretch of it. It’s just maintenance and air ducts. Nothing but water lines, electrical, some support pillars, and old maintenance routs. Most of it is sealed off because they determined the rocks below it were more stable so they decommissioned the tunnels. It’s just creepy dark hallways. Nothing that significant.”
Then you didn’t find it all. There’s more down there. The water.”
“Honey you dreamed that part. Jack just spent 6 hours in there with 3 more guys, scanners and updated blueprints from Gizzy. It’s just dangerous old pipes and tunnels. There’s nothing to find but tetanus and rats.” We have both of those here at home.” Vinn assured.
“It’s not flooded, it’s just damp. That tunnel is directly under the damn lake, it’s bound to be drippy and wet, but it’s all grated to drain, it can’t flood unless the whole thing collapses at once.”
“Someone else was down there with me.”
“The odds of anyone else getting in there with it sealed up is slim, let alone on the same night as you and crossing paths.” Maybe you just need a night out with friends. There’s an Earthtown party down the beach I heard about. It’s mostly humans, food vendors, there’s gonna be fireworks, you and Vinn should go check it out.” Jack yawned.
“No.” Vinn said. “She’s spent enough time with me and my kind, Let the humans do the human thing. Take Dee and go have fun. Have some of those hot dogs, some Yoga shots, get some weird hats. Go nuts. I’ll stay here and work. Bring silverback, he’s human passable…ish.”
“Vinn. It won’t be right without you.” She insisted.
“Married couples do things apart sometimes. Those are YOUR people, they don’t want me lumbering through the crowd. Go have fun with your human friends and do a gals night. Strip clubs or whatever you ladies do. Bachelorette parties. Me and Jack can have a bro’s night and watch a game.” He shrugged.
“You have no idea what half of those things are, but thank you. Maybe I do need a night out. Thanks honey. I’m gonna go shower and pick an outfit.” She said looking excited for a change. There was silence for a moment until the sound of running shower water.
“That’s nice of you. Sad that you’re right, you’d make them uncomfortable, but it’s nice. Beer me.” Jack said. Vinn grabbed a bottle and thumb-claw flipped the cap. “We really gonna watch a game? You don’t watch sports.”
“I dunno.” Vinn said darkly. “So the tunnels are just decommissioned and inactive, there’s no necessary airflow or emergency fire systems?”
“Nothing.” He said taking a sip and flipping the channels.
“After she leaves, I need help welding up that door. Seal it off, weld the bolts down, put some stone paneling up over it. I don’t want her going back in.”
“You got it big guy.” Jack nodded, clinking bottles.
Dee, Vicki, and Nicole walked their way down the road, all of them now carrying mace and a pocket knife almost constantly. Silverback followed behind just as a precaution, giving the girls enough space to gossip and giggle without any interruption. He watched the crowd gradually tighten as they neared the festival area. Big celebration, the day they all came to Delmar M44 and established a brand new colony. Like Mardi Gras but on half a Quaalude. It was a big college area, and a lot of the events were in the newly built campus, a way for the transferring students to get their party on before it would affect their grades. The girls waved cards and strolled past the gate, the bouncer didn’t even acknowledge or ask Silverback if he was over 21, which annoyed him slightly as he scratched the grey in his beard.
“Oh wow, this new campus is LIT.” Dee said with her jaw dropping. I should take classes just to get to use the lobby.”
From 2 fireplaces and a pair of spiraling marble stairs to the second floor, the open main lobby was large enough to amply the music and people talking. Dee marveled, looking upward as she gazed at the floor above her with rows of thick glass flooring. Both the full lobby and the half lobby above ended at the front side of the building, overlooking the ocean, so vast and tranquil most people forget it ends a mile out with a simulated Truman projector. The fake full moon cast white light on the narrow beach separating it. Majestic, even for something artificial.
“Oh look, they’re doing a bar in the library, let’s get some shots!” Dee encouraged with a wiggling “WHoOoooo.” As she went. A rather well dressed man with sunglasses and an earpiece was standing just beside the corridor to the library, blocking the option to turn to the stairs.
“Hey there Agent Smith, you here to frisk or be frisked?” Dee joked.
“I’m just here to make sure nobody uses stair well A. there is an unfinished segment and it’s not structurally sound or safe.”
“At ease, private.” She saluted, moving along to the library.”
The party continued for some time, several guard changes and themed games, an abundance of alcohol and weed passing around.
Silverback made sure the girls were at least in view at all times, limiting his drinks and looking very much like a cop as he tried to blend in with the crowd. Another totally not cop looking man approached him, nudging his shoulder.
“Sir, can I see your ID.” He asked discreetly.
“What for?” he asked.
Just part of the rules, random card checks for anyone alone. Security reasons.
“I’m not alone, I’m just laying back to give my girlfriend and her gal pals some space.” He assured.
“Sure gramps, You got ID?”
“You shitting me? I look 60. I didn’t bring my ID, I haven’t been carded for 70 years, and they didn’t card me then because there were no drinking laws here. Or humans.” He complained.
“Gotta come with me, we can do a face and fingerprint scan at the desk.”
“This is ridiculous, I’m here entirely to look after those gals and make sure they get home safe. I can’t watch them from somewhere else.”
“We have hover cabs and security for that, sir.”
“Well who makes sure the security is clean and doing their job?”
“I do. Campus police. It’s not personal man, but we’re beefing up regulations this close to the big council thing, and even Earthtown has rules. Takes like 5 minutes man.”
“Fine, where’s the damn desk?” Silverback groaned.
“Second floor. The computer at the main desk is acting weird. Scanner keeps lagging.” The young man shrugged. He rolled his eyes, and followed him all the way to stairwell B and to the other check-in desk.
Vicki did another shot and among the cheers she made a face of objection, almost throwing up.
“Uagh, I though these were all Earth drinks? The Eridani shots are always so damn spicy. I need a drink to cool down the drink. I’m gonna find Silverback, he’s got my water bottle” She said, looking like a cat about to throw up.
“And a pink water bottle, with a flower on it.” Said the campus police officer as Silverback tossed his hands up. “and a little bag with a knife and mace.”
“It’s my girlfriends purse dickhead, I’m the designated bag holder tonight.”
“Sir your scans do not show any identification, and this campus does not allow weapons, code white, we have suspicious activity on floor two. He has no ID and the retinal scan shows nothing. No he’s not human.” said the young man to his com.
“I’m half Eridani, My father was human, My name is Nathan Silverman, they call me silverback, I work for Greggarious construction, I’m here with 3 young ladies, 2 platonic friends and one I’m dating that I can no longer even see now that I’m on the second floor. Dee gets dumb when she drinks, so I took her purse after shot number 4 so she doesn’t hurt herself. This is a free campus.” Silverback objected.
“I’m sorry, but the system is not showing you and we gotta wait till it confirms since you don’t have your ID.”
“HEY!” Yelled Dee, “Where’s Vicki at?”
“I don’t know, she took off to find Silverback and just vanished. Let’s try the balcony; you can see her hair from a mile away like a floating match head.” yelled Nicole, barely able to see over anyone.”
“Move people, we gotta rescue mission, doot doot!” Dee said staggering along.
The rather Smithy Agent responded to his earpiece, looking alarmed.
“Now? Are you sure?” he asked as a voice on the other end growled at the hesitation. “Sorry maam, I didn’t mean to question you, but two days in a row…isn’t that pushing it?”
“Your job is not to question me, your job is to follow orders and report results. Shift change NOW.” She said.
“Yes Ma’am.” He said leaving his post.
“Oh look, it’s Mister sunglasses.” Dee said as Nicole took away her drink. “Let’s go say hi to Mister Sunglasses before he logs out and disappears.”
“Wasn’t he guarding the stairs?” Nicole asked, suddenly feeling like the room slowed down, the crowd growing quieter as she listened to her breathing as if it was out of sync.
“Uh, oh, SOMEONE’s gonna get fired, or worse, deleted!” Dee joked. “Hey wait, I was kidding, we can’t go down there.” She said following Nicole. Sunglasses discreetly took his post again, sipping some coffee and blocking the stairs.
“Shit, sunglasses man came back, we’re gonna get in trouble.” Whispered Dee.
“Then we can’t go back can we? We have to find a way around.”
“Just tell him you dropped your keys and you got them, he’s probably cool.”
“I can’t go back; don’t you feel the air moving?”
“What air, there’s no air. You’re drunk.”
“YOU’RE drunk.”
“Yea I’m pretty drunk.” She giggled “Are we doing that adventure thing where you insist on being stupid and I can either narc on you or go with you, because I don’t wanna go down the stairs and you shouldn’t either.”
“Then go, I have to see what’s down here.” Nicole insisted.
“Why? It’s stairs, it’s probably a basement with construction shit lying around. We have that at home.”
“I can feel it in the walls.” Nicole said palming the stone and breathing with it.
“Fuck, nevermind sunglasses is heading down, just go gogogogo.” She said changing her mind as he slowed down and intentionally let them gain a little ahead. Another similar looking guard took his place behind him, blocking the stairs.
“I’m sorry miss, these stairs are out of order, safety reasons.” He smiled as another person passed by.
“See?” Dee whispered. Big-ass unfinished basement floor.”
“There’s more.” said Nicole, confidently following the sound of air breathing in and out. They briskly walked past a large pillar and to a strange wooden door. It was open and dusty. They passed the threshold and closed it to hide from Mister sunglasses. Nicole noticed there was no light coming from the gaps, the thick wooden doors sealed oddly well and there were no handles or doorknobs, just like the doors she saw in the tunnels, except they went through and closed it.
“Shit, we can’t go back. These only open one way
“WHAT!? WHY? And how do you know that?” Dee barked.
“I’ve seen them before, she said, getting her flashlight out and palming her pocket knife, blade closed but handy.
“Are you shitting me? We’re locked in some unfinished college basement?” she said getting her phone out. “And of course it’s a huge stone basement so there’s no bars. This is an underground space colony with alien tech, there’s always 5 bars…what kinda basement has no bars!?” Dee complained as she followed Nicole into the room on the left.
“It was empty, aside from a stone slab in the center, about 6 feet by 8 feet, covered by wood and leather.
“Is this a bed or a sacrificial offering table?” she snipped.
“Maybe both.” Nicole sighed, leaving the room and heading along.