Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Alex walks up to the parts desk, and waits for someone to assist him.
“May I help you sir?” asks a balding older man.
“I need the supplies on this list,” Alex says, tossing the sheet of paper on the counter.
“That’s quite a few batteries. What are you going to do with all of them?”
“Backup power, if it’s any of your business!” Alex snaps.
“Ah, I see the cables down there on the list, and connectors. Give me a few minutes.”
Alex grabs a catalog, and takes a seat on the waiting bench.
Five minute pass when the old man returns to the front.
“What’s this foam for?”
“Low pressure seal.”
“I don’t have any with the adhesive on it. Will a tube of adhesive and a roll of stock closed-cell foam work?”
“I guess it will have to. Just make sure the adhesive will work in space and with the foam and with metal.”
“Yes sir. I see you want quite a few space meals, ready to eat, do you want me to order those for you as well; not really my department, but since I have your order open?”
“Yes, thank you. Did you have the wrench in stock?”
“Yeah.”
“How about the nitrogen tanks?”
“No problem, did you want a regulator with that?”
*
Wayne pushes open the door to the Lucky Nugget Bar, and steps inside.
“Wayne, since when does Alex do more drinking in my establishment than you do?”
“Never my dear Mary, never” Wayne chuckles as he slips into a chair at the bar.
“He got here right after I opened, been working hard at finding the bottom of that bottle.”
“That’s not like him.”
“No, it’s more like you. Where the hell have you been all day?”
“What, you worried I got some at the cathouse?”
“Keep that up, and you’ll find yourself sleeping it off in the brig.” Mary says with a wink.
“Did Alex say anything?”
“Not really, just something about how you can’t beat the system. Hell I could’a told him that. The usual hon?”
“Your best rotgut and a glass please.”
“My, you are in rare form today. You’re going to pay for that later mister” Mary says as she bends over to fetch a bottle.
“I always do” Wayne says, reaching over the counter and pinching Mary on the butt.
“Fresh! Here, take your bottle and go see to your friend. You aren’t my only customer ya know.”
“Keep it warm for me” Wayne says as he walks to Alex’s table in the back.
“I bin shink’n” Alex declares when Wayne approaches.
“I can see that.”
“Thish isnt’ gonna work.”
“Hey, keep it down. What isn’t going to work?” Wayne asks as he sits down, and opens his bottle.
“Letsh say we git the shhhp work’n. Jump and eirvething. How shwee shpose to lan?”
“You have a point. I was thinking we could steal a lander. Or maybe we make one.”
“Oshkay, oshkay, oshkay. Letsh shay we do dat. Still shrewed.”
“Why, we land, and we’re free.”
“Letsh shay I git ohm. I can’t work, I can’t buy anyshing. If I’m sheen, I’ll be arrested and shent back here.”
“I was wondering when you were going to bring this up.”
“Shhhit, you knew about dishh!”
“Shhhhhhhh. Yes, I knew. We will have to live in the wastelands.”
Waysh-lands. Are you fucking sidding me, I shaave a swhife and kids.”
Wayne pours his drink down his throat, and then refills the glass.
“Eyes been show busy work’n, I didn’t shee it.”
Alex tries to pick up his bottle, and hits it with the back of his hand, sending it crashing to the floor, it breaks.
“Oh shwit!” Alex exclaims, trying to get up from his seat. He succeeds in falling over backwards with a loud thud. Mary comes running, saying
“I got the mess, see if you can get him to his room.”
“I’m sorry Mary, I didn’t….”
“Don’t worry about it, happens all the time.”
“You’re a doll. Thanks. I’ll be right back.”
*
Mary unbuttons her blouse, as Wayne watches intently. She slips it off, and drapes it across a chair. Her breasts are firm he notes, and do not appear to sag even without a bra.
He studies the curve of them, the shape, and the suppleness of the nipples. Wayne figures Mary fifteen years his junior, placing her around thirty years old. Judging by the lack of stretch marks or c-section scars, she has never borne a child. Mary removes her underpants revealing her well manicured bush and drops them in the laundry hopper.
Wayne looks at her hips and legs, which are in pretty good shape for her age, but not perfectly toned, age catches up with every one. He looks down while unclipping his own pants, embarrassed by his large belly. Wayne has been coming to see her for ten years now, since she first bought the bar. In many ways, Mary resembles
Ellen, his long dead wife when she was young.
“I know the owner, she won’t mind.”
Mary walks into the bathroom, and sets the shower temperature. Wayne follows her, admiring the movement of her hips as she walks. She steps into the flowing water, letting it course across her face, and then turning her head downwards, she soaks her curly short auburn hair. Wayne steps in behind her, and asks
“Do you want me to wash your back?”
“Please, that would be wonderful.”
Grabbing a bar of soap, and a washcloth from the back of the shower, he lathers it up, and begins rubbing her back with it.
“Ohhh that fells nice.”
Mary leans her head against the shower wall, enjoying his attention. He feels himself getting hard. When he has finished with her back, Mary turns around and takes the washcloth from him, and seeing his urgency, she washes his member gently. Dropping to her knees, she takes him in her mouth.
Later that night, Mary pushes herself up and leans on her right elbow. “What are you two planning?”
Wayne, lying on his back pulls the covers up over the two of them. “Nothing.”
“Alex said a bit more than I let on.”
“Oh, what did he say?”
“Stuff about being back on Dirt.”
“Don’t listen to the ramblings of a drunk. You should know that.”
Mary snuggles up against Wayne, laying her head on his shoulder. She knew not to ask anymore questions, but did not fall asleep for many hours.
*
Wayne pushes open the door to the Lucky Nugget Bar, and steps inside.
“Alex beat you in again. He’s acting funny.”
“Bring me my usual please,” Wayne says as he heads to the back.
Alex is sitting, staring at the far wall, his bottle unopened.
“I’ve been thinking.”
“I can see that,” Wayne says as he takes a seat opposite Alex.
“Going to Dirt just wont work.”
“So you told me two days ago, though you’re a bit more sober this time.”
Mary walks up to the table, and puts down Wayne’s bottle of vodka and a glass.
“There you go, stud. A problem with your’s Alex, you haven’t touched it.”
“I was just waiting for Wayne.”
“Uh huh,” Mary says, heading back to the bar.
Once Mary is out of earshot, Wayne says “You said a bit too much when you were drunk.”
“Sorry.”
“What are you thinking we should do?”
“Bring the scout to Shit Hole, and start a revolution.”
“You said the company would kill us, what’s changed?”
“Remember the Lucky Dragon?”
“Yeah, it was hijacked.”
“I think the people did it, not Allied.”
“Uh huh, I’m listening.”
Alex opens his bottle, and pours a glass.
“I don’t trust them either. We have to make it advantageous for them to keep us alive.”
“And how are we going to do that?”
“They wanted the jump technology. We give them part of what we found; the computer and software, but hide the ship and the jump coil in space. They will have to keep us alive if they want it. Do you think the cargo sled your going to build can come with us?”
“If what you told me about the jump field is correct, we could strap it on top or something, and it should jump with us.”
“Okay, we are going to use it for an extended EVA.”
“Its not going to have any avionics, or navigation or anything you know.”
“I know, we will use our jet pack’s avionics, and I will calculate our burns.”
“Sounds very dangerous, not like you at all.”
“It’s the only way.”
“Okay, I will buy extra fuel for the sled.”
“You’re okay with the change of plans.”
“Whatever, I was ready to die a long time ago. Either way, we have a good chance of drifting off into deep space.”
“I’ll drink to that!”
*
Mary escorts the last patron out of the bar, and locks the door. Wayne is putting chairs upside down on the tables.
“We need to talk,” Mary says, walking around the bar, and pouring her self a tall one.
“What about?”
“I had a little talk with the manager of the ships store. Seems you have been making a lot of strange purchases. He seemed to think you were planning on building your very own rocket, bought a used thruster and rocket fuel. And you bought a life support unit, with oxygen tanks. Alex bought months worth of space meals, nobody likes S.M.R.E.’s. He also bought batteries by the pallet full. What the hell are you two planning, stowing away on a transport back to dirt?”
“How the hell did you find all that out?”
“It’s amazing what a good bottle of scotch can get you. Now, fess up.”
“Mary, you have been my….friend, for many years, but I can’t tell you.”
“I’m not really a whore you know.”
“You could ‘a fooled me, what with my paying you for all these years.”
“Have you ever noticed that there are no working girls in the Nugget?”
“I figured you didn’t want any competition.”
“That’s not it at all. I didn’t want to pay those bastard pimps anything; I don’t ever want them in my bar.”
“I see.”
“If they thought I was cutting in on their business, they would come to collect a share from me. You’re the only one who stays after hours.”
“You tell that to all your johns?”
Mary starts to tear up. “Look, in the beginning I played you for a sucker. You would come in, get drunk and start calling me by your dead wife’s name. I took you to bed, and you would pass out, and in the morning you would pay me, without asking any questions. It was easy money.”
“So you owe me big time.”
“Yes, yes! When you teamed up with Alex, you changed, and I liked what I saw in you. I didn’t want to mess things up by telling you we never had sex before. Everyone on the station thinks you’re my boyfriend. Ask around.”
Wayne takes a hit from his glass, and looks Mary in the eye.
“You saying you love me?”
Mary turns away, so Wayne can’t see her eyes.
“You wouldn’t believe a hooker if she told you that anyway.”
*
Alex takes a seat inside a video message recording booth, and slides his ID card for payment. “Hi honey, kids. I’m on the re-supply ship, and felt I needed to add to the messages I have already recorded. I want you to pay attention to me right now. Look at my face, look into my eyes. I’m not crazy. Not today, not tomorrow. Don’t believe the news after this batch of messages. Come back to this disk and replay it. Not everything you hear is true. Remember my promise to you. I will do whatever it takes to keep it.”
*
The rest of the two weeks of re-supply pass.
“Don’t cry,” Wayne tells Mary, her face buried in his chest.
“I have to go soon. Please, if anyone comes asking about us, don’t tell them about what you know.”
“But I don’t know anything.”
“You know what we have been buying.”
“I promise not to say a word.”
“If one day you hear of a rebellion staring up, you will know that Alex and I live.
“I love you Wayne. Please stay here with me.”
“Are you willing to give up this bar, and come with me?”
Mary gulps back a sob, “No, I’m not crazy,” she says weakly.
“Then I must go.”
“Don’t do this. It’s crazy, it’s suicide.”
“It’s my chance to make a difference.”
“Do you want to take a long hot shower with me?” Mary asks with a coy smile on her face.
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