Apollo 18 - Stone Cold

Apollo 17

        Stone Cold         

“So you have a blue dot on your picture.” Casandra said. She could not believe that this was more important then… well.. Her.

“You don’t understand, others know.” Storm was having difficulty with the idea that others knew Earth was still there, still able to sustain life.  Or was it?  Maybe Casandra had a point.  A blue dot on, okay a blue dot with white swirls still might be a bunch of dead things on it. 

“What do they know?” Casandra asked.

“I don’t know.” Storm had such a feeble argument, but in his gut he knew.  He knew they were lying, but what could he do about it.  He was just sixteen.  

“Storm.” Casandra softened her voice. “You need to be careful.” 

Her tone caught Storm off guard.  She just knew, how to get his attention and right now she was trying to tell him something very important, but his mind was racing, and he wanted answers.  “I need to go.” 

“Storm I need you too.” She said hoping he would get the message.

“What?” Storm turned to her.  Saw her there, really saw her.  Her eyes had tears in them.

“What? Why are you crying?” Storm asked.

“I wanted tonight to be special.” She said. Looking away.  He had all but ignored her since he took that picture.  Never once said anything about her outfit.

He looked at her, remembered what she wasn’t wearing. “Oh.. Uh.” He didn’t know what to say.  He really liked her, maybe even loved her and she was offering, but at what cost?  He needed to know that, and he wanted her, and he wanted to know why they were running around the solar system in rocks.  God! Why all this at once. Then he remembered something his father told his mother. “I’m.. you.. Oh man, you are so tempting.  And if I were a lesser man.. I need to look into this first.  I need to know why we’ve been lied to our whole lives and why we are slowly being irradiated out here when Earth is still there.” He paused to see if his words were having the effect he wanted them to have.  “You are so beautiful and I’m a lucky man..boy. Guy!” He shook his head to try and shake out the right adjective. 

“You are.” Casandra said with a slightly sarcastic tone. A little smile came back.

In his mind he yelled “Great!” and out loud, “So...raincheck..on.” He waved his hand indicating her outfit.

She smiled then it went away.  Her mind had moved on to the idea that he was going to investigate something very dangerous. She took his hand, “You need to be careful.”  She drew him in, “They’ve kept this a secret for a reason and..”

“I’ll be discreet.” Storm assured her.

“You have no idea how to do that.  Sulk, yes. Discreet. Not a clue.” Casandra said with a bigger smile.  Her mind was already a step ahead of his.  “We need to go back to my place so I can change and then head up to the library.” she started pulling him along.

That’s when Storm saw her butt and realized that her jumpsuit had to be at least a size or two too small.  It showed her pear-shaped butt so perfect. “Damn.” he said in what he thought, was under his breath.

Casandra turned her head and smiled and said, “Your loss.” and she pulled him along. She had moved on.  Now it was about this mission of his.  To see if their blue spot was really Earth.  And if so, was it still alive?  That was the question now.

Storm stayed outside of the apartment while Casandra changed.  She said it would be better if he didn’t come in. Her mother would be asking all kinds of questions with her eyes and it would be better if he stayed out.  When Casandra walked in she saw her mother on the couch.  She was in her nightgown and was drinking from a dirty glass. Casandra shook her head no and kept on walking.  

“What’s wrong with that boy?” She heard her mother shout. 

            She quickly closed the door to her room, so she didn’t have to hear any more.  Her mother was constantly telling her to throw herself at him.  That he could get her out of the lower levels and then maybe she could join them. To her sex was just a tool to get something. All it got her was used up and ugly.  That sounds so bad, but her mother was barely forty and she has had six kids by four different men that promised to get her a better life and yet they were in the bottom level of the lower cast.  So much for their promises.  Now she’s trying to get her last daughter to follow in her footsteps.  Casandra absent mindedly shook her head no.  She wasn’t going to end up like that.  And Storm was a good man.  He actually had scruples and even though he pushed most people away, he genuinely like who he was and where he was headed.  He would be a great manager or supervisor someday.  He cared about people.  He just hated pretenders and there were so many of them here.  She set her mind to her new outfit and let the costume drop to the floor.  She was dressed in no time as she put little effort into what it looked like.  Black spandex pants, her sports bra, a sleeveless grey undershirt and a baggy sweater.  With flip flops by the door.  Now dressed, she slowly opened the door.  Since her mother did not pursue her to her bedroom, she was hoping that she was just too drunk to care.  She held her flip flop in her hand as she snuck back to the main door.  She had it about a quarter of the way open when her mother’s hoarse voice let out its filth, “You'd better get laid soon, I’m not getting any younger.” Casandra got through the door before any further words of wisdom came from the couch.   

Storm knew better than to hang out just outside the door, so he was watching from the other side of the dirty courtyard, just down the corridor.  He was out of site due to the fact the maintenance teams has not replace some of the LEDs where the corridor began.  He saw that Casandra was by herself and came into the light.  They headed to the lift.  Just then a drunk man opened his door and looked out.  Storm moved Casandra to his left so as to shield her.

“What! Ya thnk I’m dangerous” He said with a slur.  “Na.” 

Storm kept walking but kinda side glanced to see if the drunk was following.  He took a step in their direction and then corrected himself.  Most likely he was headed to the communal restroom. Storm moved Casandra in front of him now.

Casandra half looked back, “He’s harmless.”

“Maybe.” Storm said.  Still throwing glances behind him.

“What.” Casandra asked.

“I need to be careful down here.” He said.

“You make it sound dirty.” Casandra shot back.

“We’ve talked about this.” Storm reminded her.

“He’s a drunk.” Casandra didn’t like his tone.

“I’m sorry, but some of these guys would rip my arm off to get my chip.” Storm explained again.

“They don’t know who you are and my mother would be the last one to tell them. She doesn’t want all the other skank moms to throw their daughters at you.” Casandra was disgusted.  

Storm did not realize how much it hurt her to live here.  She was not like them.  She wanted to use her intelligence to get out of the lower levels, but there were thousands of others trying to do the same thing.  And having a “friend” up there always helped.  How could he have been so oblivious to it all this time.  He’d been down here. Even been in her apartment, but he hadn't really seen it.  He needed to grow up a little bit.  He needed to start seeing things for what they were. Not what he’d been told they were.  Then he realized that Casandra didn’t tell him her plan, just that they needed to go to the library.  He looked at her again, this time in what she usually wore and realized just how much she was hiding under all those baggy shirts and sweaters.  She was beautiful and beautiful to look at.  He imagined them as an intimate couple.  

Casandra noticed the different look and asked, “What?”  

“I think I’m starting to see things as they should be.” He paused. Then finished the thought, “And I think I’m going to be learning a lot about myself and who we are.” 

“Does that scare you.” Casandra asked.

“Kinda.” Storm admitted.

“Good.” Casandra said.

“So, what’s your plan?” Storm asked then realized what she said, “Hey wait, I’m careful.” 

“You just came down to the lower level without your security bracelet and you say your careful.”  She pointed to his wrist.

“It’s all part of my being careful.” he shot back.  “I didn’t want anyone to know I was at the observatory just in case they figured out what we figured out and I needed to lie about not being there.” He messed up his face as he realized he just run on a run on sentence and he really didn’t even know if he knew what he said.  

“Shut up.” Casandra said playfully.  They had reached the lift and she punched the button.

Then from the hall perpendicular to the hall theirs, came a voice, “Hey Casandra.  Who’s the boyfriend?” 

Casandra turned to the voice, “Hey Jason.  He’s just a kid from school.” she tried to act casual.

“Your fancy school?” Asked Jason.

“Yeah.” Casandra was trying not to encourage a conversation.

“So, lover boy, were you from?  Don’t remember seeing your kind of ugly around here.” Jason said in a nasty tone.

“Leave him alone Jason.” Casandra said as she wished the lift would come.

“Where you two love birds going.” Jason asked with his ugly tone.

“If you must know.  We are going to the Library.” Casandra said, “To do homework.” 

“At this time.” Jason continued to look at Storm. Then asked, “What’s your name anyway?  I think I’ve seen you before.”

“Don.” Storm said.

“So, Don.” Jason took a step closer despite the fact, that Casandra was trying to keep them apart. “You take this one to bed yet?” He looked at her.  “She thinks she too good for the likes of us.” He stepped back and was about to turn when the lift opened.

Two guards were standing in the lift.  They wore black uniforms with pads on the arms and chest.  Their stingers were visible on their hips. And they had their riot helmets on.

Jason didn’t hesitate to leave the area.  He wanted nothing to do with the security guards, but he did wonder why they came all the way down here.  They looked way to pretty for the guards on this level.  He stepped off but stayed close enough to see if there was any good information to learn from them.

“Storm.” Said the older guard.

            Storm immediately stepped into the lift with Casandra.  If he was going to be in trouble, he was going to make sure that it didn’t affect Casandra.

The lift doors closed because Casandra pushed the button for them to close right away.  She too knew that this was not good for either of them.  And the guards were actually safer than the ears that were listening. 

With the doors closed the smart-ass Storm came out to play, “So Jack, can I call you Jack?” He didn’t wait for an answer “What brings you to a shit hole like this?”

“Your dad wants to know where you are.” Said Jack.  The name stitched on his chest said “Stuart Thompson”. but Storm like to call all the security guards Jack.   

“Well. Here I am.” He looked at the other Guard, “mission accomplished.  Tell Dad.  I’m headed to the library to do some homework.” He looked back at Stuart, “For school.” 

They didn’t respond.  They just kept looking at him.

“I’m not going to the library?” Storm asked.

Stuart and the other guard shook their head no. They knew better than to mince words with Storm, so they just kept their silence and waited for the lift to stop.  No one had pushed a button, so the lift was already programed to take them to level seven.  That’s where his Father’s apartment was.  They were not going to the library and that was not good.  

Stuart address Casandra, “We will let you out on level ten.  So, you can go to the library.” The sarcasm was strong. He then pushed a button on his wrist pad.

Storm and Casandra turn around to face the doors.  Storm took her hand and pulled it up to his lips.  He kissed it.  She turned to him with a look of “What was that for.” and when she did that he turned to her and slipped his pad into her pocket.  He couldn’t be caught with it.  She realized what he was doing and played the part.  She just wished it was real.  

After just a few seconds, Stuart interrupted them, “Time to get off missy.” The lift slowed and then stopped.  The doors opened Casandra put her hand over the pocket and with the other she kept Storms hand.  It was as if they were lovers in a play, being separated, as if never to see each other again.  

When she was gone and the door closed Storm turned to the guards and said, “You guys sure know how me screw up an evening.” 

Stuart answered, “Your welcome.” 

Nothing more was said as they ascended the last three floors.  It actually took longer to do that than the first ten.  There was quite a separation between the upper and lower levels.  It helped block out all the industrial sounds of the lower levels.  Now the lift slowed and stopped.  Stuart and his silent partner escorted Storm to his door.  

“Thank you, gentlemen.” Storm started out sweetly, “For absolutely nothing.” he finished with full sarcasm.  He then saluted them.  

They just turned and left.

The door opened and Storm’s father was standing there.  He didn’t say anything.

“Evening Father.” Storm said then when his father did not return the salutation, “I wanted to let you know that your dogs did a marvelous job at screwing up my evening.” 

“I’m glad to hear that.” Said the Stately old man just inside the door.

“Evening Grandfather.” Storm said, “Did you come to gang up on me?” 

“That is about enough out of you.” Said Storm’s father in a deep rumble.

“Well, that didn’t take much.” Said Storm.

“Were you at the observatory this evening?” His Father went straight to the point.

“No.” Storm lied and to make it more convincing, “I was trying to.. To.”

“To what?” demanded his Father.

“Well, you know.. Girl.. Guy.  You know.” Storm was doing his best to act embarrassed.

“You are so full to dung.” Storms dad said as he turned away. He continued walk away and waved for Storm to follow, “Dr. Tungston saw you there.  He also saw you put in two sets of coordinates in the telescope. Then you didn’t even wait to see what was at them” He said with curiosity, “It’s as if the trip from one point to the other was more important than either destination.” He paused to see if Storm would change his countenance.  When he didn’t, he stammered on with his narrative. “So, the good doctor’s imagination was piqued and he waited for you to leave.  That’s when he brought up the two points and watched as the telescope traveled the area between.” 

Still Storm stood cold as stone.

“It seems that when the telescope reached a certain area of space it blacked out.  Then like magic the images reappeared.  Do you remember that?” Storm’s Father asked.

“How could I.  I wasn’t there.” Storm lied like a serial killer.

“I see.” Storms father said, “Then you must have a doppelganger here.”  He looked at his son, “And he had your girlfriend with him.” He locked eyes with his son. “Oh! And she looked just like a whore for him.” 

Storm’s blood was boiling on the inside, but he was determined to keep his father out.  Keep him out of his space.  He may have to live here, but he doesn’t have to let this monster be his father.  He’s just the man that keeps them from being down below. 

“Are we done?” Asked Storm.  

“No.” His father turned away.  “I need your pad and your chip.” 

“I need my pad for school.” Storm argued back.

“There not in your room, so you must have them.” Storms father was not going to be dissuaded from what he wanted. 

“You went through my things?” Storm protested.

“Your pad.” Said his father firmly 

“Fine.” Storm pulled a second pad from his pocket and threw it on the floor next to his father.  Then he rolled up the right sleeve and lifted a flap of skin on his forearm to remove a chip. “Here.  you want a pound of flesh too?” He placed the chip on a small table next to him.  “Are we done.” He was so hoping that this would be it.  That his father would take the items and put them in his normal hiding spot and that would be it. 

“Go to your room.” commanded Storm’s father.

Storm did just that. Went to his room and locked the door.  He breathed a sy of relief once on the other side. Most likely his father would not go through the trouble of having his code broken. He never did.  He would just keep the stuff for a few days.  Storm would sulk around the house and when his dad was sick of seeing him, He would give it all back and Storm would be on his way again. Now the only problem is that Casandra had to hide the real pad.  She couldn’t take it to the lower level.  If she did the security guards were hunt her down.  The pad had to be with him or more precisely, him and his chip on the lower levels. 

If he could get his bracelet to her, then she could have it, but that was not happening now.  No, she was smart, and she would know to hide it or stay on the upper levels, but sooner or later she would have to leave. She would have to go home, or her mother might send the guards after her too.  He only wished he had a few seconds to discuss a plan before he was taken. He fell back on his bed and before he knew it, his alarm was telling him to get up for school. “Crap!”  Storm shot out of bed and opened his door. He walked out to the dining room where here Father and Grandfather were eating breakfast.  Near the door to the kitchen stood a guard.  His black uniform in complete contrast to the white interior.

Before Storm sat down to his plate he asked, “What’s with the gestapo?” 

Storm’s father looked up and said, “Storm, meet your new best friend.” There was a pause. “He will be accompanying you to school, the library and anywhere else you go.” 

“Will he hold my hand in the bathroom too?” Storm shot a nasty look at the guard. 

“You will go to School and come back here.  If you need the library, you will have whatever you need brought here.” Storm father instructed.

“So, now I'm a prisoner.” Storm did not like this.  This was new and he was unsure of how he could fix it.  He needed to think about getting back into his father’s graces.  But not now.  Now he needed to be Storm.  Then he realized that he was being just like the pretenders.  Acting just like those he hated.  He needed to think.  “I need my pad for school.” Storm finally said. 

“I have a new one for you.  Yours was taken to the lab last night.” Storms father informed him. 

The hair on his next started to rise.  His father had never gone this far before. He counted, “But what about my homework.” 

“What homework? And besides you should have stored them on your chips.” He Father was done with the lies and deceit.    

“Whatever!” he didn’t know what to say.  His game will be undone as soon as they see the pad, he threw at his father’s feet was all but blank.  Somehow, he had to get a message to Casandra to ditch his pad somewhere he could pick it up.  It had to be someplace safe because he didn’t know how long it was going to take for all this to blow over.  If it blows over.  Either way he wouldn't let his dad see the picture of Earth.  That would be the end of his investigation.

R.A. Legg
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