Chapter Two
Outside
Outside
Thad opened his eyes, aware of a sense that the murky sun was dropping on the horizon. He panicked momentarily until he realized he still had a half hour before the prearranged confab with Maggie.
He headed for the bathroom to change into darker clothes for the journey. The bathroom had Thandimonean stone flooring, golden faucets and a huge commode one nearly needed a ladder to get up on.
Thad rubbed his face and ran his tongue over his teeth. He might as well clean up while he was in here. He stripped, broke out his toothbrush and was busy about his business when he heard a creaking hinge.
He stepped out of the bathroom in his skivvies, toothpaste frothing in his mouth.
"Commander Cochran."
He heard the voice, glanced at the open door, but saw no one.
"Yeph?!" he gurgled, toothpaste spraying everywhere as his voice took on a falsetto tone.
"I’m up here, silly boy."
Thad looked up, and his heart tried to jump out of his gullet. The woman, the one he had seen in the space port
and had suspected of being a droid, crawled across the ceiling like a spider chasing after a bug. How she managed to cling, upside down, her head twisted a hundred and eighty degrees and looking directly at him, was a repulsive mystery to him.
Oh, you’re a droid all right!
He had never seen a Mandroid capable of walking on ceilings. This droid’s techno was impressive and scary.
"You should go back to your people, Commander Cochran," she said, as she crawled down the wall, her head twisting again, cracking and popping back to its original position.
He knew there was no sense in trying to get away, or in trying to fight with this droid. She was too fast, too strong. He had no weapon to use against her, and worst of all, he was in his underwear.
Thad swallowed his toothpaste.
Once on the floor, she meandered over to him and, with a critical expression, eyed him from head to toe. She was beautiful, but she smelled of a peculiar blend of perfume and something like burnt rubber.
"There’s only death waiting for you here on Gar Mega. Go back, Commander, before it’s too late."
With that, she walked stiffly from the room, leaving the door open. Thad wasted no time, sprinted to the door, locked it and leaned against the wall, his legs trembling beneath him.
She’s probably got a key that pops out of her finger or something. I know I locked that.
He headed for the bathroom to change into darker clothes for the journey. The bathroom had Thandimonean stone flooring, golden faucets and a huge commode one nearly needed a ladder to get up on.
Thad rubbed his face and ran his tongue over his teeth. He might as well clean up while he was in here. He stripped, broke out his toothbrush and was busy about his business when he heard a creaking hinge.
He stepped out of the bathroom in his skivvies, toothpaste frothing in his mouth.
"Commander Cochran."
He heard the voice, glanced at the open door, but saw no one.
"Yeph?!" he gurgled, toothpaste spraying everywhere as his voice took on a falsetto tone.
"I’m up here, silly boy."
Thad looked up, and his heart tried to jump out of his gullet. The woman, the one he had seen in the space port
and had suspected of being a droid, crawled across the ceiling like a spider chasing after a bug. How she managed to cling, upside down, her head twisted a hundred and eighty degrees and looking directly at him, was a repulsive mystery to him.
Oh, you’re a droid all right!
He had never seen a Mandroid capable of walking on ceilings. This droid’s techno was impressive and scary.
"You should go back to your people, Commander Cochran," she said, as she crawled down the wall, her head twisting again, cracking and popping back to its original position.
He knew there was no sense in trying to get away, or in trying to fight with this droid. She was too fast, too strong. He had no weapon to use against her, and worst of all, he was in his underwear.
Thad swallowed his toothpaste.
Once on the floor, she meandered over to him and, with a critical expression, eyed him from head to toe. She was beautiful, but she smelled of a peculiar blend of perfume and something like burnt rubber.
"There’s only death waiting for you here on Gar Mega. Go back, Commander, before it’s too late."
With that, she walked stiffly from the room, leaving the door open. Thad wasted no time, sprinted to the door, locked it and leaned against the wall, his legs trembling beneath him.
She’s probably got a key that pops out of her finger or something. I know I locked that.
