The Continuum II Compilation

[VinnyQ]

Compilation of the story from the Continuum II thread

[VinnyQ]

[edit]

I am making the compilation avaivlable for anybody to edit under the username "Pen".
Password: pen

If anyone like to jump in to fix the grammar, that would be luvly.

[This message has been edited by VinnyQ (edited 05-11-2003 10:04 AM).]

[VinnyQ]

writing is haaaaaaard!

~gives up

[Pen]

Chapter 1

The hovercab glided to a halt against the curb, then settled smoothly onto the pavement.

"That'll be $79.50", said the driver.

I handed him a hundred and opened the door.

"Thanks buddy," I said as I got out into the misty air. The spaceport was bustling with activity, even at this early morning hour. I grabbed my duffle bag from the back seat and headed toward the entrance.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I watched a gorgeous redhead got out of the cab a little down the way. Shouldering my bag, I eased in through the front entrance of the space port, mentally noting that the redhead was carrying a blue duffle bag, almost an exact replica of mine, as planned.

I took a few seconds to look around me as I walked slowly behind her. I had to admit Zenori was a nice enough place, even if the creeps who built it gave it some wacky sterotypical name to add to it's modernity. Even at 7 in the morning, Zenori was bursting with activity. A couple of punk kids zoomed past on hover scooters, trying to knock each other down. I couldn't help but smile, 'cause I used to be just like that.

I stopped by the kiosk for the Zenori Reporter and a copy of some adventure story. As I set down my duffle, the gentle movement from within went ignored by all except me. Timing would be critical.
The kiosk spat out a disk in exchange for a twenty just as the redhead breezed by. Good. Another thirty seconds and the game would begin in earnest.

"Attention!" blared the public speaker, "Shuttle Z One Zero Two to Station Alpha Prime will be departing in five minutes. All passengers please report to Gate Z. Repeat! Shuttle Z One Zero Two to Station Alpha Prime ..."
Sticking the Zenori Reporter and the cheesy "Great Adventures of the Hardy Bots" diskette into the back of my khakis, I turned and fell into step behind the redhead with practiced naturalness. A security bot was hauling in the punk kids on hover scooters a few hundred yards ahead, methodically zapping them with a stunner ray. I inconspicuously admired the redhead slim waist, accentuated by her tight blue skirt and tugged in white blouse, as we proceeded down the expansive walkway toward Gate Z.

The duffel bag swung in time to my steps. It wasn't that heavy, but my knowledge of its contents made me accentuate its movements. The redhead stopped, suddenly, as if she had forgotten where she was. I also came to a halt. What was she doing? Surely she knew what to do by now, we had gone over the plan a hundred times or more...

After standing there a moment, she slowly turned her head slightly, as if something had caught her eye. After what seems like an eternity, but couldn't have been more than a second, she quickly shakes her head, as if clearing it of unpleasent thoughts. Without another hesitation, she turns and continues toward the gate.
The whole incident hadn't lasted more than 3 seconds, but it was enough to cause my blood pressure to rise. I felt panic slowly nibble at the edges of my consciousness. I too gave my head an impercetable shake, forcing the bad thoughts away. Nothing would go wrong I told myself. Before resming my place behind her, I cast a glance at what had caught her attention.

It was one of those political electronic-posters you see everywhere these days. They are all the same in my opinion.

"Reellect Proctor Varson!", the poster cried.

Hmm...Varson...doesn't ring a bell.

I look up and notice that she has gotten quite far ahead of me now. I respond quickly, rushing to catch up. Now is not the time for me to let her out of my sight.

As i hurried to catch up, i looked around furtively, trying to make sure that no one was looking at either of us suspiciously. I couldn't afford to screw up on this. I had spent too much time and money to make sure that this would go off without a hitch.

I looked over my shoulder to see if anyone was following us and traced the movements of a security bot as it hovered over to a door down the hall. It wasn't paying any attention to me, so i turned around to resume following the readhead.

She wasn't there.

I panicked, thinking that we had been caught, and looked around wildly for an exit, any exit, or even a place to hide. One of the security bots was approaching rapidly, so i ducked into a nearby bathroom.

Setting down my duffle-bag, I turned on the water and splashed my face to clear my head. Stay calm. I could still get out of this.

Suddenly one of the stalls behind me hissed open. As I turned to look, the red head emerged and said, "I can't go through with it."
Desperate, I grabbed her and pushed us both inside the stall.

"Z, we've been over this." I was speaking too loud, but couldn't stop myself, "It's the only way! Just a few more steps and it's done."

Zalia looked pale and shaky. We hadn't seen each other in weeks. Too risky. I had had to stop myself many times in the last few days from trying to contact her to make sure all was well. And just to hear her voice. It had been far from a holiday on Caldus II watching that infernal thing, but it was the only way.

A bit panicked, I backed out the loo to grab my duffle. How stupid to leave it out there!

"Where's yours?" I asked

"Listen..." she started

"Where is it?"

Zalia pulled the bag out from behind her, accidentally activating the flush mechanism of the Reliever. A cool mist sprayed up from the ergonamic bowl, perfuming the stall with a slight "Glade O' Heaven" scent, as harp music softly played in tune to the sound of a barely audible flush.

"Glad to be of your service," chirped the Reliever.

I quickly grabbed the bag out of Zalia's hand and handed her mine.

"Ok, we are going to plan B. You WILL go through with this," I hissed at Zalia forcefully, " or things will get very unpleasant for the both of us. I am a bit saddened by the frighten look in her eyes, it's a shame she had to see this side of me, but I needed her to be stronger for us to pull this off.

"I can't, Buzz ... ", she said. Just then, the bathroom's door swung opened.

Quickly, I picked Zalia up and stood her on the reliever, making her crouch down so she wouldn't be visible to whoever was entering the bathroom. I quickly unzipped and rezipped my fly, then opened the stall door, walking out with my duffel bag. I closed the stall door behind me and stood at the sink in front of it. I glanced over to see who had entered and saw the security bot coming straight towards me.
My heart began pounding, and i forced myself to look at the sink. I could hear the bot coming closer. I closed my eyes and splashed my face with cold water, hoping that it would help steady my nerves.

"Excuse me sir," it said with a deep male voice. "But I believe you left one of your bags in the stall."

My head came up. If I had taken my own bag out of the stall, then... I looked around.

It was Zalia's bag.


[This message has been edited by Pen (edited 05-11-2003 09:45 PM).]