Koko the Mighty (21 page)

Ganga offers her hand. “Ooh, it is such a pleasure to meet you. There’s been much talk around the Commonage. I’m sorry I wasn’t here earlier when you arrived. You’re the spicy one, yes?”

Koko ignores Ganga’s offered hand and wraps her arms around Flynn. She looks up at his clean-shaven face and hugs him tight before she presses her cheek to his chest.

“She’s kind of overprotective,” Flynn explains.

Koko looks up. “Overprotective? You’re damn right, I’m overprotective. You nearly died on me, you dumb dope. You’re up and standing. Hot damn! You can actually walk?”

Flynn haws, “I’m a bit wonky, but yeah. We’ve been up and down the hall here a couple of times. Isn’t that right, Ganga?”

“Indeed, several times,” Ganga replies. “But we mustn’t be too hasty, yes? The mending cells require a gentle step, step, step.”

Koko looks at the assistant. “But how is this possible?”

Ganga busies herself with shutting down the horseshoe-shaped scanner in her hands. “The physiological abstracts are complex, but Dr. Corella’s acute care skills are brilliant. I heard he gave you a diagnostic and operational précis, no?”

“I couldn’t make much sense of it,” Koko replies, “but yeah he did. This is incredible. I mean, I only left here a few hours ago and Flynn was still all laid out like a slug.”

“Such states can be easily counteracted,” Ganga advises.

Flynn interjects, “And it’s not like I’m ready to run a marathon or anything, but I’ve got to say, I’m feeling a hell of a lot better. Of course my eye still smarts a bit, but Dr. Corella says that should fade soon. Where do they have you?”

“Some building called Lodge Delta.”

“Sweet. Is it nice?”

“Nice?”

“Yeah.”

“Flynn, this isn’t some hotel. It’s a room in a building. At first they even locked me in too, but now I’m free to move around as I see fit.”

“So I guess you’ve met Sébastien then.”

“Oh, I’ve more than just met him.”

Flynn rubs Koko’s upper arms lightly. “All in all he seems like a nice guy. Asked a lot of questions though, you know, about us, and he said us pulling through that wreck was a thousand to one shot. Talked on and on about the Commonage, the people here and how they get along. Pretty cool stuff, don’t you think?”

Flynn notices the displeasure on Koko’s face, so he gives Ganga an abashed look. Taking the hint, the assistant departs, and Koko jerks closed the curtains around Flynn’s bed.

“Give me specifics, Flynn. What did Sébastien say? What did he ask you?”

Looking slightly puzzled, Flynn sits down on the bed.

“Sheesh, what’s with the red face, huh? Here, you want some apple cider? They brought me some apple cider and cabbage soup before. The soup needed salt and I ate it all, but I think there’s some cider left.” He gestures to a pitcher and a cup on a nearby table.

Koko snaps her fingers in a dramatic three-count Z to reel in his attention. “Flynn, look at me. I’m not dicking around. Seriously, what did you tell Sébastien?”

“What’s wrong? You look upset.”

Koko pinches the bridge of her nose. “Listen, I’m sorry, but whatever glowing picture Sébastien laid out for you about this place, it’s definitely not cool and he’s definitely not some nice guy. There’s something off about this place.”

Flynn pats a hand on the bed. “Come here…”

Koko peevishly puffs out her cheeks and drops down on the bed next to him. When Flynn leans in to give her a peck on the cheek, she pulls away.

“Whoa, I smell that bad? I had a sponge bath earlier.”

“Flynn…
your eye
…”

Flynn touches the gauze taped to his face and strokes a finger down his cheek. “Oh, that. That’ll heal. Gosh, I’ll tell you what though, it feels really strange not having a beard anymore.”

“Damn it—just tell me what you told Sébastien,
all right?
”

Flynn raises his hands in mock defense. “Okay, okay… boy, why’re you getting all riled? I told him I remembered being in the submarine, but I said the rest of it was a total blank.”

“Good.”

“He didn’t press me if that’s what you’re getting at, but of course Dr. Corella was there too, and he started talking about dissociative memory deficiencies and short-term memory loss.”

“And the two of them bought that?”

“I suppose. It didn’t appear like either of them was all that concerned. Man, you’re all tense. I might’ve been gummed up on painkillers before, but I thought you told me we were safe.”

Koko scrunches the bed sheets with her hands. “Flynn, they know I used to be a soldier. Sébastien sent a second group out to inspect the wrecked submarine and they found our bug-out packs, and Sébastien destroyed the weapons.”

“Destroyed?”

“Yeah, and they reactivated the GPS transponder too.”

“So?”

“
So?
”

“I don’t know what you’re worrying about. This place is awesome.”

Koko almost shrieks and grinds her teeth. “There’re no land vehicles or aircraft here, Flynn. This place is completely isolated. Not only that, but Sébastien and Dr. Corella are the only ones with outside contact. Thankfully I just sorted that out and got us a flight out.”

“We’re leaving?”

“Damn right, we’re leaving. There’s this airspace restriction, but Sébastien got that lifted, and it looks like we should be out of here in seventy-two hours, tops. Anyway, Sébastien and Dr. Corella, I don’t trust them. Those two might have a whole bead on our situation by now, I mean—who knows how the Custom Pleasure Bureau might’ve reacted to us stealing a sub? They might’ve contacted the CPB already and could be setting us up, but I think Sébastien knows better than to mess with me now.”

“I think you’re overreacting.”

Koko leaps up and looks at him. “Overreacting?”

“Yeah.”

“No, I definitely am not. At first I almost bought into the idea that this was some tribalistic, drop-out shtick financed by the megalomaniacal crackpot, but something else is off here. I swear, I can feel it.”

“Financed?”

“Sébastien, yeah!”

“Gee, I think he mentioned that he used to be a scientist, but he didn’t say anything about being loaded.”

“Oh, he’s a regular brainy Midas all right. Or was. Slimeball used to work for a huge pharmaceutical outfit and made a killing. Allegedly he blew his wad setting this place up. I mean, who in their right mind puts together a settlement in the prohibs?”

“Well, the well-heeled do have a tendency to be eccentric.”

“What? Are you still stoned?”

“Maybe a little.”

“Oh, terrific. No wonder you’re talking all weird. Did either of those two mention the dead girl?”

“What dead girl?”

“God—you don’t remember that
either
? They brought a dead girl back with us from the wreck site. She’d all this climbing gear on her and fell from the cliffs right when we hit the rocks. I bet she was trying to get away from this place. I mean, you’ve haven’t seen the rest of it, but I sure as hell wouldn’t blame her if she was. Yeah, Sébastien and the doc might have been nice to you, but I’m not buying it. Damn, Flynn, they locked me up and sedated me.”

“Well, knowing your temper you probably did something.”

“Huh?”

“Look, all I’m saying is maybe you’re blowing things out of proportion.”

“I’m not exaggerating, Flynn. Really, I’m not.”

“Fine. Okay, you know I trust you.”

“Well, gee, thanks for that.”

Flynn then looks off vaguely. “But ever since we first met I’ve never really had a choice but to trust you, Koko. You say there’s something wrong here, that Sébastien and Dr. Corella aren’t on the level, or that we might be in a bad spot, all right. I’ll take that at face value. But I can’t help but think that maybe you’re all tweaked because you’re not the one who’s calling the shots. Maybe you should just chill out.”

“Oh, now I know you’re totally fucking high.”

Flynn rolls his eyes. “Oh, c’mon… just look at the facts. First, no one really knows we’re here, right? Yeah, you just said the GPS transponder got reactivated, but if the Custom Pleasure Bureau actually got wind of that or if Dr. Corella and Sébastien contacted them they’d be all over us by now, wouldn’t they?”

“But we’re in the Nor’Am prohibs.”

“Uh-huh, so?”

“So they don’t even have any weapons here.”

“Oh, and do people always need to have weapons to be content?”

Koko’s mouth opens in a perfect O of disbelief. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Cripes, Flynn, there’s a frickin’ group of de-civs in the woods outside the walls right now. There’s no way we’re staying here, not with disease-ridden de-civs on our fucking doorstep.”

Flynn looks down and then picks at his leg bandage. “Well, can I at least get well first before you start barking orders at me?”

Going rigid, Koko pushes Flynn over on the bed with a harsh thrust. Flynn attempts to raise himself, but she then leans over him and presses a finger into his sternum.

“
How dare you.
”

“What?”

“I said, how dare you. I saved your life, you gloomy jerk. God, what the hell is the matter with you? You know what? I don’t even know why I bother. After all this time I should know better. You going all namby-pamby on me like this and making excuses, honestly sometimes I swear I should’ve just—”

Flynn bats her finger away. “Just what? Left me to bleed to death back on The Sixty? Drown in the sub? Or maybe you’re now wishing you left me up on
Alaungpaya
and allowed me to off myself in the first place.”

Koko pulls back.

“Yeah, I’ve been mulling that over some,” Flynn continues. “Your first instinct was to shoot me in my quarters, remember? Maybe that would’ve been for the best for you. More convenient—at least that’s what you said anyway.”

“I never said it would be more convenient.”

“Oh, you did, but you just don’t remember.”

“Even if I did, that’s not what I’m thinking now at all. What is all this? Where’s this coming from?”

Flynn taps the space above his heart. “From here. This place. Where do you think?”

Koko’s whole body trembles and she runs a hand through her hair.

“Look, I don’t care what Dr. Corella or his people here say, you’re definitely not yourself. No way. You’ve been shot and you nearly died, so I’m just going to put all this on your injury, whatever they’ve juiced you up with, because right now you’re not thinking straight. Hell, this is probably just post-traumatic stress.”

“I don’t have post-traumatic stress.”

“How would you even
know
? You’ve never been shot before. Are you even listening to yourself right now? You’re not right in the head.”

“See? That’s exactly what I’m talking about.”

“What?”

“You say I ought to listen to myself, but do you have any idea how self-absorbed you sound?”

“Me?”

“Yeah, you. All twisted up in yourself, always biting people in the neck and never giving anything or anyone even half a chance. Everything’s great? Oh, no, not for Koko Martstellar. Koko Martstellar knows how things work. Things start going great, and everything and everybody becomes suspect. The real tragedy is you’re the last one to admit it.”

“Oh, and you being all post-suicidal, you’re one to talk.”

“Nice, real nice. Thanks for illustrating my point.”

Koko looks at the ceiling and takes a long series of breaths. Temper past flared, her arguing with Flynn is definitely not helping.

“All right,” Koko says tightly. “I’m sorry for bringing up all your sloughy Depressus horseshit, okay? Hell, maybe we should both stop talking right now before one of us says something we’re really going to regret.”

“Man, I really hate being micromanaged by you,” Flynn grumbles.

Koko stares at him. Her mouth clicks open incredulously to respond, but what she’s about to say, all her ire and frustration with Flynn, gets strangled in her throat like a damp rag. When she closes her lips, Flynn suddenly sits up and hops away on the bed.

“Someone’s coming,” he says.

Koko looks up just as the curtains around them are pulled back. It’s Dr. Corella in his green smock, all smiles.

“And how’s our favorite patient doing this evening?”

Flynn shifts his eyes sideways to Koko. In a flash, she leaps over the bed and pushes Dr. Corella across the hall.

“You bone-bagging hack! You leave him alone, hear me? Touch Flynn again and I swear I will lay you out flat!”

Shambling, Flynn circles the bed. “Koko!”

“
WHAT?
”

“Calm down!”

Koko spins. She grabs a chair nearby and hurls it. Running for cover, several medical assistants, including Ganga, screech and cover their ears when the chair hits the wall and breaks apart. Looking left, Koko then notices Bonn and Eirik approaching from down the hall.

“Oh, goody… here comes the cavalry. You two meatheads want to tango with me? Excellent, I’m up for a little asshole tearing.”

Flynn eases closer. “Koko, please. Just stop it.”

Dr. Corella steadies himself and stretches out a hand. “Bonn, Eirik—do not move. Leave Koko be.”

The twins freeze as commanded, and Koko then shoves past them. Crossing to a nearby cabinet, she cracks out a leg and sidekicks the lock repeatedly until it splits. Keeping a flinty, distrustful eye on the twins and simmering like a brimstone-toothed demon, she tears open the doors and rummages through the contents. Koko tosses all manner of medical packages, vials, and containers over her shoulder; when she finds what she’s looking for she turns and glares at everyone. The assistants, the twins and Dr. Corella, everyone in the infirmary including Flynn watch helplessly.

“Goddamn, bloodsucking piss-artists,” Koko hisses. “Seeing that I’m fenced in for at least another seventy-two hours, listen up, buttercups. I’m making a withdrawal. Don’t like it? Boo-hoo, you can bill me.”

Flynn implores, “Koko…”

“Can it, Flynn,” Koko says. “Do me a righteous favor and get your head out of your six and screw it on straight or I promise you—these prohib-living freaks won’t be the only behinds I’ll be kicking around here,
comprendo
?”

Giving them all a final poisonous look, Koko shoves the drugs into her pant pockets and then tramps off down the hall.