Precipice: The Beginning (4 page)

“Carry me,” Logan said, resting his head on Annie’s shoulder.

“Come on, you’re a big boy. You can walk.” Annie bent down to set him on the ground.

“No, carry me.” Logie burrowed his head deep into the flesh of her neck and shoulder, like a cat rubbing against your legs to try and coax some treats out of you.

“Let’s go. You’re walking Mr. Man,” Annie said as she got down on her knees, bending forward until he had no choice but to stand. This was a routine of theirs, no matter where they went. Normally she’d put in one or two firm commands and then eventually give in. It was hard not to when she was all he had. Annie felt responsible to make him feel as loved as possible since she was left to do it alone, even if the consequence might be slightly harmful down the road. But for now, this one time, she wanted her little boy to walk in their on his own, to stand tall and proud for his daddy to see. Annie reached over her son’s shoulder and grabbed the travel bag and Logie’s blankey off the seat. “Okay, march mister.”

“Yeah, we’re going to see daddy!” Logan said as he hurried toward the door, hopping up and down with the argument moments ago already gone from his mind.

Annie kicked the back door shut with her foot and hurried over to her son, taking hold of his hand. She held the door and allowed him to enter first, smiling down at how excited he’d become. Logan hopped up and down before the large sculpture of a glass hand holding a planet in the palm of its hand. Carved into the glass was the company’s mission statement: Building Better Worlds Today For A Brighter Tomorrow. A little corny for sure, but Annie thought the sculpture was perfect. A giant hand holding the planet in its grip is a perfect representation for how they saw things. Annie gave Logie a single tug and got him moving, following the dark blue floor to the metal detector and the guard stationed there. Much like the airport, Annie set their possessions on a conveyor belt, including the contents of their pockets. She walked through the metal detector, turning to see if she’d passed the test or if the green light would go red. It stayed green. Annie grabbed their stuff off the belt and held out her hand to Logie as he walked through. The green light dinged red.

“Please empty your pockets son,” the man said, holding out a plastic container to Logan.

Logan had a guilty expression, lowering his head as he pulled a spoon from his pocket and dropped it into the container. There was a faded ring of peanut butter around the tip, now coated in lint. The man took the container and gave Annie a little wink, waving them through.

“Excuse me?” Annie said to Logan as she took his hand, giving him a playful shake.

They followed the blue floor past a few offices and the break room, finally coming to the end of the hall where a man in a black suit was waiting for them.

“Nice to see you again Mrs. Daniels,” Francis Sparks said with a slight nod. He was a giant man, standing at six-foot-seven, with giant banana hands she was always a bit uncomfortable to shake. “We have made an excellent connection with the Martian facility and are ready for you. If you and your son will please follow me to room three.”

“Thank you,” Annie said, her tone fake. This man didn’t care if she thanked him or called him a Nazi baby killer. Either way he wouldn’t have heard her. And if he did the plastic smile across his tan face would have never faltered. This was a company PR man, someone that ate bullshit for breakfast with a grin every single morning while reading the sports page.

“I bet you’ve been looking forward to this. Must be very lonely with your husband so far away,” Francis said, sneaking a glance from the corner of his eye.

“It is very difficult. But my husband is worth the wait,” Annie said sharply, leaving out any hope of advancement on Sharp’s part.

Annie followed Mr. Sharp through the door to their left, passing an office with a very large man sitting behind the desk eating donuts. He briefly looked up as they passed, his mouth caked with powdered sugar. Annie smiled and continued on, feeling anxious as they passed a door with Room One written across the front. Mr. Sharp paused before the door on their right, this one being the third room. He opened the door and stepped back, allowing them entrance.

“Now the link has been established and your husband is waiting on his end. Just press the green button there and you’re good to go. Please remember that there is a three to five second delay.”

“We will, thank you.”

Mr. Sharp nodded and shut the door. Annie felt a bit uncomfortable around him. She could feel his eyes watching her the entire time he’d led them down the hall, picturing what her ass might look like in a black thong. Licking his lips like a predator. Annie shook her head, not wanting to give that prick another moment of her time. She took a seat before the monitor and lifted Logan up on her lap, her skin breaking out in bumps from excitement. She bounced Logie on her knee as the screen went from black to blue, an hourglass turning slowly in the screens center. Annie became overwhelmed with emotion as her husband’s face appeared. They both began to cry. Unable to contain the flow of tears as she looked at the man she loved.

“You need to shave,” Annie laughed.

“I’ll have to get around to it,” Daniels said after a three second pause. He wiped the tears from his eyes and looked at his son. “You have gotten so big.”

“Hi daddy,” Logan said cheerfully, waving with excitement. “Look, I have a new robot!” Logan held up the little toy his mother had gotten him, waving it back and forth.

“That is an awesome robot, Logie.” Travis took a deep breath and held it, feeling a fresh batch of tears forming. “Are you being a good boy for your mother?”

“Yes, daddy,” Logan said sweetly, looking down as he felt shy.

“Do you miss your daddy?”

“I miss you daddy,” Logan said, smiling.

“I miss you too, every day sweetheart.” Travis turned away from the screen and talked to someone out of view, nodding with disappointment. “I love you Logie, but I need to talk to mommy for a minute.”

“Okay daddy, I love you.”

Travis kissed his hand and touched the screen, unable to hold back the tears. Logie touched the screen and pressed his small hand to his father’s large hand. Annie helped Logan off the chair and led him out into the hallway and into the room across from them, set up as a little daycare with toys and videos. Knowing her time was incredibly short, she turned on a video and smiled at the young woman in charge of watching her son before hurrying back across the hall.

“He’s getting so much older.” Travis shook his head. “I’m so sorry you have to raise our son all alone.”

“I know.” She touched the screen and caressed the image of her husband’s face. The feel was of cold glass, not that of the rough texture of her husband’s face, his skin always carrying a five o’clock shadow. She’d gotten on his case so many times over the years to keep up his grooming, telling him his face felt like sandpaper. At this moment she’d take his rough cheeks in a heartbeat. To feel the warmth of his breath running over the back of her neck. “How are you carrying on?”

“It’s so very different here.” Travis looked about his surroundings. He himself was in a telecommunications booth, similar to the one his wife was in, only his room was dark and cold. Unlike her room, his would not lead to a hallway that ended in a sunny day. “It’s always so dark here. So very cold.”

“The nights have grown so cold here as well. Without you…” Annie shook her head, angry with herself. She’d given a little pep talk in the mirror before she’d come out, telling herself not to waste any precious time discussing things that might upset her husband. No point making him feel worse than he already did.

“That’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about.” Travis leaned back and scratched his head, a nervous tick he’d had as far back as she’d known him. “I know this has not been easy for you and Logie. I bet it’s been hell. So I know how hard it can be to keep things together while being on your own. I just…I want you to know…” Travis cleared his throat, finding it difficult to continue. “If you need help raising our son, I want you to know that I won’t hold it against you.” Travis took a deep breath, holding back the tears to make his request clear and direct. “My only wish is that you find someone that is kindhearted and good with Logan.”

“Are you giving me permission to date?” Annie shook her head.

“I know how lonely you are.”

“And you’re not?”

“Please, this isn’t…”

“Stop,” Annie interrupted, holding out her hands. “I know what you’re trying to do, but it’s not going to happen. It is incredibly difficult to raise a small child on your own, to shield them from the negative criticism they get for having a father sentenced to life of hard labor. But you and I are husband and wife, for better or worse. You’re my husband, the father of my only son. And I will not find some temporary replacement just because the nights are a little rough.”

“I love you so much.” Travis touched the screen.

“I love you too,” Annie said, pressing her hand to his. Her attention was called up to a red blinking light in the corner of the screen. “They’re giving us the two minute countdown. I can’t believe it’s over so quickly.”

“Can I say goodbye to Logie real quick?”

Annie stood from her chair and opened the door, rushing across the hall to grab her son’s hand and take him from the nursery.

“Hi daddy.” Logie held up his red robot and waved it back and forth. “I have blanky with me.”

“I know. You’re turning into such a big boy.” Daniels leaned close and smiled. “I want you to listen to your mother and help her out with whatever she needs. Can you do that for me?”

“Sure daddy.”

“I love you both so much.”

Her husband’s face disappeared and the screen had gone black, broken by the words “Transmission Severed” in the screen’s center. Annie shook her head, agitated she hadn’t been given the chance to say goodbye. Machines weren’t known for their compassion. Annie looked to her son and smiled, gripping his chin while shaking his head slightly.

“You were a good boy for daddy.” Annie ran a hand through his hair.

6

T
ravis sat for a moment with his hand on the screen, touching the cold blackness as if his fingertips might conjure up the image of his wife’s face. Never had he felt so far from his family then he did right now.

“Please exit the telecommunications room and return to your assigned duty.”

Travis removed his hand and looked up to the small camera mounted in the corner, wiping his eyes. This wasn’t a prison, but still never a great idea to show weakness, especially so far from home. Travis took a final look at the black screen, imagining his wife on the other side, holding their son. He hoped he hadn’t hurt her feelings, suggesting such a radical means to living. But he knew it was better to give her the permission and have her choose a good and suitable man to help raise their son, then to have her fling herself out there in an act of desperation and bring home a wife beater while feeling guilty for offending their marriage. Deep down Travis knew Annie would wave it off, dismissing the notion as nothing more than a suggestion. She was too strong to disgrace their marriage vows, to look weak in the eyes of their son. That’s one of the numerous reasons he loved her so much.

Travis stood and exited the room, heading down the hall with his head down, his mind full of worry. He had been so overwhelmed with the beauty and simple presence of his wife that he hadn’t taken the time to really look her over to see the bags under her eyes or the wrinkles spreading across her face. The kind of wrinkles that came from stress, cracking the skin like the delicate surface of a dried leaf.

“Please stand clear of the track,” the operator said as Travis stepped onto the platform.

Travis walked up the yellow line and waited patiently for the train to roll into the station. As before, he placed his helmet atop his head and screwed it into position, feeling the cool rush of air. Travis entered the train and took a seat, staying quiet as the train made its slow trip up the incline and out onto the Martian surface, circling around to enter the main terminal of the head facility.

“I hope everything is okay back on the homestead.” Alvin Kerch stood on the platform with his hands folded behind his back.

Travis exited the train and unscrewed his helmet, pulling it away from his head with a hiss of air. He took in a deep breath and tucked the helmet beneath his right arm. “It’s always greener on the other side.”

Alvin gave out a deep laugh. “Hell’s greener than this place.”

“Am I under arrest?” Travis stopped a foot short of Alvin’s impressive six-foot-seven frame.

“I’ve just been asked to take you to the mines. Like an escort to the prom.”

Travis turned and walked side by side with Alvin, the only security personnel he took the time to get along with. Alvin was in his early fifties, well toned with a slight belly to him. His skin was very dark, a shade of black that looked almost too dark. Not that Travis would ever admit to such a thing, but he thought the darkness of his skin to be beautiful. No sexual attraction, just an observation.

“How was your son?” Alvin asked, keeping his tone down as they passed another security officer.

“Logan. He’s growing up so damn fast.” Travis thought back to his son’s face, the smile he shared as he shook his toy back and forth. Such an innocent and simple gesture, but it meant so much to him. “Makes me so sick to see him growing up every few months on some monitor.”

“I don’t think you’re the only one that wouldn’t rather be somewhere else.”

They shared a laugh and spoke as friends. Just two men on their way to work on any ordinary day. They entered the locker room and passed through the door on the opposite side of the wall. Just a short walk down a dim hallway to the elevator.

“This is where we part.” Alvin stood beside the elevator with his hand held out. “After you my good sir.”

“Why thank you boss man.” Travis was feeling good for perhaps the first time in days.

The elevator doors parted with a strong hiss of air, blowing their hair back. Travis put the helmet over his head and turned it clockwise, taking in a deep breath of stale air. With his helmet and suit secure, he stepped into the elevator, turning to give Alvin a single wave.

“Don’t work too hard now.” Alvin disappeared from view as the doors sealed shut.

Travis gripped the railing and held on as the elevator dropped rapidly, falling deep within the planet’s interior. The quickness of the drop always made his stomach ill, rising into his throat. Travis counted the seconds it took for the elevator to drop to the coring entrance. It took eight seconds to reach the mining station. The elevator came to a jerky halt, nearly knocking him off his feet.

“Please ensure that your helmet is securely locked in place with a steady flow of oxygen.” An automated voice called down from the speaker above him. “If there is a malfunction with mining equipment or the security suit, please hit the red button located beside the door to return the elevator to the surface. Airlock opening in ten seconds.”

Travis tapped his legs ten times, listening to the echoing of his own breath within the helmet. On the tenth tap, the thick steel doors of the elevator pulled apart, exposing him to the Martian environment. Travis kept his vision low as the lights above were blinding, shining down on the narrow tunnel carved in the rock. It was a long walk to the heart of the mining operation. Spanning beneath the surface of the planet for miles.

“Mr. Daniels, I was wondering when you were going to arrive. I had to radio Alvin to start a search.”

“Just had to complete my psych evaluation, Mr. Chen.”

“Load up your gear and take tunnel number three to meet your unit by the six mile marker.” Mr. Chen scribbled something on his clipboard, looking up for a brief moment to confirm his orders had been heard. “Today, Daniels.”

Travis went to the equipment shed and loaded a laser drill and the strong arm controller set to his genetic coding and got into the front row of the mine cart. He secured the seatbelt across his lap and took a deep breath, signaling to Mr. Chen to send him on his way.

“Keep your hands inside the cart and stay seated,” Mr. Chen said as he hit the green button on the panel to his right. The small cart took off down the track, gaining speed.

Travis kept a tight hand on the mining equipment on the seat beside him, remembering the long hours of training videos and instruction they’d been made to watch. The training video about mining cart safety had shown a cartoon man zipping down the track at the top speed of twelve miles an hour. He wore an unnaturally wide smile as he cruised through the belly of the planet. The mine cart shifted and his equipment bounced over the side of his cart, falling onto the track as the wheels ran over it and the cart was flung wildly against the walls. The video stated the proper transport of any such mining equipment was to strap it into the seat beside them with the supplied restraints. The video had been laughable to say the least, but the imagery had been clear enough. The last thing he needed was a cave in or a nasty accident. Despite the constant danger, he couldn’t help but let out a smile. The scenery was dark and dreadful, added with the robotic sounded breathing from within his own helmet. But the fear subsided with the Disneyland-like cart he was currently riding in. It sat three miners with their equipment beside them. The cart slowed to a stop. Travis unlocked his mining equipment and stepped out a second before it took off down the track to return to Mr. Chen.

“Well look who it is,” Jerome said with a chuckle, holding a laser drill tightly. He released the firing mechanism long enough to sass his friend as he walked toward them. “I thought you were walking back to Earth or something.”

“Do you think this thing carries that much air?” Travis took position between Jerome and TJ. “Anything interesting happen?” Travis asked as he gripped the handle of the laser cutter, pressing his fingertips to the rubber grips and waited briefly for the equipment to power up. It shook for a moment before giving out a loud ding, the small display on the handle showing his face and identification number. Something beneath the skin in his arm, maybe imbedded in the ink used in his tattooed ID barcode, sent out a signal that set everything he used to only be used by him. Everything off-world was designed to keep everyone in check and accountable.

“Oh yeah, you missed a whole lot of fantastic shit,” TJ said. “We unearthed a Martian carcass with a TV Guide clutched between its three thick fingers.”

Christina laughed, annoyed how her breath fogged up the facemask. She lifted her left hand to wipe it clear and shook her head, feeling stupid. Taking off the helmet might make it easier to clean, but it wouldn’t do any good once her head exploded.

“How is the family looking?” Morgan asked, cursing under his breath as his grip on the drill handle slipped.

“Logan is looking so much like his mother,” Travis yelled as his drill powered up. He twisted the handgrip and aimed the thin red light into the rocks before him, chipping away the thick iron like bits of cornflakes. “I thank God he has his mother’s beautiful features.”

“Anything’s better than having your chimp ass complexion.” Jerome gave a laugh.

“Hey, chimps are known as extremely cute creatures,” Travis shouted to be heard over the loud whine of his drill.

“At least they used to be,” Christina added, her voice hidden beneath the loud machinery. She thought back to the last time she’d seen a chimp, at the zoo in Chicago on a date when she was fifteen. Back then there had been a few left, but much like the polar bear and the elephant, they were nothing more than a distant thought and a photo in a book.

“What about Annie?” Morgan asked, knowing from a previous conversation he’d had with Travis on the topics he was going to discuss with his wife.

“She’s doing very well.” Travis looked over to Morgan and made eye contact, telling him with his gaze that he’d given his wife the option and she’d said no. He and Morgan had been very close and were well versed in reading the other’s body language.

“So what’s your little man up to these days? Can he speak Latin or what?” Jerome asked.

“He can say just about anything really. Hard to believe he’s come so far in just a few years. Makes me so angry to have to miss out on so much of his life.” Travis thought about how well his son was speaking now and how he hadn’t been there to hear his first word, to see his first steps, or to rock him to sleep at night.

“Just be thankful he gets to see your face,” Morgan offered as a little bit of comfort.

Travis felt comfortable around his unit, having handpicked them all from their files years ago, even Sean Jeffries had been one of his select few. He had been the best pilot in the army, running helicopter missions into enemy territory and maintaining a zero casualty rating with whatever unit he happened to be transporting. Sean had then spent a few years as a test pilot, flying the fastest jets below radar or zipping them out of the atmosphere without breaking a sweat. Now Sean drove a laser drill. Travis looked over his shoulder and saw Sean looking right back, giving him a heated stare as he shut off his drill, lowering it to rest against his leg.

“Just keep it friendly, boss.” Jerome leaned over his drill to stand between them. “You know this is the last place on Earth you’d want to start something.”

“That’s true, but we’re not on Earth anymore,” TJ said, slightly egging him on. “Besides, he needs his ass smacked down just a little.”

“Leave it alone!” Christina looked from TJ to Sean.

Sean caught sight of Christina and let out a long sigh, releasing his anger toward Travis like a deflating balloon. He picked up his drill and went back to work, standing alone with his head down.

Travis waited a moment, staring at his back.

“Let it go,” Morgan said, pulling at his arm.

Travis took up his own drill and went back to work, losing himself in the mundane, wishing he could take the drill to his mind and chip away the thick layers of bad memories and guilt like so much Martian soil.