Vortex of Evil (33 page)

Erin laughed out loud.  “No matter the situation, you can always make me laugh.  I guess it is better to try to find a lighter side of this now before we decide to just throw ourselves under a, ah, people mover.”

“No point in that.  It has a sensor that would prevent any serious injury.”

Erin shook her head and turned to walk toward the exit that was labeled “Resort Shuttles This Way.”  As she got to the entrance, a square panel on the wall suddenly lit up with the message “Erin O’Neill - Ponder.”  She turned to Doug with a quizzical look.  “What am I supposed to Ponder?”

He laughed and pointed to the resort list on the opposite side of the exit.  “Ponder is one of the resorts.  Apparently, we have a reservation there.”  Doug didn’t receive any details from Dara, other than go to Lopfa and you will meet someone.  From his years in the spy trade, he knew that this could be pretty unsettling and he tried to prepare Erin.  For them to see and trust someone, it would have to be someone they already knew.  That meant Dara or Jelk, or someone from their world.  In any event, it was likely to produce a strong reaction from Erin that could give away their whole effort if anyone was watching..  He hoped she was truly ready to roll with the punches.

Erin noticed that “Doug Cameron – Ponder” had replaced her message as soon as Doug was even with the panel.  She saw the other resorts listed besides Ponder were Forget, Remember, Connect, Accept, Reflect, Fantasize, Transform and Escape.  “How did they come up with these crazy names?  Do the activities relate to the name of the resort?”

Doug had studied a few of the brochures on the Vutonc.  “All of them featured beaches, pools and a variety of activities.  But there are themes underlying everything from the décor to the food.  The guests decide what best suits their needs and they choose a resort to match their needs.  Or they go with whatever is available.  ‘Fantasize’ tends to fill up quickly.  ‘Reflect’ and ‘Accept’ seemed to be more available.”

“What are they fantasizing about?”

Doug gave her a look that said she could probably use her imagination.  Humans may be put in weird situations with threats at every turn but they can still generate some pretty good fantasies about what they would prefer to be doing.

Erin gave the older Doug the same exasperated look she used on the younger one.  “Well what about Accept?  Or Reflect?”

Doug remembered what he read in the Accept brochure with a certain pang of emotion.  “It is about accepting loss or dramatic change.  Usually something that is not positive.  For many people here, it is accepting that life ends at thirty-six.  Certain people want to work on coming to grips with that fact and work on accepting.  Others try to ignore it until the very last minute.  I didn’t see any resort called ‘Ignore’ but I imagine if there was one it would have the best parties.”

“Well I am glad we ended up with Ponder.  Sounds like a nice middle of the road choice between the party animals and the doom and gloom crowd.  And neither one of us is ready to accept things here.”

Doug touched her on the shoulder and established a thoughtlink.  “Whoever picked it made a reasonable choice.  Maybe even sent us a hidden message.  Here’s our shuttle.  Keep your eyes open.”  He took his hand off her shoulder and pulled open the door on the compartment, holding it for Erin to enter.  There were bench seats on either side that held three people each.  On the left side as she entered, Erin noticed a blond woman who wore a large straw hat and was intently reading a Vutonc.  Next to her were two young boys who were grade school age.  The younger one held a small dog that was watching Erin closely as she entered the compartment and sat down opposite the blond woman.  As Doug closed the door and sat down next to Erin, the blond woman looked up and smiled.  “Hello, Doug.  It is so good to see you again.  And Erin.  Good to see you also.”

Erin felt the blood drain from her head and all the air leave her body as she sat motionless across from Dara.  She barely recognized her in the brightly colored sun dress with her hair flowing gently down around her face.  And Dara’s warm smile and happy greeting tossed whatever was left of Erin’s sense of reality out the window.

“These are my boys, Jontu, who just turned seven and Larn who is almost six.  And the pup is called Balla.  She is two years old.  Boys, this is Doug and Erin.  They are going to be staying at the same resort we are going to.  They are friends of mine.”  The boys smiled and said hello in turn.  Doug reached over and made a great show of shaking hands with each boy.

“I am pleased to meet two such fine boys as you.  And you too, Balla.”  Erin smiled as he shook the paw of the pup as well.  Balla wagged her tail at the added attention.  She was a small cream colored dog that appeared to be the result of a poodle mixed with some other dog.  Erin wasn’t sure which one.  A cute one, she thought looking at the bright eyes that little Balla had trained on her.

Dara and Doug both looked at Erin who was fully embodying the phrase “the cat got her tongue.”  She managed to smile at the boys and muttered “Nice to meet you.”  She turned to look at Dara and while her brain said things like attack, evil and kill, her lips only formed the words “Good to see you again, Dara.  How have you been?  That’s a lovely dress you are wearing.”

Dara laughed at this strained comment and reached over and grasped Erin’s hand so quickly she didn’t have time to pull it away.

Erin heard Dara’s thoughts as she briefly held her hand.  Verbally Dara said, “You are looking well, Erin.  I hope Transarctican weather is to your liking.”  But Dara’s thoughts told a different story.  “I am not who you think I am.  These really are my boys and I intend to save them from this life.  Try to understand and go along with whatever happens.  Our safety is in your hands.”  Dara released her hand and continued to smile.

Erin looked her straight in the eyes and saw something she didn’t expect.  Dara had an intense look that was pleading for Erin to avoid doing anything that might put her boys at risk.  Almost instantly Erin lost much of her hatred for this woman.  What replaced it was a sense of wonder on the power of deception in the hands of these future people.  Erin wondered if anything was as it seemed.  Clearly Doug had some idea that this could happen but he had been unable, or unwilling to share it.  Dara leaned across the small compartment and gave Doug a kiss on the cheek and hugged him.  Erin knew it was to pass some brief telepathic message, maybe even the plan for this mission, but it still caused a visceral reaction within her.  It was one thing to put Dara in a slightly better category than “Evil Spawn of the Prince of Darkness.”  But watching her kiss and hug Doug, even the older Doug who wasn’t technically “her Doug,” was too much.  Erin coughed loudly and said, “What a cute dog!  Can I hold her?”  Dara had barely released Doug when Erin thrust her arms towards the surprised and now somewhat scared pup.  Larn handed the small trembling dog to Erin who cradled it in her arms as she looked into its hopeful little face.  It was only a couple of minutes before Balla decided she had a new friend and was wagging her tail and licking Erin’s hand.

If Dara had planned to use this dog to melt Erin’s heart, it was a good plan.  Dara had this wonderful little dog and these two nice boys, so it stood to reason that there must be an entire different side to Dara than the psycho that Erin had spent time with.  Just like Jelk, Dara held secret plans and desires that had to be buried deep inside to avoid detection.  In Transarctica, you had to play your part with the skill of an award-winning actor or you would be terminated instantly.  And now Erin and Doug had been brought into that production and if they failed to play their parts correctly, everything could fall apart.  If that happened, everyone in the compartment, including the two young boys and the cute little dog would feel the wrath of the twisted society that had them all in its grasp.

Erin looked at Dara and held her glance for several seconds.  Long enough for a little fear to creep into Dara’s eyes that betrayed the power she had bestowed upon Erin.  Power that Erin could use to destroy her if she chose.  But Erin just smiled and said softly, “It is good to finally meet your boys and the darling little dog.  You are very lucky, Dara, to have such a fine little family.”  Erin reached over and grasped Dara’s hand.  “I won’t betray you,” was all Erin thought before she squeezed Dara’s hand and released it.

Dara didn’t say anything but her faint smile and the single tear that escaped her right eye told Erin that she had heard the real message loud and clear.

Chapter 36

The ride to Ponder Resort took thirty minutes and during that time the resort’s name took on a new meaning for Erin.  She couldn’t help looking at Doug with a slight sense of uncertainty, but she knew that in the spy game there were many shifting alliances that had to be respected and accepted.  Maybe “Accept” had some rooms available after all, she thought to herself.

Dara was again lost in her Viewtonc and the boys found Doug and his beard a true source of wonder for the short ride in the shuttle.  Erin held the small dog and lost herself in the mindless activity of petting it and checking the thick coat for any sign of tangles or knots.  She didn’t find any, but the dog loved the attention and periodically turned to give Erin a lick on the hand.

Ponder was a beachside resort with a ten story central tower and a number of three story buildings that radiated out from the center in typically random Transarctican patterns.  The Tower was built with the usual commitments to the angle and the curve, ensuring that no straight lines where used in any place where the engineering allowed for more flamboyant possibilities.  Erin’s immediate thought was pondering what distilled beverages the architects had gotten into before they completed the design.  But  she didn’t comment about it given the pride that all the people in Transarctica took in their architecture and design.  She certainly didn’t want to provoke any arguments that could lead to any official scrutiny.

The shuttle dropped them off at one of the many doors that opened into the huge lobby.  There was a domed ceiling that was four stories high with various question symbols and word sculptures hanging down from the ceiling.  There were many chairs and couches scattered around the lobby to encourage the guests to sit down and ponder something.   Erin was pondering when they would eat but she first needed to get to the room to drop off their luggage.

Checking into a resort hotel in this version of the future didn’t require much effort beyond standing near a status panel and reading your room assignment.  The sensors picked up Erin’s presence and immediately flashed 4-36.  But a red bar appeared at the bottom, indicating a problem.  “Reservation Did Not Include Pet” was the message that bounced up until Erin turned to Dara with a sheepish grin and handed over little Balla.  All was soon resolved and they all headed to building four. 

“How did it sense that I was holding Balla?”  Erin surprised herself that she could ask Dara such a mundane question.  As if they were two friends going on a vacation together.

“Balla has nanobots in her like everyone in Transarctica so we can keep track of her and make sure she is healthy.”

Erin had a sudden flash of fear.  “They don’t restrict how long the dogs can live, do they?”

Dara reached out and patted Erin on the shoulder.  “Everyone, even the pets, is allowed 36 years.  I don’t believe any dog has lived that long so it is never a problem.  There is a special exception for tropical birds and turtles, and anything that has an abnormally long lifespan.”

“Except us.”  Erin turned to see Dara’s reaction.

“Except us, as we discussed last week.”  Dara looked at her gently but with a clear message that Erin had strayed uncomfortably close to a taboo subject that could get them all more attention than they wanted at this point.  Erin knew it immediately and swore softly under her breath at the fact that she hadn’t been more self-aware of putting them at risk.  Trying to grind her axe about the unfairness of the age policy, she could have gotten them all arrested as subversives.

The brightly lit hallways radiated out from the lobby at various random points.  The architectural philosophies of this world were a bit much for Erin.  She kept wishing that things would line up and be a bit more symmetrical.  Dara and the boy’s room was down a different hallway and she headed off that direction with her family and a “See you for dinner at seven” tossed over her shoulder.

Erin stared after her, still working through the complete disbelief that she was here at a vacation resort with her evil tormentor, complete with dog and kids, hundreds of years in the future, sharing a room with a guy who had been married to “her” for nearly twenty years.  Somewhere there must be a bar serving drinks strong enough to convince someone to believe her if she told them about this.  For the moment, she just wondered if they served any alcoholic drinks in this future world.  They certainly had enough reason to have a drink she thought with a smile.

“Nice place, huh sweetie?”  Doug caught up with her after he paused to check out the fish pond in the lobby.  They were assigned the same room, carrying on the illusion that they were a couple.  The room was much larger than the ones at the Yir-Lak Compound and the décor was warm and inviting.  On the wall opposite the bed was an artistic embodiment of the theme: a busy collection of planets, galaxies, black holes and other astronomical objects circling a central round object that on closer inspection was revealed to be made up entirely of small question marks.  The painting was both thought-provoking as well as soothing in a strange, hypnotic way.  Erin found out later that all their rooms had a similar work of art, but that each one adapted slightly to each visitor.