Cliff Hock: Desert Gold (The Cliff Hock Series) by M. Rothmus

Author:M. Rothmus [Rothmus, M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-12-04T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

"Nobody will come, Zeke."

Zekefrank stood at the main window overlooking the moon.

"The days of pioneers are gone. AIs are more sophisticated now. Lightbox companies don't need humans on the edges of the galaxy, anymore. We're going to start a new life down in paradise and no one is going to bother to even check on this station. That's my guarantee, Zeke."

Zekefrank looked at Giana. She was alone, clothed. But she was as real as he was. This wasn't some figment in his mind. She was a real, living, breathing person, standing only seven feet away. How did she get here? She must have landed somewhere. How come Zeke hadn't noticed her ship? Of course, he'd been too busy in his own mind fantasies.

But no, that didn't make sense. Giana had started there. And now she was here out in the open.

"Giana," he said. "How are you here?"

"What do you mean?"

"You shouldn't be here. You should only be in my mind. I need to recall you."

Giana didn't appear to have an answer for that. She simply smiled and turned around. Began walking.

"I'm going to bed, Zekefrank. Tomorrow is our big day. It's okay to have jitters. I'm nervous too. But—"

Zekefrank jumped. She was in front of him. One minute it was a thick window separating the station from the base. The next, Giana was staring at him in the eyes, a foot separating them in height, but their faces were an inch apart.

"Don't you ever question me, okay?" Giana said, her eyes blazing with fire. "Do you understand Zekefrank? Some things are bigger than you. I'm providing you a lifeline here, a ticket out of this workstation purgatory. Do you want hot sun and freshwater baths? Huh, Zeke? Do you want my very real body? This isn't some fucking fantasy world you're in, Zekefrank. I'm here, I'm real, and until we get down to that planet, I'm making the decisions. Okay?"

Zekefrank nodded.

Giana's smile returned. She pecked him on the lips.

"Don't stay up too late," she said, winking. "There's some vodka chilling on ice. Enjoy."

And in a flash, she was gone. Not in bed, not in the bathroom. Just out and off the moon base.

Zekefrank tore himself away from the window and walked into the kitchen. He found the vodka chilling in a bucket of ice with a glass beside it. Was this real? He took the glass and poured himself a drink. He downed it in one gulp. He poured another and made it disappear just as fast. He did it a third time, but on the fourth pour, he stopped. Took the glass and the bottle with him to the bedroom. He lay down in bed, balancing the glass on his belly and the bottle leaning against his thigh.

He closed his eyes and let the alcohol work through his brain and body. He didn't want to think about Giana. Didn't want to think about leaving the comfort of this moon base. Didn't want to think at all. He lifted his head to take a sip from his glass.

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