Thirteen Reasons (p1)

Posted on Sat 26th Nov, 2022 @ 8:51am by Renato Solis & Gary Thirteen

1,904 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: A Fresh Perspective
Location: Brown Sector Community Center
Timeline: MD 1 2100

-Start-

{Brown Sector Community Resource Center- "CRC"}

The man strode into the community center in Brown Sector with a gait of confidence. He was dressed in a sharp black suit, like a corporate nerd from Earth's 1980s "yuppie" era. He had striking features, with a face tan that suggested he came from California, Los Angeles maybe, finely manicured fingers, clean-shaven face, and a head of trimmed brown hair that was only slightly beginning to grey. He appeared to be in his mid-to-late forties, around six feet tall, and wrapped around his neck was a beautiful black, brown, and white calico cat, whose eyes took in its surroundings with a curiosity that killed many of its kind.

There was a circular area with small tables, sofas, overstuffed beanbags which head a dozen children and families playing games, reading music, using holo-comes in a quiet orderly way. The smell of food lingered, and the evidence of a mass meal adorned the sloppy countertops as they all enjoyed a rest before tidying up. The non descript blue-gray carpet was an industrial poly-weave that resisted stains, cleaned easily, and didn’t smell but it failed any test of reason to answer why there was a cotton and wool fiber handwoven floor mat over steel floors.

Close by, at the central table, a professional looking Human woman was reading a communique and sipping a drink. This was a common area, and the nature of the structure they were in showed mass produced panels, a warehouse inside a larger room. There was a second level above from the sounds of footsteps and water running, likely a shower area, but this was a well built people-hovel in any respect.

"Excuse me," the man asked the nearest person. He had a voice like an autumn day, with a Mid-Western accent. "I'm looking for Renato Solis. Do you know where he is?"

Tessa was used to people coming in without warning, Renato insisted the door be left unlocked. There was always a strong presence in the main room and there hadn't been an issue yet, but it got to be a little wearing to meet new people on behalf of the center. She did however soften her gaze at the immaculate and handsome man with a feline on his shoulder. Even for this place it stood out in character. She also could just swear the cat winked at her in the moment of confusion.

"I think he is in his office. That door over there." She pointed down the hallway to the right of the door, several doors and branching hallways were evident, but only one with a light and a matching door shingle from outside bearing the symbol of, "Renato's." From inside, music and a solid bass was evident even standing outside.

With a "Thank you," and a smile, the man crossed the room and pressed the chime on the door. The carpet was soft he noticed, and his heels dug in ever so slightly at each step. Perhaps this was for comfort, a luxury they could afford or produce themselves? The mysterious man left the common room to enter the corridor where Renato did his work, Kya raised her kids, and where the janitorial closet was which all the children used as a hiding place.

The office was a different world. The lighting across Brown Sector was in constant disrepair, flickering or dim was the preference here. Renato was listening to music, his feet propped atop a simple steel sheet and square framed desk. Gunmetal gray and particle board wood of a speckled Brown variety made for the most generic looking workdesk of all time. It was the papers, actual papers which drew the eye. Renato liked to leave notes, and ponder on mysteries under candle light. He preferred to roll up the case file and stick it in his back pocket than look at a padd all day.

After hearing a gentle reply from the chime, “Yes, come in?” The door unlocked automatically, a simple knob was still linked to station systems but the required physicality of turning the knob and entering forced people to consciously make the choice to enter. It somehow made a huge difference to the dynamics of the scene if they couldn’t just walk in.

The man came in and introduced himself, extending a hand. "Hello Mr. Solis. My name is Gary. May I have a few moments of your time?"

From off the man named Gary's shoulders the cat leaped onto Renato's desk and proceeded to nudge him.

Renato took notice of his new friend, brow furrowed in confusion as he had seen this cat before at a casino on this very station. Even more to the tune of the great unknown, there was a telepathic tingling from the proximity of the cat. It had intelligence, memory, emotions. His gaze turned to the owner of the pet with a bemused affect.

Gary appeared astonished. "Strange," he said. "Sundae is not usually this social with people she doesn't know." He picked up the cat, adding, "I'm very sorry about that." He held Sundae against his chest and proceeded to gently pet her. The cat didn't seem to mind, as her purring was very audible.

Renato smiled, mysteries were the spice of his life. How could he recognize the cat but not this mysterious man. Wracking his photographic memory yielded no results, as though information had been removed from his mind directly, but incompletely as the cat carried lingering familiarity. No telepathic contact from the man, but even at a small distance his abilities dropped off severely. Touch was the key to Renato having the keys to the kingdom, something Gary didn’t realize when he held out his hand.

Integrity and life lesson learned at great loss to himself had taught him to warn people before taking their hand anyway. The human affectation was friendly but dangerous, a bravery they exhibited out of ignorance. was the cat acting in defense of the man. He tried to take in details off this “Gary” which was not even for a moment presumed to be a real name. At first it was the face, though handsome and with a gentleman's glistening smile, Renato felt his eyes were unable to focus on the mans face. It was a peculiar effect which was presumably purposeful. The hand held out for a shake came from something he couldnt get a read on, and only barely so for the odd cat as well. Immaculate white shirt, cotton, knit, too many threads to guess the count accurately, but completely smooth. A band collar unadorned by sweat or grime, the kind which accumulates after a day no matter what sat crisply against taut, unblemished skin, showing no tattoos or deformities either.

With that irritating sense of having purposeful obfuscation at play he redoubled the scan of Mr. Thirteen across from him, while declining the handshake.

"Well met sir, I must decline your kind offer to shake hands. I have a telepathic sense which is amplified greatly by even mere proximity. Best not to touch a wire until we are are certain it isn't live yes?"

Like asteroids pinging off of the deflectors, Renato tried to glean anything from the man in front of him. Human...likely Human... Bespoke suit, no attributable odors, not even fallen hairs, eyes of white with irises shifting colors from gray to blue, tie of silk! but from where?! fingernails manicured, clothing was free from wrinkles, fit perfectly, no scuffs or rubs. Immaculate. It's not nothing, I cant remember his face.

The cat was from Qaraq's casino. He knew that much at least. Criswell and Qaraq had connections miles deep, fingers in all the pies. The impossibly clean man had a cat, and there was no fur on his jacket! It wasn't much but the slight chip in the mans edifice of obscurity gave a chance for even footing. This was either an extremely life like Synthetic Human, or a projection of some kind, given they hadn't actually touched. Renato's eyes glanced to the wool carpet, the impressions from shoes left tracks as people walked over it, and there were three foot prints in proper place. This man was not a Human, but somehow, maddeningly, was.

"I would be in no danger if that were to happen," Gary replied as Sundae climbed back onto his shoulders. "Likewise, you wouldn't either." Gary smiled again and gestured to the chair across from Renato's desk. "Do you mind if I sit down?"

How nice to speak with someone who understands subtlety in their posturing behavior Renato thought to himself. He gestured towards the seat and lowered the volume of the music.

Gary sat while Sundae hopped down to his lap. "I have a small dilemma, Mr. Solis," he said. "I've been marooned here... possibly for quite some time. I can't explain where I should be, not easily anyway, but I do need your help getting there. Unfortunately it's not going to be very easy."

"No sir, long journeys never are. Tell me whatever you can tell me, more information is better of course but everyone's entitled to a secret."

"I will do my best, Mr. Solis," Gary replied. He leaned back in the chair and cleared his throat, a gesture that more accentuated his refined nervousness than an actual frog in his throat. He gently put his left hand on Sundae's back. The cat continued to purr. "My job takes me to a lot of different places," Gary started. "Some places I have visited more times than others, and some times it feels like I've been there before. Such is the nature of my job."

Sundae craned her head and, looking up at Gary, mewed loudly. Gary did not look at the cat, but there was a subtle nod. "I've found," he added awkwardly, "that Sundae is oftentimes a valuable contributor to the work I do." She craned her neck again and looked like she was about to mew again until he smothered her head with the palm of his hand. She seemed to enjoy this and continued to purr.

Gary turned his attention back to Renato. "Mr. Solis, I'm on a mission of great importance. Something is happening on this station that isn't... well, it's something I must handle in order to complete my mission. Unfortunately, through circumstances I am not at liberty to disclose, I have lost the proper 'tools' I need for this job, including my normal mode of transportation." Sundae mewed again. "Although I do have my cat," Gary immediately added. "What I'm reduced to is old fashioned detective work. Judging by this office, as well as your reputation, I can tell this is your specialty."

The words fell out of Renato’s mouth without thinking, “Well time travel has its perils.” With sudden awareness that was said out loud Renato hoped the mans benign nature was truly that. He had nothing but a notion, but knew it was correct. Learning to trust himself was easier these days it seemed, and the mans reaction would tell all.

"If you say so," the man named Gary replied with perfect nonchalance. The cat, however, had suddenly raised her head, but Gary's fingers gently massaging her ears and chin quickly soothed her back down, and she let out a low meow.

TBC...

 

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