A Very Small Matter, Part 8

    Notice: This story was been rated "NC17" for adult language, nudity,
strong sexual content, violence, and explicit smoking. If you don't like these
things stop right here, but you'll never know what you missed.


    This last is for Loring, who maintains the trough at which we all feed.


    "A Very Small Matter" Part 8 of 9


    Author's note: This story concludes (for the time being) the trilogy begun
in "Behind the Times" and continued in "A Letter from Paradise." As the
subject matter is more than a little strange, I recommend you peruse the
earlier stories (both available on Loring's page) before reading further. If
you find it all makes sense in the end, please e-mail me with the explanation.


    7. My Girlfriend's Back

    We followed Baldy and his escort to the planning room. More AOGgers were
there, stacking our guns, explosives, and the odd piece of body armor.
Suddenly it looked like a pretty pitiful collection.

    There was no sign of the boys.

    Baldy took no notice of these activities. He continued to lead us out of
the rebel HQ and into the station proper. More AOGgers were there. A crowd of
commuters had gathered, as these entertaining activities had apparently been
going on for some time. When Laurie and I came into view, some of the
curiosity-seekers pointed at us.

    Laurie walked with her chin held high, a slight smile on her lips. She was
graceful and dangerous-looking as a jaguar. Some mothers covered their
children's eyes when they saw her revealing dress. Laurie showed no shame.

    I doubt I cut so fine a figure. I was thinking of the magic lighter, still
in my pocket. And my cigarettes, too. How I wanted one!

    When we emerged into daylight, a white ground-effect van emblazoned with
the AOG logo was waiting for us. Baldy got in the front, we were hustled into
the back.

    Six armed and armored AOGgers rode with us in the back. Six! I supposed I
should be honored by the massive guard, but I knew they weren't there because
of me.

    "Laurie..." I began.

    "No talking!" came a muffled voice from an AOGger helmet. We rode in
silence.

    Soon after, a loud hiss came as the van's rear mated with an entrance to
AOG headquarters. The van's back slid open, revealing a long, white-enameled
corridor. Baldy awaited us there.

    "Welcome to our humble facilities, Miss Banning, Mr. Grant. Let's all try
to make your stay as comfortable as possible, shall we?" Neither of us rose to
this bait.

    Baldy led us down the endless corridor, our honor guard following in
train. As we walked Laurie asked, "What about the others?"

    "Others?" said Baldy, feigning puzzlement. "Oh, you mean your fellow
revolutionaries! Why, we slapped their wrists and sent them home, of course."

    "Home?" For once, Laurie was taken aback.

    "Oh, Miss Banning, you know as well as I do they are harmless without you.
You should also know that every regime needs its dissidents. They help keep
the troops on their toes," Baldy said, indicating our AOGger escort, "as well
as helping the general populace realize their good fortune."

    I gritted my teeth. Still, I hoped he was telling the truth. Laurie said
nothing, but couldn't help looking a little crestfallen.

    Finally, we reached a door opening onto a small white room, furnished with
a table and two chairs. Baldy ushered us in.

    "I have a few matters to attend to now," Baldy said. "I trust you'll be
comfortable here. I will be with you again shortly. In the meantime, if
there's anything you need..." he paused. "On second thought, no." The door
shut behind him.

    Neither of us glanced at the closed door. We had both heard the multiple
locks engage.

    "Laurie!" I said. "Now's our chance to escape!" I produced the magic Zippo
triumphantly. "Baldy must've forgotten I had this!" Laurie still looked glum.
I opened the lighter, thumbed the flintwheel.

    Click. The flame looked perfectly normal.

    "They've damped it," Laurie said. "They can do that."

    Shit! My big hero moment was ruined. "I'm sorry, Laurie. I love you."

    "I love you too. Give me a cigarette."

    That's my gal! "Do you think it's wise, here?"

    "Why not?" she said. "Do you think they'll do something nastier to us
because we smoked in Alliance HQ?" I was reminded of the movie "Basic
Instinct." I fetched cigarettes for us both from my dwindling stash, and lit
us with my other lighter.

    Even in these dire circumstances, I was entranced watching Laurie smoke.
She had a style for every mood. Here she smoked defiantly, proudly, trying her
damnedest to pollute the entire building with her hated emissions. She might
have succeeded, too, if the room hadn't been airtight. I had never loved her
more.

    Laurie was blowing another fire extinguisher-sized exhale when I asked,
"what do you think they'll do to us?"

    "I don't know," she said, still not finished exhaling. "Most AOGgers are
so wrapped up in their own self-righteous doctrine they can't think straight.
Baldy seems a lot smoother, though..."

    "You don't know the half of it," I said.

    After we had gone through six cigarettes each (Laurie had somehow managed
to hid a pack on her, somewhere), the door opened and Baldy reappeared.

    He looked at the thick ambient smoke surrounding us and smiled. "Now I'm
sorry I didn't return sooner. I would have enjoyed a cigar with you."

    Laurie glared at him, but stayed silent.

    "We must observe the proprieties, however. " Baldy pushed a concealed
button by the door, and all the smoke vanished through an overhead vent.

    Baldy went on. "I am pleased to inform you that you are about to receive a
singular honor. The Founder has requested to meet you both. Such an privilege
has never before been extended to any rebel." Baldy's smile remained ironic.
He was not overawed by this "Founder," whoever he was.

    "May we respectfully decline?" asked Laurie.

    "I fear not. Please follow me," Baldy said. "And have no worries, he
really is quite a friendly old chap."

    Our six-man escort was also back. We followed.

    We strode along an eternal series of identical corridors, all enameled
white, in perfect silence. Twice we ascended stairs to a higher floor.
Finally, we came to a double set of doors which terminated a dead-end
corridor. The doors slid apart unprompted. We entered.

    We stood in a large, high-ceilinged room. It was crowded with what was
obviously medical equipment, only more advanced that what I was used to. In
the center of this high-tech accumulation was...something. Someone.

    As we came closer, the figure came into focus. He was sitting in something
like a dentist's chair. He was hairless and incredibly wizened, by far the
oldest-looking person I had ever seen. Tubes from the various devices entered
and exited his every orifice. Still more tube entered him through surgical
openings. All the tubes bubbled with flowing fluids of various colors and
thicknesses. He was naked save for a cloth laid modestly across his genitals.
Only his eyes moved, sluggishly, unfocused.

    Two unhelmeted AOGgers, not part of our guard, stood at rigid attention to
either side of him, armored in sparkling white.

    Baldy stopped and bowed slightly from the waist. "Our Reverend Founder,"
he said. The six AOGgers removed their helmets in a show of respect.

    I looked long at the Founder's shrunken face. There was something familiar
about it...I was reminded of a photograph on the back of an old paperback,
touting some phony mental-health scheme. I couldn't put a name to him, though.

    Baldy spoke. "Our Founder recently celebrated his 110th birthday. Sadly,
his many years lived in times of primitive medical technology have taken a
toll. He no longer speaks or leaves this room, but his brilliance and spirit
are our eternal guides." I wondered why the Founder was not equipped with a
synthesized voice. Probably, I thought, because it didn't suit Baldy to have a
vocal Founder.

    Laurie took a quick step toward the Founder, but the AOGgers were alert
and ready. Two moved forward to take her arms, stopping her cold. Before I
could even start moving to help, two AOGgers had taken my arms as well.

    Baldy ignored this and addressed the Founder. "These are the two rebels we
discussed earlier, Reverend Founder. I am sure you recall that Miss Banning
has been an exemplary agent for us in the past, and will soon be again."

    "You bastard!" Laurie said as she struggled against her captors. "My
conditioning is broken! I'll never work for you again! Ever!"

    "Sadly, Miss Banning, you are probably correct. Conditioning has its
limitations. That is why we have taken other measures to secure your
cooperation." Baldy turned toward the rear of the room. "Number 17! Please
bring Miss Banning's daughter forward. It is past time for them to meet."

    An AOGger, previously unseen, emerged from behind the medical equipment.
He was escorting a 15-year-old girl.

    The girl was dressed in a simple shift, but I recognized her right away.
It was Julie.

    I watched Laurie for her reaction. "Julie?" she said. Had she remembered
on her own or simply recalled my story? "Let her go, dammit!" Laurie struggled
furiously, uselessly. Anyway, how could a 25-year-old woman have a 15-year-old
daughter? Don't ask me, guys. All I can tell you is time is a slippery thing.

    "I'm afraid we must delay this touching reunion until we have a firmer
agreement, Miss Banning," Baldy said, then turned to me. "As for you, Mr.
Grant, I am pleased this time to offer you my sincerest congratulations. I
expected you to succeed, but hardly in a single day! You have the eternal
gratitude of myself, our Founder, and the Alliance of God.

    "With Miss Banning now safely in hand, you are free to go."

    My arms were released. "I would only request, Mr. Grant," continued Baldy,
"that you exit the room before departing. Our Founder, you see, disapproves of
smoking."

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