Shoshone Station: The Galactic Consortium season 2

Episode Seven: Homecoming #13

The beer flowed freely, and despite his earlier reservations about its quality, Kleppie found it went down smoothly. They had moved from the back of the bar to bar itself. Kleppie couldn't remember when they had made the move. He was holding court, half the bar listening as he talked.

He was telling a story about Mars, at least in the bit of the evening he remembered. There had been other moments, but he was very drunk, and he could only recall bits and pieces. "You guys aren't going to believe this," he was saying. "They're going to fill the core of the planet with iron, from the asteroid belt, most likely. Enough to change the gravity, give it a liquid core."

"Liquid?" a voice asked.

"Yeah, molten iron," someone else supplied.

"Wow."

"That's where they send the worst criminals, right?" another person asked.

Kleppie nodded. "Yeah, but don't think it's like that. There are lots of people on Angorak, and most of them ain't criminal."

"Then what?"

"Terraformers, special training. Good pay. Not a bad life, I don't think. And in a generation or two, it will be livable there."

They were nodding, hanging on his every word as he described the station.

Later, Kleppie was sitting at a table with Mindy and Steven. His head still spun, but he felt soberer. There was a coffee in a Styrofoam cup, but he couldn't remember when he had switched.

Steven was talking about his job. "Not as exciting as traveling the stars," he muttered. He was a night stockman at the local Walmart.

"Life didn't turn out like we thought," Mindy said. She gave Kleppie a fragile look and then looked away.

He slid in next to her and put an arm around her shoulder. "It's okay."

She turned weepy after that. "I was going to be a professional cheerleader. I know, sounds dumb now. But man, I thought I was going places. And James . . ."

He knew that part from earlier. James had been going places as well, at the local car dealership. Didn't need college, he'd said. A couple years later Mindy had dropped out of college after failing to make the cheer squad two years running. She'd fallen for a model agency that turned out to be a scam, then found out James was cheating on her with the boss's daughter. He lost his job when the boss found out. Mindy had spent a few days in the pysch ward, moved back in with her parents, and was slowly digging out of that hole.

She broke down before she got far into the story, and she started crying again. He held her while she sobbed.

Steven watched them. He rolled his eyes. "Didn't have any big dreams," he commented. "So I guess I didn't do too bad. Got a job at least."

"Yeah, nothing wrong with that," Kleppie said. "I didn't expect to end up in space, you know. Just happened. And you know what else? They got stuff up there for people like you, if you want." Mostly Kleppie felt tired. He looked at the clock. "Maybe should get her home."

Steven nodded. "Yeah, it's nearly last call anyway."

Kleppie pulled into Mindy's parents' house. He looked at the dark house and then at Mindy, passed out in the passenger seat. "We're here," he said.

She groaned and didn't answer. He nudged her. She groaned again. "We're here," he repeated.

Slowly she woke up and climbed out of the vehicle. He got out to make sure she made it to the house. She stumbled into him and then laughed. "Kleppie!" she squealed putting an arm around him.

He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

On the front step, she put her other arm around him. "Kleppie," she repeated, her voice a low purr. "You could come in, if you want." Then she kissed him.

For a moment, he was caught off guard and returned the kiss. Then he pulled back. "Mindy," he said. "I can't."

"Sure you can. You are incredible."

He blushed at the compliment. "I've got a girlfriend."

She didn't let him go. "So? She don't got to know."

He pulled her arms free. "Sorry. But I would know."

She gave him a look, on the verge of tears again. "Damn you."

"I'm sorry. I'm not . . . Look, you're fine. It's not you."

She shook his apology off. "It's just, goddammit, that makes you twice the catch, you know that?"

"What does?"

"Turning me down. Cuz of her. Nothing sexier than a good man. God, I wish I was . . . She's a lucky girl."

"I'm lucky to have her," Kleppie said. "I know that. I'm not blowing it, for nothing." He brushed Mindy's cheek. "But some guy will come along, and he'll be lucky to have you. And he won't blow it."

She gave him a sad smile. "Yeah, thanks. I hope so."