Earth, 35th Century. You can cheat death by downloading your consciousness into a Virtual Universe, with thousands of imaginary worlds to choose from, and countless 'lives' to be 'lived.' But someone of vital importance to the Virtuaverse has been m...
I watch as a crystalline tear tracks down his face. And I remember Crow Mother's words: "if you can make him fall for you, it might be of use to you both." I see him looking intently at me, and he laughs softly. "Tell Crow Mother that she is wise, but I am wiser. But in this, we both win." The scene on the vid-screen unfreezes. The attendant slips and falls on his ass, as my body completely vanishes.
"I believe a proper thank-you is in order," he says into my ear, nibbling my ear lobe.
World: Terra Veritas
Location: Moonbases Gamma and Delta
After putting on my clothes – which are sent separately, in case you're wondering – I exit to find my party sitting on one of the very few benches in the Arrivals lounge.
"Old man, these youngsters were beginning to get on my nerves. They thought something might have happened to you!" Holly was tapping her cane loudly, her laugh high and infectious. "Got all your body parts?" She walked up to me and gave my jewels a squeeze, which seemed to shock poor Sunny. "Yup! He's fine," she announced, whispering "I'm not gonna to ask about the dog hair."
"All right - let's get going. We're staying at the Armstrong Arms in Moonbase Delta." Lester starts towards the Delta tube train station when his statement finally registers.
"Hold on! We're supposed to be booked at the Grand Metaverse – penthouse level, with a hot tub and sauna on every floor, gourmet synth, open bar, and..."
"And we will be. Our cyborg doppelgangers are checking in there now. We can't trust our employers, Danny! Any one of them might be behind this, so our best bet is to do the real research elsewhere. Yeah, the cybes won't fool them forever, but hopefully they'll fool them long enough."
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The Delta tube train is one of the oldest models, first used when Moonbase Alpha was built. It's old and looks even older. The windows have scratch marks, the seats are partially torn and there's a corny soundtrack of songs about the moon or with 'moon' in the title.
Have I mentioned that in 2045 A.D. the International Space Program was bought, and is still run, by Disney, Inc.?
Moonbase Delta is being built in Mare Imbrium. Workers are housed in prefabricated dorms, with a handful of prefab houses meant for investors. It's in one of these that Les has arranged for us to stay in.
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Sunny is busy stargazing and Holly is chatting Les' ears off on how she can't wait to experience the moon gravity so she can run again. Wanda is sulking, and I can't blame her. She's consigned herself to the fate of riding on our shoulders, being that she can't fly in a suit, and if she went suitless the gravity would propel her into space. Les has promised her that a surprise awaits her, but Wanda is an A.I. who has zero patience. And let's face it - nobody can tolerate a testy A.I. for long.
Teepee looks bored, which is not the sort of mood I'd expect of a pre-teenager who's lived his whole life on one square mile of a big Earth city. "What's up, son?" I ask, tousling his hair. Instantly his face lights up.
"I never thought I'd ever hear anybody call me that and like the way it sounds."
It's statements like that which make life worth living, friends. "You seem disappointed. Teeps, you're on the moon! Do you know how many kids never get to go beyond their own hometown?"
"I don't know, Dad. I thought it would be livelier, I guess." He gestures to the rocky landscape surrounding us on all sides, the lights of Moonbase Gamma long since having faded into darkness. "It's just so...so empty!"
I point out that it was the solar-powered hydroponic farms on the Moon that produced food for 25% of Terrans after the Ka-boom.
"Can we see them while we're here? I've never seen a farm," he asks, his earnestness breaking my heart. There were farms under State Street next to the Library he could have seen, but I never thought to show him. That makes me wonder if they survived the fire. It makes me furious that more people may have suffered because some a**hole rich guy's body got fried and people want his mind saved from disintegration. And that, because I'm looking for him, someone else is after me and my found family.
Off in the distance, I think I see some glittering lights.
"Hey boss!" squawks Wanda, "Les says we're here!"
We're about to step onto the Moon – some for the first time – when some loudspeakers blare out the most annoying Disney song ever written.
"It's a small world after..."
I trash four speakers with my mini-crossbow before that line has a chance to repeat itself ad nauseum. My team gives me a round of applause. We no sooner step through the entrance which boldly announces "Welcome to Mickey's Mare Imbrium" when we're faced with a battalion of white armor-clad soldiers with some very real pulse laser cannons. And stupid-looking helmets.
"Jesus H. Mouse, boys," yells Les, his arms upraised, "Who pissed in your synth-beer?"
Seconds later, Les is on the ground, a smoking hole in his chest.
