Descending Road - THE RIDE BACK by Dana W. Paxson

THE RIDE BACK

1544 4D

Andrew‘s eyes opened. A smooth pale-gray ceiling lay overhead. A slight swaying sensation told him he was moving. Soft white light showed him that he lay in a bed, covered with a sheet and blanket; a battery of nutrifusers, soft bags of medical fluids, clung to his sides and chest.

A soft metallic rumble filled the space around him. He was on the train, in a compartment alone.

He tried to shift his weight. His torso was wrapped in a soft plast bandage, and his side hurt. He lay back and groaned; he had no energy in him at all.

“Andrew?” A sharp, pretty face framed with a toss of black hair poked into view above his chest. It was Marande. “You’re awake. Can I get you anything?”

“What happened?”

“You tell me, if you can. They’re holding Mentrius until they can interview both of you. He just says you saved his life. How did you get cut?”

“It was an accident.” Andrew looked at the ceiling. This had better work, or the whole feud would start up as soon as he and Mentrius were back in the City.

“It looked like a stab wound to me,” Marande said. “Nobody was supposed to leave the company. You’re going to get a lot of questions.”

“It was private.”

“Yeah, as if nobody knows Mentrius‘s wanted to cock you for killing Lusin, and you him for killing Gej Tonda. Real private.”

“How do you know all this?”

“I’m Incarnastar. I’ve got Kai Ren Hau brodos in Rumchi Zone. They keep us up on the latest with the Hejji — you guys are sensi food almost every day.” She smiled at Andrew, and her eyes sparkled. “Any time you want something, I’ll be nearby. This is the bed car — you’re with the folks who got hurt at Abridor and didn’t get sent back.” She bent close and kissed Andrew on the mouth, then stood up and disappeared.

The kiss acted like an unlocking door, stirring him with a release of desire that he had held back since leaving Leil in the City.

He wanted Marande. Men and women committed to partners at home had sex occasionally on the militia missions, usually after a hard stretch of work or a bad loss; the release helped them regain function again, as long as they didn’t overindulge.

Everyone understood this; since both spouses in any marriage had to serve militia time, they accepted the risks and benefits of the encounters. Some children in most families were ‘training babies’, conceived while the mother was serving a hitch in uniform. Every year, at the Corsang Run festival, everybody celebrated the new children, training babies included.

Andrew, thinking about all this, remembered something his father had shouted at his mother many years earlier when he and Martin were little: “At least you could have found a bigger one! These boys are undersized! Let me make the next ones, huh?” Andrew hadn’t understood it until he was ten, when an older friend had explained the custom to him.

His mother had evidently taken some comfort on her tours.

Occasionally he still wondered who his biological father had been. ‘Lost in the Shafts' was the City expression for such questions: finding the answer would have taken far too much life and expense, and stirred up too much smell. What always mattered most was the colls: if a coll said you were its son or daughter, that defined who you were. Andrew was Darko Hejj.

Alliji stopped in the next day, after the tubes had been removed. “They’re holding Mentrius,” he told Andrew. “How are you feeling? Marande said you lost a lot of blood.”

“I’m doing all right. Why are they keeping him? I didn’t want…" He stopped. This was getting complicated.

“They think he assaulted you. It looks that way to me, too. He did, didn’t he?”

“That’s between him and me, Alliji. I don’t want to spread it. It just makes things worse.”

“Look, Andrew, he killed Gej, and there’s more going on back in Sobi right now. I just got a comm from Nexi--“

“That’s just it. I want it all to stop. Tell them I want to testify.”

Alliji looked disgusted. “You’re folding up, you’re giving up, brodo. Don’t do like your father and--“

“No. I used to think like you are now, and look what it got me. I want to turn it around, try to stop the fighting. Next time it might be one of us.”

“Andrew, think. We could make it them instead of us. That’s the only way that’s ever worked.” Alliji paced back and forth beside Andrew‘s bed.

“Not this time. Do this for me, and for Gej, and for Lusin, and for Nurumin, and all the others who can’t make it better any more. All right?” The wound was starting to hurt Andrew again.

Alliji stopped moving and looked off at the wall, puzzled, upset. “You’ve changed. Where’s the fireheaded Andrew I knew in the City? The brawler with the big brothers? Mister Hungry For Justice?”

“Will you do it? Tell them I want to testify.” Andrew watched Alliji‘s face.

“I’ll do it for you. But I don’t like it.” Alliji reached out a hand. “You’d better keep your eyes open, just like I told you before.”

Andrew nodded. Alliji left; the pain faded, and sleep came again.

Story List	SURPRISE ME	Author Page
USER SURVEY	PUZZLE ME	MAKE ELM MARK

HOVER Lucida Bright BARE	HOVER Lucida Bright FULL	HOVER Palatino Linotype BARE
HOVER Palatino Linotype FULL	HOVER Times New Roman BARE	HOVER Times New Roman FULL
PAD Arial BARE	PAD Arial FULL	PAD Lucida Bright BARE
PAD Lucida Bright FULL	PAD Times New Roman BARE	PAD Times New Roman FULL


	THE RIDE BACK 1544 4D Andrew‘s eyes opened. A smooth pale-gray ceiling lay overhead. A slight swaying sensation told him he was moving. Soft white light showed him that he lay in a bed, covered with a sheet and blanket; a battery of nutrifusers, soft bags of medical fluids, clung to his sides and chest. A soft metallic rumble filled the space around him. He was on the train, in a compartment alone. He tried to shift his weight. His torso was wrapped in a soft plast bandage, and his side hurt. He lay back and groaned; he had no energy in him at all. “Andrew?” A sharp, pretty face framed with a toss of black hair poked into view above his chest. It was Marande. “You’re awake. Can I get you anything?” “What happened?” “You tell me, if you can. They’re holding Mentrius until they can interview both of you. He just says you saved his life. How did you get cut?” “It was an accident.” Andrew looked at the ceiling. This had better work, or the whole feud would start up as soon as he and Mentrius were back in the City. “It looked like a stab wound to me,” Marande said. “Nobody was supposed to leave the company. You’re going to get a lot of questions.” “It was private.” “Yeah, as if nobody knows Mentrius‘s wanted to cock you for killing Lusin, and you him for killing Gej Tonda. Real private.” “How do you know all this?” “I’m Incarnastar. I’ve got Kai Ren Hau brodos in Rumchi Zone. They keep us up on the latest with the Hejji — you guys are sensi food almost every day.” She smiled at Andrew, and her eyes sparkled. “Any time you want something, I’ll be nearby. This is the bed car — you’re with the folks who got hurt at Abridor and didn’t get sent back.” She bent close and kissed Andrew on the mouth, then stood up and disappeared. The kiss acted like an unlocking door, stirring him with a release of desire that he had held back since leaving Leil in the City. He wanted Marande. Men and women committed to partners at home had sex occasionally on the militia missions, usually after a hard stretch of work or a bad loss; the release helped them regain function again, as long as they didn’t overindulge. Everyone understood this; since both spouses in any marriage had to serve militia time, they accepted the risks and benefits of the encounters. Some children in most families were ‘training babies’, conceived while the mother was serving a hitch in uniform. Every year, at the Corsang Run festival, everybody celebrated the new children, training babies included. Andrew, thinking about all this, remembered something his father had shouted at his mother many years earlier when he and Martin were little: “At least you could have found a bigger one! These boys are undersized! Let me make the next ones, huh?” Andrew hadn’t understood it until he was ten, when an older friend had explained the custom to him. His mother had evidently taken some comfort on her tours. Occasionally he still wondered who his biological father had been. ‘Lost in the Shafts' was the City expression for such questions: finding the answer would have taken far too much life and expense, and stirred up too much smell. What always mattered most was the colls: if a coll said you were its son or daughter, that defined who you were. Andrew was Darko Hejj. Alliji stopped in the next day, after the tubes had been removed. “They’re holding Mentrius,” he told Andrew. “How are you feeling? Marande said you lost a lot of blood.” “I’m doing all right. Why are they keeping him? I didn’t want…" He stopped. This was getting complicated. “They think he assaulted you. It looks that way to me, too. He did, didn’t he?” “That’s between him and me, Alliji. I don’t want to spread it. It just makes things worse.” “Look, Andrew, he killed Gej, and there’s more going on back in Sobi right now. I just got a comm from Nexi--“ “That’s just it. I want it all to stop. Tell them I want to testify.” Alliji looked disgusted. “You’re folding up, you’re giving up, brodo. Don’t do like your father and--“ “No. I used to think like you are now, and look what it got me. I want to turn it around, try to stop the fighting. Next time it might be one of us.” “Andrew, think. We could make it them instead of us. That’s the only way that’s ever worked.” Alliji paced back and forth beside Andrew‘s bed. “Not this time. Do this for me, and for Gej, and for Lusin, and for Nurumin, and all the others who can’t make it better any more. All right?” The wound was starting to hurt Andrew again. Alliji stopped moving and looked off at the wall, puzzled, upset. “You’ve changed. Where’s the fireheaded Andrew I knew in the City? The brawler with the big brothers? Mister Hungry For Justice?” “Will you do it? Tell them I want to testify.” Andrew watched Alliji‘s face. “I’ll do it for you. But I don’t like it.” Alliji reached out a hand. “You’d better keep your eyes open, just like I told you before.” Andrew nodded. Alliji left; the pain faded, and sleep came again.