-1-

Jean slowed down to a sane speed as he navigated the car towards the titanium gates of the military base. At the front was the flag of the Eastern State at half mast and a sentry with a seated guard at the front.  

I wanted nothing more than to jump ship at that moment. In the past months I had made friends in the LOLA sprawl. The more time I spent with them the more of a ‘ fuck the government and it’s bastard tech’ attitude I had.  There were more crooked people in the high government offices than in the black clinics.

The military bases are organized government at its best. Even though the military bases were located in the Western Republic they were all run by the Eastern State and served as the head of most political power.  The people who lived here had probably never set foot out of the gates without a damn good reason.

Political feelings aside I also didn’t want to meet the Dory family--the people who loved Minnow a lot longer than I had . I wasn’t sure if they loved her more but, I doubted it. If they had truly loved her  they wouldn’t have  just let her go.  Minnow had told me her family could never be together. I  was forced to cut myself out of my own family-- what would I want budding into someone elses ?

When we got to the gate Jean flashed the  guard a smile. The guard's gun flashed an even bigger one

“No, syndicate?,”  the guard asked looking at Jean.

“Would you believe I’m too high up to have one ?,” Jean  smiled and handed the guard  an ID card.

A momentary smile grazed my lips. I was amazed by how quickly someone’s personality could change—Jean was back to his smart ass self.

The guard scanned the ID card nodded to Jean and the gates opened allowing us in. The base was the nicest sprawls I had ever seen—all  the screens were on the MilitaryNews Network--- a channel I had never even heard off but could guess what the content was. We passed by official looking buildings for every activity imaginable--Educational Service, Uniform Sanitation Service,  Crisis Management, Moving Consultations. There were crowds everywhere moving through the streets. The civilians out numbering the people in uniform.

Jean drove past the busiest section of town and pulled into a neighborhood of large brick homes situated on patches of cobblestone.  He parked the car at a street corner  of a cul-de-sac and  began walking up the block. I got out followed him to the end of the street.

“They have no clue you are coming, do they ?,” I asked

“Well, theoretically the guard could have told them so . . .  they may have some idea. But he has no reason to tell them so no they have no clue.”

We  walked up the stone path to  a gray and black house. The plantation curtains were just ajar where I could see finely dressed people pacing around inside. I heard laughter and the click of heels.

“It looks like they are having some kind of party ,” I said,” Maybe this isn’t the best time?,”

“Give me a break.  Notice this Alan--They have curtains for privacy but leave them open just right to set the perfect scene for anyone walking b,” he explained,” See that smug bastard by the table that is my brother and next to him is his wife. All those  other people are the heads of something or the other.”

We walked  up to the door and Jean knocked. I heard the clacking of heels growing louder and a woman peeked through the curtains before slowly opening the door.

Jean turned to me and mouthed the words ‘mother’.

-2-

Mrs. Dory had short close cropped brown hair and plainish but soft features. She was wearing a formal  satin black dress with a matching rhinestone jacket and  high black heels.  She seemed at a loss of words and was waiting for Jean to speak first.

“May I come in ?,” he asked and then turned to me, “ I mean we ?,”

“Are you sick ?, Hurt ?,” she asked leading us through the living room,

“Pierre !,” she shouted,” Jean is here,”

“No, I am fine” Jean said

“Do you need money ?,” his father asked, coming up to us. He was dressed in a black tuxedo.

Mr. and Mrs. Dory kept walking at a brisk pace towards a staircase. We ascended the stairs heading into what looked like a sitting room.  They were leading us away from the crowd and any windows. I saw  Jean’s brother and sister-in-law had followed us into the room.

On the way towards the room I caught a glimpse of what looked like a girls room. There were pink and purple hearts painted on the door and I could see a bed covered in stuffed animals.

“Are we interrupting a party ?,” Jean asked

“We are heading to a fundr-,”

 “Where is your sister ?,” Mrs. Dory interrupted her husband

Jean put his hand in his pocket.

“Where is your sister ? ,” she repeated an edge in her voice, “Has she been taken ?!,”

“No, no nothing like that,” Jean responded

“This is my friend. Alan . . . ,” Jean said his voice quivering.

I wanted to say it for him. Jean has always been strong--in his own way and seeing him like this was making me feel even more uncomfortable than I already was. He was vulnerable, I could see him trying to control his hands and leg from shaking.

“Alan, loves Minnow very much,” he said,” And a few months ago, Minnow passed away,”

The tension broke and the mood changed.  Jean’s  brother fell to his knees his head on the ground, Mrs. Dory took a seat in the chair covering her  hands with her face and making a sound that sounded like tortured laughing, her body convulsing. Jean wiped a tear from his eye before it could even fall as he mouthed an I’m sorry.

“HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN ! ,” Mr. Dory shouted. The volume in his voice turned the chatting downstairs into soft whispers of concern.

“ What happened . Sit down and tell me,” Mrs. Dory said  putting her hand on her husband’s arm .

“The explosion at the Life Summit—we were there,” Jean said

I watched Jean tell them we were there for a purpose he would rather not speak and she got caught in the building. He said we had no idea it was going to explode—which was in fact true.

I’m running

I could see Minnow in her family, they all had similar dainty characteristics.

“Jean, you promised you would take care of her how could you let this happen ?,” Jean’s brother asked

See you soon

 “I did not let this happen, Harry” he said, “ I do everything in my power to protect her and more--,”

“Apparently not,” Mrs. Dory cut in, “ Anything to get her away from home, away from her family--,”

“I am her family too,” Jean pointed out,” You all know she was always strong willed. This is not about Minnow leaving this place with me,”

“Yes it is.” Mr. Dory said, “This place is home.If she were here with us she’d be  in her room alive getting ready to go the fundraiser with us. I mean dammit, Jean she was a child.”

The thought of Minnow alive must have been too much for Mrs. Dory because got up and made a beeline for the door. Jean tried to take her arm but she pulled away and a few seconds later we heard a slamming door.

“This is supposed to bring us together not tear us apart!,” Jean shouted

“Was that your plan ?,”Harry challenged,” Hurting us so we would all love you again ?,”

Jean took a threatening step towards his brother and attempted to shove him but, Harry pushed him away.

“Don’t put your dirty hands on me !,” Harry shouted,” You disgust me, you were nothing but a bad influence for Minnow. I’ve seen what you did with her—you sick son of a bitch !,"

“At least I have had conversations with her,” Jean shot back, “ You two never even knew each other !,”

“Enough,” Mr. Dory said, “ We need to talk about this. I just don't understand how you let this happen Jean,”

“Fuck you. Why blame this all on me ?,” Jean yelled, “ I have been killing myself over this for months and I can't let you all bring me down again.  We are leaving and if you all keep this up you will see Alan again when he tells you about my death six months after it happens,”

Jean turned and headed for the door but, I paused.

I wanted to say something but, I instead turned and followed Jean out the door. When I was outside Jean was already back at the car.

“Everytime,” he said when I was in the car, “I have no idea why I thought this would be different.”

He turned the car on and started driving down the streets of the base.

I wanted to ask where we were going now but, decided not to. Jean was just driving around the base in aimless circles. We passed the same buildings and complexes 2 or 3 times. He finally took a different turn and we pulled into an elementary school parking lot. It was late evening so the school was empty. Jean got out of the car and sat on a bus stop bench in front of the school.

 “ I used to wait here to pick Minnow up from school and we would walk home—even though I had a car. She was always so happy to see me . . . or maybe she was just so happy to be out of fucking school,” He said

“That’s nice,” I said, “I always wished I had a sibling,”

That was a lie of course.  I had never been to keen on the idea of sharing my parents affection.

“Yeah,” he said, “ But,  I was selfish and often ran away from home for weeks at a time. I imagine she would come out of school and look over and see I wasn’t there and be so disappointed. After I had been gone for a while she would be so happy to see me and the thought that I made someone else so excited made me feel so good, so special—better than any drug or fuck ever could,”

“And that wasn’t enough to make you stay at home ?,” I questioned

“I was selfish. When we finally ran away together was when  I learned to stop putting myself first and learned  how to love someone else. I love her so much Alan,” he said as he started laughing.

“We should take this bench with us,” I joked,” It’s no bigger than me so, I have a feeling it will fit in the trunk,”

“We should,” he said,” I want nothing more than to cause some trouble for old times sake,”

We both exchanged a look

“We shan’t,” Jean sighed dramatically, standing up and taking my hand, “It belongs here. Let’s go”

Getting back into the car Jean drove by  a brightly light glass mansion sitting on a hill. There were luxury cars similar to the one we were driving pulling up and away from the drive way.   Up close I could tell it was some kind of fund raising party, I had been dragged to hundreds of those with my parents. The large donation box at the front, the fancy outfits and the smug look of 'look at all the good I am doing'.

“I’m guessing mother and father won’t be making it to the fundraiser tonight. I should crash the party on their behalf,” Jean smiled

“Minnow wouldn’t want that. Let’s just go home,” I said

“Nothing ever changes here, I hate it. These people give their money  to support some politician who is going to keep this war going on forever.  Different names get pulled into office but, they are all just the same. Same looks, same ideals,”

“Jean, we are going home,” I said

“Of course, I know,” he said and headed back towards the gates.

Jean and I decided to do the right thing that night.

Still I wonder.

If we had stolen that bench.

 Or if we had crashed that party.

Maybe

Things would have been different.