The People Makers Ch. 16

The thought of the gallant space captain making love to his woman was driving him mad.

********

630. That was the score that Serra got with Michael Taylor. Like Haggis, Taylor was very selective with who he paired with and he seemed to get steady scores in the mid-600 range, just a few dozen points below Haggis's average.

"We fell short," Serra said ruefully over a slice of bread and butter as she told all to Sam. "But Sam, what an incredible man he was! And now I can truthfully say I've been with the most famous man in the galaxy!"

"I'm happy for you," said Sam, getting up abruptly.

"Sam, what's wrong? You've barely touched your food."

"Not hungry." he left abruptly.

********

That afternoon Serra felt unusually sleepy. She took a nap in her quarters. As she did, a ball of light entered her head.

********

That night at dinner she found Sam, who was eating alone and pulled him up from his chair. "Kiss me, Sam."

"What?"

"Kiss me!" she cried.

The two locked lips. It was better than Sam could ever have imagined it. Serra's lips were warm and soft. He felt a tingle wash over his body.

When she pulled back he was in a daze. "What... how...."

"I just realized it, Sam. It came to me in a dream," said Serra.

"What came to you in a dream?" Sam said.

"It's you, Sam. It's been you all along," said Serra.

"It has?"

"I was so busy looking for the love of my life that I forgot the most important thing."

"And what, what is that?" Sam asked, still flustered by the kiss.

"That it's important to be friends first. Your lover must be your best friend. And what have you been, poor suffering Sam, as I paraded and fucked man after man in front of you? You've been the best supportive friend. Never a harsh word even as I knew, we both knew, what you really wanted."

"You knew all along?"

"Of course, silly," she said, playfully hitting his arm. "I just didn't feel the same way you did."

"But now...."

"Now I do! Kiss me, Sam, kiss me hard, because I want to partner with you and make love to you... but not necessarily in that order!"

Sam kissed her again and held her tight. He felt her breasts pressing against his chest through their flimsy jumpsuits and felt himself getting a rapid erection. He knew all eyes were on him and he reddened but he also didn't care. He really didn't care. And then when he pulled back he proudly put an arm around Serra and walked her out of the Lounge, even with a giant erection sticking out of his jumpsuit.

First Susan Shinn started to clap and cheer, and then Marion Kelly joined in, and then some of the guys as well. By the time they reached the exit the crowd was roaring.

*********

"It was wonderful," said Sam, the following morning. "It was amazing."

"Was it?" said Haggis.

"Yes," said Sam. "Serra was incredible! We did it several times."

"Repetition is standard procedure to prove validity for the scientific method."

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm very happy for you, Sam," said Haggis.

"She was just like Sarah, the other Sarah I knew on Earth," said Sam. "I felt like I was making love to the real Sarah."

"Sam, there is no real Sarah. There is only Serra, the woman you are currently with. You are still in love with the idea of a woman."

"No, she's just like my Sarah would have been, I'm sure of it," said Sam. "When I'm with her, it's just like being with the real Sarah."

Haggis sighed and looked away.

"We're going to meet with Bessie later this morning and Graylor this afternoon, if she gives her blessing."

"Pray that her blessing doesn't cost too much," said Haggis.

"What?"

"What I mean to say is good luck," said Haggis.

"Thanks," said Sam. "You're a good friend, Haggis."

"Am I?" said Haggis.

Marla, who had been hovering in the background, chose that moment to step forward once Sam had gone. "Love is a strange thing, isn't it?"

"I wouldn't know," said Haggis.

"Of course you wouldn't," said Marla. "What do you think will happen?"

Haggis shrugged. "He'll get a middling above average score."

"Do you think they'll stay together afterwards?"

"I'm not a good judge of character, how would I know?" said Haggis.

********

Serra was getting ready for lunch when there was a buzz at her door. "Coming, Sam!"

But it wasn't Sam. It was Hamburger.

"Hello," she said.

"Hey, Serra!" said Hamburger. "How are you?"

"Fine. How are you?" she said cautiously. She had never heard of Hamburger or Hot Dog seeking people out like this.

"Doing well. Thank you for asking!" said Hamburger. "I wonder if you had time to talk."

"I'd love to, but I have a very busy day ahead of me," said Serra. "Sam and I have to meet with Bessie, then a quick lunch, then the Genetic Council-"

"That's what I wanted to talk about."

********

"She was just like Sarah, the other Sarah I knew on Earth," said Sam. "I felt like I was making love to the real Sarah."

Serra's jaw dropped open as she watched the holoimage of Sam talk about her.

"Sam, there is no real Sarah. There is only Serra, the woman you are currently with. You are still in love with the idea of a woman."

"No, she's just like my Sarah would have been, I'm sure of it," said Sam. "When I'm with her, it's just like being with the real Sarah."

The real Sarah. Serra struggled to choke back her tears.

********

"I'm sure she'll be here. She's always on time," said Sam, trying not to look nervous.

Bessie smiled politely. Hot Dog hopped back and forth on his big white tennis shoes. Even Frog shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.

And then Serra tore through the door to the First One's tiny office.

"Bastard!" She yelled.

"Serra-"

SLAP!

"What was that for?" said Sam, rubbing his now red cheek.

"The real Sarah? You were thinking about the real Sarah?"

"What?"

"I heard you! I saw it all!" her eyes were full of tears.

"Serra!"

"And to think I slept with you! I slept with you while you were just using me, using my body to think of another woman!"

"Take it easy, Serra," said Hot Dog.

"No need to get excited, Serra," said Hamburger, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"You take it easy!" said Serra. "I'm done with you!"

"Serra, what are you saying? You don't want to partner with me?"

"Partner with you?" she cried. "I never even want to see you again! AAARRRGGHHH!" she cried, waving her hands in the air as she rushed out.

"She looked upset," said Hot Dog.

"Very upset," said Hamburger.

"I wouldn't take it personally Sam," said Hot Dog.

"No, not at all," Hamburger advised.

Sam was in a state of shock. For a long moment he couldn't even move or talk. When he could focus again, he realized he was looking up at the face of Bessie, who stared at him with faint concern.

********

Hot Dog and Hamburger pulled and pushed the motorized stretcher across Oregon the following morning. But the sight of the body on it was an unusual one that made more than one person gag.

It was not the powderized body of Sam Jones. Rather, it was the body of Sam Jones which had been torn into pieces, arms, legs, torso, head, and the pieces hadn't always been cut neatly. The stretcher was soaked with blood.

Marla took one look and gagged. Suddenly she somehow found herself in Haggis's arms. Haggis pet her hair in an attempt to comfort her.

"What happened?" She asked, through eyes thick with tears.

"You know the Entertainment Sphere, the room with the colorful gravity waves?" Haggis said.

"Yes."

"He stepped off the catwalk."

*********

"Why?" said F.

"You had to ask?" said X. "You broke the rules. You intervened."

"I simply did what I thought was best to produce what might have been an incredible match," said F. "Now we will never know. Who authorized this?"

"I did," said J.

"Why?"

"You tainted the Experiment," said J. "Part of the matching involves whether the pair are emotionally compatible."

"They were emotionally compatible. You all saw that," said F.

"What we didn't see was whether the male had the skillset to seduce and bed females, a vital skill that males need to carry down to succeeding generations. If he could not do it on his own, his lack of ability would likely have transmitted to succeeding generations and ruined the Experiment," said J. "Once you tainted the Experiment, permission was given to abort it."

"It was a cruel thing you did," said F.

"Cruelty. This should not be a word in your lexicon. Many of us have felt that you have dwelt in that body for too long, that you are too heavily influenced. That species has long served us well but in situations like this the danger of absorbing their empathy can be your undoing. We can secure a new host for you, one from a race which does not have this weakness. Will you be willing to switch bodies?"

There was a long pause. Then F said, "My host has served me loyally for uncounted decades. Despite what you believe she has not influenced me unduly. You yourself has said that this Experiment is almost at an end and I would prefer to end it in the same host."

"Very well. But you will be observed more closely. Any further deviations from the Plan will be brought before the Committee, and penalties may be assessed."

********

Haggis was alone, staring out an enormous viewport when he heard familiar steps. Then an arm intertwined with his, and a head leaned on his shoulder.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because," said Haggis.

Marla looked at him. "Who are you? Who are you really?"

And in that moment, Haggis O'Leary told her.

Her eyebrows shot up. "Why did you just tell me that?"

Haggis didn't answer for a long moment. Then he said, "A moment of weakness."

"That was the most intimate thing you could have done," said Marla. "And you did it with me." She looked into his eyes, and confirmed what she already knew, and she kissed him.

Haggis held her tightly and kissed her back. The floodgate was broken after that, and they kissed, long and passionately. When he paused for a moment he said, "Marla... I really like you... but I can't afford to have a weakness. Not here."

"You can't afford not to, Haggis," she said, playing with her fingertips on his arm.

"How do you mean?"

"You forgot one thing, Haggis," said Marla. "In all your efforts to survive, to make yourself invulnerable as possible to our enemies, you forgot one thing."

"And what's that?"

"To live," she said, and she kissed him again. It felt good for both of them. When she pulled back she said, "Who knows how long we have here? Who knows when either of us will wake up as white powder? If the lesson of Sam Jones teaches us anything, it teaches us to live life while we can."

Haggis considered for a moment, then he nodded vigorously. He wrapped an arm around her waist, and walked her to the door.