“Good point, but it’s analytical geometry.”
The tension broke between them, Alex reaching out to squeeze her shoulder again, as if he’d liked it the first time. Even the lightbulbs in the sign outside seemed to catch, however briefly.
“Okay, so start at the beginning,” Alex prodded.
44
PROBLEM SET
“WE’VE GOT ANDROIDS,” SAM said, doing just as Alex suggested, “physical projections and those weird slap bracelets that worked like electronic handcuffs, holding your—”
She broke off, but it was too late.
Alex swallowed hard. “Are we talking about aliens here or something?”
“Theoretically, that doesn’t make any sense.”
“Theoretically? None of this makes any sense, theoretically or not.”
“Okay—it’s not even logical.”
“So what are you now, Spock from Star Trek?”
“More like Nurse Chapel.”
“Who?”
“Dr. McCoy’s nurse in the original nobody ever remembers.”
That seemed to pique Alex’s interest. “You watched the original Trek?”
“Every episode maybe a million times.”
“Me too,” he told her.
“Really? What character do you see yourself as?”
“I don’t know.”
“Come on, Alex, it’s obvious: Captain Kirk.”
“I’m no Captain Kirk.” He frowned.
“No, you’re just captain of the football team, homecoming king, and the most popular kid in school.”
Alex started kicking at the worn carpet again, the tension settling back into the room. He slid Meng Po from his right hand to his left. “I never got into all the Trek follow-ups, though. A few of the movies were good.”
“I like the new ones,” Sam told him, “the reboots. Nice to be able to go back to the beginning and start over from scratch.”
“Wish I could do that.” Alex sighed. “But just tonight.”
“I wouldn’t mind starting everything all over again. Not that it would matter since it would probably all turn out the same.” Sam frowned too, not bothering to add how things had turned out when Heinlein’s Valentine Smith had tried that.
“That’s how you think of yourself?”
“Because it’s the way I am.”
“Not to me,” Alex said, looking down.
“The ash man wanted you to go with him,” Sam said, trying to hold on to this moment, whatever it meant.
“So?”
“So why? He said something about you belonging to him.”
“Not exactly.”
“Okay, but close. That you didn’t belong where you were.”
Alex thought on that, tapping his head with his knuckles. “Maybe this has something to do with me being adopted.”
“I don’t see what.”
“My mom was apologizing for something she and my dad never told me. She said something like I deserved to know the truth. That’s what the ash man must’ve been talking about. What else sticks out to you?” he asked Sam, not quite looking at her, again squeezing the statue of Meng Po tight in his grasp.
“My phone not working, then working again as soon as I got away from your house.”
“So they were jamming the signal or something.”
“More advanced science, really advanced, too advanced.”
“For us. Means it must come from somewhere else.”
“So we’re back to aliens again.”
“I didn’t think we ever left them.”
“Say they are aliens, Sam. What could they possibly want from me? What’s this thing the ash man thinks I have?”
“I haven’t got a clue,” Sam told him. “But the fact remains they knew a lot about you, an awful lot. And not just stuff you could pick up on the Internet, even though you’re famous.”
“I’m not famous.”
“How many autographs you sign after the last game?”
“None—I was on my way to the hospital, remember?”
“I meant the game before that, Alex.”
“I don’t remember. A few, a lot, I guess.”
“Because you’re famous.”
“Okay,” he shrugged, “whatever you say. But the ash man’s going to be back; I know he will.” Alex gazed toward the room’s wooden door, currently dead-bolted with an old-fashioned chain lock fastened into place as well. “And it doesn’t seem like locks are about to stop him.”
That thought made Alex think of his parents again. Had his mother really understood how sorry he was for throwing a fit over finding those brochures? Truth was, his grades did suck and washing out of college was a very real possibility unless he got his act in order. So maybe a fifth year wasn’t such a bad idea.
If only that was all he had to worry about.…
He felt the emptiness again in the pit of his stomach, something seeming to scratch at his insides. He squeezed Meng Po tighter, feeling the tiny statue’s ridges digging into his skin. Alex eased off and studied the impression it had made in his palm, watched it slowly fade away just like the life had faded from his mother’s eyes.