Dark Matter Enemy

A spunky archivist is drawn into the activities of a mysterious organization that records and sells knowledge. Courtney is drawn into a web of deception by her attraction to the beautiful and powerful Tyler Alexander Punga -Tap- she soon finds herself caught up in exploding events that will change her life and that of the world forever. Partly futuristic, partly mystery, and all romance, this story takes you on an exciting and thought provoking ride.

 

Planet Life and Horses

Anna Cybon held on to Captain Garcia and took a wobbly step, then another. The two of them staggered forward like Saturday night drunks. She had never been on Earth before. Even in the elasticized body suit she wore, she found it hard to adjust to the force of gravity. The craft and space stations she had lived on had artificial gravity but its force was generally only about 75 percent of the force of Earth's gravity. Muscles that used to respond with ease struggled to function on Earth. The air too smelled different. Empty. It wasn't a kaleidoscope of smells layered on top of each other. It smelt fresh like air from a pressurized tank. Only now and then would Anna catch a whiff of wet earth or vegetation, like passing the door of a hydroponic centre.

“Steady as she goes, Commodore.”

“I don't like this, Carlos. How long does it take to adjust?”

“A few weeks. That's why they always give you leave time when you first arrive so you can stumble about like a chicken with its head cut off.”

“Lovely, image. I can't get my balance.”

“Its an inner ear thing. Don't let anyone hug you or pat you on the back, Anna, or you'll topple over. Also expect indigestion, backaches, headaches and the trots for the first week.”

“And people like Earth?”

“It's home, Anna.”

“My home was a test tube and a science lab on board the Dorbel Space Station.”

Carlos laughed. “I can't wait to see you with my family. They are going to have so much fun with you.”

Captain Carlos Garcia was from Earth. He'd grown up in rural New Mexico where his family raised cattle close to First Nations land. Knowing Anna had no family or friends on Earth, he'd invited her to stay with them until they had to report to the International Space Command Headquarters or ISC. He hadn't told his family that Anna was clone-cyborg not because he thought they wouldn't want her but because he didn't want anyone feeling awkward. Once they got to know her as he did, then they could be told. Still, he had to admit he was going to have some fun watching Anna the Space child adjust to his noisy, happy, extended, ranch family.

They spent three days at the Officer Quarters at Star Base One which had once been the Cape Canaveral Space Centre centuries ago. Despite their sore muscles and wobbly condition, Anna and Carlos went to visit the Astronaut Hall of Fame which covered acres of land and had some of the original bell shaped space craft that was barely big enough for one person. They shook their heads in disbelief at the risks and discomfort the early astronauts endured and how little they knew about space.

“We've come a long way, Carlos.”

“For sure. Still, there was an excitement in those early days of being on the edge. Now we just live in a floating hotel in empty space. That's why I'm so grateful that I'm going to be associated with the Dark Matter Corps. You guys are pushing the envelope exploring dark matter.”

“Thanks to the Giganteans. We came very close to being disbanded.”

“No way. Once you found that neutron star forming inside that mass of dark matter on your first mission there was no turning back. I think in the end the DMC would have survived although the members might have changed.”

“Yeah, I'd have been back in the test tube.”

Garcia reached out and gave Anna a gentle one handed hug. “I'd have never let that happen.” He kissed her.

Anna pulled back immediately. “Carlos.”

“I like you, Anna.”

“I like you too. You are part of the DMC family but I'm a lesbian, Carlos.”

Carlos looked at her in stunned silence for a second. “Shit. Why do all the good ones have to be lesbians?”

Anna laughed. “Sorry.”

“I can live with the disappointment if you promise to remain my friend.”

Anna smiled at him. “I'd like that.” Captain Carlos Garcia had been in Officer Training with her. He had been hesitant but open minded about servicing with her. Anna had not been surprised. She had learned through bitter experience that humans had a hard time treating her as an equal because 40% of her body parts were cybernetic and the 60% that was human had been cloned. They had come to like and respect each other though over the five months of their first mission.

“You know what this means don't you?”

“No what?”

“Lesbians have to take their turn buying dinner.”

Anna laughed. “Pick the place and I'll treat you royally.”

The next day, they took the commuter turbo to New Mexico. They arrived two hours later in San Fe. Carlos' three brothers, Emanuel, Diego and Bronco were there to meet him. They'd howled and whistled at the sight of Anna whose tall, lean form looked great in blue jeans and a white t-shirt. Carlos was quick to point out that she was Commodore Anna Cyborn, his commanding officer. The brothers immediately, turned polite and gracious. They stuffed their bags into the back of the dusty farm flier and climbed aboard.

They hadn't got outside the city limits though before Carlos called for a stop. He and Anna climbed out of the open box of the flier and disappeared into a variety store to buy Anna sunglasses, a hat and an powerful sun screen. She simply wasn't used to living on a planet's surface and being blond and blue eyed had only added to the sun sensitivity problem. Carlos explained to his brothers that he looked over and there was Anna squinting like an owl and turning slowly red. Anna was reseated under the shade of the cockpit canape beside Carlos' brother, Emanuel. Then they were off again.

They were soon floating over miles of sparse vegetation on a vast plain covered by a dome of blue sky. As they got closer to the Garcia ranch, the terrain became more rugged with deep canyons, washes, buttes and mesas. The light played off the rock formations creating a stark but mystical landscape. Anna, whose world had always been metal walls and artificial light, was mesmerized by the topography. She asked a thousand questions which the brothers were only too glad to answer, taking a great pride in their home.

Carlos' parents and two sisters were waiting on the porch of their Hacienda when the flier came to a landing in a cloud of dust. Garcia was hugged and kissed by his parents and sisters, his mother cried with happiness and his father beamed with pride.

“Mama, Papa, this is Commodore Anna Cyborn. Anna my parents Maria and Juan and my sisters Ahuic and Malinal.”

Anna went to offer her hand but before she could, Maria had wrapped her in a big hug and then passed her on to the others who hugged Anna too. She would have toppled over it she hadn't been surrounded by laughter, chatter and arms and propelled into the cool, interior of the Garcia home with its white adobe walls, huge beams, stone fire place and tiled floors. They all ended up in the kitchen around an old, farm table worn smooth and golden with age. Then the food started to arrive. Hot and spicy and washed down with cups of coffee.

Near sundown, after Carlo's married sisters and brother Emanuel had said their good byes and headed home to their own families, Carlos took Anna for a walk around the compound.

“What is that?” Anna asked, taking a step back.

Carlos laughed. “It's a horse. A quarter horse to be exact.”

“They're not wild are they? Do they bite?”

“We ride them and they rarely bite.”

“You ride them? Why?”

Carlos went over and stroked the animal's neck. “I guess because its part of the ancient west but more than that it's a skill that is dying out. Used to be there were thousands of horses out here. Now there are probably only hundreds. We keep a dozen or so and we use them. There are still things today that a horse does better than any flier.

Anna came over and tentatively stroked the big animal. “I haven't seen many animals. Some caged birds, a few cats and a dog once.”

“I'll teach you to ride in a few days when our balance is a bit better. Jill Fairfax is quite a rider, you know.”

Anna's head came around sharply . Did Carlos realize? No. He was just making conversation.

“Jill is from Earth?”

Carlos shook his head in disbelief. “You know Anna, even today, about fifty percent of the ISC are born on Earth or other planets.”

“I guess I never thought about it. My reality is space.”

“Most of your crew are planet born. Only Sue Lai was space born. Her people were scientists on Roland 3. Jill's mom and daddy owned a bull ranch close to the Colorado boarder. That Fairfax family had rodeo in their blood. Brookview farms produced legendary rodeo bulls.”

“They don't now?”

Carlos shook his head. “Not much rodeo anymore. It's a dying sport. Jill's daddy was killed by a bull and her mom sold up and moved them back east. I heard her mom remarried. I always figured Jill would come back here. I was real surprised to discover she was in the ISC.”

Anna tried to steer the conversation away from Jill. “Why didn't you come back?”

“I probably will someday. I'll buy myself some land and settled down. Right now, this ranch is supporting enough people. Don't get me wrong, I love space but this is home and I'll retire here.”

That night, Anna lay in her bed deep in thought. It was hard to sleep. The sounds and smells or a planet were so different from what she was used to. She missed the background hum of engines and the click of switches. Still, she had to admit that planet life did have an emotional pull that she had not expected.

She sighed. She had thought that she had made a good effort to get to know her crew after Chief Lai had talked to her about making time to get to know her crew members. But Garcia, who was Captain of The Explorer, the mother ship in which their vessel, Mariner, was transported, knew more about her crew background than she did. He even knew more about Jill.

Anna missed Jill. She missed her a lot. She wondered how Jill was getting on in her engineering course. They'd had a thing on their first mission. Well, not really a thing. They'd never got beyond the kissing, hugging stage but the intent was there to be more involved. It was stupid she knew for a senior officer to get involved with a crew member. Stupid and wrong but she hadn't been able to stop herself. She wanted Jill.

Anna found her thoughts going down dark paths. She was a clone-cyborg. No cyborg had ever had sexual relations. How would people react if that knowledge became public? She'd be a curiosity, a side show. How would they react to Jill having an affair with what they thought was a machine? Ridicule. She had to keep reminding herself of those facts. No, it was too late. She was going to meet Jill on Solar Breeze Space Port for a week of holidays before reporting back for duty. You didn't meet someone at a space port resort like that for business reasons. Should she back out, make excuses? Yes. But she knew she was incapable of doing so. She wanted to be with Jill.

Garcia said, on any occasion that the subject was to arise, that teaching Anna to ride a horse had provided him and his brothers with the best laughs that they had ever had. Anna took this ribbing good naturedly first because she had to admit they had reason to laugh and second because they stuck with it and Anna did learn to ride if only at a beginner level. She was grateful to Garcia for sharing his family. They had accepted her as one of their own. She'd even taken to calling his parents Mama and Papa. She'd come to enjoy the wonders of planet life and she'd added to her list of wild life having seen pigs, chickens, sheep, antelope and coyote during her stay.