Fatal Boarding by E. R. Mason Page B

tailored sleeves ended just below the
wrist, and hid the long, white bandage. The hem was ankle length,
and as she sat cross-legged I could just make out the tip of one
pointed, silver slipper. In her left hand, she held a v-shaped
glass of red wine. There was a second, full glass on the metal end
table by the couch. As I walked past her to sit, my emotions
tripped and stumbled through the full spectrum of choices,
eventually grinding down to an awkward stop in the middle of
nowhere.
    It has always amazed me how making love to
someone so alters your perception of them. It affects the way the
two of you communicate. An invisible barrier has been broken.
Suddenly there are innumerable little things that can no longer be
hidden. Or, perhaps there is a loss in the ability to deceive.
There is an involuntary kind of subliminal confession beneath the
words and movements that was not there in the virgin friendship.
You have seen me. I can no longer hide who I really am. Only the
truly deceitful can. We wear the best possible disguises for
friends, enemies, and strangers alike. But the act of love making
disarms us. We have allowed either an ally or an enemy agent into
camp. We have taken a chance.
    I lifted the glass that had been left for me
and studied the pale red color. "I could get called out on a
moments notice, Nira."
    "It's non-alcoholic, Adrian. Don't go
getting all stiff on me. I'm not here to jump you."
    I sipped and found her selection delightful.
"You should understand. Under different circumstances, that would
be a most desirable thing."
    "My grapevine is failing me. Just what is
going on around here? How can we be having trouble with main
engines and thrusters at the same time?"
    "Computer problems. Something's affecting
most of the systems on board ship. They haven't been able to get a
handle on it. That's what the 23:00 meeting was about."
    "Since I'm not back on duty, I wasn't
allowed at the meeting."
    "I, on the other hand, was forced to go.
There was standing room only."
    "The bastards took the research on the alien
data away from my group and gave it to Life Sciences. Did you know
that?"
    "I really can't help you there, Nira. I'm a
security officer, remember? That research crap is your line of
work, not mine."
    "Wow! A stone wall, even from you! What the
hell is going on up there?"
    "When do they allow you back on duty?"
    "Tomorrow. Second shift, if everything under
the bandage looks okay. I'll get an eight inch band aid and be
allowed on limited duty. By the way, the doctor says I’m
promiscuous, what do you think?"
    "So tomorrow, I'll be trying to pry answers
out of you instead."
    "And we will stonewall each other?"
    "I lost the last contest. I'm the
underdog."
    "You're a difficult man to understand,
Adrian. I'm usually an expert at figuring people out, but you're
different. I had you pegged for a loner, one of those types who
goes around with the shields always up. But, when I got inside last
night, there was a different man in there. It caught me off guard.
You've screwed up my system. I'll probably need more data."
    "Well, good!"
    "Don't worry about it, though. Last night
was special. I don't normally take the lead. From now on it will be
up to you to make the move. And please don't assume I'm an
automatic win. Women have their moods."
    "No kidding?"
    She laughed and drew a circle with one
finger around the rim of her glass. "I was married for a little
more than three years to a United World diplomat. He spent most of
his time flying back and forth while I spent mine flying up and
down. We saw each other so little we kind of forgot we were
married. If there was a statute of limitations on married people
who never see each other, ours would have run out. Finally, one day
we realized we weren't really married at all, so we divorced in the
most amiable agreement ever made. It's odd, we have the same
relationship now that we always had. It's the story of my life. I
keep waiting for life to become what you see