a household? Did he really want that? For a moment he hesitated. Then the image of her laughing and tossing a strand of dark hair over her shoulder came into his mind. Rick reached into his pocket and fingered the Housing Authority holocard with his and Alanna’s registration number: S-157QL. That, at least, was real.
Yes. Yes. He did mean it. He loved her.
Rick dodged a slow skimmer and cut around a black, old-fashioned sedan. His stomach rumbled. He put all thoughts of mutancy out of his head and concentrated on imagining selections in the freeze box.
The house was empty when he got there. Odd. Everybody out partying, he guessed. Strange that they didn’t leave him a screen note telling him where to find them. That was the house rule. Last one out the door leave a note for Rick.
He popped a pack of eggrolls into the microwave and sat down to wait.
The room looked strangely shabby to him. Windows covered by faded blue curtains. A ragged brown rug on the floor. The entire place furnished with bits of this and that, people’s former possessions. And the messy, thoughtless arrangement of it all. Maybe Alanna was right. For instance, that table over there—wouldn’t it be better against the wall?
As he watched, the table spun across the room and slammed into the wall with a loud thump.
Whoa.
He rubbed his eyes and looked again.
The table was against the wall now, all right.
The microwave chimed. Chimed again.
Slowly, Rick looked at it, then thought about opening the door.
With a click, the door swung open as though blown by gale force winds.
Bring the plate over here.
Wobbling treacherously, the pink, ridged fiberform plate of eggrolls floated toward him, overshot the table-top, and began to spill onto the floor. Rick caught it at the last moment with hands gone suddenly numb.
My God. My God. It’s true. Alanna’s right. I’ve developed mutant skills.
“What’s happening to me?” he said. The mirrored tile over the sink showed his familiar reflection: long brown hair, golden eyes, cleft chin that needed a shave. No outward change.
Should I call the healers? Call Mom? No, she’d worry. What could I say? Surprise! I’ve become a real mutant.
He ate mechanically, oblivious to the food. Inside, he was shaking.
Maybe I’ve caught something from Alanna, he thought. A mutant bug. I was fine until I got involved with her.
A small voice in Rick’s head told him he was crazy. You couldn’t catch mutancy the way you did a cold.
But I was okay until I met her, he thought. I don’t want to be mutant. Don’t want to stand on my head in the air. She did it. She caused it somehow because she really wants a mutant man. If I stay away from her I’ll be okay. Yes, that’s it. Stay away from Alanna. He pulled the Housing Authority registration card out of his pocket and threw it into the glass compacter under the sink.
The screen chimed his personal phone code.
Screen on.
“Rick?”
It was Kelly Ryton, his favorite aunt. She had married Michael, his mother’s brother, after some big family scandal. Michael had been married before, although Rick had never met Michael’s first wife or daughter. His mother still made a face whenever she referred to her former sister-in-law.
But Kelly was fun. Not only was she a nonmutant, she had been a shuttle pilot on the Moon, which meant she had terrific stories to tell of the Shuttle Corps. She gazed out at him, her blue eyes sparkling. “Anything wrong? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
“Uh, no. Not really.” Rick’s voice was hoarse, rasping. “How are you? How are Michael and Mari?”
“I’m fine, he’s in Washington as usual, and our daughter’s up to no good in the backyard, I’m certain. Rick, I’m calling to invite you to a party this weekend. I know it’s short notice, and I’m sorry. I had to move the date up. Ethan Hawkins and a bunch of other Shuttle Corps alumni will be there and I thought you might enjoy talking to them. I
Yes. Yes. He did mean it. He loved her.
Rick dodged a slow skimmer and cut around a black, old-fashioned sedan. His stomach rumbled. He put all thoughts of mutancy out of his head and concentrated on imagining selections in the freeze box.
The house was empty when he got there. Odd. Everybody out partying, he guessed. Strange that they didn’t leave him a screen note telling him where to find them. That was the house rule. Last one out the door leave a note for Rick.
He popped a pack of eggrolls into the microwave and sat down to wait.
The room looked strangely shabby to him. Windows covered by faded blue curtains. A ragged brown rug on the floor. The entire place furnished with bits of this and that, people’s former possessions. And the messy, thoughtless arrangement of it all. Maybe Alanna was right. For instance, that table over there—wouldn’t it be better against the wall?
As he watched, the table spun across the room and slammed into the wall with a loud thump.
Whoa.
He rubbed his eyes and looked again.
The table was against the wall now, all right.
The microwave chimed. Chimed again.
Slowly, Rick looked at it, then thought about opening the door.
With a click, the door swung open as though blown by gale force winds.
Bring the plate over here.
Wobbling treacherously, the pink, ridged fiberform plate of eggrolls floated toward him, overshot the table-top, and began to spill onto the floor. Rick caught it at the last moment with hands gone suddenly numb.
My God. My God. It’s true. Alanna’s right. I’ve developed mutant skills.
“What’s happening to me?” he said. The mirrored tile over the sink showed his familiar reflection: long brown hair, golden eyes, cleft chin that needed a shave. No outward change.
Should I call the healers? Call Mom? No, she’d worry. What could I say? Surprise! I’ve become a real mutant.
He ate mechanically, oblivious to the food. Inside, he was shaking.
Maybe I’ve caught something from Alanna, he thought. A mutant bug. I was fine until I got involved with her.
A small voice in Rick’s head told him he was crazy. You couldn’t catch mutancy the way you did a cold.
But I was okay until I met her, he thought. I don’t want to be mutant. Don’t want to stand on my head in the air. She did it. She caused it somehow because she really wants a mutant man. If I stay away from her I’ll be okay. Yes, that’s it. Stay away from Alanna. He pulled the Housing Authority registration card out of his pocket and threw it into the glass compacter under the sink.
The screen chimed his personal phone code.
Screen on.
“Rick?”
It was Kelly Ryton, his favorite aunt. She had married Michael, his mother’s brother, after some big family scandal. Michael had been married before, although Rick had never met Michael’s first wife or daughter. His mother still made a face whenever she referred to her former sister-in-law.
But Kelly was fun. Not only was she a nonmutant, she had been a shuttle pilot on the Moon, which meant she had terrific stories to tell of the Shuttle Corps. She gazed out at him, her blue eyes sparkling. “Anything wrong? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
“Uh, no. Not really.” Rick’s voice was hoarse, rasping. “How are you? How are Michael and Mari?”
“I’m fine, he’s in Washington as usual, and our daughter’s up to no good in the backyard, I’m certain. Rick, I’m calling to invite you to a party this weekend. I know it’s short notice, and I’m sorry. I had to move the date up. Ethan Hawkins and a bunch of other Shuttle Corps alumni will be there and I thought you might enjoy talking to them. I
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