III.<\/strong><\/p>\nA few nights after the alien death, Simon found himself positioned next to Jo under the tables. It was bound to happen sometime, Simon knew, but having her right next to him made his movements feel awkward and clumsy. Jo had gelled with Early and Simon at work, but Simon was aware that her banter and good nature was more than just fraternal good will among Army vets. She was flirting with him, and Simon was doing his best to flirt back. According to Early, his attempts were pretty lackluster.<\/p>\n
Now Simon had Jo to his immediate left, and two years of experience flew out of his head. His feet kept slipping out of the stirrups, and, when one of the dangling straps brushed against him, he jumped like it was a snake. He kept trying to flex his muscles in some sort of impressive display, which threw any kind of natural rhythm off, even though it was dim under the table and unlikely Jo was even looking at him.<\/p>\n
Finally, he got himself together and in position. He snuck a peek to his left and noticed with surprise that Jo was looking around at the others. She was the only other person he\u2019d seen do that. She turned towards him, and Simon smiled and gave a thumbs up sign and was immediately mortified. Even in the twilight, he could see that lopsided grin appear on her face, and he flushed, both grateful and disappointed when the staff dropped the table cloth and sealed them in near total darkness.<\/p>\n
About two-thirds of the way through that evening\u2019s dinner, Simon heard Jo take a sharp breath and let out a soft groan. His eyes had grown accustomed to the small shafts of light that crept under the table, and he could just make out Jo\u2019s face squinting uncomfortably, her head down. He knew what that look meant, had worn it himself a few times. Occasionally the SEETs got frisky or impatient and did a bit of what Early called \u201ccave diving.\u201d They would use their fingers or tongue to probe inside the servers\u2019 anuses, looking for more treats. One more unpleasant experience which the servers justified to themselves by checking their bank accounts and tip jars frequently.<\/p>\n
Without really thinking about it, Simon reached out his hand. Jo saw the movement in the darkness and put her hand in his. Two or three times she squeezed him roughly, the SEET clearly continuing its spelunking adventures.<\/p>\n
Then it was over, the aliens gone, and the servers pulled up their paper pants and unbuckled themselves from the harnesses that look so much like torture devices. Jo moved quickly, angrily, throwing the straps aside and scrambling out from under the table before anyone else. She turned and snatched her portion of the tip off the table, crumpling the bills tightly, and stomping towards the locker room. Simon wanted to say something, make her laugh and know he understood. But he didn\u2019t have Early\u2019s knack for always saying the right thing, and he just watched her storm off in silence.<\/p>\n
When Simon and Early emerged from the locker room into the main room of the restaurant, Jo was waiting. She was wearing a black leather jacket, adorned with some unit patches and logos on the front and back. Her hands were stuffed in the pockets and she was staring at the wall when Simon and Early approached.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, Jo, whaddya know?\u201d Early said, wearing his broad and easy smile. Simon had told him what went on at dinner, and he said, \u201cI heard one of the SEETs got kinda too friendly with you, tickled your throat a little.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jo looked at Early sharply, and he held his hands up in mock surrender. \u201cWoah, hey, we\u2019ve all been there. Professional hazard. Just the other day, I had this one, whatever his name is in SEET-ese, it\u2019s gotta translate to John Henry, because this fucker was digging tunnels. For the next two days my bung didn\u2019t have enough pucker left to make any noise when I farted.\u201d He held up the upside-down OK sign that signified his asshole and made a trumpety fart noise.<\/p>\n
Jo stared at Early for a second, and Simon thought she might slug him. But then she just threw back her head and laughed, punching him in the arm instead. \u201cYou\u2019re the real bunghole, pendejo.\u201d She returned his hand gesture with a smirk.<\/p>\n
The tension had left her stance, and as Jo turned to Simon she was more at ease. \u201cI just wanted to thank you. You know, for what you did back there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI, uh. Sure. Anytime. I just wanted to help.\u201d Simon said. He could see Early out of the corner of his eye, rubbing the bridge of his nose and shaking his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the second time you\u2019ve told me that you just wanted to help. I think maybe you\u2019re too modest.\u201d Jo said to Simon, grinning her grin. Simon smiled back sheepishly, face red.<\/p>\n
Early, not one for awkward silences, jumped in. \u201cSo Doc and I were going to hit a few clubs, sip some drinks and relax. You should come.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUh, yeah.\u201d\u201d Simon said, acting as if they had indeed made such plans. \u201cYou should join us, hang out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jo nodded, still looking at Simon. \u201cOkay, yeah. Sounds like fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
Just then a group of five Marines stepped into the main portion of the restaurant, jawing at each other loudly.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, shit!\u201d Early said, slapping his head exaggeratedly. \u201cI totally forgot! I\u2019m supposed to go out with the Oorahs tonight, show them how a real man parties.\u201d He looked at Simon meaningfully. \u201cWell, shoot, that shouldn\u2019t stop you two from going out. Grab a few drinks, shoot the shit. I\u2019ll catch up with you guys later.\u201d<\/p>\n
They watched as Early did a limping jog to the back of the main room, grabbing one of the Marines in a joking headlock and getting lifted off his feet for his trouble. Simon saw him whisper something to them, and they all laughed loudly. They waved to Simon and Jo as they walked by, Early in tow. \u201cWe\u2019ll try to bring this Army maggot back in one piece, but I don\u2019t promise nothin\u2019,\u201d one of them said as they left the restaurant, leaving Simon and Jo by themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook, if you don\u2019t want to go out tonight, that\u2019s cool…\u201d Simon started.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, it\u2019s fine. Why should those guys have all the fun, you know? Show me around this town.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGreat, I know this bar not too far from here. I hear they have great finger…\u201d Simon trailed off, and then laughed. \u201cI was going to say, \u2018I hear they have great finger food, if you\u2019re hungry,\u2019 but that doesn\u2019t really apply to either of us anymore, does it? I guess it\u2019s been a while since I\u2019ve taken anyone out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jo gave him the grin, and slipped her arm through his. \u201cDon\u2019t worry about it, we can sit there and smell the food together, remember what it was like to be poor but well fed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Simon hadn\u2019t been on a real date since before moving to New York, and he quickly realized just how much of dating really revolved around food. Fortunately, the shared strangeness of their situation made the whole thing amusing. They stayed at Simon\u2019s bar until almost closing, sipping drinks gingerly so as not to \u201cpollute\u201d themselves too much. Simon made sure he tipped the waitress well, so she was more than happy to let the two nurse their few drinks in peace.<\/p>\n
Simon and Jo talked about their families and time in the army, why they\u2019d enlisted, those sorts of things, broken up by a few games of pool on the crappy billiards table in the back of the bar. Simon was surprised to learn that Jo had joined the military to escape her three older sisters, who were all members of a gang called 13 Ladr\u00f3n<\/em>. When Jo graduated high school, the three sisters had tried to jump her into the gang by beating her up in a park, but Jo broke one of their noses and ran off, and the next day she signed up for the army. The more she talked about her past, the more Simon heard the LA street creep into her voice.<\/p>\n\u201cWhen I got out of the VA hospital and went home, nothing had changed. My sisters were still running with the gang, selling drugs and sometimes hooking. I had the offer to work at Merdeux<\/em> in LA, and so I took it and moved to a nicer area, cut off contact with them. It was all good for a few months, but then they found me. My second oldest sister, Azucena — she was the one whose nose I broke — she got shot and killed. So my other sisters found me and said it was, like, my duty or something, to take her place. And they wanted to know what I was doing to make so much money, why I wasn\u2019t sharing the scam with them, like there was no way someone from our family could make an honest living, you know?\u201d<\/p>\nJo brushed a single fat tear from her eye and threw it onto the bar floor. \u201cSucks man, because that\u2019s your family, right? Your family is supposed to take care of you. All those maric\u00f3n<\/em> fuckers talk a big game about La Raza<\/em>, staying unified and shit, sticking with your own. But the truth is, what good is La Raza<\/em> if your own family keeps trying to drag you down? That\u2019s when I realized in my whole life, the only time I felt like I had a real family was in the army. And I knew then that I could choose my people. So I decided to leave, you know? Find somewhere fresh and decide on my own who I wanted to call family.\u201d<\/p>\nThrough the end of her story, Simon held her hand gently. He didn\u2019t really understand everything she was saying — his own family had always been there for him — but as he thought about Early and the other guys at the COP with whom he\u2019d spilled blood and sweat, he understood enough.<\/p>\n
After the bar, Simon and Jo walk around the city together, arm in arm, staying in the areas where everything stayed open all night. They eventually wound up in front of a 24-hour movie theater, where Simon bought two tickets to some romcom that was funny and forgettable. They joked about how watching a movie wasn\u2019t the same without popcorn, and for most of the movie Simon kept his arm around Jo, and she rested her head against his shoulder.<\/p>\n
When they got out of the movie, the sky was just beginning to lighten. \u201cI sure am glad I don\u2019t have a nine-to-five job, I\u2019d be hurting,\u201d Simon laughed. \u201cNormally I\u2019d ask if you wanted to go for breakfast, but under the circumstances…\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I bet the restaurant delivered the food to my place already. I could, you know, maybe pick it up, come by your place? Maybe we could, like, share techniques, for getting down any gross stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n
Simon\u2019s apartment was within walking distance, so he hailed Jo a cab. He gave the driver his address, and, by the look on the guy\u2019s face, paid him a bit too much for an early morning rush round trip.<\/p>\n
The door to Early\u2019s room was closed when Simon got in, and when Simon put his ear against it he could hear Early snoring loudly. The intercom beeped about thirty minutes later, and Simon quickly buzzed Jo in and helped her with her Merdeux<\/em> package.<\/p>\nThey laid the food out on the kitchen table, sitting adjacent to each other and reading each item aloud as they placed it down. Jo\u2019s boxes didn\u2019t have anything too strange; it was all \u201cnormal\u201d food, if combined in strange ways: meatloaf with flamb\u00e9ed peaches and marshmallow cream made her laugh.<\/p>\n
Simon wasn\u2019t so lucky. One of his boxes contained boiled tube worms in turkey gravy. He\u2019d never seen a tube worm outside of a marine nature program, but he knew that its feathery feeding parts were going to give him fits. He looked mournfully at Jo. \u201cYou have any tips for hair and dangly bits like these guys? I, uh, have some problems with my gag reflex.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I might be able to help motivate you, at least,\u201d Jo said, her sexy, strange grin creeping across the right half of her face. She had already taken off her Army jacket and hung it on the back of the chair, and now she undid the first two buttons of her blouse. She picked up one of the tube worms and draped it across the top of her breast, the gravy slowly dripping down her cleavage.<\/p>\n
She laughed sweetly at Simon, his eyes wide and mouth agape. Pulling herself closer, she whispered, \u201cJust remember, we have to eat all our dinner before we get dessert.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was both Simon\u2019s strangest sexual encounter and his strangest food experience, and when it was over he was sure he never wanted to go back to the old ways of doing either. Jo had been right, while she hadn\u2019t exactly cured his gagging, she had certainly motivated him to power through it. They had retired to his bedroom, laughing and drizzling bits of food on each other and lapping it off again. When it was over, they were sticky with the remains of the meal and slick with sweat.<\/p>\n
They ran giggling to his shower, lathering their bodies. Simon saw the scars across Jo\u2019s back for the first time, two ugly shrapnel wounds and some burns under her left shoulder blade. He ran his hands over them gently, and, when she tensed slightly at his touch, he soothed her with kisses to the back of her neck and ears. They made love again, slowly, pressed up against the steamy tile wall.<\/p>\n
When they were done, they stumbled back into his bedroom, exhausted from their overnight activities. They saw the mess they had left and laughed. His sheets were a disaster, like someone had murdered a food mascot in its sleep. Simon tore them off the bed, bundled them up, and threw them in the corner. He took his large comforter, which had been spared the worst of the stains, and spread it on the mattress. They climbed in, wrapping the ends around each other like a sleeping bag, and fell asleep immediately: wet and satisfied bodies tangled around one another.<\/p>\n
Early woke them in the early afternoon, bursting into Simon\u2019s room carrying the laptop.<\/p>\n
\u201cDude, Doc, you should check out these stories on the web, they\u2019re…holy shit.\u201d Jo buried her face in Simon\u2019s chest, smiling and red-faced.<\/p>\n
\u201cSay, man, could you maybe give us a few,\u201d Simon said with a grin.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou did it,\u201d Early said. \u201cYou fucking stud, you actually managed to break off a piece of that grade-A tasty.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDude, seriously…\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll go, I\u2019m out, you two get back to doing whatever it was you were doing…which by the way I hope you\u2019re doing with protection. I\u2019m just saying, I hear that chick will put just about anything in her mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n
A thrown pillow chased Early out the door.<\/p>\n
They emerged twenty minutes later, Jo wearing her jeans and one of Simon\u2019s old Army PT shirts, her own top stained beyond the point of polite company. \u201cHi, again, Early,\u201d she said, slapping him playfully across the back of the head as he sat at the kitchen table.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, um, how was your night?\u201d Simon said, sitting across from Early. Jo sat down on his knee and wrapped her arms around his neck.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t you two look pleased with yourselves? My night was a blur of alcohol, stupid human bets performed by drunk Marines, and lapdances from strippers, one of whom may or may not have been a transvestite. I feel pretty confident that she was, but I\u2019m slightly less sure about whose idea it was, and whether I liked it. Anyway, that\u2019s what I did in the name of being a good wingman.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe army appreciates your services, and you are hereby honorably discharged from wingman status.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo Doc, check this out,\u201d Early spun the laptop around. \u201cThat is a flyer that someone from upstate scanned into their computer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt looks like one of those ads companies run in poor neighborhoods and around colleges, trying to get people to sell blood plasma or sperm,\u201d Jo said, reading the page. \u201cSome of my…some people I knew back in LA used to try and run scams near those places, because they always pay in cash.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGive the lady a prize, that\u2019s pretty much what these are. But there\u2019s one difference.\u201d Early reached around and switched to a new webpage. \u201cThey ain\u2019t payin\u2019 for blood or manjuice.\u201d<\/p>\n
The webpage was a blog by a college kid, talking about a new medical company nearby. They apparently paid for stool samples, ostensibly for research purposes. The company paid fifty dollars per donation, up to three times a week. There were some catches about what the student could and couldn\u2019t eat, and among several DON\u2019Ts was the single word: mushrooms.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoc, if the diaper companies are like MREs, this must be like their version of McDonalds. Fast food.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDiaper companies?\u201d Jo asked. Early happily filled her in on the previous conversations, including the bit about mushrooms being verboten. \u201cYou think we\u2019re gonna be out of a job soon?\u201d she asked when he was done.<\/p>\n
\u201cNah, they\u2019re not making these kids eat any of the really weird stuff. You know, your bugs and inedible crazy crap in jell-o. They still need us for that. We\u2019re the Wolfgang Pucks of the shit-eating culinary experience. But I\u2019m telling you, these SEETs are branching out, taking over. First our babies, now our college kids and homeless dudes. Pretty soon our grandparents are gonna be droppin\u2019 trou and bending over to drop a steamer in some alien\u2019s face. This is some insidious shit, and most folks have no fucking clue.\u201d<\/p>\n
Simon laughed. \u201cI can\u2019t tell if you\u2019re actually serious about this, or if it\u2019s just a big joke to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Early grinned wanly. \u201cYeah, me neither,\u201d he said, spinning the laptop around to continue surfing.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n| (<– return to page 2)<\/a><\/td>\n | (go to page 4 –>)<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n <\/p>\n \n\n\n| (<– return to page 3)<\/a><\/td>\n | <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n IV.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe three of them settled into a routine fairly quickly. After a few weeks, Simon asked how Early would feel if Jo moved in with them. Early joked for a while about how having a female in the apartment would cramp his style with the ladies he brought home. Finally, Early told him he thought it was a great idea, and he couldn\u2019t be happier for the two of them.<\/p>\n Some days Simon and Jo played their foody lovemaking games; they actually went shopping and bought special stain-proof sheets, so they would stop wasting the good ones. But most days Simon and Jo would wake up Early, and the three of them would sit around the kitchen table, eating whatever strange concoctions Merdeux<\/em> sent their way.<\/p>\nAfter work, Simon and Jo liked to curl up on the couch and watch old movies, sometimes indulging in a bit of wine. Early was increasingly in the bottle, sometimes going out and partying at clubs, sometimes just drinking in the living room, sitting with Simon and Jo, surfing the net while they watched TV.<\/p>\n One day after dinner, as they were cleaning up in the locker room, one of the Oorahs came over and talked to Simon. He wanted to ask out one of the other female servers, but he was hesitant.<\/p>\n \u201cHow did you get over it, Doc, knowing what your girl does for a living?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean? Jo does the same thing I do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but…like, in my family, if a girl, like, shows her ass in public…man, that wouldn\u2019t fly. How am I supposed to take her home to see my mom? She finds out my girlfriend gets her money by having an alien stick its tongue up her poop shoot…I don\u2019t know that I could look my folks in the eyes again, they\u2019d say I was dating a whore. No offense man, it\u2019s just, you know…\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLook, here\u2019s what I know. Sometimes in life, you have to make a choice. Stick with the family you were born into and do what they want you to, or realize that you\u2019re your own person. Sometimes in life, you have to pick your own people, choose your own family. It\u2019s not for everyone. But that\u2019s what Jo did, and I love her for it.\u201d<\/p>\n In bed later that night, thinking about the conversation while drifting off to sleep, it occurred to Simon that it was the first time he\u2019d said he loved Jo, and that it felt completely natural.<\/p>\n When Simon awoke, Jo informed him that Early hadn\u2019t come home that night. The door to his room was open, his bed still made. They tried his cell, but it went right to voicemail.<\/p>\n Simon and Jo ate their meal in silence, Early\u2019s box placed next to his usual seat. The two were just about to get dressed and search Early\u2019s normal haunts for sign of him, when something thudded wetly against the apartment\u2019s door. It was Early, stinking of booze and drenched from the rain. When Simon opened the door, Early stood for a moment, slumped against the door frame, still fumbling with his keys.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t use my cane and find my keys at the same time,\u201d he said, slurring his words and gesturing to the ground where his cane had fallen.<\/p>\n Early limped into the apartment and collapsed like a heavy sack on the couch.<\/p>\n \u201cGod, Early, get out of those wet clothes, you\u2019ll get pneumonia,\u201d Jo forced him to sit up and stripped off his soaked shirt. His undershirt was splattered with blood.<\/p>\n \u201cI maybe got in a fight,\u201d Early said, looking down at his own blood.<\/p>\n \u201cChrist, man, what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n Early explained that he had run into a group of guys at a bar and got to talking. He let slip that he worked with aliens, made good money doing it. \u201cI didn\u2019t tell them no specifics, thankfully,\u201d he said. Apparently the group had convinced Early to come out behind the bar and had proceeded to beat him nearly unconscious. \u201cThey called me a traitor, Doc. Cuz I work with the SEETs, they said it was against scripture and against the Constitution, if that\u2019s not the craziest thing you ever heard. They said the Constitution says, \u2018All MEN are created equal,\u2019 and that doesn\u2019t include aliens.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s from the Declaration of Independence,\u201d Simon corrected.<\/p>\n Early looked at him with a goofy grin. \u201cHoly shit, you\u2019re right. That negates their whole argument. I should go back and find them, let them know that they got it wrong. I\u2019m sure they\u2019ll apologize straight away, they\u2019re really very rational guys. Dumbass.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGo, take a shower,\u201d Jo said. \u201cWe\u2019ll get your food ready, make some coffee. You\u2019ll feel better after you eat something.\u201d<\/p>\n Early looked at the floor. \u201cI highly doubt it.\u201d But he got up and did what she told him.<\/p>\n He came out of his room half an hour later, wearing only a towel around his waist. He was painfully thin now, all boney protrusions. There were bruises all over, and Simon could tell he\u2019d been punched and kicked repeatedly. Simon did a quick physical and thought maybe one of Early\u2019s ribs was cracked, too.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe we should call you in sick tonight, whaddya say man?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFuck that. I\u2019ve gotten worse than this,\u201d Early pointed to his knee. \u201cYou know it better than anybody.\u201d Early proceeded to chomp through his meal, chewing and swallowing without even looking at what he was shoveling in his mouth. He swallowed the supplement pills and aspirin Simon handed him with the same dispassionate expression, moving mechanically.<\/p>\n \u201cI have to show you guys something,\u201d Early said finally. He got up stiffly, groaning, and found his laptop. He took them to a website that required several passwords to get in. The site contained dozens of video links, and Early clicked on the newest one.<\/p>\n The video showed grainy footage of what looked to be a hospital ward at night. The camera zoomed in on one bed, showing a series of tubes and IVs, shaky close-ups of charts and medical labels.<\/p>\n \u201cSome people took this footage outside of Albany,\u201d Early explained. All trace of the drunkenness was gone, replaced by a hollow-eyed look of exhaustion. \u201cAll the patients here are in persistent comas. The SEETs bought this place, and they\u2019re pumping the patients full of IV foods and laxatives. Then they\u2019re…fuck, Doc, they\u2019re harvesting the shit. Like these are goddamned animals, man.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh my God, is this real?\u201d Jo said, staring at the screen.<\/p>\n \u201cAt least when we were in the army and the brass sent us into a hot mess, they gave us some fucking guns so we could fight back. These people are helpless man.\u201d Early looked at Simon miserably. \u201cIs this what we\u2019ve been supporting this whole time? Did we help create this?\u201d<\/p>\n Simon didn\u2019t have an answer.<\/p>\n Simon knocked on Early\u2019s door when he and Jo were ready to leave for work. They had all considered not going in, calling in sick or just quitting. But they\u2019d agreed to give it one more night, look at things again in the morning. It was right before their payday, and there was some minor concern that they might not get their money for the preceding month if they quit now. Nobody really argued the point, it just came out, and then lingered in the room. Simon quietly hated the idea that money was their primary motivation, but had to admit that without money, he never would have been here at all. \u201cHey, sure, what\u2019s one more night, right?\u201d Early had said, finally. Now Early was behind his door, and Simon wasn\u2019t sure if he was coming after all.<\/p>\n When he opened the door, Early was sniffling, his eyes wide and bloodshot. His nostrils were rimmed with white powder.<\/p>\n \u201cFuck, man,\u201d Simon reached up and brushed away the cocaine before Jo could see. He shook his head. \u201cI dunno. I just dunno, I don\u2019t think you should go now. When did you start with that shit? What are you thinking?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShhh,\u201d Early said, mock conspiratorially, \u201cdon\u2019t rat me out to the cops dude.\u201d He flashed his teeth in a cheery grin. \u201cIt\u2019s under control Doc, don\u2019t you worry your pretty little head. Just a little something to help push through this last night.\u201d Jo came over then, and Early stood between them, wrapping his arms around both their shoulders.<\/p>\n \u201cI fucking love you guys, you know that?\u201d he said, too cheerily for Simon\u2019s liking. \u201cI mean it. You\u2019re like my little brother and sister. Only, like, you two fuck like rabbits, which is awesome. Mom and Dad are such prudes about that incest thing, but don\u2019t worry, I\u2019m the cool brother.\u201d He winked at them. \u201cLet\u2019s go to work, kiddos.\u201d<\/p>\n The meal was almost over when all hell broke loose.<\/p>\n Simon had gone about his routine on autopilot, barely thinking or talking. He kept seeing the video in his mind, rows and rows of humans being treated like cattle, nothing more than food stock. Even as he pulled down his disposable pants and felt the first groping moves of the SEET spreading him wide, he knew he wasn\u2019t ever coming back to Merdeux<\/em>.<\/p>\nAs dinner started to wind down, Simon heard some grunting from his left. Cave diver, he thought. But the grunting quickly escalated, and he realized it was Early making the noise.<\/p>\n \u201cGah! Woah, daddy, take \u2018er easy!\u201d Early said, and this was met a harsh \u201cshhhh\u201d from one of the sitters above the table, and a mild foot stomp to emphasize the point.<\/p>\n The whole table lurched, its heavy metal frame creaking. \u201cOh, fuck, get this out of me!\u201d Early yelled. \u201cDoc, Jesus, help! Get it out, get it…\u201d Terror clearly overtook him, and his noises devolved into wordless screams.<\/p>\n Simon and the other servers scrabbled at their belts, falling unceremoniously to the floor and sliding out from under the table. Meanwhile, Simon could hear Agent Stache-man from the back room, \u201cWhat in God\u2019s name?!\u201d<\/p>\n Two Marines extricated Early and flipped the huge table over on its back, sending SEETs scattering to the far wall. Simon saw that one of the SEETs was still holding a fork, and its arm was covered half way up with blood so dark it was almost black. Two DHS agents were holding the alien back, but its eyes were rolling wildly and it thrashed its tail, smashing the wall hard enough to send plaster dropping to the floor.<\/p>\n Simon ran to Early. Early\u2019s legs were drenched in gore, and the part of Simon\u2019s brain the army had trained to be dispassionate saw the ropy remains of intestines, the sheer amount of blood, and immediately placed him in the worst category of injury.<\/p>\n Simon took Early\u2019s hand, and the whole room was silent, watching. \u201cI think I\u2019m shit out of luck, Doc,\u201d Early said. His brief laughter caused another cascade of blood to gush out of his crudely eviscerated body. It smelled like pennies and damp grave dirt. The color drained completely from Early\u2019s face, and his eyes rolled back. \u201cSorry…\u201d he said, weakly, and then he was gone.<\/p>\n From behind another table, Simon heard Jo scream, \u201cYou monsters!\u201d She leapt over the table, grabbing a glass pitcher of water on her way. Before anyone could stop her, she brought the container down hard against the restrained SEET\u2019s head, and the alien immediately stopped its struggles and fell back, unconscious and oozing blood of its own.<\/p>\n The two agents went for their firearms, but a pair of Oorahs rushed them and pinned their hands to their bodies. Another Oorah grabbed Jo and hustled her quickly into the locker room.<\/p>\n Stache-man had his own gun out and fired once into the ceiling. The sound was flat but deafening in the enclosed space. \u201cEnough!\u201d he yelled at the Marines, and they released the two other agents.<\/p>\n \u201cBe cool, man,\u201d one of the Oorahs said, holding his hands out in front of him. \u201cRemember whose side you\u2019re on, bro.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGet these…things…out of here,\u201d Stache-man ordered his subordinates, pointing to the remaining SEETs. \u201cThe rest of you, clear the room. Now.\u201d<\/p>\n Everyone obeyed except Simon, who continued to kneel over Early\u2019s body, still holding his friend\u2019s cold hand. Nobody said a word to him.<\/p>\n It was the cocaine, of course. It had driven the SEET into a frenzy, and the authorities didn\u2019t even consider filing any kind of charges. The whole situation was kept quiet, never even mentioned in the press. Early\u2019s death was ruled an accidental death due to complications from drug use. At first, Simon considered calling Early\u2019s family, telling them what happened. But in the end, he decided there was no point. He and Jo were Early\u2019s family, his real family, and they already knew the truth.<\/p>\n Merdeux<\/em> closed for two weeks, a cooling off period with time to renovate after some of the damage. The day before the restaurant was set to reopen, Simon and Jo sat at their kitchen table, nursing coffee. The apartment was full of boxes. They both had plenty of savings, but without the extraordinary income from Merdeux<\/em>, they wouldn\u2019t have the money for long living in their current digs. They were both happy to be leaving. The door to Early\u2019s room was closed, had remained that way since he\u2019d died, because it felt like his ghost was haunting the place.<\/p>\nThere was a beep from the intercom, and Simon answered it. Agent Stache-man was on the other end. After a brief hesitation, Simon buzzed him in and opened the apartment door.<\/p>\n Stache-man quietly entered, wordlessly moving to the kitchen table and sitting in Early\u2019s normal spot. He had a heavy looking briefcase with him, which he placed on the table. Jo brought him a cup of coffee without asking if he wanted one, and all three of them sat, drinking and not saying anything.<\/p>\n Finally Stache-man broke the spell. \u201cHow are you guys holding up?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you want?\u201d Simon said, deciding to do away with the facade of civility.<\/p>\n Stache-man nodded. \u201cFine, you\u2019re right. It\u2019s not a social call. Merdeux<\/em> is opening up again. Are you guys coming back?\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cAre you fucking kidding us?\u201d Jo glared at the agent. \u201cIs that even an option, you think?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d the agent said. \u201cNot in my opinion. But Merdeux<\/em> and the SEETs…they\u2019re saying all is forgiven. They want to keep this real hush-hush, want things back to the way they were before. And you guys are already used to this job, no transition…besides, they can\u2019t tell one of you from another when you\u2019re under the table. So they\u2019re having me go around to all of you guys, to provide you with these,\u201d he pulled a pair of envelopes out of his coat and slid them towards Simon and Jo. \u201cCashier\u2019s checks this time. One-hundred-thousand dollars. Each.\u201d<\/p>\nSimon stared at the envelopes, tears burning his eyes, squeezing Jo\u2019s tiny, hot hand. \u201cStick those up your ass,\u201d he said quietly, venom in his voice.<\/p>\n \u201cYep, I also figured you\u2019d say that. But they\u2019re made out to cash, and as far as I\u2019m concerned they\u2019re yours whether you come back or not. So do whatever you want with them, I don\u2019t care. That\u2019s not the real reason I came to see you two.\u201d<\/p>\n Stache-man opened his briefcase a crack and pulled out a small tablet computer. \u201cI want you to watch this.\u201d<\/p>\n He pressed play on a video, which had the words TOP SECRET across the top and bottom of the frame. It looked like cellphone footage shot from a window overlooking an alley. A group of a half dozen people were standing with their backs to one wall. Simon could see one young woman was crying. There was a noise reminiscent of machine gun fire, but it was no weapon Simon had ever heard before. The people jerked backwards and fell over, executed.<\/p>\n Jo covered her mouth and leaned into Simon.<\/p>\n From the bottom of the frame, Simon saw shadowy movement, and he recognized the slobbery sounds of SEET talk. Three aliens emerged from the other side of the alley, skittering forward on their tails, holding some type of alien rifles in their hands. The SEETs eyes darted about, looking for anyone watching. Then they slithered up to the newly dead bodies, fumbling at the clothing and tearing it off.<\/p>\n \u201cShut it off,\u201d Simon said, but Stache-man didn\u2019t. Nor could Simon turn away. He watched the aliens gorge themselves, without apparent remorse or restraint, on the executed humans\u2019 evacuated bowels.<\/p>\n When it was finally over, Stache-man shut off the tablet. \u201cThose humans you saw were anti-alien activists, under low-level surveillance. Religious fanatics and \u00fcber-nationalists. The very people I\u2019ve been hunting down for the past few years…human beings. Somehow the aliens found them before we could intercede. I showed you that because I want you to reconsider returning to Merdeux<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\nJo started to stand, her face flush with anger. But Simon sensed something coming and pulled her back down, shaking his head softly.<\/p>\n \u201cThe aliens that frequent your restaurant aren\u2019t your average shlubs. They\u2019re leaders, high ranking in their society. Real heavy hitters, most nights.\u201d Stache-man reached back into his briefcase and pulled out a small blue container covered in cellophane. It was filled with mushrooms. \u201cI figure, maybe you add a little something special to the menu with the next order. Maybe…talk to some of your buddies, get them to do the same?\u201d<\/p>\n Two years after the mass casualty incident at Merdeux<\/em>, Simon was working in a small brownstone that had been converted into a makeshift hospital. On one of the building\u2019s corners, in a place only a few people knew to look, there was a small etched mark, a circle with three lines shooting down. A simplified, upside-down OK sign. Brown star solidarity, one of the symbols of the resistance, used to mark buildings where medical aid and supplies could be obtained. Under that symbol was another, similar to a simplified heart. It was really an \u201cM\u201d whose sides had been elongated and connected at the bottom. \u201cMushrooms here,\u201d the symbol said.<\/p>\nSimon moved from bed to bed, checking on his patients. None of them were critical tonight, for once. A quiet evening.<\/p>\n He heard the creak of the back door and approaching footsteps.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, sexy,\u201d Jo said. \u201cSave any lives today?\u201d<\/p>\n Simon bent over and kissed her deeply. \u201cSome, maybe. Others, I dunno, we might need to do an amputation or two…\u201d He looked over at a teenaged boy, only fifteen, lying in a bed with a bullet wound in his leg. The boys eyes were wide, staring at Simon. Simon stared back, then winked. The boy let out a deep breath and weakly flipped Simon the bird. \u201cWe\u2019re doing fine here,\u201d he said, turning back to Jo. \u201cHow about you, you take any lives today?\u201d He patted the M4 slung across Jo\u2019s chest.<\/p>\n \u201cYou bet your ass. We had an insider, you know? A guy pretending to sell info with a line on pure feces. The SEETs sent one of their captains and a squad to meet him. Our man sent us a text message when the meeting ended and he was clear, and we hit fuckers hard. Got the captain myself.\u201d She let loose with her cockeyed grin.<\/p>\n Then she leaned forward and whispered, \u201cWe\u2019re not telling most folks, but one of our mortar teams got hit when the SEET reinforcement ships came in. I don\u2019t think any of them made it. New guys, from the religious block. Those fundamentalist types skeeve me out, I wish we didn\u2019t need them. Still, I didn\u2019t even bother to learn their names, and I feel a little bad about that now. \u201c<\/p>\n Jo leaned back. \u201cAll in all it was a good mission, and we\u2019ve got another one planned a few days from now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo long as you remember our deal,\u201d Simon said. \u201cYou\u2019ve got another month, then you\u2019re on the backlines until the baby comes.\u201d He put his hand on Jo\u2019s belly. \u201cAny nausea? Fatigue?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I\u2019m fine and so is little Early. And I\u2019ll keep my word, don\u2019t worry, Doc.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood,\u201d said Simon, folding his arms around Jo. \u201cBecause we chose to make this family. Now you\u2019re stuck with us.\u201d<\/p>\n In 8th grade, JODY GIARDINA<\/strong> was sent to the guidance counselor after a graphic description he wrote made his English teacher vomit. He\u2019s been seeking to replicate that visceral connection with his audience ever since. He came up with the idea for this story in Afghanistan, praying he wouldn\u2019t be killed while taking a dump. Jody lives with his wife and dogs in Augusta, GA.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jody Giardina (go to page 2 –>) I. Simon hadn\u2019t eaten any food of his own choosing in two years. The revelation came to him as he sat at his kitchen table and, by the light of the budding dawn, … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":3154,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3155","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P15duy-OT","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jerseydevilpress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3155","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jerseydevilpress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jerseydevilpress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jerseydevilpress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jerseydevilpress.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3155"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"http:\/\/www.jerseydevilpress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3155\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3237,"href":"http:\/\/www.jerseydevilpress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3155\/revisions\/3237"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.jerseydevilpress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3154"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.jerseydevilpress.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} | |