Star Trek: Bendross
Episode 15 - Should Auld Acquaintance be Forgot
(Fall, 2072)
By
And
The Bendross Players
Rudy looked across the old den at his old friend Bryant and realized again that he loved the big lug and sort of resented the fact that Bryant had decided he was straight.
Bryant Staad was a classic carved Aryan with aristocratic features and wide shoulders. Fifteen years ago, Rudy, Bryant and few other friends had been adventurers together. "Hard to Believe that I was ever that young." Rudy thought. "We thought we could change the world or something."
"Have you heard from Drake?" Rudy asked. He was avoiding saying what was really on his mind.
Bryant nodded. "He had us out to Sacramento for some function or other. We're his pet nuclear family. When he wants to show everyone that he supports family values or children he hauls Jaqui, the kids and I out and parades us around."
"That way no one asks why he doesn't have kids of his own." Rudy said with a touch more bitterness than he meant to. Drake was gay, too but steadfastly refused to admit this to himself or anyone else. It was part of why Drake had distanced himself from Rudy.
"Being a politician is the only thing Drake has ever succeeded at, Rudy. It would be mean to undercut that." Bryant said. He was always Drake's defender.
Rudy smiled at his memories. "He wasn't really the most effective person in a crisis was he?"
Bryant smiled despite himself. "He has his own protectors now. They don't let him drive."
Rudy sobered for a moment "How's your leg?"
"Fine." Bryant said. "It healed completely years ago." In a panic Drake had run over Bryant with his own prized Porsche.
"Ever hear from Simon?" Rudy asked.
"After he got out of the hospital, he was hired by a think tank in Philadelphia apparently with proper training his talents don't overwhelm him so much." Bryant explained.
Rudy remembered his friend writhing on the ground screaming that he'd been shot by ninjas. Simon's break down had not been pleasant to watch.
"We hear from him every once in a blue moon. Holidays and such."
"How about Artie?" Despite himself Rudy felt bad for the former Marine Simon had married. She had lived through most of Simon's breakdown with him, and when then end came she'd grabbed the children and fled.
Bryant shrugged "No idea. She mentioned something about heading south but she never contacted us again. I didn't pursue the issue. You know there was some bad blood."
"He was waiting for you, you know." Rudy blurted out.
"What?" Bryant asked with a lack of comprehension.
"Simon. He was waiting for you. He only married Artie on the rebound from you after you went straight on us." Rudy explained.
Bryant looked uncomfortable. "Rudy, Simon wasn't gay."
"He wasn't anything at first. There was a reason why he hung out with us, Bryant. Sure we were all friends and it was all strictly platonic. Bull." Rudy surprised himself. These sorts of things weren't usually discussed. Maybe that was why their little clique had drifted apart.
"No. I know you have some unresolved issues, Rudy, but that doesn't mean-"
"I saw the way he looked at you." Rudy said. "Maybe he didn't know it himself but he was waiting for you."
Bryant sighed. "If that's true then I am glad I didn't notice at the time."
"Are you happy?" Rudy asked "You have the wife, the kids, the car, and you're off to work at the office every morning. Are you happy living like this?"
Bryant nodded somberly. "Yes, Rudy. Actually I am."
"Do you ever miss the old days?" Rudy asked.
"Some. Mainly the adrenaline, I guess. I miss the feeling that what we were doing really mattered. I miss the feeling that there was a right and wrong in the world and that we held it in our hands. I guess I sort of lost track of that after a while." Bryant said.
"That's not exactly what I meant." Rudy said.
Bryant's voice picked up a little bit "Rudy you are a good friend and I appreciate the things you did for me. However, in the end I guess I'm straight and you're going to have to accept that. The whole scene with the clubs and the parties and the people we hardly knew, did that ever really compare to finding out who killed Brown and stuffing the truth right back down their throats? For me the answer is no."
Rudy sighed. "I guess you can't go home again, can you. Those were magic days for me."
"And for me. But nothing lasts forever." Bryant agreed.
Rudy felt his feelings bubbling to the surface. He decided to throw caution to the winds. "Bryant. I ... love you. I always have."
Bryant looked sad. "I care for you Rudy. I really do. As a friend. As a brother. I can't give you what you're looking for."
Rudy looked at Bryant and understood. Bryant wasn't willing to let go of the stability he had. He was lying to himself and would steadfastly maintain that image to his dying breath. It was one of Bryant's strengths and one of is weaknesses. He was one of the most stubborn people Rudy had ever met.
"Okay. I can live with that." Rudy said, accepting Bryant's self imposed role "It's good to have a friend like you, Bryant."
"Are you certain about leaving on that ship, Rudy?" Bryant asked.
Rudy thought about it. He hadn't realized why his ennui and depression had reached the levels they had until now. Now that he understood what he was about, getting away and reinventing Rudy a little bit seemed like about the best idea he'd had for years. "I need to get away, Bryant. I need to be able to make up a new Rudy from the ground up." Rudy smiled. He might be the first human to say it this way. "Too much baggage here on Earth. I need to get some fresh air."
Bryant nodded. "Did they tell you what happened to the Bendross I and the Bendross II?"
Rudy shook his head. "No, although I think I recall hearing something about the Bendross II.
"About three years ago." Bryant explained "It exploded out near Mars. The Bendross I launched five years ago. The tracking stations completely lost it. No one knows what happened to it. Do some research, Rudy. This may be more difficult that you were thinking."
Ruby blinked at him. "How'd you find out about that?"
Bryant shrugged. "I'm a systems programmer at one of the largest insurance companies in the world. They have files there that would shock you."
"Can you forward the ones on the Bendross I and the Bendross II to me?" Rudy asked.
"Sure. Right now, let's go on out and talk to the kids before they break the door down. They were English optional when they discovered where you were and what you were up to." Bryant said.
Rudy smiled. The Staad triplets were out of the same large, athletic chiseled mold that their father was from. They were cute. Rudy took a few moments to consciously get into the role of Uncle Rudy. "Whenever you're ready."
Bryant open the door and the masks were all back in place. Rudy was having his last family visit with old friends.
-*-
On the way back to the airport to catch the shuttle to Orbit City Rudy stopped at the Galleria mall. It was a dark, dirty dungeon, especially in the parking areas. Rudy checked his gauss pistol for easy access and draw. It hadn't been designed for concealed carry, and so was a little trickier than Rudy's usual weapon. Except that Rudy's usual weapons and almost everything else he had had been sold off months ago.
The Mark Corp's Arcology closer to Downtown had sucked a lot of the business away from the old mall, and so all the small, quirky shops had drifted into the Galleria. Rudy walked past the wreckage abandoned in the parking lot and kept a confident energetic step past the people who eyed him to see if he thought he was a victim.
In the main body of the mall, old cheeriness was defeated by years of grime and neglect. The skylight was a brown rectangle, softly glowing with the attempt of the sunlight to power through.
Today, though, there were more lights. Since the end of the war there was more money and more resources to go around. A new cheeriness was encroaching on the Galleria. An improvised festiveness made of whatever was handy. Store fronts were gaudily painted with whatever paint could be had. Decorations amounted to grabbing random bits and assembling them with optimism if no talent. Rudy enjoyed the energy of it.
In a corner of the third floor there was a bookshop. A somber man with a long face and vaguely European accent ran it. He was also an information broker. Rudy had bought some information from him before. More than a book shop; the place was also a home for odd, obscure, old or even illegal software.
"Mr. Mittlesohn." Rudy greeted.
"Mr. Greenvele." Mittlesohn noted. "I haven't seen you around in the media."
"I'm leaving on the Bendross III." Rudy said.
Mittlesohn nodded. "That would explain it. I expect you had to sell out completely to do it?"
Rudy nodded. "Of course."
"So what can I help you with?"
"Do you have any of the Gutenburg Project MVDs left?"
Mittlesohn blinked. "I always have those. A new one has just recently come out."
"Then fix me up."
"Interesting. Why that?" Mittlesohn asked.
"Bendross Security is starting to filter the things we carry to Orbit City. They already have archives which, I have noticed have been altered to paint Bendross in a favorable light." Rudy explained. "I want the unedited, un-approved version."
Mittlesohn nodded. "As much as it exists it will be on the MVD. I do not know how much good will an MVD do you in a New World. How much good will it do you if your technology fails?"
Rudy shrugged "We hope to keep electricity. A set of encyclopedias would be difficult to sneak in under my shirt."
Mittlesohn placed the gem case with the silvery disk on the counter. "So you will be smuggling this onto your colony ship and out to your New World?"
Rudy smiled. "That's the intent."
Mittlesohn took a collection of popular computer games off the shelf. He carefully broke the gem case and hid the Gutenburg MVD inside. The he dabbed just a faint touch of glue to hold the pieces together and handed case games and all to Rudy.
"How much do I owe you?" Rudy asked.
Mittlesohn waved him off "To take the Gutenburg MVD to another world? We should pay you."
"Thank you." Rudy grabbed his software and turned to leave.
"Remember this one thing if you remember nothing else. If there are people in your New World, then learn how they survive. Learn their ways. That will save you when the technology fails." Mittlesohn said firmly
Rudy nodded somberly "I will."
Disclaimer: Paramount owns all things Trek. I claim original characters and situations in this story for me.