Chapter 6

New Pittsburgh, Mars

Saturday, April 28, 2136, 10:15am

David was glad he elected to walk the kilometer and a half from his apartment to the starting point of the WHA event. It helped him finish waking up. Last night, or rather this morning, he and Will made love and talked until almost 3:30. David knew he was definitely falling in love with the man. Even if things had not worked out with Marilyn, they were definitely working out with Will.

Will agreed last night that he would introduce David to his girlfriend. David was looking forward to meeting this woman. She definitely had the part of Will's heart that belonged to women. In fact, after the hike, he was bringing her to David's for lunch. Will agreed to tell his girl friend that he was half rump ranger. His only condition was that David be there for moral support.

Depending on how lunch went, things might improve for David also. If Will's girl friend agreed, the three of them might try dating as a triad. Marilyn was dating someone else and very happy in her relationship. There was no good reason for David not to date another woman.

David walked through the entrance of Percival Lowell Park. Will said he would wait for David near the registration table just inside the park entrance. Scanning the crowd David looked for Will. He spotted a woman about four meters away with reddish brown hair and a body shape that seemed familiar. Her khaki hiking shorts showed off her muscular legs and cute butt. The dark blue tee shirt she wore was tight enough to accent her back. Probably she looked like someone he knew on Earth.

Just to the woman's left, David spotted Will apparently talking to her. David headed toward Will. Seeing Will look in his direction, David raised his arm and waved. Will raised his hand making the standard come here gesture.

As David crossed the last meter, the woman turned. Suddenly David was starring into the beautiful green eyes of Marilyn Kinney. The shock running through him brought him to a complete halt.

Will started to open his mouth to introduce his girlfriend. Instead, he heard David say "Hello, Marilyn. How are you today? I didn't know you were a hiker."

"Hello, David what are you doing here?" Marilyn had so many questions going through her head she didn't know what to say next.

Will said, "I found out David used to hike on Earth so I invited him. I was going to introduce the two of you, but it appears you already know each other."

Yes we know each other," David responded. "Will, you said you would introduce me to your girlfriend today, is Marilyn to woman you were talking about?"

"Yes she is. We've been dating for the last eight weeks," replied Will.

"Will, do you know what Marilyn does for a living?"

"Of course I know. She's an administrative assistant at the Alexander Industries ammunition plant. She works for the assistant plant manager. If you don't mind me saying it, from everything Marilyn says, the woman is a real bitch."

David chuckled. "You're right, the woman is a real bitch. However, she's no longer the assistant plant manager."

Marilyn smiled. "No she isn't the assistant plant manager anymore. In fact, she is on her way back to Earth. David is my new boss."

Will's head looked like it was on a pivot. He looked from David to Marilyn and back several times. Then he said. "Administrative assistant? Your Administrative Assistant? The Administrative Assistant?"

David nodded his head, "Yes. Marilyn is The Administrative Assistant, My Administrative Assistant."

Will said, "Hmm, life gets more and more interesting all the time."

"Yes it does," said David.

Marilyn looked from Will to David. "What is going on you two? I am the fuckin' administrative assistant but what the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"Marilyn," said David. "I need to register, buy a kilometer book, and buy an event book. We can talk more when I come back. I just want to tell you that Will agreed to bring his girl friend to lunch at my place after the hike. I am really looking forward to lunch. You cannot even imagine how much I am looking forward to lunch. Well, I need to go register. I'll be back in a few minutes."

As David walked toward the registration table, Marilyn turned to Will. "Cut the Earthling old boy shit, Will. What is going on? How do you know, David?"

"David and I travel in the same circles," said Will as he lowered his voice. "I believe when you asked a similar question of David, he suggested you move the conversation to a more private location. That is why we are going to David's for lunch. I have some things I need to tell you so you can decide if you want to continue our relationship. I want a long-term relationship with you. For that to happen I need to be totally honest with you. Afterwards, I hope you'll at least keep my secrets."

As Marilyn calmed down, she said. "How much do you know about David?"

"I think I know most of what you know about him. I just didn't know where he worked. I especially did not realize you were the administrative assistant he was talking about. You do know he is head over heels in love with you?"

Marilyn looked at Will searching his face for jealousy, or any other emotion. The only look she saw there was anxiousness. Finally, she replied. "I know he said something like that last Wednesday."

Marilyn noticed him visibly relax. A slight smile briefly played across his face then was gone. "I'm glad he told you that. From what David told me, he has never fallen for any woman the way he has fallen for you. He is dead serious when he says his life is in your hands. He told me last night if you choose to destroy him he would blame himself. He thinks that if you don't think he is worth saving, then he probably isn't worth saving. I care very deeply about David. Please be very careful, I couldn't stand it if something happened to him."

This rattled Marilyn to her core. How can any man, especially one as good as David, feel he's not worth saving? It took Will almost three years to convince me he wasn't like other Earthlings. How did David manage to do it in one week? More importantly, does Will mean he's in love with David? Are both of the men who love me in love with each other too? This could be a very interesting lunch.

Just then, David walked up. "I have my kilometer book, my event book, and a checkpoint card. When does the hike start?"

Over the public address system, a man's voice announced. "The course in now ready. You may begin your hike at any time."

Marilyn, Will, and David moved to the starting line. They were the sixth group to leave the starting area after having their checkpoint cards stamped. The course on the map showed the trail winding three kilometers through Lowell Park, then proceeding a kilometer down Snoqualmie Avenue to Robert Heinlein Park. After winding four kilometers through Heinlein Park, the hike route continued a kilometer down Erie Boulevard, then back to Lowell Park. The course continued for an additional kilometer through the park, ending the ten kilometer hike at the starting point. Every two kilometers the hikers stopped at a checkpoint so WHA members could stamp their cards. At the finish, if you presented your checkpoint card, the officials would stamp your kilometer book and event book.

Looking around David noticed several people with patches on their T-shirts. Turning slightly to Will, David asked. "What are the patches some of the people have on their T-shirts?"

"The square ones are patches for different events, the round ones with the numbers on them are for the number of kilometers walked. See the man in the rust colored cropped shirt? The patches on his shirt mean he has hiked at least five thousand kilometers."

Marilyn, Will, and David settled into a steady six kilometer per hour pace. After a few minutes, David was in the groove and started looking around. The ceiling over the park was one hundred meters high. There were several trees in the park almost thirty meters tall. The thing that struck David was how green everything was.

"This park is just too green! It almost hurts your eyes," commented David.

Marilyn turned her head and asked. "What do you mean it is so green it hurts your eyes?"

"I mainly hiked in the desert," replied David. "The desert has a stark beauty; the green is usually muted and sparse. I didn't realize how much I miss hiking the desert until today."

"There is a group that hikes the Martian surface once a month," stated Will. "They go out in biosuits for about four hours. Most of the people who participate are MPG Special Forces. If you want, I can talk to Captain Quinones, he organizes the hikes. You will need to rent a biosuit. If you decide you like hiking outside the city, it's cheaper to purchase a biosuit instead of renting one every month."

"Thanks Will, I would appreciate that. I am curious, how far do they hike in four hours."

"Usually," said Marilyn, "they hike about ten kilometers. In a point three eight G

environment you don't want to walk more than three kilometers per hour."

Will and David both looked at Marilyn. Then Will said, "How do you know that?"

" I have been hiking outside the city for about five years now."

"Is that why you weren't available, two weeks ago?" Will asked.

"Yes, Will. I didn't think you would be interested, so I didn't even think to invite you. We have our next surface hike scheduled for two weeks from today. Would you and David like to join me?"

Both responded in the affirmative.

An hour and forty-five minutes later, they returned to the registration table to have their event books and kilometer books stamped. The woman working the table saw that this was David's first ten kilometers in his first book. She smiled up at David saying. "Now you just keep coming back honey. In no time you will have your first hundred kilometer patch."

With a mischievous smile, David responded. "Well señora, if you would add my time in Chihuahua I could already have my five thousand kilometer patch."

Marilyn looked at him and said, "You're kidding right?"

"Actually, I'm not. I hiked two hundred kilometers every week I was in the desert. I've spent forty weeks in the desert since I turned fifteen. That works out to eight thousand kilometers. That doesn't count the twenty-five kilometers a week I hiked staying in shape for my vacations in the Chihuahua Desert. Except for the three years I was married, I averaged over a thousand kilometers a year. During my marriage, I did well to cover five hundred kilometers a year."

Marilyn, Will, and the woman at the table looked a David with new respect. Marilyn commented, "It took me a year to earn my five hundred kilometer patch."

David continued, "When I'm in the groove it's like being high on Agricorp greenbud. Only I don't have any of the embarrassing side effects."

Marilyn chuckled. "Yes, I can see where being high without losing you inhibitions is very attractive to you. I believe you promised Will and I lunch, I'm ready anytime you are."

"Ok. If you're ready we can walk to my apartment, it's less than a kilometer from here."

Approaching his apartment door, David stepped in front to deactivate the lock. The apartment complex used one of the newer types of locking mechanisms. Placing your finger on the scanner automatically unlocked the door for authorized users. The lock on David's house in Texarkana required a seven-digit code entered on a keypad. The system did allow you to have up to five different codes active at one time. This way you could give a code to a repairman then cancel it when they finished their work. The lock on David's apartment door could store the fingerprints of two thousand people, and logged each person's usage. The building's main computer automatically updated the lock with fingerprints of the maintenance staff.

Opening the door, David gave a mock bow, extending his hand towards the apartment's interior. "Marilyn, Will, welcome to Casa Reed, my humble abode." As they entered David continued, "Can I offer either of you some wine with lunch? I have a very nice 2134 Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2133 California Riesling Kabinett. I recommend the Riesling as it is a nice sweet fruity wine and should go well with the Chicken Salad Stuffed Tomatoes I made for lunch."

Both agreed they would like the Riesling. David walked into the kitchen and pulled the Riesling Kabinett out of his wine refrigerator. Opening the bottle, he poured three glasses, then carried two of them to the living room.

As David handed the glasses to Marilyn and Will, he said. "If you don't mind waiting about two minutes I will put lunch on the table. The bathroom is the first door on the left in the hall, and the dining room is through that archway."

David returned to the kitchen, quickly washed his hands, then removed three plates from the main refrigerator. The plates were white with a simple platinum band around the edge. On each plate, was a fresh tomato hollowed out and stuffed with chicken salad sitting on a bed of lettuce leaves. David quickly pulled out silverware and cloth napkins to set the table. He set three places, one at each end and one in the middle of the table. The night before, David covered the table with a white starched cotton table cloth and placed a low bouquet of flowers as a centerpiece. The flowers were low enough that the people sitting at either end could see the person at the other end of the table as they talked. Planning the lunch Friday, David tried to make sure he would impress Will's girlfriend. Now he was glad he made the effort, as he definitely wanted to impress Marilyn. He thought, Maybe, I should've used the other table cloth. Are the flowers ok? Breath, David, Breath. It will be alright.

Standing in the archway, David announced, "Lunch is ready. Please have a seat at the table. If you don't mind I would like Marilyn to sit in the middle. Will, you can have the foot of the table opposite me." As the three of them sat down David said, "I really appreciate the two of you accepting my offer of lunch."

Marilyn looked at David thinking, He's so nervous. If David doesn't calm down, pieces of him will start flying all over the room. He must think Will and I will jump up and leave if we don't like the table setting and the food. If my lunches looked like this, my Mother would be thrilled. Out loud she said, "David, relax, your lunch and the table look good, even by Martian standards."

David stopped and took a deep breath. "What do you mean it looks good even by Martian standards?"

Marilyn replied, "Despite what the food in the roach pit at work tastes like, most Martians enjoy good food in pleasant surroundings. Some of the best cooks in the solar system live on Mars. We just do most of our fancy cooking at home."

"The chain restaurants have standard recipes that don't allow for changes. Why do you think Riggington's in Eden is so famous? It has an all Martian staff with all Martian recipes. Even the Earthlings here like it better than any other restaurant in WestHem. Saying that someone cooks to Martian standards is high praise. It ranks right up there with telling someone they have good common sense. David, I ate your cooking on Wednesday. I know that homemade salad dressing was definitely better than any my Mother makes, and she is an outstanding cook."

"David, there are three things Martians love more than anything else, their children, good sex, and good food. Because of the way you treat Martians, eventually you'll see that for yourself. For now, just relax, and enjoy the lunch you made." Marilyn turned and stared directly at Will. "Tell me about this mysterious announcement."

Will looked back, took a sip of his wine, and started. "Marilyn, you have known me for three years now. In the last eight weeks, I finally convinced you that I'm not a bad person for an Earthling. During that time, I discovered I love you, and would like to spend the rest of my life with you. But there are two things you need to know about me, which may affect your feelings about me. First, to use the Martian phrase, I'm half rump ranger. Second, I'm in love with your boss, David Reed. He and I discussed the situation last night before he knew who my girlfriend was. We decided to try dating as a triad."

Marilyn sat there half-stunned. It was one thing to suspect since this morning that your Earthling boyfriend was half rump ranger. It was something else to hear him actually say it to you. The real shocker was the fact that Will was in love with David, and the two of them both wanted to date her.

Marilyn gathered her thoughts then said, "Will, when you and David say you want to date as a triad, what do you mean? That is a new term to me. I know that triad means three, but what exactly does that entail?"

"At the bar where David and I met, there are several triads. They are three people who share their lives together, celebrating the good times, helping each other through the bad times, helping raise their child, and living very much like a married couple. The law doesn't recognize the relationships of people like George, Robert, and Sara; or Melissa, Sandy, and Randall. To those of us who live in the shadow world of rump rangers and muff munchers, their relationship is as real as any WestHem sanctioned marriage. I guess what David and I are offering doesn't sound like much of a bargain. A triad is a relationship that you can never acknowledge outside of certain circles. One thing I do know is most Martians don't seem to care one way or the other. Most Earthlings will probably look down on your relationship as inferior. Of course my boss can't understand why I'm dating a Martian."

Marilyn said. "Now that's an odd idea, an Earthling thinking a greenie is inferior. Of all the things you said, that one doesn't bother me in the least. Who are George, Robert and Sara; and who are Melissa, Sandy, and Randall?"

George, Robert, and Sara," said David, "are three of the nicest people you can ever hope to meet. Will and I spent an hour last night talking to them about how a triad works. Sara put it best when she said that in a triad there are actually four relationships. There is a relationship between Sara and George, there is a relationship between Sara and Robert, there is a relationship between George and Robert, and over arching the all whole thing is a relationship between the three of them."

"They must have spent forty-five minutes explaining the group dynamics when Melissa overheard us talking. She, Sandy, and Randall promptly jumped in to explain how their relationship works. If I understood the six of them correctly the most important factors are openness between the triad members, honesty within the triad, and the willingness to forgive your partners' honest mistakes."

Will jumped in, "Yes, and the other thing is everyone needs to give 110 percent to make it work. As Robert put it, if you want a relationship without complications you need to be single and celibate."

Marilyn thought for a minute, then commented. "It sounds like a triad is a lot of work. What are the advantages if I decide to try this out?"

David answered first. "The first thing is you have two men who love you and want to share their lives with you. The second thing is, I'm willing to do anything to make yours and Will's lives as happy as possible. That includes walking away, allowing you and Will to work out your relationship without me. No matter what you decide about me, remember that Will loves you. He will make you a good husband."

"This morning when I showed up at the WHA hike I thought I'd lost any possibility of a life with you outside work. Do you remember the night you took me home? I described the perfect relationship for me as one with both a man and a woman in it. At the time, I said I didn't know any woman who would be willing to share that kind of relationship with me. Today, I am asking you to consider being that woman."

"I know I can trust you, I just don't know if you feel anything for me. All I know is every time I turn around you keep showing up. Somehow, our lives are intertwined. Not just at work, but outside work as well. I'm just asking you to give this relationship a chance."

Will started talking as soon as David stopped. "David's right, the most important thing is you end up with two men who love you, and each other. Neither of us are the jealous type. If I were, you would never date me in the first place. If David were, you would have known it on Wednesday. Yes, he told me all about lunch on Wednesday. The only critical factor he left out was the name of his administrative assistant. If you and I weren't dating, I think you would be dating David instead. No matter what else happens, I don't want to stand in the way of you and David being happy."

Marilyn held up her hands, one palm facing each man. "It sounds like you two have talked about this relationship a lot over the last few days. Will, I don't know about you, but from what David told me he has considered this type of relationship most of his life. Two weeks ago was the first time I even heard about something like this."

Continuing, she asked, "If you settle down with a Martian are you planning on returning to Earth at some point in the future?"

Wills response was quick and vehement. "I decided over a year ago that I never want to return to Earth! Mars is my home now, and I want to live here the rest of my life."

Marilyn turned to David, "Do you intend to return to Earth?"

David paused. The silence seemed to draw out forever, then he spoke. "I have been on Mars two weeks. The longer I stay, the more I want to spend the rest of my life here. Marilyn, if you and I marry I would never move back to Earth. The way Earthlings treat Martians would hurt you very badly. I would never be able to live with myself for exposing you to that much pain. If the three of us don't work out, I might accept a job on Earth if the company offered it. The more I find out about Mars, the more I want to stay. I don't know if that is the answer you wanted to hear but that is the truth."

Marilyn paused for a few seconds, considering David's answer. She finally said. " I am willing to give this relationship a two week trial. If after two weeks, it just doesn't feel right for me, I will let both of you know. As neither one of you will ever be truly happy unless you are in a triad, if I decide a triad is not for me, I will stop dating both of you. That way the two of you can look for a woman who knows you two are a package deal."

"I don't need to see how you look at each other to know that. All I need to do is listen to both of you saying you will walk away if it insures the other one can be happy. David, you said you would walk away if it meant that Will and I would be happy. Will, you keep pleading David's case and implying that you will leave if that means David and I can have a loving relationship. If the two of you love me as much as you love each other, I will never leave."

Both Will and David breathed an audible sigh of relief. David said, "Marilyn, tonight Will and I would like to take you to Dorothy's Place. We can all dance together without raising an eyebrow and you can meet George, Robert, and Sara."

Marilyn responded without hesitation. "I would love to go to Dorothy's Place with you and Will. You just need to tell me where it is."

David and Will gave her directions to Dorothy's Place. Marilyn agreed to meet Will in the lobby of Bradbury Towers at 9:30pm. David agreed to meet them upstairs in the bar. After giving David and each other hugs, Marilyn and Will went home.

Will entered Bradbury Towers' lobby a few minutes before 9:30. He stopped and scanned the lobby. Other than the guard at the security desk, it was completely empty. About two minutes later Marilyn entered the lobby. Will headed for the elevator when he was sure she spotted him. Stopping at the elevator, he waited for her. As she came up along side him, Will pushed the button. Waiting for the elevator Marilyn whispered to Will. "What's with all the secrecy?"

"Force of habit," responded Will as the elevator doors opened. As they entered the elevator, he continued. "When you live half your life in the shadows, hiding and secrecy becomes second nature. The last time people like David and I had a chance to live open lives was in Canada just before World War III. The rise of WestHem ended that. I have a hard time imagining a country where the government didn't give a flying fuck about who you sleep with. Somehow that sounds closer to heaven than I will ever be." As they exited on the second floor, Will turned to Marilyn. Looking her in the eyes he said, "I love you so much that sometimes I want to tell you to run away. The life WestHem forces David and I to live is bad enough if you are born like us. Marilyn, you have a choice. If it didn't hurt so bad to think about you leaving, I would put you back on the elevator myself."

"Will," Marilyn said, "I know I have a choice. As a Martian, I know what it feels like to be hated and reviled. I also know that no one ever loved me like you and David love me. Remember, I gave myself two weeks to decide. Everything you and David have done and said since this morning is making it easier for me to decide to stay. Now I want to see Dorothy's Place. Where is it?"

Will said, "We follow the signs to Suite 212. Like I said before, David and I live half our lives in the shadows."

As Will and Marilyn entered Dorothy's Place, an employee met them. He promptly directed their attention to a notice posted on a stand just inside the door. The notice read:

Notice

We regret to inform you that Dorothy's Place will no longer accept cash after Monday, April 30, 2136. Our bank fucked us over. Starting Friday, May 4, 2136, they don't take no cash deposits.

To keep FLEB from jacking your identity, all debit and credit transactions will be routed through Glinda's Groceries and Stuff. The bank thinks Glinda's is the real shit. If you don't tell them, we won't either.

The Management

After reading the sign, Marilyn commented. "I didn't know that anyone still used cash. I do not even know what it looks like."

Will chuckled at this. "In about two minutes you will see what cash looks like. I imagine David and I will try to use up most of ours so we don't need to redeposit in the bank."

Spotting David sitting at a table, Marilyn and Will walked over and sat down. Immediately David asked. "Did you see the sign by the door? I needed the door-man to translate it for me. I don't care how they cover my withdrawals, I'm afraid FLEB will find out. Being a rump ranger is still grounds for pulling somebody's security clearance."

Marilyn's eyes widened as she said. "David, without a security clearance the company would fire you."

David responded, "That is exactly what worries me. Without a job I would be living with the vermin within two months."

Will added, "I know what you mean about liking cash. I like the anonymity it gives you. Unless they pick up a fingerprint, FLEB never knows you touched it." Looking at Marilyn he continued, "Enough of the gloom and doom. We're here to celebrate the start of a beautiful friendship."

Will flagged a waitress delivering drinks to a nearby table. After serving the other customers, she stopped to take Will and Marilyn's order. "Will, do you want a Rolling Steam Ale?"

Will answered in the affirmative. She smiled brightly at Marilyn saying. "I'm Carmela, what the fuck's the haps you walking wet dream?"

Before Marilyn could answer Will spoke up. "Carmela this is Marilyn, she's David's and my girlfriend. She doesn't swing that way." Turning to Marilyn he asked, "What would you like to drink before Carmela goes down on you right here at the table?"

Marilyn chuckled and gave Carmela a leer. "I'll try a Rolling Steam Ale. Talk to me later about giving me a pussy licking. If these two dawgs don't give me a rankin tongue lashing I may take you up on it."

"You're with both of them?" Carmela asked. "Will, I heard you were only half rump ranger but I never believed it. David, does this mean you're only half rump ranger too?"

Smiling David said, "Carmela, bring me another Rolling Steam Ale." As he made shooing motions with his hands, he continued. "If Marilyn has any complaints about my tongue you can give me lessons. Now bring us our drinks before the lady dies of thirst." David's failure to answer Carmela's question convinced her the answer was yes.

Once Carmela walked off, he continued. "Marilyn, you continue to amaze me. Every time I think I know you, something happens that shows me a new facet of your personality. Every Earthling woman I know would have freaked out when Carmela greeted them like she greeted you."

"That was just typical Martian slang," Marilyn said. "Most of my girl friends talk the same way when we're not around Earthlings. On Mars, we just don't care who adults have sex with, provided everyone involved agrees. We do find exploiting children rankin offensive. It's the one place we and Earthlings agree on anything about sex."

David said, "The more I see Martians outside work, the more I think I should stay here the rest of my life. No matter how it works out with the three of us, I really think I would be a fool to go back to Earth."