Chapter 9

Will Powell's Apartment, New Pittsburg, Mars

Friday, May 4, 2136, 5:50 PM

David stood in front of Will and slowly turned around. "Well, do I look less like a preppie Earthling scumbag than I did before?" On Will's bed were David's regular work clothes: a blue pin striped suit, long sleeved white shirt, red and blue rep tie, white undershirt, and blue socks that matched the suit. On the floor were David's black dress shoes. Now he had on a blue gray t-shirt, khaki cargo shorts, and brown moccasins.

"Fuckin' aye."

"Will, with your accent you sound like a preppie trying to pretend to be a Martian at a costume party. I suggest you hold off on the Martian slang so you don't offend Sol and Maria any worse than we already have."

Taking his PC off his belt, David checked the time. Marilyn was due in ten minutes to escort them to her parent's apartment. For some reason, she was afraid that he and Will would bolt for Dorothy's Place instead of going to the Kinney's for dinner. The more David thought about the idea of going to Dorothy's Place and getting blind staggering drunk, the better it sounded. Knowing that your future was in the hands of two people who did not trust you, and had indicated they did not like what they thought you represented, was not conducive to soothing someone's nerves.

Thursday evening, David and Will had talked about their upcoming dinner with the Kinneys. They decided a unified front was the only way to handle the situation. David agreed to bring some Martian style clothes to Will's apartment for his approval. Both of them were determined to make the people they hoped would become their future in-laws comfortable.

Now, each of them wore t-shirt, shorts, and moccasins. The two of them might not sound like Martians, but they could at least look like Martians relaxing after a hard week at work.

At work today, he had watched Marilyn flutter and fidget all day. This almost made David a nervous wreck. By lunch, David was ready to tell her to take the rest of the day off, just so he could do his work. Before doing that, he stopped and thought about the consequences. Any change in Marilyn's routine would just make her more nervous, not less. David was sure the day seemed to crawl toward its conclusion for Marilyn. David, on the other hand, dreaded a second meeting with Sol and Maria Kinney. For David, the day flew by like a MarsTrans inter-city train heading for a canyon where the bridge stopped halfway across.

The sound of the door buzzer broke David's reverie. Will checked the security screen, and saw Marilyn standing at the door. He immediately said, "One minute," into the intercom, then hurried to the door. Opening the door, he invited her in, then twirled. "What do you think? Do I look enough like a Martian to convince your parents that I'm not the reincarnation of Joseph Stalin?"

"Actually, they are more worried that you might be a liar and cheat rather than a mass murderer. Their biggest fear is you two will deliberately hurt me."

"Marilyn, you are the only woman I love, you and David make my life complete. What will it take to make them understand that?"

"Will, they told me Monday that they will support any decision I make about our relationship. All you need to do is be your normal sweet lovable self. Is David here yet?"

"Yes, he's in the bedroom. I'll go get him."

Even as Will was speaking, David walked into the living room. Doing a slow turn he said. "What do you think? Does this make me look less threatening? I want your parents to like me for a lot of reasons. Without their approval, you'll never marry the two of us. More importantly, you care about them and what they think. That makes them important to me."

"Alright you two, I promised my parents I would deliver you by six thirty. We need to leave right now, or we'll be late."

Meanwhile, at the Kinney's, Sol and Maria were discussing their two prospective sons-in-law. In particular, they were discussing what they learned Wednesday at Casa Juan. They invited two couples, Sam and Tish Woodsman and Su and Lon Yan to dinner. Sam and Su both worked at Lynn Computers in the accounting department.

During dinner, Sol and Marilyn questioned the two extensively about Will. The picture that emerged was of a man who cared about his fellow employees. Su's desk was next to Will's, and she remembered the first day he came to work in the department. His preppie accent was so thick you could cut it with a knife. For the next six weeks, all the Martians kept their distance because they did not trust him. Of the ten people in the accounting department, four, including the manager, were Earthlings. The other Earthlings never missed an opportunity to let the Martians know that they were amazed every time a greenie could put on a tie without supervision. Will, on the other hand, kept a low profile and never indicated he felt Martians were incompetent.

He tried to be friendly with all the people in the department, and gradually, some of the Martians started talking to him. The more the Martians watched him, the more they were sure he was a rump ranger trying to pretend he was not. He never tried to date any of them, so none of the Martians really cared one way or the other. After all, a man's personal life was his own business. For some reason, the other Earthlings never seemed to feel comfortable around him. The boss's disparaging remarks about rump rangers did seem to increase after Will started work. Will ignored every jab from his manager, as if he thought they were aimed at someone else.

Sam thought the manager was afraid to fire Will, because of his connections. "I hear his father is some kind of honcho at Pharma Brands, but Will won't talk about it. Anytime someone asks him about his family, he changes the subject. If you push him, he says it is not important who his parents are. It's only important how he does his job, and treats people."

One thing both of them agreed on was if someone needed help, he usually offered it before they could ask. Both Sam and Su spent the better part of an hour describing someone who was a kind and caring individual. Finally Sam asked them why the sudden interest in Will Powell. When Sol told them Will was dating their daughter, Sam and Su expressed amazement. As Su said, "I wouldn't be surprised to hear he was dating someone's son, but I am surprised to hear he's dating your daughter."

Maria then asked Su how she would feel if Will was dating her daughter, Kim. Su replied. "I'm not sure I want my daughter giving up the trim to an Earthling, but if she did, Will is the one I'd select."

Maria knew that Sam had a son so she asked. "Sam if you had a daughter how would you feel about her dating Will?" Sam gave her almost the same answer as Su. He did add, "Will is a good person who unfortunately sounds like a preppy with a stick in his ass."

Today Sol and Maria were discussing what they learned about Will from their friends. As Maria put it, "Marilyn is right, he is a good kind person who doesn't care where you were born. We just assumed with his accent, he was a stuck up preppie Earthling who thinks all Martians are vermin."

"You're right, we owe him an apology. We dumped some rankin' bad shit on him Sunday." After thinking about it for several minutes, Maria agreed.

Sol added, "I guess we need to decide what kind of future son-in-law we want, or maybe I should say future sons-in-law. I know that to me, the most important thing is that he's good to Marilyn. After that, I want him to be someone she really loves, not someone she marries because he's available."

"Darling, I think we can agree she definitely seems to love both of them. I really think Will would make Marilyn a good husband. What I don't know is will David. What do you think?"

"You're right, Will is a good person. If David isn't just jerking us off with his talk about his ethics code, then he is more like a Martian than he knows. The fact he was willing to confront us about our attitude without trying to diss' us indicates he's not like most Earthlings."

During the entire conversation, the two of them were scurrying around in the kitchen making last minute preparations before Marilyn and her men arrived. Sol carried the silverware into the dining room to finish setting the table. "I'll handle the apology to Will, if you will smooth things over with David."

Moving into the living room, Maria said. "That's right. You take the easy job and give me the hard one. I'll think of something to say."

Still nervous, Will and David found themselves standing at the door to the Kinney's apartment. Marilyn stood behind them, looking like a sheepdog trying to corral two skittish rams. Will reached out and pushed the buzzer to announce their presence. Almost instantly, Maria opened the door and motioned them in.

Looking around the apartment, the two men noticed Sol entering from the dining room. The room they entered was a small living room, with two chairs, a couch, and two end tables. On each end table was a tasteful lamp. The main lighting source was the recessed lighting panels in the ceiling, although the book reader on one table indicated that the Kinneys used the lamps for additional light when they were reading

Someone, probably Maria, decorated the entire room in light blues and greens. David could see the dining room just beyond the living room. It contained a dining room table with six chairs and a sideboard. The sideboard appeared to be made of real wood. Centered on the table was a bouquet of roses, baby's breath, and ferns, tastefully displayed in a short glass vase. The light blue tablecloth appeared to be starched linen, with matching cloth napkins. It was obvious that the Kinneys were trying to make amends for their part in the Sunday lunch debacle.

Sol motioned them toward the couch and said, "Please have a seat."

Taking their cue, the three sat on the couch with Marilyn in the middle. David and Will did not sit with their backs resting against the couch. Instead both of them sat on the edge of the cushions and turned their bodies toward Marilyn, with their knees almost meeting in front of her. The effect was their bodies created a physical barrier between Marilyn and the rest of the room. With the wary looks on their faces, their body language implied they were trying to protect Marilyn from her own parents. Because of the problems that David and Will were having with their parents, subconsciously they both were trying to protect her from being hurt.

Sol and Maria noticed immediately that although both David and Will looked nervous, they both unconsciously moved into a stance that indicated they were protecting Marilyn. Maria sat down in her regular chair on David's left. This left the chair next to Will for Sol.

Before sitting down, he asked. "Would the three of you care for some wine? I have a bottle of 2134 California Chenin Blanc if you would like to try it."

All three of them indicated that they would like to try a glass. Sol returned from the kitchen carrying a tray with five glasses of wine, and handed them to everyone. Taking a box from the end table closest to her, Maria extracted two buds of AgriCorp greenbud. Opening the ignition chamber of the electric bongpipe on the coffee table, she inserted the buds and offered the tip to David. He promptly looked at Marilyn, who nodded ever so slightly. With his left hand, he took the tip and placed it in his mouth as Maria started the electric pipe. Inhaling deeply, David drew the smoke into his mouth, then handed the tip to Marilyn. By this time, Sol had returned the tray to the kitchen and seated himself. After inhaling deeply, Marilyn passed the tip to Will, who followed suit before passing the tip to Sol.

Having noticed the exchange, Maria asked. "David is there something wrong with the bud? You don't have a religious objection, do you?"

Nervously chuckling, David replied. "I don't have a religious objection. I do have a problem with marijuana. When I was a young man, I discovered it reduces my inhibitions. When I smoke bud, I don't care who knows I'm half rump ranger. When Marilyn tried to make me smoke some bud, she discovered my deepest darkest secrets. After a couple of bonghits, I told her my life story, including all the parts I usually leave out. Marilyn was indicating to me it was safe for me to smoke here, and you will not try to hurt me."

"We never even considered trying to hurt you. We definitely never considered using a bonghit to hurt you."

"I've had many people turn on me before, so trusting someone is not easy for me. In just a few weeks Marilyn proved to me she is someone I can trust with my life. She knows secrets about me that could cost me my job, and keep me from ever working again. I trust her, and know if she ever hurts me, it will be because I deserved it."

"If she has so much power over you, how can you love her?"

"I think part of the reason I love her is because I trust her. When she first found out my secrets, I didn't love her and she didn't love me. That happened later. Even if she ends this relationship, I'll still be her friend, and I will still trust her."

"David, we didn't even know about that. Sol and I already decided we owed you an apology. It sounds like I owe you an apology for thinking you'd use your position to hurt Marilyn. From the sounds of it, she could hurt you more than you could ever hurt her. Please accept my apology for misjudging you so badly."

"I accept your apology. I've seen how Earthlings treat Martians, you had plenty of reasons to worry about your daughter."

Exhaling a cloud of smoke, Sol said. "Will, Maria and I would like to apologize to you for our behavior on Sunday. We were both put off by your preppie accent and reacted in a very bigoted manner. We didn't even fuckin' know you, and we immediately assumed you were a butt-plug."

We talked to a couple of people we know who work for Lynn Computers. They both said you are static. When I told them you were dating my daughter, they both acted surprised. It seems they thought you were a rump ranger. I told them that as far as I knew, they were only half right. That did stop them in their tracks, but they didn't ask what I meant."

"I accept your apology. I've seen how some people who sound like me treat Martians. From what your friends said, I better be more careful at work. My immediate supervisor made it clear more than once that she despises rump rangers and muff munchers. If she ever finds out, she'll fire me."

"That's exactly what they said. They also said the only thing that stops her, is she fears the influence of your father." At that remark Will grimaced, then sighed like the weight of the world was pressing down on his shoulders.

By now, repeated bonghits relaxed David, and removed his inhibitions. This gave him the courage to open a subject that was bothering him since last Sunday. "I just hope that if the three of us marry, you will come to treat me as family, because you will be the only family I have."

With concern in her voice, Maria said. "I thought you said your parents were alive. Did something happen to them?"

"Nothing happened to my parents, but something happened to our relationship. Last Sunday I told them about being in love with Marilyn. They told me if I marry a Martian, they do not have a son any more. Actually, Martian is not the word they used, but I'm trying to be polite."

Seeing the look of concern on both Sol and Maria's faces, he went on. "Please, don't pity me. I realize now that if I ever had a long term relationship with someone like Will, they would disown me anyway. At least if they ever rerun my security clearance, my parents will say they disowned me for loving a Martian woman."

"What do you mean? What does being disowned by your parents have to do with your security clearance?"

"Being disowned doesn't have anything to do with my security clearance. But when they rerun a security clearance FLEB always checks with your family. If my parents are mad at me, the FLEB will ask them why. They won't revoke my security clearance for being in love with a Martian of the opposite sex. They will revoke my security clearance for being in love with anyone of the same sex."

"So what happens if you lose you security clearance?"

"Alexander Industries fires me with extreme prejudice. With the reference they'll give me, I'd be lucky to get a job cleaning waste tubes by hand."

"David, I cannot believe how your parents are treating you. I can't imagine Sol and I ever treating Marilyn that way. I cannot picture parents being that cruel."

"It's OK. After my conversation with them Sunday, I'm so rankin' pissed that I don't care if they never contact me again. I made it very clear that if I have to choose between them and Marilyn, then I'll choose Marilyn."

Will said. "David you're not the only one with family problems. A week ago when I mentioned Marilyn was a Martian, my father told me not to contact him again until I got over, in his words, 'this silly infatuation with a greenie slut'. Even if Marilyn breaks off our relationship this evening, it will be a long time before I talk to him again."

Maria asked both of them. "Why are you willing to give up your parents to marry someone they so obviously dislike?"

David spoke first. "I'm not giving my parents up, they are throwing me away. If they knew about Will, it would be even worse. I just don't know how to describe to you how Earthlings feel about homos. My parents would rather I was dead than a rump ranger. You don't care that the men Marilyn loves are half rump ranger. You just want her to be happy and safe."

"Sol and I care about Marilyn's happiness, not who else you sleep with. We've had sex with other couples from time to time in every combination possible. Why would we object to you being half rump ranger?"

"To be blunt, my parents think marrying a Martian is one of the worst things I can do. The only thing worse is me marrying Will. They gave me an ultimatum, bow to their wishes and give up Marilyn, or they will stop loving me. If they really loved me they would accept the person I want to marry, and deal with her being a Martian. If I ever tell them about Will, their heads will explode."

"I won't give up Marilyn or Will. They are the best thing that ever happened to me. Without them, I'd go back to being the sad, lonely person I was when I arrived on Mars. When I'm near them, colors seem brighter, food tastes better, and music sounds sweeter. I will do anything to make them happy. For me there is no choice, Marilyn and Will are my future. I will sacrifice everything to be with them including my parents' conditional love."

Then Will said. "I love David and Marilyn. My father never approved of anything I ever did before, not my choice of college, not my choice to be an accountant, and especially not my choice to work for Lynn Computers instead of Pharma Brands. Why should it surprise me that the reason for my greatest happiness causes his greatest anger?"

"You wanted to know if you could trust me. Well, my father would say you can trust me to make the wrong decision. If choosing Marilyn and David is the wrong decision, I hope I never make the right decision.' With that, Will seemed to run down and slumped forward on the couch. Without even thinking about it, Marilyn reached out to Will, and David got up off the couch. He went to one knee in front of Will, then hugged him. Will placed his head on David's shoulder as Marilyn molded herself to Will's other side, both comforting him and supporting him at the same time.

Watching the three of them together ended Sol's and Maria's last doubts about the relationship. They were not sure how it worked, but it was definitely working. After a minute, Will straightened himself and apologized for his behavior. Maria and Sol promptly stopped him by saying they both knew how painful it was to have a parent die, and they could not imagine the pain of having a parent disown you.

After asking Will if he would be alright, Maria went into the kitchen to check on dinner. Returning, she asked Sol to help her put dinner on the table. In a few minutes they had the chicken enchiladas, Mexican rice, and refried beans on the table. As they entered the dinning room, David and Will both started apologizing for bothering the Kinneys with their family problems. Maria stopped them in mid apology. "If you two are going to marry Marilyn, then your problems are our problems. You can come to Sol or I with anything." A look passed between Sol and Maria. After a brief nod of Sol's head, she continued. "From this day forward, we want both of you to consider us your family. Now everyone please sit down before the food gets cold."

As they sat down, Marilyn said. "Mom and Dad, I love you so much. Thank you for being so understanding and loving. After hearing what David and Will's parents have put them through, I feel like the luckiest person on Mars." Marilyn stood up, walked around the table, and hugged her mother and father, before sitting back down.

Over the next two hours, David and Will told their life stories. David even included the story of Bobby Parker. Sol and Maria could not understand why the school did not expel the bullies instead of Bobby. David responded, "That is just one of the many differences between Earth and Mars. On Earth, if my girlfriend's parents found out I was half rump ranger, they would forbid me to see their daughter, and possibly try to have me jailed. In the state of North-Southern, it's illegal to have sex with someone of the same gender. You two were only worried I'd act like the fuckin' preppie I sound like."

David continued his life story through meeting Marilyn on Triad. After thinking about it, he added a heavily edited version of the night Marilyn took him to O'Riley's Bar, her rejection of him at the office, meeting Will, and meeting the two of them at the WHA hike.

At this point Maria decided it was time to serve desert. The tres lechecake was a hit. David said it was better than any he tasted in Chihuahua. This was the first time Will tried tres leche cake, but he announced it definitely would not be the last. Both Sol and Marilyn complimented Maria about how good the cake tasted.

While eating the cake, Will started telling his life story. He covered all the things he previously told David and Marilyn. He also added a lot more about his family life. The more he talked, the more everyone else realized that his father never lost an opportunity to let Will know that he did not measure up. Now David understood why Will turned down the opportunity to work for Pharma Brands, where he was sure to rise quickly to a midlevel management position. From the way he described it, if Will wanted a successful career at Pharma Brands all he needed to do was sell his soul to his father. Mr. Powell insisted that Will do exactly what he was told, including attending the right school, for the right major, and marry a woman who would advance his career. Instead he found an accounting job at Lynn Computers where his career never seemed to take off. The fact that he was in love with a Martian woman was the final straw.

By the time he finished, all of them knew Will much better. The one thing Sol noticed was that when either Will or David encountered a problem, they solved it, found a way around it, or charged right over the top. His respect for the two men went up as the evening passed. Maria noticed how David and Will handled problems, but more importantly to her, she found herself wondering why Will's mother never intervened with his father. If his mother used any common sense at all, she would know treating someone the way his father treated Will only made things worse.

By the time they left that evening, both men were well on their way to becoming part of the Kinney family. Any doubts and reservations Sol and Maria felt were gone. As they left, Sol looked both men in the eye and said. "You have my blessing to marry Marilyn. I have never seen a triad before, but I believe you three can make it work. You are different from most Earthlings I know, but accepting people who are different is the Martian way."

Maria added, "You are welcome in our home anytime. I would have been proud to have either one of you as my son. I personally think your parents didn't demonstrate good common sense when they rejected you because of who you wanted to marry."

Looking very sorrowful, Will responded. "Maria, I wish I could defend my parents against what you just said. I love them and it hurts me to say this, unfortunately I agree with you. They don't have good common sense on this issue."

As they entered the elevator, David asked. "Why did you say you wished you could defend your parents?"

Both Will and Marilyn turned toward David with a look of surprise on their faces. "I have only been on Mars three years, but one thing I learned early is the worst Martian insult is to tell someone they don't have good common sense. There in no quicker way to start a fight than accusing someone or their parents of not having good common sense. When I responded to Maria I was telling her I knew she did not include me in the insult."

As the doors of the elevator opened on the lobby, Marilyn hit the button for her parent's floor. She stopped David from exiting by holding his arm. "David we need to go back right now. I need to explain to my Mother that you did not even know she insulted your parents. You need to either let her know that you understand she was not including you, or ask her to apologize."

"Why would I ask her to apologize for telling the truth? I think I'll let her know that I understand she was not including me in the insult, like Will did. I will also make sure I don't question someone's common sense unless I'm prepared for a fight."

Tom Brown Rents, New Pittsburg, Mars

Saturday, May 5, 2136, 7:45 AM

David, Will, and Marilyn entered the Tom Brown Rents near airlock 27; also know as the Twelfth Street airlock. Tom Brown Rents, a division of ToolCorp, controlled thirty-eight percent of the rental of commercial construction equipment in WestHem, and fifty-two percent of the biosuit rentals on Mars. The company also provided storage lockers for people who owned biosuits, but did not use them on a daily basis.

Marilyn led them past laser welders, drill presses, anti-gravity pallet dollies, and other equipment available for rent. Behind the counter, she spotted Tym as she approached. She quickly informed him she needed two CM-458 biosuits for the day, and asked him to remove her biosuit from its storage locker.

Tym returned a few minutes later with what looked like a large suitcase and handed it to Marilyn. He then proceeded to measure both men for their rental biosuits. Marilyn checked over her biosuit while Tym determined the proper sizes for the two men. Reviewing the measurements, he walked into the back to find the proper sizes.

Moments later he returned with two florescent green CM-458 biosuits. The CM-458 is the civilian model of the C-459 biosuit used by the MPG. Environmental Supplies, a Martian owned company, manufactured both models and all other biosuits used on Mars. Looking at them, Will piped up. "Well no one will have any trouble finding us if we get lost."

Tym promptly replied. "Fuckin' aye. That's the whole idea. If your communication and homing gear go down, search and rescue can still find you. You dawgs need to buy the one day pack. We only rent the suit, not the supplies.'

David asked. "What is the one day pack?"

"It's the fuckin' supplies you need outside. It consists of a waste pad to catch your piss, a food paste tube, and a two liter water tank. You put the sponge inside your shorts. We attach the food paste tube and the water tank to your suit before you leave. When you return the suit, I'll show you how to flush the lines, then I'll check them before I give back your deposit. Does that sound like an ass fuck to you?"

Seeing the blank look on David's face, he added. "Do you agree to the rental conditions?" Both men immediately agreed, and started to fill out the rental forms.

Over the next twenty minutes, Marilyn and Tym acquainted both men with all of the safety features of their suits, how to operate the radio including switching channels, and covered the basic rules of working outside in a biosuit. Next, Tym took them to a special room to test their suits.

David, Will, and Marilyn walked into the test room together and checked the seals on each other's biosuits. After this, they heard Tym's voice on the radio say, "Lightening." Immediately, the gravity dropped from Earth normal 1G to the standard Martian 0.38G. The two men felt like they were falling off a cliff. Will thought, Whoa, don't you dare throw up. Oh my God, this is something else. Thank heavens my stomach finally caught up with me. Meanwhile David was thinking almost the same thoughts. Bending forward and placing his hands on his knees, he took several deep breaths before straightening up.

Once Tym determined that everyone was OK and had not thrown up, he went to the second part of the test. The room was built like an airlock, and Tym pumped out the regular atmosphere, replacing it with air from the Martian surface. He also reduced the atmospheric pressure to the outside pressure. He then instructed each of them to check for leaks in their own suits and in the other suits. Once everyone announced their suits were alright, he restored Earth normal atmosphere to the room and switched the gravity plates back on. Suddenly, it felt like a hand was trying to push them into the floor.