Back from the Stars

Back from the Stars 2

Chapter 2

The front porch of Rick Hunter's house resembled very much the old mobile home that his father Mitch had built, with scrap rubbish and salvaged materials, all those years ago. Back when they still used to travel with the flying circus. Except that nowadays it was impossible to linger with a beer in your hand as you lazily watched the summer sun set behind the mountains. Rick had built a kind of transparent plastic dehor that enveloped the porch, and sometime, as now, he just sat in, and vaguely thought of his father...

Well not just of him. The run in with Lisa Hayes had upset him.

And soon afterward he had become bothered with himself, to the point of being seriously pissed off. He didn't want to see or hear from her again. Maybe.

The phone rang a dozen times before the android would finally answered.

"Hunter residence. Please identify yourself"

Rick remained silent, waiting

Lisa.

No, she just couldn't have his number

-First Lieutenant Dana Sterling, from the 15th Southern Cross Division, on Mars!

Rick's face suddenly became more lively.

he beckoned the device and picked it up, then placed it on the tiny table in front of him.

-What's taking you so long? Are you afraidof Leonard's calls?

She was so close to the camera that he could see nothing but her very clear blue eyes and the tip of her nose

-You r very pretty Dana, but you may move a little away from the screen...

-Oh sorry. It's just that I was getting dressed. OOk! Here I am, all dressed up now!

She stepped away from the camera and Rick caught a glimpse of her blond hair tied back in a messy tail. She was wearing an old Skull Squadron sweater.

Rick smiled faintly.

-What's going on up there?

Dana ran a hand under her chin.

-Mmmh, why not just drop the rhetorical questions? What's going on down there instead?

Suddenly her face darkened and Rick felt as if she were about to cry

-I didn't come across them. If that's what you are implying.

Dana nodded as if expecting it.

-Sure. And are you planning to see them? Are you going to see them?

Rick thought for a moment of telling her about his encounter with Lisa Hayes but then something inside him just froze. He ran a hand over his dry lips.

-No...I...don't take it the wrong way, but you know...

Dana rolled her eyes.

-I know, I know, but I thought you were over such stuff Rick. I mean, it's been 20 years...

Rick frowned.

-How about you? Have you moved past them?

Dana flashed a tugged smile.

-I'll never get used to them leaving me here. Or rather... there, I mean-oh you see.. But... you know I'm a little ashamed to tell them that those bastards screwed us. I didn't quite live up to my parents, they never lose. They are some damn geniuses.

She suddenly seemed to whine like a child and Rick smiled fatherly.

-It's not as you think Dana. They found Tirol and so on, but it was too late anyway... Don't you want to come back here to Earth for a while? You can ask Emerson to let you off with the scientific shuttle that will be coming next week...