Piece Simul ✔

Chapter 47-Samuel-Too Many People

--B.T.L.: Before the Launch

--Dura-Chamber Archive Scan * 083784

Three days before take off, and the investigator, Trina Davidson, was ready to meet.

She was discreet. Sending the file could cause corruption, or prying eyes. Like Samuel, she trusted the old ways: paper.

They met at a dog park near his place. Not to take his dog, but for hers. With the storm ravaging animals and the elderly alike, Samuel had never owned a dog. Even if they were the only people at the park, he was surprised she risked her dog being exposed.

"Here." Trina handed him a file, sans fanfare.

She kept her eye on the labrador, as though she had just realized how stupid bringing it outside had been.

Samuel hefted the file. "Thanks for this."

"Mmmhmm."

She squinted against the glare of the afternoon sun. He watched her dog frolic in the grass, chocolate coat gleaming.

"I don't usually comment, but," she clucked her tongue, "shit's fucked up."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

They sat in silence. Her gaze remained fixed on the dog, though he could tell her gears were still turning over the file.

"You have something extraordinary to do," she said.

"I do," Samuel said softly.

"In order to do it right, to save people, you should have a clear mind."

"Generally, sure."

Already, he guessed at what she must be getting at, but he was bracing to hear it aloud.

"That shit," Trina nodded at the file Samuel grasped , "is gonna cloud everything up."

Samuel sighed. The manila envelope felt crisp in his hands. Full of answers.

Thorough.

He thought of his mother, threatening to cease playing games with him because he never knew when to stop. For his own good. Just stop.

He left Trina promising the mission would be fine, but understanding wholeheartedly that he had no other choice but to read the file.

~*~

15 minutes in, and the conversation was already going exactly how he thought it might.

"Eva, Eva, stop with the bullshit."

Samuel's words slurred together. Besides the conversation, the rest of the night was going how he hoped it wouldn't. For starters, he was supposed to be sober. That had gone out the window when he had arrived at Eva's house, and she had offered him wine, sex, and more wine. As it was close to his last night on earth, and the last chance he might have at such an offer, it was harder to resist her than anticipated.

"It's not bullshit," Eva insisted.

Her mouth set into a hard line, one he'd seen before, but hardly ever aimed at him.

Far different from the sardonic half-smile reserved for him.

The same smile she'd shared years ago at dinner, right before asking, "Don't you sometimes feel there's too many people on the planet?"

He laughed if off. 5 billion wasn't a lot, especially not considering the number of people lost over the decades. Now, he realized Eva hadn't been tossing out an off-hand joke. Either as part of the radical group or just a sympathizer, she had meant what she'd said.

"Then what about the fucking proof," he said.

She didn't need to know the details, but him having said it was enough. She was aware of how meticulous he was.

"You know I would never---,"

"But there's too many people on the planet, remember?"

Not intending to, Samuel yelled the question.

Eva appeared shaken at both his tone and the implication. They were outside, on the balcony overlooking the driveway.

A slight breeze stirred hair around her puzzled face.

"What are you--- that was a joke."

Eva reached for him, but he ducked to avoid her touch. Emboldened, she laughed.

Her nonchalance enraged him. So much so, that when she reached for him a second time, he pushed her hand away.

Having drank more wine than he, Eva stumbled backwards. She teetered dangerously close to the edge of the balcony, hand outstretched in a universal gesture of help me!

Time slowed. Samuel had a wealth of moments to consider Eva's hand. Long, tapered fingers, ending in pink, manicured nails.

Don't you sometimes feel there's too many people on the planet?

In a split-second decision, he did not reach back. Eva flailed, then tumbled over the balcony ledge.

She released a short, bursting wail, ending abruptly with a smack.

Samuel wished he hadn't heard the sound. The smack of Eva hitting the driveway.

~*~

She had reached for him. Didn't matter. The file had told everything.

Eva had never really lied about things. She had merely neglected to mention her interests. Including Green Eyed meetings. Years and years, before they had met, and through their professional and not so professional relationship.

Green Eyed were in favor of spreading the Storm. Cleansing the planet, any means necessary. With her position and access, Eva had all the means. The last two missions had been doomed from the start. Samuel was convinced of it. He was also paranoid that she'd sabotaged this latest mission in ways all the thorough in the world couldn't account for.

All this had bombarded his mind when Eva had reached for him.

And he. Just. Couldn't.

Through a haze of shock and tears, Samuel remembered to gather his clothes, rub his prints off shiny surfaces, and erase the video footage.

Trina was entirely right.

He had a job to do, and he couldn't let bullshit get in the way.