Read Three Lives Of Mary for Free Online

was the only way she could really be sure he was okay.
     
    ****
     
    The hatch slid open and Mary shuffled inside, her movement hampered by the canes that she still depended on. Her new body didn't lack strength, but her coordination was impaired despite gritty sessions with the rehab therapists. Her medical team didn't want her to leave, but her determination forced Tartoa into arranging a ride to the space docks.
    Ben was whistling. Mary couldn't place the tune, but that wasn't surprising considering how off-key he usually was. It was a good sign though and Mary smiled. She wondered if he was trying to add in ultrasonic harmonies, something he did when he was really happy and usually failed. But if he was, she couldn't hear them anymore.
    Mary dragged herself through to the main control room, the sight of the acceleration chair and control surfaces flooding her with happy memories. They'd shared so many years with her in there and she was glad she hadn't lost all that now she no longer had her supplemental memory.
    "Ben?" She spoke quietly, not really wanting to interrupt.
    The whistling stopped and several seconds passed before the audio crackled. "Is someone there? Jennar?"
    Mary's skin prickled at the sound of Ben's voice. It had been decades since she'd actually heard him physically, unfiltered by any CyTech. His voice still had the warmth she remembered from when they'd first met. Without her SLink she'd entered undetected, she realized. Normally Ben would just know. Now she was just 'meat' and didn't register with him unless he specifically checked.
    "It's me, Ben. Mary."
    "Mary?" Ben hesitated. "Mary? It's really you?"
    "Don't sound so shocked. You knew I was coming back. Right?"
    "Sure." Ben's voice wavered. "I was distracted and didn't notice you come in."
    Mary slumped into the padded chair, happy to take a break from standing up. A green indicator lit up under one of Ben's optics as he switched it on.
    "You look… good. Different, but good." Ben paused. "My sensors say you're good too. Everything went well. You're one hundred percent 'meat' again? I wasn't sure that was even possible. It's amazing, you look just like you used to."
    "I have an artificial heart."
    "Oh yes, J… someone mentioned it."
    A number of deep-space charts flickered across one of the auxiliary screens, the theoretical Jump routes highlighted in glowing blues.
    "Planning our next mission?"
    "Well, I guess. Maybe." Even accounting for Ben having to use the audio circuits his response took too long. "I didn't think… that is, you're not ready for a mission yet."
    "It will be a few weeks at least. Physically everything is okay, but the adjustment is a long process." Mary waved one of her canes in the air. "As you can see, I'm not at the somersault jumping stage yet."
    "No-"
    "Who's your friend, Benjy?"
    Mary looked around. A tall CySap dominated the entrance, arms folded, its chromed surface glinting menacingly under the internal lights and for a moment Mary thought she was looking at her old self.
    "You must be Jennar. I think Ben's been expecting you…" Mary tried to hold out her hand, but couldn't.
    There was a delay of at least thirty seconds—an eternity for a CySap—then Ben finally spoke. "I SLinked with her. That is, we SLinked. Together."
    A shard of pure pain stabbed through Mary's heart and her stomach knotted so hard that she wanted to throw up.
    "Jennar and her partner were hit by a radiation storm. He didn't make it." The words tumbled from the speakers almost too fast to follow.
    Mary remembered hearing the news several months ago and feeling sorry for the survivor. Now she wished they'd both died. Her thoughts were jumbled. What will I do without Ben? How could you do this?
    "You two are going to pair?"
    Again that ghastly long pause. "You can't SLink anymore."
    Her thoughts screamed impotently inside her head. That's temporary. Just until we can do a profitable mission. We discussed that. One damn mission and we'd buy back