Энди Вейр: Short Story Collection

“Like what?”

“You’d have to re-make all the relationships you had. At least, the ones that are important to you. Let me ask you, are you married?”

“Yes I am. Fourteen wonderful years.”

“When did you meet your husband?”

“Well, we dated for two years before getting married. So I guess it would be sixteen years ago.”

“All right,” Daniel said. “Imagine you rewound time twenty years. Now you have to wait four years just to meet him again. And even when you do, you have to do everything just right. If you mess up, he might not be interested, or he might end up with some other woman. See the problem?”

“I hadn’t thought of that,” she said.

“If you value your personal relationships, rewinding time would be risky.”

“Sorry, I got a little sidetracked,” she said. “Back to the real interview questions: I hear rumors that you’re helping fund a new company. SystemCo? Something like that?”

“It’s called Cisco. Yes, I have great confidence in them,” Daniel said.

The Limo pulled up to a dilapidated apartment complex and parked at the curb. The driver cocked his head toward Daniel and said “We’re here, sir.”

Daniel nodded and returned his attention to the phone. “I have to go. I’ve got an important meeting. Anything else?”

“No that’s great. Thanks for taking the time to do this interview, Mr. Stoltz. I know how busy you are.”

“No problem. Thanks, bye.” He hung up.

The driver exited the car and walked around to open Daniel’s door. “Shall I accompany you, sir? This neighborhood doesn’t look entirely safe.”

“Won’t be necessary, Charles,” said Daniel.

“Very well. I will endeavor to keep people from stealing the tires.”

“Good man.” Daniel said.

Unkempt, overgrown grass intruded on the footpaths as Daniel walked casually through the maze of structures. Paint peeled from every building, but the spray-paint graffiti was fresh enough. Bars had been installed on most of the windows.

He made his way to one specific unit and knocked on the door. After a few seconds, it opened.

The woman who answered it was beautiful. Raven hair fell across her perfect face as she pulled the door open a crack. She peered suspiciously through the opening at first, but once she saw Daniel’s finely-tailored clothes, she relaxed a little. Men in designer suits rarely robbed low-income apartments.

“Hi,” she said.

Daniel clasped his hands behind his back. “Hello. My name is Daniel Stoltz. We’ve never met, but I’m actually from this neighborhood. I used to live two buildings over.”

“You used to live here ?” she said. “You don’t look like you’re from around here.”

“It was in another life,” he said. “Things are different for me now.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” she said. “What can I do for you?”

He smiled and said “I understand your cat just had a litter of kittens?”

Back at the Limo, Charles watched warily for any potential car thieves. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his employer returning from the complex. Then he raised an eyebrow when he saw Daniel was cradling a tiny kitten in his arms.

Charles opened the door and bowed curtly. “A new friend, Mr. Stoltz?”

“A very good friend,” Daniel said. “Take us back to the mansion please, Charles.”

“With pleasure, sir,” Charles said, closing the door.

Daniel made a platform with his hands and held the kitten up to his face. She rubbed a fuzzy cheek against his chin and purred loudly.

He smiled and stroked her fur. “Nice to see you again, Sarah. I’ve missed you.”

Michelle fanned herself in the sweltering evening. As a college student living alone, she couldn’t afford a place with central air, and her dingy apartment’s wall-mounted air conditioner was a joke. The best she could accomplish was to open all the windows and hope for a breeze.

Her favorite sitcom had finished and the local news had come on.

“Police are continuing their search for the Midtown Butcher,” the announcer said with an appropriately sad face. “He’s killed six women so far, all in their early twenties, all in home invasions. Investigators believe he first gains control of his victims at gunpoint, and then-“

She turned the TV off. Nothing interesting to watch.

With a sigh, she pulled herself off the couch and trudged to the bathroom. She turned on the shower and doffed her clothes. After the water warmed to a reasonable temperature, she adjusted it to be a little colder than usual.

She stepped in and let the refreshing water wash over her. It coruscated down her body in rivulets of relief from the sticky heat she had endured all day.

Duchess, as she always did, loped into the bathroom and hopped onto the toilet seat. She watched Michelle through the glass shower doors and meowed in mild indignation.

“Yes, I know,” Michelle said apologetically.

Duchess meowed again.

“Yes, I’m a bad person for showering instead of petting you.”

Having lodged her complaints, Duchess flopped down on the seat and waited for the shower to be over.

Michelle grabbed the soap and began cleaning herself. She washed her face, then her shoulders, arms and chest. She had just started in on her legs when Duchess suddenly stood and spun to face the doorway.

Usually a mellow cat, Duchess cringed as she stared intently into the living room. She slinked off the toilet and hid behind it, never taking her eyes off whatever had her attention. Michelle craned her neck, but didn’t have the angle to see what the cat was looking at.

Michelle immediately remembered the news report she had heard only moments earlier. The police were still looking for the Midtown Butcher.

No, it couldn’t be, she thought. It couldn’t be!

Duchess cringed further behind the toilet.

Someone’s in the apartment, Michelle concluded. Shit.

She realized she had been frozen in place for several seconds. If he knows I’m on to him, he’ll have no reason to keep sneaking. I need time to think! She moved around a bit to make the water splash differently, as anyone taking a shower would sound like.

Could it be a friend visiting? She thought. No. None of my friends would walk in without knocking. Besides, the front door is locked. The only way in is to climb in through a window. Stupid, Michelle. Stupid, stupid, stupid. You left all the windows open.

Maybe it’s just a burglar? She thought. He can take my TV, computer, whatever. Then he’ll leave. I’ll just pretend to not notice and I’ll be fine, right?

She considered it for a moment, then shook her head.

No. A burglar wouldn’t break into a place with people in it. With all the windows open, anyone could hear the shower running from outside. The only reason to break in is to get me, not my stuff.

Her heart pounded as she shook with adrenaline. He’s coming for me.

She tried to keep from hyperventilating. I have a gun, but it’s in my car. Damn it! She darted her gaze around the shower. I need a weapon! Shampoo? No. Soap? No. Loofa? No. There are knives in the kitchen but that may as well be a million miles away.

She looked through the droplet-speckled glass door to the bathroom sink. Blunt objects…? Hairbrush maybe…? Oh, I’ve got it! The curling iron under the sink. Good handle and a solid metal shaft. I could do some damage with that.

A shadow flitted across the doorway.

A surge of terror gripped her so hard she could barely breathe. He’s coming. Now. I don’t have time to get to the curling iron. He’ll have a gun and it’ll be pointed at me. He could kill me with the twitch of a finger!