Daniel went to get his stuff. He grabbed a quick shower and changed into a suit. Enough people had been staring at him for one day, so if this would make things easier, so be it. Dressed and his bag in hand, he walked down the gangway. As he was almost down, he saw a strip of fabric flapping from a ring. “Crap,” he stated as he ripped it from the ring and stuffed it in his pocket.
“Daniel.”
He knew the voice. Then he saw Rhonda walking up to him. She was in her regular camouflage outfit. “Rhonda?”
“The one and only. Man, you look…” She smothered a grin. “Different.”
“What are you doing here? I mean, why are you here?” Daniel was stumped; he had not expected to ever see the Head Medical Officer again.
“I took a bit of leave and came over to see how you were doing. The folks here do dress up weird, Daniel. They even got you. They’re staring at me all the time.”
“Guess why I wear this,” Daniel said, patting his sleeve. “It stops the staring. Come, I was going home. Care to join me?”
They walked along the buildings to the exit of the harbour where Daniel used his hydger to call for a carriage.
Rhonda curiously eyed the device as he used it. “That looks odd.”
“Gets the job done though.”
“I’ll take your word for it. Say, what was that scene with you carrying ladies down and getting kicked in the butt for that?”
Daniel groaned. “Have you seen that?”
“Yep, and I want to know all about it.”
A carriage rolled to a halt. Daniel held the door for Rhonda. “After you.”
“Daniel Zacharias, is that really you in there? You scare me!”
On the way to his apartment, Daniel told Rhonda about the happening with the Seigner’s daughter and how all that had not gone all too smoothly.
“Be glad she’s not on the ship all the time. One of you would die,” Rhonda declared as they were in the elevator to Daniel’s floor. “Fancy housing here, Daniel.”
He showed her into the room where she looked around as he put away his things.
“Wow, that is a view here! Really blows the star base out of the water, Daniel!”
He came back and saw Rhonda still in front of the window. “I know. That is really great about this place. That and it’s cheap.”
“Obviously.”
“Let me take you out to dinner, Rhonda. It is too nice a day to be spending in here,” Daniel suggested.
Rhonda frowned. “Do you think that’s smart? Do you want to be seen with someone like me?”
“They already saw us, so who cares. I do think we could fix you up, though.”
“Fix me up?”
“This is one hundred percent insane, Daniel.” Rhonda stood outside the dress rental shop and regarded herself in the reflection of the window. “Just let no one on star base hear about this…”
She wore a simple grey dress. Her hair was kept under control by a hairnet and crowned by a small grey hat with a white feather. Her own clothes were in a large shoulder bag that still fit with her costume. The change was dramatic. Rhonda looked like a woman.
“My lady, would you accompany me?” Daniel held up his arm.
“What?” Rhonda stared for a moment. “Oh. Right.”
Arm in arm they walked into the street, getting lost in the crowds that all were looking for a place to sit and eat. Daniel knew where to go, and soon they sat in a small booth, separated from the larger seating area. Daniel had ordered a nice wine, the order for the food was out also.
“This is so different, Daniel. And the scary bit is that you fit in here.” Rhonda sipped her wine. “And this is really good, as far I know something of wine.”
Daniel nodded, drank from his wine also, and looked at Rhonda. “How are things on the base?”
“Okay. Nothing much happening so you don’t miss a lot. Troy got carted off to the shit planet, you know that? Right. Ludo turned around like a leaf after Troy left. Nice guy. Rudyer retired. Oh… I should not have mentioned that name, perhaps.”
Daniel frowned. The name of the general that had technically kicked him out of the service still sounded painful.
“Captain Chambers has taken over his place, he got promoted tremendously.”
“Oh, that’s good.” Daniel remembered Chambers. “Glad to hear that. If you see him, please give him my regards.”
“My regards,” Rhonda echoed. “You never said you were born here and just snuck out to the base, Daniel.” She grinned and finished her glass of wine.
During dinner, they had several more glasses of wine and talked about everything they could think of. Rhonda really enjoyed herself and Daniel felt as if he had never been so relaxed since he had arrived on NGC6637-VIII.
As they were sipping the best cognac-ish drink the restaurant had to offer, Daniel settled the bill with his ring. Rhonda was amazed by the simplicity of the system.
They walked back to the street where Daniel could summon a carriage. “Can I take you somewhere, Rhonda?”
“I think you can… Wait…” She dug around in the shoulder bag. “Dammit, where is the stupid bloody- oh, here it is.” She held up a cable. “I thought you might like to…”
Daniel stared at the cable as if it was something entirely alien to him. “You brought one?”
“Of course,” she said as she put it back in her bag. “As my dear mother used to say: never leave home without one.”
Daniel laughed along with her. “You had a really clever mother, Rhonda Flower.” He pulled out the hydger and called for a carriage.
They went into the apartment. They needed no light. Clothes fell, Bactine bodies connected, and the cable slipped into connectors. They spent most of the evening and part of the night making love in that amazing way that left them both drained.
Daniel woke up. He knew, before he had his eyes open, that Rhonda was not lying next to him. He got up and found her looking out the window, the morning light painting the town and the harbour in soft pastels. He slipped his arms around her.
“No, Daniel. Don’t.” She slowly pushed his arms away, yet remained standing against him, looking outside. “You know this won’t work. Not with us.”
“I know. But holding you feels good.”
“Okay then. Hold me. But that’s all.”
Daniel wrapped his arms around her again, but the moment was gone and lost forever. After a few minutes he let go. “I really want to thank you, Rhonda. For visiting me.”
Rhonda turned and leaned against the wall next to the window. “I wanted to. Just a visit. To check on you. My privilege, since I reconstructed you.” She grinned. “It’s good to see you again. Too bad I have to go again.”
“I still have a few days off, Rhonda,” Daniel said.
“That’s good for you. I have to leave today, Daniel.” She walked to the table with the shoulder bag, pulled out her clothes and put them on. “Thank you, for a wonderful dinner. For renting the dress. And the night I got to spend here.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
She shook her head, sending her short black hair dancing. “No. I would appreciate it if you could call me one of those carts and program it for the Embargo plaza or whatever the place is. I get frustrated spelling out the numbers that the thing doesn’t understand.”
“You mean the Embarcado Circle,” Daniel grinned. “Yes, I will do that. And I’ll pay the fare for you.” He got dressed.
