It was only the second time he had travelled between orbitals in any manner other than in sedation class, economy class was something most citizens couldn’t afford. At ninety five though, the insurance was more expensive than the upgrade, so Jose was going to have to pass four and a half days in the visibly clean but smelly hell that was the economy cabin travelling between Hab 9 and Luna Prime, but it was better than being transported unconscious like cargo. He sat in his acceleration couch nodding hello to his neighbour a young guy in his late forties.

‘‘Welcome to steerage.’ Said his neighbour.

‘Thanks.’ Jose replied.

‘I’ll warn you I snore, cost me two marriages, but I’ll pay for your drinks if can we stay friendly?’

‘I guess.’ Jose laughed for the first time in two months.

‘You don’t do this much?’

‘No, how do you know?’

‘Footwear totally wrong, regular travellers wear gel covers.’

‘Sorry, I guess I am old fashioned.’

‘Nah, don’t worry Papi. I’m here trying to make it in Earth orbital consumables,

I’m thinking you’re here for a more serious purpose.’

‘Yes. I’m on my way home from a very personal pilgrimage.’

‘Oh, you’re religious?’

‘No, not at all. My son was killed in an accident in Hab 9, I just wanted to kiss him goodbye before, you know… I can’t afford his repatriation.’

‘Oh, shit sorry, I mean, really sorry man. I had no idea.’

‘Of course you didn’t, it’s OK. Anyway you know, I kissed him goodbye and apart from how cold he was, it was kind of like he was just sleeping.

I’ve done what I had to do.’

‘Oh Papi.’

‘My son don’t worry. If you live long enough you’ll understand. My son was easily twenty years older than you and he’d had a good life. Damn, it took me nearly a week to pay my respects to all the women who thought they were his girlfriend.’ Smiled the old man.

‘I like your boy already Papi.’

‘So did I son.’ said the old man wiping a tear from his eye.

‘Oh shit there I go again, I’m only good at making money, nothing usefully human.’ Said the younger man.

A flight attendant was floating down the nearest isle towards Jose a mildly concerned look on its androgynous face. It stopped next to Jose and leaning over said;

‘Señor Jose Alvarez?’

‘Yes.’

‘You need to sync into the ship’s system, do you require assistance?’

‘Oh, no, sorry, my implants are over 70 years old, I’ll have to do it manually.’

‘OK señor, but please do so quickly, as failure to do so could delay the flight.’

‘Yes, yes of course.’ Jose said distractedly as he called up a holo display from his arm rest and started tapping the icons that appeared in the air in front of him. When he had finished the younger man said;

‘I wondered why my implants didn’t detect your name. I’m Bill Peters, Jose Alvarez I presume.’

‘Yes Bill, it’s always embarrassing, but I don’t get out much these days, so I don’t feel I need to upgrade.’

‘Can I ask a personal question?’

‘Sure.’

‘What operating system do your implants run on?’

‘Oh, Astro Penguin three I think. It’s open source, but it never seizes.’

‘Wow! Even the military couldn’t hack you my friend. A bit of advice, don’t ever change you OS, it may be vintage, but it’s secure, not like the new stuff.’

‘Don’t worry, I have no intention of changing it. You don’t at my age. Bill can I ask you something?’

‘Sure Jose.’

‘The flight attendants are they male or female?’

‘Neither and both, they’re clones, basically human but sexless. They only came out about a year ago.’

‘But they are so attractive.’

‘Yeh, they are designed to appeal to both sexes Papi and they have one big surprise if you get up close and personal, if you know what I mean.’

Both men laughed.

*

Jose was able to lift his hand for the first time in six hours and breath more easily too, the acceleration was easing back towards one standard gravity. Bill turned his head stiffly towards him and smiled.

‘Well Papi, I’m glad that’s over, I never get used to these 5G start-offs, in the old days it was 1G all the way.’ Said Bill.

‘I wouldn’t know, I was always in the cargo hold asleep.’ Jose said difficulty.

‘Fancy that drink now Papi?’

‘Yes why not, I’ll have a gin an tonic, good for malaria you know.’

‘Not much of that on the moon these days, but a good choice for travel. I’ll have one too.’

The androgynous flight attendant served the drinks .

‘Papi, I think I heard about your son, was it carbon monoxide that killed him when his atmospheric conditioner failed?’

‘Yes it was. How do you know that?’

‘I followed Xavier’s work, he was a genius in nano-tech circles, an inspiration, a great loss.’

‘He should have been rich, but all those girls you know.’

‘Haha, you can’t have it all, but from what I heard he’d just developed AI quality nano-tech, that would have made him rich for sure. Sorry, I shouldn’t talk lightly about Xavier’s death.’

‘It’s ok, I like to hear nice things about him. I spoke to his colleagues they couldn’t find any of his recent research notes, so I guess his break through went with him. All he left was a preprepared next of kin message and some strange text file attached entitled Dragon. It doesn’t make any sense to me; I’m going to show it to my daughter, she’ll understand it.’

‘Would you like my help, I can’t promise anything, but I’m pretty up to date.’

‘Sure son, it can’t hurt.’

Jose called up a holo screen in between them, symbols and characters appeared, Bill scanned them rapidly.

‘Papi, close the file now.’

‘Why?’

‘Just close it please.’

Jose closed the file.

Bill looked directly at Jose and said;

‘I know you have no reason to trust me, but I have just seen the Dragon. That file can make you rich beyond your wildest dreams and help humanity too. I could help you do this and I’m not going to pretend I’m not being selfish here.’

‘Son, thank you for your honesty and I don’t know why but I think do trust you. Probably the gin.’

‘Jose, I think we had better have another drink.’ Bill said looking flushed.

‘Bill I understand Xavier was clever, but how is this different from any other nano-tech break through?’

‘Papi, not dumbing it down too much is difficult. The dragon-tech can think for themselves, problem solve even interact with people and the big artificial personalities. The opportunities it offers are, well endless.’

‘This isn’t going to bring about the end of humanity is it? I’ve read things about nano-tech going wrong?’

‘The exact opposite, the danger is because it is dumb normally. This stuff can all but eliminate that risk. Papi, this is good for everyone, especially us, if you still want me in, that is?’

‘Bill, I don’t think I can take the risk of not having you on board, at least for now.’

‘Papi, I promise you that I’ll do nothing that is not in your family’s interest and you are the boss.’

‘I hope so Bill.’

*

Almost ten years later Jose found himself waking up in a hospital bed with a view of Lake Leman and the giant fountain that can only be Geneva. He felt comfortable but very disorientated. Nursing staff entered the room on his awaking and ministered to him saying soothing things, but he wasn’t together enough to understand what they said. He rested in this haze for several hours and then slowly remembered he was coming round after his first rejuvenation therapy. He looked at his hands, arms and body they were those of his forties, he asked the room AI to show him his facial refection, it was the face he had on his fortieth birthday. He mourned his wrinkles, but was sure they’d come back.

‘Sir you have a visitor.’ The calm male voice of the room’s AI said.

‘Who is it?’ Jose enquired.

‘Bill Peters.’

‘Let him in.’

Bill entered the room looking no more than thirty, he had a wide grin on his face and a bottle of blue gin in his right hand, two disposable cups in the other. He sat down in the chair next to Jose’s bed.

‘Well Papi, how do you feel?’

‘Still a bit groggy, but I’ll give it to you, I look great Bill and so do you.’

‘I told you licensing Dragon-Tech to the rejuvenation specialist was a good idea. We’re young even on a nano scale now. Their stuff is getting better all the time and we are getting richer Boss.’

‘As usual, you have the reason my friend. Am I allowed to drink yet?’ Said Jose, watching Bill pouring two large gins and producing I bag of ice and a tonic bottle from his jacket pockets.

‘Of course not, but I figured as we all but own this place, no one’s going to say anything.’

‘Bill, I don’t want any trouble with the staff. It’s not right.’

‘Oh Papi! You really haven’t got used to this life yet have you.’

‘No Bill.’

‘Oh yeh, I broke the news to your daughter about us taking the rejuve. She wasn’t upset like you thought she would be and after seeing me asked when she can be booked in. She’s on her way over from Luna with your great grand kids, threatening to visit you this evening.’

‘Good, that’ll be nice. What have you been up to?’

‘I think I’ve got a deal sorted with a manufactory cartel in the African Republic, should be a quite useful diversification for us. Other than that I’ve a mountain train ride planned near here on some 300 year old technology, should be cool.’ Bill took a hit of his gin.

‘Be careful, those things are real death traps. I can’t run the show without you.’

‘Don’t worry, I’m all backed up.’

‘Anyway, having your new neural net run on Astro Penguin has cost you a small fortune and I’ve got to smooth it over with our head of sales, she’s taken it as a personal slight that you are not running our own stuff.’

‘Bill, I’ll leave that with you; you’re good at that sort of thing.’

‘Ok Papi, going to leave the bottle with you, hide it before the kids get here. I’ve got a train to catch.’

*

It was Jose’s 150th birthday, he was sitting in his study looking at the view of Saturn’s rings through the observation wall. His party had been spectacular and very tiring. Bill walked in to the study and sat in the big leather chair next to Jose’s.

‘Bill, it’s a wonderful view I never grow tired of it.’

The two men regarded the vista silently, eventually Bill said;

‘Great party Boss, we sure have come a long way since that flight we shared all those years back.’

‘Yes Bill. We’ve been friends a long time now.’

‘We have and I have to say, its been a very profitable friendship for both of us. By the way your latest rejuve therapy makes you look about thirty five. Damn you look better than me, I’m looking forward to your 200th birthday.’

‘Bill, there’s something I’ve meant to ask you for the last forty years. May I?’

‘Of course, it can be your birthday present.’

‘My friend, it always amazed me the coincidence of meeting you. A chance in a million or two and not to mention the fact you didn’t rip me off. I didn’t care that much then, because I thought I’d reached the end of my life. Now I find myself in middle age, if what the docs tell me is true, with more wealth than I can spend. I have generations of family to enjoy and a business partner who is like part of that family.’

‘Jose, where’s this going?’

‘I don’t know, that’s why I want to ask you this. I know your history prior to meeting me is fake, good and believable, but nevertheless a forgery. Bill where did you come from?’

Bill sighed and said;

‘Does that matter now?’

Jose had a tear in his eye;

‘No, you have proved to be the most reliable person in my life and if you don’t want to tell me, I will respect that. I am genuinely curious.’

Bill shifted awkwardly in his leather chair, coughed clearing his throat and said;

‘Jose, your son Xavier was a very resourceful individual. As you have probably guessed I am a manufactured person, a clone to put it crudely. His plan was that I would be activated on his death and his personality and memories transferred to me. Unfortunately the technology to do that hadn’t been developed at the time of his death. He had set a back up plan which involved my activation. I was

programmed to make an assessment of his estate and take what ever action would help his family the most. So that is what I did. Sorry I never told you earlier.’

‘Bill, thank you for everything.’

‘Don’t thank me, thank Xavier.’

‘You are a man Bill, clone or not, you had to make choices, you will have my gratitude always.’

The two sat silently looking at Saturn’s rings slowly drifting past for a couple of minutes.

‘Papi, fancy a gin and tonic for old time sake?’

‘Yes why not Bill?’

‘Want to know my other secret?’

‘Go on Bill, I’m sure it’ll be less dramatic.’

‘I hate gin!’

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