The People Makers Ch. 04

"Sophie-"

She kissed him coldly. "Good night, Michael." And then she left.

Sophie often left angry. She would be back for more, Taylor knew. And maybe in a sense she was right. Once the Immortal was repaired he wouldn't be able to see Tessa anymore. That conflict, at least, would be resolved.

And yet, he knew he was also deeply in love with Tessa, and would be heartbroken when he left her.

********

"I was married."

Taylor dropped his spoon with a clatter. He was eating dinner in Tessa's apartment. She had made his favorite meal, synthesized filet mignon from Karibdis IV, and Saturn Space Potatoes. "What?"

"I was married," said Tessa.

"For how long?"

"Nearly four years," said Tessa.

"That's a... a period of time."

"Long? Short?"

"A period of time," said Taylor repeated carefully. "You want to tell me about him?"

"His name was Greg. He had blonde-brown hair, just like you." She smiled tightly. "He was a holographic systems programmer." She paused. "We had a great time, at first."

"What happened?" Taylor asked.

"I don't know," said Tessa. "Greg was kind, Greg was loving but... we just grew apart. It happens."

Taylor screaned her. Tessa was covered in a sparkly orange blob. She knew more than she was telling. She was trying to tell him something, that was why she had raised the subject, and yet she also didn't want to tell him. There was a very odd duality about her. He sensed tension and even fear within her.

Fear?

"I'm sorry it didn't work out," said Taylor, as he bit some Space Potatoes.

"So am I," she said, staring at him intently.

********

As they lay together in the dark after they had sex, Tessa asked an unexpected question. "How is Sophie?"

"Sophie?"

"Commander Sophie Astor. The First Officer of the USS Immortal. Do you know her?"

"Sophie? She's... she's fine," said Taylor.

"Keeping busy?"

Tessa's face was hard to see in the dark.

"She's... working on a project with Passive Observers International."

"And what about her personal life?"

Taylor felt his hand being squeezed in the dark. "What about it?"

"Is she seeing anyone?"

As a matter of fact she is. Me. We have almost-sex several times a week.

"Actually, she is," said Taylor. "She's been dating a worker at Port Auburn for some weeks now."

"Really?" Surprise clearly registered in her voice.

"Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"It's just... when I met her, she seemed like such a nice girl, but a bit lonely." Tessa sat up abruptly. "I just had a great idea."

"What?"

"A doubledate. Let's all have lunch together."

"Tessa, I don't know. Sophie is a very private person-"

"Arrange it, Space Captain." She kissed him to shut him up.

********

Taylor noticed immediately that Dennis Jerlock bore more than a passing resemblance to someone he knew.

Namely himself.

He recognized the gold-brown hair, the broad shoulders, the blue eyes. Even the shape of his face was similar. He glanced over at Tessa and wondered if she noticed it too. Tessa was very animated, giving Dennis sharp, pointed looks as she chatted with everyone. Taylor was pleased to see that Tessa and Sophie were getting along, sort of. Tessa was talking to Sophie who was very much in Passive Observer mode, giving monosyllabic responses where she could, but at least the two had not gone to war.

At one point, after Dennis left to use the bathroom, a black man with straight caucasian hair came over to their table. "Captain Taylor?"

"Yes?"

"Admiral Hebrewberger would like a word with you."

Admiral Chaim Hebrewberger was in charge of the Intelligence Branch. Not to be ignored. "Of course," said Taylor. "If you'll excuse me, ladies." He smiled at Tessa and then gave an imploring look at Sophie and tried to communicate telepathically with her. Please, don't make a scene while I'm gone.

Tessa smiled as he walked away. The Admiral was an old friend of her and owed her a favor. She turned her attention to Sophie. "I'm glad we had this time together. Dennis looks like a very handsome man."

"He is," said Sophie evenly.

"Of course, for women like you and me, we also care about what is under the skin. That's what attracts me so much to Michael."

"Oh?"

"Oh, of course, I can't resist that handsome face, those broad shoulders, and that big manly chest. What girl could? But while that got me started on him, what kept me interested was what was on the inside."

"What did you find?" Sophie asked.

"He's kind. A very kind man," said Tessa. "Eager to please, for the woman he loves." She gave Sophie a stare. "He's cautious, but not to an extreme. He's deliberate, thoughtful, methodical. He's solid. Grounded. He inspires people to want to follow him."

"Yes... that's true," said Sophie.

"And then there's you," said Tessa.

"Me?"

"In addition to being in love with Michael, you're loyal, fiercely loyal to him. You care deeply for him. You're not just his best friend, but probably the best friend anyone like him could ever have. You guard your commander's back like it was your own. You care for him so much that you would readily risk your own life to save him. You're an incredible friend."

Sophie's stoicism cracked. "Did... did he tell you that?"

Tessa shook her head.

"Then how-"

"From the way he looks at you," said Tessa. "The way he looks at you when he thinks I'm not looking at him." She spooned some yellow Space Jello and swirled it around in her mouth. "It must be difficult for you, seeing him with me. Another woman would be envious, jealous even. But in two months our roles will be reversed. You'll be the happy one, and I'll be the envious one."

For once in her life Sophie was speechless.

Tessa put her hand over Sophie's. "I'm glad."

"In what way?"

"That when my time with Michael is over, that he'll have a good friend to console him like you." And she stared Sophie straight in the eye in a way that made the Passive Observer shiver all over. "Like you, I want him to be happy."

Sophie tried to speak but words wouldn't come out. It was at that moment that Taylor and Dennis returned to the table.

"Ladies?" He glanced from one face to another. "Everything all right here?"

"Quite all right. Isn't it, Sophie?"

Sophie nodded, not trusting her voice.

"What were you talking about?" Taylor asked, as he sat down.

"Nothing much," said Tessa. "Just some things we have in common."