CHAPTER 20

  "I got everything that a man could want

  I got more than I could ask for

  And I don't have to run around

  I don't have to stay out all night..."

  -Grand Funk Railroad

  ...

  Carl stood in the mirror, buttoning his shirt. Two patches over his breast pockets, the right one said Carl, the left one said Weyland's garage. His beard was a little bushier, he'd let it grow some.

  "Carl! Come give me a kiss, I gotta get to work."

  He smoothed his shirt one final time and walked into the living room.

  Penny was there, her usual dark blue pantsuit making her look every bit the part of government employee.

  They kissed, she smiled.

  "Have a good day."

  "You too."

  Things were good.

  The rift had disappeared three months ago. Carl had finally let go of his old life. This was his home now.

  He watched her go.

  They had started dating about a month ago. They were like magnets, no matter how hard they tried to ignore it, they couldn't stay apart. They had gotten their own place after Carl quit "consulting" for D7. Nano stood in the garage, the only piece of the armor he wore now was a wristwatch.

  He had another hour before he had to leave for work. He texted Steve, they were going to go to the drag races this weekend. It was his turn to bring the weed. Turns out, after all those low-thc "weedarettes", there was a pretty big underground market for regular weed.

  After a breakfast of Sugar-Bobs cereal he left the house and started walking. He didnt have enough saved for his own car yet. It was alright, he had his eye on a used Nevarro. This world's version of a classic muscle car. It reminded him of earths Chevelle, and a Mustang mashed together. He walked past it every day, it wasnt the '74 Camaro he loved, but it was pretty cool. He stopped at the fence to admire it. Old Bill was on his porch drinking coffee.

  "Shes waiting for you."

  "I did the math, six more weeks I'll have the money."

  "I'll be here."

  Carl smiled and waved as he walked on.

  Letting go of everything had been easier than he thought it would be. He thought about Robbie a lot, but there was nothing he could do to get back to his son. So, he'd moved on. Chloe was a fine woman, a great mother. He had no doubt that he would grow up and be a good man.

  He wished...no.

  He stopped himself. Thats how he had moved on. You can't change anything...you have to let go. He took a breath and pushed it out of his mind. The sun was shining, a slight breeze ruffled his hair, it was a beautiful day.

  Just live in the now.

  "Where the hell is the 10mm socket?"

  Carl looked at him and shrugged.

  "In the void with all my missing socks I guess."

  Carter laughed.

  "Well hand me a 10mm wrench would ya?"

  Carl plucked one from the standing toolbox and handed it to him. Carter had just started a couple weeks ago, Carl liked him. He was smart and a good conversationalist. In a garage, you had to be, otherwise the day could drag. Carl generally tried not to talk about his past but Carter had a way of making him talk.

  Now, everytime they went to lunch he would beg Carl for another story. He had told him about meeting Jeff the alien and fighting a bug monster. That had been the moment Carter stopped believing the stories and started believing Carl was just a good storyteller. Carl of course went along with it.

  To any sane person, his life sounded like ridiculous science fiction written by a madman. Hell, maybe it was, maybe he was being manipulated by the very gods themselves.

  It wasnt God that stood in his garage though. Nano was real. He had done all of it.

  He laughed.

  "You wanna let me in on the joke?"

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  He looked up at Carter.

  "Just thinking of an old friend of mine...its nothing."

  "Uh-huh, go see if we've got an air filter for this thing would ya? I got two more cars after this."

  "Sure."

  "...so me and 26 roll up. They've got guards, and I'm like..."

  He swung his arms like he was slashing with claws.

  "...so I kick in the door and we start bustin' heads. They've got a whole facility full of clone tanks, and they were all me! So, I'm like "fuck this!" I ran through them, smashing them up and stomping on clone heads. 26 grabs our buddy, we set a bomb and hightail it out of there. The blast was crazy big, there was nothing but a crater left."

  "You have a wild imagination man."

  Carter took another bite of his tuna sandwich. Carl just smiled.

  "Yeah. The bad guy wasnt even there when we blew it up. I'll save that story for another time, its pretty wild too. I punched a guy's jaw right off his face."

  Carter was laughing.

  "You should write a book, seriously, like a superhero book. Or no, a screenplay! This superstrong guy in armor could be fun on the bigscreen!"

  "Yeah, maybe someday. I'm not much of a writer though."

  Carter shrugged.

  "You're a hell of a mechanic though!"

  "Thanks."

  "Well dont go getting a big head or anything, remember the Glossners car? When you decided the oil plug was optional?"

  "Oh, come on man, I had like three cars lined up...it was a simple mistake."

  Carter was smiling through another bite of his sandwich, he nodded.

  "Mmm-hmmm."

  Carl rolled his eyes at him and swept up his trash.

  "I gotta go start on that red pickup."

  "Yeah, I'm right behind you."

  He was shoving the last of his sandwich in his mouth.

  Carl was walking back from the picnic table they had out back. Something about the red pickup...a memory was trying to surface but he couldnt quite get it. Whatever, he would just look at the work order again and make sure he didnt forget anything. He went inside and got back to work.

  That night Penny and Carl sat on the couch watching reruns of "Berties house". Penny seemed distracted, and Carl was tired, not much was said for a while.

  Penny leaned her head onto Carls shoulder, her hand intertwining with his.

  "I love that you have a job you enjoy, but your fingernails are always gross."

  "Oh, I know. We've got this pumice stone soap I try and rub under my nails but I think the grease is just a part of me at this point."

  She scoffed through her nose.

  "Uh-huh. Im calling it, I've got a briefing in the morning with Royles."

  She stood and stretched, then leaned down and kissed his forehead.

  "Dont stay up too late."

  "I wont."

  She disappeared into the bathroom, he could hear her brushing her teeth.

  Carl stared at the TV, he was still thinking about what Carter said. That whole crazy chapter of his life was done, maybe he should write it down. He chuckled...him...a writer.

  He shook his head and reached under the couch. He pulled a small tray with a baggie and rolling papers. Penny wasnt a smoker so he always waited until she was in bed. He sat there breaking up the weed and rolling a thinner than usual joint, because money was tight. Something else kept popping into his head, something about a red truck. What was that? He had finished Mr. Mayfield's truck today, he hadn't forgotten anything. Probably just his brains way of double checking...whatever. He flicked his lighter and inhaled.

  One more day to the weekend. He was really looking forward to hanging with Steve at the races. He took another hit and decided to get out of his own head, it was dangerous in there.

  Friday came and went, Saturday had finally arrived. The drag strip usually opened around noon, the first couple hours were the amateurs. They usually skipped those guys, the sweet spot was around three pm when the guys that knew their cars inside and out started showing up. Steve and Carl always sat at the top, all the way in the back of the aluminum bleachers. That way when they talked they could hear each other. It got really loud down by the track. Steve was telling Carl about some movie he saw, a zombie flick set on a farm. Carl was listening but his mind was kept getting stuck. Why did that sound so familiar? He must have seen that one. He hadn't watched many films in this world, maybe he was thinking of a zombie flick from his world.

  "I think I've seen that one...doesn't the guy get stuck in the basement?"

  "Yeah! Thats the one. Wait...you've already seen it? It just came out last week."

  "Huh. Maybe its a remake."

  "Maybe."

  Steve took another drag off the hog-leg of a joint he had rolled and passed it to Carl.

  "Whattya think of those new TS-350s?"

  "I think its got a lot of horsepower, but watch when the guy that has the lime green one comes around. He always has control issues on the sharp turns...theres something off there. Alignment maybe...or the rear differential is off. I bet I could fix it."

  "The mind of a mechanic."

  He shook his head with a grin.

  "Hey, its my calling...I love cars. I still wish I could show you my Camaro."

  "I wish I could see it bud."

  Carl passed the joint back.

  "Yeah."

  They sat and watched the cars for a while. That was one of the reasons he liked Steve so much. He didnt expect anything, and he was comfortable just hanging out. Some friends had to fill every moment with mindless chatter.

  Steve knew when to just shut up and enjoy things. He was the first true "best friend" he'd had since 26. 26 really didnt count, because even with all their differences, they were the same person.

  He watched as the next race started, the guy in the lime green car almost spun out on the sharp corner.

  Carl pointed.

  Steve nodded.

  Carl smiled.

  Steve just gets me.

  Carl got home late, Steve had dropped him off and gave him a big fat joint. He knew Carl was having money problems, Steve really was the best. He smiled as he opened his door, they should have him and his girlfriend Linda over for dinner, maybe next weekend.

  Penny was sitting on the couch with Andy, case files on the coffee table.

  "Hey Andy! How you been?"

  "Carl, hey. Yeah, its been a minute. Im good, just working on a case. We're wrapping up, I'll get out of your hair."

  He was scooping up files.

  "Oh, ok"

  He smiled at Andy but something...

  For a split second he saw Andy with bulging red eyes and a sweat slicked face. He blinked and looked again...just Andy. Normal Andy.

  He should slow down on the weed, yeesh.

  Andy patted him on the shoulder as he walked by.

  "See ya bud."

  "Yeah, good seeing you Carl."

  He left and Carl plopped onto the couch next to Penny.

  She was looking straight ahead. He looked at the TV.

  "Berties house again...I think youre obsessed with this show."

  She didnt reply, didnt move.

  "Penny? Are you ok?"

  She turned to look at him, tears streaming down her face.

  "What...whats wrong?"

  "Carl..."

  "What?"

  "I need you to wake up. Please...I miss you."

  "Miss me? I'm right here."

  "Please. Wake up for me."

  "I don't understand."

  He blinked and she was gone.

  "What? Penny? Whats..."

  His surroundings were fading, desaturating, the colors running down like a wet painting. Everything was black...

  "This can't be real."

  "Please wake up."

  "Penny? I can hear you...I..."

  Carl opened his eyes. Taped to the ceiling was two pictures. One of Chloe, the other of Robbie. To his left sat Penny crying into her hands. To his right a vase of wilted flowers with a note sticking out that said

  "Get well soon Carl! -Steve"

  He looked down at himself, he lay in a hospital bed.

  None of it had been real.

  He looked back at the pictures on the ceiling.

  A single tear rolled down the side of his face.