"You know I'm never going to get the hang of this game, Libs" said Summer, her mind getting as exhausted as her body. The two young women had just done a calisthenics routine in their back garden and now Liberty had challenged her to a game of chess straight afterwards. For Summer it seemed like a good idea at the time but now she was two pawns and a knight down and Liberty hadn't lost a piece.
"Be patient. It's all about developing the mind..." said Liberty.
"I'm already aching from those exercises and now you want to give me a headache!" Summer replied.
"Feed the body, exercise the body...feed the mind, exercise the mind" said Liberty, emphatically.
"I need feeding that's for sure! A bowl of natural yoghurt and peppermint tea isn't my idea of breakfast!"
"You need to keep your figure for the wedding!" said Liberty, tapping the chessboard.
"So you keep telling me..."
"...and Checkmate! Well, Summer, thanks for the game but I've got a ton of things to do today so I'm going to shower, get dressed and get right on it."
Summer looked down at the chessboard and sighed. Once, just once, would she like to beat Liberty at chess but it wasn't going to be today.
"Same with me...Travis and I are going to take a little trip to Tartosa" she said. Liberty raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"The wedding capital of the State? Very nice. Have a great time." she said as she got up to go to the bathroom.
Summer stood up and stretched her arms and legs...she could hear some creaking from her tired muscles and bones and let out a sigh of exhaustion. On top of all the stresses of wedding planning, she now had to deal with her housemate, who had turned into some kind of P.T. instructor.
"Well hellooooooooooo nurse!" came Travis' voice from behind Summer. She turned around to see her fiance standing there, eyeing her up and down with approval. At least none of this build up to the big day seemed to have a negative impact on him, she thought.
"I never get bored with the sight of you in skin tight clothing..." he added.
"Tsch, you have a one track mind, Travis Scott!" she replied.
"I only have eyes for you, darling. Now, are we ready to head off to Tartosa?"
"I can't go dressed like this..." she said and, on sniffing her armpits "...or smelling like this either. I need a shower first and then make myself look presentable."
"You could be wearing a potato sack and you'd still look presentable" said Travis.
"I think I can do a lot better than a potato sack...we'll leave in about an hour." she replied.
"An hour! Sigh, alright, I'll twiddle my thumbs until then" he said, looking resigned to waiting that time.
Tartosa! Wedding Capital of [state] and just 20 miles south of Sim City. Secluded in a bay that gives the small town a Mediterranean style microclimate of its own, it was land once owned by the Landgraab brothers; Malcolm I and Gordon, but sold to Italian immigrants in the 1870s and they built a charming and beautiful town in the Italian style. It wasn't until the 1920s that it gained a reputation of being a wedding destination. The beautiful beaches and hills made for a splendid setting for weddings, hotels, guest houses and restaurants sprang up all catering for newlyweds but also tailors, dressmakers, bakers and florists all specialising in The Big Day. Travis and Summer decided to head here for the day in order to finalise things for their own nuptials, looking to get flower arrangements and a wedding cake.
"Oh Travis, it's even more beautiful than I remember..." said Summer, gazing lovingly at her surroundings and then back at her fiancé.
"Do you know, I've never been here" Travis replied "but I'm going to make up for lost time now" he said, holding her hands.
Summer was swept up in Travis' romanticism. He didn't display that side of him often but when he did, he could charm her off her feet.
"Sigh, much and all that I want to walk hand in hand with you along the beach we're here on business." she said.
"Very serious business" Travis replied.
"Indeed. So, enough of this lah-di-dah...let's do what we came here to do"
They sampled cakes, took advice on flowers and browsed all the wedding paraphernalia shops in town. They managed to order table decorations and embossed name cards for all the guests. At one point Summer wanted to visit a bridal boutique in order to get some accessories for her gown but because she had to describe to the shop assistants what her dress was going to be like, she sent Travis away so the secret of it would be kept from him.
He strolled around the square and encountered two older ladies who were doing a spot of painting. He was trying to work out what the painting was of when they turned to greet him.
"Do you like art?" said the lady holding a brush. She was a negro woman who wore a green cardigan and white skirt.
"Mostly. That's nice what you're doing there...groovy...but you're going to have to help me out here...what is it meant to be?" Travis replied.
"It's an abstract, it's more an impression, a mood than a literal representation" said the other lady, who Travis guessed was either mixed race or whose ancestry was Latin American or even Mediterranean.
"Oh yeah, I get it now. I like it, especially the colours you've used" said Travis.
"Now a young, fashionably dressed man like yourself is usually in Tartosa to arrange a wedding..." said the woman in the green cardigan.
"Yep, I certainly am. I'm with my fiancée but because she's in that bridal boutique I'm banned from finding out what her dress is going to be like."
"Aww, sweet. You two sound like you're doing things the traditional way."
"That's us. Well, that's Summer...my intended. She's got it all planned. My name's Travis, by the way."
"I'm Dominique, this is my better half Camille."
"By better half you mean? Oh...I get it. Well, that's groovy too." said Travis, a little awkwardly because he wasn't used to meeting same sex couples, especially two women but he didn't want to sound judgemental.
"We live in Tartosa and love it" said Dominique. "The irony being that in the wedding capital we can't get married ourselves"
Travis chuckled with the two women. He was taken with their very openness about their relationship.
Summer soon came to join them and as Travis looked at her walking towards this little group he was once again taken aback by how beautiful she was.
"Wow...Travis...is that her?" said Camille.
"It certainly is" he said, beaming with pride.
"She is lovely!" said Dominique.
"Hello Travis...making new friends?" said Summer when she got to the group.
"Yeah, this is Dominique and Camille and they're locals around here." said Travis.
"Hi, I'm Summer and you're already getting to know Travis"
"Yes, he's been telling me about your upcoming wedding. I hope all went well at the boutique; it has an excellent reputation" said Dominique.
"Not that we ever visit it" added Camille.
"Oh really? I suppose you're already mar..." began Summer but Travis quickly interrupted her before she could put her foot in it.
"...settled. But they've been telling me all about how wonderful Tartosa is."
"To answer your question, we're lesbians" said Camille. Summer raised an eyebrow.
"Oh...ah...well..." said Summer, taken aback and trying to find something appropriate to say.
"And isn't it groovy, Summer? And open about it as well." said Travis, trying to help his girlfriend.
"Well, why hide it anymore?" said Dominique.
"Which we've had to do for years now but with you kids showing us the way with the peace and love, we decided to stop hiding and be open about it." added Camille.
"Like the Beatles said, 'hey, you've got to hide your love away'...although in your case you're doing the opposite" said Travis.
"Well, I do love your painting" said Summer. "Do you paint professionally?"
"Semi-pro. I've retired from regular work but I now paint mostly for enjoyment although I do exhibit my work in the local gallery here" said Dominique.
"Well, Travis, we must be getting along...I do love that painting though."
"Hey, how much would you sell it for? It could be a wedding present" said Travis.
"For you, 50 Simoleons" said Dominique. It'll be finished in a couple of days and you can either come back or I can sent it to you...are you from Sim City?"
"We are. 50, sure. We'll sort out the details after Summer takes me to the next place on our itinerary!"
The ladies recommended a bar for Travis and Summer to check out once they had done their shopping and it was there that the young couple took stock of what they had achieved and what was still left to be done.
"Well, that's it...we're pretty much sorted" said Summer. "And you've got the honeymoon destination arranged, Trav?"
"Oh...yes..." in reality, he had narrowed the possibilities down to three places but he hadn't told Summer that nothing had been booked for definite yet.
"Great. Oh, Travis, I wish the wedding were tomorrow!" Summer said with a gleeful sigh.
"Steady on! Let's enjoy these last 3 weeks before the big day"
"I suppose so..."
They moved from the bar to a cosy seat that overlooked the bay and enjoyed a romantic break in the middle of their busy day. Summer knew at some point they had to get back to Foundry Crescent in time for her to go to work and Travis had planned to meet up with Jeremy for a guy's night.
"What have you got planned with Jeremy?" Summer asked.
"There's a new sci-fi series on TV that's debuting tonight; we made plans to check it out" replied Travis.
"Would that be the new series of Llamaman?"
"That's not science fiction!" said Travis, rolling his eyes.
"I'll never get the appeal of those kinds of shows...anyway, we're here, a glass of sparkling wine inside us and the mood is very...romantic. Don't you think?"
"Oh yes! Picturesque...hey, Summer, are you snuggling in closer?"
"We should come here more often..." said Travis.
"Absolutely"
"Sigh, I've got to make a move to get to work now. You take the car, I noticed there's a bus that goes from here right to the centre of the city so I'll catch that"
"You sure?"
"Yeah, you'll need to get the snacks and beers in before Jeremy's visit so you'll need the car more than me. See you tonight...lover!"
After she left, Travis got another drink and found that the locals here were very outgoing...a woman at the bar started a conversation.
"I can spot a couple planning a wedding a mile off" she said.
"That obvious, eh?" replied Travis.
"When you've been here long enough you can spot the signs. So, got everything planned?"
"Nearly everything. Just got the honeymoon destination to sort out"
"Now that's important! When are you getting married?"
"First week of October"
"Cutting it fine...do you have anywhere in mind?"
"Either Granite Falls or Sulani"
"Granite Falls will be cold and rainy at that time of year. Sulani's more expensive; great if you have the budget"
"I know, I've seen the prices of hotels and rentals out there."
"Do you know there's the Villa Vigna that's for rent? Very popular with honeymooners and I happen to know a scheduled booking has fallen through and the owner wants to rent it out asap. I could give you the details if you're interested?"
"Count me in! That sounds ideal! My fiancé and I have kind of fallen in love with Tartosa..."
A trip to the other side of Tartosa, a conversation with the site manager and a deposit cheque laid down and Travis had secured the honeymoon destination. Now it was the drive back to Foundry Cove and for his guys' night in with Jeremy. This new show had better be good...
"What are you doing, Travis? You never cook anything unless it's on the BBQ" said Liberty, emerging from her room and seeing Travis frantically at work mixing something up in a bowl.
"I'm making a salsa dip for when Jeremy comes around."
"Jeremy's coming around?" asked Liberty, for whom this was the first she'd heard about it.
"Yeah, we're going to watch that new sci-fi show on NBC. Star Wagon or something like that"
"Oh that! Oh can I watch too! I've heard good things about it."
"You can be an honorary guy for the evening...now let's get the nachos and the beers and Jezza will be here soon."
Just then the doorbell rang and Travis went to answer it. "Oh, Liberty...can you finish off that salsa? It just needs a bit of Tabasco and it's done."
"Yes....sir!" she said, sarcastically.
Travis greeted Jeremy enthusiastically "Thanks for coming...so I've got the beers in and Liberty's just finishing off the snacks and in 10 minutes we'll see if this show's worth it or not."
"I saw the preview and it looks exciting" Jeremy replied. The two men settled down on the couch, turned the TV on and got their first beers.
"There's been a lack of sci-fi on TV since they cancelled The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits" said Travis.
"Well, this show isn't an anthology series from what I hear. It's kind of like Forbidden Planet with a spaceship crew solving alien problems each week." Jeremy replied.
"Ooh, it's about to start!" interrupted Travis.
"And now on NBC...we are proud to present a brand new action drama set in space: Prepare to embark on a....Star Trek!"
"Captain's log....Stardate 1531.1....Our position, orbiting planet M-113. Mr......SPOCK is in.....temporary command of.....the....Enterprise.....whilst Doctor......McCoy and.........myself beam down to the planet"
"That is a cool looking ship" said Travis.
"Yeah, and they have a teleportation device by the looks of it" Jeremy replied.
"Hey, is that William Shatner? He's so dreamy!" said Liberty, who had brought the dips and chips over and sat down next to the guys on the couch.
"I'm.....Captain......James T. KIRK of the........Starshipenterprise....SPOCK! You've GOT to get us......out of here!"
"I'm digging the uniforms" said Travis.
"Yes...the female one is particularly......comely" said Jeremy.
"Gotta get one for Summer....oh, and you'd look great in that uniform as well, Libs"
Liberty didn't say anything but instead raised her eyebrow, suspiciously.
"This isn't Nancy, it's the creature! If it were Nancy could she take this?" SLAP!
"Steady on, Spock!" cried out Liberty.
"They killed the creature, even though it was the last of its kind" mused Jeremy.
"Yeah, but it was rampaging, killing everyone. They had to do it" said Travis.
"I know....but there might of been another way...."
"You're sounding like the characters on this show"
"That....was awesome" said Travis.
"Same time next week then?" asked Jeremy.
"For sure. I'm not missing this show. Cool spaceship, creepy monsters and hot, hot crewwomen!"
"I hear you, buddy. How's the wedding planning going?" asked Jeremy.
"Smoothly...I even got the honeymoon sorted. We're going to Tartosa!"
"Tartosa? Great place. Well done you."
"Anyway, must get going now...good to catch up, Travis, well done on the honeymoon and yeah, let's watch more Star Trek."
Yep, for Travis it had been a good day. He'd remember September 8th, 1966 for a long time......
1986
"Parker! Melody! Come on...we'll be late for the movie!" Yelled Travis at his teenage children.
"Whoa, Dad, calm down...I'm here already" said his son, Parker.
"I do wish you wouldn't hide yourself in the same room I'm in: It's creepy" said Travis. "Now where's your sister?"
"I'm ready to go" said Summer, emerging from the master bedroom.
"And looking wonderful as ever" said Travis, beaming at his lovely wife. They'd just celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary and for him, she was always his one true love after all these years.
"Where's Melody?" asked Summer.
"Still perming her hair and slapping on more make up" said Parker with a shrug.
"Melody darling..." said Summer, "it really is time to go"
"Hurumph...I know!" replied Melody from her bedroom in a testy manner. "I'm doing something important here!"
Melody strutted from her bedroom, flapping her hands. "My nails still haven't dried properly!"
"Well, we'd better get going...the movie starts in a half hour." said Travis, picking up the car keys from the counter top.
As they stepped outside and walked to the car, Melody asked "What movie are we going to see again?"
"Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" replied Travis.
"Rad!"
"Gnarly!"
"It'll be great! I've taken you kids to see every Star Trek movie and we have every episode on VHS" said Travis, proudly.
"Your father is quite the Trekkie" said Summer.
"Trekker, Summer, it's Trekker, not Trekkie" corrected Travis.
"Did you know, kids, that your father and your Aunt Liberty and Uncle Jeremy watched the very first episode the night it was broadcast? They've been die hard fans ever since."
"How many fake uncles and aunts do we have?" said Parker. "I mean, there's Uncle Jeremy, Auntie Liberty, Auntie Julia...and the mysterious Auntie Suzy. What happened to her?"
"We....don't like to talk about that" said Summer, her face suddenly becoming sullen.
More depressing news today, thought Action. The war in Vietnam was becoming a stalemate, all that hard fighting and gains won just a year ago was being squandered now. And there was a threat of a coup d'etat in Syria. The world's getting more unstable...or is it that I've only just noticed? He thought, sombrely.
"And later this evening on SBS..." the TV announcer said in an overly merry and positive voice that clashed with the news about war around the world. "...action and adventure in outer space with the brand new series, Star Tr..."
Action firmly hit the off button on the TV remote control. "Man, I hate science fiction" he muttered. Instead he put on the radio and tuned it to his favourite soul station.
"That's more like it!" he said, smiling to himself.
But Action wasn't a man who could sit still for too long. It was his day off but he was always the cop, always thinking of solving a case and in his mind he had the death of Geoffrey Landgraab, probably at the hands of an assassin, going around and around his brain. He also had a hunch who that assassin was: Leanne McGregor. He could use his time productively by doing some snooping around but first he wanted to feel invigorated and his second favourite way of doing that was working out at the gym.
He was a regular at Movers n' Shakers Gym and well known by all the regulars. It helped that many of them were his neighbours as well. Sure enough, after he had changed into his PT gear, he saw Barbara having a work out.
"Hey, Babs" he said, laconically. "I would have thought running your own business was exercise enough!"
"It is, but I need to keep trim as well. Remember that time when I put on a lot of weight?" she replied.
"Yeah, but you still looked smokin'"
"Oh you flatterer, Action! But I never want to be that shape again, thank you. The cost of replacing all my clothes....sheesh! Anyway, will you be able to make Summer and Travis' wedding? Not long to go now..."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world."
"I love weddings. I loved Suzy's especially." she said wistfully. Action could detect the subtext.
"It'll be your turn soon enough. Jeremy's not going to let you slip through his fingers if he has any sense." he said.
"Sigh...I know. But I'm starting to get a little....impatient, you know? Not for the wedding itself but waiting for him to get down on one knee..."
"Jeremy's a straight up kind of guy. If he hasn't proposed yet it's because he doesn't want to steal Travis and Summer's thunder. Relax. Once those two have tied the knot it'll be your turn next. Trust me, Action knows."
"I'm sure you're right. And what about you? When will be your turn with Katherine?"
"Me?" said Action, wide eyed. "Hey, I'm not ready to settle down just yet. Action is a cool cat."
Barbara smiled, mischievously. "Sure you are, no one's cooler but you're also not going to let someone like Katherine slip through your fingers either."
"Touché, madam, touché. Anyway, stay cool, Babs. I've got an appointment with that treadmill! Catch you later."
After his workout Action was still restless. Working within the confines of the SCPD was restrictive: One moment he was on a murder case, the next it was taken away from him to hand over to the Feds or a specialist Homicide department. He was gathering an idea of a criminal sub-set working within the city: Working for the Landgraabs one moment, working for a shadowy cabal who hate the Landgraabs the next. The attempt on the lives of Alan Cuffe and his assistant, on Geoffrey's, the bankrolling of Malcolm Landgraab's drug dealing...some group was involved in it all. However, all he had to go on was a name, an out of date description of them and an image in his mind of a red headed man's face. It was time to start talking to his informants on the street...
"Sorry, Action, I can't help" said one of them, a lady who worked in the hospitality business and who knew a lot of people...law abiding and criminal...but on this occasion the names 'Leanne McGregor' and the description of a red headed man with a goatee beard didn't register with her.
There was another lady, an old retired woman Action had met whilst working on a case that involved lots of local burglaries. She was a 'curtain-twitcher', a woman with a lot of time on her hands who saw everything in her local neighbourhood. Getting the old folks to keep their eyes and ears open might be a good strategy, Action thought.
But then he spied a figure off in the distance and a bell went off inside his head. A red headed man with a goatee beard.
"Excuse me...sir!" Action called out. The man ignored him and kept walking.
"Sir! Stop! Sim City Police Department!" Action called out again. The man hesitated and then stopped.
"I'd like to you to help with my enquiries" said Action. "Could you spare some time now...or down at the station?" that last part was said not as a request but more like a threat.
The red headed man hesitantly turned around and walked slowly towards Action and the old lady.
"What is the matter, Police Detective?" the man said, coldly.
"Hey, I think I know you..." said the old lady.
The red headed man shot her a glare and for a moment Action noticed that she suddenly looked unsteady on her feet.
"No...we have never met" said the old lady, as if in a daze. "And I love all people who come to visit us". Action thought that statement came out of absolutely nowhere.
The lady started walking off without saying any kind of farewell. Action turned to the man, a suspicious look on his face.
"You sure have a way with women" he said.
"What is it that you need me to help you with, Police Detective?" said the red headed man, flatly.
"First, what is your name?" asked Action.
"My name? You wish to know my name?" the man replied. Action nodded.
"Well, I suppose it won't cause any harm in telling you...it is Luke Kendall. Now what is this about?"
"I'm sure we've met before, Mr Kendall"
"If we had then one of us would remember"
Action didn't immediately respond but instead looked Kendall squarely in the eye. Finally he said "do you know someone called Leanne McGregor?"
"What does she look like?" came Kendall's response.
"Average height, slim, long black hair, dark brown eyes, Mediterranean complexion."
"I do not know anyone who conforms to that description."
"Can you tell me where you were on the 18th August this year?"
"I was working" came Kendall's very prompt response.
"All day?"
"I worked a double shift that day. Business was intense."
"And what business are you in, Mr Kendall?"
"Catering. I manage a group of street vending stalls"
"OK, Mr Kendall, I'm going to need some contact details for you...now I'm sure we've met before and I KNOW it'll come back to me at some point."
"It shouldn't..." said Kendall and almost immediately, he realised he had let slip something that a smart detective like Action would pick up on.
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Action.
"I am very busy, Police Detective Action...I must go now..."
"Wait...I never said my name"
"I noticed it on your ID badge"
Just as Action thought it would be better to haul Kendall downtown for more questioning he was interrupted by a work colleague: A rookie cop called Jesse Navarro. He had been working out at the gym as well.
"Hey, Action! Glad I caught up with you! I have some more information about that break in case the Chief assigned you!"
"Not now, Navarro..." Action replied.
"No, this is really important! I know it's your day off but I know the Chief is anxious to make progress on the case.
Whilst Navarro was gushing all this information to Action, Kendall wandered off.
"Thanks a whole bunch, Navarro! I was just about to get some low down from that guy and you come bounding in and ruining it!"
"Hey, I wasn't to know and...well, who is he?"
"He could be the man I can't remember..."
"What? Wait? That doesn't make sense..." replied a puzzled Navarro.
"Never mind. I'll fill you in some other time"
That afternoon Action called on all his informants and those who had their ear to the ground in the underworld. Despite it's often rustic, Southwestern charm, the Rattlesnake Juice Bar in Oasis Springs was a place where ex-cons and grifters hung out. But when he asked around about Leanne McGregor he drew a blank from his network.
Disappointed, he went to sit at the bar and ordered a scotch and soda. And then a second one soon after. This mystery network of McGregor's and her cohorts did not leave a physical trace anywhere and yet he had met her in the flesh...twice...had evidence that she pulled the trigger on Madelyn Buchanan and that her name struck fear with some of his snitches.
Why can't I make any progress? He thought to himself as he became more sullen. And I'm sure that guy I met earlier has something to do with it. I have a vague memory...I'm in a bar in downtown San Myshuno, I'm meeting someone...someone who's involved in the case...he looks like that Kendall guy and then....BLANK! My memory goes.
But soon another thought enters Action's mind, and it's a voice not of his own.
"We ArE aLl ArOuNd YoU"
Action sat up to attention and looked around the bar. Who said that? There were only a handful of other patrons in the bar plus one barkeep and none of them were speaking to him.
"wE aRe AlL aRoUnD yOu...JoHn AcTiOn"
The voice was in his head and it sounded detached, as if someone had intruded into his mind. He shook his head to try to clear it of this sinister voice.
"CeAsE, jOhN aCtIoN...yOu CaNnOt StOp Us"
Action stood up, briskly strode to a window and looked out. Something was up, but he wasn't sure what. A man walked past the bar and looked slowly at the window Action was looking out from. His expression devoid of any emotion but for one brief moment he felt this man's gaze pierce straight into his soul.
Action looked again and saw another man with the same, expressionless look on his face and he too turned to face Action for a few seconds.
"We ArE eVeRyWhErE, jOhN aCtIoN...aLl ArOuNd YoU...cEaSe, GiVe In, Do NoT gEt In OuR wAy, We ArE eVeRyWhErE, eVeRyWhErE, aLl ArOuNd YoU...cEaSe..." over and over these words repeated themselves in Action's brain until they became deafening.
"Stop! Stop the voices! STOP THE VOICES!" Said Action, clutching his temples and shutting his eyes as the pain increased.
"Hey, Buddy, are you OK?" said a calm, soothing voice.
"What? What's happening?" said Action. There were two men sitting at the bar next to him. Action didn't remember going from the window back to his seat.
"You started shaking and calling out in pain. Do you need an ambulance?" said this voice, which turned out to be that of the man sitting next to him.
"I....was looking out the window..." said Action, pointing to where he'd been standing.
"Erm, you've been sat here the whole time. Are you sure I can't call for an ambulance, or someone else who could help you?"
Action looked startled and his eyes darted all around the room. What was going on? He nodded and said to the man "call me a cab" and he swiftly downed the rest of his drink.
