Chameleon by Otto Gramm (free ereaders .txt) 📖

deceiving you or combing your thoughts just for fun is the last thing I am intended to do. On your part, I will ask you to be more tactful and in the future try to give more accurate and reasonable answers to my questions. Even if it takes a few minutes for introspection.

– You’re talking about the walls, aren’t you? – Alex guiltily lowered his eyes when captain approached him. – Maybe I didn’t feel back then.

– Of course. – Kyle’s face softened. – Too many impressions. Anyone would get confused. But here you’ll have to get accustomed quickly... And for now, you may enjoy your coffee.

Saying this, Kyle returned to the pilot seat. Alex automatically took the glass and for a few seconds twisted it in his hands, looking somewhere to the side. Nails scratched a smooth surface, the right knee jerked nervously.

– He never wanted to shame you. – A pleasant female voice came from behind. Turning his head, he saw Nicole, as she was coming down.

– But I’m not...

– It’s all right. – She smiled and placed the tray on a wide elbow of the sofa and took a seat next to him on the soaring table. – We all went through this – prostration, cultural shock, homesick, and then... the time whirlpool.

– First two – I agree, the third is definitely not my case and about the fourth I would like to know more.

– That’s my term. – Nicole proudly wagged her shoulders. – After you quit pining for the Earth and for your former life... – She made a face. – Definitely not your case, I agree. But when you start to get used to things, you suddenly notice that you’re far behind the time and years sweep faster than minutes. Lin now is facing this. When we spied on you, we usually stopped in suburbs of London, Shanghai and San Diego. The last city was a mistake since it made Linda fall into a stupor. It made her – a zealous supporter of a healthy food – ran away to McDonald’s and stay there.

– How come? – Alex asked, laughing. He remembered he had been to a restaurant with the sign “M” during one escape in Seattle. A vivid memory, albeit very fragmented.

– Because she was comfortable there. She felt more or less in her time.

– And where is she from?

– She’ll tell you. – Nicole gently evaded the question. – Afterwards, your escape plan was at 70 percent inspired by bigmaks, fries and cola. We hated you then. Sorry.

Alex laughed even louder.

– Fair enough. At the beginning of my imprisonment, I tried a couple of times to go on hunger strike, but Warren quickly found another way to my stomach. – He coughed, making a hint. Nicole raised her eyebrows and nodded – she understood. – I tried fast food the other day and realized that even then I’d eaten much better products with my ass.

The girl wrinkled and turned away, trying to hold back a wave of wild laughter.

– Drink your coffee. – She croaked.

Alex with a smug smile raised the glass to his lips.

– Guatemala... with bitter. – He gasped ecstatically.

– Nice! Guatemala Maragogype, from my collection.

– Gorgeous! – He uttered, making one more draught. – I have not tried this for ages. True, I would add a bit of pure Brazilian Santos.

Nicole curved her eyebrow in surprise.

– Choosy one!

– Guatemala gives a chic flavor and Santos complements its bitterness with notes of smoke, which makes the taste even more intense.

– My gosh! – She laughed and shook her head.

– I’m really good at this drink. – He looked again at the glass, but now with a little concealed self-satisfaction. This topic was clearly to his liking. – Although, they avoided me in the army, but everyone appreciated my coffee.

– And where in the war could you get it?

– I was helped. – He hemmed, taking a sip.

– Bueno, Al...! – He heard the voice of Spaniard. – ...Have you forgotten about good times when beautiful ladies brought coffee to your bed?

Leaving the mate chair, he lightly walked up to them and leaned against the railing.

– Indeed, I forgot. – Alex replied not looking up.

– Sorry, I’ve forgotten by myself. – He lowered his eyes under Nicole’s angry gaze. – You remember nothing but...

– Forget it. – Koldoum cut short, for he had no wish to spoil the conversation.

– And finish the chocolate. – Parisian said, rising.

– Thank you.

– You are charismatic! – Spaniard said, his eyes glued to Nicole’s back.

– Just a new guy. Don’t worry, soon she’ll know me better and again switch all attention to your person. – Alex said quietly, as he sipped his coffee.

Narrow eyes of Diego turned into thin slits while his face remained the same.

– And you are observant!

– And without arrière-pensée. – He glanced at Spaniard and the latter got his point.

– They cut you well there. – His usually resonant voice sounded lower, as if it just had shown its true tone.

– It’s more a psychology issue. – Alex broke the chocolate and handed one piece to Diego. – You probably know this?

– I do, but not as much. – He politely nodded, taking the treat.

– I am... hard to communicate. As to the rest... – He hastily took his drink to hide emotions.

– I understand. That will pass. Especially with our ladies... – The voice of the Spaniard again played with fervent notes. Alex raised an eyebrow, but he just winked. – Guys like you are red rag to them. They’ll cuddle and trample you, but they’ll put you on the right path and you can’t fight their stubbornness.

– Rather radical methods you have. – Newcomer chuckled, as he finished his coffee.

– Au contraire, very individual. – Diego sent the chocolate into his mouth and then he talked, chewing and smacking his lips. – Speaking of methods: while you were sleeping, we’ve prepared something for you, well, almost... You’ll see. You like it – good, don’t like it – sorry, but that’s the best we could do. Mitch will take you there. And... you’d better put your shoes on.

– I’d love to, but I’ve rubbed my feet.

– Go to Lin, she will give you a remedy.

– Great... where I find her?

In response, Spaniard grinned and raised his index finger to his forehead. Alex didn’t get this gesture at once, for an instant he reflected and then he shone in amazement.

– Thanks, Diego! – He said.

– Por favor.

 

 

– Sorry but you’ll never be a ballet prima!

– I can live with that.

Lin, still rummaging over the shelves, just slightly shook her head.

– Is it because of a long life lying on your back?

– Nah! Just soft chamber and sterility.

Here their small talk stopped. Sitting on a hovering chair backwards, Alex contemplated the unusual interior of Linda’s apartments. In size, her room seemed a little smaller than his. But, most likely, it only seemed because of clutter. The bed was placed sideways to the wall and transformed into a wide chaise longue. “I didn’t know that it could be folded like this”, he thought, but then added: “Um, actually, I did”. Obviously, the information received through a dream arrived not at once. Over his head he saw a luminescent cobweb of numerous projects and 3D drawings, sent “to rest” under the ceiling. The table at the window was barely visible from under a pile of rubbish: mechanical rulers and corners (few of them somehow fixed in the air), papers, in tubes and boxes, pencils, liners, pencil cases with a host of instruments and, of course, empty dirty dishes. A big colorful mug with a drawing of several pretty cows, grazing in a meadow under a clear sky, stood nearest to the working chair. Very likely, the favorite one. In the corner near the wall and on several drawers above the table were rows of familiar transparent plates.

– I’ve been planning to move all this garbage to the data stock for a long time, but I just can’t get it done.

– A very long time, I guess. – Alex grinned, estimating.

– I have all my previous life here. – She answered in a calm and slightly cold voice. – I can’t throw it away, nor reconsider it.

Alex decided to take a pause, so he stood up and approached the table. In addition to drawings, sketches and pictures, it had also some photographs.

– Small private life. – Alex noticed, as he took one of the pictures.

– I didn’t like to advertise it. – Linda sighed.

– So you was an engineer? – He asked, reviewing the photographs.

– An architect. – She corrected.

– Aw, indeed!

– Although it doesn’t matter, I don’t even have higher education. I’ve been many things. Awright. – She waved away. – You don’t need it.

– And who’s this guy? – Alex asked, taking one photo. But he didn’t have time to watch it thoroughly – with a quick movement, Linda pulled the picture out of his hands.

– There, I’ve found your remedy. – In return, she gave him several hard plates of transparent material.

She turned back to the shelves.

– Knead it well and put it to your blisters. – She began to arrange the laid out things in place. – It will ease your walking, while the skin on your heels restores... and help to cure your feet.

– Are you done already? – Came the voice of Mitch and after himself appeared in the room.

– When you’ll learn to knock? – Linda protested, turning around. – What is it?

– Cap’s instructions.

– You’ll have to wait. Bring Alex his shoes.

– If you call me “puppy”. – He smirked leaving.

– Shoo! – She hissed when he was already gone. – He never takes offense and that’s what I like most about him... though he can be quite annoying. – For the first time in the whole conversation, Lin turned to Alex, but her gaze was aimed toward the door.

– So since when you’re in Kyle’s crew? – He asked, rubbing the plate.

– Since 1959. Quite recent.

– Wha..! – He dropped the warmed ball.

– Sit! I’ll do this.

Alex obeyed. Linda squatted down in front of him and began to press a softened plastic to his feet. Although her movements were careful and light, her lips were pursed and her eyes looked anywhere, but not at him.

– So your crew exists for a long time? – He asked cautiously.

– You’ve heard how Will called Shad.

– I thought it was some Scottish metaphor.

Linda chortled.

– The whole team is a walking metaphor. Will and Diego are the characters of the Middle Ages. Nicky is a lady of Victorian times. Well, Mitch and I are modern scums.

– And so am I... – Alex chuckled.

Lin said nothing.

– I feel like I owe you an apology. – He said after a short silence. – Is it because of a spoiled first meeting? – Intuition told him not to mention the photo.

– Hmm! Do I look like a woman who loves sentiment? – Linda, having finished with his left foot, took on his right.

– You look like a woman who hates those who’ve seen it in you. Ouch! – Her nails accidentally (or purposely) scratched his blister. – I’m not trying to hurt you, on the contrary – I want to smooth the corners.

– You are tactful for a... – She stopped and glanced at him uncertainly. Alex narrowed his eyes for a moment, but then grinned, as if nothing had happened. – Sorry. – Linda realized that her random arrow hit the target. – I still didn’t come to myself after recent races.

– It doesn’t happen very often, does it? – He asked dryly.

– Will told me that they’d observed supernova explosions, but not from that close... Wright, now you sit still. – Finishing, she got up and took her mug with caws from the table. – And Kyle, smart-ass, has taken us away from the portal. We were lucky that ship cover