A Flash of Fiction - The beginnings of a story - Tentatively named The Green Book

I was told to collect the green book. I was given a name Detective Jemisin Rugar in New York City. He would meet me in Central Park, 5th Avenue and 105th Street in front of the Conservatory Gardens. I would get further instructions from there. I had never been to New York City, but I wasn’t excited about going either. New York City in 2050 is not a desired travel destination and it takes a pass port to get there and travel documents. The pass port and documents thing is why I was chosen, of all the agents in Rapid City I was the only one with a full, complete, and current set. If I were in charge that camel dung would change tomorrow! I had arrived in New York about 2 hours ago, I had been sitting on a park bench on 5th avenue watching the endless masses move through their daily lives, waiting for Rugar. I contemplated the “Green Book” what could it be? Why was it so important to the Helsbrooke investigation? Why is the Green eyed blond staring at me?

‘Hello, are you Detective Zelli?”

“Who’s askin?”

“How many folks in New York that don’t know you, would be looking for you, and asking for you by name?”

“Detective Rugar?” She was not what I imagined mainly because I imagined she was a he.

“Yes, come on, we have a lot of ground to cover before noon.”

She began walking into central park, I followed. She wore a tight dark blue skirt that ended just above the knees with black hose, and some mild black heels, not the pointy kind but the thick ones, her jacket concealed her upper torso but if it was anything like the bottom, wow.

“So Detective Rugar, How long you lived in the Big Apple?”

“Ha”, Rugar laughed, “call me Jemisin and people haven’t called it that in decades stick to New York. I have been here my whole life born and raised just over there.”

She pointed out over the park to the high rises on the other side.

“Detective Tantz Zelli, that’s an odd name what’s the background on that?”

We continued to walk the sidewalks they stretched in and out of trees and went on for miles. I soon forgot I was in the middle of the 3rd lagest city on the planet population wise anyway.

“Call me Tantz Please, Well my father was aboard the Tantzelli one mission, his presence on the mission and its successes gained our family great notoriety and he ended up changing his last name to zelli. He then decided to name me Tantz. Not much more to it.”

She stopped walking turned and looked at me.

“Your Dad was Josh Matthews?”

“Yes.”

“Get the hell out of here.”

“No, he was my dad.”

She smiled at me with a deep look of curiosity, you know that look people get that cause them to cock their head to one side, turned and continued to walk. “So why are you still on Earth?”

“My Mom had left him well before colonization of Grazets Prime and he had disowned us. When he left for Colony one, we hadn’t spoken for three years.”

“Sorry.”

“No worries, it is what it is.”

We approached Peace plaza, the path branched into three other paths forming a peace sign she followed the far left path and continued for approximately 100 yards stopping at a breakfast cart. The man behind the cart was smiling and joking with his customers with a New Yorkish, Italian accent. “Jem, my darling what am I getting you and your friend this morning?”

“Shep”, she smiled “The usual.” Looking at me she asked, “Coffee?”

“Sure.” I reached for my wallet.

“I got it.”

“Thanks, so you’ve studied the Tantzelli One missions?”

“Are you serious every one under the age of 30 studied the Tantzelli missions? I have applied 12 times for a spot on Grazets?”

“Wow, you really want to get off this rock do ya?”

“Yes more and more every day, in fact it is cases like this that solidify my resolve.”

“So what’s in this Green book?”

“It’s Helsbrooke’s journal, more than, names, dollars, events, it has his personal thoughts and even more insight.”

“More? How do you mean?”

“It seems he was a religious wackjob. He would write down his prayers and then God’s answers to him in conversation format. It is basically a confession of everything we ever wanted to charge him with.”

“So, we get to solve a bunch of unsolved cases and link some undesirables to them as well. Did the Judges render it admissible?”

“We are waiting till you get it back to South Dakota before we approach the Judges. Don’t want to tip the hand and put you in harm’s way.”

“Appreciate that. So, how much further?”

“We’re here”, she said looking at the vendor. He was chubby, not grossly obese but not more than a few breakfast burritos away from it. His apron contained more than a mornings worth of stains, his hair dark curly and greasy.
“What time is your flight?”

“Not until 2 pm.”

Shep passed us our coffee and pulled a package from under the cart; it looked like a to-go order and handed it to me. Jemisin began to walk back the direction we came this time taking the far right path that headed further into the park.
“Will go to the park rail system and hit 5th at the upper end, there are some nice cafes there I can keep you company till you need to head to the airport.”

“That would be nice, thanks.”

She smiled and continued to walk, I wanted to ask here how far her apartment was from here, but knew that I would miss my flight if I did so. I brushed my hormones aside and took pleasure in the fact that she liked to lead. We hit the central park rail system it was an ultra-light Electromagnetic rail car system that helped shorten The New Yorkers daily walk. The cars have and isle way and two seats, much thinner than the older public transportation systems and these were never crowded. IF you couldn’t find a seat you got off.

“Tantz, have you never attempted to get a Grazets pass?”

I smiled, she will be upset when she hears this. “I don’t have to, my entire family has a futures pass due to my father. All I have to do is ask.”

“Really! Why do you stay?”

“Just never thought about it really, for one thing there is none of this, you know what we are about to do, a nice cup of joe on a patio in front of a café on 5th avenue in New York city. They don’t import stimulants to the colony and only grow nutritional category foods. There are four different uniforms for the four different activities you are allowed to participate in each day. A bit too confining, don’t you think?”

“Yea I guess so, but a very simple life. No worries about making the rent or getting fired or if you’ll eat the next day or not. I guess this whole rat race living has gotten to me.”

The rail came to a stop and we got off then she headed east toward the corner of 5th and 59th street, traffic was heavy both on the walk and the streets, the day was off with a bang, the noise was immeasurably greater than anything I could recall from Rapid City and there had to be a thousand times as many people maybe more. I speed up so I wouldn’t lose her. She turned her head around gracefully catching sight of me obviously concerned that I might get lost in the crowd. Did I catch a look of infatuation, wanderlust? The thought of missing my plain came to me again, possibly. Jemisin slowed her pace a bit and moved toward me in the crowd.

“Keep up Tantz you wouldn’t want to get lost in the big bad city on your first visit.”

“I remember sitting in front of the TV, watching, I still here the voice, Ten, nine, eight, I was 10 years old when my father led the Tantzelli mission. That day I recall sipping from a bottle of MOO HOO Chocolate milk as the voice said, three, two, one, and ignition. I remember watching the orbital plane depart Cape Canaveral heading to the rendezvous coordinates, watching the feed as its passengers boarded the Gaia Light Cruiser Strident I, for its first mission to Tantzelli. I learned like all the other kids about a planet in the Cen - Nor sector of the Perseus arm of the Milkyway. How scientists believed it to be a sister solar system to ours with a sun and planets very similar in size orbit and age. I remember the news about how my father ensured Tantzelli Ones success and confirmed this belief.”

“ Yea, I remember watching it all on the TV, the news coverage of my dad’s first interstellar trip, the reports of success, the finding of Grazets, and the decision to colonize. But lost interest after my mom left my dad.” I sipped the coffee and looked across the table at Jemisin. She had Green eyes a shade I had not encountered before.

“So you tuned out entirely to that whole segment of history?”

“Well, as best as one could, I mean it was twelve years of world news and you had to try and miss it, I did my best.” I looked into her eyes drifting into memories.

“Son?”

“Dad?”

“Hey hero, how are you, I have something exciting to tell you and your mom.”

“Really, what might that be?”

“I have you spots reserved on Grazets Prime………… Son?”

“Here I will let you talk to mom.”

The memory faded as Jemisin’s warm body rubbed against mine it was morning and she was obviously desirous of another round before we embarked on the day. I started to replay how I got here, my boss I am sure is furious, having learned by now I had missed the flight and ten times that because I had turned off the cell.

“Good morning Mr. Zelli she said smiling as we began kissing.”

My bliss was interrupted by her phone ringing; she glanced at the clock and in an instant was snapped back to reality.

“Oh my, it is Tuesday! She moved quickly now, exiting the bed and heading to the phone.”

“Yes it is, what’s going on?”

“Hello……. Yes sir….. Running late….. I will make it…… yes….. yes…. Sorry sir see you in a minute.”

She headed to the bathroom cussing.

“Jem? What is wrong?”

“Today is our brief before the Judges concerning the Book, you and it should be in South Dakota by now. Sorry to say I think we are both going to get hung for this.”

Reality began to spin again for me and I started cussing myself to myself. This isn’t the first time I let a pair of pretty eyes and a slim figure get me into a bind. Last time, I had sworn, promised myself, it was going to be the last time. Jemisin was right about one thing I surely was on the edge and this would probably be the proverbial straw. I was up and heading for the guest bath hope she didn’t mind sharing the hot water.

We hit the Rail platform together at a brisk pace, Jemisin grabbed my arm pulled me close and kissed me.
“You take the next train that comes to platform 3 it will take you straight to the airport. You’ll have to fend for yourself once there.”

“No worries sugar I got it.” I looked into her deep green eyes the thought came but the words. Can’t wait to see you again.

“Bye.” We both said in unison smiling. I rushed to Platform 3 turned; she was already immersed in the throng of bodies engaged in their morning rituals. My heart sunk as I boarded the train. I shook my head what is going on with you Tantz, come on, nothing could ever come of this one night stand and what has you so infatuated with this body amongst thousands of bodies. The phone finished processing through its power-up protocols and signaled one…..five….ten missed calls. One……five…..ten voice messages, thirteen new text messages. I hung my head this was not going to be fun. I deleted the messages and then placed the call.

“Where the hell are you?” Chief Everson said.

“Hey boss.”

“Zelli, you better be half dead or a hostage!”

“No sir, just delayed, circumstances beyond my control.”

“Bullshit, Zelli, I just got off the phone with Commisioner Heltz, Rugar is late to the Judges this morning you idiot. Can you do anything good without literally screwing it up?”

“Sir, at least most of my screw ups are accompanied by good things and the good things are work and the screw ups are personal.”

Everson was screaming, the man next to me glanced my way.

“Zelli…..Zelli …. Are you fucking listening to me?”

“Yes sir….. I am at the airport now ….. I will see you this afternoon, got to go.”

“Zelli ….. Zelli.”

T Mark Mangum, 9 Oct 2012