Man Of Earth
6
"Hello?" the woman asked gently, shaking him by the arm in his recumbent state in the gutter of the Darkly District of Sunray City, a large conurbation on the planet White Haven, nestled on an outward spiral arm of the known Galaxy, where from somewhere else an invading force chose seemingly at random this planet to oppress.
The woman was middle aged and comfortably dressed, embroidered with the burnishes of a life of hard work. The man stirred. He was a little older than the woman, but his background came from a more opulent station. His clothes were decorative, and his figure was one well suited to indoor activity. He slowly opened his eyes.
"Hmm?" he croaked, holding his head and squinting against the sudden light that flooded past his eyelids.
"There you are! Can you sit? Here - there you go! What's your name, if I might ask?"
He looked about him in confusion, but his mouth eventually opened and closed and a name came through, one even the man was uncertain of, "Billy?" he managed.
"Here, let me help you stand! Right, Billy! Come with me! Let's get that bump on your head sorted, shall we?"
Uncertain of a more positive action, Billy followed the woman.
Except this lost soul wasn't Billy. It was Professor Wilson Bronnstromer, out a long way from the comfort of his workplace back at Headquarters, unaware he had, in fact, lost his memory.
#
## It all started earlier that day, fairly soon after waking. The Professor took his usual morning stroll to the Observation Point, to look out over the City and to remind himself, though he felt it necessary, of the looming darkness that was Sigma Dissonance ##
“Professor! I wonder if I could have a word?” The man was dressed quite plainly, unusual for Headquarters. He could have been an Ambassador, or a Trader of some sort, but not with those shoes. It immediately made the Professor suspicious. He answered anyway.
“How can I help you, Mr -”
“Lund. Call me Lund.”
“Alright, Mr Lund. What can I help you with?” asked the Professor, keeping his back to a wall.
“It won’t take a moment! This way?” Lund began to walk down the corridor and motioned for the Professor to follow. He, however, did not, “It’s just down here! Come?”
“Describe it to me first.” said the Professor.
“Really? Alright, it’s -” Suddenly the man produced a stun gun, shooting the Professor, which twisted his body until he came into hard contact with the wall. Now unconscious, but appearing dead, the man called Lund bundled the Professor onto a cart and pulled it out into the City. Somewhere along the way to dump the body, Lund must have been startled, because he dropped the body of the Professor hard onto the road. And Lund was gone.
That was when the kind woman had found him, coming to and completely devoid of the memory of who he was. Except now he was Billy, a middle aged and weak man, in need of succour.
“Mind the steps. There you go! Come inside, won’t you?” The woman led Billy into her humble little home, moved a few rags aside that lay upon a chair and helped Billy lower himself to it, “So, Billy, what part of the City do you come from? You don’t look like you’re from here?”
Billy rubbed his head, “I - I honestly don’t remember. Please, I don’t want to be any trouble -” Billy made as though to stand, but the woman hurried him back to the seat.
“Don’t you be daft! It’s no trouble! Besides, you looked lost and alone, hurt - you know? I couldn’t with good conscience just leave you in the road like that. Now, let me take a look at that bump on your head!” The woman advanced on Billy with a damp cloth. She began to prod at the protuberance, and which each dab, Billy winced a little.
“You can at least tell me your name?” asked Billy through gritted teeth.
“Oh, how silly of me! Flora! Flora Beram! Do you have a last name, Billy?”
“I’m sure I have, Flora, but right now I’m not convinced what it is.” smiled Billy softly.
“Well, you talk posh, so I’m guessing you’re from nearer the centre of the City. Never mind! I’ll get you fixed up, fed and you can find your way home!” expressed Flora.
“You are a very kind lady.” said Billy, with a buzzing sensation behind his eyes.
He must have lost consciousness, because when Billy re-awoke, he was lying on his side with a warm quilt draped over him. In the corner, Flora was preparing food.
“Awake again, I see? Still, you probably needed a wee nap after all that, I expect! Food is minutes away, my friend. Oh, damned stove! Gets like this sometimes! Never mind me! Just one of them things!”
“I could look at it for you?” said Billy, finding his voice once again.
“Oh, can you now? What makes you such an expert on my stove, eh?” asked Flora.
“I don’t know about yours specifically, but I think I know about them. I think I know a little about a lot of things.”
“Is that right? Know anything about ventilation systems then, do you?”
“I think I might.” nodded Billy, suddenly regretting the physical action as his head began to thump again.
Minutes later, Flora Beram served up a kind of stew, heavy on the gravy, but light on meat and vegetables. It was fine, however, for Billy’s needs, and a little of his concentration came back to him, enough to look at the one or two things Flora was having problems with, but unfortunately not enough to remember who he really was.
Once Billy had managed to fix those problems, and several more little odd jobs quite efficiently, Flora led Billy outside, to sit in the fresh air for a while. She believed it would be good for his health, and hopefully for his memory. She took a seat beside him and they watched the to and fro of the City. As the time drifted by, Flora would introduce Billy to some of her neighbours. She bragged about the little jobs he had done for her, and they in turn asked if he wouldn’t mind looking at some of their broken things too. Billy couldn’t rightly think of a reason not to, so agreed.
The Darkly District of Sunray City was full of all kinds of characters, and though they seemed to have not as much as some of the rest of the City, they were no less for it. In fact, spirits seemed high, and this rubbed off on Billy, who fell in quite easily with the people. More often than not they would remark about his vocabulary, and that there was something familiar about him, but very few pointed out the genetic difference, that the people of White Haven had a peculiarity of a webbing between the thumb and forefinger, whereas Billy did not. But even if they had noticed, no one brought the subject up, unwary of pointing out the differences between people. That was for others like the Sigma Dissonance to do. Billy was a handy worker, and an obviously intelligent man, so there was nothing to gain by insulting him. Besides, everyone was different, in their own way. Billy was a lost soul, who found a home amongst good people. He couldn’t have asked for anything more. Neither could they.
Then a shadow, long and menacing, returned to the District - though not all at once, but in pieces, first in less than comfortable shoes.
“Hello?” he remarked, to the middle aged woman at her door, watching the world and all its movements.
“Can I help you?” asked Flora, quite brightly. Politeness was a free commodity; it cost nothing.
“Ah, I wonder if you can help me? I’ve been running around frantically all day. I wonder, have you seen a man, about this high? He might have come this way?”
“Really? Who are you then?” asked Flora casually.
“Asser. Asser Lund.”
“What business do you have with this man you seek?” she asked.
“I’m sorry, Mrs -”
“Call me Flora.”
“I’m sorry, Flora, but that is between him and me.”
Flora looked the man up and down, “Right, well I haven’t seen someone like that around here, but I’ll ask around. Where can I contact you?”
The man smiled, “Never mind. I’m sure he’s around here somewhere. I’ll take a look for myself.” he said, bowing and leaving Flora at her door watching him go. As soon as he rounded a corner, Flora darted inside her home and made for the back door. She availed herself of the pathway behind the houses and dropped into one of the other houses unannounced, which surprised its occupants.
“Sorry, Brana, I need Billy back a moment!” Flora explained hurriedly.
“You had your time with him, Flora, my girl! Give the rest of us -” began Brana, but Flora stopped her with a withering look.
“Now, Brana, let’s not get started on this! It ain’t what you think! There’s a man wandering around out there, looking for Billy here. And I don’t think he’s here for a social visit!” Billy himself looked shocked, but did as was ordered and followed Flora. So did Brana.
“If they’re coming into our place for some nefarious reasons, then it’s a matter for all of us! I’ll go get Bruss, Marva and Waire Lemp, meet you back at yours!” Brana slid past Flora and Billy, and was gone on her mission. Flora led Billy back to her home. Within a few minutes, they were joined by the others.
“So who is this person? Do you know, Billy?” asked the stocky Bruss, pacing unnecessarily on Flora's rug.
“He said his name was Asser Lund. Recognise it, Billy?” asked Flora, more cautiously.
Billy rubbed his head, “I don’t know. I’m sorry! I wish I could remember -”
“Don’t fret, Billy.” soothed Flora, stroking Billy’s head gently.
“Well, he has to be somebody.” remarked Marva, straightening her dress to perfection.
“Obviously.” added Waire Lemp, the giant of a man, as wide as he was tall.
“Now, don’t you get started on me, young Lemp! Or so help me -” Marva never finished the sentence, because there was no point in her doing so. The worst she would have been able to give Waire Lemp was a tongue-lashing.
“Okay, enough, the lot of you! For some reason, a stranger is here for Billy, and I don’t think it’s to discuss the weather. This Asser didn’t look the type to converse for too long.” said Flora.
“So what do you suggest?” asked Marva.
“We have to, in some way, get Billy out of here, before that man can find him, and perhaps do some harm to him.” said Flora.
“I won’t have it!” said Billy, at last rising to his feet, extending to his full proud height, “I won’t have you wonderful people put in any harm for something I have done, or who I am really, to this stranger! Don’t try and stop me!” With that, Billy strode toward the door and the room became frantic.
“Stop him, someone!” called out Marva, as Flora reached out for Billy, who shrugged her off. Bruss was at the back of the room and cut off, yet he tried anyway. Waire Lemp alone managed to get between Billy and the door, but Billy simply raised his hand, touched a pressure point on Waire's neck and the man mountain collapsed to the floor. This in itself received a gasp from the women in the room, but it wasn’t until Billy opened the door and stepped out did they shout and scream for him to return before it was too late.
But it was too late. The man who called himself Asser Lund stood not ten metres away from Billy, ready and waiting.
“What do you want with me?” asked Billy, quite clearly.
The man smiled and slowly advanced, “You know what! Damn you for eluding me this far, you -” But he couldn’t finish. A disarming shot from a Raygun hit Lund and sent him flying off his feet. Then a familiar face appeared.
“Dan?” said Billy, very confused.
“Professor! We found you at last! Are you alright?” asked Dan, moving toward him happily. Susan ran past Dan and grabbed the Professor in a big hug.
“Susan?” he continued monosyllabically.
“Professor? What’s the matter? Medic! Get this man seen to, immediately!” instructed Dan Ward over his shoulder. Dan then moved to Asser Lund and secured him, dragging him to his feet and marching after the others, now returning toward Headquarters. Dan looked to the stunned people who stood in the doorway, watching the scene unfold, and first nodded then saluted at them, but they remained transfixed, like statues.
Eventually, Flora managed a word in the form of a question, “Professor?”
And then they were gone, returning Darkly District back to its usual quiet calm.
#
A few days later, a much fixed and more healthy Professor returned to the District where perfect strangers had taken him in, cared for him, and were even willing to put their lives on the line for him. He spent some time with Flora, explaining who he really was, and why he ended up where he was. He gave the people of the District fresh new equipment, food, clothes and memories of the day they helped the Earthling, Wilson Bronnstromer. But to them, especially to Flora, he would always and ever simply be Billy the Handyman.
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