Chapter 82 She wants Luke as a birthday present

He landed on the moon, came out of the dry cleaners and a technician handed him a phone. Luke took it and put it to his ear.

"Luke, your mom wants you to come to her birthday. " Alex said.

Luke looked at the display on the wall, he had forgotten the time again.

He fell silent, hung up, took the next job and was gone. 

When he came back, which might only have taken a day at the time, but weeks elsewhere, a technician held the phone out to him again. 

He didn't take it, took the job again. The 20th time and after six months of billing, he picked up the phone.

" Luke don't hang up, she'd really like to see you again, in person not on the recordings. "

He closed his eyes and thought.

" Luke?"

" Okay, I don't have anything for the rest of you."

" The rest of us want you here too."

" Okay, I'll take the next transport. "

He handed the phone back to the technician and walked into the locker room, standing in front of his locker. He remembered that he had no civilian clothes here. His reflection looked back at him, unshaven, wrinkles, scars on his face, his eyes were a more intense color. 

Luke hesitated, he closed his eyes, when he opened them, an almost scar-free reflection looked back at him. Something he wouldn't tell his family, who knew from the photos. Then he closed the locker after taking out his cell phone and tablet, both were scratched and covered in dents, he had been using alien stuff for a long time and only used it here. He put it in his pockets and walked out, following the corridor to transportation.

"Yo Luke!" came from Earl, who came traipsing up with two of his species.

Luke raised his hand.

"So where you headed? "

"Down to Earth. My mom really wants me there for her birthday."

Earl blinked, one of the other aliens gurgled something. 

"No. I don't know what to expect."

Earl grinned. 

"Zed you owe me the bucks, I told you he understands you. So Luke, when was the last time you were downstairs?"

He looked at him.

"Before the crystal refinery thing."

"Oh shit, that was a long time ago, at least seven years. But when you're downstairs. Can you bring me back some porn mags?"

"Will do."

"Thanks, want me to zap you down?"

Luke considered.

"Yes. Best if I go behind the store, then I can buy them directly."

"Good, then another beer and pretzels."

"Okay." He slapped his hand against Luke's forehead and stood behind a store in Hawaii.

Luke walked around the building, inside. Everything was different, but familiar. 

The cashier stared at him because he was in his company uniform and boots.

He grabbed a basket, put beer and pretzels in it, looked at the magazines. He grabbed a couple of all of them and went to the checkout. The young cashier gave him an irritated look as she scanned everything.

"Would you like anything else?" 

"A bag please and two packs of cigarettes and a lighter. Please."

She packed everything up and held the finger scanner out to him. Luke put his finger on it and winced.

He said goodbye, took out the smokes, put them in a bag and dialed Earl's number.

"I have a special edition, with holodisk."

He heard a giggle. His hand was suddenly empty, a rustle sounded on the other side of the phone. 

"Ohh you took the good beer and the salted pretzels.... Call me if you want to be zapped back."

Luke hung up and looked around, he had no idea where he was on the island. 

He smoked his first cigarette in peace, walked to the beach and looked out to sea.

He called a cab and had himself driven to the entrance of the site, paid and got out. He entered the site through the staff entrance. He saw on a display board that his name had disappeared. 

"Oha... Schmithie is No. 1." 

He lit a cigarette as he got out, thought about it and walked in the direction where the houses were. A workman's van pulled up next to him and a company mechanic rolled down the window.

"Hey man, do you need a lift?"

"I haven't got far to go, thanks for the offer."

"No problem," he drove on.

Luke didn't have far to go either. He turned off towards the beach and walked along it. 

He saw his grandfather's house and could already hear the noise. He got closer, stopped, hesitated. He turned off, came back to the sidewalk, walked along it, stopped in front of his grandfather's door. 

He reached out for the doorbell, paused. 

He pulled it back, clenched it and opened it again. He glanced at the bracelet, his emergency teleporter, which he had obtained in a casino world. 

It would get him to the casino world, where it would take him a week of Earth time to get to the moon, but it was better than nothing.

Luke collected himself, pressed the bell, it seemed like an eternity. He heard laughter and voices. The door opened and Sue stood there, her head turned to the side.

"I'm telling you, they have ..." She looked at Luke. She dropped her glass and hugged him to her.

" My baby..." 

" Hi mom ..."

She squeezed tighter.

" Sue what did you want to say?"  Babsi came around the corner. She came hurriedly and touched Luke's face. 

" You really came..." she said. " Come in."

Luke hesitated. 

" Luke, we're not going to hurt you, come on," Babsi said. Sue took his hand and pulled him inside.

"When was the last time you had normal contact with people Luke?"

"Today on the flight back with the Zalaniarners..."

" I mean with humans Luke. "

" With the moon personnel."

Babsi looked at him in amazement. Sue pulled him along with her.

" Of all the years, Luke, how many have you lived in peace? "

" Maybe a year all told. Other than that, only war."

He didn't say it was any different in the Core Zone.

Sue stood still. Babsi caught up to them both.

"Luke, we haven't had one in years."

He smiled weakly.

"Here, yes, but not outside of Earth. "

"Luke ..."

Alex put an arm around him. 

"Give him time, okay? Come on." 

Luke was led outside, where there really was the whole family, old and new faces. They all looked at him.

"Look, he's come. Not all at once, he's been under tentacles, gray males and others for too long."

Liz was the first to give him a big hug, then he was passed on Luke reached his limit when everyone was through and he could sit down. Sarge sat with him and handed him a glass of alcohol.

Luke took it and sipped with a contorted face, exhaled and put it back down. 

"Have you stopped drinking?"

"No. I'm used to the alien stuff."

"And beer?"

"I'll have that."

He picked up a bottle and handed it to him. Luke took a sip. 

"We really missed you, even John."

Luke couldn't help but grin. 

"Did you know you started the end of the corporate wars?"

He looked at Sarge.

"I just hunted them all down like cattle, that didn't calm me down, Sarge. "

"When did it calm you down?"

Luke sipped his beer.

"Last month, got approached by an alien monk after I cleared his monastery of parasites. They eat into the brain and cause the host to grow uncontrollably. "

Pointed to the spot on his head.

" So he invited me for tea to thank me, also tended to my wounds. "

"And you talked to him then?"

"Ha. They talk about vibrations and telepathy with other species. He read my mind and reset the switch. But my problems not solved, he's still there. "

He glanced to the side.

"Have you talked to Kia?"

".Well, she never answered, I gave up on it. "

He looked at him. "Didn't care anymore, you know, after all these years I talk and nothing comes and after the Ai ... Well," he sipped his beer. 

"Luke..." he began. Sarge looked at him.

"I'll stay an hour or two, then I'll be gone." He spun the bottle.

" What do you mean, gone?"

He didn't look up.

" I'm handing in my notice, plus divorce, taking the rest of my stuff and settling down on one of the center planets. They're nice. "

"You can't be serious, Luke ..."

Luke sipped his beer.

" Yes, I am..."

" Hhmm, wait a minute, I'm going to get something to drink."

Sarge got up and left. Luke sighed and sipped his beer. He wondered what he was doing here. 

He stood up, watched the chatter and laughter, walked to the water and stared out to sea. He turned and looked at his family as he sipped his beer. Liz appeared beside him and looked at the bracelets. 

"They're nice, Luke, what are they? "

Luke pointed to the emergency bracelet.

" That's an emergency teleporter." 

" Teleporter ... " her eyes widened.

" The one used on the moon?" 

" Sort of, only more advanced and this." 

He pointed to the bracelet that the empress had put around his wrist. She had beamed and said that she had rummaged through the treasury for it. 

"That's my slave bracelet." 

She raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you were already married ..." 

Luke grinned.

" No, I really am." 

Her eyes widened.

Luke sipped his beer.

"But ..." 

"Let's just say the person who hit on me does a lot, Liz."

" Does how? " 

Luke looked at his good-humored grandfather, then at Liz, who was looking at him for an answer.

"An intergalactic empire makes Liz. It's no big deal, I have tax exemptions."

"You pay taxes here ..."

Luke grinned. She looked at him puzzled. 

"Have you got any new tricks?" 

" Tricks?" he was confused.

" Yes. The last time you showed up as Specter..." 

Luke had to think.

"Ah, that ... I cheated on Liz. There were antigravity systems built into the suit. "

She tried to reach for him but stumbled through him, Luke grinned. 

"It's a new trick, Liz." She looked at him, confused.

"How did you do that?" 

He cocked his head to the side.

"The powers that be out there scanned me and looked at what was done to me Liz. Got cataloged and then. Because my owner wanted it was adjusted."

" Customized downgraded or upgraded?" 

"Because I had things that needed to be upgraded. So when George tunes your machine so you're faster or can steer better. "

" Uh-huh..." 

His mother came and hugged him. That really exhausted him and he had to sit down.