Rea opened the door to his room. As he entered, he glanced around his sparse efficiency kitchen and the worn wood table by the door. Right now, he needed to focus on finishing the base. Then he would have time to decide what he wanted for his life.
He scanned the list of names Gears had given him. He had to come up with a better training program for these men, or he would never be able to leave.
The papers were tossed haphazardly onto his table. He could put together a base with his eyes closed and both hands tied behind his back. Already, he had the greenhouses running. The goats and chickens had arrived with no difficulty. He even had some surface harvesters working on collecting household items from the ice to enhance the place. The only thing missing was the men had to be trained as a police force and guards. The scientists who worked in the water treatment areas wouldn't come until the base was completely safe. From his past experience, he understood most of the workers had families. The layout was the same at all the other facilities. Until everything was done, he was stuck here.
Rea threw himself on his bed near the far side of the room. He wished he had someone to talk to about his future. He thought about the few men he'd trained over the years. None of them he considered real friends. Men that he liked and respected had moved to other bases. They were spread out over the NEDs. They all had families now too.
Staring unblinkingly at the ceiling fan spinning above him, Rea sighed. He wanted a home too, and he wanted to not always work. Always working is what his dad ended up doing. After his mom died, his father worked himself into his grave and forced Rea to join him. His dad had only cared about the men he'd served within the U.S. Army and his old squad. That wasn't going to be the rest of Rea's life if he could help it.
"Can I come in? I did knock, but I don't think you heard me."
"Eric? Really it's you?" Rea exclaimed as he rose to his feet. "I haven't seen you in years."
As Eric entered his apartment, for a second, Rea could see the young boy he once knew. It had been years now, and time had taken its toll, but Eric was still a large, commanding figure. Eric took a few steps past the threshold, and Rea studied his slightly rounded belly. Gray hair now dusted his thick black mane. Stress must have aged his friend. The world was no longer a soft place to live.
"I'm amazed you recognized me. It's been a long time. I think the last time we saw each other was the morning your dad told you to join five of his best guys in the training ring. You threw up."
Rea reached out to shake his hand. Eric's personality was exactly as he remembered. He liked to tell it like it was.
"That's right. Your father left to join the harvesters. What happened after? Last I heard you were living the high life on the Equator."
"My dad and I harvested for a few years. Then in a fluke accident, I hit a hidden oil reserve. The Canadian government gave both of us a cushy time after that. I have a beautiful place now, and I just got a dog."
After the word dog, Eric gave a sharp whistle. A large tan fluffy-looking beast flounced into the room. The pet jumped on Rea's bed before skidding to a halt near the kitchen trash. Eric snapped his fingers. The hairy mutt tipped its head sideways.
"Shelly!" he called.
After initial hesitation, the animal came to sit next to its owner. Shelly's tongue hung out, and her tail never stopped sweeping the floor.
The mutt's antics brought a smile to Rea's face. Maybe he needed a companion. He could get a dog. He trusted a dog's judgment about people as much as he trusted his gift. He held out his hand. After a few seconds, the dog licked his fingers.
"She's great, Eric."
"Thanks." Eric sat at the table and got the dog to settle at his feet.
"I think I heard that you'd made it big. How're your parents?" Rea sat across from his old friend. It was good to see someone who was not only making it in the world right now but thriving.
"Mom and Dad are okay. They're retired now." Eric gave a strangely uncomfortable pause. He didn't sit long. He patted the dog's head and got up again. "I mostly meet people. I move around a lot, and…"
Eric began to meander around Rea's room. He stopped in front of his desk. Six four-inch monitors glowed with the black-and-white camera views of the base. Eric's eyes scanned them before he headed to the door to the bathroom.
Rea didn't talk. He just watched.
Eric wandered as if he couldn't stay still. His eyes roamed nervously. A look of trepidation fluttered across Eric's face, but the look was gone as soon as it had appeared.
"Six feet under isn't normally a vacation. You came here of all places for a visit?" Rea asked to break the charged silence. His gut said something deeper was going on.
"Not exactly." Eric's eyes looked older all of a sudden as he meandered near the table. His shoulders dropped. He set his large frame on one of the wooden chairs. They regarded each other solemnly.
"I thought maybe you missed your oldest friend," Rea tried to lighten the mood. A current of tension rode the air between them.
"We are old friends," Eric exhaled. "But you're right. This isn't a vacation. I came here because I have a problem. I thought you'd help me. I've heard a lot about how you've grown up. It's vague information, of course, but I knew it was you they talked about. People say you are made of iron. They whisper that you run the Northern Earth Dens with hostile determination."
"I think you're cleaning up the language," Rea said slowly. "They use more cuss words, but I appreciate your tact." He'd heard all that before. All the names he and his dad were called for how they chose to run the water bases. If Eric was here to gossip, he was wasting his time. He waited for him to continue. When he didn't, Rea decided he would have to ask.
"What's the problem?"
Eric took a huge breath.
"I think the Canadian Government wants me to be the next president of the C.T.O.N.A."
Over the years, Rea had developed a special gift he'd told almost no one about. He could tell if someone was lying. There was a deep feeling in his gut that was never wrong. Right now, according to his ability, Eric believed what he said. If this was true, why would Eric come to see him?