2084 The End of Days Read Online Free PDF Page A

Lex radioed the engineer on Oceanus.
    “This is Houston to Oceanus. What is your current dock position - copy?”
    As he waited for the response Lex rubbed the day old stubble on his chin and then smacked his face vigorously as he sat at his station in NASA HQ. Jimmy Soderline sitting next to Lex’s station looked over at Kosloff and thought that his workmate had been looking pretty rough lately. Soderline questioned Lex sympathetically.
    “You okay, Lex?”
    “Yeah, no sweat, Jimmy - I just need a good night’s sleep. These night shifts lately have been doing my head in.”
    “I know what you mean. At least we’re back on days in a couple of weeks. How’s the Big Baby doing anyway?”
    “Ah’m just waiting to hear from them.”
    Lex turned back to his monitors as he still awaited the Oceanus response. What he did not share with Jimmy Soderline was he was not only exhausted from his long night shifts. Lex desperately needed a drink. Since New Year he had been hitting the Scotch hard – really hard. When he arrived home at his place at 1938 Robindale Drive over in south west Houston on New Year’s Day, after his radio communication with Jack Crossan, he had been in a pretty good mood. Lex was looking forward to celebrating the special day with his gorgeous wife Marna and, of course, some smoky peaty Lagavulin. Lex’s thoughts were interrupted with the distinct crackle.
    “This is Oceanus to Houston – Verne Andriessen here Lex. Able to report that the docking grabs on MGal3 are extended and we should be on them in two minutes our time. Copy?”
    Lex responded sluggishly.
    “Houston to Oceanus - copy that Verne. Let me know when Oceanus is hooked up to MGal3. Do you copy?”
    As he reviewed his monitor Lex noted all the indicators looked good from Oceanus. He let his thoughts drift back to New Year. When he had arrived home at Robindale Drive the place was neat and tidy and Marna had obviously been very busy making it nice for Hogmanay. The previous year 2080 had not been great between Lex and Marna, mainly because of his frequent drinking. He had promised his resolution for 2081 would be to get on top of it. However, he did tell her the previous night that he would only have one or two drams of Lagavulin. Just to celebrate. After all, it was New Year. As soon as Lex walked in to the living room he saw the small note neatly folded and placed in the centre of the black glass coffee table. Lex opened it and read it as if viewing some awful disaster unfolding on live 3DTV.
    Lex,
    I can’t take any more. I can’t cope with your drinking. You’re just killing me. I have gone back to my parents’ place up in Dallas. I need time to think things out. You really need to get help.
    Marna
    Lex had collapsed onto the sofa completely crestfallen, Marna’s note fluttered down to the wooden floor and slipped slowly under the sofa. He knew things had been bad lately but he just did not expect to lose his wife. He looked over at the drinks cabinet and the bottle of single malt was practically screaming at him. He did not just have one or two that night. Lex crashed out on the whole bottle. Next day, with his head in a real fog, Lex had tried calling Marna up in Dallas, but her father fiercely rebuked him and told him that his daughter did not want to hear from Lex until he had dried out - completely dried out. Lex yelled down the phone at her dad.
    “I’m no alcoholic, ya know!”
    Since the call to Dallas, Lex had been hitting the bottle almost daily. As yet it had not affected his work at Houston Control, but he thought that it was only a matter of time before he was caught in one of the random drugs and alcohol tests. However, he told himself he was still going to need a couple of softeners when he got home after tonight’s shift, just to take the edge off. Just then Verne, the engineer on Oceanus, radioed back.
    “Oceanus to Houston - docking procedure safely completed, Lex. The Big Baby is in bed for the night. This