Chapter 17

The subsequent week marked the monthly return of our supply ship and with it my time to report in. My outside man was less than pleased about Delaney becoming uncooperative with the very investigation he'd assigned to me. I was also informed that next month would be the end of my undercover work here. So now the clock was ticking even faster.

I spent the rest of the day in my apartment unpacking supplies. I had to solve this thing but the trail had gone cold. I knew what I knew; the cult of Abe Lincoln was up their necks in this caper.

Then there was Nellie. I shouldn't have fallen in love with her but I did. Now all that was about to blow up. Sure I could return and settle down in Grifter's End but it'd take months and Nellie would probably shun me like a leper. “Bad move, MacGaven. You've gotten in too deep!” That's what I told myself.

Another night. My apartment. Another romantic rendezvous. I had the lights off except for the strip beneath the sofa. The woman and I were bathed in the blue aura of romance and had just finished a light meal.

I'd explained to her that I had a bad memory connected to spaghetti. She found it strange (rightfully so) but satisfactory. Now we were engaged in a serious conversation that dug a pit in my stomach.

“Tom,” she began, “I know what you were on Earth so please answer me a question, is this real, this fire of passion that's engulfing us?”

Eloquent. “I know it's real for me, Nellie but what about you? How do I know I'm actually speaking to you & not one of your androids?”

She enveloped me in an embrace and gave me a prolonged and sensual kiss then she escorted me into my private chamber and shoved me down onto the bed. Her dress fell to the floor and she spent the rest of our time together proving to me that she was beyond the shadow of a doubt not an android.