Goodbye, cruel world,
I'm leaving you today.
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.
Goodbye all you people,
There's nothing you can say,
To make me change my mind.
Goodbye.
Goodbye Cruel World (listen), The Wall – Pink Floyd
Garret ‘
Bonefish’ Silvestrini left the
SPARTA office for the last time. It was the birth of a bright fresh new day outside, and Rome’s blue district was still largely waking up as only a couple of hours had passed since the break of dawn. Garret himself had been up early; his shuttle was leaving first thing. His driver had stopped by the office en-route to the shuttle downport so his passenger could pick up a last few personal items, and now waited at the bottom of the office steps patiently.
Garret noticed him still waiting beside the gravlimo where he had left him, and so turned back to face the door. “Office, initiate full secure lockdown and activate permanent perimeter security measures. Authorisation level Ross Omega Omega One Alpha Omega.”
“Verify identity.” The somewhat detached and soulless female voice desponded from the door, needing final authorisation before closing down and securing the office in such a way that only Silvestrini or Ross himself could reverse it.
“Silvestrini, Garret, Director
SPARTA. Complete lockdown, Silvestrini Alpha.” He responded with practised ease, as if it was something he did every day, yet had never actually done before.
Thick metal shutters slid slowly down over the office windows, before with a note of echoing finality a second skin metal door slid down over the office’s regular one.
“Lockdown complete.” The female voice confirmed, “Goodbye Director.” She continued without a hint of emotion.
“Goodbye office.” Garret replied as if on social autopilot, then shook his head at him himself, smirking ruefully. The office had no character, soul, or intelligence, these were just pre-programmed automated phrases, and it was entirely pointless talking to her, it, as it was not listening, and would not respond.
He turned around and drank in the stunning tranquil beauty of Rome where the office was situated one last time and smiled. He would definitely miss it. Padding quickly back down the steps and back to the gravlimo the driver straightened as he approached and opened the rear door for him.
“Are we done Sir?” He asked the director politely.
“Yes, head directly to the shuttle downport.” Garret replied. Only moments later the gravlimo was climbing high into Rubi-Ka’s morning sky, and Rome fell away beneath them.
Even though he had only been on Rubi-Ka two and a half years and had served longer postings elsewhere, Rome had become more of a home to him than any place had before, he really would miss it. And he would miss her. He closed his eyes and fell into his memories.
Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn?
Remember how she said,
That we would meet again,
Some sunny day.
Vera!
Vera!
What has become of you?
Does anybody else in here feel the way I do?
Vera (listen), The Wall – Pink Floyd
An hour or so later the gravlimo pulled up directly onto the tarmac of the shuttlepad, a rare occurrence that caused a number of facility workers to turn their heads in curiosity at who had just arrived to depart. The driver stepped out and moved around to open Garret’s door, who in turn stepped out. He glanced around, assessing the scene a moment before turning towards the shuttle. Behind him the driver was already unloading his luggage.
“Good morning Sir!” The slightly annoyingly chirpy shuttle pilot called out as he approached the director.
Garret nodded in return as he walked towards the man as the datapad in his pocket vibrated slightly, seeking his attention.
“We’re just finishing fuelling now; we’ll be ready to go shortly.” The pilot smiled enthusiastically, “Say… didn’t I bring you here?”
“Probably.” Was all Garret responded, the pilot was increasingly annoying with his damn chirpiness. He took the datapad out of his pocket and keyed it on, curious what was up.
“I guess a permanent move huh Sir?” The pilot tried to continue the conversation, nodding at the increasing pile of luggage the driver was producing from the gravlimo.
“Indeed.” Garret replied, thumbing through a report on the small datapad in his hand.
“So what are you going to do now? Anything interesting?” The pilot continued, as if Garret was a friend. This annoyed him, the former security-intelligence director immediately found over-friendly people su****ious. But then InternOps made you like that.
“That’s classified.” He replied point blank.
“Oh.” The pilot shifted awkwardly. “Anywhere nice?” He tried to continue weakly.
“I’ve accepted a promotion and it involves reassignment to Omni Prime. So no, not particularly nice, and yet not particularly bad either. It’s a living.” Garret smirked at his own humour that the pilot unsurprisingly didn’t seem to find funny.
An uneasy silence descended for a few moments as Garret studied the information on his datapad, ignoring the silent shuttle pilot as he obviously tried to think of something else to say.
“So… who’s running your department now Sir, if you don’t mind me asking?” The pilot finally spoke.
“No-one, it’s stood down.” Garret replied point blank again.
“Oh? How come?” The shuttle pilot seemed genuinely surprised.
“The corporation hasn’t had any threats to its security, facilities, or personnel for a good while now, significant or otherwise. Basically I’m no longer needed here, and nor is my department really. Nothing for us to do. So I’ve been promoted and reassigned, and my people have been reassigned to different areas of the corporation here on Rubi-Ka.” The director detailed, not sure why he was even entertaining this conversation.
Garret thumbed an option on his datapad and cycled through a list of names before coming to hers. He keyed it and the screen immediately switched to a video feed from one of Rome’s street security cameras. The target was an Opifex woman buying breakfast from a street vendor. She looked sad and tired, as if she had not slept, and in truth she might not of.
He recalled their last conversation. She was not happy he was finally going, even though she had known for months he always was going to. She had said she understood his personal sacrifice for the corporation, but he wasn't sure she did. Without fault the corporation had always looked after him, so he would always look after it. He was all but married to it. The corporation was his family, and his life.
It was a bitter pill to swallow all the same, for them both. He studied her face and did not know who was dealing with it worse, her or him.
“Oh right, so you’ve kind of finished everything up and now you’re off?” The pilot chided with his frustratingly please-punch-my-face-in smirk, unable to see the screen or what the director was looking at.
Garret watched her for a long silent moment; his heart sagged so heavily he thought it would fall out of the bottom of his stomach.
“No.” Was all he replied to the shuttle pilot, who in turn frowned at the answer, not sure how it fitted the question.
“Well, I’ll leave you to it Sir,” he thankfully finally said, “we’ll be ready for departure in about ten minutes, board when you’re ready.” Past them the driver had started to transfer the luggage onto the shuttle.
I wanna go home,
Take off this uniform and leave the show,
But I'm waiting here in this cell because I have to know,
Have I been guilty all this time?
Stop (listen), The Wall – Pink Floyd
Garret was deep in a world of his own now, there could of been an anti-matter war raging around him for all he was aware. He was leaving his Rome and what was left of his department behind, and both hurt, but nothing hurt anywhere near as much as leaving her.
There had been plenty of women over the years, plenty of lovers, but love itself had previously been an alien concept to the InternOps officer. Before Rubi-Ka, before her. He had never loved before her, and as he stood there on the shuttlepad, his heart bleeding as if cut from his chest, he thought he would never love again.
They had shared so many things, so many times, so much mental, emotional, and physical intimacy; she had all but become a part of his very being and his life in a way he thought nobody ever could of.
“Goodbye
Raquel.” He murmured quietly to himself, touching her face on the small view screen one last time and holding the moment, before keying it off and looking up. He refused to allow himself to shed a tear, and it took every ounce of strength to do it.
Without even looking around a last time he walked up the ramp into the belly of the shuttle, and left Rubi-Ka.
All alone, or in twos,
The ones who really know you,
Walk up and down outside the wall.
Some hand in hand,
Some gather together in bands,
The bleeding hearts and artists,
Make their stand.
And when they've given you their all,
Some stagger and fall.
After all it's not easy,
Banging your heart against some mad bugger's wall.
Outside The Wall (listen), The Wall – Pink Floyd
Goodbye cruel world, I’m leaving you today. Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.
.
))
