Rocket City Blues

He can’t believe what he’s hearing. “Do you know what you are saying?”
“What?” She seems genuinely puzzled.
“You’re talking about taking your own life … instead of submitting to human authority. Good God! You’re talking suicide.”
“Is that bad?”
“It’s something an Andie should never have the capability of comprehending … much less considering.”
Her eyes are big now, beautiful, searching. As he aches for her, he thinks of Madison. Once again, for the millionth time, he marvels at how one can become so attached to a non-human.
But he has ... again.
The look in her eyes is unlike any he’s ever seen before in a machine. It’s almost like the eyes of a child on Christmas morning right before she opens her presents, at that moment when, in their world, anything is possible.
“Does this mean I’m becoming human?” she asks, her voice imploring, seeking desperately for an El Dorado just over the horizon.
He smiles, putting a hand to her angelic face. Brushing a strand of soft blue hair away from one of those gorgeous eyes, he tells her, “I dunno what it means … scientific-wise. Maybe when all this is over … we need to find out. Don’t you think?”
“They’ll take me apart! Try to find an anomaly!” Her eyes are wide with fear.
“No!” he insists adamantly. “I would never let anyone do that to you!”
“You promise?” She slides her arms around his neck. He leans down to kiss her.
“I give you my word, darling,” he promises softly.
That’s Lieutena— mmmm” She tries to correct him, but his mouth covers hers. They kiss deeply for a long time.
Finally, he breaks off, ready to take things to the next level. After all, she might have done it in front of a whole city, but he hasn’t. He opens his eyes, and they immediately grow wide in shock and disbelief. His jaw drops. He looks down at her incredulously. Only one thought can manifest itself into words. And still, he stumbles to get them out.
“Lu-Lulah! What are you doing on the moon?”

Part I: The Morning After


Chapter 1
Lulah, what are you doing on the moon?
Tanner “Tiger” Thomas’ eyelids rapidly flutter as he awakens from his exhausted sleep to look up into the beautiful, smiling face of the woman he loved … and lost so many years ago. The dream fades quickly. He’s no longer on Luna preparing for a fight he knew he would never win. He’s on Earth and back in his hometown of Huntsville.
The events of the previous two days rush back to him. Another fight. Another place.
He’d flown in on Friday afternoon from the Asteroid Belt for a relaxing little homecoming weekend. Eat some good food, drink some real liquor … take his old flame Tallulah Carter out for dinner, maybe a little music and dancing for old time’s sake. Chill at the hotel pool. Just unwind and have a little downtime.
It had been anything but …
Since rescuing a beautiful, genetically engineered “vixen” from the Tuttles, a rapacious clan of hillbilly criminals, his world had been turned upside down. He quickly discovered the creature he’d named Amber, a half-human, half-fox being, was bred solely to fulfill the slightest whims of the decadent rich. She was a living, breathing sex toy; however, she was a toy that her manufacturer wanted back very desperately. A toy they were willing to go to any extreme to recover, even kill. But why? Something wasn’t adding up.
The last twenty-four hours had been a blur. First, there had been the “Asset Retrieval Agents” These “A.R.A.s” were nothing more than cold-blooded mercenaries sent to retrieve Amber by the shadowy and sinister GenetX Corporation. He’d ended up shooting it out with them while rescuing Amber from the historic old Spaceport Inn. The vicious gunfight had resulted in substantial damage to the beloved landmark. Still, he’d succeeded in snatching the vixen from their grasp, much to the chagrin of their leader, the cold and calculating Forrest Frost, known Sol-wide as the infamous “Georgian.”
If that hadn’t been enough, in their flight from the mercs, they had run afoul of some rich guy atop Monte Sano who bore Tiger a nasty, little grudge. He’d unleashed a rocket barrage on Tiger’s trusty Pegasus that had almost shot them out of the sky. They’d escaped only when help had come from an unlikely source, the A.R.A.s. But not before Tiger’s old friend, ace computer hacker Jocko had been severely wounded. Reluctantly, at Jocko’s urging, Tiger had abandoned his old friend to assure Amber’s escape.
Aided by a sympathetic ex-Texas Ranger, who went by the nickname … yes, you guessed it, Tex, the two fugitives finally made it to Lulah’s house late last night, but not before Tiger and Forrest had a “high noon”-type showdown, where Frost discovered that a famous gun doesn’t always equate to the fastest.
Even in the perceived sanctuary under Lulah’s roof, Tiger had found adversity. She’d taken an immediate dislike to Amber, admitting she was jealous of the creature and had harbored a secret hope the two might reconcile while he was in town this time. After a frustrating argument, the two had made up and ended up making passionate love.
Sunday morning found Tiger still lying in the same bed, spent and exhausted where only a few hours earlier, he’d entwined bodies passionately with the one woman who could bring out every emotion in him. He’d bedded many women over the years. But he had room for only one love.
The one that got away.
Her beautiful face descended towards him now. Even after two decades, time had failed to tarnish that youthful glow. She kissed him softly, allowing her lips to linger upon his. The feel of them upon his skin, after so, so long, stilled his whole body as he savored the moment.
“Good morning, lover,” she spoke, her lips still at his, lightly brushing them, the feeling like that of a sensual caress, as she spoke. “I hope you slept well.” A tingly feeling ran through