Prologue: The Fury of Mark

The Maintenance Man 7

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Mark was pissed, to say that he was seething, boiling mad would be an understatement. Walking down to the street Mark was focused solely upon the task at hand. After the tirade with his mother he had almost said to hell with it and let the little bastard ass just keep her. Sighing he knew he couldn't do that damnit! That little shit knew it too, that's why he had grabbed his mother.

The look on Mark's face, if seen by anyone on his way there, had them turning and fleeing the opposite direction. Little did they know, Mark had every sensor, every weapon cloaked and hovering behind him ready at a moments notice. Moving ever nearer, he set all his tech on voice command.

Walking into the old square, Mark could see that the bots hadn't gotten this far as a matter of fact, they were still a block away. Coming to a stop Mark scanned looking for any sign of ambush.
"Alright Tantka! I'm here you little shit!"
"Ah, temper temper, fart boy," came the nassal reply as if someone was having trouble breathing, "I hold all the cards!" the sneering whiney voice replied.
"I see you didn't bring your tech with you a bad mistake!" a beam shot out from behind Tantka and struck the building behind Mark, it seemed to piss off Tantka even more that Mark didn't even flinch let alone move.

"Well, well, it seems you grew some balls since we last met, as I remember the last time we did this is simulation you couldn't stand still" Tantka sneered as he looked at his long time enemy and hated rival.
"You'll find that there is alot about me, that has changed in the last two years." Mark breathed a sigh he hadn't detected his tech yet, good, thing is he still had no sign of his mother.
"Stop the bull shit! where is she? your tech is nowhere as advanced as mine I know she has to be here somewhere my scans didn't detect her."
Tantka started to laugh, "Did you happen to check in orbit? She has 6 hours of air and that was an hour ago. Now you got 2 choices go after her or me. Maybe after you lose something as precious to you, then you'll realize the pain you put me through.

Mark clenched his fists, looking at the little shit head, he realized that he had been planning this for quite some time. Suddenly there was a beep, then another, huh? The proximity alert was going off, someone else was here.
"So fart boy, what's it gonna be? huh? Going after me or mama?"
"Shut the fuck up, you pathetic little ass," he listened as the cloaked bot gave the readings and the one heading in orbit was relaying life signs as it got closer.
"Me pathetic? I'm not the one who wanted the glory of turning in a better student than you I..."
"Better?" Mark started to laugh, "since when? Your test scores were never better than mine, except once when I was sick even then you barely edged me out, that one time!"
"It doesn't matter I was the better student, I studied harder, I was better liked, therefore I WAS the better student!" he yelled almost a shrill sound grating on the nerves.

"What makes you so sure I can't get you and her?" Mark said trying to buy time for the bot to get there, only a mile to go now.
Laughing Tantka pointed at Mark, "You think I don't know about your tech at all huh? I detected it as soon as I landed, every piece, all their functions and capabilities I told you I was and AM better!"
Mark got confirmation from his bot that she was alive but was unconscious and only had an hour and a half of air left. He thought to the bot through the new neural link he got right before he left empire, bout time I got to use it. He increased the speed of the bot, now only 20 minutes but an hour to get her back to the planet surface. Shit! How was he going to stall him that long.

Tantka noticed that he was pausing.
"Ah, I see you're using the neural link I have heard so much about, unless you have a shuttle in orbit already, there's no way you can save her." Shit! how the hell had he heard about that? it was so new that hardly anyone knew about it. Mark was begining to wonder just what he knew about.
"So, cut the shit Tantka, why are we here if you aren't trying to kill me?" Mark said a look of anger and extreme malice crossing his face.
Chuckling Tantka pointed at him. "I want to see you in pain, with the look of horror on your face. When you realise that there is nothing that you can do. That someone else holds your fate in their hands. Then I will be satisfied that you have suffered half as much as I have."

Mark held his anger in check as the bot had started to bring to capsule back slowly through the atmosphere. At least another 30 minutes good, the improvements he had made, just in case it had to go into orbit, were paying off he'd have to remember those, they were coming in very handy.
"I know that you already have a shuttle heading there, I saw it leave 10 minutes ago, you won't make it," laughing he pressed a button at his belt Mark had already prepared for almost anything. The bot and the capsule were barely into the upper thin layer of the atmosphere 30 kilometers above the planet. Even with the bot bringing it down at 60 kph it would be at least 15 minutes before the air would be breathable enough to open the air flow into the capsule.

Tantka seemed distracted, "What's wrong something not go right?" Mark almost snickered, "your superior tech not working?"
Mark could see the look of pure hatred as Tantka pressed the button again and again. "You fucking little ass!" he yelled, "there was no way you could know what I was going to do! Well too bad so long sucker! I'll be seeing you soon, next time though, there won't be a chance for you," about that time a shot rang out as Tantka grabbed his arm and the hologram of Tantka vanished. Mark ran from the square as the bot told him that it had detected an explosive charge of high yield, fuck that little shit had a final laugh at him. Leaving he got a reading of 2 people, a kilometer away, one injured getting in a small shuttle, the other running to another, as they left the ground.

Smiling he knew that Tantka was hurt and he thought he knew who to thank if he ever met her. Nearing the capital building he checked the bot it wasn't that far off now. He met Sam and Nissie at the entrance, Nissie wasn't completely healed yet and Sam was helping her.
"I wasn't sure if I was going to save her, I have alot of issues with her but she's family no matter how much of a fucking shit she is."
"Mark, there has to be a reason why, no matter what she's still our mother" Sam said trying to keep her brother calm.
"Oh, by the way Nissie I think I detected your sister, she shot Tantka in the arm I don't think we'll be hearing from him for a while." a steady beep indicated that the bot was almost there, "Ok back up I only have a few minutes to get her out. Then I have to get the bot back into orbit with the capsule"

The bot slowed as it neared to the ground, stopping it hovered and lowered the capsule. Working as quickly as he could he had the top of in a few minutes. Looking at his mother he saw that she had been gassed and a small nuke was around her waist. Getting her free from it he gently put it back into the capsule. Activating the bot he got the speed to start increasing the further it got. Mark just hoped it was fast enough at 2 kilometers he still didn't feel safe at 5 kilometers he began to breath a little easier. Once the bot had reached 10 kilometers he felt better, when suddenly there was a brillant flash, the nuke going off. Mark grabbed the three women and secured them waiting for the shook wave.

Shit! the bot hadn't been wrong it was high yeild, Mark covered all their heads as the wave rocked them and the ground. Finally the shaking had stopped, as his sister and Nissie got up to help Trina to her feet. Her jaw almost healed from the nanomites, she lowered her eyes and turned towards Mark, "I must apologise to you, then I will leave you alone, I know it will be a long time for you to forgive me if you ever do." She shook violently as she continued, "I have a condition that I know you aren't aware of, your sister has seen it breifly. It can cause brief flashes of anger and irrational behaviour." she sighed utterly defeated, "That time, when you walked in I was at the start of an episode. They can last 10 minutes or ten hours. This one lasted almost an hour, by the time your father came home you were gone."

"Why in the hell didn't you seek treatment? why didn't you tell me? Does Father know?" Mark looked incredulous at her.
"Yes, your father knows he's always known, but I couldn't tell you I was so embarassed. You concidered me the perfect mother I couldn't tell you that your perfect mother was flawed."she almost in a whisper
"I didn't think you were perfect, close, but not perfect," he said
"I was told there was no treatment at least not yet," Trina was having a hard time explaining, this was something she had hidden from almost everyone. "Fifteen years ago your father and I were awarded the first nanomites, that was the last time I had an episode." Tears began to fall from her eyes, " I never knew what I said that day, I never have memory of it," she lowered her head and her voice, "I have never had to apologise for an episode. Your father was usually there when I had one. That time with you was the only time that he wasn't there"

Mark watched as the tears began to fall freely now, no shame, no remorse she bared her soul to him.
"Had I known, I might not have left, I loved you and sis, what you said hurt me. It hurt me extremely bad, I thought you were going to kill me. I was gone from the house less than 5 minutes after it happened." Mark replied
"Your father showed up 10 minutes later, he was running late from a useless meeting. It was the next day they we were honored, Earth elevated us to interstellar dignitaries and we left empire, without you. Your father took it hard, I was afraid that you hard rebelled like you did when you were younger but no you went to that maintenance school." she paused to collect herself before starting again.
"I tried many times to contact you, but you had left instructions that you didn't want to see anyone"

Mark nodded, he wanted no contact with the outside world, It was the only way he felt he could stay safe, The taunts and jeers of the other students were nothing to him compared to what he had experienced at home.
"So... are you cured now, or do you still have it?" Mark asked
"I honestly don't know, after that last one 15 years ago, I didn't get checked."
Mark called his med scanner which arrived moments later. Knowing what here condition was he programed in and began to scan her. What he saw astounded him, she had been healed from 3 cracked ribs, a shattered vertebrae, her knee had been broken twice in 2 different places, her left leg had at least 5 healed breaks her right at least 6. Scanning higher he saw her skull had been cracked at least twice both arms had been broken.

Mark shook his head, "how many sets of nanomites have you had? I am reading numerous injuries."
"I believe I am on the fourth set, I almost died last year when our cabin lost air, the nanomites kept me alive but used themselves up. This resulted in a high fever til new upgraded ones were added." Trina shivered then looked at Sam, "I know that you missed your brother. I heard you crying at night for him, blaming yourself for him leaving. I am so sorry Sam, I hope that one day you and your brother can forgive me."
"I can see the condition that you have mother. According to this up til this set of nanomites, they were only suppressing it. This advanced set has actually started to heal the condition another year and I'd say that you'd be clear. It's a neurological condition that is rare."

Trina showed a sad smile, nodding her head, "I'm glad you know the truth now. Maybe someday I'll be able to share in your joy. Please watch your sister I feel she'd be safer with you than with me. Protect her as a big brother should. I have to go and make sure everything is ready. Your father is due in on the next liner."
With that she left leaving three astounded people in the room.
"Oh my god Mark, she has never apologised to anyone not even father!" Sam exclaimed, "she must really love you, she used to tell me that the only people she'd apologise to was family" Sam's mouth was agape the realization of her actions hitting home. Mark himself was amazed, the amount of damage that she had taken to her body was amazing.

"Mark," Nissie spoke for the first time since Mark's arrival, "You said you saw my sister?" she said shaken, "and that she shot Tantka!? what the fuck was she doing here? excuse me Mr. Mark I didn't mean to curse in front of you."
"It's alright concidering the circumstances, yes I believe that it was her. A rather tall woman, slender I believe that she had red hair also."
Nissie's face lit up, "That's sounds like her, did she say anything?"
"No, I saw her on the scanner before I came here, she was chasing
Tantka, they climbed into small shuttles and left she was hot on his heels."
"Holy shit! she was here with her personell shuttle! Damn she was serious."
"She seemed deadly serious, I am going to have to thank her, the next time i see her." Mark said in after thought.

"I don't think you'll have to" Nissie spoke up, "I think it's her way of thanking you. also knowing my sister she won't let up til he's dead and she knows for sure he is." Mark only nodded helping the two women to their feet. Going to their room mark called all the tech back and started to pack. They had been here way too long and the city was as good as new. the bots were still repairing and had found another hundred bots that soon joined in.

Boarding the liner they had met Arthur Doraland coming off, they passed swapping pleasantries, their father giving them a strange look as Sam kissed her father and boarded the liner. Sighing Mark went through the computer files updating all the programs. Moving on he was almost disappointed when he didn't find any sabotage. Just the usual worn fittings, fried lines, diconnected power couplings just the normal.
"Mark?" Sam asked, "Oh I'm sorry, Mr. Mark."
"Yes Sam, what is it?"
"You're not mad at me are you? for the deception?" she lowered her eyes to the floor
"No, you are quite capable I told you your knowledge is that of a second year student if you had a little more I might let you help make a few repairs. Here," he type a site into her comp and entered his approval code, "study while we are underway, it might help to pay off your debt faster"
Sam's eyes lit up she would get to learn more! "you don't think Daddy will try to get me back do you?"
Mark shook his head, "No, he listens to mom she is his greatest advisor, though I am not sure she will tell him why you are with me, she will convince him."

Mark was dead tired after this last planet he hoped that Tantka never bothered him again, that little ass wore him out. A knock at the cabin door had Mark in the hall way a few minutes. The captain informed him that he would always be allowed to travel free with who ever was with him, another 30,000 credits were in his account back in central. Mark thanked the captain and watched him leave. Entering the room he didn't see Sam or Nissie. There was a soft giggling from the bedroom as Mark enetered his mouth dropped agape as there on the bed was his sister Sam naked and spread.
"Finally big brother, I have waited years to say this, I want to give you my virginity you are the only man I trust besides Daddy and I feel that would be gross!"
Mark stood there his mouth open, his cock getting hard as he stared at his beautiful red haired sister.

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THE END