The Lives of Tao Page 12

  How many times do I have to tell you not to bite on every feint? Look how far away she was! Two quick flashes popped inside Roen’s head, both of Sonya executing similar attacks. Learn to recognize it!

  “Easy for you to say. You’re not the one getting whacked silly.”

  Baji must be mocking me.

  “Are you all right, Roen?” Sonya picked up the staff and handed it back to him as he scrambled to his knees. “You need to gauge distance better. You’re falling for the same trick every time.”

  I rest my case.

  “That explains why you managed to hit me in the same place four times now.” He grimaced.

  “Maybe you shouldn’t leave that opening for me.” She blew a strand of hair from her face and waved him back. “Let’s try this again, and try to hang on to the staff.”

  He could tell her patience was wearing thin as well. The two squared off in the ring and began anew. Roen had finally overcome his self-consciousness and was wearing only a pair of shorts. It had taken him a while to feel comfortable enough to go shirtless. Sonya, as usual, wore a dark blue close-fitting shirt and pants, garments that covered most of her body.

  They circled and stalked each other, both looking for an opening. Sonya shuffled her feet, feinted high and then slashed low. Roen managed to block her quick swing as the two shafts clacked with a loud thunk. Sensing an opening, Roen stabbed at her face with the butt end. Sonya moved fluidly and parried, guiding his thrust away from her body. Then she pivoted forward and twirled the staff, striking him on the side of the head. He staggered backward.

  Turn right! Roll with the blow. Keep the guard up. An image of a monk blocking a sword flashed in his head.

  By this time, Roen was used to following Tao’s running commentary and tried his best to follow the instructions. He felt his back to the rope as he retreated. Sonya gave him no quarter, however, and charged again. He barely dodged another blow as he fell back, hopelessly off balance. She pressed the attack, pouncing on top of him and spearing him in the stomach. She ended the melee just short of a killing blow. Roen groaned and Tao muttered something he couldn’t make out.

  Sonya shook her head and offered her hand. “I think that’s enough for the day. You need to get ready for work, anyhow.”

  Roen couldn’t agree more. He could see the disappointment in her eyes. The past couple weeks of workouts had been painful. Getting beaten up twice a day was starting to take a physical and mental toll on him. He was becoming discouraged and started dreading these workouts. Sighing, he picked himself up and hopped in the shower. By the time he got out, Sonya had already left. Roen walked up to the mirror and felt his tender ribs. A splotch a nice shade of purple was already appearing. There was a nasty looking welt appearing just above his temple as well. He looked as if he’d just gone five rounds with Mike Tyson.

  “No male modeling for me,” he sighed as he got dressed for work.

  An hour later, Roen dragged his tired, sore body to work. His coworkers had already gotten over their initial concerns with his bruised and often-cut face. Maybe they thought he had joined a fight club or something. He had become used to it and barely noticed the worried looks on their faces.

  Fatigue had become an issue though. Both Tao and Sonya pushed him so hard; he always felt exhausted. Roen desperately wanted to call in sick today after the morning workout, but willed himself to go in. He was determined to finish as much work as possible before the weekend. He sat at his desk and stared at the list of jobs slated for the day: a few script adjustments, some applications to deploy, and several diagrams to update; all in all, a typical monotonous day.

  “The world spins despite me, not because of me,” he muttered. Last week, one of his coworkers died after twenty-five years of service. There was an email and eulogy sent by one of the managers – and then a mad scramble by everyone else to loot his office supplies. Roen picked up his stapler and held it over his head, exclaiming loudly. “This is all I’ll amount to. This is my stapler. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My stapler is my best...”

  It is not even really yours. If you quit your job, they keep the stapler.

  “Hush, Tao. You’re ruining my moment with myself.”

  Your moment of self-pity? And yet you cannot bear to quit the job that makes you feel this way.

  “Well, when can I quit and get on the Prophus payroll?”

  When we can trust you enough to do more than stalk a mailbox.

  Roen sighed. “You know, I bet the Prophus have pretty deep pockets. Why don’t you put me on retainer now? My development would be so much faster if my only responsibility was to train.”

  Throwing money at you just because you do not like your lot in life? No thanks. We are not your sugar daddy.

  “You’d get better results out of me that way.”

  Your progress has been commendable enough... wait... scroll back up. I see the problem. Comment that code out and change the global variables.

  Roen complied and did as he was told.

  Anyway, as I was saying, I am pleased with your progress, maybe even proud.

  “Does this bruised and battered face look like something anyone should be proud of?”

  I had my doubts at first. You were an out-of-shape man with low self-esteem and underdeveloped social skills. Now you are an in-shape man with low self-esteem and underdeveloped social skills.

  “Thanks... I think.”

  There has been a marked improvement. Your reaction time has improved somewhat as of late. Now, if you can only stop fighting like a girl.

  “What do you expect? You got a girl to train me.”

  I take that back. Saying you fight like a girl is an insult to girls everywhere. I bet you would not dare say that in front of Sonya.

  “Damn straight I wouldn’t. I still have nightmares about her right hook.”

  That is because you never see it coming. You have to read her telegraphs when she feints to your right. It is her MO.

  “Oh, I see it coming. I just can’t react fast enough.”

  This is serious. If we do not resolve this problem, you will never survive in the field.

  Roen finished deploying his applications and crossed them off his to-do list. He opened one of his diagrams and began to make changes. With Tao’s help, his productivity had doubled and the quality of his work had improved tenfold.

  By noon, he had finished almost everything, something that used to take him all day to do. Whistling, he locked his computer and grabbed his workout bag. The one redeeming value of the company was the gym located in the basement. While it was unsettling to see his overweight coworkers sweating in shorts, it served as a grim reminder that he used to be one of them.

  As he often did, Roen took a detour to the elevator and walked a few aisles out of his way. Sometimes, he almost wished Jill wouldn’t be at her desk. She had been traveling for work this past month, so he hadn’t seen much of her lately. His heartbeat quickened and his palms began to sweat.

  Oh come on. You treat her like a Greek goddess and act like a lap dog around her. It is embarrassing.

  Today, he was in luck, or not in luck, depending on who you asked. Jill was busy typing on her laptop. Her auburn hair was tied in a bun, and she wore a sharp gray business suit, along with her cute nerdy glasses. Roen sucked in his breath and felt his heart skip a beat. He slowed down and stood there silently, not sure what to do now that she was there.

  Can you just say something to her? This silly ritual is more than a bit creepy. If only you could tail targets as well as you tail her. Make up your mind and say something, or stop stalking her.

  “Um, hi, Jill.”

  I meant something charming.

  Jill looked up, her eyes widening as she saw him. “Oh, hey, Roen. Wow, did you lose weight? You look great!”

  “Um... uh...”

  Why do I bother? Here, repeat these words verbatim. Thanks, Jill, you look pretty good yourself.

  “Thanks, Jill, you look pretty
good yourself,” he repeated dutifully.

  “Aw, you’re sweet,” she said. “No, I’m serious though. Have you been working out?”

  Just a little bit. I am trying to be healthier these days. But I am serious too. You also look great.

  Roen again repeated what Tao said.

  Jill frowned. “No way. I’ve been traveling so much that I haven’t been to the gym in weeks. All that eating out every night. I have a triathlon coming up and have hardly trained.”

  There, you have something in common. Ask her to exercise with you.

  Roen went out on a limb and added his own bit. “Why would you need to work out? It’s not like you’re...” He caught himself at the last second.

  Stick to my script! If I wanted you to improvise, I would have told you!

  She chuckled and then frowned at him, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “You’re being awfully nice to me today. Are you looking for candy?”

  He laughed nervously. “Of course not. Anyway, I have to go... I’m running to lunch... to the gym. I mean... to jog on the treadmill, uh, not to eat, I mean. Well, OK... bye.” He turned and fled.

  Jill looked a bit confused. “...all right, Roen. I’ll see you later.”

  Ask her out, dummy.

  “No way!”

  Stop walking now!

  “No!”

  Now, Roen Tan!

  He stopped. It was Tao’s authoritative voice.

  Turn around and ask her.

  Roen planted his feet and shook his head.

  Ask, blast it!

  With an overwhelming sense of dread, he tiptoed back to her desk. “Hey Jill, I’ve been meaning to ask you. You... hmm... want to grab dinner this weekend?” His voice cracked just a little as he spoke.

  She looked up again, surprised, but not in a deer-in-headlights sort of way that he had expected. She shook her head. “Sorry, I’m heading back to Frankfurt Friday. You know how that Tillian project is.”

  Roen was crushed. Shoulders slumped, he turned and walked away.

  Stop, fool! She did not say no.

  “Roen, wait,” she called out. “I need to stay with the project until the second stage is completed. Rain check for when I get back?”

  Stunned, all he could do was nod dumbly.

  Say something! Thank her and tell her you will call her when she gets back.

  “You serious?” was all he could muster.

  No, dummy!

  Jill giggled. “Of course. I’ll get you the dates and we’ll plan something.”

  “Great!” He turned to leave again.

  How are you going to call her? Get her number!

  “Oh!” He turned back again. “Let me get your number. I mean, could I get your number?”

  She grinned impishly and jotted it down on a piece of paper. “First Friday back, OK?”

  He nodded and practically skipped down the aisle, the butterflies in his stomach bubbling up in joy. “She underlined her number twice on the Post-it. That means she likes me, right?”

  Stop grinning like a mad fool and get to the gym, you big peacock.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  RECONNECT

  Through the next century, I drifted, moving from animal to animal, observing and learning about man. My thoughts often returned to Temujin and the mistakes I made. I had tried to build peace through war. I would not make that error again. Undeterred in my ambition for a new enlightened world, I traveled from the Mongolian steppes to the kingdoms of the south and was spoken of as a mythological creature among the Chinese people there. Those who profess to enlightenment called me the Ho Lung, the Fire Dragon.

  That night, Sonya came over to watch a boxing match, much to Roen and Antonio’s delight. The fact that she enjoyed sports was just another added bonus for them to have an even bigger crush on her. Antonio fawned over her every request, much to her evident amusement.

  Having been knocked out several times by her, Roen was no longer as susceptible to her charms. To his surprise, she was the one to suggest staying over. The plan was to wake up at sunrise for a training session. The Chicago summer was in full swing and they planned to take full advantage of it by running along the lake. Afterward, she said she wanted to lay out at Oak Street Beach, lamenting how Lake Michigan was a poor substitute for the Caribbean, but it’d have to do.

  Sonya also finagled the use of his bed, leaving him the living room couch. Roen wasn’t sure how she pulled it off, but at the end of the night, he found himself holding a pillow and blanket staring at the lumpy old taupe-colored couch his parents had donated from their basement. Falling asleep was never a problem though. Grumbling aside, he was asleep the instant he laid his head on the pillow, his shallow snoring resonating across the entire apartment.

  A few minutes past midnight, once he knew that Roen was hibernating like a bear, Tao got up and walked his body toward his bedroom. There were still sounds coming out of Antonio’s room, which was expected as Roen’s roommate kept odd hours. Antonio saw Tao walk by and waved. “Where’re you going?” he asked.

  “To my room,” Tao replied, eager to brush him off.

  Antonio smirked and winked. “You mean to Sonya’s room? Sly dog. You could have told me you wanted to call dibs. I won’t try to compete with you if you like her. You’re my boy. I’ll let you have her.”

  Let him have her? Tao couldn’t help himself. “You know what, buddy? You think you can beat me for her? You go ahead. Want to make a little friendly wager?”

  Antonio looked up from the computer and raised an eyebrow. “Hmm? I see your newfound weight loss is accompanied by brain loss. What’s the bet?”

  “Hundred dollars on her affections.”

  Antonio whistled. “Not so friendly after all. Sure?”

  Tao nodded.

  “What if she doesn’t like either of us?”

  Tao smiled. He said, “If she does not like either of us, then you win as well, yeah?”

  Antonio grinned and walked up to Tao, extending his hand. “Deal. Honestly, if you find a girl who likes you, I’m happy for you, man. It’s win-win for me.” He grinned and pointed at his face, “But you’re not going to beat this.”

  Tao winked and shook Antonio’s hand, and then walked over to his room and tapped on the closed door. Not waiting for an answer, he opened it and walked in, locking it behind him. The light was on and Sonya was sitting on the bed waiting for him.

  “Hello, Tao. It has been a while.”

  “It is good to speak with you again, Baji. How are things with Sonya progressing?”

  “Very well. Her talent is unmatched; without a doubt the strongest host I have had in a thousand years, even more than her mother. You?”

  “It has been a long time since I had a host this raw. I have to admit, Edward spoiled me. He was a joy to work with. I still have to settle with his family.”

  “Shame on you, Tao. You should have seen to that already.”

  “Unfortunately, Edward did not have a contingency plan with his family. He never wanted to think about it. Right now, Roen is too delicate to handle the trauma of condolences.”

  “The young man is not doing too badly, Tao. He did start late but has progressed well. How long has he been with you?”

  “Just under three months.”

  “A pittance, Tao. He will be competent soon enough.”

  Tao sighed and sat down next to her on the bed. “Time is a luxury I do not have. The Keeper has made it very clear Roen needs to be up to speed soon. He begins actual combat missions in two months and he hasn’t even held, much less fired a gun yet. The Keeper is correct, though. I need to be back in the field as soon as possible. With the current debacle in the Middle East with Israel and Iran, and the loss of influence in two South American countries, we are being pushed back on our heels. To make matters worse, China is poised to be the new powerhouse in the world, and the Genjix has made sure we have no foothold in their government. We are dangerously out of position in the world.”

  Baji
shook her head. “How were we supposed to predict the rapid ascension of the communists? Aligning with nationalists was a losing position, but the right thing to do. We were in too deep regardless.”

  “Have we made any headway with the Vatican?”

  Baji grimaced. “We have lost ground. Our bought neutrality is over. With Jerrix as the new pope, expect a cleansing from within that will push us out entirely. It will become as bad for us as during the Dark Ages.” She grabbed a stack of papers on the desk and handed it to him. “The last few months of intelligence reports you have missed; fun reading.”

  Tao took the stack and skimmed through them. “Like watching someone slowly suffocate,” he muttered.

  “It is worse than you think. There is a proposal on the table to build a safe haven in the event we need to go dormant. Some believe this generation is lost.”

  Tao looked up from the papers. “Really, that bad? Where?”

  “Greenland.”

  “Figures.” Tao scowled. “Too unrealistic to hope for a nice isolated tropical island?”

  “Completely.” Baji chuckled. “Real estate is too expensive.”

  “How are our financial figures looking at least?”

  “That is our lone bright point. Tresk was spot-on in predicting the right revenue-generating models. Thank goodness for our cosmetic pharmaceutical division.”

  “Indeed,” Tao replied. “Such an irony that our quest for mankind’s greater good required an appeal to their shallow nature.”

  “No one wants to pay for a cure for cancer, but Heaven forbid a man lose his hair or an erection.” Baji hesitated. “There is one more thing, Tao. A Decennial has been called, and the Genjix have agreed. They are working on a date now. Initial date proposed is sometime middle of next year, possibly in Spain or Singapore.”