Personal Log 17: The Story Of Suzanne Telford, Self-Employed Beautechnician
09 Sep 2016Jemine Caesar
30th June, 3301Suzanne's Of Swigert
Swigert Port, Chowei C
As Suzanne prepared my face for the deep dermocleanse, I spotted a holo-image of a small boy on the workbench. "Oh, is that your son?" I asked.
"It was," Suzanne replied. "He died a few years ago."
*****
Back in 3289 (said Suzanne) I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar here on Swigert Port. I was 19. I'd qualified as a beautechnician, but couldn't find a job, so I ended up mixing drinks and serving snacks. One November day a young man came in the bar and started chatting me up. I used to get that a lot, but this guy was different somehow. His name was Leo. He was charming, magnetic, and I found him fascinating.
Well, one thing led to another, and in the following February I happily told Leo I was expecting his baby. The next day he shipped out, without so much as a single word. No goodbye, no note, nothing. I gave birth to a son on September 7th, 3290. I named him Philip. He was my life. But I had complications with the birth, and they told me I would never be able to have any more children.
Just after his 7th birthday, Philip became ill. Very ill. The medical facilities here are pretty good, but they just weren't equipped to deal with Phil's problem. They told me it was an extremely rare disease called Necrolysing Transuterophylomycaemia. A virus, they told me, which was passed by the male parent at conception. I knew it had to be Leo, and that it was why he'd done a disappearing act on me. The medics did their best, but they couldn't save Phil. They could only keep him comfortable on painkillers, until he died on 10th November, 3297. My life fell apart. I was devastated.
Then, about a month after Phil's death, a strange thing happened. I received a holo-fac from Leo. It was the last thing I'd expected. Leo said he'd managed to carve out a comfortable life for himself on Earth, in the Sol system, and he wanted me to join him there. He said there'd be a Sidewinder waiting in the Swigert hangar for me to make the trip in, together with a basic course of flying lessons. He also said I'd have to first get a Sol permit, which was why he'd given me the ship.
I went to look at the Sidewinder, even sat in the cockpit. I was tempted to go to Earth, and tell Leo what I thought of him. But that temptation only lasted a moment. I sold the ship, and used the money to set up my own business as a beautechnician. Luckily I could still remember most of the techniques. I bought this place, and did my best to forget all about Leo. I kept this holo-cube of him, though, for some reason. I haven't looked at it for years. Here, you can keep it. I don't want it anymore.
*****
Suzanne activated the holo-cube for me to look at. The flickering image of a familiar young man smiled back at me. He was less scruffy, with shorter hair and neater clothes. But he was unmistakably Caz.