The rain was coming down hard as a figure clad in a black business suit ran from his car to the apartment building, using a newspaper as an umbrella. As he entered the building, Clayton disposed the soaked paper into the garbage can and took a couple seconds to clean his glasses. After regaining the ability to see clearly, he wearily dragged his drenched self to the garden-level apartment where he could find himself a dry change of clothes and a towel.

“Had a nice swim?” Crow cackled from the couch as Clayton walked through the door.

Tom snickered as well. “Love the drowned rat impression.”

Clayton fixed the two lounging ‘bots with a quick glare as he pulled out some papers from an inside pocket. He set these papers in front of Joel, who was sitting at the table trying to fix Mike’s microwave.

“I take it things went well,” Joel said, not looking up from his task.

Clayton shrugged. “Well enough. Luckily Mother more or less damned herself.”

“Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me. She sure was pissed when she came to,” Joel said, remembering when Future Pearl had regained consciousness from the tranquilizer.

The former mad scientist gave a little evil grin. “The shrink was so sorry about my ‘poor Aunt Peggy, she’s suffering from delusions that could take years to cure’,” he snickered at the doctor’s words.

Joel frowned. “Wouldn’t she have guessed that saying she’s from the future and she’s trying to take over the world would have sounded at least a little nuts?”

“Pride and anger tends to skewer one’s judgment,” Clayton said as he dug into his bag. With a small cry of triumph he found a clean pair of pants and a shirt. “She wasn’t that stable to begin with anyway.”

Joel shrugged. “Point taken.”

Mike emerged from one of the adjoining rooms, towelling off his hair. “Bathroom’s free,” he announced as he took a seat across from Joel. Clayton took the opportunity to lay his claim and went into the bathroom.

Mike picked up the official looking papers on the table and whistled. “That’s a little harsh, wouldn’t you say?”

Joel gave him a humourless smile. “I would say. If you have a better idea I’m open to suggestions, even though Clay seems to be taking some sadistic glee from the whole thing.” With a flourish, he screwed in the last screw in the microwave. “There, better than new. I also took the liberty to add in a few new features, the best of which is the reverse setting if you want to cool something down.”

Mike grinned and looked at his new and improved microwave like a mischievous child with a new toy. “Neat. Thanks, man.”

“Not a problem,” Joel said with a grin. He was just grateful for something to do; working with his hands kept his mind focused so it didn’t wander to other, more distressing topics. Topics like the fact that he had to say goodbye to one of his ‘bots the previous morning. He always knew that Gypsy would accomplish great things; he had had great expectations for her when he had made her. She had been the only reason why the SOL had stayed in orbit as long as it did and didn’t fall apart within the first year. Her technical know-how was second to none, even surpassing his in a lot of ways. He knew that on Earth she would find her niche in the world of business and technology. The only thing he had never included in all of his dreams for her was the moment when he would have to let her go to pursue her own path in life.

But, as Joel came to accept, life goes on. The goodbye at the airport, where the private jet was waiting for Gypsy, had not been a final goodbye. He would see her again soon, they were family after all. Still, it was hard to be separated again after only a week and a half of being reunited.

A nudge from Cambot jolted Joel from his thoughts. The little hovering ‘bot was trying to draw Joel’s attention to the fact that Crow and Tom were now listing off the merits of Chuck Norris.

“Did you know,” Tom was saying over Walker: Texas Ranger. “That Chuck Norris’ tears can cure cancer?”

Crow snickered. “Yeah, too bad he never cries. Do you know what his chief export is?”

“What, beard?”

“Close. It’s pain. Though his beard can be considered painful to a viewer’s health.”

Joel and Mike exchanged an amused look. Cambot emitted a strange beeping sound that seemed to be his version of a laugh.

“Good to see that some things never change,” Joel said, getting that wistful look on his face again.

Mike gave him a small punch in the shoulder. “Hey, don’t go all melodramatic on me again. Yesterday was bad enough.”

Joel chuckled as he put his tools back in his toolbox. “I have to admit, retail therapy does help. I think I’ve already worn out about half of those new tools.”

“Watch it, Robinson,” Clayton said, now clad in fresh clothes and dried off. He pointed his finger at Joel to emphasize his point. “Those cost Nelson and I each a hefty amount. I’ll harm you if those things are destroyed within the year.”

Joel grinned, not really put off by Clayton’s threat.

“Oh hey,” Mike said, getting up and grabbing a newspaper from the kitchen counter. “I found something of interest for you, Clay.” He passed the paper to the former mad scientist, pointing at something on the page. “It’s nearby, plenty of space, and affordable.”

Clayton took the page with the ad for the apartment that Mike had found and sat down on one of the armchairs. “Mike, thanks to the inheritance from Mother just about any place is affordable for me.”

Mike gave a grim smile. He didn’t like to think about what had happened to Mother Pearl. The head injury had been more serious than they had anticipated. Pearl had lasted for about two days on life support until Clayton had signed the papers that would allow the doctors to carry out Pearl’s wishes in such a situation. The thought still gave Mike the creeps.

“But still,” Joel pointed out. “That won’t last forever. I’m pretty sure you can’t pay rent for some of those places on a teacher’s salary.”

Clayton said nothing, knowing he was defeated. With is credentials it hadn’t taken him long to find a job at the local high school as a physics teacher. The pay wasn’t too bad, the work was right up his alley, and he could satisfy the little part of himself that was still a mad scientist with detentions and with cutting the smug idiots of the class down to size.

Yeah, he thought as he looked around the apartment. Tom and Crow were arguing over watching more TV or play the Playstation Joel had rigged up for them. Cambot was watching Mike make some chicken stir-fry. The mess on the table was being rapidly cleared up by Joel in preparation for dinner. Yeah, life isn’t so bad after all.

***

Many years later…

Pearl rubbed her head, wishing that she could find some Aspirin in this dump that was once Deep 13. It had been a week since she had been thawed out, only to find that she had a killer headache and that her only company was a bunch of smelly, stinking, completely unsanitary apes.

So this is what she had wasted a ridiculous amount of money for. Wonderful.

I have to admit, though, she thought as she watched Bobo converse with the trapped inhabits of the SOL, things are starting to look up.

As she listened, she realized that this Mike and these ‘bots aren’t the same ones that she had faced with her future self. In her head she started to weave a tale of how she ended up here. She wasn’t about to tell them that it was their fault she was here. She would never admit that she was outsmarted by her little weasel of a son.

And this time, Pearl thought as Mike and the ‘bots scattered at the Movie Sign, this time I won’t make the same mistakes that the other Pearl did.

This time around, I’ll do it right.