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weapons.”
    And Kevin.  “We have children seeing a
new future of peace amongst the stars.”
    Selena shook her head no and wiped away a
tear, “More like pieces amongst the stars.”
    I caressed her hair.  “We are on very new
ground here.”
    George named it.  “We are looking at the
rise of the corporate states.”
    “Selena, they’ve always existed since the
birth of mercantilism, but in the back, in the shadows.”
    “That will end this century.”
    “And if government is not brought along
with us to the stars—“
    “Even kicking and screaming.”
    “The outcome will be ruthless.  Remember
that issue we had in Nigeria.”
    The faces of my friends soured tremendously
with that memory, all but Tot’s, who was not with us then and she stood there
silently questioning.
    George answered her.  “Diplomacy failed
and we had to hire a PMC to resolve our issues with that government and the
corporations it was illegally in bed with.  The PMC resolved our issue and
resolved it well.”
    Tatyana asked, “PMC?”
    George’s answer
was not well received by her, “Private Military Company”
    Mercenaries?! 
You hired mercenaries.
    Hemmingson nodded
yes.
    I massaged Selena’s neck.  “All of us
still own shares in that company, individually and as The Group.  And as we
reach for Mars.  I’m at least trying to do all these things, still with a
conscious.”
    George was frank, “PMC’s are the modern
mercenary corps.  In the wrong hands they are Armageddon.  Pure and simple.”
    I massaged Selena’s neck with one hand
and her waist with the other.  Tot watched.  I don’t think she was displeased. 
But . . . “What will corporate states unchecked by human states be with PMC’s or
their own armies to inflict their will?”
    George said the same thing, I felt.  “I’m
not letting it happen.”
    “Selena, we do have a conscious.”
    Her tears flowed.  “If you call it that. 
I wouldn’t.  You sold Mars and you stole the moon.  I’ve got to go.”  She
walked off.
    “Selena, don’t go.”
    Crying she stopped and turned.  “What did
you get me involved in?  I thought I would be doing something to help the
world’s problems.  We’re just magnifying and exporting them.”
    Still crying, Selena snatched up her
things and left.  George, stung, pretended to be unfazed, and returned to
work.  The others, helpless, stared after her.  Not knowing what to do, they
sat for a while in silence.  Still not knowing what to say or do, I bolted
after her, sprinting through the halls to leap into the penthouse elevator just
beating the closing doors, to join Selena.
    Tearing I spoke to her.  “Selena, I love
you.  I didn’t mean to hurt you or anyone.  I’m just trying to do what I need
to do to keep all of this together.  And, I don’t want you to go.  You are the
heart of all this.  The humanity.  Our conscious.”
    “Then why didn’t you tell me some things
so important.”
    “George wanted to.”
    “You?”
    “When I met you, you were wearing a white
sundress and the sun was reflecting and filtering throughout your hair.  You
looked like the angel I’ve learned you to be.  You are. . . . we live in a
world of ugliness and to fight it or to protect yourself from it, you sometimes
have to be ugly too.  Even uglier.  I’m ugly for both of us.”
    Through tears, Selena smiled with deeper
understanding of many things.  The elevator door opened onto the first floor
and she left without looking back at the closing doors.
    I had lost her.

15. Selena Returns
     
     
    Tired, I worked tirelessly late into the
night at my desk within my YSR penthouse office.  Long ago, the staff and the
building’s cleaning crew had left.  Soft taps at my door interrupted me and I
smiled with love.  “Come in.”
    Exhausted, beautiful, her hair shortened
and highlighted, smiling, looking very much in love Selena entered.  “Hi.”
    The love shining in my eyes I returned
her greeting.