The shadow detached itself from the darkness, gliding along the perimeter unseen. The dark figure vaulted the fence, landing like a cat on the other side.
I am certifiably insane, Jimmy thought to himself as he approached the house. A dull ache in his side reminded him of his previous visit to the place. He made his way up to a window, carefully looking in.
Dona was incredibly upset right then, but she would have to get over that. “Those were not farm hands.” He told her, as he was getting ready to return.
“Goddamn it Jimmy, Susan just patched you up from the last time. If these people are who you seem to think they are you’ll just end up getting killed. You’re not a professional fighter. You may be a black belt in that grade-school Karate stuff, but they’re trained to kill.”
“Oh, my Karate training is real, all right. Just because I’m not trained to kill doesn’t mean I can’t take care of myself.”
“Earth to Jimmy, if I hadn’t found your gun there, that ape would have skewered you.”
“That’s what this is for.” He took the PT-1000 pistol out of its box, inspecting the charge meter on the weapon. He put the holster on his waist, again tying the leather cord around his leg to keep it from flapping around. He wasn’t about to mention one of the biggest reasons he was doing this was anger about her having to kill that man.
“You don’t even know how to use that thing!”
“Dona, honey, you don’t know everything about me. I’ve been training with pistols since I could pick them up. I’m already an expert marksman, and these things don’t even have recoil. You just point and shoot. He pointed the weapon at the wall, pulling the trigger for effect. The safety was on, so he didn’t blow a hole in their bedroom wall.
He pulled a black turtleneck over his tee shirt, tucking it into the black uniform pants left from their wedding. He opened a box Tinker had brought him. He was surprised such hardware was available to the public, but there seemed to be a thriving trade in such things, a large mercenary force being critical to the war effort.
The armor was made mostly of pentronium. The chest plate was a solid piece, enameled in dark gray. Solid panels were linked into a flexible suit, which covered his vital areas. He went through a warm-up routine, testing the flexibility. Unlike Kevlar body armor of old, this suit was light, almost like his regular clothing. He had complete freedom of movement with it on.
“Damn it Jimmy! Listen to me! Call the police. Call the Starforce or something. Let the right people deal with this. I killed that man. He was going to gut you with that electric knife like you weren’t even there.”
“If I’m right, the last thing we can do is go to the authorities. You don’t see anyone coming after us for shooting that man. No, if we go to the authorities, they will only arrest us, accomplishing just what they wanted to begin with. They’ll finally have a reason to confiscate this ship and chuck us in some hole and forget about us.”
“I just cannot believe that our own government would do this sort of thing.”
“Dona, don’t be naďve. They did this in our time. They do it now. Do you think that Tova guy is just going to go around trying to talk us out of the way? No, he tried that already. Now he’s moved on to this. I either need to get the goods on him, or at least find out what’s going on, or he’s not going to stop.”
“Why don’t we just sell him the ship for a fair price? That will satisfy him, and we’ll be able to buy a house right here on Swingaround. I’m tired of living in this ship, no matter how nice it is. I want a house on the ground, with normal windows, in a normal neighborhood.”
“He could have asked me right from the get go, and I would have obliged him. No, at every turn they have tried to sneak us around, as if they don’t trust us to do even that. I’ve even started to wonder just why Morrow is doing so much for us. Don’t you think it’s awfully convenient we have Tinker around, and what about Susan? Maybe she’s just screwing Murky just to keep tabs on us.”
Tears were running down Dona’s face. She walked right up to him and slapped him, hard. “That would make her a whore, you know that? She’s not a whore; she’s the only friend I have outside of you and Murky. She loves him, really.”
“Yeah, she loves him, and just about every other man on that ship.” She tried to slap him again, but he grabbed her arm in mid-swing. She just yanked it free, running into another room.
Damn it all, he thought as he made his way around the building. The first big fight they have, and it’s all because he was trying to protect them. Something made a sound and he pulled the pistol from its oiled leather holster. He had placed black tape over the glowing power read-out. He suddenly wished he had asked Tinker how many shots the weapon would fire before he had to let it recharge. Well, here’s to hoping its as far advanced as his ship.
A man had stepped out onto the wooden front porch of the ‘farm house.’ He stopped, drinking something from a handled glass mug, then lighting a cigarette. It suddenly struck Jimmy that this was the first tobacco product he had seen in this century. He watched from the safety of the shadows as the man took a long draw on it, blowing the smoke into the cool night air. He turned up the mug, finishing whatever he was having, and then taking another draw from the cigarette.
The man was armed. A rifle of unknown design was slung on his back. Jimmy took note that it was not a standard military issue. It had more the look of a sporting weapon, but just like in his time, a hunting rifle would kill you just as dead as an army machine gun. He backed deeper into the shadows as another man joined him, also drinking. Perhaps he was in luck. If they were slightly drunk that would improve his chances.
Revenge was not on his mind. He simply wanted to find out what they were about. He strained his ears, trying to make out what they were saying, but they were talking in muted tones. The new one smiled and laughed, tipping his mug up, polishing off more than half of his supposed brew. He clapped the armed man on the shoulder, taking his empty mug from him and going inside.
The armed man unslung his rifle, holding it as ready as he made his way off the porch. Despite the ready position of the rifle, the man walked about casually, not really expecting any sort of intrusion. He walked out of the lighted area nearer the house, flipping down a pair of goggles.
Jimmy dropped down behind a barrier. That was how they got the drop on him the other night. He pulled down his own light intensifying goggles, adjusting the gain. He could see the man once more in the odd monochrome of the night vision goggles. They were not the odd looking clunky devices of his time, but little more than a wide, one piece affair much like sunglasses. He silently prayed the other man didn’t have infrared tracking on his goggles.
Apparently satisfied, the man mounted the steps of the porch, returning inside the house. Jimmy waited a moment, but no one appeared to take the man’s place. He stealthily eased back up to the building, keeping an eye out for an unseen guard. He had to take the goggles off as he approached the lighted area, not yet being used to adjusting the gain. He wondered why the things didn’t have an automatic adjustment.
The front was too well lit, so he made his way around the side of the wooden house. He almost fell into the back entrance of the basement they had been kept in. He tried the door, which was, of course, locked. There had been a window high up on the wall. He found it a few steps away. It was sturdy looking, a fully modern pane of synthetic glass despite its old fashioned look. He tried it carefully. He pulled his stainless knife from its hiding place in his boot. He had sprayed flat black paint on it to keep it from glinting in the moonlight.
The window must not have been locked, since it hinged outward once he pried it open. The window was just large enough for him to squeeze through in the armor. He dropped to the floor, making a little more noise than he was used to. He made his way up to the door, first listening, then trying the knob. This time, the door was locked. Frustrated, he cast about the basement, looking for another way up.
He spotted the air system, silver ducts dividing between the rooms above. Assuming they would probably be concentrated in the main room, he chose a duct, which he figured, would lead there. Using his knife, he began to cut away the insulation, finally cutting through the plastic accordion tubing making up the duct.
The grate, which fed the cooled air to the room, was far too small for him to crawl through, the house not needing large capacity ductwork. Instead, he got as close to the grate as possible, straining to see. The angle was bad, but he could now make out voices.
“…believe that little bitch got a hold of their gun like that. Who the hell left it out?” asked a man with a deep voice.
“We didn’t know they had combat training. We figured we’d just have to beat them up a bit then dump them somewhere.” Explained a second voice.
“No, we should have left them well enough alone. I told you I thought it was just a young couple screwing in the woods.”
“That doesn’t explain that boy’s fighting ability. He took out three of us before Bull got a knife into him.”
“Did you see the way he fought, it was that pretty-fighting crap you see on video? I’ll bet he was one of those sporting fighters. You notice none of us are really hurt bad, he just took us out of the fight. It was the girl with him who shot Bull.”
“We should have just killed them and dumped ‘em somewhere, or raped the girl. As it is, we still need to move on before they tell somebody about this place.”
“Do you think they’d actually go to the police? It would be their word against ours. It was their gun, you know.”
The man with the deep voice must have been closer to the grill; his voice was clearer and louder suddenly. “We won’t take that chance. In the morning, we move to our place in the city.” A hand suddenly covered the grill, frightening Jimmy enough he almost fell backwards into the basement. “Hey, what happened to the air-conditioning? I like it cold in here.”
“I’ll check it out.”
Jimmy scrambled for the door leading out of the basement. It was locked from the inside, and he had to work the lock quickly. He shut the door quietly behind him as the lights went on in the basement. Dear God, he had taken this chance just to spy on a bunch of thugs they had had the misfortune to trespass on their land. He flipped the goggles back down, ready to head for the fence.
Something touched the back of his head. “Don’t move.” A voice whispered to him. He felt a hand remove his pistol from his belt. “Turn around.”
With the goggles on he could make out the large man clearly. He was as tall as Murky, but extremely broadly built. The pistol he was holding was larger and more wicked looking than his own. He stuck the PT-1000 in his waistband. His clothing was much the same as Jimmy’s, right down to the armor. “Just who the hell are you?”
He didn’t know what to think. He hadn’t seen the man before now and he didn’t look anything like the rest.
“My name’s Argus. These people kidnapped me and my wife a couple nights ago and I wanted to find out why.”
“If they kidnapped you, what the hell are you doing here now?
“I think the better question is what the hell are you doing here yourself?”
He didn’t get the time to answer the question. There was shouting inside the building. Two of the men rushed out onto the porch, rifles out and ready. They had attached searchlights to their weapons, playing them over the compound.
Jimmy and the other man were sprinting toward the fence. It wasn’t high, more of the type to keep small animals inside or outside, and they each vaulted it easily. The lights passed over them, followed by shots from the rifle.
One shot hit him squarely in the back. The armor held, but the blast from the pulse rifle knocked him to the ground, knocking the wind out of him. The big man turned, firing twice at their attackers. One of the lights winked out, amid much cursing form it’s holder. Apparently all he had hit was the weapon.
“Here, this will do you more good than me kid.” He pressed the gun back into his fingers as he got up. He could feel the bruise on his back under the armor.
He got to his foot, running in the wake of the big man. Shots continued to rain all around them. Jimmy was worried they would get him in his head, which was the only part not covered by the Flex-armor. He was hit again, this time in the shoulder. He went spinning to the ground once more, his night-vision goggles falling off as he fell.
A man with a rifle was suddenly standing over him. He raised the weapon to his head, realizing what kind of armor he was wearing. Jimmy kicked up wildly, knocking the weapon out of the man’s hands.
He arched his body, popping instantly back to his feet. The man grabbed the rifle again, swinging it like a bat. Jimmy caught it in mid-swing, wrenching it from the man’s hand. Before he could bring it to bear against the man, he pulled a small but lethal pistol from his belt.
A burst of energy ripped into the man’s gut. He went down instantly, dead before he hit the ground. “Your welcome.” The large man said. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Before he could turn, another of their attackers hit him squarely on the back of the head with his rifle, sending the large man right to the ground. He caught sight of Jimmy, lowing his weapon to fire. “It’s that boy again!”
Jimmy moved as if in slow motion. He could see the man start to pull on the trigger with his rifle. With infinite slowness, his arm came up, bearing the pistol. He could feel the muscles in his finger tense on the trigger, sending a white-hot burst of energy leaping from its barrel. He noted with interest the gun actually did have a recoil, sending his arm up just slightly as it fired. The burst caught the other man squarely in the chest, ripping into it, sending charred chunks of burning flesh in all directions. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the third man approaching. He spun, knowing he would be too slow by far.
His savior popped up suddenly, firing his own weapon, hitting the man squarely in the face. His weapon was not as powerful as Jimmy’s, but it put the man down instantly.
Jimmy just stood there, a wave of nausea washing over him. The man he shot was dead. Dead, just dead. The finality of it hit him like a thunderclap. Was this what had happened to Dona when she saved his life by shooting one of them? Dear God! What had he done?
The big man put his hand on Jimmy’s pistol, pushing it down. Jimmy came back into himself slightly, putting the weapon back into its holster.
“You’ve never killed anyone before, have you?”
“No, there’s never been a reason to.” He suddenly leaned over, throwing up violently. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve as he got up. “I guess I look like a big weenie.”
“No, Argus. If you reacted any differently, you wouldn’t be human. If it makes you feel any better, you really didn’t have a choice.”
“No, I had a choice, all right. I chose to come out here and find answers that I didn’t really need to have. This was all a big waste. All of these men would still be alive if I hadn’t come back just to satisfy some macho need to protect my family.”
“I think if you didn’t come, you would always have some doubt in your mind. Listen, these were bad people. They’ve killed before, and given the chance, they probably would have killed you and Dona.”
“Wait a minute, how do you know my wife’s name?”
“Doctor Rokowski called me to come find you. My name’s Jason Marsh. I’m with the UFSA Office of Special Investigations.
“These people were part of a conspiracy to separate the government of the colony from the United States. They believed they would benefit more from the protection of the Deltans rather than us. They were simply terrorists. They called themselves Planetary Isolationists, though they only wanted to trade one government for another.”
“I came out here thinking Colonel Tova had sent the men. Once I heard them talking, I realized that wasn’t true. How did you know where to find me?”
“Your wife is with Susan right now.”
“I’ll bet she’s hating my guts right about now.”
“No, she’s sick with worry. I only briefly met her, but she was crying the entire time.”
“You mean Tova hasn’t been playing around with us?”
“I didn’t say that. He originally sent Susan to keep tabs on you.”
Jimmy suddenly stopped in his path. “You mean she’s just spying on us?”
“At first, that’s what she intended to do. Now she could care less about Tova and his little games. She’s so madly in love with that Murky fellow she can’t see straight. He is pretty enough.”
Jimmy looked at him cockeyed. Jason answered the look “No, it’s not what you’re thinking. I can admit he’s a decent enough looking guy can’t I?”
Jimmy chuckled a moment, nodding his ascent. “Last thing he needs right now is competition.”
“You mean besides her erstwhile husband? Nah. She’s not my type, really. She’s too into settling down and such. Nope, not for me.”
“Not as bad as when Susan tells him about Tova. She needs to get that out in the open and clear the air about it.”
Jason led him to the apartment, ringing the chime himself. “You haven’t been here yet, have you?”
“No, she’s spent so much time at the Phantasm, we haven’t made it over here.”
Dona opened the door, rushing out to grab Jimmy, holding him tight. She looked up at Jason, “Is he all right?”
“Not a scratch, dear.” He told her.
Susan and Murky were standing in the door, Murky eyeing the large man. “Another friend of yours?” he whispered to Susan.
“I’ve known Jason for a decade.” She whispered back.
“How many guys do you know?”
“Mill, I do believe you are jealous. You don’t have to worry about Jason and me, he’s been around long enough without getting involved with me. A girl can have male friends who aren’t their lovers.” She whispered in his ear.
Dona finally let go of Jimmy. She stepped back and slapped him right across the face. “Do you have any idea what you were up against? No, you just got a bull-headed notion you were going to run off and play hero.” She turned, stomping back into the apartment. He followed her, Jason close on his heals.
Jason sat down on one of the many over stuffed chairs in her living room. “Susan, I had to tell him about Tova. He thought those PI nutcases were Tova’s cronies.”
Murky just looked confused. “What does he mean about Tova?”
Susan looked suddenly stricken. She looked at Jason, who simply made a motion with his hand, which said go ahead. “Mill, I’m sorry, but I have been lying to all of you.” Susan said.
“What are you talking about?”
“Colonel Morrow didn’t make me take the three of you in. My signing you out for duty in my office was just his idea to get you off the station. Colonel Tova came to me with the idea of putting the three of you to work.”
“You mean to tell me all of this was just part of some elaborate ruse to get a hold of Jimmy’s ship?” Murky was livid. He started pacing, mumbling to himself.
“Mill, you and me weren’t part of that bargain. I really do lo…”
“Shut up, just shut up! How do you think this makes me feel? For the first time in my life I thought I had something real and it turns out it’s just for king and country.” He sat down hard on the couch, burying his face in his hands. None of them saw Jimmy leave the room.
“Mill, Murky?”
“Just go to hell, damn it!” He got up, heading out the still open door.
She started to run after him, but stopped herself. She noticed Dona sitting there, glaring at her. “Dona, you’ve got to understand. I do love him. And I really am pregnant with his son. I just owed Barron a favor, and I thought I could turn it into something good.”
“How could you owe that bastard a favor?” Dona asked her.
Susan turned away from her; tears running freely down her face. “It’s complicated. Barron and I used to be lovers.” She wiped her eyes, finally sitting down. “Dona, what am I going to do. I’ve really fucked this up. I love him and I want to be with him, but how will he ever trust me again.”
“Listen, I’m going to try and catch up with him and take him back home. Right now the best we can hope for is to calm him down.” She grabbed her purse, heading out the door after Murky.
It didn’t take her long to find him. He was down in the parking deck, sitting on the hood of the mini-shuttle they had taken from their kidnappers. He had his legs pulled up to his chest, crying furiously. Dona was taken aback seeing him like this. She had no idea how strongly he felt for Susan, thinking their relationship was more purely physical.
“Murky,” She approached him slowly, taking his hands in hers. She stretched out her arms and he just about fell into them, his head on her shoulder.
“Dona, I know it seems strange, but I thought for a while I might have something like you and Jimmy have. But this is just me, put another notch in my bedpost like you two tried to tell me. I’ll bet she’s not even getting a divorce, just stringing me along so she could report back to that fat beaurocrat.”
She held him close, rocking him back and forth, letting him cry. Her own feelings were conflicted. She considered Susan her best friend outside of Jimmy. Was that for real, or was it part of an act put on for her sake. Could she trust her when she told her she loved Murky so much. What was truth and what was the lie?
“Murky, no matter what else, you fell in love with her. You owe it to yourself to find out if the woman you fell in love with is really her or someone she was pretending to be. Not only that, but she is carrying your child. You can’t just walk away from that.”
“I don’t know, Dona. I just don’t know what to think. Of all of us, if they threw someone like that at us, I would be the one to fall for it. Just big old dumb Murky following his johnson wherever it takes him. Everyone seems to know I slept with her that time, so they knew I would be receptive. How could I be so stupid?”
“You’re not stupid, Murky, you’re just young. Yes she is older than you, and yes, she has had a life before you, but I think she really does love you. Can you give her a chance?”
“I don’t know. I
really don’t even know what to think. I know I can’t face her right now.”
“Here,” she opened the door to the mini-shuttle, “Let me take you back
to the Phantasm. It’s been a long night for all of us. Get some sleep; use the
big bed if you have to. But give her a chance, if only because you were in love
with her.” He just slumped into the passenger seat. She wondered a moment if
she should call the apartment to tell them where she was going, but she would be
back in less than an hour.
“He is busy, Doctor Rokowski. I will tell him you came by.” Susan just glared at the secretary. Boy, he still likes them young, she thought. And what was she doing there still at this hour of the night? The girl couldn’t be more than twenty, if that, but the way she was packaged, oh boy.
She just reached out, shoving the little strumpet to the side, opening the door herself. Tova was sitting behind his desk, writing on an electronic pad. “What can I do for you, Susan?”
“That’s Doctor Rokowski to you, Colonel.” She threw an envelope on the table along with a memory chip. “That’s my resignation from the Civilian Medical Corps, effective immediately.”
Tova dropped the pad on the desk, inspecting the contents of the envelope. “You can’t do that now Doctor. The Deltans have launched a new offensive, we’ll need you more now than ever.”
“If I’m so needed, I’ll transfer to a civilian hospital closer to the front lines. Will you accept my resignation, or do I have to go to Commander Adams?”
“Commander Adams is away, but I suppose I really have no choice. I’m sorry, Doctor.”
“Not as sorry as you should be, you asshole.” She punched him right on the chin, toppling him out of his chair. “You’ve ruined my life for the last time. You took Pete away from me when you seduced me and he found out about it. Now you’ve taken Millard away from me with your crap. If you want to win this war so badly, pick up a gun and go shoot the enemy. Quit fucking with the very same people you’re supposed to be protecting.”
“I didn’t mean for you to fall in love with him. For that I am truly sorry, Susan. That was your choice. I thought with your history you wouldn’t want anything more.”
“Damn it, Barron. I didn’t plan on this.” She was standing, facing away from him, her arms crossed. “I only agreed to this because I wanted to see him again. Nobody has treated me the way he does since I first married Pete. Now if it weren’t for my kids, he wouldn’t even talk to me.”
“Susan, if it makes any difference, I’ll see what I can do to make things right for you. I do still care about you, even if you can’t see that. I was in love with you once.”
“Listen, Barron, you’ve done just about enough. Just leave Dona and Jimmy alone. They’ve been through hell enough without any of this. Now if you don’t mind, I have to find out if the man I love can forgive me.”
He watched her go, his mind drifting back to their time together. He was surprised that he had caused the rift with her first husband. Tova wasn’t even aware she was married, since she never wore a ring or talked about him while they were together. Pete had simply walked in on them in her old office on Earth that time seven years ago. He was amazed that it had taken this long for them to finally divorce. It must have been her mobile lifestyle that kept some semblance of a marriage together. He didn’t even remember if he had seduced her, or they had simply come together back then.
An idea occurred to him. Maybe he could nudge things back the way they should be. He punched up his communicator screen, doing it himself, not bothering the girl he kept as a secretary. Ah, she is a pretty one, he thought. She was carefully selected; not for his gratification, but to give the appearance she was there for that reason. Despite Susan’s assumption, Tova appreciated older women.
Murky Bedarest answered the communicator, saluting once he recognized Tova. “Let’s dispense with that for right now Corporal. I need to speak with James, eh, Jimmy.”
Murky’s face was puffy, his eyes half closed and red. Tova wondered if the young man had been drinking but he decided he had not. His speech was not slurred, only weak. Had the man actually been crying? “I last saw Jimmy at Doctor Rokowski’s apartment, Sir.”
He broke the connection, not wanting another confrontation involving Susan directly. He tried something else. “Computer, can you tie into the last com signal and trace a remote unit?’
“WORKING.” A map of a section of the city sprang up, with two highlights indicated. He was tracking the wrist communicators the two were wearing. One was actually on the Phantasm. He thought back. Bedarest had said Jimmy wasn’t there. He checked the map again. The other light was out in the open, moving slowly up a road near the center city. It occurred to him that every time he had seen Dona Argus, she had not been wearing a timepiece, and James, or Jimmy always had. The moving light must be the boy, and the other was a communicator stored somewhere on their ship.
Susan unlocked the door to her apartment, finding Dona sitting in her living room, twisting the edge of her sweater in worry.
“Dona, I hope you can forgive me. All in all, I never actually even gave him a report.”
She got up from her seat, embracing the older woman tightly. “Susan, I am very angry about this, but I do count you as a friend. I’ll just have to work through this a while. It’s Jimmy. He’s disappeared again. When I got back from taking Murky home, he was gone. Jason was still here and he didn’t see him leave. He’s out looking for him right now.”
“Dear God. How is Mill, I mean Murky?”
“Terribly upset. Susan, tell me again. Do you really love him?”
She didn’t hesitate this time, “Yes I do. I want nothing more right now than to hold him in my arms and not let go. He may act like a little boy sometimes, but he is the most gentle, loving soul I have ever met.”
“He said he wanted what Jimmy and I have.”
“I didn’t think I wanted that again. At first, I liked being with him because he was great in the sack. Despite his age, he’s been around the block a few times. But once I got past that frat-boy act of his, I discovered what he is truly like. I wanted to tell him how this started, but I was afraid this would happen.
“Let me tell you about Barron Tova and me. I have this reputation with the people I work with, a totally unearned one. Somehow, Barron got wind that I was easy. In truth, at that point, the only man I had ever been with was Pete. I met Barron right after I got posted on the U.S.S. Venture as Second in Medical. Pete and I were on a trial separation but we were trying to get back together. There was a pre-tour party, since the Venture was going on a Rim-tour for over six months. I had too much to drink, and the next thing I knew, I was in bed with him. I was a damned fool and instead of slapping him and getting away, I stayed with him for a week or so. Once the tour was over, he came back to see me in my office. I wanted to cut him off, since I had moved back in with Pete, but he convinced me to go one more time. Pete walked in with him making love to me on my desk.
“I haven’t been with a man since. Pete didn’t speak to me for over a year, just sending word via my son that I shouldn’t even return to Earth. By that time, I got a senior posting on the Delilah. The closest I got to a man after that was when I went out with Tim, you know, Tinker. I tried to seduce him, but I wore him out on the date. He fell asleep on my couch, and by morning, I had changed my mind. We’ve been good friends ever since.
“When Mill propositioned me when I first met him, I was intrigued. Once I saw you, I realized he thought I looked something like you. He had a serious crush on you. If it weren’t for the respect he has for you and your husband, I think you would have had a hard time fending him off.”
Dona laughed slightly, remembering his earlier advances. “I had a hard enough time of that anyway.”
Jimmy walked alone on the surface street, his hands in his pockets. Rain continued to fall in sheets, soaking him to the bone. He didn’t care. If it were not for the rain, you could have seen his tears.
Instead of feeling vindicated about being right about Susan, he only felt pain. Pain for what it would do to Murky, plus his own guilt. He had only said that about her in anger, not really thinking about what he was saying. It was clear to him that the two were in love, why couldn’t he see that then?
How could he have been so stupid? There had been no real reason for him to put his own life at risk like that. It wasn’t fair to Dona nor was it fair to their unborn daughter. Planetary Isolationists indeed. Just a bunch of political fringers they just had the misfortune of camping too close to their hideout. Dona had been right from the start, they should have gone to the police.
The weight of his pistol hung heavy on his hip. He had killed that man. Despite the fantasy he had taken with him on his nighttime raid, he really wasn’t prepared for what he was feeling now. The moment played over and over in his head. He could feel the spot on his finger that had pressed on the trigger. He felt like there was a burnt scar there for all the world to see.
He wasn’t even thinking about where he was going. He looked up; suddenly realizing he had walked halfway across this section of town, winding up standing right in front of the church they had just gone to. The lights were off and the door locked, but he suddenly slumped to his knees, holding his hands together and bowing his head.
He prayed first for the man he had slain. He prayed for Dona, their unborn child and for Murky. He couldn’t say a prayer for himself. He didn’t feel he was worthy of it. He deserved his guilt, its weight on him his punishment. He stood up, pulling the gun from its holster, looking at it.
“Don’t do it, son.” He looked up, seeing Colonel Tova standing there in the rain with him. It took him a moment to recognize the man, he appeared so unexpectedly.
“I wasn’t going to use it on myself, Colonel. I was thinking about throwing it away.” Instead, he put it back, snapping the flap shut over it.
“Get in my car and dry off. I need to talk with you.”
Jimmy looked at him warily, but followed him anyway. Tova’s car was a large, well-appointed mini-shuttle. He slid onto the velour seat, trying not to get too much water in the car. “Don’t mind that, Argus. I just met with Doctor Rokowski. She told me to leave you and your wife alone.”
“That doesn’t seem like what you’re doing now.”
“No. I want to clear the air between us. Yes, I have been doing everything in my power to influence you into letting us study your ship. I also have been trying to convince you to join the Starforce. The very first thing I told Commander Adams was that I considered you more valuable than that ship. I still do. I see you believe in God. I do too. I think he brought you to this time for a reason. For reasons beyond my comprehension, you have been trained almost since birth as the perfect candidate for the Academy. With a little special training, I’ll bet you could even enter it as a second or third year cadet.”
“Colonel…”
“Barron.”
“Just the same, I’d prefer call you Colonel. Where the hell did you get a name like Barron?”
“It’s my mother’s maiden name.”
“Hunh. Anyway, I’m not interested in joining the Starforce for any reason. All I want to do is raise my family in peace. Dona and I have been talking about even selling the ship and buying us a house right here on Swingaround.”
Tova considered that a moment. “We can offer you a very generous price for the ship. She apparently was a commissioned ship before, I’m sure once we have a detailed schematic of her, she will be put to good use in the war effort. There’s only one problem. How do you plan to make a living?”
“I don’t know. I don’t see myself working for Doctor Rokowski forever, but I should be able to make a living.”
“Doing what? What are you good at?”
“I don’t know. I used to work in a bike shop, maybe I can learn to work on the modern bikes they use here.’”
“That’s a job for kids. You don’t make a living that way, and I understand you already have a child on the way.”
“Yes, Susan told us it would be a girl.”
“Well, unless you want to live forever on what your ship will provide, you’ll have a hard time making it. Admittedly, you have been picking up on things at a phenomenal rate, but it will take years for you to fully integrate. I’m offering you a job doing what I know you can do well. You’re the best natural talent I have ever seen piloting a starship. It would be a shame to waste that talent.”
“Colonel, I said no. And as for selling the Phantasm, nothing has been decided. We were only talking about it. I may decide to fly her right back to Earth.”
“Once you’re there, you can expect more people like me to get their hands on her.”
“I’ll take that chance.”
Tova had been flying the little shuttle back into the city proper. Jimmy suddenly realized they were approaching Susan’s apartment building. “I got a hold of your wife before I found you. She’s here waiting for you. I called off Marsh, since he didn’t have the resources I did.”
“How did you find me?”
Tova tapped on his wristwatch. “I traced the frequency that thing ties into your ship with. That’s why you don’t see a lot of military types using personal communicators. It makes you a little too easy to target. Those are fine for civilians, but it did make it easy to find you.”
He let Jimmy out at the main entrance of the building. “Jimmy, all I’m asking for is for you to think about it. There’s plenty of time if you change your mind.”
“No, thank you, Colonel, my answer is still no. Thank you for the lift.” He watched as the car sped off, climbing into the main airways to join the other traffic there. He turned around, walking inside. Jason was in the lobby waiting for him.
“Still in for giving us a scare, huh Jimmy?” He clasped his shoulder as lightly as he could, but his grip was still like steel.
“I just had to get out and think. Weather certainly sucks, doesn’t it?"
“Yeah. You better get upstairs. Dona’s about a nervous wreck. Give Susan my love, will you, I have to get home.” He waved as he left the lobby.
Dona grabbed a hold
of him again once he got upstairs. He held her tightly, this time not letting
go. Susan put her hand on his shoulder and he put an arm out, bringing her into
the circle, hugging both women. He let them go and faced Susan. “I really
don’t know how to tell you I’m sorry.”
“I’m the one who should be sorry, Jimmy.” She let go of his hand,
walking toward the bedroom. “You two take the bed tonight, I’ll sleep on the
hide-a-bed. It’s after two, and I’m beat.”
“Have you talked to Murky?”
“No, Dona told me I should back off for now, let him decide if he wants to come back. After what I did, I won’t blame him if he doesn’t.” She closed the door behind them as they entered the room.
Dona was again about to tears. “You’re all wet, and now so am I.”
He sat on the floor so as not to get the bed wet. “I really didn’t notice the rain. I just had to get out and think.”
“I was horrified when I came back and found you gone. I don’t like the man, but I’m thankful Tova called once he tracked you down.” She handed him a towel from the adjacent bathroom, pulling her shirttail out and unbuttoning her top.
Jimmy pulled the boots off, their special fabric almost dry. He wondered what Jason had done with his armor. He took off the holster next, again considering the gun. “You know, I was holding this, about to throw it away when Tova found me. He thought I was considering using it on myself.”
Dona slipped off her slightly damp jeans, throwing them in a pile on the floor with her shirt and slipping into the bed in her underwear. “Put it away, Jimmy. I somehow think it will be a part of your life. Just don’t bring that part to me.”
He slipped out of the rest of his soaked clothing, drying himself with the towel and then slipping under the covers with her. He touched a control on the nightstand, turning the lights off completely. Lightning flashed in the window, the thick pane keeping most of the sound of thunder outside. Dona curled up with him, holding him tight. His body was slightly chilled, making hers feel like it was on fire against his skin. She leaned over, kissing him warmly and then putting her head back on his chest. He could feel a teardrop touch his chest as it rolled from her eye.
“This world is changing us, Jimmy. Dear Lord, I don’t want to lose you, whether it’s all at once or by degrees.”
“I promise you, you won’t lose me, not now or ever.” He kissed the top of her head, keeping his arm around her shoulders. Before long, they were both asleep, exhausted from their ordeal.
Gray light filtered into the room at dawn. Rain continued to pelt the thick paned window silently. Jimmy rolled out of bed, careful not to wake Dona. He let her head down onto the pillow gently. She was still in the same position she had fallen asleep on his chest.
He looked about for his clothing, but they had all disappeared during the night. Susan must have come in and gathered the wet clothing. Still, he didn’t want to go around her house in the nude, so he starting looking for some of Murky’s clothing. Figuring right from the start that his pants would be far too long for him, he tried to find a pair of pull on shorts. Murky clearly didn’t keep much around and he didn’t find anything that would fit him besides several pair of uniform slacks.
Giving up for the moment, he walked over to the window, looking down at the city below. He never realized on the elevator just how high up the apartment was. If it weren’t for the rain, he would have walked out onto the balcony for a better view. He guessed they were about a half mile up. The apartment tower was taller than any building that had existed on Earth in his time.
He felt a touch on his shoulder. Dona put her arms around his waist from behind, holding him close. “I love you, Jimmy.”
“I love you too, Dona.” He put his hands over hers, letting her hold on to him. “I’m done with this high adventure crap.”
There was a soft knock at the door. Susan didn’t wait for them to answer before she popped her head in the door. “I was wondering if you would be up. Listen, Jimmy, I have your clothes in the wash and they’ll be done in about an hour. Sorry, I don’t have one of those fancy electrostatic things like you have at home.” She noticed him shielding himself with a curtain. “Don’t worry about that, Jim. I’m your Doctor, remember. You haven’t got anything I haven’t seen.” She stepped into the room, revealing the fact that she was down to her underwear just like Dona. He still couldn’t decide if she had little shame about her body, or if nudity taboos were just not as strong as he was used to.
Dona didn’t seem to mind either of their states of undress. Dona’s outfit was like a sheer cropped tank with boy cut style bottoms, which Jimmy considered somewhat decent since it was designed to be practical rather than revealing. Susan’s underwear was plain white cotton, but it left little to the imagination. It would have been considered small even on Dona. He turned a darker shade of red as Susan walked up to her dresser, taking off what little clothing she had on before heading into the shower. It was the best view he had gotten of her and she looked fantastic. He looked at Dona, who just shrugged.
Building up his courage, he followed her right into the small bathroom. He knew it didn’t seem like him, but he wanted to know from a friend rather than finding out he was wrong in some more embarrassing way. She didn’t even blink as he walked into the room as she was climbing into the shower. “Susan, I’ve been meaning to ask you. It doesn’t seem to bother you being, well, um, naked and all right in front of us. Is that considered normal?”
She smiled broadly at him. Dona was peeking in around him, wondering what had gotten into him. “Of course it is. Why in the world should I be ashamed of my own body?” She said as she pulled the clear glass door shut. She raised her voice over the running water. “Look at you two, Jimmy. Nobody even batted an eye when you two suddenly had to get married. Don’t forget, I was married and pregnant at sixteen. Sexual taboos just don’t exist like they did in your time. I can understand why you might be uncomfortable. In the time you came from, you couldn’t even get married until you were eighteen. And guess what? In another ten years after you left, it even moved to twenty-one. After Dona told me about that, I did some reading. Things really started to get conservative back then and that’s not really a healthy attitude for society to take. You start to build perversions about something as normal as our bodies the way God made us. All that changed once we started leaving Earth. Suddenly, we had all these planets to populate. Younger marriage became the norm, as well as larger families. I may have been raised on Earth, where there’s a lot less emphasis on population expansion, but when I fell in love and got married, it was a cause for celebration rather than a bunch of people worrying I was too young.”
She turned off the water, wrapping herself in a towel that Jimmy handed her with his eyes averted. “Jimmy, look at me.” She held the towel to the side, revealing her whole body to them. “Do you see me as a sexual object or just as a friend bathing? I know your values are a little skewed by your upbringing, but that’s just what I see. All that we are doing is talking, not jumping into bed together, not to mention your wife and lover is standing right with you. As far as I’m concerned: this is my home and I do tend to walk around with little on here when I’m by myself or with Mill. I trust you since I know how you two feel about each other and I just assumed you would realize that nudity is not always sexual. Now this is different.” She reached behind his head suddenly, kissing him fully on the lips. Surprised, he pulled away suddenly, covering himself finally with another towel. Dona giggled slightly at his predicament, knowing how attractive he found the Doctor. She finally wrapped the towel around her, which relaxed him enormously. She smiled at him again. “Now you see how much both of us trust you.” She touched Dona’s arm. She continued in a playful tone “I can tell you really didn’t enjoy that, now did you? Besides, you’ve already seen me naked on two occasions.”
“Huh, twice, I don’t…”
“The other day, when you were hurt.” Dona explained.
“Yes. You made some nice comments about my bust size. It’s nice to be appreciated.” Susan smiled brightly at him. She dried her hair with another towel, walking back into the bedroom to dress. Jimmy turned an even brighter red as Dona repeated what he had said that day.
“My God, Susan. I didn’t realize I said that.” He said through the door. She hadn’t closed it, and he still had a full view of her dressing. Despite Dona standing right with him, the sight of the beautiful woman was starting to affect him.
“Don’t sweat it Jimmy,” Susan said as she pulled on the jumpsuit. Jimmy was starting to think, despite what she was telling them, Susan was a little of an exhibitionist. The outfit was completely form fitting, showing every curve of her body. “I took it as a compliment. You were out of your head on Meth-hex. I think it’s another good sign you didn’t say anything really disgusting, since that stuff sometimes makes you say things without inhibition. If you had gotten grabby then that would be something else. Listen; help yourselves to the kitchen if you want. I’m going to go to the Phantasm and try to make up with Mill. Both of you take the day off, use the apartment if you want. It’s still fairly early, so if you two want to get some more sleep, go right ahead.”
“I thought you were going to ship out with the Delilah again tonight?” Dona asked.
“Not any more. They’ll have to assign somebody from the pool. I went to Tova last night and gave him my resignation. I’m just a doctor in private practice now.” She walked up to Dona, pecking her on the cheek. “You two have a good time together. You should need it.” She leaned over, whispering something in the younger woman’s ear. Whatever she said, Dona blushed and smiled at the same time.
“I guess the taboos have fallen somewhat. What’s next, you crawling in with us?” Dona asked her.
“Only if that’s what the two of you want, and God willing, what Mill wants.”
“Thanks all the same.” Dona said, smiling broadly. “That’s one thing I don’t share.”
“Mill, don’t be a baby!” Susan shouted into her communicator. She was holding a sonic umbrella; a handheld device that projected a force screen that would keep the rain off of her. She was standing under the bulk of the Phantasm, but the rain was blowing, reaching her even there. Despite the umbrella, she was getting soaked. She was silently thankful the outfit she had chosen was somewhat water repellant.
She had driven around the city for almost two hours, trying to get up the courage to face him. She also wondered to herself why she had paraded around in front of Jimmy like that. What she told him was completely true, but she also knew everyone was different, and what she found normal and natural, others might not. She had to admit her ex-husband was much the same way as Jimmy, and she hadn’t been so open herself until she signed up for civilian medical duty. Perhaps it was the openness in the close quarters of a deep space warship that had changed her that way.
She finally realized she was just as attracted to the younger man, though purely on a physical level. Well, she was an adult and she could accept that Jimmy had given his heart to another, so that was that. She made a mental note to apologize to both of them for that kiss. Of everything she did, that was uncalled for. She actually did it because she wanted to, not because of the point she tried to make.
A thought occurred to her, and she made a detour to the Starport before finally driving to the Phantasm.
Her face was wet as well, but not from the rain. Through her tears, she chuckled slightly at the fact she didn’t have on any makeup to run. She touched the control on her communicator again. “Please Mill, I need to talk to you.” She looked up at the closed hatch of the luxury yacht the Argus’ called home. The curved bulk of the ship really didn’t offer very good cover, the water just running around the hull to pour onto the concrete pad.
She closed her eyes, anger rising in her. Murky Bedarest was young, physically only twenty-two, but this behavior was just juvenile. “Murky,” she called; hoping her use of his nickname would get his attention. She really despised nicknames like that, feeling they were somehow an insult. Names like Jimmy she didn’t mind, but Murky sounded too much like a put down. Millard Bedarest was not by any means ‘murky’.
The lower hatch slowly opened. A gentle force field, much like a larger version of her device, extended over her, blocking out the rain finally. She turned her umbrella off, mounting the rubber coated ramp of the hatch.
Murky was sitting at the table of the main parlor wearing a pair of boxer shorts. He didn’t look up as she entered. She somehow knew not to go to him.
“Are you here to make sure I don’t fly off with the ship?” he asked her coldly.
The comment stung more that she wanted to let on. “Mill… Murky, I’m here because I am in love with you. I don’t give a damn about Tova, or the Starforce, or anything but you.” She walked up to him, putting a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. “I know I screwed up.”
He crushed his eyes shut, pulling his shoulder away from her. She looked at the counter in the small kitchen. Numerous beer containers were out, all of them empty. She wondered if he were even completely sober.
He stood up, pacing the large room but never looking directly at her. “If you love me so much, why didn’t you tell me before?”
“I wasn’t so sure how I felt for you, Murky. It didn’t hit me until you left how much I’m in love with you. Please, don’t hate me. I’ve already lost one man I love, I can’t go through that again.”
“Susan, I want to believe you, but every time I want to, a doubt springs into my mind that it’s still just a game for you.”
She put her hands on her stomach, indicating the child growing in her. “Does this look like a game to you Murky? If it was, I would have aborted this child the moment I found out. I didn’t, because I want this child like I want you.”
“I’m sorry, Susan. I can’t help how I feel. It just isn’t the same any more.”
She put both hands on his shoulders, turning him to face her. “Murky, look me in the eye and tell me that you don’t love me and I’ll walk out of your life, if that’s what you want.”
He finally looked at her, his eyes bloodshot. He looked her straight in the eyes. “Susan, I do love you, that’s why this hurts so much.” He turned away from her again, climbing the stairs toward the bridge.
She stayed there a moment; the tears running freely down her face. She finally made a decision, following him upward. He was sitting at the helm, just watching the idle power schematic. She knelt in front of him, taking his hands in hers. “Listen, Murky. I have to go to Earth. It will take me almost four months to get there, take care of what I have to and come back. Please promise me you will wait for me to come back. If you want to walk away then, then I’ll accept that, but don’t do it until then.”
“What do you have to do on Earth?”
“I’m going to finalize my divorce from Pete. Since I’ve resigned from the Starforce, it’s now legal for us to be together. I want to spend my life with you, but I have to finish severing my ties with my old one first.”
“When are you leaving?” Tears were beginning to well in his eyes.
“Tonight. I’ll take the liner Andropolis. It leaves orbit at about nine tonight. I just have to go back to my apartment and get a few things.”
“Susan, I meant what I said. I really am in love with you.”
She touched his face, the feeling like fire in her hand. “We need time to heal. This time apart will do us good.” She took his face in her hands, kissing him hard. He put his hands around her waist, pulling her close and putting his ear against her abdomen. He was crying as well. She sat down with him and kissed him again. “I swear, nothing I have done has betrayed anything about us. I never even had anything of use to report, so I never did.”
“Susan…” She touched his lips, quieting him. She put her face beside his, holding him close for a long time. His familiar warmth against her felt like fire to her soul. She almost changed her mind about traveling back to Earth. The fact she had once felt this way about Pete frightened her. Only the fact that her ex-husband despised her so now made it possible for her to face him now. No, if there was going to be a chance to save her future with Murky, she had to go through with the divorce. It would also give her a chance to see her son’s wedding, if the boy would consent to let her.
She turned, walking back down to the bottom of the ship, out into the rain. Murky walked back to the side hatch, opening it to watch her leave. He had a sudden feeling that this would be the last time he ever saw her. He dispelled the feeling, holding the hope in his heart that he would see her again. He almost called out to her, but he stopped himself, the doubt stealing back into his mind. He closed the hatch, the four quarters sliding quietly together. He sat down on the floor right there, crying openly. Boy, Jimmy would get a laugh out of seeing me like this, he thought. No, he’s too good for that. It wasn’t in his nature to find humor in other’s misfortune.
Despite his feelings about church, he said a silent prayer for Susan. He glanced out the small portal set beside the door, watching her mini-shuttle speed off in the rain.
I’ll wait, he said to himself.
The U.S.S. North Carolina dropped out of warp first, followed immediately by the rest of the 3rd Fleet. It decelerated just under light speed, approaching the planet quickly. The twin openings on her bow flared, directing a massive surge of energy towards its target.
The beam connected with the first Deltan ship before it could even fire its own engines. There was not a large blast, the ship simply disintegrated as the Ion beam struck it, sending charged particles in every direction.
Commander Adams was furious with himself. He had been expecting something as simple as a down communication system, not a fleet of destroyers holding station over the planet. They were fortunate to have detected the force in orbit as they approached.
The remaining ships dispersed rapidly, breaking into smaller groups to avoid a concentrated attack by the approaching fleet. The North Carolina angled toward the lead group, bringing the majority of her weapons to bear. The large turrets tracked a target, firing repeatedly at a fleeing ship. The powerful cannons ripped into the smaller ship, starting a plasma fire in its drive. In moments, the entire ship exploded, this time in an impressive ball of fire and gas.
A large squadron of scoutships was harassing the U.S.S. Montana, an older battleship. She was starting to trail particles as the small ships scored hits in sensitive areas. Adams cursed under his breath. The Arizona class ships were too slow and too lightly armored to be of much use any more.
He ordered his gunner to target a number of the attacking ships with their own hunter missiles. Circular bays opened on her flanks, spitting out the missiles, which curved toward the scoutships, destroying more than half of them, critically damaging most of what was left.
Despite the presence of the older American ships, the Deltans were simply outclassed by the larger fleet. What was left was trying to cut and run individually. Adams didn’t fall for the trick. In the past, when a fleet broke up like that, it was a sure sign that a larger force was nearby in Hyperwarp, ready to pick off ships one by one as they separated to pursue the fleeing vessels.
“Deploy a scorpion scoutship. I want to know if anything is waiting for us in Hyperwarp.” Their own sensor systems were tied up with the battle. An independent ship like the scorpion was able to focus on the surroundings and provide early warning if something was waiting for them.
Nothing appeared. That seemed odd somehow. He waited over an hour for the reports to come in before he relaxed. The Deltan fleet had been alone. “Set up a standard patrol. Prepare the ship for landing at the main Starport.” Several troopships waited just beyond the planetary system. If there were ground forces to contend with, they would not last long if they were restricted to the city. Still, he knew it would take some time to dislodge every one of them.
It began to occur to Dona that Jimmy had no real idea how to take a day off. He dozed on the couch, his head propped on the arm. Once his clothing popped out of the dryer, he was back in them, more comfortable wearing his own things. Despite Susan’s openness, he still liked being clothed. The solid black clothing reminded her of the other night, but Jimmy was prone to wear all black anyway. Dona amused him for a while showing him catalogs for bathing suits and women’s fashions strewn about the apartment. The bathing suits were shocking. Competitive suits were relatively unchanged, but the calling modern beachwear sexy was an understatement. Tops on the garments were very rare.
He wasn’t a bit surprised when Dona showed him poolside pictures that he thought might have been taken at the building’s pool. Everyone was nearly naked. Several photos included Murky, sunbathing at the side of the pool.
“I don’t care what these people do, I won’t even wear a Speedo to go swimming, let alone go in my altogether.”
“You don’t know what you’re missing, Jimmy. I’ve worn a Speedo so much, they’re like my second skin.”
“That’s different for you. Those things are for competitive swimming, and that was your thing. I don’t do that, so there is no practical reason for me to show off in one of those.”
“And that tight Lycra we wear is different?”
“Yeah, just like your Speedo. I wear it for a reason, not because it shows the whole world what I’ve got.”
Earlier, they started to leave to find a restaurant serving breakfast, but they realized before it was too late that the security system would not let them back in if they left. Instead they made their own breakfast of bagels and eggs. The apartment was really rather spartan, since Susan spent much of her time aboard military craft. It wasn’t long before they became seriously bored, leading Jimmy to doze while Dona cleaned the few things they had used.
Done with that, she lifted his legs and sat down on the couch with him, waking him from his light nap. “You’re neck is going to pay for that you know.”
“Oh, this is comfortable enough. The arm isn’t high like the ones on the Phantasm. I was thinking about something. Last night, before I left, you mentioned you’d like to find a home right here on Swingaround. I told Tova about that, and he said he could arrange a fair price for the ship. If that thing is worth a third of what I think it is, then that would be enough for us to set up a nice home here to live out our lives. I think you’re right, we don’t need a ship like that since we really don’t have a desire to wander space like drifters.”
“Actually, if I weren’t pregnant, that’s exactly what I would like to do. But not on that ship. I’d rather take a public passenger liner or something to do it; you know, meet new people and live like normal human beings. Maybe we could get an apartment like this and save the money. Once our daughter is up and walking, we could go exploring.”
“Or head back to Earth.”
“Yeah, but I like it here. Everything here is clean and new. The people, for the most part, seem friendly and uncomplicated. What did you call that philosophy about using only technology that makes good sense?”
“Practical Spartanism.”
“Yeah. From what I understand, Earth is still very cosmopolitan despite having only a fifth as many people there than when we were there last. Plus, I’ve heard that the ozone layer here is still fully intact, which means this is a healthier place to raise a child.”
“Except the fact they repaired the ozone layer on Earth. Home is home, honey. I tell you what. Let’s sell the ship, divide what we get with Murky and get us an apartment just like this and bank the rest. Once we’re ready, we can pack up and leave or stay right here. No matter what else we decide, I do agree staying here for now is the best course.”
“What do you think we should ask for the ship?”
“That I don’t know. I guess we’ll ask Tinker. He should be able to point us in the right direction.”
The front door opened. Susan came in, stripping out of her wet raincoat in the foyer. “Damned miserable weather. I have the same thing to deal with when I get to Earth.”
“Earth? What are you talking about Susan?” Dona asked, surprised by the casual announcement.
“Well, if I leave now, I’ll get there in time to see my son get married.”
“But you said you weren’t going.” Dona said. Jimmy supposed they had discussed this at her office before.
“That was before I resigned. Now I have all the time in the world to go. I mentioned the weather because he lives in Seattle.”
Something suddenly struck Jimmy. “Murky’s not going with you, is he?”
Susan pursed her lip, looking away for a moment. “No, he doesn’t have enough leave.”
Dona walked up to her, asking her softly, “He doesn’t have the leave, or he won’t go with you?” She took the older woman’s hands in hers.
“Actually, I didn’t ask him. He seemed too hurt, so I decided to take some time off away from him.” A new tear rolled down her cheek. She let go of Dona’s hands, walking over to an overstuffed chair in the living room, sitting down heavily. “He almost wouldn’t even talk to me at first.”
Jimmy left them to talk. He walked into the entertainment room, switching on the viewer. Instead of watching the local entertainment, he activated the library system, tying into the city mainframe. The computer was not significantly different than his old system, just easier still to use.
Yachts, it seemed, were not common items on the colony world. Even the wealthiest often used luxury liners to travel. Most ships the size of the Phantasm were owned by corporations and used for executive travel. He was starting to wonder exactly what the little ship actually was. He had a notion the ship was only supposed to look like a yacht, with her true purpose hidden. Tinker did say that she was built from an older military ship, but those ships seemingly hadn’t even been built yet. He searched the database for the design, with no luck.
He started to salivate at the prospect of what they would actually get for the ship. Forget a little apartment like this, they could live in style. He mentally began to spend the imaginary money.
Susan sniffed lightly, just on the edge of crying again. Dona sat on the arm of her chair, holding her about the shoulders. “He told me he did love me. That, at lest, I can hold onto. I told him he needed time to heal.”
“Are you sure you’re okay, Susan. Do you need us to go with you?”
“No, you two need to stay right here. I want you to stay with Murky…”
“You called him Murky instead of Mill.”
“I guess I did. I want you two to take care of him.” She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, “I also want you to make sure he doesn’t hook up with somebody else. I’m sure he has a roving eye, if you know what I mean.” She looked over at Jimmy, sitting in the other room playing with the viewer. “I kind of expected to walk in on you two just now. Instead, I find the two of you just lounging in the living room.”
“Susan! We don’t go at it like rabbits. Besides, everything I’ve ever heard says it can be bad for you when you’re pregnant.”
“Bullshit, honey. The only problem is it gets uncomfortable when you get big, and I can show you ways around that.”
“Well, I like a little romance. Rolling around on a strange bed all day just isn’t my cup of tea.” She lowered her voice down to a whisper as well; “We took care of business last night after we slept a little. A dark room with the rain going on, lightning lighting up the window every so often, now that’s romantic.”
“And here I was starting to think he just slept in the nude.”
“Oh he does. I never would have imagined that until we started sleeping together on our ship.”
“You mean you never slept with him before that?”
“Not counting that night in the tent, no, I didn’t. Susan, you keep forgetting about what kind of world we lived in then. I was a virgin until that first night on the ship.”
“That’s right, Mill told me something about that once. I’m sorry, I just made another wrong assumption based on centuries old information. Did you know that, despite all this sexual repression and such; from what I’ve read, teen pregnancy was rampant.”
“Well, not for people like us. Sure there were girls who we said ‘got into trouble’ but it wasn’t happening a lot with people we knew. I wasn’t some kind of prude, though, I was just being careful. My mother was Catholic, and she forbid me to use birth control. You see, to her, she was more worried about me using any than protecting my virtue. Why do you think I reacted the way I did when you told me. I almost freaked, thinking I had made a terrific mistake. It didn’t dawn on me till way later that nobody thought less of me.”
“Dona, most women your age today, at least out here in the colonies, would be envious of you. You have a smart, beautiful husband; you’re healthy as can be and you’re going to have a family of your own. Look at it this way; you could be a grandmother while you are still young.”
“Oh my lord. Let my daughter get born first, will you?”
“Have you given any thought to a name?”
“Oh, we discussed that right after we got engaged. Our firstborn would be named after their grandparents, in this case, her name will be Aleeta Isabel.”
“I’m guessing, Aleeta’s Jimmy’s mother?”
“Uh huh.”
“That’s sort of an unusual name, isn’t it?”
“Believe it or not, Jimmy has no idea where her name comes from. You should have known her. She looks just like Jimmy, only her hair is completely blonde.”
“No wonder he looks so Anglo-Saxon and not Greek.”
“He always asks people what a Greek looks like when they say that.”
“Well, he doesn’t look like what Greeks did in the history photos from your time. But that’s silly. If it weren’t for my name, nobody would know I’m a Polish Jew.” She giggled slightly.
“In our day, we’d get roasted as racists talking like this. Listen, Jimmy isn’t ashamed of his body, he’s just really conservative about such things. I just about died when he followed you into the bathroom like that. I think he forgot he was naked too.”
“You were still in your underwear when I gathered up your dirty clothes this morning. Too bad he sleeps on his stomach, I would have enjoyed the view since he threw off his covers. I’ll admit, though, he’s nice on the eyes. He has a very nice butt. Why don’t you sleep naked?”
“I don’t like sleeping nude. I usually have on pajamas or a long tee shirt or something.”
“Stuff that’s easy to get off and on?”
“Uh huh.” Dona smiled widely. “You know, I used to get disgusted when Murky kept trying to see me naked, now it doesn’t bother me as much.”
“Well, there is a little bit of a difference there. Murky is from your time, and he as much as told me he wanted to ‘get in your pants’ as he so charmingly put it.”
Dona smiled at her again. “Sounds to me like you wouldn’t mind getting into Jimmy’s pants as well.” She realized she was falling into her old pattern of gossiping with friends.
Jimmy turned off the viewer, disappointed at the lack of information. He walked back into the living room. “Are you two busy talking about me?”
Susan just smiled at him. “Yep, Dona was describing your favorite love making technique.” She got the result she intended.&nb