Embarkment 2577 Page 13

  “Either way, you need a dress, and I know just the place to get it. This will be so great.”

  Really? I expected a simple ceremony to get it done. Me, Adam, and the Captain… Now when I no longer feared for my life, the situation was a little comical. I was an illegal immigrant in the future, and needed protection. Would I have to visit an intergalactic version of Homeland Security to fill out forms?

  “I’d like to say goodbye to the trees before they leave.”

  “What’s your favourite colour?”

  “Depends on what it is for, but…”

  “Okay, so blue it is.”

  The day continued in the same peculiar fashion. Jia’Lyn stopped by a few minutes after Anya left, and if I’d been inclined for paranoia I would have thought my friends were set on keeping me in the room.

  Ima was the day’s last visitor. She said, “How’s my favourite patient doing?”

  Her medical examination seemed somewhat summary, and she talked about food until Adam came home. He leaned his shoulder against the wall and watched us with a smile tugging at his lips.

  When she left, I narrowed my eyes and looked at him. “What’s going on here?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Of course not.

  “I know what should be going on.”

  “And what might that be?” I crossed my arms and tried to appear stern.

  He crossed the floor with a few long steps, brushed his fingers over my neck, and stared into my eyes. Something in that look gave me butterflies. “My fiancée should take all her clothes off.”

  I tugged at his shirt. “Not unless my fiancée sets a good example.”

  *****

  The next morning started as a normal day, but I still moseyed around in a robe when Anya came over. Her arms brimmed with dresses, and a robot rolled after her carrying even more clothes. “Good morning bride to be. If none of these do it for you I’ll go get more.”

  She hung them around the room, and Adam said, “You two have fun with that.”

  He disappeared out the door before I could even open my mouth.

  “Anya, what are you doing?”

  She lifted her long dark hair over one shoulder. “Finding you the perfect dress, of course. But first we’re looking at hair and make-up. Sit down. Straighten your back.”

  “What…”

  “Alex, you’re getting married today. Knowing both you and Adam like I do, I’d say it’s a once in a lifetime experience. Stop squirming.”

  “Today?”

  “Yes, we have to hurry and get this done before the Kentucky comes looking for us. The Captain can’t hang around this planet forever, you know. Now, don’t worry, we have everything under control. Keep your chin up”

  “I… but… Does Adam know it’s today?”

  “Of course he does, silly girl. He’ll be back in time.”

  Shit.

  “Don’t give me that face, sweetheart. You will be the most beautiful bride this ship has ever seen, and whatever the future holds for you and Adam, life will hardly be boring.” She lifted a perfect eyebrow and fixed me with her big eyes. “Unless, you want to back out, leave him, and go to Earth?”

  Point taken. I sat back and submitted to her brushes and hairpins. She was really making a big deal out of this.

  Hours later, the door slid open and Adam came back. Anya grabbed a discarded dress from the sofa and held it up between us. “You’re not supposed to see the bride until it’s time to go down there. Go find a dress uniform.”

  He held his hands up in a gesture of submission. “Yes, ma’am.”

  As soon as he was out of the room, she took my hand and tugged me towards a mirror. “It’s almost time. What do you think?”

  I barely recognized the person staring back at me. “How did you do that? I look like a princess.”

  She’d done my hair with curly extensions and little white flowers. The make-up was refined, adding a polished glow to my skin, and my eyes appeared much larger than usual. The dress must have been a designer gown. It was classically elegant, demure, and gorgeous.

  Anya banged on the door to Adam’s study. “If you’re done, you can come out.”

  My fiancée stepped out, still buttoning his jacket. “Am I dressy enough?”

  Hell yes, I wanted to take it off with my teeth. Anya clearly disagreed; she scurried over with a hairbrush. “Deal with your hair. It’s too long. You look like a floor mop.”

  He rolled his eyes. “It’s not like it’ll grow out again if I cut it off.”

  She went behind him to tug at his clothes, and he mouthed, “You look amazing.”

  I expected us to go up one floor to the Captain’s office and get this all over with, but the lift went down, down, and down, all the way to the promenade deck. I tucked my hands around Adam’s arm and steeled myself for meeting the crowds. It was easy to imagine hundreds of people staring with gaping mouths. The doors opened and revealed a long and deserted corridor.

  “Where is everyone? Are all the stores closed?”

  My head spun. Adam put a hand on top of mine and gave them a little squeeze. Anya said, “It’s the event of the decade. No one wanted to miss this, honey.”

  Oh no… As a little girl I dreamt about a large wedding to a handsome prince. I wasn’t little anymore, and if every single person on the ship waited, the scale of this was absurd.

  I freed one of my hands and hit Adam over the arm. “You knew about this.”

  Anya interrupted, “It’s not his fault. How much would you have fretted if you knew? You’re a symbol of freedom and courage, you two together are an incredible combination, and this event can inspire every species on the ship.”

  “Traitor.” I glanced up at my fiancée. “How could you do this to me?”

  He didn’t get a chance to answer; Anya poked my shoulder. “He was against this, he even threatened to take you and leave the ship.”

  Compared to facing all these people, leaving seemed like an excellent idea. At least my would-be husband was on my side. Unless she lied…

  Adam said in a quiet voice, “Let’s go get married.”

  I glared at Anya. “I’m not done with you yet.”

  She flashed a million dollar smile. “That’s okay. I know you love me.”

  The large banquet hall was packed to the brim with people. I paused at the entrance and almost stumbled over my own feet. How would I ever muster courage to enter?

  Adam murmured, “Are you okay?”

  He seemed as unfazed by all the commotion as by everything else. I glanced into his eyes and found the courage I needed. If I said no, he would go with it. “Yes. As long as you’re right here, I’m okay.”

  It was a fairy-tale wedding. I was getting the prince I always wanted, and there was nowhere to go but forward.

  He winked. “I’m here. I will always be here.”

  Before I knew how it happened, we passed the masses. I was too overwhelmed to see many individual faces, but I did notice the trees lined up along the walls. It looked like someone decorated the large room with leaves, but I heard them whispering to each other.

  Adam turned his head to look at me and bent over towards me, placing a soft kiss on my cheek. Someone applauded, and as everyone followed, the sound rolled like thunder. Blake had to hold his hands up to hush the crowd.

  Chapter Seven

  The tall, strong, and handsome man by my side was my husband. A husband who often was a mystery even to himself. He would never grow old, never tire, be impatient, cheat on me, or come home drunk. This man who wasn’t a man made my heart flutter every time I looked at him, his every touch sent tingles down my spine, and he could send me to another world just by smiling.

  There was a lot of hugging, hand shaking, and smiling to be done. The last few days had been tough on me, and I reached my threshold long before everyone else tired. As soon as I started to fidget, my husband wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “Do you want to get out of her
e?”

  “Can we leave?”

  “Absolutely. They’ll be fine without us.”

  I nodded and he scooped me up in his arms. I have to admit, leaving was easy when carried.

  Adam put me down on the sofa and I kicked my shoes off. “Those are too pretty to wear.”

  “You’re too pretty.”

  “You’re such a smoothie, one could think you only want to get my clothes off.”

  He looked quite happy. “That’s because I do.”

  I expected something to happen. The last few days had been riddled with disasters, so why not top it off with an explosion, an alien invasion, or a break in the hull? No one called on us.

  When night came, I assumed he would disappear off to work, but someone must have taken his shift again. He stuck around, and I rested in his arms.

  “The ship is moving. I have to work on that antigrav suit so you can come back here and visit.”

  I didn’t feel any change, but if he said we moved, we moved. I no longer feared the rendezvous with the Kentucky. Adam wouldn’t let them take me.

  Visiting the trees would be lovely. If anyone could make it possible, it would be him. I imagined a bulky exoskeleton turning me into a cyborg. Or, a light suit with heavy boots that somehow created a protective field around me. I fell asleep and dreamed of walking on an alien planet.

  *****

  I kept a low profile for a few days. Adam had to work, of course, but I tried to keep out of sight, hoping people would forget about me.

  He called me from the transporter room one day. “Enoch has transferred to the Kentucky. Thought you would want to know.”

  Peeking out the window, I could see the other ship. It was beautiful and big, almost as large as the Bell. I had no urge to visit.

  The Captain’s voice echoed in the room. “Alex, would you come to my office, please.”

  Who, me? All alone? He was my friend, but also a figure of authority, and saying no was out of the question. “Of course, be right there.”

  The walk to the lift seemed endless and the short ride up made me claustrophobic. I peeked out on the top floor, expecting someone in uniform to pop out of a wall and chastise me for intruding. “Stop being silly.”

  Talking to myself usually helped, but not this time. I hurried to Blake’s office and was surprised to see a man sitting in one of the visitors’ chairs.

  “Alex, meet Kevin Nolan.”

  Kevin got to his feet and shook my hand. Surprisingly courteous; few people seemed to care about that nowadays. He was about my height, blonde with blue eyes, and his cheeks were sprinkled with freckles.

  “Kevin is hitching a ride to Earth on the Kentucky. He’s a scientist, and he asked to see you.”

  I dropped the man’s hand as if it burned me and took a seat as close to the Captain as I could come. He smirked. “As you can see, Alex has a trust issue when it comes to scientists.”

  “Not at all. Science is awesome. Science gave me my husband and my best friend. I mean, in my time we thought it would be geeky men building girlfriends and not the other way around, but it’s all good.”

  How did I get so bold? Blake’s mouth twitched and for a moment I thought he’d lose the battle and burst into laughter.

  Our visitor cleared his throat. “When we heard you’d be late due to a problem with the Tokamak field, quite frankly, no one believed it.”

  “The big ugly thing in the basement? It’s giving me nightmares.”

  To my surprise, he sounded sympathetic. “I can see that. As I was saying, no one believed it, but your Captain was courteous enough to show me the temporary repairs. I guess you weren’t just stalling for time.”

  Blake leaned forward over his desk. “Why would we be stalling for time?”

  Kevin leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. “It has been suggested to me this sudden pairing ceremony is a sham. For whatever reason, someone on this ship doesn’t want her to leave, and that someone is grasping at straws to keep her here. Fame? Glory? What better way to keep her here than arrange a marriage to a machine?”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’ve heard enough. Can I go now?”

  The scientist turned to me. “Alex, I’ve been stationed in the Biisind system for three years. I have no personal interest in what you do or don’t do, but I urge you to come with me to Earth.”

  Pfft. Talk’s cheap. I glanced over towards Blake, but he seemed to be biding his time.

  “Joshen Martinez is an old friend of mine, a mentor, he wouldn’t hurt you. He just wants to connect you to a machine that will tap out your memories. Your knowledge is valuable, and everyone would be able to see what you know. Sort of… like watching a movie.”

  Having people watch all my memories? Intrusion of privacy, much?

  I got to my feet. “I’ve heard enough of this. I have other things to do.”

  Kevin stood up too. “Yes you do. Go pack your bags. This joke is over and you’re coming with me to the Kentucky.”

  I took a step towards the door. “In your dreams.”

  Blake said, “Sit down. Both of you.”

  He didn’t raise his voice, but it was impossible not to obey. Kevin opened his mouth and my Captain made a dismissive gesture. “You’ve already said too much. Sit down and be quiet.”

  Watching the scientist sink down, carefully keeping his mouth shut, filled me with glee. Blake pressed a button on his desk. “Commander Adam, could you come to my office for a minute, please.”

  My husband’s voice filled the room. “Right away, Sir.”

  I didn’t realize how tense I was until he stood in the doorway and I dared relax. He glanced between me and Kevin and crossed his arms over his chest. Adam was tall, strong, intimidating, and mine.

  “What’s going on?”

  Once again, Kevin opened his mouth. Blake snapped, “Silence.”

  Kevin leaned back in his chair and rolled his eyes.

  “Adam, this is Kevin. He has come to retrieve your wife.”

  “Not happening, Sir.”

  I wanted to squirm. “Can I move now?”

  Blake smirked. “Yes Alex, you may move.”

  I bounced to my feet and threw my arms around Adam. He hugged me back and murmured, “Don’t worry.”

  After kissing me tenderly, he put his hands on my shoulders and turned me around so I faced Kevin. Then, he wrapped his arms around me from behind. “This is my wife. She means more to me than my life. She definitely means more to me than your life. If I were you, I’d choose my next words wisely.”

  I glanced up at him. “I love you too.”

  He smiled and brushed his lips over my temple.

  Blake leaned his elbows on the desk and tapped his fingers together. “Mr Nolan, have we satisfied your curiosity, or do you wish to continue the discussion with the commander? I’m sure he’d be more than happy to demonstrate his… abilities. Would you like to see him fold a spare piece of hull plating a couple of times?”

  “We’re good.”

  “Excellent. For future reference, if you want to cooperate with someone on my ship, asking politely will give better results. I would suggest your Joshen Martinez contact Alex from Earth. Make friends. Play nice and maybe she’ll write you a book.”

  Excellent idea. I could do that.

  Adam’s communicator beeped. “Commander, we’re ready to initiate the ion flush of starboard subspace engine.”

  “I’ll be right there.” He stared at Kevin. “I must go to the bridge. Do I need to have the computer trace Alex, or will you behave?”

  The scientist shook his head. “Oh no, I wouldn’t…”

  “Good. There are rumours about people being drugged, and waking up in a completely different part of the galaxy. Nothing like that will happen on the Bell.” He nodded to Blake, “Sir,” and pushed me towards the door. “I’ll walk you to the lift.”

  When we left the room, I heard Kevin’s voice behind me. “Can he really fold hull plating?”


  Chapter Eight

  I didn’t think Kevin Nolan would really try to kidnap me, but I was still happy to see the Kentucky disappear. What kind of fate might Enoch face when he returned to Earth? Hopefully, he would be locked up for a very long time.

  We crawled towards a space station that could make the necessary repairs on our pet black hole. Adam said getting there would take at least eight weeks, maybe longer, and I settled down to wait. The calm was a welcome change.

  I wasn’t even surprised when Adam came home in the middle of the day, swept me off my feet, and carried me to his study. “What are you doing?”

  He shrugged and put me down on the big desk. I kept my arms wrapped around his neck. Whatever he might want would have to wait until after he kissed me properly.

  One thing led to another, and I tugged at his shirt. It flew through the room. He kissed my neck, only pausing to pull my blouse over my head.

  When I wanted my clothes later, I was surprised to find my panties hanging over a lamp…

  Adam glanced into my eyes and smiled when he buttoned the shirt. “As remarkable as that was, it’s not why I came home.”

  I lifted my eyebrows and feigned surprise. “No? Really?”

  He tucked the shirt in, returning to his well-ordered self. “Really. Look here…”

  An image of a blue and green planet appeared in the middle of the room. It looked a little like prehistoric Earth, with one humongous continent surrounded by water. “The people here invented a new technique making it possible to get close to black holes without experiencing problems with time dilution.”

  The what and the what?,Blah blah blah, event horizon, blah blah, gravity well, blah blah…

  “It could help the people replacing our Tokamak field.”

  “Cut to the chase. How long will you be gone?”

  He sat on the edge of the desk and reached for my hand. “I have the right to bring you, if you want to come. And to answer your question, at least six weeks. Probably longer.”

  “Six weeks?”

  “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to, but I must.”

  He put his hands on my hips and inched me closer. “When are we leaving?”