by M. D. Cooper
The sight of Erin in her bikini also reminded Isa of their night at the Athens hotel, when Erin had her revelation about the sabotage on Irridia and had leapt out of bed then stumbled around as she tried to find the manual switch to turn on the light, planning on returning to Carthage right way. Looking back, Erin had cut a comical figure, though it hadn’t seemed so—or at least not to Erin, Isa guessed—at the time. And of course, that moment had signalled the beginning of a particularly dark episode of their lives.
Erin was standing in Isa’s light, blocking out the sun, surveying the dishes. “This is quite a spread,” she said. “There’s enough here to feed Landfall.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Isa replied. “I couldn’t decide what to leave out, so I didn’t leave out anything.”
Erin finally chose what she wanted to eat and reached over Isa to pick up a fig.
“You’re dripping on me,” Isa said.
“Mmm, sorry,” Erin replied through a full mouth. She walked around the blanket to the other side and sat down, not bothering to dry off. The breeze from the Med would dry Erin’s wet skin and hair soon enough.
“These are fantastic,” Erin said, picking out another fig.
“They are, aren’t they?” said Isa. She filled a plate with prosciutto-wrapped melon pieces and tore a piece of bread from a loaf before smothering it in guacamole.
“So when are we watching the infomentary?” Erin asked.
“Not now,” Isa replied. “Maybe later. Or never. This is just to celebrate finishing it. We don’t have to watch it too.”
“Why not? I bet it’s great.”
“Well, Placement Services seemed happy enough with it,” Isa said. “They paid me, anyway.”
“Don’t put yourself down. I saw some of it already, remember? I thought you did an amazing job. New settlers will be flooding to Tyre in no time. They’ll be turning them away.”
“I hope so,” Isa said. “The place needs a fresh start after what the SSS did. An influx of new people full of enthusiasm for the planet will help the Tyrians move on from how close they came to dying. Tyre can finally get on its feet.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” said Erin. “Do we have anything to drink with this?”
“I believe our drinks should be coming soon,” Isa said, looking over her shoulder.
As if on cue, a figure appeared at the door of Martin’s beach house carrying a tray. He walked across the sand toward them, taking care to keep the tray level and avoid spilling their drinks.
When he reached them, Malcolm squatted down. “Two ice-cold beers and one fresh lemonade,” he said.
“Thanks. You aren’t having a beer?” Erin asked Isa, taking hers from the tray.
“No,” said Isa. “I wouldn’t feel comfortable about it.” She looked down at the slight bump above her bikini line.
“I’m sure the docs can fix things so you can drink alcohol if you want to,” said Erin.
“Yeah,” Isa said. “I think they can, but I don’t mind not being able to drink.” She lifted her glass of lemonade off the tray.
“How’s the work going?” Erin asked Malcolm.
“Not too bad, you know,” he replied. “The blue whales are getting too big for their site, that’s the main challenge at the moment. They have to be moved farther out to sea soon. It’s when they’re born, though, that things will really go crazy. Everything I’ve done so far has had its learning curve, but that one’s going to be a doozy. Not that I’m complaining. I love it. Talking of work, I just remembered something I have to do. Back in a minute.”
He walked back to the house, slipping on the loose sand.
“What about your work?” Isa asked Erin. “What have you been doing?”
Isa actually found listening to Erin talk about her job pretty boring and sometimes more than a little confusing, but she knew that Erin liked to talk about it, so she would always ask her. This time, however, Erin had something interesting to relate.
She took a sip of her beer and announced, “I saw Usef just before I came back. He was on a heliopause patrol.” She had an expression that said there was more to the encounter than she’d stated.
“You did?” Isa exclaimed. “How is he?”
She hadn’t seen her friend since that terrible night in the crystal cave, and then she’d only seen him for a moment before he’d carried Martin’s corpse away.
“He seemed fine,” Erin replied. Then she added, “But he wasn’t speaking to me.”
“What? That doesn’t sound like Usef. Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. I mean, he spoke to me a little bit, but only when absolutely necessary. When I tried to chat with him, he wasn’t having any of it. He gave me this really dark look and walked off.”
“You’re kidding. What’s gotten under his skin?”
“I think I know what his problem is,” said Erin. “You remember when I found you and Martin in the cave on Tyre, and I shot Pippa? Well, I didn’t do what he told me to. I didn’t follow orders.”
“He’s pissed at you because you didn’t follow orders?” Isa was incredulous. “But those circumstances were kind of special, and it all happened months ago, and you aren’t even a Marine!”
“I know, right?”
Isa was staring at Erin, round-eyed with amazement. “Actually,” she said, “after seeing the way he acted around you on our way to Athens, I can just imagine what he was like.”
She imitated Usef’s “on duty” face, looked Erin up and down, and then sharply swept her head to the side in an exaggerated gesture of avoidance.
Erin snorted with laughter, and Isa began giggling too. Erin was laughing so hard she had to put her beer down.
“He’ll come around eventually,” said Isa. “And you know what, I guess he has a point. I mean, you were taking a hell of a risk, just shooting that bitch in the head like that. Things could have gone a lot worse than they did in the end.”
Erin wiped her eyes as her chuckles dried up. “Yeah, I know you’re right. And I know Usef is right to be annoyed. Honestly though, Isa? I didn’t make a choice about that. I already knew that Martin was in a bad way before I stepped into the space where you all were. I knew someone had hurt him, and I was in this uncontrolled rage. Then the second I saw that Martin was dead and you were there too, and Pippa was threatening your life, I didn’t think about it. I just reacted.” Erin was screwing the bottom of her can of beer into the sand, looking somber and thoughtful.
“From my viewpoint,” said Isa, “until you raised your visor, I totally thought you were a Marine, although a particularly short one. That was how you behaved; minus the not obeying orders part, I mean. I didn’t know about that.”
“Huh,” Erin said. “I acted like a Marine? Maybe I’m in the wrong job.”
“From the sound of it, Usef wouldn’t have you if you asked.”
“No. But I prefer being an engineer anyway. Though I learned something about myself that day.”
“I learned that you’re a damned good shot.”
Erin reached out over the spread of food and tucked Isa’s hair behind her ear. “It helps when it’s close range.”
“Did you hear what happened to Pigtail’s twin?” Isa asked.
“Anwen? I did. A prison sentence seems a bit harsh. I’m convinced she didn’t know what Pippa was involved in, even though they were close. She was too trusting and too loyal. Blindly loyal to someone who didn’t deserve it.”
The sound of splashing attracted their attention. “Martin’s back at last,” Isa announced, somewhat gratuitously.
He wasn’t far from the shore and was swimming quickly closer. When he reached shallow water, he stood up to walk the rest of the distance to the beach. As usual, Isa found herself checking out his chest, though not for sensual reasons. The sight of it always reminded her of the wound that had nearly killed him—or rather, had killed him. Only, Eamon had kept his brain alive and the skilled doctors at Ushu’s hospital had completed the save by
bringing his body back to life. When she saw Martin’s chest, she almost had to reassure herself that he was still okay.
She guessed she felt like that because her mind was easily affected by traumatic sights and events. When she’d undergone the limbic decoupling treatment, the doctors hadn’t mentioned why her memories affected her so badly. They’d only focused on removing the emotions associated with them that had prevented her from truly moving on.
Her more recent grim memories remained untreated, but it was a comfort to know that if she ever wanted to, she could remove the emotional component of those recollections too. For the time being, she was content to live with them. The upside of her experiences meant that she appreciated Martin and Erin even more.
“My,” Martin said as he stopped at the picnic blanket, “that’s a lot of food.”
Erin said, “I think Isa brought the entire contents of your kitchen out here.”
“That’s fine,” he replied, finding a corner of blanket to sit on. “She needs to eat a good diet now.” He gave Isa’s bump an affectionate rub.
“You’re sure you didn’t give our baby fins?” Erin asked, partially serious.
Martin replied testily, “I am sure our child is one hundred percent human.” He took a strip of smoked salmon, tilted back his head, and dropped it into his mouth. As he chewed, looking out to sea, he added, “Though I don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl,” he added. “I left that to chance.” He picked up the second beer, pulled the tab, and took a long drink.
Malcolm walked up. “Oh.” He was looking at the beer in Martin’s hand. “I didn’t realize you were back.”
“Yeah,” Martin replied. “I had a great swim. Thanks for watching the store for me while I was gone.”
“Uh, you’re welcome,” Martin replied. He hung around for a few moments while the others helped themselves to food, and then turned and walked back to the house.
“You’re so lucky to have Malcolm around,” said Erin.
Martin put down his beer. “I’m lucky?”
“Yeah,” Erin said. “He does a lot around the place doesn’t he? Helps you out? And he seems to know what he’s doing.”
“He certainly does a lot of cooking,” said Martin. “And spreading sand around the place.”
“Aw, come on,” said Isa. “What about all that time you spent with me on Tyre? What would you have done without him then?”
Martin didn’t reply. He drank some more beer. His jaw muscle twitched. Finally he said, with great reluctance, “Yeah, I guess he helped me out when I needed someone.”
“What were things like when you got back?” Isa asked. “Had he kept everything ticking okay?”
Martin heaved a sigh. “Yes, everything was okay. Nothing had died, anyway. And,” he added, brightening, “his internship finishes next week. He’s going to complete his studies and graduate. Though he told me he’s decided to specialize in marine biology.” Martin’s brow furrowed again.
“Good for him,” Isa said. “Maybe you could give him a research position. I think he’d love that. And he already knows how everything works around here. He could be a real asset to the place.”
Martin gave her a look of horror.
“Think about it,” said Isa. “If you had someone else here long-term, you could go away whenever you wanted. We could all go back to Athens, for instance.”
“Hmm, I don’t know,” said Martin. “I’ll think about it.”
“Athens,” Erin exclaimed. “That would be cool. Just traveling there is fun. I want to try every cocktail in the bar on the Odyssey. And if we see Usef, I might charm him into being my friend again.”
“Usef isn’t your friend?” Martin asked.
“I’ll tell you about it another time. Oh! But I forgot to say,” said Erin. “Usef wants to take you on for another tsunami surfing competition. He said you got lucky last time.”
“He said what?” Martin’s eyebrows lifted. “In that case, I’ll definitely think about having Malcolm back here, for a short time anyway. I got lucky, huh?”
Erin gave Isa a wink behind Martin’s back, and Isa mouthed a ‘thanks’. Though she wouldn’t be enjoying any of bartender Mikkel’s cocktails for the next few months, Isa hoped she could return to Athens with the others sometime soon. The planet had a special vibe that might not be there forever. Eventually Athens’ terraforming would be complete, and the New Canaanites might have to go elsewhere for their tsunami surfing. She also wanted to revisit the terraces of hot springs with adjustable streams of hot and cold water. Even staying in the old-style hotel rooms was fun.
Malcolm returned with a beer for himself and fresh drinks for everyone else. He was a nice kid and smart, too. Isa decided she would explain to him how he was triggering Martin’s grumpy side. Then the two would get along better, or Martin would like Malcolm more. Malcolm seemed entirely oblivious to how irritated Martin was by his presence.
“Martin,” said Erin, “I just want to check. Are you sure you didn’t add any marine genes to our baby?”
“Marine genes?” he asked. “What are marine genes, exactly?”
“I guess I mean you didn’t give our child genes that would confer an advantage in a marine environment, did you?”
“For the nth time, Erin,” Martin replied. “Our baby won’t have scales, a tail, gills, tentacles, a swim bladder, or even a blow hole. Now are you satisfied?”
Erin said, “Okay, but what about webbed fingers and toes?”
Martin stood up, facing Erin. He put his hands on his hips and narrowed his eyes at her. Isa’s stomach clenched. Were they about to have their first big fight? She hoped not. She didn’t want the day to be spoiled, just when everything had been so perfect.
Erin was looking up at Martin innocently.
Suddenly, he bent down and grabbed her, picking her up in his arms. Erin shrieked and struggled, laughing her head off. Martin strode down to the water’s edge and into the waves. He waded in until the water was up to his chest, carrying a wriggling Erin, then he heaved her up and out. She landed with a splash and sank out of sight. When she surfaced, she was laughing so hard she could hardly breathe.
Isa took the last fig on the plate.
Erin scooped up water and threw it over Martin, who was striding toward her to grab her again. Undeterred by the deluge, he lifted her up and tossed her into the air.
For a centuries-old top-rank engineer and killing machine, Isa reflected, Erin sure screams like a girl.
THE END
* * * * *
AFTERWORD
It was with typical trepidation that I dove once more into the fascinating Aeon 14 universe and began to plan out Tyre with Malorie. I already knew the basics of the planet, from the details given in earlier books, but plenty of wiggle room remained. I knew that Tyre would be an opportunity to go to town on interesting geological features.
Like all the habitable planets in the New Canaan system, Tyre isn’t only a safe place to live, it’s a world where the New Canaanites can play hard. The FGT has taken Tyre’s existing features and tweaked them to provide the colonists with extra-special experiences, like the chute through Mount Athos (Malorie’s idea), the golden cavern, the crystal cave and the musical pillars.
Tyre’s cities are named after real cities or places that existed near ancient Tyre. Ushu was a settlement on the mainland adjacent to Tyre’s island, and Kedesh and Mount Carmel were cities where the ancient Tyrians settled. Mount Athos and Mount Ida are mentioned in Homer’s Iliad; the mountains retain the same names today, though two Mount Idas are in existence. As I mentioned in the Aeon 14 Facebook group, the crystal cave was inspired by Cave of the Crystals at the Naica Mine in Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico.
The opera that Jacob Cimorelli listens to in the first chapter is Madame Butterfly.
It was fun exploring the slightly unusual relationship between Erin, Isa, and Martin as it continued to develop over the course of their experiences in Tyre. Polyamorous relationships aren’t common, so I
don’t have much to go by, but on the other hand, they are just women and a man who are in love, which makes it simpler. I’m looking forward to meeting them all again in Troy for another adventure.
J.J. Green
New Taipei City
TROY
BUILDING NEW CANAAN – BOOK 3
BY J.J. GREEN & M. D. COOPER
CHAPTER ONE
STELLAR DATE: 04.07.8941 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Marine Eco Station #14, Knossos Island
REGION: Carthage, New Canaan System
Erin’s heart was hammering in her chest as she hoisted her weapon onto her shoulder and ran along the beach. Black figures were swooping down the cliff face, barely visible in the dark.
Tanis’s efforts to protect New Canaan from attack had failed. Enemy troops were invading Carthage, and Erin was discovering that defending your ship against boarding was one thing, but defending your home and the people you love was something else.
The attackers coming down the beach must be looking for the SATC. She had to prevent them from finding it. If she failed, information on all the New Canaanite vessels in the system would be available to them. Even worse, her family’s beach house lay directly in their path. She had to stop the troops from stumbling across it in their search.
Martin and Isa were at home with little Jude. What would the invaders do to them if they found them? Would the troops torture Martin or Isa to make them give up the location of the SATC? Erin didn’t think Isa even knew about the place. Would they threaten to hurt Jude to persuade her to talk?
The attackers would be ruthless and Erin wouldn’t be able to forgive herself if anyone in her family was hurt.
She ran up to the base of the cliff. Moving amongst boulders strewn along the beach, she’d reached it without being seen, and the slight overhang would hide her from gazes looking down from above. She turned her back to the rough rock surface and edged along the cliff, moving away from the beach house. She intended to put some distance between herself and the family beach home and then distract the attackers and draw them away.