by Gary Weston
'That's what I was thinking. I want a baby when I can look after it properly and give us all a good home. Happy. Full of love. Rocky and me never had that. We were both orphaned.'
'Is Rocky your young man?'
'Yes. We have so much in common. We understand each other, what we've lost. More important, we know what we've found.'
Doctor Uphill smiled. 'Such wise heads on such young shoulders. Just what we need right now.'
'It's exciting. So much to look forward to. I just don't want to spoil things by getting pregnant too soon.'
'Good. It's a painless, easily reversible procedure. The NoPreg works with the body. They have proved to be one hundred percent effective and side affects free. Want to do it now? It's just a tiny implant in your thigh and it takes only a minute to do.'
Amethyst sighed as she thought about it. 'Why do I feel like I'm losing something?'
'Nothing but your childhood. You are becoming a woman. Come on, this way.'
Minutes later, Amethyst walked out of the medical centre, feeling as if she had both lost something, but she had also found something. She had some packing to do for the trip home.
Chapter 54
Marcia Potts was organizer personified. Within forty eight Mars hours, she had put three different committees together involving three different areas of expertise. She had asked if she was to be the coordinator, would anyone object. She got the job.
Geologists headed a seven person team. They had to decide on the most favourable places for building the city. A sound hard rock base, preferably sheltered from the Martian storms or at least a few of the wild elements and wasn't covering up potentially useful minerals to be mined later. The project fed upon itself and ideas came thick and fast. Many had relations on Moon and the idea of living together spurred everyone to do all they could to make things happen.
Builders in their committee, were looking at pictures of the buildings already on Moon and working on ideas for rebuilding on Mars.
Electricians, plumbers, sanitation engineers were working as a group, looking at incorporating the existing infrastructure with new.
Everyone was excited about finally making a world fit for humans outside of Earth.
Similar teams were brainstorming together on Moon, working out the balance of taking dwellings down and how the people that had lived in them would be temporarily housed. It would take most of the three months of the freighters journey back to Moon, to be anything like ready with all that could be stowed in the freighter pods and the big ship for the trip back to Mars.
The payload technicians wanted their input. Loading freighters, and now Big Bird, was a whole industry on its own. Thought to be as much art as science, they stressed that it was an imperative part of space flight. Perfect weight distribution was required and everything had to be secured to ensure no problems during transportation. As crucial specialists, it was agreed that they would work with the builders as loading consultants. Everyone was keen to be involved.
* * *
It was time for the freighter to be on its way to Moon. They did their kissing in Base Three, and it was with a lighter heart that Cragg suited up for one final round trip.
Misty warned, 'You get your sorry ass back safely to me, Dixon Cragg, or there'll be serious trouble.'
'I'll get out and push the damn freighter here if I have to. This is where I belong. Here with you.'
'Then get going. The sooner you've gone, the sooner you come back.'
Cragg stole one more kiss and put his helmet on. 'Keep some beer on ice.'
He told Misty to stay in the Base, and he went through the airlock to join the others already on the freighter. Cragg was going along because there was another freighter to make use of back on Moon, so he intended to make himself available, if required. He had said his farewells to Misty, with a solemn vow when he returned to her, it would be on his last flight.
Dillow, Amethyst and Cragg buckled up and Rocky took control of the take off. He went through the preflight check with Dillow, who recorded the readings. She put the log away and sat back, ready to assess Rocky's skills. She smiled as she watched his hands and fingers fly over the sensors. She could tell from his facial expression that he wasn't having to think about which sensor did what, he just knew, already one with the ship. All Rocky had to do was land on Moon, and she would have no hesitation in giving him his tickets.
She'd already had a quiet word with Craggy to give the youngsters some space, but Craggy was in a world of romantic fog of his own. It seemed everyone was in love but her. Perhaps when the new world was up and running, she might find somebody.
Dillow had been in love once. It had been a wonderful, all consuming, love. But he had been taken from her. His memory hadn't faded and her feelings for him would always be with her. Things were changing. History was being made. It was a time of changes. It was also time for her to make changes, too.
Chapter 55
Three weeks out, a well oiled routine developed. Rocky was controlling the freighter most of the time, because he was still being assessed for his tickets by Dillow. Cragg and Amethyst got along great, Cragg making her laugh with his outrageous jokes and exaggerated stories as he gave her a few tips on food preparation.
Occasionally, Cragg would top up too much on Martian beer, and be in a mood to tell one of his tall stories. As ridiculous as it was, his tales of his “daring” exploits were infectious. It was lights dimmed, except for the one by Cragg, and they would have a beer and wait eagerly for the story.
Cragg always started the same way. “Did I ever tell you about the time...” and he would reel them into his world of fantasy, seasoned with just enough reality as to give the rendition credibility. It was close to Craggy's bedtime, so he handed out the beers then took his seat where the single light illuminated his face in a very strange way.
'Did I ever tell you about that time I took a ride with a dead man?'
'Sounds painful,' said Dillow.
Craggy ignored her. 'Well. I wasn't that much older than you are now, Rocky. I had a few years of hauling freight, but still had a load to learn. I hadn't made captain at that time. We had to work for our tickets, in those days.'
'Boo. Boo.' Rocky and Dillow cried out.
'Anyway, before I was so rudely interrupted, I was flying with an old codger called Big Billy. Freighter Captain William Croxford. I always thought his name should be Big Belly, not Big Billy. He'd spent months on Mars and pigged out. Not the healthiest specimen you'd be likely to meet. Anyway, we were just sitting there, humming along, Big Billy has a heart attack. No warning, just a rolling of the eyeballs, and a clutching of his arm and he'd gone. Dead.'
'Jeez, Craggy,' said Amethyst. 'Didn't you try CPR?'
'He had a beard. Have you ever kissed a beard? And I'm not talking a neatly clipped facial decoration here. Think birds nest profusion, with foodstuffs going back decades lodged in it, and Big Billy's constant scratching at said tangled growth, had everybody wondering what lifeforms were procreating in it.'
'Hell, no,' said a grimacing Amethyst.
'So why wish it on me? No way was I kissing that. Ugh! No. He was well dead. Just to make sure, I gave his whiskers a good tug and I got no response. I dragged him to his bunk.'
'By his beard?' Dillow asked.
'As if. Anyway, I called Moon and told them what had happened. I asked them what I should do with the corpse. I said, should I throw it through the airlock?'
'Craggy,' said Amethyst. 'You wouldn't do that.'
'Why not? He was dead wasn't he? As it happened, that's what Moon told me, too. He had to go back for an autopsy. That was all very well, but after a couple of days, he was beginning to pong a bit. Man. It was making my eyes water. Only one thing for it. I had to seal him in his suit.'
'Urgh, Craggy,' said Dillow. 'You dressed a dead man in his suit?'
'Well, I wasn't allowed to throw him outside, which would have been my preferred option. We had nothing for dead people on the freig
hter and there was no way I could spend months with that stink. So, I didn't have a lot of choice. He was in such a state, I had to wear my own suit so I didn't have to touch it or smell it. It took me an hour of shoving, pulling, and pushing to get the suit on. I was knackered. I put his helmet on to seal the old devil in, gave him a good night kiss and that was it.'
Amethyst could visualise it all happening. 'That was horrible, having to put a suit on a smelly dead body.'
Cragg shrugged. 'We have to do what we have to do. That wasn't the worst of it. I was alone in the ship, now, still weeks to go before reaching Moon. It was three days after Big Billy had been suited up, me on the deck on my own, when I heard. . . footsteps right behind me.'
'Craggy,' gasped Rocky. 'What the hell was it?'
Craggy yawned. 'A story for another time. Goodnight all.'
Dillow said, 'You rotter, Craggy.'
With a grin, Cragg took off for bed and then Rocky disappeared. Amethyst went over to Dillow and whispered in her ear.
'Good luck,' whispered Dillow back, as Amethyst walked out.
Dillow sat in the still dimmed light and she found herself shuddering at the thoughts of ghostly footsteps in a freighter.
'Damn you, Craggy.'
Chapter 56
Amethyst asked, 'Do you love Misty?'
'What?' gasped Cragg. 'Why the hell do you ask me that?'
They were on clothes cleaning duty. Cragg threw a handful of garments into the zapper. He pressed the button and five seconds later, they were spotless and fresh. He took them out and put them on hangers.
'It's just...no. That would be rude.'
'You, rude? Never. Out with it.'
'Well. You're kinda really, really old.'
Cragg gasped. 'Excuse me? I'll have you know I'm only really old.'
'Well, I'm kinda young.'
'I noticed.'
'But can you be in love at your age?'
Surprised, Cragg said, 'Good grief. In my prime, I am. But yes. Age doesn't come into the equation. Love can strike when you least expect it.'
'But you do love Misty.'
Cragg nodded. 'I finally owned up to it. We've got the chance of being together and we're running with it. But it isn't like the first love you and Rocky have. I see you and I remember that the way you love so deep it hurts.'
'It does. It's crazy, but it does hurt.'
'I know. And that's what makes it all so special. For me and Misty, it doesn't hurt quite like that. It's more mellow. Me and Misty are comfortable in our own skins and with each other. You asked if I love Misty? Oh, yes. I love her. I just never admitted it to myself before.'
'Is it possible to fall in love really young and still love them when we're really old?'
'Now that's a whole other question. It is possible. But to be honest, the odds are against it. See, back when we were living in caves, old age was like forty. So, a caveman only had to be in love for a few years. Humans are now living into their hundred and fifties. That means we have to go on loving for about one hundred and thirty years. A big ask for anyone. I think I can see out my years with Misty.'
He could see a strange look pass like a dark shadow over Amethyst's face and knew he had said words she shouldn't have heard him say. 'Take no notice of me. Old timers sometimes ramble on talking crap. Your love is strong. Why shouldn't it last? Of course it will.'
'I hope so.'
'My advice to you? Live each day as if it's your last and embrace life.'
Amethyst kissed his cheek. 'Thanks, Craggy.' She skipped away to have a woman to woman chat with Dillow.
Rocky was alone on the deck, wallowing in his own mellow dreams, when he got a call on the radio. The signal from Moon was clear. 'Rocky Ramshorn. Moon Commander Forbes, here.'
'I'm here, Sir.'
'Just to let you know, we are getting the big ship ready to go to Mars. We've, err, added plumbing and squeezed in a cot. It's hardly home from home, but you'll have all you need for your month's trip.'
'One month?'
'It's got some real speed, now. But you'll be on your own for that trip. Are you okay with that?'
'Sure. The more we get done, the quicker we'll be settling on Mars. Bring it on.'
'Thanks, Rocky. Everything all right?'
'Yeah. They're all asleep.'
'Okay. I'll let you go, Ramshorn.'
'Goodnight, Sir.'
This was something he hadn't banked on. Here he was with a wonderful girlfriend and he would be racing back and forth between Moon and Mars, often on his own. He was still glowing from the intimacy with Amethyst, and now he had to tell her they'd be lucky to be on ships passing in the night.
'Great.'
Chapter 57
Amethyst was a little deflated when she heard Rocky's news.
'It can't be helped,' said Rocky. 'They can't add another seat in that ship, without serious rewiring of the computers and controls. That would be risky.'
'It isn't fair,' said Dillow.
'No. It isn't,' agreed Cragg. 'I suppose it will be a tough couple of years for everybody. For the greater good. You'll get through it.'
Dillow said, 'They won't have to get through it, at least not apart. I can fly the other ship.'
'You?' Rocky said.
'Why not? The controls on the ship aren't much different from the ones on this new freighter. I can fly it as well as you, Rocky.'
'I never said you couldn't. But what would I be doing?'
'Flying this, of course. You and Amethyst can be together most of the time.'
Cragg said, 'Are you sure you want to do that, Dillow?'
Dillow shrugged. 'It makes sense. These two want to be together, and I'm a free agent.'
Cragg said, 'You always will be a free agent if you don't give yourself a chance of meeting anyone.'
'He's right, Fawn,' said Amethyst. 'You can't be on your own for months on end.'
'I'll be fine. It won't be forever. I'd rather you two were together.'
'Thank you, Fawn,' said Amethyst.
'You're forgetting something,' said Rocky. 'To fly this with Amethyst, I need to have my tickets.'
'Dillow said, 'You give us a perfect landing with a full train of pods, you pass.'
Amethyst said, 'You had better make a perfect landing, Rocky Ramshorn.'
'No pressure, then.'
'I'm still available as a pilot,' said Cragg. 'That's all you need if you get stuck for a qualified pilot to go with you. Don't forget, I have a girlfriend waiting for me, so I have to get back as soon as I can.'
Chapter 58
It was time for the moment of truth. Cragg kept a low profile in the background, watching the proceedings. He was still unfamiliar with the new style controls, so he left it to Dillow to assess Ramshorn's competency. For all Cragg knew, Rocky could have been swatting flies. With Dillow a captain first class in her own right, now, she was considered qualified to assess other pilots.
Amethyst couldn't stand the tension and shut herself away in her bedroom so as not to be a distraction to Rocky. Too much depended on Dillow passing Rocky. She knew Dillow wouldn't pass him unless she genuinely believed he was ready.
The Earth loomed large, but it was Moon that was their destination. Dillow sat quietly next to Rocky, offering neither advice nor encouragement, but ready to step in if things were going wrong. Rocky did a single orbit of Moon, and took a deep breath.
He had successfully landed with pods on Mars and took off with pods from there, too. He had done it before and he knew exactly what to do. Using the sensor controls to line up with the cradle, it was a slow and deliberate landing. Rocky set the freighter on the pad at the end of the cradle and the pods on the cradle itself.
Cragg volunteered to oversee the outside supervision of unlocking the pods, communicating between the grabber operator and Rocky. One by one the pod locks were released, and the grabber separated each pod ready for the pod carrier later. All Rocky had to do now, was to take off for a short hop to the freight
ers designated pad, away from the cradle and pod carriers, so as not to risk damage from the unloading. Cragg stayed outside, watching the faultless, smooth take off. He could see the perfect landing in the distance.
Cragg nodded and smiled. 'Some people are just born freighter pilots.'
Dillow's voice filled his helmet. 'What you think, Craggy? Do we have a new captain?'
'Hmm. Not sure. What do you think?'
'Kinda borderline.'
Amethyst could stand it no longer. 'Will ya give Rocky his damn tickets, already?'
'Craggy. We gotta make a decision or we'll never hear the end of it.'
Cragg sighed. 'Oh, okay. Congratulations Freighter Captain Rocky Ramshorn first class. Welcome to the club.'
The celebration was held in the freighter, due to the total alcohol ban on Moon. Beers were being passed around freely.
'I thought you jokers were going to fail me,' said Rocky.
'You, young man,' said Craggy. 'Are a natural pilot. You will be the stuff of legends before long.'
'Thanks. Both of you.' Rocky stretched and yawned. 'Time I got back to my own bed on Moon. Amethyst?'
'I'm all yours.'
Cragg and Dillow watched the young love-birds head off to the airlock.
'You,' said Craggy, 'Are a real sweetheart, Dillow.'
'How much have you drunk?'
'Not enough. But you are a sweetheart. Volunteering for the big ship, months in space on your own. And just so a couple of teenagers can be all amorous in private.'
Dillow sighed. 'My time will come. I've another hundred or more years ahead of me. Lots of time for love.'
'Maybe. I count myself lucky for another chance at my age.'
'It's good to see you happy,' Dillow said, sipping her beer. 'I tell you what I think will be interesting. On Moon, we have over two thousand people with no booze or smokes. There's going to be one almighty culture shock when we all get together.'