Sarah looked up again, this time feeling sad. Dying. The last tree in the city was dying. It was too much a symbol of everything she hated about her life.
She shuddered. "Let’s go inside."
In the hall, there were a number of banners with the picture of the baby and the man on them, as well as the words "Seek a new life in the stars" and "Find happiness with us."
They found four seats together. Sarah looked around and noticed very few seats left empty. There must have been close to a thousand women in the hall. After a short time, a well-dressed man strode onto the stage before them.
"Welcome, all of you!" He smiled and looked out at the filled room. "I am Mosan, a representative of the New Life Collective. I guess we must have found a way to get your attention." He pointed to the banner with the baby’s face.
The audience laughed. It was true the short media announcement had managed to collect quite a crowd.
"Well, I’m going to assume that you’re here because this is what you want. You want husbands, children, and a place to call your own. And I’m going to tell you how you can get these things. First of all, I’m going to guess you’ve looked for them here and haven’t found them. That man of your dreams, well, that seems to be where he lives because you haven’t found him here in real life.
"And that baby you want … ladies, we are all adults here, I don’t have to tell you what comes before the baby." Mosan grinned at them.
At this, several women laughed outright. He pointed to them and said, "Yes, you know what I’m talking about! And it all comes down to this: what you need are men willing to be husbands and fathers to your children. And not just any man, you need one who can provide a home for you so you can live in security and peace. Am I right?"
"Right!" the crowd roared back at him. Sarah giggled and noticed her friends doing the same. This was taking on the aspect of a carnival show. Still, Mosan’s words held more than a little truth.
"So, ladies, you’ve looked on Earth and have you found this man to provide all this?"
"No!" the crowd replied.
"Do you want me to tell you how to find him?"
"Yes!"
"All right then!" He waited a moment, letting the suspense build. "You haven’t found this man because you’ve been looking for him here, on Earth. And he isn’t here."
He stared at them, his eyes glinting.
"The man you want is in the stars."
At this, several women began talking loudly. A couple near the aisle even got up to leave. Mosan put his hands up and waved them back to their seats. "Sit down, ladies, please, hear me out. What I’m talking about are the Outer Colonies, loyal to Earth. These colonies have thousands of men, just like this one--" he pointed to the man on the banner. The standing women reclaimed their seats, intrigued enough to listen further.
"These men are strong and handsome. They want the things you want--a loving spouse, beautiful children, and a cozy home. And like you, they are lonely, waiting for the woman of their dreams to come to them.
"Ladies, the New Life Collective is here to recruit women for these men. We want women willing to take a chance on a new life. We need young women, healthy women, to help build these new families in the outer colonies. We prefer women who are skilled or professional, but anyone who meets the basic requirements is free to apply.
"So come and visit our offices. You have nothing to lose by doing so, and much to gain. Remember our name, we are the New Life Collective, or NLC for short. Please, pick up a card on your way out."
He left the stage and Sarah and her friends got up to leave. They were quiet as they filed out of the room. At the door, people wearing NLC buttons offered small cards to those passing by.
"What do you think, Sarah?" Laura asked with a laugh. "You want to go to the stars to find a man?"
"I don’t know," Sarah replied slowly. She reached out to take a card. "But I’m going to think about it."
* * * *
His hands were warm, large, his fingers strong, yet gentle as they touched her. He caressed her skin, one hand along her back, one on her face. Soft lips touched hers, a gentle kiss she could barely feel, then those lips moved down along the side of her face to her jaw, leaving ripples that lingered as he traced the path to her neck. She opened her eyes to see his face, but all she glimpsed was the image of dark hair, black against her auburn strands.
Her dream lover, come to her, his touch loving, insistent, and arousing. Everything a man should be, and never was, not in her world.
The hand on her back moved further down to cup her bottom, massaging it, pulling her closer to him. His body was solid muscle pressed against hers. The other hand dropped to her shoulder and rested there, a soft weight. Sarah moaned.
The hand on her shoulder shrank, became no larger than one of her own, and shook her gently. "Sarah, wake up. We are almost at your stop."
The last of her lover faded into empty air. Shaking her head to clear it, Sarah opened her eyes to the shabby and stained interior of the p-tran car--and Laura’s amused face. "Sorry. I must have fallen asleep."
Laura laughed. "That must have been some dream. I’ve never heard you make that noise before."
Sarah’s cheeks burned, but she was saved from answering by the announcement of her stop. Quickly she said goodnight and stepped from the car.
Falling asleep on the p-tran, and having an erotic dream to boot. Clearly it was time for her to do something else with her life! She began the short trudge down the narrow concrete walkway to her home.
The man from the broadcast had probably inspired her dream. He’d looked so…well, so healthy. It wasn’t that Earth didn’t have good-looking men, there just weren’t many who looked like he did. Healthy…and happy. Probably intelligent, the kind of man a woman could talk to. His large hands would be gentle. She saw that from the way he held the child. A man with gentle hands, just like the one in her dream.
And the baby. She figured the child to be about two months old. Adorable, sweet. She’d do almost anything to have a child like that.
Would ‘anything’ include leaving Earth?
She got home, bolted the door and wandered into the kitchen. Even though it was late, she didn’t feel sleepy. Instead of going to bed, Sarah made a hot toddy of warm milk, nutmeg, and raw alcohol. It was rare she drank anything other than wine, but now it seemed called for. She felt flustered and over-aware of her own body, still aroused from her dream.
Activating the kitchen terminal, she searched the public info channels for the New Life Collective. There were several news articles. Some included the clips of the man and baby. Sarah copied the clips to her private files before reading the articles themselves.
The NLC had been around for about two months. Its stated goal was to provide wives to the Outer Colonies, particularly the emerging frontier colonies where there were more men than women. Some of the articles were in favor of the NLC, most written by people Sarah knew to be connected either to Earth’s government or to the military arm, Earthforce.
Other articles weren’t so positive, hinting that the ‘wives for the Outer Colonies’ effort was actually a ploy of some sort, one even going so far as to suggest it was an attempt to weed out the most intelligent and ambitious women on Earth and send them elsewhere. It seemed likely that the government was behind the NLC, at least in part. Their headquarters were in an expensive part of town and broadcasts like tonight were costly. There had to be money behind the project.
Looking at the NLC literature itself, Sarah noticed some odd things about what they were looking for. They wanted young, healthy, unmarried women, capable of bearing children. That made sense. But the requirements went on to say that professional women were wanted, doctors, lawyers, and women with careers that included management and advertising. Why would a backward colony need lawyers or advertisers? Her own profession was logical. She could expect a great deal of work with so many new families.
A tremulous spark of excitement jolted her. Was she actually think
ing about doing this?
The last NLC requirement made the least sense. They didn’t want women who had close family in Earthforce or who worked directly for the government. Her job was at a government-supported hospital, but that wasn’t the same as being a government employee. And while she’d known people in Earthforce, none of them had been family, not even Karen.
How could she do this? Earth was her home. Still…. Sarah looked around her kitchen. When her parents had been alive, it’d never felt so cramped, even with all three of them there. The rest of the house seemed smaller, too.
Taking her drink, Sarah wandered into her parents’ old bedroom. It was just as it had been when they’d died a year ago, in a p-tran accident that hadn’t merited more than a two-minute mention on a public info channel. She’d taken some comfort sitting in their room during the first few months after their deaths.
No longer did she feel her parents’ presence in the old furniture and faded linens, the dusty smell of unused space. They were gone now and nothing was going to bring them back. She was alone in the house.
Alone. That’s what she’d said to Maria today, that no one should be alone. And that’s what she was, and if she stayed, she’d remain that way. There was no point in living in the past. If she wanted someone to love, she’d have to do something about it.
The wall above the bed held a collection of old photographs. One attracted Sarah’s attention. Margaret Sullivan Johnson, her great-great-many-more-greats-grandmother. During the late nineteenth century, Maggie had left Ireland for what was then San Francisco, to escape the dreariness of life in her old home, traveling across an ocean and a continent to find a husband and happiness.
The old photo showed an unsmiling woman wearing a fluffy white blouse and a flat hat perched on her long braided hair. The image was black and white, and faded with time, but Sarah had read Maggie’s diary and knew her ancestor had hair the same fiery red as her own. Even now, she saw a bit of herself in the determined face.
Maggie’s story impressed her, the resolve to better her life. "What would you do, Maggie?" she asked the photo. "Would you go to another world to find your dream?"
The com-link in the kitchen trilled and Sarah answered it.ff
"Sarah," Laura said. "I’ve been looking into the NLC thing. We have the morning off tomorrow, how would you like to go with me and check these people out in person?"
Suddenly Sarah knew exactly what Maggie would do. "What time do you want to go?"
Chapter Two
Sarah moaned. One large gentle hand moved down to cup her bottom, massaging it, pulling her closer to him. His other hand moved to the juncture of her legs.
Oh yes. She licked her lips in anticipation, and spread her legs wider to give him better access.
"Please, touch me…"
A blast of sound shattered her dream. Damn it, it was just getting good! She opened her eyes to the glare of the red flashing light above the door and for a moment couldn’t place where she was. In the eerie, red-tinged glow she read the chronograph next to the bed. Third hour, middle of the night in ship’s time.
Ship’s time? Now fully awake, Sarah’s situation came back to her. Of course, she was on the NLC ship, The Dove. It was five weeks after the meeting at Exavier Hall, three weeks since she’d said good-bye to Earth, destined for the Outer Colonies where men were eager for brides.
They had tested the alarms once when she had first come on board, but had promised they wouldn’t do so again. This must be a real ship emergency!
She swung out of the narrow bed and bumped her head on the overhead cabinet. "Damn it." That had to be the tenth time she’d done that since she boarded. It was a tiny cabin, cramped, its only luxury that she hadn’t had to share it with anyone. Well, no one had ever said her trip was going to be a pleasure cruise.
With the alarm still ringing, she pulled her old robe over her nightgown and slipped into her slippers. Grabbing her emergency medical bag, she stepped into the narrow corridor, illuminated by pulsating lights showing the way to the life-pod station. The ship’s crew had been very specific that all passengers must report to these stations as soon as they heard the alarms.
As she moved down the corridor, she said a little prayer. Oh please, please, please, don’t let them need me as a doctor before I find some coffee!
She arrived at the emergency life-pod bay to find Laura already there, along with thirty other women, the group assigned to that location. The other women milled around with anxious faces, but Sarah noted with pride that in spite of the emergency, no one was actually crying.
A crewman noticed her arrival. "Sarah Johnson?" When she nodded, he made a mark on his e-tab. "She’s the last. They’re all here."
Laura reached her first. "Sarah, do you know what’s going on?"
"Not at all. Have you asked them?" She indicated the crew.
"All they’ll say is that we need to evacuate."
"Well, I’ll try," Sarah said. "They made me a group leader, maybe I can get more information."
The crew was giving instructions on how to load into the pod as quickly as possible. Sarah touched the arm of the officer in charge. "I’m Dr. Johnson. What’s the problem?"
"We need to evacuate you." His voice was clipped and his eyes darted around, arousing Sarah’s suspicions. He didn’t sound like he was telling the truth.
"Why? Is the ship in danger?"
"Yes, yes, great danger," he said, gaze everywhere but on her face. "There’s another ship that has threatened to fire on us. We need to get you to safety and we only have a few minutes."
Finally he looked into her eyes and she at last sensed honesty in him. "You’ll be all right. The pod will be picked up later, when it’s safe."
Behind her, the crew herded the other women into the narrow hatch of the life-pod. Sarah turned just in time to see Laura pushed inside by a large and determined crew member. He turned and reached for her and Sarah decided not to fight any longer. It wouldn’t do to be thrown into the pod.
She avoided the man’s grasp and slipped though the hatch on her own. Laura waved her to the empty seat next to her and Sarah buckled in. Once the door screwed shut, the noise of the alarms from The Dove was cut off. The only sound was the quiet, urgent talk of the women trapped within. Sarah heard the clank of the pod's release, and it moved beneath her, drifting slowly away from the ship.
Laura’s eyes were worried. "Did you find out anything?"
"Not much," Sarah admitted. "He said another ship threatened them, but I didn’t believe him."
"Why not?"
"Just a feeling." She thought about it. "The crew was more worried about getting us off the ship than in saving their own skins. Seems unlikely they’d be that way."
"Aren’t you frightened?" Her voice shook.
Sarah almost smiled. "Not really. The one thing he told me that seemed true was that we would be all right. I don’t think he lied about that." She glanced about the smooth curved walls and noted the lack of a window or view-screen. They wouldn’t be able to ‘see’ where they were going. She also noted that no crew members from The Dove were in the pod. Interesting. They really hadn’t been trying to save themselves.
If only she'd had time to get dressed before leaving the ship. Her nightgown and robe were hardly appropriate attire for a life-pod. Her pink fuzzy slippers had seen far better days and she suddenly wished she'd thought to replace them before leaving Earth.
Laura chattered on nervously. "I wish we had a view-screen or window or something. I’d like to know what’s going on. I’d even settle for what time it is. How long have we been in here?"
Sarah frowned. She’d left her chrono in the cabin, but…. She pulled her emergency kit from its storage under the seat. Inside were labeled hypos, a couple of stat-readers for measuring body temperature, respiration, and blood pressure, a wound sealer, and even an old-fashioned suturing kit. The usual equipment a doctor might need. She also carried a small set of birthing tools, although she cou
ld count on one hand the number of times those had been needed. So few people had babies anymore.
Reaching into a side pocket, she found her spare chrono and wrapped it around her wrist, happy she’d thought to set it to ship’s time earlier. It was twenty minutes since she’d awakened and it had taken about five to load the pod. They’d been drifting about fifteen minutes.
Laura looked over at the kit. "Well, I’m glad at least one of us was thinking like a medic this morning." She raised one eyebrow. "I don’t suppose you have some cards in there. We could play a game of four-hand."
In spite of the situation, Sarah had to grin. "Now I know you’re bored, to volunteer for a trouncing." She shook her head sadly. "No, sorry. I’ll have to slip a deck in for real emergencies."
The rest of the women were settling down, some dozing off. Sarah watched Laura yawn. "Go ahead and sleep," she said. "I’ll keep watch and wake you if something happens."
Time passed slowly and Sarah had to fight nodding off as well. She came instantly alert when she felt the pod move, as if a giant hand had grabbed it. The 'hand' pulled slowly, moving the pod until it jerked to a stop. Sounds like clamps being fixed to the doorway were heard, and finally the pod was still. The door unscrewed and a slim man wearing dark brown pants and a light blue shirt stuck his head through the opening. As he placed a hand inside the pod, she noticed a small armband around his wrist.
He was no one she’d remembered from The Dove. They must be on another ship.
He looked at the disheveled anxious faces and smiled, a bright welcoming smile. "Welcome. Is everyone all right?"
Frightened, the women looked at each other. As group leader, Sarah took charge. "Yes, so far, I guess we are. And you would be?"
The man grinned at her. "I’m Symon. Our ship collected your pod and several others. Why don’t you come with me and we’ll see if we can make you more comfortable."
It was the best offer they’d had that morning. Quickly, they unbuckled themselves and grabbed whatever they’d brought with them. As Sarah left the pod, she passed other men dressed like Symon, in loose fitting brown or blue pants and open-necked shirts. Each shirt was a color out of the rainbow, not a black or brown one to be seen. And everyone looked friendly, a smile on every face. People from Earth didn’t smile this much and it made Sarah wonder what was going on.
Promises to Keep Page 2