by Rinelle Grey
He gave her what he hoped was an engaging smile. “Can I have some more?”
She smiled in return, and he was startled again at the way it transformed her face. She refilled his bowl, and this time he ate more slowly, savouring the rich blend, watching her out of the corner of his eye as she sat on the side of the bed. When he had finished the last mouthful and Marlee had taken the plate, he settled back on the pillows, head sinking into the softness, feeling something approaching contentment.
Until thoughts of the Hylista intruded. General Kendal would kill him if it was badly damaged. Worry pushed out contentment, and when Marlee returned, he asked, “How soon can I get to the Hylista to take a look?”
Her nose wrinkled. “It took a couple of hours for me to reach it last time. I don’t think you’re up to it yet.”
He wanted to object, but though the throbbing in his head had eased, he knew she was probably right. In a few days then. He could wait that long.
For a moment, he mourned the lack of a television or computer to pass the time. His eyes watched Marlee as she fussed with the blanket, smoothing it carefully. On his previous stays in hospital, flirting with the nurses had taken his mind off being bedridden.
Flirting with Marlee would definitely be fun. But he didn’t want to cause trouble. She could be married for all he knew. He paused. He was married.
Milandra had no problems with his flirting, both of them had agreed that being married didn’t mean they were blind, and Milandra was just as fond of an amusing flirtation as he was. But an understanding with his wife in the culture on Urslat was a far cry from here. He didn’t want to give Marlee or those around her the wrong idea of his intentions, especially not if he was in her house and in her bed.
It was all too much to take in. Exhaustion hit him, and he lay back on the pillows, staring at the ceiling.
Marlee’s soft footsteps moved across the room. Minutes later the almost familiar clack-clack noise resumed. His eyes were drawn to her, where she sat behind the wheel again, her hand setting it spinning. He could see now, almost hidden underneath her long, heavy skirt, that she controlled the wheel with her feet on a low pedal as she fed something fluffy into it.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Spinning.” She raised an eyebrow. “You haven’t seen it before?”
He shook his head. “What’s it for?”
She laughed at his comment. A soft, gentle sound that dragged an answering smile out of him. “It’s how you make yarn.” The bemused expression on his face must have displayed his confusion, so she clarified. “To knit. You know, into warm clothes?”
A vague memory of his grandmother knitting a jacket for his cousin’s baby surfaced. “Oh,” he managed. “I think my grandmother used to knit,” he offered lamely.
She nodded. “Probably mine did too. I never met her, so I don’t know.”
Before he could ask anything further, there was a quiet knock at the door. Marlee placed her hand on the wheel to slow its spin then rose to answer it. The front door wasn’t visible from the bed, but he heard a voice ask, “How is he doing, Marlee? Karla said he was awake.”
“Yes, he’s awake, though it will take him a while to regain his strength.”
“Is he up for visitors?”
“I’m sure he’d love to see you, Nerris.”
Tyris’s ears pricked up. So this was the man who had seen the Hylista. The thought of speaking to him helped to push him into a sitting position despite the pain in his head.
Moments later, a man’s broad shoulders filled the doorway. He ducked his head, just narrowly avoiding hitting the beam at the top. “How are you feeling, son?”
Tyris nodded. “As well as can be expected, I guess. I hear you checked out my ship?”
Marlee went into the other room, bending over the pot on the fire. She remained out of the way, giving them a semblance of privacy, but Tyris had no doubt she could hear every word they said. The thought was surprisingly comforting.
“I did.” The man nodded.
Tyris’s hands gripped the blanket, twisting it unconsciously. “What’s the damage?”
Nerris rubbed his beard. “Hard to say for sure. The hull seems to be intact, but there is some significant damage to one of the rear boosters. I couldn’t restore power to the consoles to check the stats or run a diagnostic.”
He sounded like he knew what he was talking about. Perhaps he had been the one to fly the ship that lay in the field beyond the village. But from the little Marlee had told him, the two ships sounded very different. And the information didn’t tell him much either way. Tyris sighed heavily, cursing his injury. “If I could go there myself, I’m sure I could fix the power.” He drummed his fingers on the blanket.
“I’m afraid it’s not going to be that easy, son,” Nerris said gently.
“What? Why not?”
“We’re expecting snow any day now. It’s too dangerous to go far from the village until spring comes. I was caught in a nasty storm on my way back this time. We can’t risk it again.”
Uneasiness gripped him. “How long will that be?”
“About six months,” Nerris said.
The words echoed in Tyris’s head. Six months! A throbbing started in the back of his skull. “You’re kidding, right?” He looked up to see Marlee standing in the doorway. She clutched her hands together and her shoulders slumped. Her dark, sad eyes told him all he needed to know.
Nerris shook his head definitively.
Tyris’s mouth felt dry. “Then I have to go now, before the snow comes.” He threw back the covers. “The Hylista could sustain further damage if there is a hull breach or a fuel leak. If snow falls while I’m out there, I’ll be safe enough inside.”
Nerris held up a work-worn hand. “The weather is too unpredictable here in winter. This morning was a good example. The sky was clear when we reached your ship, but we only just made it back to the village before we were pelted with frozen rain. A snowstorm can last weeks, and the next one can occur before the snow has even melted. You could be stuck out there, and I doubt you have enough food to last you six months. I’m afraid your ship is going to have to take its chances until spring.”
“But if I can repair it I don’t need to walk back, I can fly it back here!”
“And if you can’t repair it? If you’re trapped hours from the village in a heavy snowfall? You’ll be dead long before spring arrives.” His voice was flat.
Was he exaggerating the danger? Tyris had seen snow often enough, but nothing like Nerris described. Nothing that would impede him making it to the Hylista and back with ease. Snow on Urslat rarely stopped normal activities for more than a day. But what possible reason would the man have for exaggerating? Didn’t he want to leave the planet?
He changed his tactic. “Marlee said you escaped from Semala before the meteor hit?”
The man’s face closed up. He jerked his head in a nod. “We did.”
His actions only confirmed Tyris’s suspicions. There was something he was missing. “Then surely you want to get off this rock as much as I do.”
“Of course we do. But that doesn’t change the facts. I won’t risk lives by allowing anyone to leave the village this close to snowfall.” Nerris’s words were final.
Tyris didn’t plan to still be here by the time the first snowfall hit. But now was probably not the time to mention that. He didn’t know what was going on, but he couldn’t risk anyone stopping him from getting to the Hylista.
He slumped back on the pillows, managing to school his face into a scowl. It wasn’t hard. “So what, I’m just supposed to give up until next spring?” he asked with a bitterness only half feigned.
The man shrugged. “Unless someone on your home planet is going to miss you, and maybe send another ship?” His voice sounded casual, but he watched Tyris closely.
Tyris bit his lip. He regretted bitterly not recording a flight path now. He’d been so worried someone would beat him to the possible gold mine. “No, no on
e’s coming after me.”
Nerris stared at him for a long moment, and Tyris wondered if he was going to challenge his assertion. But he just nodded as he rose. “I’m sorry, son. Once the snows are gone, we’ll do what we can to help you. For now, you’re welcome to stay here. We’ve got enough put away to see us through the winter.” He didn’t wait for a reply, just walked out, patting Marlee on the shoulder as he passed.
Tyris ignored them, staring at the wall. What if the Hylista really was unrepairable? What if he was stuck here—forever?
Marlee walked into the room, and Tyris closed his eyes, slumping back on the pillows, not caring if she thought him rude.
“Tyris?” she asked softly.
He didn’t reply.
The bed sunk under her weight. “Are you okay?” She reached out and put a hand on his arm, soft and gentle.
He opened his eyes and scowled. “I will fix the Hylista, and I will get off this planet.”
Her brow creased. “Nerris is a good engineer. He was head of the first anysogen engine project on Semala. If he says your ship can’t be fixed…” She looked at him hopefully, almost like she was waiting for him to correct her.
“He was head of the anysogen engine project?” Tyris’s voice rose a pitch, and his stomach dropped. So the man did have qualifications to assess the damage. Still. He drew in a breath. “The first engine was an amazing feat of engineering—twenty years ago. Do you have any idea how many advances we’ve made in technology in that time?”
“No,” she heaved a sigh. “I don’t know anything about technology. But I’ve heard that they have machines that will spin yarn and ones that will grind wheat to make flour.” She sighed again. “It sounds wonderful.”
Tyris stared at her, trying to comprehend the thought that her idea of ‘technology’ was simple machines that had been around for centuries. The thought was staggering. For a second he stepped outside of his own self-pity and thought how much harder it must be for her.
“Were you born here?” he asked quietly.
She shook her head, and her hair fell across her face, hiding it partially from him. “No, I was born on the Tenacity, on the trip here.”
What a miserable life she must have lead, stuck here on this doomed planet, with no knowledge of anything outside this world. All the things he took for granted: running water, a store on every corner, cars, air conditioning, planes, movies, and music; all those meant nothing to her. She probably didn’t even know they existed.
Pity overwhelmed him. He was surprised to feel a surge of protectiveness towards her. He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear, and she looked up, eyes wide.
“Do you want to escape from this planet, Marlee?” he asked softly.
Her eyes lit up. “Oh yes,” she breathed.
He hadn’t expected it to be quite so easy, her eagerness so complete. He hesitated, but she seemed genuine. He couldn’t leave them all here anyway. He would need to take someone back to Urslat with him, to tell the villagers’ story, before a larger ship would be sent for the rest. The anysogen couldn’t be mined if the planet was occupied.
“You can come with me,” he promised. “But I have to get to the Hylista before it snows. I need your help.” He deliberately didn’t think about spending weeks in the cramped quarters of the Hylista with her. He had to focus on getting home. To Milandra.
She paused, biting her lip. Tyris held his breath. Would she agree?
She was quiet so long he began to panic. She wasn’t going to help him. And he had no idea where his ship was, much less the ability to make it there on his own.
But then she looked up, swallowed, and asked, “Can… can Nelor come too?” The words came out in a rush.
Tyris’s forehead wrinkled. “Who’s Nelor?”
She looked down, playing with the corner of her apron. “My partner. Or he was…” she trailed off, sadness clouding her eyes.
So she was alone. But she obviously still felt something for this Nelor. Tyris touched her chin, tilting her face up to him. “What happened?” he asked softly.
“The council separated us,” she said, her words were a mixture of resignation and bitterness. “They want me to find someone else…”
“The council? They broke you up? Why? Why would they do something like that?”
She spoke so quietly he strained forwards to hear her. “We couldn’t have a baby.”
Her words stirred up memories he didn’t want to think about. “I’m sorry, Marlee.” He reached out to put a hand on her arm gently.
At his touch, her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t care if we can’t have a baby.” Once the words started, they spilled out, tumbling over each other. “I’m just so tired of having my life ripped away every time I start to settle into it. Nothing lasts here. Everything that’s special is ruined. I just want to stay with Nelor. We were happy together. Why did they have to spoil it?”
Tyris shook his head. “I don’t know. But you don’t need to have a baby if you come back to Urslat with me. In fact, the government would rather people didn’t have more children.”
“And I can be with Nelor, right?” She lifted her face to his, her cheeks tearstained.
He hesitated, staring into her eyes. He had no idea who this Nelor was, but for some reason, he already disliked him. He took his hand off her arm. “Sure. He can come with us. You can be with whoever you want.” It would be a squeeze to fit three on the ship, but if they’d help him get off this damn planet…
She nodded firmly. “Then I’ll help you.” She gave him a brilliant smile through her tears, and threw her arms around his neck.
His conscience twinged as his arms went around her instinctively. It wasn’t as if he was just using her to escape, he argued with himself. She’d gain something from the arrangement too. He’d be doing her a favour. All she needed to do would be to take him to the Hylista, and he’d rescue her from this miserable life. She’d be much happier on Urslat.
Another knock at the door made her jump back as if stung. Without saying a word, she rose and went into the other room.
“WELL, MARLEE, I HEAR YOUR boy’s up and around,” a voice boomed. Tyris couldn’t see the man, but there was something off about the joviality.
“Yes, Father. He woke a few hours ago.” Marlee’s low voice lacked any of the liveliness it had shown since he woke.
The man strode into the room. His rough and weathered face did not school well into the cheerful expression it wore. “So, you’re alive after all? A few of us didn’t think you’d make it.” His gaze ran up and down Tyris, leaving him with the uncomfortable feeling he was being judged.
He nodded cautiously. “I seem to have survived, yes.” He wasn’t quite sure how to take this man. Would he try to convince him not to leave as the others had? Not knowing anyone or having any context for their comments was fast becoming frustrating.
Behind him, an older woman with blonde hair pulled severely back from her face had her arm around Marlee’s shoulders. Tyris guessed it was her mother. Marlee’s strained eyes stared at the floor.
Her withdrawal only served to increase his discomfort with the visitors.
“Itching to get back home already, I guess?” the man said.
Tyris nodded politely. “Of course, Sir. Not that I’m not grateful for the hospitality.”
“I’m Weiss.” He held out his hand.
“Tyris Bekkert.” Tyris took the offered hand. The man wanted something... if he could just figure out what it was.
“So, what were you doing out here in this corner of space?” Weiss asked. He took a seat in the chair Marlee brought, not even glancing at her.
“Would you like some tea, Father?” Marlee hovered behind him, wringing her hands on the corner of her apron.
Tyris was glad she’d interrupted. It gave him longer to figure out how to answer the man’s question. He wasn’t ready to give away his goal yet. Not until he knew what was going on.
Weiss nodded, not bothering
to turn around.
“That would be wonderful, darling.” The woman, Tyris was fast becoming sure it was her mother, reached out a hand, her eyes meeting Marlee’s for just a moment. Marlee’s back straightened.
She escaped from the room, and Tyris wished he could join her. Hopefully she would bring some tea for him too. The pumpkin soup hadn’t made much of a dent in his hunger.
“I suppose you’re here because of the anysogen?” Weiss’s question dragged him back to the conversation.
So much for keeping his goal close to his chest.
The woman frowned. “Weiss, now is not the time….”
“And when is there going to be a better time, Yasmyn? Best lay all the cards out on the table now, so everyone knows where they stand.”
“What if I am here for the anysogen?” Tyris asked cautiously. He may not like him, but at least this man talked about the real issue, rather than making one up.
“Well, we’re not going to just give it away,” the man said flatly. “We’re not stupid, we know what it’s worth. After twenty years here, we can claim squatter’s rights and control of the planet.”
Tyris leaned back against the pillows, trying to hide the fact that his heart thumped like a jackhammer. Everything came down to how he handled this conversation. “It’s useless to you if you can’t get off the planet.”
The man nodded. “Seems you’ve summed up the situation quickly. I’m sure we can come to some sort of deal.”
Luckily, it wasn’t the money Tyris wanted. He wouldn’t have seen any of it anyway. The Colonies claimed anything found on an uninhabited planet. He just needed credit for finding it. Rescuing the stranded settlers would be a bonus star on his resume. The public would love him.
“What sort of deal?” Tyris asked.
A slow smile spread across Weiss’s face. He opened his mouth to speak when Yasmyn interrupted. “You can’t make any deals without the council’s agreement, Weiss.” She scowled at him.
“The council isn’t going to make a deal. We both know that,” Weiss said roughly. “Someone has to do something, or we’ll be stuck on this planet forever.”