by Joe Vasicek
The room quickly filled with people, no doubt most of them relatives of the family renting the apartment unit. Several of them were older, with wrinkled skin and gray hair. Two younger women both carried babies, one of them breastfeeding through an open blouse. About a half dozen small children wandered in, all of them wearing mismatched clothing that didn’t seem to fit right.
“Welcome to our home!” said the black-haired girl, giving Jeremiah an unexpected hug. “My name is Mariya, and this is Opa Jirgis and Oma Salome.”
She motioned to a balding man with a salt and pepper beard, and his elderly wife, who wore a floor-length dress with a black-and-white scarf over her head. They smiled and nodded in an exaggerated manner, but it was clear that neither of them spoke Gaian.
Jeremiah bowed and turned back to Mariya. “Are you all from Delta Oriana?”
“Oh yes,” she said, nodding vigorously. “We emigrated a couple years ago, before the famine got especially bad. Thankfully, the family’s all here now.”
“How many of you are there?”
“Well, let’s see,” she said, screwing her eyes up in thought. “Opa, Oma, my five aunts and their husbands, and all their kids—about twenty five. Not counting the grandsons who’ve already left for the stars, of course.”
“Of course.”
“I’m an only daughter—I had two older brothers, but they left on the Medea almost as soon as we moved here. My father’s name is Jakob—he works in the dockyard, which is why he isn’t here right now. He’s the one who convinced us all to move.”
“Is there enough room for you all?” Jeremiah asked.
Mariya laughed. “It can be a tight squeeze, but we’ve been able to get along all right. Can I get you something to drink? Some tea, perhaps?”
Before he could object, one of the women hobbled over with a tray and two cups of tea. Noemi smiled and thanked her as she took one, and the woman pinched her good-naturedly on the cheek. Jeremiah took the other—it smelled delicious.
“Come,” said Mariya, touching him on the arm, “let me show you the room.”
As they followed her down the narrow hallway, Noemi slipped her hand into his own and squeezed. He stiffened a little and didn’t squeeze back. I’m making the right choice, he told himself. This is all for her.
The bedroom was small, even compared to the cabin of the Ariadne. It had probably served as a closet at one point; the ceiling was sloped, so that except for the space next to the door, he had to stoop. It looked tidy enough, though, with a homemade quilt folded on top of the bedspread. Noemi took to the place at once, testing out the bed as she chatted with Mariya.
I’ve never seen her so happy, Jeremiah thought to himself. A lump rose in his throat. It’s perfect.
“The room is private, of course,” said Mariya, her words nearly passing over him. “Aunt Marta does most of the cooking—but don’t worry, that’s included in the rent.”
“Can I pay for the next four months up front?”
Mariya gave him a funny look. “I suppose. Why would you want to do that, though?”
“The apartment’s not for me,” he said softly. “It’s for her.”
For a long, awkward moment, Mariya stared at him. She glanced down at Noemi, then looked back up, a frown creasing her girlish face.
“But I thought you said you both were married.”
Jeremiah shifted nervously on his feet. “We are, sort of. It’s—well, the thing is, my ship isn’t large enough for the both of us, and I need a place for her to stay while I’m gone. I’ll be back every few months, of course,” he added quickly.
“You mean you’re leaving her?”
He swallowed. It’s for the best, Samson’s words echoed in his mind. Just think of it as something you have to do—for her.
“Yes.”
Noemi looked back and forth between the two of them as if to ask what was the matter. Her face slowly fell as she realized neither of them were smiling anymore.
“Does she know?”
Jeremiah blushed. “Well, ah—I don’t think so. Could you tell her for me?”
Mariya sighed and turned to explain things for her. As she spoke, Noemi’s eyes widened in horror. She looked up at Jeremiah with an expression that stabbed him in the heart.
“I’m not leaving her permanently,” he said quickly. “I just don’t see how—”
Noemi began talking rapidly, cutting him off. Mariya nodded and turned back to him.
“She wants to know if she did something wrong.”
“Not at all.”
“She says it’s not so bad,” said Mariya. “She’s used to living in tight spaces, and if her cooking isn’t good enough, she can—”
“No, no no,” said Jeremiah, waving his hand. “Can’t you see? It’s for her own good—she’ll be happier here, and I’ll still be able to take care of her. Can you tell her that for me?” Please, help her to understand.
Mariya shook her head, but she turned to Noemi and translated. As she did, Noemi’s face turned pale, and her eyes welled up with tears. A look of painful indecision crossed her face, making a lump rise in Jeremiah’s throat. She said only a few words, her voice soft and distant. Her eyes never left him as she spoke.
“She asks if you still need her,” Mariya translated.
Jeremiah bit his lip and struggled to choke down his rising emotions. “This isn’t about me—I only want to do what’s best for her.”
“But how will she be better off if you leave her?”
“She’ll be with her people,” he said softly. “She’ll have stability and security. Besides, I’ll be back from time to time. I’m not abandoning her.”
“But if the two of you are married, it—it just isn’t right for you to leave. Not to her, anyway.”
Jeremiah sighed. “Please, just tell her.”
As Mariya translated, strength returned to Noemi’s face, and she shook her head vigorously as she gave her answer.
“She says she wants to stay with you,” said Mariya.
“I stay,” said Noemi.
Jeremiah’s heart leaped in his chest, but he took in a sharp breath and raised both hands in the air. “Why?”
Noemi’s answer came almost immediately. “Because she belongs to you, and you to her, and that is the way it should be,” Mariya translated. “Even among her own people, she would be alone without you.”
Jeremiah didn’t know what to say to that. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but Noemi stepped up close and put her hand on his chest. When he looked into her eyes, he remembered their last voyage together, and how it felt to have someone to hold in the dark and lonely depths of space. She slipped her arms around him, and his resistance melted, like an icy comet melting to pieces as it grazed the fiery surface of a star. Before he knew it, he was holding her, lips locked tightly in a kiss that said so much more than mere words.
It’s her choice as much as mine, he thought to himself. If this is what she wants, who am I to refuse her?
After a long while, Noemi let go of him and stood by his side. With his arm around her waist, he turned to Mariya.
“I’m afraid there’s been a change of plans,” he told her. “I’ll pay for a month’s rent, since I have to refit my ship, but we’ll probably only stay for a couple of weeks.”
Mariya smiled. “Of course, of course. Here, let me get you your keys.”
Jeremiah followed her out of the private bedroom with legs so weak he felt as if he were floating. Noemi looked up at him as if to confirm that he wasn’t going to leave her, and he held her a little tighter. For a moment, he wondered what Samson would say, and then realized it didn’t matter.
“I stay,” Noemi whispered.
“Yes,” said Jeremiah. “You stay.”
Chapter 7
“So you decided to take her with you?”
“That’s right.”
Samson sighed and shook his head. “I suppose it’s your decision. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
&n
bsp; Jeremiah leaned forward on the smooth marble bar top and stared into his drink. Almost a week had passed since they’d had drinks at the café; he’d put off meeting again until just before Samson was to leave. A steady electronic beat played softly overhead, while the sweet smell of hookah smoke and alcohol mingled together much like the burly starfarers and scantily clad station women. He wondered what Noemi would think of this place if she were here.
“And what if I want to settle down with her?” he asked.
“If that’s what you want, then go for it. But answer me this: is Alpha Oriana really the kind of place where you want to settle down?”
Jeremiah thought about it for a moment. He had to admit, other than the Deltan community, there wasn’t any compelling reason to choose this system over any other. But wasn’t that reason enough? If Noemi wanted to stay here, then perhaps this was the place.
“I haven’t decided yet,” he said truthfully. “Noemi seems happy enough here. Why shouldn’t this be the place where we settle down?”
“You haven’t been watching the news, have you?”
Jeremiah frowned. “What do you mean?”
Samson leaned forward and looked him in the eye. “I heard some rumors,” he said, his expression suddenly serious. “The Imperial force stationed here isn’t going to leave anytime soon. There’s been talk that the Gaian Empire is looking to colonize this system, and that’s bad news for all us outworlders.”
“Bad news? Come on, what’s the worst they can do?”
“Let’s just say that the Imperials want things to be a little more … settled. Once this place becomes part of the Empire, the Coreward trading companies will move in and take away all of our business—and that’s the least of it. Before you know, you won’t be able to do anything without getting a permit or paying a fee. Rates will go up, and you’ll be forced to sell your ship just to get by.”
Jeremiah’s eyes widened, and his stomach fell. “You really think so?”
“I know so,” said Samson. “That’s exactly what’s happened to every other system they’ve colonized. Trust me, my friend: this is no place to settle down.”
They sat together in a short, pensive silence. Jeremiah opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it at the last second.
“We’re free men,” Samson elaborated, gesturing expansively with his hands. “We come and go as we please, and our boundaries are as limitless as the stars. A man can’t be free under the rule of other men—or women, for that matter.”
“The Ariadne’s almost completely refitted,” said Jeremiah, shifting nervously. “Once it’s finished, we’ll take off—probably in two or three days.”
“That’s good. I’d hate to see you get stuck here.”
“Until next time, then,” said Jeremiah, rising from his barstool.
Samson stood up and gave him a warm, brotherly embrace. “Until next time, friend. May the hidden stars of Earth continually align in your favor.”
“And yours as well.”
“Oh, and Jeremiah? Best of luck with your lady friend.”
From the way Samson winked as they parted ways, it seemed like his way of saying congratulations.
* * * * *
Jeremiah’s muscles unwound as he stepped through the airlock into the familiar cabin of the Ariadne. After living on the station with the Deltans for a week, it felt surprisingly good to be back in his own ship. The white paneled walls and smooth metal floor shone from the good hard scrubbing he’d given them, while the food synthesizer looked almost new. He turned to Noemi and took her hand, leading her inside.
“Look,” he said, pointing to the wall where the fold-out cot had been. “More space, eh?”
She frowned and looked up, giving him a puzzled look. The dream monitor was still overhead, but there didn’t seem to be any place to sit or lie down and use it.
“I thought we’d have more room if we went with chairs,” he said, pulling out two fold-out seats from the side walls facing each other. “See? Room for you and me both, with some space in the middle for a table.”
Noemi felt the false leather cushions and pulled out the footrest, nodding in approval.
“And for sleeping,” Jeremiah continued, “we have this.” He folded the chairs back into the side walls and pulled out a light blue hammock from an overhead compartment, stringing it across the open space. It was at least twice as wide as the cot had been, with plenty of room for them both.
The expression on Noemi’s face made him smile. “Here—want to try it out?” He stretched out across the soft felt surface and motioned for her to sit down next to him. As soon as her feet were off the floor, he grabbed her by the waist and playfully pulled her over. She shrieked and grabbed his shirt, laughing as the hammock swayed back and forth.
“There—isn’t that better?” She clung tightly to him as if afraid to let go, but he ran his fingers gently through her hair until she relaxed. His hand gravitated to her slender waist, and she rested her head against his chest.
As she settled down next to him, his mind began to drift off the way it had in the most intimate moments they’d shared together. He held her close and let the thoughts and memories wander freely, occasionally taking one up to examine it. All of them came down to the same thing: how remarkably things had changed since she’d come into his life, warming the dark, icy loneliness like a life-giving sun.
“Why did you settle down at Edenia instead of somewhere else?” he remembered asking his father only a year before leaving to seek his fortune among the stars.
“There were many reasons,” his father had answered, “but the biggest one was your mother.”
“How did you meet each other?”
His father had smiled, his eyes glossing over with the memory. “I came to Edenia II on a trade run from Tajjur, and the station master asked if I’d ever seen the gardens on the surface. I told him no, so he arranged for me to go down on the next supply shuttle. While wandering under the forest dome, I ran into your mother along the trail. The gardens were beautiful, certainly—but she was the one who captivated me.”
“Was she the first girl you’d met?”
“Far from it—I was actually planning to return to Tajjur with my wealth and marry a girl out there—but with your mother, it just felt right.”
“Felt right? How?”
“You’ll know, Jeremiah. When the time has come and you’ve found the right girl, you’ll know.”
Jeremiah smiled at Noemi as she lay curled up next to him in the gently swinging hammock. He wondered what his father would think to see him now.
“Here,” he said, standing up. “I’ve got something else to show you.”
He helped Noemi to her feet and dismantled the hammock, setting it aside in the corner. He then unfolded the two chairs again, angling the backs and footrests so that they reclined slightly. Noemi cocked her head and gave him a curious look until he opened the overhead compartment, showing her the second dream monitor.
“We?” she asked, pointing to the twin devices.
“Yes,” said Jeremiah. “Now we can share the same dream simulations.”
“Share,” she said, smiling at him.
She looked so happy, Jeremiah couldn’t help but put his arm around her. As he did so, however, her face paled, and she turned suddenly away.
“What is it?” he asked, frowning. “Are you all right?”
She moaned and staggered toward the bathroom, clutching at her stomach. He tried to help her, but she pushed him away and left him at the door.
“Noemi?” he asked, his heart racing. “Are you all right?”
The sound of muffled retching came through, followed by another sickly moan.
I’ve got to get her to a doctor, he thought to himself. Even if it meant postponing their departure, they weren’t going anywhere until he knew she was all right.
* * * * *
The foyer of the clinic was wide and empty, with clean white floor tiles and red-cushioned
folding chairs that looked slightly out of place. A computer terminal and tablet kiosk sat in the corner, but Jeremiah was already busy watching the holoscreen embedded in the opposite wall. A newscast was playing, the volume turned so low he could barely hear it. Fortunately, the news ticker at the bottom was clearly visible.
STATION MASTER CEDES CONTROL TO NEW IMPERIAL VICEROY, it read. LOCAL ASSEMBLIES TO DISBAND PENDING FORMATION OF TRANSITIONAL COUNCIL.
“You’re worried about her, aren’t you?” Mariya asked from the seat next to him.
Jeremiah nodded.
“Do you mind if I ask how you met each other?”
He paused. “It was a bit of surprise for both of us,” he began, choosing his words carefully. “Three months ago, I arrived at Megiddo Station to make some trades. It was a little off my usual route, but I figured it might be good to make a run to Delta Oriana, seeing how few starfarers were going there.”
“You’re a trader, then?”
“Of a sort. I left my birth world a couple standard years ago, and that seems like the best way for a star wanderer like me to make a living.”
“So how did you two meet each other?”
“Her father was the Station Master,” he said, remembering the events of that day with some wistfulness. “He called me into his office to conduct negotiations, but really, he wanted me to take one of his daughters to wife in order to rescue her from the famine.”
Mariya nodded, staring at him in rapt fascination. “What made you agree to it?”
Jeremiah took a deep breath and shifted under her gaze. “To be honest, I didn’t even know for certain that we were married. I just thought I should take Noemi to the nearest major settlement and let her off. But then, well … things changed.”
“How?”
“I don’t know, exactly. We just made this connection, and I guess it felt right somehow.”
“Well of course it felt right,” she said, giggling. “You’re a man, after all, and men only want one thing.”