Probably.
“Yes.”
“She’s on your ship?” She sounded surprised.
“At the moment, yes.”
Erin nodded and turned around to face him again.
“Lucky woman. Could I go?”
Peter crossed his arms over his chest.
“Help me with this and I’ll take you myself.”
A smile brightened her face.
“Alright Commander, you have a deal. Give me a few minutes to make a list. Your men will have to find them and help us spread the word.”
*****
Peter’s room was small, but bigger than Rachael expected on a spaceship.
Maybe it had something to do with rank. As many aliens as there appeared to be, she couldn’t imagine everyone having a proper room of their own. Her inner eye painted out barracks with bunk beds that folded around the person sleeping, connecting them to the ship like the pilots.
The air wasn’t chilly, but she shuddered anyway.
She got to her feet and walked around the bed, scrutinizing it from all angles. It looked like a harmless piece of furniture and it hadn’t eaten her while she sat on it, but one could never be too sure.
She poked it, and it still didn’t move.
I am so brave, poking the bed... He wouldn’t have put me down on it if he thought it would swallow me whole.
She touched it with the entire hand instead of just a finger. It was still alien, the mattress was still hard and the sheet papery, but it still didn’t seem alive.
“Okay, I guess you’re safe.”
She half expected it to answer.
Continuing the exploration, she roamed over toward the nearest wall and ran her fingers over a metal desk cluttered with electronics. Her laptop stood to the side, but besides that, she didn’t recognize one single thing. Maybe he’d been repairing or building something. Was her computer getting alien insides? Something half organic that might or might not stay inside the plastic casing?
The room also held a hard metal chair and a few shelves with mysterious objects. It all seemed utterly practical, without room for fun, color, or pleasure.
No wonder he’s so fascinated with my house. We’re truly worlds apart.
Thinking of him living here, spending years or maybe a lifetime in the stark environment brought a lump to her throat.
She headed back to the bed and saw one of the walls from a new angle. There was a shelf there, hanging all alone by the door. The snow globe she gave him stood on display, next to a book. She had given him From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne, thinking he might be amused by the 19th Century narrative. Surely, the idea of traveling into space in a cannon ball would seem both comical, backward, and brave to someone used to this outstanding level of technology?
Her things looked misplaced in the alien setting, but were clearly highly valued.
Chapter Fourteen
The eventful day took its toll as soon as Rachael relaxed, and she was soon lulled to sleep by the large ship’s soft humming.
I think I’m married. To an alien. Didn’t see that coming when I woke up this morning.
The thought blended with her dreams.
She opened her eyes again when she heard the door open. It was Peter and not some scary stranger, so it seemed okay to close them again.
The bed was too hard to even shift when he sat down next to her, and she smiled when she felt his hand on her arm.
“I’m sorry it took so long. Your cat and your house are both fine.”
He paused, and she watched him through her lashes.
“I brought some of your things, just for tonight. The surface is a mess right now, but your neighborhood is pretty much untouched.”
Strange how the thought of spending the night on a spaceship doesn’t freak me out. Maybe I’m getting numb. Maybe I’ve been around so much weird stuff my threshold for nuttiness has increased.
Something made a soft whirring noise, and she moved her head just enough to see a small robot roll closer. It was cute; a square little thing pulling a cart filled with pillows, a quilt, clothes, and toiletries.
How did he bring so much stuff on the motorbike thing? It was impossibly tiny for something able to fly into space.
She struggled to sit up and pulled a hand through her hair.
“How bad is it?”
Peter gave a shrug and piled his weapons up on the desk.
“It’s bad, but not as bad as it could have been. It will take some time.”
Cities and buildings could be rebuilt. With their fascination for culture, they probably avoided destroying anything unless absolutely necessary. The wounds in people would be harder to heal. Eventually, most everyone would get used to the new order, but peaceful coexistence could be generations away.
A wonderful smell wafted over to her, making her stomach grumble. Their morning meal must have been in another lifetime.
“What is that?”
“That, My Sweet, is a surprise. We generally eat recycled food here. It’s not as bad as it sounds, but I don’t think you’d like it.”
“Recycled...?” The word sank into her mind. “Eeewwwww!”
He chuckled. “It’s not that bad, but definitely not good. I went to the restaurant on the corner you always talk about. I didn’t expect it to be open, but the lady claimed that if it is the end of the world, people deserve to die with full stomachs.”
Rachael smiled. Mrs. Zhang would say something like that, for sure.
She got off the bed, somewhat reluctantly, and spread out the pillows and quilt. He must have put in a lot of effort to bring her these things, and she could at least help.
I bet whomever made this never expected it would make it off the planet.
The room was much more inviting with her things spread out and the smell of food accompanying the mess. It wasn’t quite a home, but definitely better.
“My men found Ryan by the way. He and Martin were hiding in a culvert.”
Rachael looked up from her chicken with cashews.
“Was Melissa happy to get him back?”
“I guess. Those two are a mystery to me.”
“Don’t feel bad. They’re a mystery to me too, and I’ve lived next to them for years. Hey, maybe they’re aliens too, but from another world.”
The distraction of food disappeared all too quickly. What had he done all day? What would happen now? Her mind brimmed with questions, but she didn’t want to start the discussion. Sometimes, ignorance really could be bliss.
“Are you up for a little stroll?”
That’s not what I expected.
“Sure. Don’t you get tired?”
He laughed.
“Of course I do, but that’s not relevant. Come.”
The corridor was both endless and alien.
Would it be okay to hold his hand? Do they do that? Maybe I’d embarrass him or break some rule.
He glanced down at her with a smile, making her cheeks heat.
“You okay?”
“Yes. A little uncertain, but I’ll get the hang of it.”
“Uncertain of what?”
Too much to explain.
“Everything.”
“Even me?” He sounded both curious and amused.
“Especially you.”
Peter stopped and put his hands on her shoulders. She expected him to say something, but he just gazed into her eyes for a moment before pressing his lips against hers. A man walked past them and saluted, “Commander,” but Peter waved him off.
Maybe we should have stayed in the room.
His eyes glittered when he pulled back.
“Better?”
“Yes.”
She did feel better. If it was okay to kiss in the corridors it was probably okay to hold hands too. She tucked her fingers in his, still feeling just a little shy.
He’s tall, strong, sexy, and mine. He always seems so certain, and he bound himself to me. So weird.
Peter paused outside
a door marked with an intricate silver filigree pattern.
“Are you ready?”
“How would I know? I don’t know where we’re going.”
“Good point.”
The door slid open and vertigo attacked, making her clasp his hand. There were people in the room, but they appeared to stand on nothing, in the middle of space.
“Whoa…”
“It’s a projection. I know it’s strange the first time, but hold on to me and you’ll be fine.”
She wanted to follow him, but her feet didn’t move. Peter lifted an eyebrow and wrapped an arm around her waist. With that extra support, she could actually walk, and a few steps into the room, the paralysis vanished. The Earth hung right in front of her, like a big blue jewel.
“It is so beautiful.”
“As are you.”
This has to be the most romantic place I’ve ever been.
Once she removed her attention from the surroundings, she saw several other couples strolling or sitting together. A few solitary women moved around, but no men.
Was that a taboo, or did the guys have less interest in the room?
“Come here.”
She didn’t even see the bench until they were right by it. Sitting down was a relief. Her butt was definitely more stable than her feet.
Peter leaned back and stretched his legs out.
“See, our lives are good and bad, just like yours. Every world is different.”
“Do you have friends?”
She didn’t think the question was that funny. He never mentioned friends, and to her, his life appeared pretty busy and lonely.
Peter still laughed.
“Sure I do. We have a lot of downtime when travelling. Do you?”
“Of course. I just...”
Aah, I see his point. I just haven’t talked to them much lately, because of the end of the world and all. I wanted to keep him a secret. Guess the cat’s out of the bag now. No pun intended. Oh snap, why did I have to think about cats? It’s so weird to see them here, but they clearly like it.
“This ship... It’s so strange and organic. Is it alive?”
“Sort of. It has organic components, but it’s a symbiosis with the pilots and the Ancients.”
“How can it live in space?”
“I don’t know. That’s not really want you want to ask, is it?”
Disturbingly perceptive for a man. Not to mention for an alien.
She still didn’t know how to even begin asking the questions that mattered, the questions about them, so she stared at the planet below instead. Seeing it like this was not the same thing as seeing it on photos and TV.
“In your society men have had the upper hand through the ages, am I correct?”
“It’s better now, but yeah, men still rule. They have better jobs, more power, and make more money. It differs from country to country too. They used to be on top of everything, but I guess things are different now.”
Stop babbling.
She closed her mouth so hard her teeth rattled. Whatever the world would turn out to be after the invasion would surely be different, and disappointments from the past no longer mattered.
“My world is the opposite. To be fair, we get to choose to whom we belong, but that woman decides over her man. No other woman may challenge her decisions.”
Like when June slapped you and I said no? Oh crap, how did I get myself into all this? I don’t want to decide over you. This all went a little too fast. We’re married, aren’t we?
“Rachael?”
How long was she lost in thought?
“What? What did I miss?”
“Not much, I was just saying ‘don’t worry about it, no one will care what you do.’ Your bond to me is strictly theoretical.”
“But...”
He interrupted her with a smile tugging at his lips.
“Legends have it that men in the old times were disposed to... You would probably say sleep around. The ladies in charge did not like that, and implemented a new set of rules. A man cheating on his One or disobeying her will be terminated. She can do it herself or have him executed.”
Say what?
“Exe... executed? As in killed? You must really trust me.”
There was the little matter of the entire planet in peril, of course, but she doubted he would have cared about that without her.
Peter took her hand and pressed her fingers to his lips.
“I do. I hope I’ll never give you reason to want to kill me.”
“Even if you did, I wouldn’t. It’s not how we do things.”
They sat in silence for a couple of minutes. Rachael’s thoughts raced. The implications of what he did to save her and her world were mind-blowing.
“What if the woman falls for someone else, blames her One for something, and kills him?”
“That could happen, but I think few men are terminated, at least on the planets. Everything’s different here on the ships where people are squeezed tight together for years. But yes, that’s one of the reasons I never went through the ceremony.”
“Did you ever... I mean...”
I don’t know what I mean. “Did you ever consider doing it with someone before...” Speaking in coherent sentences was impossible, and the questions were too blunt.
She still needed to know.
“No. There have been girls who wanted me to do it, but I prefer my head where it is. Anyone might die at any time, but hopefully for a better reason.”
He paused.
“June wanted me to do it.”
“Did you love her?”
That question was definitely too straightforward, but she couldn’t keep it in.
He shrugged.
“Probably not. I should have told you all this earlier.”
“You didn’t have much of a chance.” If he had told her, she might have chickened out. Or they might have been too late to save anything.
Peter sighed.
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something. There’s someone I need you to meet. A friend.”
It sounded like this person might be more than a friend.
“Who? When?”
“Her name is Erin. I met her when I was away. She’s... She’ll be helping with the unification, and I need you to know she’s not a threat.”
“What? Afraid I’ll have your head?”
The words came out sharper than she intended, and his response surprised her.
“Maybe. She kissed me once. I had just saved her life.”
A part of her soul shriveled into a frightened little shell. He bound himself to her, but was it this Erin he really wanted?
“What do you want me to say? Did you kiss her back?”
“No. Rescuing her was my duty. All I could think of was you. I need you to know you can trust me.”
He sounded honest, and he put a lot of faith in her.
Peter kept his eyes on her, and she felt her cheeks heat. This fantastic, strange man was hers. How did that happen?
He bent a little closer and ran the back of a finger over her cheek. How could everything he did be so erotic?
She wanted to look at him, but kept her eyes on the planet.
A little closer, and his lips almost touched her skin, sending shivers of expectation down her spine.
“Look at me.”
Did he say that, or was it just her imagination? When she still didn’t turn her head, he finally trailed his lips over her cheek, making her shiver with pleasure. Only now did she turn her head, kissing him hungrily.
For the moment all worries were forgotten.
*****
Later that night, Rachael rested in Peter’s arms, enjoying the feeling of his body next to hers. He was warm, strong, and solid.
Would he have told her about this Erin figure if they weren’t likely to meet?
Probably.
He’s reliable. It’s strange to have a man I can trust.
Being in space wasn’t too bad after
all. Maybe she could get used to it.
“What is it like when it’s moving?”
“The ship? It’s pretty much like this, but with more people moving around everywhere. We train, exercise, study...”
Would that be her future? Staying in this room while her One trained and exercised? Spending a lifetime in this confined space didn’t seem that appealing.
“How old are you?”
It wasn’t what she intended to ask. The question just spilled out of her mouth.
“Of your planet’s years? I’m not sure. We can figure it out if it’s important.”
They might age differently too. He could say they weren’t all that different all he wanted. They still might be.
He ran a finger over her arm, and the gentle touch made her heart shout that differences no longer mattered.
I love him. God help me, I love him, and I’d do anything for him.
“I sure didn’t think we’d end up like this when I first saw you.” Not all that long ago, but still in another life.
“Me neither. But I saw you before you rammed me in the grocery store.”
“No way.”
“The first time I saw you was when you got your ID card. I was in the back and heard someone argue with the clerk about cards and implants.”
“Oh. I did that, didn’t I? But, he said everyone would get implants and I said I didn’t want an implant, and...”
Peter chuckled.
“It’s okay. I noticed you there, and then in the store, and the post office, and by then it seemed like fate. I had to look you up.”
“You did that on purpose? How did you find me?”
“The Identicard Administrator helped me. He remembered you just fine.”
I’m such a naïve little girl.
Lingering in the past was pleasant, but an important question burned in her mind.
“What do we do now?”
He didn’t even pretend to wonder what she meant.
“That’s up to you. You are my One to obey and cherish.”
Freaky much? I don’t want anyone to obey me.
“Don’t say that. It’s not supposed to work like that. We’re supposed to make decisions together.”
Even though she didn’t hear it, she could swear he giggled when he said, “As you wish.”
Operation Earth Page 17