by M. D. Cooper
Erin said, “I think Isa brought the entire contents of your kitchen out here.”
“That’s fine,” he replied, finding a corner of blanket to sit on. “She needs to eat a good diet now.” He gave Isa’s bump an affectionate rub.
“You’re sure you didn’t give our baby fins?” Erin asked, partially serious.
Martin replied testily, “I am sure our child is one hundred percent human.” He took a strip of smoked salmon, tilted back his head, and dropped it into his mouth. As he chewed, looking out to sea, he added, “Though I don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl,” he added. “I left that to chance.” He picked up the second beer, pulled the tab, and took a long drink.
Malcolm walked up. “Oh.” He was looking at the beer in Martin’s hand. “I didn’t realize you were back.”
“Yeah,” Martin replied. “I had a great swim. Thanks for watching the store for me while I was gone.”
“Uh, you’re welcome,” Martin replied. He hung around for a few moments while the others helped themselves to food, and then turned and walked back to the house.
“You’re so lucky to have Malcolm around,” said Erin.
Martin put down his beer. “I’m lucky?”
“Yeah,” Erin said. “He does a lot around the place doesn’t he? Helps you out? And he seems to know what he’s doing.”
“He certainly does a lot of cooking,” said Martin. “And spreading sand around the place.”
“Aw, come on,” said Isa. “What about all that time you spent with me on Tyre? What would you have done without him then?”
Martin didn’t reply. He drank some more beer. His jaw muscle twitched. Finally he said, with great reluctance, “Yeah, I guess he helped me out when I needed someone.”
“What were things like when you got back?” Isa asked. “Had he kept everything ticking okay?”
Martin heaved a sigh. “Yes, everything was okay. Nothing had died, anyway. And,” he added, brightening, “his internship finishes next week. He’s going to complete his studies and graduate. Though he told me he’s decided to specialize in marine biology.” Martin’s brow furrowed again.
“Good for him,” Isa said. “Maybe you could give him a research position. I think he’d love that. And he already knows how everything works around here. He could be a real asset to the place.”
Martin gave her a look of horror.
“Think about it,” said Isa. “If you had someone else here long-term, you could go away whenever you wanted. We could all go back to Athens, for instance.”
“Hmm, I don’t know,” said Martin. “I’ll think about it.”
“Athens,” Erin exclaimed. “That would be cool. Just traveling there is fun. I want to try every cocktail in the bar on the Odyssey. And if we see Usef, I might charm him into being my friend again.”
“Usef isn’t your friend?” Martin asked.
“I’ll tell you about it another time. Oh! But I forgot to say,” said Erin. “Usef wants to take you on for another tsunami surfing competition. He said you got lucky last time.”
“He said what?” Martin’s eyebrows lifted. “In that case, I’ll definitely think about having Malcolm back here, for a short time anyway. I got lucky, huh?”
Erin gave Isa a wink behind Martin’s back, and Isa mouthed a ‘thanks’. Though she wouldn’t be enjoying any of bartender Mikkel’s cocktails for the next few months, Isa hoped she could return to Athens with the others sometime soon. The planet had a special vibe that might not be there forever. Eventually Athens’ terraforming would be complete, and the New Canaanites might have to go elsewhere for their tsunami surfing. She also wanted to revisit the terraces of hot springs with adjustable streams of hot and cold water. Even staying in the old-style hotel rooms was fun.
Malcolm returned with a beer for himself and fresh drinks for everyone else. He was a nice kid and smart, too. Isa decided she would explain to him how he was triggering Martin’s grumpy side. Then the two would get along better, or Martin would like Malcolm more. Malcolm seemed entirely oblivious to how irritated Martin was by his presence.
“Martin,” said Erin, “I just want to check. Are you sure you didn’t add any marine genes to our baby?”
“Marine genes?” he asked. “What are marine genes, exactly?”
“I guess I mean you didn’t give our child genes that would confer an advantage in a marine environment, did you?”
“For the nth time, Erin,” Martin replied. “Our baby won’t have scales, a tail, gills, tentacles, a swim bladder, or even a blow hole. Now are you satisfied?”
Erin said, “Okay, but what about webbed fingers and toes?”
Martin stood up, facing Erin. He put his hands on his hips and narrowed his eyes at her. Isa’s stomach clenched. Were they about to have their first big fight? She hoped not. She didn’t want the day to be spoiled, just when everything had been so perfect.
Erin was looking up at Martin innocently.
Suddenly, he bent down and grabbed her, picking her up in his arms. Erin shrieked and struggled, laughing her head off. Martin strode down to the water’s edge and into the waves. He waded in until the water was up to his chest, carrying a wriggling Erin, then he heaved her up and out. She landed with a splash and sank out of sight. When she surfaced, she was laughing so hard she could hardly breathe.
Isa took the last fig on the plate.
Erin scooped up water and threw it over Martin, who was striding toward her to grab her again. Undeterred by the deluge, he lifted her up and tossed her into the air.
For a centuries-old top-rank engineer and killing machine, Isa reflected, Erin sure screams like a girl.
THE END
* * * * *
Tyre is saved, but there is much to be done in the New Canaan System as the colonists’ enemies only seem to multiply with each victory.
Find out where building New Canaan takes Erin and her new family next in: Troy.
AFTERWORD
It was with typical trepidation that I dove once more into the fascinating Aeon 14 universe and began to plan out Tyre with Michael. I already knew the basics of the planet, from the details given in earlier books, but plenty of wiggle room remained. I knew that Tyre would be an opportunity to go to town on interesting geological features.
Like all the habitable planets in the New Canaan system, Tyre isn’t only a safe place to live, it’s a world where the New Canaanites can play hard. The FGT has taken Tyre’s existing features and tweaked them to provide the colonists with extra-special experiences, like the chute through Mount Athos (Michael’s idea), the golden cavern, the crystal cave and the musical pillars.
Tyre’s cities are named after real cities or places that existed near ancient Tyre. Ushu was a settlement on the mainland adjacent to Tyre’s island, and Kedesh and Mount Carmel were cities where the ancient Tyrians settled. Mount Athos and Mount Ida are mentioned in Homer’s Iliad; the mountains retain the same names today, though two Mount Idas are in existence. As I mentioned in the Aeon 14 Facebook group, the crystal cave was inspired by Cave of the Crystals at the Naica Mine in Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico.
The opera that Jacob Cimorelli listens to in the first chapter is Madame Butterfly.
It was fun exploring the slightly unusual relationship between Erin, Isa, and Martin as it continued to develop over the course of their experiences in Tyre. Polyamorous relationships aren’t common, so I don’t have much to go by, but on the other hand, they are just women and a man who are in love, which makes it simpler. I’m looking forward to meeting them all again in Troy for another adventure.
J.J. Green
New Taipei City, 2018
THE BOOKS OF AEON 14
Keep up to date with what is releasing in Aeon 14 with the free Aeon 14 Reading Guide.
Origins of Destiny (The Age of Terra)
- Prequel: Storming the Norse Wind
- Book 1: Tanis Richards: Shore Leave
- Book 2: Tanis Richards: Masquerade
- Boo
k 3: Tanis Richards: Blackest Night
- Book 4: Tanis Richards: Kill Shot (November 2018)
The Intrepid Saga (The Age of Terra)
- Book 1: Outsystem
- Book 2: A Path in the Darkness
- Book 3: Building Victoria
- The Intrepid Saga Omnibus – Also contains Destiny Lost, book 1 of the Orion War series
- Destiny Rising – Special Author’s Extended Edition comprised of both Outsystem and A Path in the Darkness with over 100 pages of new content.
The Orion War
- Books 1-3 Omnibus (includes Ignite the Stars anthology)
- Book 1: Destiny Lost
- Book 2: New Canaan
- Book 3: Orion Rising
- Book 4: The Scipio Alliance
- Book 5: Attack on Thebes
- Book 6: War on a Thousand Fronts
- Book 7: Precipice of Darkness
- Book 8: Airtha Ascendancy (Nov 2018)
- Book 9: The Orion Front (2019)
- Book 10: Starfire (2019)
- Book 11: Race Across Time (2019)
- Book 12: Return to Sol (2019)
Tales of the Orion War
- Book 1: Set the Galaxy on Fire
- Book 2: Ignite the Stars
- Book 3: Burn the Galaxy to Ash (2019)
Perilous Alliance (Age of the Orion War – w/Chris J. Pike)
- Book 1: Close Proximity
- Book 2: Strike Vector
- Book 3: Collision Course
- Book 4: Impact Imminent
- Book 5: Critical Inertia
- Book 6: Impulse Shock
Rika’s Marauders (Age of the Orion War)
- Book 1-3 Omnibus: Rika Activated
- Prequel: Rika Mechanized
- Book 1: Rika Outcast
- Book 2: Rika Redeemed
- Book 3: Rika Triumphant
- Book 4: Rika Commander
- Book 5: Rika Infiltrator
- Book 6: Rika Unleashed
- Book 7: Rika Conqueror (Dec 2018)
Perseus Gate (Age of the Orion War)
Season 1: Orion Space
- Episode 1: The Gate at the Grey Wolf Star
- Episode 2: The World at the Edge of Space
- Episode 3: The Dance on the Moons of Serenity
- Episode 4: The Last Bastion of Star City
- Episode 5: The Toll Road Between the Stars
- Episode 6: The Final Stroll on Perseus’s Arm
- Eps 1-3 Omnibus: The Trail Through the Stars
- Eps 4-6 Omnibus: The Path Amongst the Clouds
Season 2: Inner Stars
- Episode 1: A Meeting of Bodies and Minds
- Episode 2: A Deception and a Promise Kept
- Episode 3: A Surreptitious Rescue of Friends and Foes
- Episode 4: A Trial and the Tribulations (2019)
- Episode 5: A Deal and a True Story Told (2019)
- Episode 6: A New Empire and An Old Ally (2019)
Season 3: AI Empire
- Episode 1: Restitution and Recompense (2019)
- Five more episodes following…
The Warlord (Before the Age of the Orion War)
- Books 1-3 Omnibus: The Warlord of Midditerra
- Book 1: The Woman Without a World
- Book 2: The Woman Who Seized an Empire
- Book 3: The Woman Who Lost Everything
The Sentience Wars: Origins (Age of the Sentience Wars – w/James S. Aaron)
- Books 1-3 Omnibus: Lyssa’s Rise
- Book 1: Lyssa’s Dream
- Book 2: Lyssa’s Run
- Book 3: Lyssa’s Flight
- Book 4: Lyssa’s Call
- Book 5: Lyssa’s Flame
Legends of the Sentience Wars (Age of the Sentience Wars – w/James S. Aaron)
- Volume 1: The Proteus Bridge
- Volume 2: Vesta Burning (Fall 2018)
Enfield Genesis (Age of the Sentience Wars – w/Lisa Richman)
- Book 1: Alpha Centauri
- Book 2: Proxima Centauri
- Book 3: Tau Ceti (November 2018)
- Book 4: Epsilon Eridani (2019)
Hand’s Assassin (Age of the Orion War – w/T.G. Ayer)
- Book 1: Death Dealer
- Book 2: Death Mark (2019)
Machete System Bounty Hunter (Age of the Orion War – w/Zen DiPietro)
- Book 1: Hired Gun
- Book 2: Gunning for Trouble
- Book 3: With Guns Blazing
Vexa Legacy (Age of the FTL Wars – w/Andrew Gates)
- Book 1: Seas of the Red Star
Building New Canaan (Age of the Orion War – w/J.J. Green)
- Book 1: Carthage
- Book 2: Tyre
- Book 3: Troy (2019)
- Book 4: Athens (2019)
Fennington Station Murder Mysteries (Age of the Orion War)
- Book 1: Whole Latte Death (w/Chris J. Pike)
- Book 2: Cocoa Crush (w/Chris J. Pike)
The Empire (Age of the Orion War)
- The Empress and the Ambassador (2018)
- Consort of the Scorpion Empress (2019)
- By the Empress’s Command (2019)
The Sol Dissolution (The Age of Terra)
- Book 1: Venusian Uprising (2018)
- Book 2: Scattered Disk (2018)
- Book 3: Jovian Offensive (2019)
- Book 4: Fall of Terra (2019)
OTHER BOOKS BY J.J. GREEN
Shadows of the Void
- Book 1: Generation
- Book 2: Stranded
- Book 3: Dawn
- Book 4: Shadowrise
- Book 5: Underworld
- Book 6: Burned
- Book 7: Trapped
- Book 8: Mars Born
- Book 9: Shadow Battle
- Book 10: Shadow War
Star Mage Saga
- Book 1: Daughter of Discord
- Book 2: Dark Mage Rises
- Book 3: Wildfire and Steel (Winter 2018)
Space Colony One
- Book 1: The Concordia Deception
- Book 2: The Fila Epiphany
- Book 3: The Scythian Crisis
Carrie Hatchett, Space Adventurer
- Book 1: Mission Improbable
- Book 2: Passage to Paradise
- Book 3: Transgalactic Antics
- Book 4: Wrong Side of Time
- Book 5: Carrie’s Calamity
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
J.J. Green was born in London's East End within range of the sound of the church bells of St. Mary Le Bow, Cheapside, which makes her a bona fide Cockney. She first left the U.K. as a young adult and has lived in Australia and Laos. She currently lives in Taipei, Taiwan, with her family and a black cat called Black Cat. When she isn’t writing, she entertains the locals with her efforts to learn Mandarin.
Find out about her latest shenanigans at her website: www.jjgreenauthor.com
* * * * *
Michael Cooper likes to think of himself as a jack-of-all-trades (and hopes to become master of a few). When not writing, he can be found writing software, working in his shop at his latest carpentry project, or likely reading a book.
He shares his home with a precocious young girl, his wonderful wife (who also writes), two cats, a never-ending list of things he would like to build, and ideas…
Find out what’s coming next at www.aeon14.com