The Secret - Book One of the Marcus II Series

by Bonnie Somerville

  There came a voice from the other room. “I’m up! Just give me a minute to get myself together.” Steph called “I thought we could go to breakfast together and maybe talk a bit about how best to proceed.” Jaaza replied. After a series of thuds and banging and a few well-chosen expletives Steph appeared in the doorway. Her hair was standing on end and her clothes obviously hastily put on. “Sorry for making you wait. I think all this fresh air and exercise has disrupted my sleeping pattern. I’m sleeping like a rock and having the most vivid dreams.” She blushed. Jaaza noticed the reddening and looked away. It was not for her to know what Dr. Stephanie was dreaming about or whom.

  After breakfast they stopped at the science tent to check on the teams’ progress. Steph had ordered testing of known samples to ensure that the equipment had been calibrated correctly. Meanwhile she sifted through Jaaza’s notes hoping to find some clue as to what exactly had been happening over the last decade. The modified crops should have easily withstood the change as they were modified for this particular planet. The planners however could have miscalculated somehow thus making the seed crop brought from Terra susceptible, time would tell.

  Steph needed to take samples from all the affected fields as well as unaffected ones. Jaaza’s notes showed that in a meadow that had previously had wildflowers the colonists had grown test crops. They found that the local fruit trees grew very well there. She sat down with a streaming cup of coffee to meticulously go through Jaaza’s notes.

  What Steph found the most interesting was the elaborate aqueduct system that was very much along the lines of the raised Roman irrigation systems on Terra. The orchards, vineyards and vegetable gardens as well as the town itself were all supplied with this ancient system design.

  This system was also used to supply water to the village. Steph wasn’t surprised that most of the homes didn’t have something as simple as running water. The villagers wanted to stay true to the Planners design and have little or no impact on the environment. Most homes had composting toilets and the community facilities ran pipes to a man-made holding pond which used a combination of fish, plants and soil filters to purify water for reuse in the facilities. Everything was recyclable or recycled and there were no garbage dumps or toxic chemicals leeching into the river or land. Everything was multi-purposed, even the grey water from showers and the kitchen was reused in flowerbeds.

  After lunch Stephanie showed Jaaza every piece of equipment, taking extra time on the ones unfamiliar to her. “Jaaza this is my Executive Assistant Dr. Sara Keeting.” Steph introduced. Sara stopped looking through her microscope to look at Jaaza. “Hello, would you like to see your Treekle Plant under the Electron Microscope? It’s one of the heartiest indigenous species I’ve seen yet.” Sara explained. Jaaza bent forward to look more closely at the screen, it was spectacular. Jaaza had never seen anything like it in her life. “What a wonderful device, I could spend years examining everything with just this one microscope.” Jaaza said excitedly. Steph stepped closer and moved up behind her to look at the screen too while looking over her shoulder.

  Jaaza could smell her scent, it was all her with no artificial fragrance to interfere with her work. The hair on her neck stood up as Steph’s warm breath passed over it. Jaaza could hear her sister Viva’s voice in her mind teasing her about talking in her sleep… saying Steph’s name. Her mind wandered to what it might be like to have Steph whisper in her ear, to have her caress her shoulders, to have Steph’s lips and tongue on her neck. Jaaza inhaled raggedly, her hands trembled. Suddenly she was jolted back to reality. This was a terrible idea. She knew that for her to be with someone wasn’t a casual thing. She was not hard wired like some of the other people in her community were. She did not have casual sexual encounters. “I’m sorry Stephanie but I have to go now I forgot I need to give my Mother an update… good day.” With that Jaaza hurried off. Steph stood surprised. There were still several things they needed to discuss but that would have to wait. She knew that their presence depended on Queen Catherines’ goodwill and they stayed at her pleasure. ~

  Jaaza stormed into her living quarters and threw her notebook on the couch. Thinking she was alone she started to rant. “Shit. What the hell is wrong with me? Mother asked me to do one thing and I can’t even do that properly. One small mistake and I could screw up this whole project. She will have a fit.” She kicked at a stool and sent it crashing into the wall. Feeling childish and foolish she sat down with a resounding thud and covered her face with her hands.

  “What’s all the racket out here? Oh Jaaza it’s you, has something happened?” Viva said as she entered the room carrying clean laundry. “I thought you would be out all day. If I were you a team of wild horses couldn’t drag me away from your lovely Doctor friend.” Viva teased. Jaaza sighed. “That’s the problem Viva! I think I’m spending too much time with her. I’m neglecting my research.” Jaaza said. Even to her own ears Jaaza knew that sounded lame. Viva put down her load and came to sit down next to her sister. “What is this all about? Is it about what I was saying this morning? I was just teasing you, you know I love you and just want you to be happy.” Viva explained. Tears suddenly rolled down Jaaza’s cheeks. “I don’t think I can pull this diplomacy thing off like Mother wants, I’ll screw it up, I know I will.” Jaaza sobbed. Viva knew this outburst had nothing to do with diplomacy. She scooted over and sat on the arm of the chair Jaaza was sitting on. She put her arm around her shoulders and when she felt no resistance she pulled her in for a proper cuddle.

  “You have never screwed up in your entire life. In fact of all us kids you were the one who has always been the most level headed. Mother is already proud of you! She never stops comparing the rest of us to you.” Viva said gently. Jaaza looked up at her with a puzzled expression. “What are you talking about? I made myself scarce so I wouldn’t embarrass her.” Jaaza said sniffing. In a low voice Viva whispered so as not to be overheard if any of the other roommates suddenly appeared. “Mother is always saying, why aren’t you more like Jaaza?” she took a deep breath “…and she’s right! You were always the smartest, scarily so at times. You were so damn focused. I’ve never met anyone who lapped up all that boring drivel they pass off as education around here like you did. I would much rather have been out riding the ponies, fishing or climbing trees.” Viva pulled Jaaza back into her shoulder and rubbed her back in circles. Jaaza eventually sat up and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

  “Now what is this all about? Please tell me I might be able to help. I promise I won’t laugh or tease you.” Viva begged. Jaaza just shook her head and tried to smile. Her eyes were red and puffy. Viva fought off the urge to giggle at the comical sight before her. “Did something happen this morning?” She inquired. Jaaza nodded. “Did it have to do with Dr. Stephanie?” Viva inquired. Another nod! Damn Viva thought, this was like pulling teeth. “This could take all day Jazz, why don’t you just tell me or at least give me a hint.” Viva said. Jaaza sat up straighter and pushed her hair out of her eyes. “The day started great. We had breakfast together and then went straight to work. I was in seventh heaven with all the new equipment… it was so exciting and exhilarating.” Jaaza stopped and looked down. “Then something happened?” Viva stated. “Well where do I start? I felt like I couldn’t breathe, the walls were closing in on me.” Jaaza explained. Viva was about to reply when Vincent walked into the lounge. Vincent was their older brother and middle child. He had lived in this dorm house up until recently when he moved into his own cob house. “Oh for god sake Jaaza, she turns you on, enjoy it… go get yourself laid.” He said frankly. Viva sighed. “Vincent you can be such a dick sometimes. Don’t you have somewhere you need to be?” Viva said harshly. Vincent was about to protest but changed his mind. He shrugged and left the house snagging a piece of fruit out of the bowl on the table on the way out. “He does have a point Jazz.” Viva said. Jaaza shook her head. “This is such a mess.” Jaaza replied. “I’m assuming you find her attractive?” Viva asked. Jaaza n
odded. “And what? You don’t know how to handle it because… what exactly is the problem?” Viva held out her hands palms up. “The problem is that I don’t do the love them and leave them thing like other people.” Jaaza said taking a ragged breath. “She’s going to do her job here and go back from whence she came, I can’t go and she can’t stay, so what’s the point?” Jaaza tried to explain. Viva took a minute to formulate her answer in a way that her sister would actually hear instead of getting angry and stomping out. “Try not to over think this, focus on your work. But Jaaza just don’t close that door completely.” ~

  Chapter Four

  Steph and Sara had painstakingly gone over all the information provided by Catherine but there was also something that interested Sara on a personal level. On one of the original reports back on Terra, Sara recalled a report from Moira about a giant crater that she found upon arrival at Marcus I. There was a footnote about going to Marcus I and removing specimens for relocation to Marcus II.

  Sara was a brilliant scientist in her field but she had many interests, including Cryptozoology. These primitive primates could be the building blocks of humanoid species development on Marcus II. She wanted to know what happened to those transplanted specimens. She also wanted to know what research was done on them by this Drummond fellow and if they were able to survive on Marcus I. With any luck she could talk their returning transport pilot into hanging around for a few days so she could find out. She would be needed eventually to put all the pieces of the puzzle together and make sense of them but in the mean time she had a few free days to explore her own interests.

  Her first stop was to ask Queen Catherine what she knew and if she could have access to any of Dr. Drummonds’ research. “Excuse me Dr. Murray, I’m Dr. Sara Keeting. I hope I’m not interrupting anything important.” She said as she stepped over the threshold of Catherines’ office. Catherine stood and looked a little puzzled. Sara strode confidently across the room meeting the Queen in the middle of the room with a firm handshake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Dr. Keeting. Is there something I can help you with, something to do with the project?” Catherine said furrowing her brow. “No Dr. Murray, not exactly I’ve been travelling with Dr. Diamond collecting samples. This planet is as close to paradise as I’ve ever seen. What your people have built here is nothing short of miraculous.” A little flattery never hurt when you wanted to ask difficult questions. Catherine was no fool, she studied Sara’s face curiously for clues but almost immediately her face returned to a broad smile. “Please Dr. Keeting call me Catherine and I’ll call you Sara if that’s acceptable.” Sara smiled and nodded agreement.

  “Fine, you have something you wish to ask me. Maybe you should just ask me and save us some time.” Catherine continued. Sara looked a little embarrassed but took a deep breath and continued. They moved to some comfortable looking chairs by the front window. Looking through you could see the everyday activities of the town. Handing Catherine a tablet with Moira’s original report she asked respectfully. “Catherine, in this report Dr. Moira Murray recounts finding a primate species on Marcus I. Several specimens were brought here.” She stated. Catherine glanced through the report. “Yes that’s my understanding. Dr. Drummond was in charge of that project.” Catherine placed the report on the table between them. “I know it’s been a very long time but do you know what happened to those specimens, what research was done and what Dr. Drummond found?” Sara inquired. “Dr. Drummond released the specimens here on Marcus II after he made sure they weren’t carrying any mirco-organisms. He collected and stored genetic material in crio-cylinders to use as additions to the hominids gene pool.” Catherine informed her. “I haven’t seen any signs of these primates. Would you have any objection to me exploring the forest to see if I can get a glimpse of them?” Sara asked hopefully.

  “What exactly is the purpose of this exploration?” Catherine narrowed her eyes at Sara. “I can assure you Catherine my interest is purely personal. These primates could give us a clue as to how primates in general could have evolved on Terra. It’s very exciting.” Sara explained. Catherine stood and paced a few times across the room. Eventually she said. “I don’t see any problem with you doing a visual investigation. I do not want you however to approach, capture or experiment on these creatures. In short they will not become lab animals. That is not negotiable. Secondly this investigation can’t put the other project in jeopardy and thirdly you will be escorted by a local guide. These forests are very dense and I would hate to have you become lost or injured thus putting my people in danger. If you agree to these conditions you may carry out your investigations.” Queen Catherine said sternly. “Thank you Catherine, this is fantastic. I can’t wait to get started.” Sara stood and shook Catherine’s hand once more. “I’ll send over a couple of my people to help make plans for your departure.” Catherine said as she straightened her blouse. “Thank you again Catherine, I would like to leave tomorrow.” With that Sara turned on her heel and headed toward the door. “Oh Sara, please let me know how your investigation goes. I’m a little curious myself.” Catherine said more gently this time. “Yes ma’am.” Sara replied enthusiastically.

  When Sara entered their quarters she could hear someone talking rather loudly. It sounded like Steph and she sounded upset. “What the hell were you thinking… damn it. You don’t need this aggravation in your life!” Sara walked into the living room and looked cautiously around but she didn’t see anyone. “Um, who are you talking to?” Sara inquired. Steph picked up a cushion off the couch and threw it across the room. Sara checked the other rooms and still didn’t uncover anyone else in the house. “Steph, has something happened? Obviously something is upsetting you, unless you’ve gone mad and have taken to talking to invisible people.” She said trying to lighten the mood.

  “I am so pissed off with myself. I can’t believe I allowed myself to become so distracted. I can’t think of anything but her. It’s a good thing I’m not working with heavy machinery or sharp implements or I could be dangerous.” Steph ranted. Sara looked confused. “What? Who?” Sara tried to get on the same page quickly. “Are you still going on about Jaaza? You have to let it go for a while. Trust me it’s making you nuts just look at yourself. You have dark circles under your eyes, you look like you haven’t slept and you’re a mess.” Sara said honestly. Steph rubbed her forehead. She went to the reflective surface and took a good long look at herself. She did look like shit there was no arguing that.

  Suddenly there was a knock at the door. “Maybe you could get this gorgeous blonde Amazon to help you forget about your Princess.” Sara joked peering through the sheer window coverings. Steph frowned and went to the front door and opened it. “Sara, there are a couple of people here and they say they want to see you.” Steph said. Sara almost ran to the door to invite her guests in. “What is going on here?” Steph asked annoyed. “These are my guides.” Sara said motioning to the two villagers. Two young but very fit looking women walked in. One was tall with chestnut colored hair. She looked much like many of the people Sara had seen in the village. The other was breathtaking. She was of average height but had blonde almost white hair. Her eyes were of a color neither Sara or Steph had ever seen, they were the most spectacular shade of violet. “Hello Doctors, my name is Rachael and this is Kaley, my Aunt Kitty said you needed guides to show you the Pendek.” The dark haired woman said. Steph looked puzzled at Sara. “I was just about to tell you. I’m going into the forest to see if we can get a glimpse of the primates from the original report.” Sara explained to Steph, turning to the guides she then said. “You call them Pendek?” Rachael nodded affirmation. “When were you going to tell me about this?” Steph asked. “I was just getting to it. It’s not my fault they’re so efficient.” Sara explained. Turning to the guides once more she then asked. “Do you think we can be ready to go first thing in the morning?” Sara blurted. “We’ll be ready. How long would you like to be in the forest?” Kaley inquired. “It depends how long it takes to find
the Pendek. I would like to have a few days to observe them. We’ll go from there, is that ok?” Sara asked. Steph had never seen Sara so excited about a hike in the woods. Rachael told them they would be back after breakfast then the two guides made a hasty retreat. Sara turned to Steph and asked. “Would you like to join us? It will be the highlight of the entire trip.” She said excitedly. “I don’t think so I have a lot of things to do.” Steph lied. “You do not! Be ready first thing in the morning. This is going to be so frigging fantastic. I want to share it with my best friend. I think this is exactly what you need to take your mind off a certain sexy Princess.” Sara joked.

  The next morning the guides arrived as they had promised, Sara and Steph were ready as well. They had brought no horses just an Alpaca to carry supplies. Kaley brought along her dog Buster, she said he would keep the small scavenging animals away from their food supplies. The forest was full of opportunistic critters that would pick them clean within minutes. They headed southwest for half a day before stopping for a short rest and some food… mostly for the benefit of the scientists. A few hours after they started again Rachael suddenly dropped her pack and announced they were here. It looked like any other part of the thick lush forest so Sara asked. “We’re here? Where?” Kaley smiled and said “Home.” Steph and Sara just looked at each other. They couldn’t see anything but trees and more trees. Sara shrugged and followed Kaley who was quickly climbing up a rope ladder. Steph looked up into the canopy and sure enough there was a large structure. She swallowed hard, damn she hated heights. Her mouth was as dry as a desert and her throat constricted but for her friend Sara she would do almost anything.