The Secret - Book One of the Marcus II Series

by Bonnie Somerville

  Steph could see the appeal of this particular rock in space. This planet was as close to paradise as any she had ever seen. In the distance Steph could see a lush open field of wildflowers of reds, purples, yellows and white. Beyond that a thick forest and beyond that still a white capped mountain range in shades of silvers, greys and black. The river was as she imagined the rivers on Terra a thousand years ago would have been, fresh and clean and clear. Fish and plant life could be easily seen at depths of more than a meter. The water itself was a brilliant turquoise reminiscent of glacier fed lakes. They rode in companionable silence for some time. Steph also wondered about the fascinating woman beside her. What was it like to have grown up in Eden? This is what she would have named this planet, Eden.

  Jaaza looked over at Steph wondering what she was thinking so intently about. Steph noticed the look and spoke. “Is it difficult being the Queen’s daughter? I imagine there would be expectations put upon you that most people don’t have to contend with.” Jaaza smiled. “It’s not so bad, not for me anyway. My older sisters carry most of that particular burden. I have to take my hat off to them, they carry it well.” Jaaza clicked her tongue and gave the reins a sharp snap when the horses started to slow. “My self-appointed role is to be the keeper of traditions. I’m afraid I might have romanticized the old ways. I believe we need to be reminded occasionally of their value.” Jaaza said turning to smile briefly at Steph.

  They rode on a while longer before the silence was once again broken by Steph. “Have you ever considered leaving Marcus II some day? Maybe return to Terra or do some exploration. With your credentials you would be an asset to any team.” Steph inquired. Jaaza didn’t even need time to think about her answer. She loved this place. It had everything she needed not just to survive but to thrive. “No… never. I don’t know what I’d do with myself somewhere else. Besides all my family and friends are here I would never leave. If you were to ask my plans for the future it would be to explore this planet more thoroughly. There’s so much we don’t know about Marcus II.” Jaaza was smiling from ear to ear.

  “But to return to your original question… Catherine is like any other mother. She wants all of us to be successful and live up to our potential. Most of all I think she wants us to find happiness, whatever way that might be for each of us.” Jaaza continued. Steph nodded knowingly. “Would she be against any of your community leaving if the opportunity arose?” Steph inquired. “She would never stop anyone from following their destiny. It would potentially create holes in the fabric of our community however. For instance if we lost Viva it would put pressure on older doctors who wanted to ramp down the amount of work they intended to perform in their older years. New apprentices would have to be trained to fill that gap. It could cause problems for several people over a period of possibly a decade.” Steph looked thoughtful. “What would happen if some of my expedition team wanted to stay?” Steph continued. “It might cause big problems for you I would imagine. If a large number of your people wanted to stay your entire group might be forced to stay. For us it has the potential for both good and bad results. It would add to the genetic diversity of The People, bring new skills and modern techniques to our endeavors. The downside is that your people might not want to follow the path our leaders have set out for the inhabitants here. We have practically no crime and a rogue member of the community could be problematic. I don’t know what we would do with someone like that.” Jaaza answered honestly. The rest of the trip was made in almost complete silence. ~

  The town of Arklow was bustling with activity when they arrived just before the dinner hour. They were greeted by a rider on horseback. “Who goes there friend or foe?” The rider hollered. “That depends… do you have the amber necklace you borrowed from me a year ago.” Jaaza called back. The rider came along side and everyone stopped. Jaaza jumped down as did the rider and embraced warmly, patting backs and smiling broadly. “What brings you to Arklow? I wish I’d known you were coming I’d have planned a celebration.” The Arklow resident said. As Jaaza turned to Steph she said. “This is my cousin Romi she’s the Mayor of Arklow.” Jaaza explained. Smiling broadly she continued. “Romi this is Dr. Stephanie Diamond, the leader of the team that has come to help us with our problem. She’ll be taking samples of all your crops and any indigenous species affected and just as importantly the ones not affected.” Jaaza told her cousin. Everyone dismounted to stretch their legs. “Right then, welcome Dr. Diamond you have arrived just in time for the evening meal. The showers are nice and hot if you want to wash off the dust from your journey. Jaaza will show you to the dining hut… you’ll join me at my table.” Romi Murray said. ~

  The shower facility was similar to the one at Cambridge Landing, Cambridge being the name of the shuttle that brought the original colonists. The tiles were all hand painted very reminiscent of Spanish or Mexican tiles. Jaaza stripped her clothes and headed to the nearest shower nozzle. She seemed completely comfortable waltzing around naked… not that Steph minded. Jaaza couldn’t wait to rinse the dust and grime off her skin. She was bombarded with shouts of “Hey Jaaza is that your new girlfriend?” and “Look what the cat dragged it!” Jaaza endured it all with a smile and good humor. Steph followed behind a little nervous at being naked with such a large group of strangers.

  Steph walked to the showerhead next to the one Jaaza occupied. She couldn’t help but catch a thoroughly enticing view of Jaaza in all her naked glory. She noticed how well defined her muscles were in her back and shoulders without making her look masculine. Her breasts firm and tanned, her nipples standing at attention. Steph felt her heart start to race, her cooter became wet and not from the shower. She could get used to this place and getting to know Jaaza better would be the highlight of this whole expedition.

  The next day the team began their work while Jaaza began her tour with Stephanie. “Besides being Mayor of Arklow Romi is in charge of all the surrounding homesteads and is in close contact with Mother. They get together at regular intervals to work out a common plan for the next several months. When she comes to Cambridge Landing we have a blast, I love talking and joking with her.” Jaaza explained. They walked to a plateau overlooking the town. To the west were farmlands where Steph’s team was already taking samples and to the east was the river. “Looking at the river reminds me of something I came across in the equipment crates. I brought a few fishing kits, rods, reels and tackle. Perhaps we could do that when the heat of the day forces us to rest under a shade tree.” Steph said absently.

  Steph was in her glory. She had finally found a way to spend the entire day alone with Jaaza. Bringing the fishing gear was a stroke of genius. They had returned briefly to Romi’s house to retrieve the gear and headed back to the river. Jaaza picked a spot in the shade of a Canuck Tree. The Canuck Tree was a favorite of the people and animals. It grew tall and wide with broad leaves making for the best shaded areas around. The river was flowing calmer in this area near the town of Arklow. Jaaza explained that during the rainy season the river rose considerably but never threatened the village.

  Jaaza was a little uncomfortable with spending so much time alone with Steph but she was genuinely interested in the fishing gear Steph brought from Terra. She spread a blanket out on the riverbank and sat cross legged. She watched Steph take out the rods and reels, untangle the line and carefully tie hooks and sinkers on. Jaaza had helped dig up some rainworms that the locals used for bait. After putting them on the hooks and tossing them in the water Steph leaned back on her elbows and relaxed. “This is nice.” Steph proclaimed. Jaaza looked over at her and then back at the river. “Yes it is.” She agreed. Upriver Jaaza could see a group of children playing on the riverbank. “That reminds me of something we used to do as kids when I visited my grandmother.” Steph said. Jaaza looked puzzled. “What does?” Jaaza asked. “I’ll be right back.” Steph trotted down the main road and turned down the side street and out of sight. After a few minutes she returned with a rope and some pieces of leather. �
��Come help me.” She shouted over to Jaaza.

  She hadn’t climbed in a while but Steph shinnied up the tree and onto a thick branch hanging over the river. The children saw what was going on and came over to investigate. Steph tied the rope to the thick branch and tossed the rest of the rope down to Jaaza then climbed down. On the ground she tied the rope in a knot and wrapped it with the pieces of leather. When she was sure that it was secured properly she climbed up on the rope and allowed all her weight to be supported by it. Once up there she jumped up and down a few times to make sure the tree limb wouldn’t break under extra forces. It held perfectly as the children watched with fascination. Their looks of wonder turned to understanding and they began to cheer and shout.

  Steph swung from the rope back and forth over the water and when she finally got it high enough over the water she jumped off. The children clapped and asked if they could have a turn. “Please Jaaza can we have a turn? Please, please, please.” They shouted. Jaaza got up on the rope swing herself and jumped as hard as she could. The tree branch shook and the leaves rustled but it held with no problem at all. “Ok, if your mothers say its ok.” Jaaza answered. The children smiled from ear to ear and ran off back into town, Jaaza was smiling too. “That was very nice of you. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it.” Jaaza said. Steph brushed dirt from her hands. “I loved to visit my Nana when I was a kid. We had a rope swing just like that when I was young except it had a tire on the end.” “A tire?” Jaaza said looking puzzled. Steph tried to explain. “It’s a wheel made of rubber, oh I guess you don’t have any of those here. No matter… this works just fine too.” She climbed up onto the rope again and swung back over the water, with a whoop she jumped off into the river. Jaaza climbed up when she was done and they each took a few more turns. Eventually the children came running back up the road and started taking turns with the rope swing. Jaaza and Steph went back to their fishing rods. “That was a really nice thing you did there. You could have broken your neck climbing up there like that.” Jaaza gave Steph a big hug. “If they have half as many good memories as I do then it was all worth it.” Steph said. She really liked being close to Jaaza and she thought to herself that she would do almost anything to see that smile on her face again and get a nice warm hug. She wondered what it would take to get a warmer more passionate hug. She felt silly thinking of the extremes she was considering to impress a girl, how old was she anyway?

  Jaaza and Steph settled back down on their blanket to let the breeze dry them off. Jaaza was a little self-conscious that her clothes were stuck to her body and were almost transparent. It helped that Steph didn’t look too hard at her and just settled down beside her and closed her eyes. “It’s nice to go for a swim when it’s hot.” Steph finally commented. “Yes it is, hey I think you’ve got a bite.” Jaaza exclaimed. Steph jumped up and grabbed hold of the rod, there was indeed a fish on the line. She reeled it in and it gave a pretty good fight. Jaaza walked out into the water up to her calves and reached down and pulled out the fish. This new fishing equipment was more efficient than what she had used previously she thought.

  During the course of the day they caught a half dozen fish between the two of them. It was almost dinnertime and Jaaza was just about to take her line out of the water and pack up. She picked up her rod and realized that there was another fish on the line. She reeled it in and when it came close to shore Steph went out this time to get it. “Ow shit!” She shouted. When she reached down to pick up the fish it wriggled hard trying to escape the long hook embedded in its mouth. As it thrashed the hook slipped out of the fish’s mouth and into Steph’s hand. The fish was free and slipped out of her hands and went back into the water. Jaaza dropped the rod and quickly ran over to Steph. She cradled Steph’s hand in hers. The hooks barbs had embedded itself deeply into Stephs flesh. Steph’s hand was shaking. Jaaza looked into her eyes holding the hand firmly. “Don’t move you’ll just tear it out. Let’s get back into town and I’ll cut the barb off and it will slip out the way it went in.” Jaaza said gathering their gear and motioned for Steph to follow. Their first stop was at the metal workers shop where they used a pair of pliers to cut off the end and then pull the hook out. “Come with me and we’ll find some disinfectant.” Jaaza said. Steph liked that Jaaza took so much care to remove the barb without hurting her. They went over to the Medical Clinic where Jaaza went straight over to the cabinet and took out a brown bottle. She once more took Steph’s hand in hers. “We have been able to identify many medicinal plants here on Marcus II. This particular plant works very well as a tincture to prevent infection. Try to hold still while I pour some on, it will sting.” Jaaza warned.

  As she poured it onto the hand Steph made a hissing sound. She really wanted to cry out but she wanted to look strong in front of Jaaza. Jaaza smiled and looked into her eyes. “You took that pretty well. I expected you to scream bloody murder. I would have.” Jaaza said chuckling a little as she blotted the hand dry and wrapped it in a clean dressing. She held onto Steph’s hand much longer than was necessary. They both looked into each others’ eyes briefly but realized and abruptly looked away.

  In spite of the little trip to the Clinic the fishing excursion had been pleasant enough. They lounged along the river, caught a few fish but Steph thought the best part had been just spending time with Jaaza. They brought their catch to the cookhouse to add to the communal meal and headed for the shower. A small celebration after dinner highlighted the locals varied talents and always their sense of humor.

  Back at Romi’s house Steph and Jaaza had to share a room. Jaaza was not looking forward to doing that again. Last night they were so exhausted the confined quarters didn’t bother her much but tonight after a relaxing afternoon together on the riverbank… well that was going to be tough. Her senses had been filled with the scent of wildflowers, the river and Steph. Her skin smelled of Littlewood soap and her own unique brand of fragrance. Jaaza had a feeling sleep would be the last thing on her mind.

  After dinner Steph asked Jaaza if she would like to accompany her for a short walk to help with their digestion, besides you never knew what was lurking in the woods at night. Jaaza grudgingly agreed but the last thing she wanted was for something to happen to Steph. As they moved farther away from the light of the town the only thing they had to light their way was the glow of the moons. They were full and high tinged with purple and pink around the edge and pure white in the middle. The Oban bugs were chirping and the wind was a slightly rustling the trees.

  Steph stopped to gaze over the ravine. She reached out and took Jaaza’s hand. “I’ve had such a wonderful time today. I’ve very much enjoyed spending the day with you… I hope you did too.” She said. “It has been nice…” Jaaza started to say but her words were silenced as Steph leaned closer and kissed her… gently at first. When Jaaza didn’t protest or pull away Steph took a step closer and held Jaaza’s face between her hands. This time the kiss was more passionate and when she opened her mouth to deepen the kiss Jaaza stopped her and stepped back. “What’s wrong, did I do something to upset you? I’m sorry if I did. I was just having such a wonderful time with you. I didn’t want it to end just yet.” Steph said apologetically. Jaaza shook her head. “No you didn’t upset me per se but I would just rather our relationship stay a purely professional one.” Jaaza said. Steph looked down disappointed and a little embarrassed. “I’m sorry. Can I ask why? I find you very attractive and I thought you liked me too. I mean, I’ve seen how you look at me when you think I’m not looking. Did I misinterpret what I saw?” Steph asked looking at her with her eyebrows raised. Jaaza took a deep breath. “No you didn’t misunderstand. I do like you, probably more than I should but...” Steph stopped her there with a finger to her lips. “I’ve noticed that on this planet people have sexual relationships with both sexes, so it’s not that. Several of my team have had relationships with villagers and there seems to be no stigma. Your people seem to accept that readily enough. You say you like me and find me attrac
tive, so what’s the problem?” Steph asked. Jaaza shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t want to have what your people call a roll in the barn.” Jaaza confessed. Steph looked puzzled not quite sure what she meant. Then she chuckled when she realized she meant a roll in the hay. “You don’t want a casual relationship with me or with anyone?” Steph asked. “No I don’t, not with anyone. I don’t want to get attached to you and open my heart and have you go back to your ship and fly off never to be seen again.” Jaaza explained. Steph looked into Jaaza’s eyes. “It would have been wonderful I’m sure of it. Is there any way I can change your mind? Anything I can say or do?” Steph asked. Jaaza shook her head. “I don’t think so. I wish I could say that it was because of my mother’s status or it being inappropriate or something you could change. It’s what’s going on in here and here.” Jaaza pointed to her head and her heart. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I’ll take you back to Romi’s house.” They walked in silence, Steph wishing the whole time she could say something to change her mind. “There you go. You go in now I need to talk to Romi about something. I’ll be along soon, good night.” Jaaza said sternly. “Good night Jaaza, sweet dreams.”

  That was the last thing that would happen tonight. Instead of going to the living room where Romi was sure to be she went for a walk. Jaaza needed to clear her mind. She sat down on a bench at the edge of town. Jaaza sat there a long time she wished the showers were open. She could wash her worries down the drain even if it was with cold water. Cold water would cool her overheated body and mind. She sat there a long time trying to clear her head but somehow it wasn’t working. Frustration overtook her and she marched off into the woods. ~

  Steph was having no easier time than Jaaza at finding a way to settle her mind and get some sleep. She sat up on the chaise looking out the window at the moons waiting for Jaaza to come back. She worried about her. She would die if something happened to her because of what she’d done. She must have fallen asleep because she was suddenly awakened by the sound of footsteps in the hall. She sighed in relief when Jaaza came into the room carrying her shoes. Jaaza put her shoes down and stood looking at her for several minutes. Steph had closed her eyes at the sound of footsteps. Everything that needed to be said had been said. In all the time she’d been sitting alone in the dark she hadn’t been able to come up with one argument that would change things. It was best to just leave things as they were and hopefully they could still manage to be friends.