Perri smoothed out a wrinkle on the collar of Nic’s Red Battalion off-duty uniform. All GDF soldiers were required to wear them on shore leave; they consisted of the usual GDF gray camo pattern with a single red chevron embroidered over the heart. “You have a thing,” he murmured, plucking a fuzzy spot of lint out of Perri’s blond hair. In the closeness, they stole a kiss, a quick peck on the lips.
“If you two amorous simians are through grooming each other,” said Maqsud, “shall we disembark?”
“We gotta find you a girlfriend, buddy,” says Nic.
“A bit presumptuous of you...”
Nic shrugged. “Or a boyfriend. You never said—”
“That I would need your assistance.”
“What’s wrong with havin’ a wingman or two?” Jarek asked. “Besides, ladies love a man in uniform. Let me and Nic set you up with a local cutie!”
“Actually, Jarek, you’re going to have to play solo wingman today,” says Nic. “I have a date.”
“You do?” Perri gasped. “With who?”
Nic grinned. “Very funny. Come on, we’re gonna be late. I made us a reservation.”
***
The planet’s capital, simply named Kullervo City, was a tight cluster of skyscrapers jutting out of an otherwise pristine jungle. Nic was still used to living in cramped ships and in the underground city at Paradigm Prep. Seeing the skyscrapers, he craned his neck to get a better look, full of awe at their towering height as the squad approached on the spaceport train. The group parted ways at the train stop and Nic and Perri boarded a tram.
On the tram ride to the restaurant, Nic learned that it never snowed on Planet Kullervo, not even at the poles. He believed it. A thick blanket of humidity trapped the sweltering thirty-six-degree heat close to the ground. Their uniforms’ climate control tech could only do so much, but thankfully, the patio where they dined had aircon-equipped tables and chairs. The two of them enjoyed a private breakfast together—which, locally, was lunch.
“How do you say it again?” Perri asked, dabbing her mouth with her napkin.
“Shakshuka,” Nic answered. “At least, I think that’s how you pronounce it. The waiter understood me.”
“Shakshuka. I’ll have to remember that. That was amazing!” She reached out across the table and took his hand. “I know we don’t get a ton of time on these leaves. It was sweet of you to set aside this time for just the two of us. Thank you.”
“Of course. I’m happy to be here with you. Just the two of us.” He polished off his sweating glass of ice water. “I’m just honored that you would even come on this date with me, considering the awesome alternative you had.”
“Babysitting Jarek and Max while they get drunk at some vineyard?” she snorted.
“Yeah. I’m sure you’re missing one of Max’s primo political rants right about now. I know how much you enjoy those.”
“Yeah, good point.” They shared a laugh. “I love you. Don’t ever lose that sense of humor, okay?”
“I love you, too. And I’ll do my best.” Nic’s holophone pinged in his pocket—an alarm for the next activity he had planned. “Oh, we’re needed across town. Right this way.” He stood and beckoned for her to follow.
“Oh? Where to next?”
“It’s a surprise.” He led her by the hand away from the coolness of the patio and onto the rippling heat of the concrete beyond.
They boarded another tram that whisked them across the city. Dozens of pedestrians crowded the sidewalks, dressed in hooded eco-robes that blasted cooling air, made the heat more livable. Nic realized how spoiled he was living in habs and ships his whole life; terraformed colonies were freeing in many regards, but he’d grown accustomed to pinpoint-accurate temperature and humidity settings. Terraforming was still far from an exact science all these centuries later.
The tram had aircon, too, but there was only standing room left. Nic grasped a handhold with his left hand, his right arm wrapped protectively around Perri. She rested her head against his chest. For a moment, if he closed his eyes, it felt like another one of those peaceful moments they shared every morning before he remembered the world.
Then the tram turned abruptly and jostled them, breaking the illusion.
The transport dropped them off in front of a store labeled TERRAN GIFTS. Through the glass windows, still a fragile rarity in Nic’s eyes, he could see shelves lined with oddities from a bygone era—wooden clubs for a sport called baseball, brass tea kettles, and even multicolored puzzle cubes likely made of genuine petroplastic to give them a classic feel.
“A novelty shop!” Perri swooned. “You remembered I wanted a souvenir?”
“Not just that,” Nic replied. “They have something else you might like.”
“You don’t mean...”
Nic nodded. “I checked. They sell records here.” Her eyes widened. “Just try to contain your exci—”
She collided with him in a forceful hug. “No.”
“Fair enough,” he laughed.
As Perri browsed their terraplastic stands stacked with records, most recreated from the twentieth century for added authenticity, Nic whipped out his holophone behind her back and typed out a message.
NIC Please tell me you guys are on your way. JAREK Not yet. Wrappign up at the vinyard NIC We have a dinner res in two hours. All four of us. I need you to distract her for a while so I can get her another surprise. JAREK I gotchu NIC There’s a spaceflight museum eight klicks across town. I’ll ping it on your map. Take her there for like half an hour and I’ll meet up with you guys. NIC But you gotta mobilize ASAP. JAREK Doin my best bro I we’ll get on the nextg tram JAREK And your not gonna belive this JAREK Max is wasted
“Everything okay?” Perri asked, and Nic crammed his holophone back into his pocket.
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“Yeah,” he answered, “just getting updates from the guys.”
“Are they sloshed?”
“Extremely.”
Perri rolled her eyes in a boys-will-be-boys sort of way as she picked up a record with care. “I guess that’s what happens when WorldGov lowers the drinking age. As long as they’re having fun...”
“Yeah.” Come on, Nic thought. I have to time this just right. The jeweler closes soon!
***
It all went off without a hitch, Max and Jarek’s sobrieties notwithstanding. They were elated to see Perri and Nic, and Perri found their antics highly entertaining as they entered the spaceflight museum. There were exhibits depicting the inception of spaceflight back on Earth, all the way up through terraforming tech, Wargame-era ships, and even the redesigned GDF vessels. There was plenty to keep the three of them busy while Nic shopped. “I’m getting her a necklace,” Nic lied to Jarek. “But keep it a surprise.”
This way, even if Jarek spilled the beans, he would only be divulging the cover story.
“May I help you find anything, sir?” asked the jeweler when Nic entered. She had geometric designs shaved into her close-cropped hair, her wide ears crowded with gold jewelry. Pointed, gold-rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of her upturned nose.
The shop had a very retro, antique design, which meant its wares would not come cheap. Rows of necklaces and bracelets sat in fragile glass cases at the counter area. There were wooden racks of earrings and other accessories flanking the entrance. But it was the rings that caught his eye.
“Yeah. I, um...” Nic cleared his throat. “I’m looking for a necklace and an engagement ring.”
“Oh, how exciting! Any aesthetics in mind? What gender is your partner?”
His heart raced, his mouth suddenly dry. The gravity of the situation was thrilling and nerve-racking all at once. “She, um... Well, she. And she typically likes girly things. And more traditional, like Earth-style.”
“Gotcha. Well, for the rings, we have three tiers here with different price points.” She took out a collapsible rack from behind the counter that put three rows of rings on display between them. “The bottom shelf is your basic stuff, and that’ll range from ten thousand to twenty thousand. Lab-made, nothing fancy. Your mid-tier is in the thirty thousand range with some larger stones, asteroid-mined, and pure metal rings. But if you really want to wow her, our classical options come in the fifty thousand plus range, with diamonds sourced from ice giants or terrestrial planetary mining. You really can’t put a price on a moment like this, right?”
“Uh... Yeah.” Nic took a glance at his holophone, checking his funds.
GDF PERSONAL ACCT BAL: 11,821.1C
“Thank you for your service, by the way,” said the jeweler, apparently taking notice of Nic’s uniform.
“Oh... Yeah, you’re welcome.” Nic never knew what to say when people told him that. “Listen, my, um, funds are kind of tied up at the moment. I was hoping to get something for around ten thousand credits if possible. And then a necklace on the more affordable end.”
“Ten thousand?” The jeweler looked down at him over her gold-rimmed glasses. “That limits your options. Here, these are the only ones we have in that price range.” With a tap of a switch behind the counter, three holographic prices materialized, hovering over three bottom-shelf rings in jade-green light.
Nic wished he could have gotten more Wargame victories under his belt. Fifty thousand credits for a few hours of SimSuit combat... He didn’t know how good he had it. “I’ll take this one,” he said. I just hope this is the right one.
***
The white sun was high in the sky when Team Scarlet’s dinner reservations were ready. Nic had gotten them all a table at Kullervo City’s most expensive restaurant, which just so happened to offer complimentary meals for active GDF service members. It was a chance for them to enjoy some quality food before a few more weeks or months of mostly military rations. Perri, Jarek, and Maqsud were all waiting for Nic at the entrance to the restaurant when he disembarked his tram.
“Whatcha got there?” Perri asked him, seeing the jeweler’s opaque bag in his hand.
“It’s a surprise,” Nic replied with a coy grin. “Let’s head in, guys.”
“Not sure how hungry I’m feelin’ now,” Jarek groaned. “Think there was somethin’ funny in that wine that’s makin’ me feel... sub-optimal...”
“It’s a chemical substance found in wine that can have psychotropic depressant effects on your central nervous system,” Maqsud slurred as they entered the restaurant. “Acquired during fermentation.”
“You for real?”
“Alcohol.”
“Oh...” This elicited a laugh from Jarek. “Man, shut up. Smartass.”
The interior of the restaurant was significantly darker and about twenty degrees cooler than outside. Wax candles burned in sconces and quiet, classical Earth music played from unseen speakers. The entire atmosphere inside was noticeably hushed compared to the hustle and bustle just past the doors.
Enjoying a nice meal in the cool shade with his girlfriend and the two best friends he had in the whole galaxy—it was the perfect place for Nic to pop the question. He could imagine the other restaurant patrons clapping tastefully when Perri said yes. Against all odds, everything throughout the day had come together perfectly. All for this moment.
“Team Scarlet, party of four?” asked the hostess with a cheery smile. “Thank you for your service, lady and gentlemen. Right this way.”
You’ve got to be kidding me, Nic thought.
“Aw, crap,” Jarek sighed.
“Impeccable timing,” said Maqsud. “Ma’am, please cancel our reservation. We’re needed elsewhere at once.”
“Oh,” said the hostess, returning to her stand. She gave a polite smile. “Very good, sir. I wish you safe travels and another successful mission.”
“Well,” Perri sighed, “at least we got to have our date earlier. Right?” She smiled sadly up at Nic, whipping out her holophone.
Nic clenched his teeth, trying not to let the full force of his frustration show, lest he ruin the surprise. I’ll have to ask her another time. “Let’s go, guys. Duty calls.”