Allison struggled to help Mary into the rear cockpit. Her starfighter was not built to accommodate a pregnant woman. Well one that was near end of term anyway. She finally got her in and slid into her seat dropping her case and bag beside her seat. She didn’t even stop to get in her armor, so she was still in her school uniform. She was half tempted to do a blind wormhole jump. Almost two days in the cockpit was going to be nightmarish for poor Mary. They would have to use the emergency adult diapers.
“Bit are we good to go?”
Bit paused.
“Yes, but why do we have one and nine-tenths passengers?”
Allison smiled at that description.
“Bit, this is Mary, she is a citizen of the LSR that they requested we bring with us on our mission since she’s going to the same place as our package. What a happy coincidence.”
Bit sounded sarcastic as she spoke.
“Yes, such a coincidence, I wonder if it is also a coincidence that Colonial Defense is scrambling the alert civil defense squadron.”
Allison accelerated her pre-flight checks.
“Well, lets just hope we don’t run into whatever has them all scrambly.”
She lifted off. She was trying to be smooth with her flying. She’d usually go ballistic, but she went with a steady increase of elevation with her antigravs. Bit spoke.
“Oh, it would seem we are heading toward whatever has the civil defense squadron, ‘scrambly’ They are forming up behind us.”
Allison powered on the shields and made sure her inertial dampers were functioning. She glanced back at Mary. Who was looking pretty green, and more than a little frightened.
“I was hoping to do this the uh nice easy way, but we might have to do it the fast way, so hold on and please don’t throw up.”
The civil defense fighters formed around her and were trying to slow her down, they matched her pitch. The difference between Bit and them was, they were actual airplanes, they had no antigravs. They were just basically jet fighters. One of them opened up communications.
“Hello, Shadow One. You need to land. We have a report you’re kidnapping someone. Our scanners are showing you do have the individual on board.”
Allison spread her hands over her control surface. One on her pitch, the other on her graviton drive.
“The only people in this craft, are me and a citizen of the League of Sentient races. I have a diplomatic package and any interference with my mission would constitute interference with a diplomatic package. My orders are to make best possible speed to my destination, I have received no orders to the contrary, seems like there is a miscommunication.”
The captain, who Allison was familiar with because he had been her atmospheric flight instructor sighed.
“Come on, Shadow One give us a break, you know we need to disable you if you won’t land.”
The fighters targeted her.
“We can disable your engines without hurting you or your passengers, don’t make this a thing, please.”
Allison quirked her head to the side.
“Well, Red One, I’ll tell you what… I’ll land when you can catch me.”
She hit her pitch causing the fighter to pop vertically and then she hit her graviton drive. The civil defense fighters were caught unaware. She was careful not to put any of them in danger with her antics. She knew they were all experienced pilots and very good at their jobs. The fighters were buffeted by her going hypersonic suddenly. They hit their scramjets and afterburners but were forced to break off pursuit when the atmosphere became too thin to pursue her. They couldn’t even get a shot off. Red One, the squadron leader shook his head at her over their comm link.
“You and me, atmo fighters, holo-sim.”
Allison gave him a two fingered salute.
“Anytime Red One. Good try though, got about ten thousand feet higher than I thought you would. No starfighters?”
Red One shook his head.
“You’re clear. Only us air breathers. Safe journeys, Shadow One. Get your precious cargo home safe.”
Allison was already preparing for FTL. Mary was staring down at Eden. Allison glanced back at her.
“Everyone okay? You feeling alright?”
Mary nodded she kept staring at the planet below.
“The pastor lied… it’s not flat.”
Allison blinked a few times.
“What now?”
Mary pointed at Eden.
“He said the Earth was flat and covered in snow and ice. There is water…”
Allison rubbed her temple.
“Hon, that is the Planet Eden, we can’t even see Earth’s sun, it is millions of light years away. You were on Yellowstone, you travelled here…”
Mary looked like someone had just erased any bit of hope or faith she had left.
“Mary, I thought you understood, we are going to another planet.”
Mary looked at Allison.
“But I will get to keep my baby.”
Allison nodded.
“That’s signed and done. Alright, you have felt this before, but you haven’t seen it. I’m about to go to what we call FTL, faster than light. It means we’re moving faster then light can. You’ll feel like your stomach is back here at Eden for a while, but it will pass. If you are feeling sick use this. It will look like we’re flying through a long tunnel, it’s completely normal. I am going to go slow enough it safe for your baby.”
Allison handed her back one of the empty ration bags she hadn’t thrown out yet. Even at five light years per hour they reached interstellar space. Far away from the anomaly. Allison really didn’t want to go back in time with a pregnant woman to Ratoa. Their doctors were behind the League and the Alliance by quite a lot even now. She imagined leeches. She heard Mary coughing and gagging she eventually threw up into the bag. Allison took it and sealed it. While they were in transit she started preparing for the wormhole jump to the Ratoa sector. Beacon jumps were easy. Target it through the network and launch the wormhole. When they reached the jump point Allison glanced back.
“Okay, this is going to look weird. You won’t feel anything. One second we’re here, the next we’re there.”
Allison launched the wormhole once the projector was charged. She flew into the silver vortex. Mary screamed. Of course nothing happened, Allison hadn’t done anything stupid this time. Allison looked back while rubbing her ears.
“Feeling better?”
Mary looked around. In the distance Allison could see the staging area for the Ratoan defense fleet. She accelerated from the wormhole beacon to clear the space in case there was another incoming wormhole. She planned the trip in four legs. There were several commerce bases throughout the league. She scheduled stops at all for food and bathroom breaks. She thought better of her adult diaper idea. They were along their route and would add three hours to their two-day trip. The first stop was at the border of LSR space for five hours.
Allison initiated her next jump without answering the fleet inquires directly, she let Bit handle it. She was cleared for the trip, and she really didn’t want to debate the merits of the Mary thing with her Babu. She loved him to death and would love to see him, but she couldn’t risk landing on an SA ship. The fighter jumped to FTL. Bit spoke just after they entered the corridor.
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“Allison, I have a message from your Babu.”
Allison was busy plotting their next jump. Her plan was to have them all planned out so she could settle down to watch or read something without too much interruption besides stops.
“Put it on screen.”
Her Babu appeared in the top left corner of her 360 degree HUD. He looked upset and was speaking in Swahili.
“Allison, are you upset with me? This is the second time you’ve transited through the sector without stopping for a visit. I’m sorry about the Empress thing. Call me.”
Allison reached up and swept the image of her Babu away. He looked hurt and it made her feel bad. Thankfully she didn’t have to keep looking at it. Mary spoke quietly and she sounded a bit off. Allison assumed it was FTL not agreeing with her. She’d heard it was harder on pregnant women.
“Are you in trouble?”
Allison shook her head.
“No, yes, maybe. I’ve been in a rush when I’ve been going back and forth lately and I haven’t stopped to see him, or even called him. I’m kind of mad at him too.”
Mary seemed better for the distraction, so Allison didn’t dissuade her from asking more questions.
“Who is he?”
Allison glanced at her.
“Oh, my bab… my grandpa. It’s a whole thing that you really don’t want to know about. He did something, now I’m dealing with it, and it sucks. Sucks worse after today. You probably saved me a few awkward talks today.”
Mary shifted holding her belly.
“Oh, she’s kicking. Want to feel?”
Allison had no interest in feeling what she equated to a parasite squirming inside its host.
“Sorry, I need to pay attention to what I’m doing. It’s complicated.”
Mary fell silent and then spoke again.
“What did he do?”
Allison sighed.
“Do you know what arranged marriages are?”
Mary nodded.
“Yes, I was chosen to be one of the pastor’s wives.”
Allison thought: Of course he did, probably when you were… She let the thought fade as it reminded her of what her biological mother probably went through.
“Well, they want me to marry a prince. He is male, but he is not a man, and never will be. Anyway, he’s cute and honestly makes me feel like the most beautiful woman in the universe… but he can’t make a decision without a woman telling him what to do. Not attractive.”
Mary smiled.
“It is against the natural order. A man decides what his woman does. Why would the head of your family let you marry such a man?”
Allison let her hand fall from where she’d been programing in the last jump for their trip. She was starting to question leaving a child with Mary. She thought she’d gotten through to her with the whole you know you’re not on Earth and it’s not flat thing. She sighed.
“Do you know what a dowry is?”
Mary nodded.
“My bride-price was the pastor’s elder daughter to marry my father. She was quite wide in the hips.”
Allison tried very hard to hide the disgust in her voice as she responded.
“Well, they are offering their empire as my bride-price. They want me as their empress.”
Mary looked shocked.
“This is why the head of your family wishes it, it will make your family prosperous. You will be mother to emperors. How many wives does he have?”
Allison wasn’t even sure how to explain it.
“Uh, you… they… women there can have as many husbands as they want, men can only be… owned by one woman. It’s the opposite of everything you’re used to. Neither is for me. I don’t want children. I’m happy being just me, maybe having a boyfriend or husband but no thanks someone who can actually think for themselves so I don’t have to do everything. I don’t want to be empress of my own people, let alone someone else’s. And it doesn’t matter, legally I’m sixteen that is too young to get married or even considered having kids.”
Mary smiled.
“I was fourteen when I married Pastor.”
Allison sighed, she had made assumptions, but she didn’t need to actually hear confirmation of that. She despised the Sal’nash but apparently the universe had a sense of justice, too bad it was so imprecise.
“I’m sorry for what happened to you.”
Mary smiled.
“I will miss my husband and sister wives, but he will live on with our daughter. He was a good husband. He fed me and clothed me. Tended to my needs in body and spirit. Now my new father will do the same for our child and myself.”
Allison realized Mary was in for a rude surprise from the Silwrath. No one was passive in their relationships. It was common for life mates to literally butt heads and crash their horns together during an argument. They were stubborn to a fault. She’d heard a few Silwrath arguments between life mates in her condo. If she was on Eden she probably would have called CS officers. On Silwra she wasn’t sure if it was foreplay, or they couldn’t agree on what to eat for supper.
“Ah… well, umm, the Silwrath aren’t like us. They tend to… be equal partners, argumentative equal partners. Things are different where we are going.”
Mary rested her hands on her belly again.
“What is the new master of my home like? Have you met him?”
Allison nodded.
“Yes, we’re, uh… not friends, but something like, he is one of the most powerful men in the League. He is the commander of their military. He is old… at least six thousand years. He has red scales. His sister is their leader. He’s a good man from what I know. Protective of those around him. I don’t know him personally just… sort of business. I am going to owe him two favors now so that sucks, but at least you and your baby can stay together.”
Allison let her breath out slowly. She was so glad Robin got out of there before she was married off. She’d have a chance. Hopefully Mary’s daughter would have the same chance in the league.
“Why didn’t the other flying ships chase us?
Allison looked up from her school tablet where she’d been reviewing her reading assignments.
“They couldn’t. They can only fly in air… it is complicated. Let’s just say some fighters are meant to fly in the sky, others are meant to fly between the stars. They had no chance against my fighter, they knew it, I knew it. They still had to try it is their jobs. The one I was talking to taught me how to fly in atmosphere… air. So, I know him well.”
“Why didn’t star ships chase us?”
Allison glanced at her over her shoulder.
“Pretty good, but this is a starfighter. Starships are bigger… much bigger. Like Noah’s ark. And also complicated. Like your… planet, we could get attacked. So, if we get attacked, fighters like mine would go into space and fight up there. Fighters like those jets would fight if it was in the air. We are… so… ugg. So hard to explain this. There are two different militaries on Eden. The Colonial Defense Force, sometimes called Civil Defense…. And the one I’m part of, the actual Military. Someone called Colonial Services is in charge of Civil Defense forces so they can order them around. They cannot order people like me around, unless we’re specifically assigned to assist them. So… if this isn’t too complicated, they weren’t allowed to tell them to come after me. A good rule is space is us, ground and air is them. If they need back up they request it and we help…. ugg, never mind. I’m even boring myself.”
Allison went back to reading for her literature class she knew she was going to despise. It included Shakespeare, of all the things that vanished in the ice age, why couldn’t his plays have been included. She narrowed her eyes at the title. She had forgotten Mary was there because the girl had fallen silent.
“You have to be kidding me, of course its Julius Caesar. I cannot escape her!”
Mary was jolted out of her thoughts by Allison’s whining.
“Are you alright?”
Allison sighed.
“Yeah, sorry. Just… bad news.”
Bit spoke.
“Allison, Julius Caesar is considered by many a seminal work, not only does it give us an insight into Rome in Caesar’s time, but it is also a great work of fiction.”
Allison groaned.
“I have a feeling my Aunt Maria might disagree with that insight part… It’s just even in galactic basic it sounds like wordy gibberish. Romeo and Juliet was the worst.”
She put the back of her hand to her forehead and spoke in a mockingly overly dramatic tone, mimicking Besho’s over the top performance during her part of the play last year.
“O’, swear not by the moon, the inconsistent moon…”
Bit sounded amused.
“You mock it, yet you remember it.”
Allison’s face darkened.
“Only because if Besho had overacted it anymore she’d have fallen off the balcony set and broken her neck. I was hoping… Sadly, she lived and kissed my boyfriend. I know she had to sell she was trying to get poison from his lips, but was the tongue really necessary? Ugh. See, Shakespeare is the root of all evil. It’s been over a year, and I’m still pissed. I don’t even like Ajay anymore.”
Bit teased Allison further.
“It must have been a truly stunning performance to still evoke such strong feelings in you. I wish I had seen it.”
Allison rolled her eyes.
“No, you really don’t, Besho convinced Mrs. Gallagher I should play Friar Laurance because I was the tallest and most man-like. Stupid character had the most lines in the play. The costume was itchy, and I had to wear a bald cap. And I had a pillow stuffed under the top to make me rotund. It is an episode of my life I would rather forget.”
She grumbled.
“Julius Caesar… I bet I’m Caesar because they can stab me with real knives to make it look more realistic. Hey Allison, is a dhampir, she heals fast… let’s stab her for fun… Bit, why is murder illegal?”
The AI still sounded amused.
“Because it is a violation of the natural order. There are a great many religions that have variations of thou shall not kill, would you like me to describe each? Perhaps you would find it less irksome than Shakespeare.”
Allison flicked the play off of her tablet screen angrily.
“No, no thank you. I have a root canal scheduled for this afternoon.”
Allison looked back at Mary who was smiling. She shook her head and searched for something else to read.
“Lord of the Flies? That sounds disgusting. Is there a holo-movie version of that Bit?”
Bit pondered for a few moments.
“Yes, Winter Wolf is showing three historic movies, 1963, 1990, and a foreign language they haven’t translated yet, 1975. There is a holo-mini-series released in 2787, and a modern reimaging from 2898, instead of an island, it is a planet with… giant flies, finally, a scene for scene holo-recreation of the 1990 version, critics say, ‘Spectacular, with robot victims, it is much more visceral’, from 2903. When we are in contact with Alliance-Net would you like me to download any of them.”
Allison thought about which would be best.
“2903. I have no idea who the victims are but, old movies look so fake.”
“I have added it to the list. Will you be making contact at our next stop?”
Allison shook her head.
“And give them a chance to tell me I have to turn back? Hell no. We’re in this now. What do we have saved?”
Bit sounded amused when she responded.
“Oh, this sounds positively funny, ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. Would you be frightened of a vampire slayer named Buffy, Allison?”
Allison shrugged.
“I’d be frightened of anyone named Buffy. Growing up with a name like that has got to leave someone just the slightest bit unhinged. Wait… isn’t that the one with the ugly face vampires? So fake. Whatever, roll it. Play sound in cockpit please, so Mary can hear what’s going on.”
Mary was just quietly listening to the two converse. Her eyes held many questions, but she seemed content with being amused by their banter.