[8]
He was a big man with a barrel chest and a loud, jolly laugh. John Koenig could not help thinking, regardless of their abduction, that in another life - and as young men attending university - he and the Scot might have been friends.
His name was MacDonald and he was the leader of their clan. "We are not animals!" he had said and he treated their guests well, all things considered. He brought the lost trio to his home, to a cave that was surprisingly warm and hospitable. The Scotsmen fed them and, strangely, did not seem overly concerned or curious about their strange clothing or manners. All that truly matter to MacDonald was the ransom he would get for his 'English prisoners'.
Helena, who had felt better after her initial treatment, was now beginning to fade again. She checked her temperature just before they sat down for supper. It was on the rise once again. Koenig sat beside her at the long table.
Cellini sat across from Helena, keeping a worried eye on her. John, his best friend on Alpha, cared for this woman and that was enough for Tony. The very idea of losing her and perhaps even Koenig terrified him. He had already lost one crew and he would do everything in his power not to lose another.
"Tis twenty five years since our victory at Bannockburn! A toast! King Robert Bruce and Bannockburn!" MacDonald exclaimed.
It was Helena, while checking her temperature, who noticed that their wrist monitors were turning themselves off and on. This surprised the Commander. He and Cellini hit on it at the same time. Alpha was trying to make contact.
What happened next was a whirlwind of mistaken identity, accusation and absurd declarations. Some of the clan alleged the Alphans were witches! Then, when Helena nearly passed out at the supper table, the illness getting the best of her, MacDonald found himself convinced their guests had the Black Plague.
The good humor from their host completely vanished. He had the three pushed and pulled to a dank portion of the cave and cuffed to a rough wall. He decided that burning them and their corruption was their best option.
"It's not the plague! She can be cured!" Koenig shouted.
"There is only one cure for the pestilence." MacDonald replied, tossing his torch into the dry wood lying at their feet.
Koenig looked over at Helena, his eyes wet with tears which came from both the acrid smoke and his own grief. She was nearly dead now, holding on by a mere thread, her weak body barely able to stand upright. The Commander remembered his earlier vow, how he held her and promised himself they had a future together.
They could not have come this far to be stopped now!
Unwilling to touch a potential plague carrier, MacDonald's people never took Helena's wrist monitor. Koenig, with a renewed vigor, reached over and began to tap a code, one he was trained to use as an astronaut cadet. He was choking as he relentlessly tapped away, silently praying for he and his friends safe return to Moonbase Alpha.
He heard Cellini coughing and crying out as the flames encroached. It was too late, Koenig knew. His code was not being received. Then they disappeared. Koenig could no longer see Cellini or Helena. He was falling into an abyss. Dying or already dead …
[]
There was an odd antiseptic smell as he awoke and something uncomfortable was strapped to his face. He vaguely recalled an out of body experience, as if he was floating, but he also remembered pain in his lungs, He could not breathe and his throat felt as if it might melt. He had been holding Helena's hand, trying desperately to get his message across, and she slipped away from him and he felt a deep, profound loss. She was gone and he had failed …
"He's breathing fine. We can remove it now."
The oxygen mask was taken away as he awoke and became conscious of his surroundings. Was that Dr. Mathias who spoke? He was in Medical Center; lying in a bed, wearing pajamas, lightly covered with a blanket … It had worked! They were back and …
Helena. He reared up in bed, panicked, sitting up.
"It's alright, John. She's right over there." A slender hand waved in the direction where another blanketed form lay, asleep. An oxygen mask, which was also being removed by a nurse, also had been strapped to her face, along with an IV needle embedded into her arm. She seemed so frail and still. "She's going to be fine. Right, Bob?"
Still slightly groggy it was only at the last moment that Koenig realized the second voice was that of a woman and he looked at her. Marcia. She was sitting at his bedside, a hand on his arm, comforting.
"Yes, you got her to us just in time, Commander." Mathis said, "I would hate to think what might have happened if we hadn't of traced you and brought you back when we did. Even only a few more minutes might have been fatal for not just Helena but for both you and Cellini."
"Tony … he's okay?" At Mathias' nod, Koenig then asked, "Texas City?" His voice, dry and reverberating, was hardly his own.
"They're gone." Marcia said. "Cellini gave Command Center a full report. He was the only one of you three who was conscious when you returned and even he didn't look good when I last saw him."
"He needed oxygen as well." Mathias confirmed, "But while we were cleaning you and Helena up, preparing you for bed and clearing her lungs, he ran straight to Command Center and said goodbye for you to Texas City. He then stuck around to tell Verdeschi and Carter what had happened. I had Dr. Vincent follow him and he reported back with the story of how you survived." Mathias then smiled, "Scotland in thirteen thirty nine! That is amazing, Commander! It must have been terrifying but he said if it wasn't for your leadership, quick thinking, and your clever use of Morse Code, the three of you would not have survived."
"He is being overly kind." Koenig murmured, remembering the flames and his own final panic as he tapped out the code on Helena's wrist monitor. Helena. Once again he looked over at her. If she had died he was not altogether certain he would have wanted to return to Moonbase Alpha. With a great effort, John tried hard to focus on the man and woman beside him.
"How do you feel, darling?" Marcia asked.
He squared his shoulders, "Throat is sore and a little shortness of breath, but otherwise I'm fine."
"Smoke inhalation." Mathias said, "All three of you had it." He looked over at Dr. Russell, "She was the worst, of course, with pneumonia and dehydration added into the mix."
"But she will recover. You're sure?" Koenig pressed. He had never been more frightened in his life than when he thought she had died.
"John," Marcia reached for his hand and smiled, gently. "Honestly, Helena will be up and about in a couple days. She's strong."
He looked at Marcia and was stunned by her kindness, reassurance, and the complete lack of disdain in her manner. She was well, no signs of her earlier battle with his double, the bruises now hidden under her uniform and high necked collar. Her ash blond hair was loose, skimming her shoulders, and she glowed in a way that denoted confidence and a peaceful spirit.
Koenig watched as she looked up at Bob and indicated he should leave them for a bit.
"Call me if you need me." Mathias said and retreated into his office.
"We need to talk, John." She said, "I'm sorry to do this to you right now, when you're not at your best, but I think it will be the only time in the next few weeks when we will have a chance to speak privately." Marcia picked up a folder which had been lying on his bedside table, "I'd like you to sign these." She said, opening the folder.
"What is this?" he asked, taking the pen she passed to him.
"Our divorce papers, darling." There was no anger or sarcasm in her voice. She was quite business like.
"Marcia, I …"
She placed a tray over his lap. "It's okay, John." She encouraged, "What we had was lovely but it's over. It's time to move on." She glanced over at Helena then back at Koenig, "The only thing I ask is that you let everyone believe that this was entirely my idea, the divorce I mean." She chuckled ever so slightly at his dumbfounded expression, "However, I do have a few addendums." She flipped a page. "I get to keep our currently quarters – it's huge and, quite frankly, I think I deserve it – and I'm going back to my maiden name. And I want you to give me a new title."
"A title?"
"I am to be Alpha's official Entertainment Coordinator; a sort of outer space social secretary. It's what I do and I think we can both agree that I do it well." She spread the papers before him on the tray, "I am also going to start working in the engineering department. Emil Trez and I have a presentation for you and, John, you really must seriously consider it. But don't fret just yet …" She lifted a hand to stop the question he no doubt was going to ask. "We are still preparing and you won't see our efforts for at least a month."
He signed as she watched, "I'll consider anything you show me, Marcia, but I can't guarantee …"
"Honestly John, it is brilliant if I do say so myself. The plan will be the morale booster this base sorely needs. Especially now, when we missed an opportunity to go home and, in the foreseeable future, we are still on the rejection side of having children. Your people require something to look forward to, John, and Emil and I plan to give it to them."
He blinked, unsure but pleased by Marcia's new outlook. On Earth she had been a mover and shaker. She was very likable and, while it took a while for it to take hold here on the moon, he knew she would do well. Still, he had to wonder, what or who had happened to her while he was gone?
"Mrs. Koenig." A nurse approached, "Here is your refill. I am sorry it took so long." She presented a bottle of pills to Marcia.
She looked at the young woman as if insulted, "Oh no, I won't need those." Marcia waved the nurse away, "Those things just dull the mind."
Koenig smiled mildly, proud of her.
Marcia glanced again at the sleeping Helena as she gathered the paperwork Koenig had just signed. Envious, stuffing the folder, she wondered how the woman manage to look so good even while recovering from a near death experience. "I'll file this myself, John."
Before she left, Koenig reached over and took Marcia's hand. He squeezed it gently. "I really am sorry. You believe that, don't you?"
"I do, darling." She squeezed back, "And we will always be friends." Then to add reassurance she said, "When she's better I'm going to talk with Dr. Russell about being trained as a counselor. There are so many sad people on this base, John. They just need someone to talk to, a person to sympathize with their troubles." Marcia leaned down and gently kissed him on the cheek, "No hard feelings." Then, she whispered in his ear - "Find happiness, Commander."
Marcia stood, winked at him, then turned and made her exit.
Koenig stared at the closed door. He had no idea what had changed but whatever it was he once again had to thank the universe and the mysterious entity that watched over fools and moonbase Commanders.
He then looked once again at Helena as she slept. "Get better." John whispered and reclined again in his own bed. He fell asleep within minutes.
[]
A week later Helena was better, the color had returned to her cheeks, her smile was bright and true, and there was no sign of infection. She wanted to go back to work but Bob advised one more day of bed rest. She was back in her own quarters now and, in this case, Helena was happy to comply. After all, her last day of freedom coincided with John Koenig's day off.
He had told her about Marcia, the divorce, and his ex-wife's new lease on life.
It was a fortunate turn of events but John made it crystal clear to Helena that Marcia lowering the boom on him would not have made a difference. He loved her, Dr. Helena Russell, and planned to be with her for the rest of his life, even before Marcia took the initiative. He and Marcia were never meant to be, John said as he had in the past, and it still astounded him how - in the scheme of things – he and Helena had been consigned together in the deep depths of space.
She was not too hard to convince. What had Victor said? 'The cosmos has a way of making corrections.'
Emil Trez had come to visit Helena in Medical Center during her recovery. He had explained about the new love of his life and he hoped Helena would not feel offended if he abandoned her and started a fresh, exciting relationship with another woman. Helena nearly laughed at the shyness in his expression, the utter shame, feeling he could be breaking her heart. With a kind nod, Helena told him she completely understood and asked who the lucky lady was.
Emil was not specific but said, "She's beautiful, smart and absolutely astounding!" He then said, almost mysteriously: "My good fortune is also your good fortune, Helena." Then gently, Trez kissed her on the cheek and said goodbye as he exited the medical unit.
Helena, of course, would understand what he meant later.
She and John wasted no time. On their day off together they talked of their present and future and made love nearly all day and practically into the night.
In bed, she asked him: "So, when do we officially come out to our people?" She was exhausted and spoke humorously, with a drowsy smile.
"I want to keep it to ourselves for a while." he whispered. Koenig had sincerely thought about it but he wanted what was comfortable for Helena. Running fingers through her hair, completely at peace for the first time since walking into the moonbase all those months ago, Koenig said: "I'm taking you to Alan and Regina's wedding."
She looked up at him and smiled. Yes, that would be perfect.
[]
He stood to the back of the reception hall, as he often did during functions like this, and drank his champagne or whatever it really was, quietly observing the celebration.
During the ceremony Regina had been lovely, looking up at Carter with the true love of a young woman who could never imagine her existence with any other man in her life. Carter smiled at her, gazing deeply into her eyes, holding her hands as Captain Genevieve Maloney – a mechanic and ordained minister - read from the Bible, quoting verses she thought appropriate.
When it was all over, when they had kissed and turned, the audience clapped.
Marcia stood, wearing a low-cut mauve gown, and announced the reception was in the Level D auditorium and they expected one and all to be there to watch the newly married couple dance their first dance as husband and wife.
It was odd to see Marcia, intent in her duty, without John by her side. Yet, it also somehow seemed perfectly right to see John sitting next to Helena Russell in the spectators seats.
She approached him during the reception, her shimmering green gown a match for her sparkling eyes. It had been two weeks since their return from Earth and while he had a chance to speak with John, Cellini and Helena had hardly exchanged five words with one another.
"You look beautiful" he told her because it was true. "Almost as lovely as the bride."
They turned to look at Regina, wearing white, giggling with Yasko and Alibe.
"Thank you." Helena said with a smile, holding her own glass. "And you are looking quite dapper if a little lonely."
"Wasn't always that way." He said. Cellini looked over at John Koenig who was talking with Tony Verdeschi and Alan Carter. The men were laughing at something witty Verdeschi had said. "I think the three of them, along with you, are going to keep this moonbase alive and well for years to come."
"And you." said Helena.
"Oh, no. Not me." Cellini smiled a little sadly, "Too many demons … Too many uncertainties."
Helena thought deeply before she said, "If it's any consolation, Tony …" She looked slightly embarrassed down at her glass, "I think you are a good man and I respect you. I hope you will accept my apology for some of the things I said – and thought."
"I am no longer a suppressed hysteric?" He lifted a hand to prevent her from answering. "I ask for forgiveness for being so glib. Sometimes I cannot help myself." He sighed, "I appreciate that, Helena. Truly." He looked over her shoulder at Koenig as he approached behind her, "And I wish you two the best. A long life. Love."
Cellini nodded at John and quietly retreated.
Koenig put his hands on Helena's bare shoulders and watched Cellini deposit his glass on a side table then walk from the room. "What was that all about?" he asked.
"He has a lot on his mind." Helena murmured, "Too much I think. One day I'm going to talk with him again about what happened on that awful Ultra Probe mission. But this time I'll be his opened minded friend and not a doctor." She shook off an odd impending feeling of doom then turned and looked up at Koenig. "I thought coming to this wedding and reception together might upset and concern so many. But no one seems to really care."
Koenig said, "I think it helps that Marcia and Trez have been parading themselves about like teenage love birds for the last few days. She's never looked happier and more radiant."
Helena chuckled and reached for his hands, "And why should she be unhappy? She has the best quarters on Moonbase Alpha.'" Helena moved in a little closer to Koenig, "Which has me thinking that perhaps you should remove yourself from that closet you've been sleeping in and adopt a better place to live."
"Any suggestions?" he caught.
"As Alpha's CMO my place is quite roomy. Perhaps enough for two?"
"I'm an old fashion guy, Helena." Koenig chuckled, "You are not suggesting we live in sin, are you?"
Helena smiled as his hands released hers and moved to hold her in his arms, "That is something I think we can talk about at length this evening. Sin. Bliss. Matrimony. And even children …"
"Children?" he asked.
"One day we'll have to let it happen, John. No matter the risk. None of us are getting any younger."
Yes, he thought. Their survival was important but what was the point if they died out as a race because the time never seemed right enough to have children? It was something they would have to revisit and very soon.
He and Helena watched as Carter walked over to his wife and kissed her soundly on the lips. He then lifted Regina off her feet, the group about them chuckling, and carried her to the dance floor.
Love. Laughter. Children and more. All would end well.
They would make it happen.
[]
In another life, a different dimension, in an alternate world where everything was the same but different - life moved on.
They sat on the sofa, warmth in their attachment, the empty bottle of wine turned upside down in the thinning ice. Both were exhausted, a little light-headed, and would soon have to turn in. Yet, it was just so nice to be together, no emergencies, no fear, merely content in a company that was trusted and loved.
Eyes closed, a gentle music played on her stereo system.
Koenig whispered, "Tony told me he and Maya want to enter their names into the 'baby lottery'."
Helena, who was resting against him, her head on his black-sleeved shoulder, nodded. "Maya told me the same thing."
"Do you think her alien physiology will cause a problem?"
"I'm not sure yet." Helena murmured, "That may be something we will have to watch very carefully."
John lifted a hand and very gently touched her jaw, "And what about you?"
She looked up and met his eyes, "I've thought about it but it's not something we've really discussed, is it?"
"Not in detail."
"Do you want to submit our names?"
He paused but only for a moment. "Yes."
"Really?" She pulled back a bit, suddenly curious. Helena was a little astonished, unsure if John Koenig felt himself ready for such a step.
"But only if you want to." he added, "After all, you're the one that's going to be doing all the hard work." He reminded, smiling softly.
"Maybe initially, but you will have your turn, Commander, if it happens at all."
They looked at one another for a long moment, drinking in what they were proposing. A family.
"I would love to have your baby, John." she said and leaned forward to gently touch his lips with hers.
And we will get married, Koenig thought. After all, he was a rather old fashion type of guy.
The future was now.
[]
THE END
Jan-Feb 2013
Thanks so much everyone for sticking with this fiction.
I do hope you enjoyed it and please comment, let me know what you thought of ONWARD.
AFL
