Previously:
HMS Andromeda, Mothership Class Spacecraft, Milky Way Galaxy, December 2118
She shut her eyes to stop her tears. When she calmed herself and opened them again she took in his blond hair, his handsome face and his bare chest that was still firm and toned.
"I love you Matthew," she said with conviction. "I won't rest until I bring you back. We're going to be together, darling, just like we always talked about. You have my word."
She got up and checked over the instruments, making sure that all of the readings were within acceptable ranges. Satisfied, she pressed a kiss to the glass above his face and drew away, taking one last look at him before she left and headed back to her quarters.
Chapter 2:
HMS Andromeda, Mothership Class Spacecraft, Milky Way Galaxy, December 2118
"Tom, where are my sapphire earrings?" Sybil grumbled, hunting uselessly through her jewellery box. "Fuck, we're going to be late."
"If only there was a way to organize all of your clothes and jewellery so they could be easily retrieved on command," Tom mused before turning to the console on the wall of his closet. "My officer's pin and cufflinks, please."
The requested items soon appeared on the tray below and he slipped them on easily, smirking over at his wife all the while.
"Ask the computer if you're getting any sex tonight," she retorted.
His face fell.
She set her jewellery box aside and got up to go to her own closet, a frown on her face. Tonight's dinner with the crew from the Iron Duke was one of those official ceremonial events that she normally detested, since it took her away from the Infirmary. Even when she had a rare evening to herself, she preferred to spend it with family and friends rather than officer duties. Still, having been in space for over two months now since their last leave, any distraction was welcome. Her efforts to convince Mary to allow the crew time off when they reached Jocasta were taking hold, or so she thought, but the planet was still another week away. A chance to mingle and let loose a little bit was most welcome.
"Argh, the hell!" she snapped, glancing around her closet for the sixth time and not seeing her earrings anywhere. She wasn't normally fussed about her appearance but her navy dress – the first dress she bought in ages – looked amazing with her sapphire necklace and earrings and she didn't want to go through the exercise of finding a new set of jewellery to wear, particularly since the necklace in question was already adorned about her neck and looked spectacular.
"Here they are, love," he called softly, standing in the doorway, the earrings resting in his open palm.
She blinked and stared at him before snatching them from his grasp. "Where did you find them?"
"I was hanging on to them," he admitted, smiling sheepishly. "I was hoping to put them on you."
She rolled her eyes. "Tom, honestly."
A small smile graced her lips as she handed them back to her husband and turned away. She swept her long brown hair aside and laughed a bit at the sound of his audible groan at the sight of her bare skin.
He reached up and placed each earring in her delicate lobes, kissing her shoulders lightly after completing his task. His hands swept across her waist and he held her close against him.
"Come on, we can't be late," she smiled, turning her head and kissing him. "Don't you want to show off your wife to the visiting crew, Mr Branson?"
"I quite like having her all to myself, actually," he replied.
She laughed, squeezing his hands. "All right, maybe I will consider reviewing that whole 'no-sex' thing when we come back."
His face lit up and he stepped away, offering her his arm.
She rolled her eyes and placed her gloved hand in the crook of his elbow, the two of them leaving their chambers and heading off for the reception hall.
"You're really geared up for this, aren't you?" he noted, smiling at her as they went.
"Of course, I am. Aren't you?" she asked. "It should be fun."
He shrugged. "There's some good lads over there, but nobody I'm very close to. I don't know, just still doesn't really seem right to be going to something like this without Matthew. He was the one who always got me through them."
She sighed. "A lot of things don't feel right without Matthew."
He looked at her cautiously. "Love, you're doing all you can."
She nodded. "I know. It's not enough, though, is it? I met with Mary this morning to tell her about what I'll need when we get to Jocasta and she was just gutted. I don't think she realized how difficult it will be until I set it all out for her."
"She knew the odds were long from the beginning, we all did," he stated. "If it was easy we would have brought him back by now."
"That doesn't give her much comfort, I imagine. It doesn't give me any," she grumbled.
"You miss him," he nodded. "So do I."
She sighed and remained quiet.
"When he wakes up, he's going to take the mick out of you for spending so much time and energy on him, you know that?" he smiled, trying to lighten her mood. "Give you a right scolding, he will."
"I've got plenty to say to him when he wakes up, too, so he can bring it on," she promised.
The couple stepped into the lift for the short trip to the rear of the ship.
"I tell you, I still watch the video sometimes because I can't figure it out for the life of me. I banked at the right moment and came around at the apex. There's no way he should have had the speed to pass me on the outside. Even the telemetry said so. Our velocities were identical."
Alex sipped his drink and nodded. He had heard this same complaint so many times that he could recite it from memory. The race itself was years old now, but everyone still talked about it fondly, which was what bothered Charles the most. Charles hated losing at anything, and losing to Matthew made it even worse, even if it was just a supposedly friendly race among cadets.
"He was just lucky, Charles. That's all," Alex remarked, not wanting to even have this discussion, though it didn't surprise him that they were.
The man sighed and shook his head before sipping his drink. "Well, you have to be good to be lucky, right? I miss him, Alex. He was always so annoyingly smug, but I could count on him for anything, even when we were posted to different ships. He redid our squadron formations at least a dozen times in the last few years just because I asked him to take a look. Didn't give me any stick about it. Not once."
Alex just nodded.
"To Matthew," Charles said quietly, raising his glass.
"To Matthew," Alex echoed, raising his own glass and finishing his drink.
"Well, how are you doing?" Charles asked, noticeably more cheerful. "Life must be good. Your wife is absolutely stunning. I don't meant to speak out of turn, my friend, but she is even more beautiful today than she was on your wedding day."
"Thank you," Alex smiled. "Don't mention it again."
Charles laughed. "You've been outbound for a while now, though. When's the last time you had leave?"
"A few months, yes," Alex agreed. "We're on a Mothership. It isn't as if we're lacking for anything."
"She's a jewel," Charles nodded. "I'm looking forward to dinner. Captain keeps us on a strict diet on the Iron Duke."
Alex chuckled. "Tony hasn't changed at all, then?"
Charles shrugged. "Still a bit of a stickler for the rules, at least in some things. He hasn't shut up about Lady Mary since we were called to the sector. Any chance she'll take pity on him so the rest of us can have a bit of peace?"
Alex glanced across the room to where Mary was standing with Anna and some other crew. A tall, thin man with a rakish nose, close-set dark eyes and a strangely organized mess of curly brown hair stood next to her, his hands clasped behind his back. "None, I'd say. Doesn't he know she isn't interested?"
Charles shook his head and waved a waiter over to refresh their drinks. "They've known each other since they were kids. I'm afraid he doesn't look at her in terms of whether she's interested or not. To him, it's only a matter of time."
Alex rolled his eyes. "Well, I'll be glad to see you off and on your way, then, so that my Captain can have some peace."
Charles smiled and nodded. "Alex, we all can't have what you have. Out here, it's not like being back home. There's your crew, people on your base, people you see at different outposts, but there's never enough time to develop anything meaningful before we're back out on patrol, back off to another encounter, back off to work. Tony's awkward, but I give him credit for knowing himself. He'd rather chase after what he knows than some dream on a faraway planet. It's not the craziest idea, really."
Alex frowned. "Maybe not, when you put it that way, but he'll get nowhere with Mary."
"He likes the chase," Charles laughed. "Makes him feel alive. Can't say I blame him for that. Anyway, it's a party tonight. One never knows what happens after a few drinks."
Dinner was soon served and the two crews sat down to enjoy the meal together. Though it was a formal gathering with everyone dressed in their finery, the reception hall filled with banter and laughter shortly after the guests were all seated. Despite the ability to send messages across the stars and receive news from Earth at the speed of thought, life on a spacecraft was often isolated and solitary in the void of the galaxy. Meeting up with fellow humans was sometimes a rare pleasure and enjoying a good meal – a tradition that went back millennia – filled them all with good spirits.
"I was noting to Lady Edith that the new engine specifications have increased our top-end speed," Tony Foyle, Captain of the Iron Duke, remarked, looking over at Mary while nodding across the table towards her sister. "It only works for short bursts, of course, but sometimes that can make all the difference when in pursuit."
"We can sustain the advantage for longer, although it would only do us good on longer jumps," Edith replied, setting her wine glass down. "I was going to suggest it for the middle part of our trip to Jocasta."
Mary nodded, considering her advice. She appreciated Edith taking on Tony for a while to give her a break from him, but this information about increasing the efficiency of the engines interested her greatly. Being able to travel faster meant she would be at Jocasta sooner and closer to the ridiculously complicated antidote for Matthew. Her conversation with Sybil earlier had darkened her mood, but the light banter, liberal serving of drinks, and now this news brightened her considerably.
"I look forward to trying it," Mary said carefully, smiling at Edith. "So long as it doesn't cause any problems."
"Oh, you'll be fine," Tony smiled. "If you run adrift, call and we'll be there to come to your aid."
"One would think that you're tracking our movements to hear such talk, Captain," Mary smirked, the buzz of the food and drink loosening her tongue. "Must we be in peril to merit a visit?"
Tony smiled and shook his head. "Not at all, Mary. However, I learned long ago not to push my presence upon you, lest it earn me a taste of your infamous temper."
She blinked in surprise at his answer. "I hardly think I was ever so terrible."
"You were never so terrible to others, no, but then others were smart enough to know when not to mess with you, weren't they?" Tony remarked easily. "Here we are decades later and foolish Tony Foyle is still wandering the galaxy hoping for but a kind word from you."
She blushed at his self-deprecation. This wasn't like him at all. She reached for more wine to give herself time before replying. Those seated around them surreptitiously returned to their own conversations, either out of pity for Tony's begging, or out of respect for Mary having to endure him. "Careful, Captain. Your crew will not let you forget that you once called yourself a fool."
"Ah, but they have long reconciled that they are led by a fool," Tony shrugged. "Look around you. They are all enjoying your wonderful hospitality, but they are eager to return to my ship and be on our way. The further we are from you, the more normal I become, or so they hope."
She laughed and sipped her wine. "It must have been some time since last we visited, Tony, for this is indeed a new side of you. I can't say it will earn you anything more than a kind word from me, but I am enjoying it immensely."
He nodded and sipped his own drink, taking her jibe in stride.
"Your wife would like a dance, Lieutenant Commander," Anna smiled, winking at her husband.
"It would be my honour, Commander Smith," Alex nodded before rising from his chair and extending his hand to her. "If only to protect you from all these leering ruffians around us."
She laughed and followed him out to the dance floor, settling in his hold and turning about slowly. "No one's leering at me. Don't be stupid. Some of the waitresses around here are prettier than I am."
"Not from what I can see, and really, love, you aren't exactly able to tell what goes through the mind of a man," he replied, smiling down at her. Even with her high-heeled boots, the difference in height between them was close to six inches.
She looked at him curiously. "You don't think I can tell when a man is leering at me, do you? I've been putting up with your inappropriate stares for over three years now."
"Exactly. It's easy enough when you already know how obsessed I am with you. These other guys are different but make no mistake, they are all checking you out," he replied easily.
"Stop it," she scolded him, a warmth spreading through her stomach as they danced. "Mary and her sisters are the glamorous ones. I'm just me."
He grinned, shaking his head at how a woman wearing her blonde hair gathered across one shoulder, diamonds on her ears, neck and wrists, and a black strapless dress with a rather daring leg slit could consider herself not glamourous.
"Fine," he relented. "You don't bother thinking about all the men looking at you and just focus on me. I prefer it that way."
She smiled and kissed him lightly.
"Mary's going to give the crew shore leave when we reach Jocasta," she informed him. "She thinks everyone could use it."
"She's right," he nodded. "I'm glad she listened to you and Sybil."
"It's not entirely without motive," she whispered. "We have a mission and the more crew are seen leaving, the easier it will be."
"A mission?" he questioned. "Am I going to even want to know what is involved?"
"That's classified until we reach the planet, Lieutenant Commander," she teased. "However, what I can tell you is that it does involve me wearing a bathing suit."
His eyebrows immediately rose. "Sounds like my kind of mission."
She grinned as they kept dancing.
"How is Mary? She's gamely tolerating Tony, I see," he continued.
"She's having a good time," she answered. "You know Mary. She always makes the most of any situation. For tonight, she doesn't have to be on the bridge, doesn't have to deal with anything except good food, good wine, and hopefully, good conversation. Tony may be a lot of things, but he's good for a decent chat, at least."
"I see," he nodded.
She laughed. "Hon, sometimes a girl just wants to unwind. A few drinks, some dancing, even a bit of flirting. It's all harmless. Tony and his crew are all leaving after this anyway. She was never going to just be formal and reserved for the entire night."
"And what about you?" he challenged. "Are you looking for a bit of harmless fun tonight?"
"I'm looking for a lot more than a bit," she shot back.
"I have to go back to my ship, I'm afraid," Tony sighed, glancing at his watch. "There are instructions that the staff require before the next shift changes."
"You can't delegate that to Charles or anyone else? Surely a Captain needn't do everything?" Mary smiled, sipping another glass of wine.
He smiled. "I'm afraid not. It's been a lovely evening, Mary. I'll quit while I'm ahead."
"Nonsense," she scoffed. "You can use the secure channel in my quarters to give your orders. There's no need to shuttle back just for that."
"Ah, that would work," he nodded. "I'll just go and find Edith and she can accompany us."
"Why? She and Bertie never get a proper evening out since they work in different departments. Let her have this time to herself. Are you afraid to be alone with me, Tony?" she smirked.
He swallowed. "No, not at all. I just assumed you would want a chaperone."
She laughed and took his arm. "Come. I know I have nothing to fear from you."
He led her out of the reception hall. Sybil and Edith both glanced over curiously as they passed but Mary reassured them with a simple nod of her head. They were out the door and headed for the lift soon afterwards.
The Captain's quarters were near the front of the ship, in a forward deck so that it was easily accessible to the command bridge. Mary and Tony spent the short trek there filling each other in on their families back home. The Foyles and Crawleys went back generations, all the way to the eighteenth century. Growing up, she and Tony were both well-drilled in their family history since it ran so much in step with the fortunes of their country, particularly in the last millennium. They were both born in England and had done their schooling there, but left Earth shortly afterwards, and had spent nearly half their lives onboard spacecraft. Their existence bore little resemblance to the staid way of life of their aristocratic ancestors, but as Mary always liked to say, they still shared the same blood all these centuries later. She took pride in coming from the House of Grantham, even if such a title was more a token now than anything else.
"Here we are," Mary declared, leading him into her suite of rooms. "You can use that terminal there. Secure channel for Captain Foyle to the Iron Duke, full encryption."
The computer confirmed her command and she went over to the bar to pour them drinks while he spoke to his staff. Fixing a gin and tonic for herself and a whiskey and water for him. She smiled watching the liquid swirl in the glasses. It had been a surprisingly long time since she was able to just enjoy an evening like this one. Most formal gatherings between officers were tired and ceremonial. This was far more fun than she originally predicted and she was glad for it. Smiling over at Tony, she brought their drinks to the sofa and sat down to wait for him.
He seemed particularly serious, one hand on his chin while the other moved in the air as he gave his orders. She admired him for a moment. He had always been handsome, that was never in question. While he was a bit too persistent in his attentions, she considered him harmless ultimately. Certainly, she had put up with worse men vying for her attention in the past.
"Thank you, Mary," he smiled once he was finished. He joined her on the sofa and took the offered drink. Clinking glasses with her, he watched her closely while he took his first sip.
"Ah, I should show you this," she laughed, reaching for her tablet. She brought up a video and played it for him.
"Yorkshire," he smiled, looking at the images of an English countryside. "When was this? 21st century?"
"Early 20th," she nodded. "I've been researching it a bit, just having a peek at what life was like so long ago. It was quite incredible what they considered luxury back then, I must say."
He nodded. "Yes, your family would have been quite prestigious at that time."
"As was yours," she added.
"Mine was never nearly as esteemed as yours, though," he laughed, handing the tablet back to her. He coughed suddenly when her hand brushed against his.
"What's wrong, Tony?" she arched her eyebrow. "Nervous about being alone with a woman in her quarters?"
"You always make me nervous, Mary," he admitted. "Especially when you seem so uncharacteristically agreeable towards me."
"I'm entertaining an old friend," she noted. "I am pleased to see you, Tony. I'm always pleased to see you."
He grinned. "But not pleased enough to see me more often."
She glanced down at her glass. "No, I'm afraid not, at least not in the way you would like. Sometimes, I wish that I was, as difficult as I'm sure it is for you to believe that. Sometimes, I wish that I did not resist your advances so strongly."
He blinked in shock. "Mary."
She turned and looked at him, sighing when she saw the hope in his eyes.
"Why do you resist me?" he asked quietly. "I know you must have had other men ask you in the past. The fact that you remain unattached has always given me hope, I admit. I know that you love command, you love your ship and your life here, but it's a lonely life, Mary. Surely, you must see that?"
She tried to dissuade him with a glare but it wasn't nearly as pointed as she intended. "It's the life I've chosen, Tony. People…many people…depend upon me. I can't turn my back on them and leave."
"You aren't forever bound to this, Mary," he shook his head. "There was a Captain here before you and there will be another after you. Life goes on."
She cringed. "And what about you? Could you leave the Iron Duke so easily?"
He nodded without hesitation. "Say the word and I'll request a transfer. I'll join your crew gladly."
She smiled wryly and shook her head. "You know that's not what I meant."
"And you know it is what I meant," he replied. His hands reached out and took hold of hers. She swallowed and stared at the gesture, not pulling away.
"You aren't ready for such drastic change in your life, I understand that," he said softly. "We could be so very happy if you'd let us. I know it. I've known it for years."
"I hoped in all that time you would have found someone else," she said.
"You didn't," he stated. "I would have heard if you had."
She looked away from him. Flexing her fingers, she still didn't take back her hands.
"You know that I'm in love with you, Mary," he pressed. "I know the mere fact won't persuade you. Take as much time as you like, I can wait. So long as you're mine in the end."
"I can't promise you that," she shook her head.
"What do you need from me?" he asked, bringing her hand to his lips. "If not my devotion, what else? You're lonely here. Your sisters. Your Commander. They all have husbands. They all have someone to turn to, someone to keep them warm. I know how it feels to have no one. I know how it feels when you just want to forget for a little while."
Her breath caught. "Tonight has been lovely, but I can't pretend that real life doesn't follow me wherever I go."
"Tonight isn't over yet," he remarked. "Just sit back and let someone else take care of you for a change. No one has to know, Mary. No one would believe it anyway."
He leaned towards her and her eyes widened as her pulse jumped.
"Tony, stop," she hissed, yanking her hands back.
He grunted and stood up quickly, taking a few steps away from her.
She rose to follow him. "It's not that you've done anything wrong. It's just that…"
"It's just that you don't want me," he smiled sadly. "I know."
Her chest tightened. "Let's head back, shall we?"
He pursed his lips and gestured towards the door. "Of course."
She watched his shoulders slump as he headed out ahead of her.
They were silent all the way back to the reception hall and though he remained at her side for the rest of the party, their conversation was decidedly more impersonal. She soon lost herself in conversation with her sisters and other officers from Tony's crew. The sense of disappointment that hit her earlier in her quarters did not return until the evening was over and Tony gave her a brief goodbye before taking a shuttle with his crew back to his ship.
Jocasta, Milky Way Galaxy, January 2119
When the first human spacecraft ventured beyond the Solar System, progress was slow and measured. The masses were not quite ready to trust in ultra-lightspeed space travel or settling distant planets. The early bases and colonies, even those on Jupiter and circulating nearby moons were mainly military or science outposts.
It wasn't until private corporations began seeing space travel as a profit generating machine that true progress was made. It was no longer a novelty to go out into space. The galaxy became a vast expanse of opportunity, and the colonies a chance to begin life anew. The early settlers received vast subsidies to pick up and leave Earth and put down roots on some far-off world. Companies battled to be the official sponsors and providers to these small communities in the stars, and gradually, human life expanded. There were very few inhabitable worlds at first, the colonies were largely collections of domed habitats transported and built around whatever spacecraft brought them there. As planets that could sustain human life were discovered, more and more people left Earth, and the colonies became less and less military or science-focused, and became fully-functioning cities.
Jocasta began as a playground for the wealthy. Its tropical climate and expansive seas made it an ideal vacation destination, even if it was quite far from Earth. Located at a central nexus point for many of the trade routes used by Earth spacecraft, it was now a popular destination for tourists and soldiers alike, even attracting aliens capable of surviving in its warm temperatures.
When the HMS Andromeda docked at the main port, there were steady lines to disembark. Most of the crew would spend their leave on the beaches and in the resorts, gambling at the casinos and swimming in the crystal blue water. Mary watched from the viewscreens in the Infirmary, a smile on her lips. She had spent a few wild shore leaves on Jocasta over the years, but this trip was strictly business.
She turned away from the images of her crew departing the ship and looked back at the scan on another screen.
"There's no need for you to be here, you know," Sybil called, coming out of her office. "Anna and Alex won't be back for hours yet."
"Are you trying to get rid of me, darling?" Mary joked, smiling at her youngest sister.
"No, I love how often you come visiting, but I don't want you to drive yourself mad for waiting, either," Sybil replied, coming to her side.
Mary simply nodded and looked back at the scan. "It hasn't gotten any worse, has it? I thought it was just above his knees."
Sybil shook her head and looked at the scan. A dark red covered Matthew's legs, showing how far the venom had progressed while he lay in stasis. "It was always around mid-thigh. It hasn't moved any higher, though, which is a good thing. He would be risking paralysis otherwise."
Mary frowned before turning away from the scan. "Are we ready with everything else?"
"Everything else is in plentiful supply," Sybil nodded, watching her sister carefully. "The active ingredient – supposedly – can only be harvested here, and only underwater. So long as they get it here shortly after retrieval, we'll have our antidote today."
Mary took a deep breath. This was the day. She scarcely could believe it.
"Darling, you do understand this is all entirely theoretical, don't you?" Sybil said slowly. "We've identified different components that we think will accelerate his cell regeneration and supress the poison to innocuous levels, but we can't know for certain."
"I know that, Sybil," Mary retorted. "We have to try. That's all there is to it."
"And we will," Sybil assured her, touching her arm. "Just be realistic, please. I love him, too. I miss him, too. I want to see him wake up today but there's no guarantee that will happen."
"If he doesn't wake up, we'll move on to New Byzantium and we'll research the next lead, and the next lead after that," Mary declared. "There's no use dwelling on probabilities. We'll keep trying until we get it done. That's it."
Sybil nodded. "Of course, we will. Now, go and try to relax, please? That's an order from the Chief Medical Officer. Run one of your programs, just don't use one that I'm in. That's too creepy."
Mary rolled her eyes and smiled. "Let me know the moment Anna is back."
"She'll tell you before she tells me," Sybil shrugged. "Go on."
Mary squeezed her sister's hand in thanks and left the Infirmary.
Anna smiled and leaned back in her chair, her dark sunglasses covering her eyes. Her hair was loose for once, splayed down past her pale shoulders. She wondered how much colour she might pick up during their short stay on this sun drenched world. Her English skin didn't tan very well in general, but she liked a bit of tinge every so often. Alex's skin was always darker than hers, and even though she didn't particularly mind the contrast, she thought she resembled a bit of a ghost sometimes next to him.
"Two hands on the wheel, hon," she noted pointedly as his hand crept along her thigh.
"I've got it all under control, love," he answered, his fingers massaging her skin and drawing nearer to her bikini bottoms.
"I'll bet," she smirked. "Focus, please."
"You know, I could just put it on autopilot and that would free up both of my hands for other pursuits," he teased, quirking his eyebrows at her knowingly.
She rolled her eyes. "Just once I'd like to see you actually drive something yourself without assistance."
He glared at her. "You did not just say that!"
She grinned and laughed as he flicked the autopilot on, unbuckled his restraints and pounced on her.
"So typical. Can't do anything with your own two hands! Aah! Alex!" she yelped, laughing as he tickled her. They ended up curled together in her chair, lying back as he trapped her in his old and his fingers flew beneath her bathing suit.
"Behave! Alex!" she commanded, laughing all the while.
"You wear this to a mission and you expect me to behave myself?" he sputtered, kissing her neck.
"You're supposed to be above distractions, Lieutenant Commander," she giggled, succeeding in pining him to the chair and straddling his lap. "Now behave."
He frowned petulantly and looked up at her. "Fine."
"Good," she smirked before leaning down and kissing him. "How's this? The sooner we get these plants for Sybil, the sooner we'll officially be on leave?"
"I like the way you think," he smiled against her lips, bucking his hips up against hers.
She hummed pleasantly and swiped her tongue across his mouth before she got up and took his seat in the pilot's chair.
"We're almost at the site," she declared. "Let's get suited up."
He watched as she got up and headed to the back of the boat. To anyone looking in, they were just a couple out for an underwater swim. While there was nothing particularly illegal or wrong about harvesting plants from the sea, the fewer people asking questions about what they were doing and why, the better.
When the boat came to a halt, he joined his wife in the back. They quickly donned wetsuits and goggles before heading out on to the deck. Confirming there were no other craft or swimmers in the immediate area, they slipped into the warm water and got their bearings.
"Testing on frequency seven," he called, snapping his headset into place.
"Frequency seven, confirmed," she replied. "Let's go."
They were beneath the water in an instant, their ventilators firmly secured across their mouths. Alex swam along the stern side and retrieved the two containers and brought one over to Anna. Together they dove towards the target site, the sun above providing plenty of light.
Unlike on Earth, the waters of Jocasta remained warm to a considerable depth. There were predators and large underwater beasts who inhabited the seas, but they tended to ignore humans unless they engaged them first. Sport fishing was tolerated, though no one dared to venture too far out to take on any of the more monstrous species. Here in the secluded inlet that Sybil had identified, there was nothing more than schools of fish swimming past as they dove deeper.
The plants they were looking for grew in bunches, and thankfully were not found only on the sea floor. They soon reached beds of vegetation on rocky outcroppings and plateaus and went about the task of plucking the specific blooms that Sybil was looking for. The seeds were quite delicate, and they sometimes disintegrated in their hands. After a half hour, they filled one container. An hour later, they had the second full.
"Let's hope this works," Alex muttered, motioning for them to surface.
Anna nodded and followed him up. There were colourful fish swirling around them, and the sunlight revealed a vast underwater playground to discover. Now wasn't the time for sightseeing, however. They had precious cargo to deliver.
Mary watched the video transmission while Anna and Alex collected the plants. She was already waiting in the Infirmary when the blooms were delivered, and she stood off to the side as Sybil processed them and went about the task of extracting the seeds, grinding them down into a paste and adding that last component to the solution she had made earlier. The ship was virtually empty, the crew dismissed long ago, anyone left onboard remaining in their quarters. There would be no interruptions. All that was left now was to finish the concoction and administer it.
The alien venom that had almost killed Matthew had no known antidote. Even worse, it behaved differently depending on the physiology of its victim. As it had no effect on the Tenshi and several other advanced races, they had never bothered to commit any resources to studying it or coming up with a cure. A poison that was fatal to humans and few others across the galaxy was never going to be anyone else's concern.
Her mind drifted as she waited for Sybil. Matthew was always so meticulous and careful, especially whenever they left the ship. She had replayed the scene so many times, recreating it from dozens of angles. There were so many variables – the wind speed, the temperature, the density of the air. Any change in over a dozen factors and the dart would have fallen harmlessly before reaching him, or flown on a different course entirely. The satisfaction of seeing the terrorist shot was short-lived. The damage was already done.
"Mary, we're ready," Sybil called.
Mary shook her head, her vision coming back into focus as she looked at her sister. Nodding, she went over to the panel and scanned her hand and eyes. The doors opened and they passed into Matthew's chamber once again.
"He'll remain in stasis when we administer the antidote, but we'll be able to tell if it takes or not through monitoring his cell counts and observing the interactions at the injection site," Sybil explained. "Once the antidote is introduced into his system, the response should be quick."
Mary stood a distance away, not wanting to get too close. Sybil placed the cartridges into the machine and programmed the robots. During simulations the antidote had been aggressive and quite successful, but that was in a controlled environment using data to predict the outcome. This was far more real.
Her eyes travelled up to the large display above Matthew's pod. Even at a cellular level, the venom seemed evil and dangerous, a mass of pulsing malevolence filling any space it could.
"Ready over here," Sybil called.
Mary said a silent prayer. "Do it."
The familiar whirring of the robotic arms reached her ears as she watched the needles insert into Matthew's calves and the antidote injected into his body. On the screen, the area was flooded with new cells that quickly attached themselves to the venom and attempted to smother it.
She knew it wouldn't work almost immediately.
The antidote was aggressive and correctly identified the poison in his system. However, it did nothing more than cover up the dark cells, and only temporarily. As time passed, the dark cells strengthened in colour and shape, until they returned to their previous form, the antidote washed away.
"It's not strong enough," Sybil muttered, examining the readings on her tablet. "There's an initial positive reaction, but it isn't sustained."
She glanced up and looked behind her.
Mary was already gone.
Royal Star Navy Shipyards, Govan, Glasgow, Scotland, May 2110
Matthew stood anxiously in the assembly area, his eyes trained on the grey behemoth beyond the windows, tethered by what seemed to be ridiculously flimsy wires and bridges. He tried to calm himself by reciting statistics and specifications on the spacecraft from memory, but that only served to make him more nervous, imagining all of that power at his command.
He allowed a small smile to cross his lips. Command. His command. A brand new, freshly commissioned spaceship, and it was all his.
"Good morning, Commander."
He blinked and turned in the direction of the familiar voice. His eyes widened as he looked at a lean woman nearly as tall as he was, wearing a similar uniform. Her hair was tied in its usual braid, which ran across one shoulder and swept past her chest. Her dark eyes were playful and bright, and his pulse jumped at the sight of her usual smirk gracing her full lips.
"Mary!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
Mary smiled and nodded. "Don't worry. I haven't come to undo your good work of the other night. I meant what I said. I'm very happy for you, Matthew."
He smiled sheepishly. "Thank you. I'm still shocked to see you. You must have been up before the first cadets."
She laughed. "They were rather surprised to see me. I think they thought they were in for a scolding seeing an officer pass by them during their calisthenics."
"And you enjoyed putting them off balance a little bit, I'm sure," he chuckled.
She shrugged. "I can't let them get too comfortable, now. We can't all be jetting off to the stars like you."
He shook his head. "You'll be shipping off soon enough. Sybil told me that you've been offered the Phaedra when it returns in a few months."
She nodded. "I'm considering it. Escorting a science vessel isn't exactly what I want, but it might lead to better things."
He smiled in understanding. "Mary, I see nothing but better things in store for you."
She smiled and looked down for a moment. "I wanted to give you this."
She reached into her purse and retrieved a stuffed toy dog and handed it to him. He looked at it in surprise, turning it over in his gloved hands.
"It's my lucky charm," she explained. "I've had it always. Papa gave each of us one. It's quite vintage, actually. Made by hand, if you can believe it. So, you must promise to bring it back without a scratch."
He nodded and looked at her closely. "Won't you need it?"
"Not as much as you," she shook her head. "Escorting a science vessel is nothing compared to patrolling disputed space. So look after it, please."
He slipped the dog into his coat pocket. "I'll try and not blow up the ship, if that's what you're afraid of. You know how these missions go. We beat our chests and make bold statements, but no one pays too much attention to human ships. We're just out there for show," he assured her.
"We're fighting a war, Matthew," she reminded him. "Regardless of what our role is, you're viewed as the enemy up there. Remember that and just come back safe and sound."
He nodded. "Let me know when your position is made official. Maybe we can meet up at some point."
She smiled at that, despite alarms ringing in her head warning her not to encourage him too much. "I'd like that."
"As would I," he nodded.
The bells chimed above them and the other officers and crew gathered in the area began collecting their things and saying their final goodbyes to friends and loved ones.
"Well, you had best get going," she struggled. "Where's Lavinia?"
He coughed, covering his mouth for a moment. "Oh, I told her to stay home. She's not really a morning person and she finds all of this a bit boring anyway."
She nodded slowly before reaching out and brushing her hand across the stars on his shoulder. "Well, goodbye then, Matthew. Such good luck."
He reached up and covered her hand with his.
She swallowed and looked up into his blue eyes.
"Don't I get a kiss farewell, Mary?" he asked softly.
Her breath caught. "Maybe just a small one."
He smiled and leaned towards her.
She lifted her head and parted her lips, ignoring the screams in her mind.
His mouth captured hers and pressed against her, their lips coming together easily. She breathed in and his scent seemed to crawl beneath her skin, if it wasn't there already. She felt his tongue slowly trace her lower lip and she opened her mouth, licking him teasingly before drawing back.
"Goodbye, Mary," he whispered.
She blinked. "Goodbye, Matthew."
He squeezed her hand one last time and turned away, adjusting his officer's hat before heading down the moving sidewalk towards the bridge to this ship.
She slowly made her way over to the window, her eyes never leaving his form as he grew smaller and smaller the closer he got to the spacecraft. When he reached the portal on the other side, she thought he turned around to look back at her for a moment just before he disappeared.
She remained standing there until the spaceship eased away from the dock and floated up to the sky. Not until it left the atmosphere did she finally turn away and head back to her quarters.
Jocasta, Milky Way Galaxy, January 2119
"Mary? Mary?"
Mary blinked several times and sat up, the Royal Star Navy Shipyards fading away and her quarters appearing all around her. She took a deep breath and removed the virtual reality headset, putting it down on the side table. Taking a moment to steady herself, she rose and went to the door. Edith was standing in the hall when they parted.
"Edith," Mary said in confusion. "What are you doing here? You and Bertie are supposed to be on leave for another two days."
"Sybil told me what happened," Edith explained, coming into her sister's quarters.
Mary sighed and followed her through to the living room. "She shouldn't have mentioned anything."
"She didn't want to. I badgered her until she confessed," Edith informed her.
"You are rather good at that," Mary remarked, going over to the bar and fetching two juices for them. She handed the glass to her sister and went to sit down on the sofa.
"How are you?" Edith asked, coming over and sitting next to her.
Mary shook her head. "It was always a long shot, just a theory, really. Still, in the moment before we administered the antidote, I couldn't help but hope."
Edith nodded.
"This is all his fault, you know?" Mary said bitterly. "He didn't keep a proper lookout, wasn't paying attention to the people around him and didn't bring enough crew to secure the area sufficiently."
"He trusted in the local authorities, which is what we're trained to do," Edith replied.
"Well that was stupid, wasn't it?" Mary scoffed.
"Many things could have gone differently, yes," Edith allowed. "There's no use dwelling on any of that, though."
Mary sighed tiredly and sipped her juice.
"Papa wants to speak to us," Edith mentioned carefully.
Mary frowned. "What? How did you find that out?"
"He contacted me looking for you," Edith replied.
Mary glanced at the virtual reality headset. "I wasn't to be disturbed. What does he want? We're on leave."
"He said it was important," Edith noted, watching as Mary went over to her control panel on her desk.
"Everything to him is important, unless it doesn't involve him, of course," Mary complained. She entered in a code and turned to look at the screen on the opposite wall of the room.
'Please continue to hold for Admiral Robert Crawley,' the computer voice chirped.
Mary rolled her eyes and looked over at Edith knowingly.
"Ah, Mary! Edith! Hello, girls!" Robert Crawley exclaimed, smiling benevolently when his image appeared on the screen. He was seated at his desk, as usual, his hands clasped together in front of him.
"Hello, Papa," Mary nodded.
"Hello, Papa," Edith echoed.
"What is this about?" Mary asked.
"Can't a father reach out and see how his girls are doing?" he asked innocently.
"Papa," Mary rolled her eyes.
"Yes, well I was reviewing Edith's report on the new engine upgrades. Most impressive," he nodded, picking up his tablet.
Edith smiled.
"Yes, we're all very proud," Mary shook her head. "Was that all?"
"I want you to present your findings at a symposium on Beta 15 next week," Robert declared. "There's some buzz building over these upgrades and the more engineers we can have onside, the easier it will be to push through the retrofit plan that I've proposed to Parliament."
"We're due in New Byzantium next week for a survey and review of their immigration issues," Mary replied. "Edith can send the data over for someone else to present."
"Mary, it's better if she is there in person," Robert shook his head. "We need you and your senior staff to make an appearance so we're seen to be friendly and engaged. Sending the data implies that we don't really care."
"We don't." Mary retorted. Glancing over at Edith's wistful expression, she shook her head and continued. "We care, but not that much, not enough to change our plans."
"A survey and review are hardly pressing matters," Robert frowned. "The New Byzantium government will likely appreciate having extra time to prepare for you. I'll have my office reschedule you for next month and you can go to Beta 15."
"Papa, no," Mary stated firmly. "This visit to New Byzantium has been organized for weeks in advance."
"It will still be there next month, Mary," Robert nodded. "Edith, send me your presentation notes beforehand."
"Yes, Papa," Edith mumbled.
The screen went blank before Mary could say anything further.
"Unbelievable, and yet entirely not so," Mary muttered, shaking her head and seething at the screen.
"You could have told him the real reason why you're so eager to get to New Byzantium," Edith suggested.
"Are you completely insane?" Mary huffed. "Papa would be livid if he found out, which is why you won't say a word."
"Of course, I won't mention anything," Edith answered. "But Mary, Papa considered Matthew family, too. He would be supportive."
"Until he thought about the optics involved and how it might be viewed by people in Parliament and anyone else he wants to impress," Mary disagreed. "I can't risk it, Edith. Until we bring him back, no one is to know beyond our circle."
Edith nodded.
"Get out of here. Go on," Mary urged her. "We'll be shipping out for Beta 15 before you know it. Enjoy the rest of your leave while you still can."
"Will you be all right?" Edith asked, rising to her feet.
"I'm fine," Mary nodded.
She gave her sister a quick kiss on the cheek before Edith left her quarters. Gritting her teeth, she carried her empty glass back over to the bar, resisting the urge to launch it at the wall.
"Beta 15, hey?" Tom noted, lying down on the lounge chair and sipping his drink. "That sounds boring enough."
"Don't worry. I doubt that they'll want you to speak at the symposium," Alex replied, smiling as he watched Anna and Sybil playing volleyball against two other crew members on the beach. Despite being scantily clad and soaking up the sun, the two women were fiercely competitive and they celebrated when Sybil cranked a shot down to the sand. Before the next serve, the whispered strategy to each other, taking what should have been a casual game quite seriously.
"So your mission was a success, I heard," Tom noted.
Alex frowned. "We found what we were looking for, but it didn't make any difference."
Tom nodded. "What do you think you would do if something happened to Anna? Would you go to all of this same effort?"
Alex took a deep breath, watching his wife dig a ball up just before it hit the sand and recover in time to jump up and spike the ball into the open court off a set from Sybil. "It's different, isn't it? Mary's the Captain. She has more resources available to her than I would. I know what I would want to do, but we all accept the risks when we sign up, don't we?"
Tom agreed. "Still, though. You're married. Mary and Matthew never were."
"I don't think she's trying any less because of that," Alex replied.
"No, of course, she isn't. I'm just saying that it's dangerous what she's doing, what we're all doing," Tom noted. "I miss him, too, but all of this, it's like playing God, you know?"
Alex weighed his words. "We do what we can. That's it. She feels she needs to do this. I can understand why."
"But you can also see why she maybe shouldn't, don't you?" Tom probed.
"I can see that, yes," Alex nodded. "Still, she's not endangering the crew or ignoring our missions. For now, we're all moving in the same direction, and if we can help bring him back, I'm all for it."
"And what happens if what she wants and what's best for the crew come into conflict?" Tom asked, gazing out to the sea.
Alex watched Anna and Sybil finish off the match. "I hope that moment never comes, but if it does, I don't think it will fall to you or me to act."
"We'll just be a few days at Beta 15. It's in the opposite direction from where we want to go, but I don't see it putting us off by more than a week at most," Mary nodded, keeping her voice low as she ran her hand over the cool glass of Matthew's pod. "Who knows? With all those engineers gathered for the symposium, maybe we'll stumble upon a new lead or two."
She glanced over at the monitors and saw once again that all of his vitals were in acceptable ranges.
"I know you hate it when I get into it with Papa, but he's just being ridiculous. Sending the flagship of the fleet to a glorified science conference? Please," she complained. "If I didn't already know that it would get me so reprimanded, I would just put Edith on a shuttle and send her to the symposium and be done with it."
She snorted, imagining Matthew's response to that.
"Yes, I do mean it," she snarled. "I have more important things to worry about than presenting engine efficiency improvements and Papa's plea to Parliament for funds to retrofit the fleet."
She stared at his peaceful-looking face. One of the things she hated most about this was how his eyes were closed ever since they put him in stasis. Not being able to see his eyes was crushing.
"Are you angry with me for flirting with Tony? I imagine that you are," she mumbled. "I don't have any excuse or explanation. I just got a bit carried away, is all."
She cringed as she trailed her fingers down towards his hand.
"It was cruel of me, I know, and selfish," she nodded. "It was nice to be adored for a little while, to have someone's attention and not be…not be burdened."
She closed her eyes and covered her mouth for a moment, a tremor shaking her.
"You can be angry with me when you wake up," she declared, looking at him and finding her voice. "Any punishment you want, you can have it, all right? Just…just keep fighting, darling, please. I'll find a way. I will."
She rose on shaking legs and turned for the door, the air around her suddenly becoming heavy.