Noah's Ark

by Vijaya Schartz

  “I can't believe I'm going to be a father.” In his entire existence, Kostas had never imagined this turn of events. “For the first time in my life, I have no idea what to do next.”

  “And you think my world is not shattered by this news?” That pretty frown again.

  “What do you want me to do?” Kostas feared he'd said something wrong. “I'll do anything. Really.”

  “Wraith!” She rose and paced the room. “I don't even know what I want. I always hoped for a family, but you are a clone!”

  “I may be a clone, but I can feel, I love you more than life itself, I may have given you a child... I want to be the man in your life.”

  “A man!” As she stood, very straight, only three steps from him, tears welled and quivered at the edge of Trixie's clear blue eyes. Her pressed lips trembled.

  Kostas resisted the impulse of closing the distance to take her in his arms. He wanted her to make her decision alone. He needed her to choose him, freely... not out of pity, or duty... but out of love.

  * * *

  Trixie's heart beat so fast, she thought her chest would explode. Her throat clenched. Tears rolled down her cheeks. What was the matter with her? What was she afraid of? Kostas was nothing like the clones she had ever known, nothing like her overbearing father either. This man let her make her own decisions.

  As he stared at her, silent, hopeful, his face a landscape of fleeting emotions in the fluctuating light of the fire, Trixie suddenly realized that her next words would shape the rest of not only her life, but the life of two other people. And she wanted to make the right decision. For herself, for the child, for Kostas.

  He'd bared his soul to her and trusted her with the secret that could destroy him. He'd protected her, given her support at every turn, made love to her like no man before. And suddenly, her decision was made. She took a deep breath, released it slowly, then enunciated her answer so there would be no confusion or doubt.

  “I want our child to have a good role model as a father. I want a family. I want you in my bed every night, and by my side every day.” Trixie could finally smile through her tears, all the weight of the world suddenly dissipating.

  The tense expression on the regular planes of his square, handsome face, relaxed into a grin. His soft brown eyes sparkled. “Are you absolutely certain?”

  “When I was in the healing cocoon, I kept having this dream... I was with you and we had children, a boy with your handsome looks, and a blond girl with blue eyes.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “I wanted that dream so badly, I didn't want to wake up from it.”

  “Really?” His deep gaze softened, but he remained still.

  Trixie could now clearly see her future. “It doesn't matter where you come from, by what sin or miracle you came into existence. You are here, like a rock in my life. You make me feel whole, safe, loved. I love you, Kostas. I want to be your life mate.”

  Before she could finish, Trixie found herself engulfed in his strong arms, held tight against his solid chest... a sweet-smelling chest. She clasped his waist and clung to him, her only steadfast anchor in this surreal world. She could hear his heart beating a powerful tempo.

  When she looked up, he lowered his face to hers and kissed away her tears, then his deep chocolate gaze fell upon her lips. She shivered in anticipation as their lips met. Under his soft, insistent kiss, she melted into his arms. If he did not hold her so tight, she would have swooned as her legs turned to rubber. She'd almost forgotten how wonderful it felt to be in his arms.

  His kiss deepened and grew more demanding. She let go of all restraint and kissed him back with the ardor of desperation, clasping his body like a buoy in the tempest. They'd brushed death many times since the night they'd spent in each-other's arms. She'd almost lost him.

  A fluttering frisson raced along the skin of her back all the way to her core, and she arched under his embrace. His instant male response awakened her need for deeper contact. She couldn't believe she'd waited so long to realize how much she needed him... and how right they felt together.

  So right.

  When Kostas swept Trixie under her knees and carried her to the lower bunk, she buried her head in his neck, glad he'd not asked permission. He knew what she needed, what she wanted. She kicked her boots to the floor where they thudded on the cold stone. Then he laid her down on the bed. She helped him get her out of her navy sweatshirt and pants.

  He chuckled as she tugged at his black tee. She slipped her hands under his shirt, reveling in the smooth wall of his muscled chest, while he fumbled with his belt and zipper.

  After he freed himself of his clothes, he pushed her shoulders gently back to the mattress. Trixie stopped smiling. Her need for him overwhelmed her. She wanted her splendid warrior, and she wanted him now.

  As if sensing her urgency, he lay alongside her and rolled with her in a possessive embrace, almost crushing her, but it felt so good. How she enjoyed his perfect blend of authoritative strength and gentle thoughtfulness.

  “Take me hard, take me now,” she panted in his ear. “I need you to let go, I want to feel alive. Please, be wild.”

  “Only on one condition,” he whispered, tucking away a short strand from her face.

  “Anything.” And she meant it.

  “We'll get to do this again at length... after dinner.”

  “Oh yes.” She took his mouth with savage hunger.

  He responded in kind, and Trixie lost herself in the fury of their long-denied desire. He kneaded her breast, driving her wild with want. She arched against his growing erection, and he moaned into the crook of her shoulder. She exulted at the tightening of his thigh muscles, the wild shove of his hips against hers. Yet he still played the controlled gentleman.

  “I want you to let loose, my wild warrior,” she said, gripping his shoulders.

  The words sent him into a frenzy. He parted her thighs and his fingers probed her, stroking, but still too gentle.

  “Take me now,” she begged.

  He shoved into her with all the pent-up brawn of a bull denied for too long. Trixie exulted as he filled her so completely. A cry of deep pleasure escaped her throat. She was fury and he, the rumbling storm. Her skin grew slick against his, but he kept the rhythm, and she matched him stroke for stroke, reveling in the pure pleasure of sharing their bodies.

  They rolled in their frenzy and almost fell off the narrow bunk bed. It wouldn't have mattered. Linked as they were, Trixie had lost track of place, time, even life. She could have died right now and gone straight to heaven.

  Then the crescendo mounted still, and she could only hear the sounds of their lovemaking, his grunts and her cries of pleasure. Her consciousness floated above the bed in a cloud of bliss. She'd heard about out-of-body experiences, and she suddenly understood the point of the Kama Sutra. Religious rapture through sexual ecstasy. Wraith!

  She didn't know how long it lasted. When she came down from her high state of bliss, Kostas had stilled. He held her gently, caressing her cheeks.

  “Are you all right, Angel?” His soft expression melted her insides.

  “More than all right.” Trixie giggled at the understatement.

  His brow rose in question. “Are you hungry?”

  “Starving.”

  He flashed a devilish smile. “You're going to need your strength... the night is still young.”

  Catching his meaning, Trixie smiled back and kissed him lightly on the nose. “Let's eat, then.”

  She snatched a blanket from the upper bunk to wrap herself, surprised when a yellow flash of fur leapt off with a loud mew. “Sorry, Viking.”

  “He must be hungry, too.” Kostas rose, not bothering to cover up.

  Trixie watched his magnificent naked body as he fed the cat then fetched bowls and spoons for the stew. A tiger in the sack, fierce, compassionate, and domestic, too. In every aspect, he was her perfect match. She'd never met a better man. Despite all the mishaps that had befallen Noah’s Ark's expedition, she considered h
erself the luckiest woman in the universe.

  Epilogue

  Ten weeks later - after the first harvest

  The settlers cheered, throwing handfuls of grain to wish the new couples prosperity. Behind Trixie and Kostas, the other pairs, joined in matrimony this morning, followed in a happy procession that now mingled with the festive crowd.

  Trixie squeezed Kostas' hand as they crossed the crowded esplanade of the capitol, under the warm rays of the midday suns. Both proudly wore their new garrison summer uniform, made of unbleached hemp spun on a wheel and woven on the citadel's loom.

  Trixie's heart beat faster as she glanced up at Kostas.

  “Now I can call you husband.” Her insides melted at the thought, like mountain snow under the warm rays of the binary suns.

  “And I can call you wife... although you will always be my angel.” His arm disengaged from her hand to encircle her shoulders. He bent and kissed her forehead.

  Trixie clutched his waist and inhaled with delight his fresh male scent... and the distracting aroma of baking pastries, and the heavy bouquet of meat roasting on several pits. Her stomach growled. She chuckled.

  “Smells good. I'm hungry.” She placed one hand on her slightly swollen waistline, feeling the new life growing inside her. She felt a kick and laughed. “These little Kassoukians are already strong.”

  “These? Is there more than one?” His face froze in surprise.

  “The medic said she heard two heartbeats.” In her comatose vision, Trixie had seen twins, a boy and a girl.

  Kostas smiled at her with such tenderness, she thought she might cry. He lowered his gaze and touched her stomach. “I can't wait to see these children of mine.”

  The strains of a melody from the settlers' band floated on the soft summer breeze. The beaming faces all around them attested to the bright, hopeful mood.

  Trixie approached one of the many tables lining the esplanade on all sides, buffet style. They were covered in new flax cloth, also woven on the citadel's loom. They offered mouth-watering delights the settlers had not tasted in a long time. Many pressed, jostling for a place in the lines to sample the abundant finger food.

  Kostas raised a dark brow. “Did your friend Fedora bake all these pies and pastries?”

  Trixie took the fruit tart he handed her. “She had help. And the communal wood oven is finally getting used. You should taste her new bread.”

  Trixie bit into the sweet, warm, fruity treat with gusto. After all, she was eating for three.

  Next, they ate pot stickers and made their way around the food tables. They stopped by Tabor's display. His vineyards had not produced grapes yet, but he distributed his special brandy made from plums. His table enjoyed a crowd of raucous settlers on wobbly legs, raising their goblets in many toasts. All seemed happy to imbibe for the occasion.

  Trixie politely refused the goblet Tabor offered her. She noticed his disappointed expression and smiled sweetly. “I'm sure it's very good, but I want to birth healthy children.”

  Kostas pelted Tabor's shoulder and took the small goblet from his hands. He gulped the drink in one swallow then sighed heavily and wiped his mouth with one sleeve, before setting the goblet on the table. “Good stuff!”

  Tabor laughed. “Don't drink too much, or I'll have to perform your marital duties for you.”

  Kostas brought Trixie close in a proprietary side hug. “No chance of that ever happening.”

  “Too bad.” Tabor's dark, gleaming gaze lingered on Trixie a little longer than propriety allowed, then he turned his attention to thirsty customers.

  Kostas led Trixie toward another table, recognizable by all the wood barrels piled up behind it. Frothy ale and beer flowed aplenty into the earthenware tankards. Many male settlers hung around that particular display as well, telling stories and laughing at bawdy jokes.

  Trixie smiled up at Kostas. “I can imagine this Harvest Festival becoming a steadfast tradition... and a formal occasion to perform collective weddings.”

  Just a few months ago, Trixie, as the ship captain, would have been the one performing marriages. Her starship command seemed so far away now, like a memory of another life, as surreal as a dream.

  Kostas winked at her suggestively. “After all the hard work, it's about time to have fun.”

  “Fun?” She understood what he meant, and tendrils of desire swirled through her. She squeezed his waist and he smiled down at her.

  “This community looks like it might survive after all,” Kostas offered, watching the surrounding activity.

  A twinge of guilt made Trixie remember the despicable husband she'd forsaken on Earth. But when she'd researched the charter of Noah’s Ark, and consequently of Kassouk, it was clear on that matter. No questions asked. The past was erased, forgiven, irrelevant, as if it never happened. Besides, she and her former husband had never consummated their honeymoon.

  The charter protected Kostas as well, and although she would take his secret to her grave, Trixie was glad for that rule. Her pregnancy proved Kostas was a man with a soul. Where they came from didn't matter. Their only reality involved the future, their survival, their fresh start, their new culture.

  Trixie glanced up at the new sundial and realized it was time. She stifled her emotions and squeezed Kostas' waist. “I have to perform my duty.”

  “Break a leg,” Kostas whispered in her ear and discreetly patted her rump.

  She walked away from him toward a spot to the side of the large, round, marble fountain gracing the square at the entrance of the esplanade.

  The crowd had already gathered there to witness the formal planting. They shushed as Trixie walked up to the farmer standing with a sturdy sapling near a dirt hole in the cobbled ground... the only place with enough dirt to nurture a large tree. The young oak had been selected from the strongest in the nurseries, to commemorate their victorious fight for freedom.

  Trixie approached the hole and accepted the shovel the farmer handed to her. She dug a few more scoops, aware of the solemnity of the moment. The farmer lowered the canvassed roots into the hole, then Trixie threw a few shovels of dirt over the roots. She handed the shovel back to the farmer, who finished the planting job while Trixie climbed the few steps to the small podium.

  Once up there, she considered the crowd gravely. These settlers were branding their mark on the citadel of Kassouk.

  “This tree will grow and bear witness to the will of our community to survive. It will shadow the fountain in summer, carry bird nests in the spring, shower the square with leaves in the fall, and stand guard, bare and silent in the winter snow... and it will do so for centuries to come. It will remind our descendants that we were here, and that we fought so they could live free.”

  Cheers rose from the crowd.

  “The grain, the hay, the vegetables, the honey and many fruit crops are already harvested, stored, pickled, or preserved. The wool was sheared and is being carded and spun to feed the loom. Our small herds thrive, our cellars are full of cheese, dried meat, and edible roots. We can face the future with hope and confidence.”

  A murmur of approval punctuated her words.

  “The Zerkers refused our invitation to join us today, preferring to celebrate underground, according to their own traditions. But they are now our silent allies, and they honor our mutual arrangement. With the elimination of our immediate threats, we can now focus on our future prosperity... that means, of course, starting new families.”

  Raucous hoots accompanied her last words, forcing Trixie to pause and smile.

  “Unfortunately, we have to say farewell to a number of you, who chose to leave us and pursue a different life, in the naturally occurring warm zone of the other continent. These gentle tribesmen take with them their share of sustenance, and seeds for their future crops. They will travel northeast then cross on foot the frozen polar cap, to the other side of the ocean. Once on the other continent, they will march south along the coast, toward their promised land.”

  The
settlers remained silent. Many did not believe it could be done and considered those who decided to leave as already dead.

  “It's a long and perilous trek to be sure, but not impossible,” Trixie stressed. “Look at what we survived here. We respect their choice and wish them success in the long journey ahead.”

  The leader of the splinter tribe nodded his thanks to Trixie. She understood his refusal to stay. The Godds, or any other galactic race, might return anytime. This community would have to fight hard to survive in Kassouk. And his tribe advocated nonviolence.

  But Trixie figured that any Human inhabitants, whether in Kassouk or elsewhere on the planet, would be easy prey for a determined advanced culture in need of labor. She'd rather anchor down to fight in a fortress than become a lamb in the open country.

  After the entire caravan of people, pack horses, and loaded mules, had crossed the drawbridge, Trixie watched Kostas cranking the gate mechanism to lift the bridge back in its vertical position. Then they both watched from the top of the ramparts near the gatehouse, as the small caravan made its way east along the mountain range.

  Closer to them on the plain, out in the meadows, sheep dogs rounded a flock of freshly sheared sheep, goats grazed, and the cattle chewed their cud peacefully in the absence of predators. Soon, that might change.

  Trixie returned her gaze to the slow-moving caravan, saddened by the tribe's decision. “We'll probably never see these people again.”

  “It's an awfully small group. Less than two hundred...” Kostas encircled her shoulders. “I can't believe they refused to take my swords or even hunting knives or bows... they only accepted a few simple tools.”

  “They don't believe in fighting, and they don't eat meat.” Trixie wished them luck in her heart.

  Kostas shook his head. “I hope they make it. By the time they get there, large predators could be waiting for them, hungry for easy prey.”