by Lance Berry
“You haven’t paid enough though, which is the point. And like I said, Mara needs to be free of her past.”
With a sudden flare, the vid-com burst into flames, which immediately caught the drapes at the window. The drapes burned quickly, more quickly than it seemed the natural course of events should have allowed. Christenson nodded, satisfied.
Panther had really come through for him. He headed for the door, unafraid to grasp the handle to pull it open—the nan-probes were designed to work at DNA removal continually for up to a full hour.
“Please—!”
David Christenson turned in the doorway to look at him.
“That’s good. But the nearest house is about a mile away. You may want to scream a bit louder, if the lack of oxygen doesn’t get to you first. Cheers.” With that he closed the door firmly behind him and set off through the tall grass which reached up to nearly his knees. His transport was about a half mile away, but after only the first quarter mile, he realized he could no longer hear the screaming…
Chapter 34 (2185)
“With this ring, I thee wed,” Mara Elliot said proudly as she took her turn and slipped a wedding band around David Christenson’s finger. “Forsaking all others, binding my heart and soul to yours. I promise, now and evermore, to cherish you, protect you and serve you fully. There is no other but you, as there is no other for you but me. We are one until the stars refuse to shine.”
Jean-Philippe Marchand, the assigned Diviner aboard the
Horizon, smiled happily at the couple. “Then by the power granted to me by the divine All and the Church which serves it, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
David and Mara embraced, kissing deeply, passionately, to the cheers of those assembled on the Heavy Cruiser’s bridge. It was now mid-2185, and after serving distinctly in several engagements, Mara had finally attained the rank of commander. As soon as she did, David arranged to have her transferred to the Horizon, as his own first officer had retired from active service. Although technically security chief Tanner Matthews was next in line for promotion to executive officer, he and David were friends from their time served together aboard the Victory, and he understood his captain’s reasons for wanting Mara in that spot. Tanner was content with serving as tactics chief anyway, and didn’t mind…he was just pleased to see David so happy.
As Mara had served as maiden of honor at Nikki Tamamura’s wedding, the Hawking’s first officer reciprocated and was now in that envied position. Captain Stubbs gave the bride away, Missy King was a bridesmaid and Matthews served as best man. David and Mara had chosen to wed aboard the Horizon’s bridge, feeling it would serve as a symbol of their union in all matters, command and private. David was in full dress uniform while Mara wore a dazzling white wedding gown —with her rank pins attached to its shoulders. Aside from the standard bridge crew, also present were chief engineer Lillian Jackson and medical officer Whitney Cooper. The Horizon held position at the LaGrange Point between Earth and Luna, with a full view of their home world on the central screen.
After almost a minute of their kiss, Tanner finally called out,
“Alright, alright…get a room already!” The happy couple stopped kissing as all laughed. They headed for the lift together, to the age-old tradition of the gathered throwing rice at them.
Afterwards, of course, Tanner called tech maintenance to clean it all up.
The wedding followed with a reception in the mess hall afterward, and for this one occasion, the entire crew was invited in three different shifts to greet the newlyweds. David and Mara finally got to meet crewmen they had only known through service reports, and Mara was quietly amazed at how well-liked David was by the entire crew.
Once the reception was done, the Christensons headed for the launch bay, where their luggage had been set aboard a transport earlier. Mara was aware that UEF Command wasn’t exactly happy that David was marrying his first officer, although the top generals congratulated him nonetheless. By law, UEF was bound to begin payments of a married couples’ stipend, and General Seng Hsu, the newly appointed advisor to the Joint Chiefs and the President himself, allowed an early advancement on the first payment, so they could enjoy the one-week furlough they had been granted for a honeymoon.
As they made final preparation for liftoff, Tanner Matthews entered the main cabin. David was in the pilot’s chair with Mara as co, and both turned to look at the tactics chief. “And just what can we do for you?” David said cheerfully.
Matthews let out a small huff, obviously winded a bit from running the length of the flight deck to catch up. “I just wanted to tell you both how happy I am for you. I know, I know I’ve said it before…but I’ve gotta say, marriage looks good on you, David. And Mara…I never thought anyone would tame this wild dog,” he said with a finger pointed at his friend, “but if anyone could do it, it’s you. Congrats.”
The captain and his wife got to their feet, each briefly exchanging a hug with Matthews. “Thanks, Tanner. It’s appreciated,” David said, and Mara nodded in agreement.
Matthews turned and headed toward the egress door.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the ship while you’re gone. UEF has us scheduled for some upgrades anyway, so I’ll see you at
Hephaestus when you get back. Have fun, guys.” With one last wave, he headed out the door.
Mara and David took their seats and shared a loving smile.
She tabbed a panel to close the door, which sealed tightly with a pneumatic -whumpf!- She then checked with the flight deck officer to make certain they had clearance. Upon his acknowledgment, the launch doors opened and with an assurance honed by years of experience, David smoothly lifted the transport up and out of the bay. He arced the transport toward Earth, and the couple headed home to begin their new life together…
David and Mara agreed to return to his hometown of Blackpool, England, for their honeymoon. They docked the transport at Heathrow Starport and took a half hour tram ride to the town. When they got into the AirKab at journey’s end, it took Mara a few minutes to get used to the English tradition of left side driving. They checked in at the Ariel Hotel, a stately five-story complex done up in the manner of old nineteenth century grand hotels. After resting for just a bit, they decided to take a walk so he could show her the sights.
It was a lovely coastal town, virtually unchanged in the simplicity of its layout for nearly a century. Although the Madame Toussaud’s Wax Museum remained in place with ever-updated displays, the majority of the amusement park had long since been torn down. There were some rides still remaining such as the ferris wheel and the merry-go-round—the latter an eternal and unchanging testament to the child within all—and the couple rode both before settling down on a bench to cuddle, kiss and watch the waves lap upon the shore. As it was nearly mid-summer, and with the town so far north, the sun wouldn’t set until nearly ten o’clock at night, and neither had any intention of waiting that long. Holding hands, they headed back to their hotel room…
As soon as the door glided shut behind them and locked, Mara and David set upon each other. They kissed and caressed, hands exploring each others’ bodies with the same intensity and passion as the first time they had ever been alone together.
After a moment, Mara gently broke away and went to her luggage. She briskly searched through her bag and produced a pre-emp pill, which would stave off pregnancy for an entire month. Early on, the couple had decided to hold off on having kids until they retired from active duty. While David had enough service credits that he could retire any time he wanted, Mara still had a good eight years’ catching up to do at least, and so they agreed to retire after an even ten and set about raising a family.
David took off his jacket and sat down on the edge of the large bed as Mara headed to the bathroom—or as the British called it, the loo—to take the pill.
As she entered the loo, she was surprised to find the lights didn’t come on automatically. With an amused smile
, she remembered that nearly everything about the hotel was done in Old World style. Even though the wiring within the walls were modern MPRS lines, there were old style light switches which needed to be flicked on in order to access the power.
She did so and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She had long since removed her wedding gown and now wore a green v-neck top and black pants. Her dark hair flowed about her shoulders, and over the years she had slowly come to accept the fact that she was a physically beautiful person. She looked at the pre-emp in her hand—the first she was about to take in more than ten years, since Daniel Tallworth had forced one down her throat. For an instant, she felt a knot beginning to coil in her stomach, but she quickly reflected on the advice Ben Williams had given her…
The past can’t hurt you unless you allow it to. So don’t dwell on it. Don’t give bad memories power over you. Think only about the now, and the fact that you have someone who genuinely loves you for who you are as a human being deserving of that love. Think about the now, because that will help you achieve your future together.
And in the now, she and her husband had made a pact together: for better or worse. She looked at the pill and decided that the worst was to be behind her forevermore, and it was finally time to get on with the better. She popped the pill into her mouth, cupped water into her hands from the faucet and drank, swallowing easily. She gave it a moment, two…and felt absolutely fine.
She then went back into the main living area, and found David waiting patiently where she had left him. “Everything alright?”
She smiled. “Everything’s just fine. I’m going to commence fucking your brains out now.”
David burst into laughter. “And here I thought I was the romantic one,” he said after a moment. “Come here, you.”
She came over and stood before him. She pulled her shirt over her head, allowing him to gaze at her in fullness. He started to stand but she gently yet firmly pushed him back onto the bed. She pointed to his pants, and he obediently undid them. She knelt before his readiness and closed her eyes, allowing herself a moment to breathe. David didn’t touch her, didn’t say a word, waiting respectfully for her to do as she will, knowing how much she had been through in her life.
The past is done, and I love my husband. I am nowhere but in the now.
And she performed orally for him. The more she took in of him, the more she came to love him, and channeled that love with each movement. David tried to contain himself, not wanting to startle her or set her back, but the pleasure was too great. “Good lord in heaven,” he muttered, and began to moan his pleasure and thanks to his new bride. When she was done he eagerly reciprocated and they then lied upon the bed. With a look of shared eagerness in their eyes and a nod from Mara, the two became one and they made love.
For David, it was an amazing thing to him that Mara was in actuality so free, open and giving of herself, in spite of all that had gone before. David pulled out every stop to make certain she was pleasured as no lover he had ever had before, because he knew now, even more so than when they first met, that this was the woman he was meant to be with. Surely God had looked down upon him from heaven and from the moment of the young male babe’s inception, decided that this one person on all Earth would be the perfect mate for him one day. How he had come to be so blessed, David couldn’t even begin to fathom.
For Mara, losing her virginity on her wedding night to such a perfect and loving man was the ultimate dream come true.
He touched her in all the right places, as if he had somehow attained a guide map to her centers of pleasure. He was caring, gentle, yet completely manly at the same time. As she neared the first true loving orgasm of her life, tears began to flow…yet for the first time, these were tears of unbridled happiness.
When she looked up at him, she was astonished to find similar tears in his eyes as well. He held her close, and they shuddered together, a simultaneous culmination of love, commitment, and ultimate passion. They lay together, silent for a while, then spent some time curled up together chatting. They made love again, and finally the sun set. Nights in Blackpool at this time of year were exceedingly short, and before they knew it, the sun had risen yet again…
Chapter 35
“Major Elliot. It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir,” David Christenson said as he accepted the hand that had been offered him.
“The pleasure’s all mine, Captain. Please come in,” Mark Elliot replied as he swung the front door to the Elliot residence wide and stepped aside, allowing entry. As David stepped in to the lunar housing module, Mara followed him in. She and her father shared a neutral stare. “Mara.”
“Dad.”
They remained that way a moment more, then shared a chaste hug. Mark awkwardly placed a kiss on his daughter’s forehead, half marking her on the eye as well. She smiled uncomfortably, and he closed the door behind them.
It was now the day before David and Mara were to return to the Horizon, and as a gesture of goodwill—and at David’s gentle prodding—Mara contacted her father to see if they could arrange a dinner where her husband could meet the entire family.
Mark nimbly stepped around the couple and led them to the living room, where a large rectangular dinner table had been set out. “I see you got a new table,” Mara remarked while trying to keep a genial tone in her voice. Mark nodded and half-smiled.
“Well, Peter’s still obviously living here, and Sara sometimes brings her boyfriend home from school with her for dinner…”
“Sara’s got a boyfriend?” Mara said in surprise. Her father had tried to dissuade her from dating until she was at least seventeen.
Mark nodded. “For almost a year now. You’d know if you vid in more often.”
Before Mara could finish opening her mouth to snap back,
David interceded. “We’ve been very busy attempting to gain more intelligence on the Calvorians this past year. I have to say that as focused as we’ve been, I feel I share some of the blame for her not being able to contact you sooner.”
Mark frowned slightly, not knowing what to say. In spite of his superior rank over Christenson, the captain was Earth’s hero, and Mark was obviously not comfortable disputing his word or getting into an argument with his daughter in front of him. He waved dismissively. “It’s all right, Captain. I guess I should realize that the mission has to take precedence.”
As Mark turned away from them, Mara shared a glance with her husband, who smiled knowingly and winked at her. With a quiet exhalation, Mara nodded and blew a kiss to him. She now realized that with him here, there might be an opportunity to have a relaxed meeting with her father and sister…perhaps a type of d’entente could be carried out.
“Kids, your sister’s here,” Mark called to the back rooms.
He then turned to the couple again, focusing more on David.
“They’re big fans of yours, just so you’ll know.”
David smiled affably. “The sentiment is appreciated, sir.”
“MARA!” Peter yelled excitedly as he came tearing around the corner and threw his arms around her. Mara laughed, surprised at how tall he was—just up to her chest. He was eleven now, and doing exceptionally well in school, according to the transcripts she had managed to decrypt from the computer of the school he attended. He and his big sister shared a kiss on the cheek and a bear hug.
“My gosh, I can’t believe how big you are. You’re just shooting up there!”
“Dad says if I keep on like this, the recruitment board’s just gonna assume I’m seventeen and shanghai me right off the street.”
Mara hugged him again. “Let’s hope not. You deserve a chance to enjoy whatever childhood you’ve got left in you.”
“What about me?”
Mara looked up and saw Sara leaning against the wall, eyeing her somewhat neutrally, although a polite smile was fixed on her face. She was tall now also—at only seventeen, she was almost as tall as Mara—and her blondish hair was done in a standard military crew cut H
er eyes darted between Mara and David, but she settled on approaching Mara first. “Hey, sis,” she said as she took Peter’s place at receiving a hug from the eldest sibling. Mara held her tight, hoping her kid sister could somehow feel the love she held within her heart. Maybe if she did, things could be right between them again.
