by Joe Vasicek
Noemi frowned. She glanced at Mariya, who was watching her intently out of the corner of her eye. Something was going on here—she didn’t know what it was exactly, but it felt as if they were backing her into a corner.
“Really?” she asked, her arms growing tense. “Just the three of us?”
“And father too, of course,” Mariya interjected. “He wasn’t born Deltan, but he’s one of us now.”
“And Jerem-ahra,” said Salome.
What are they trying to get at? Noemi wondered. Both of them were staring at her now, making her hands feel clammy. It was as if they expected an answer from her, but she didn’t even know what they were asking.
“J-Jeremahra hasn’t been baptized yet,” she said, her voice quavering. “I don’t know how to bring it up. We understand each other when it comes to little things, but—”
“I can talk with him!” Mariya said, smiling cheerily. “I can help translate almost anything for you. And even though he hasn’t been baptized yet, I’m sure he’ll come around eventually. When he married you, he practically married into it—just like daddy. For your sake, I’m sure he’ll convert before too long.”
That’s odd, Noemi thought to herself. Back on Oriana Station, she did everything she could to avoid bringing up religion. It wasn’t like she’d stopped believing, though—just that she was nervous talking with people who didn’t share their faith. Considering all the anti-Deltan bigotry back on Oriana Station, Noemi didn’t blame her. But why was she so eager to see Jeremahra converted now?
“Let me put it this way,” said Salome. “Where we’re going, we need to stick together. And what’s a better way to do that than to become one family?”
Stars of Holy Earth, Noemi realized, they want Mariya to become his second wife. Her eyes widened, and an awful sinking feeling began to pull at her gut even as her legs turned to water.
“You—you want me to share my husband?”
“It’s not like we’re trying to steal him,” Mariya said quickly. “Just—well, just share him, like you said.”
“It’s not unheard of for men on the Outworld frontier to take multiple wives,” said Salome. “Surely you remember the stories of our forefathers who built Megiddo Station. And in the scriptures—”
“Yes, I know,” said Noemi, struggling to keep her composure. She leaned against the wall for support, and Mariya hastily unfolded a chair.
“Here, sit down. Do you need a glass of water? I can grab one from the mess, if you’d like.”
“No,” Noemi said weakly. “That’s all right.”
“I know it seems hard,” said Salome, her arms folded. “You and Jerem-ahra are still in the honeymoon phase—I can see it in your eyes. But please, try not to be selfish. Mariya needs a husband, and where we’re going she won’t find a better one than yours. If you’re such good friends, surely you can make room in your marriage for her.”
Selfish? Noemi wanted to scream. How am I being selfish? It took every ounce of her self-control to swallow her rising emotions and not lash out in a hormone-induced fit. But she couldn’t afford to do that—not with the baby coming so soon. She needed Mariya and Salome almost more now than her husband, since without them she’d have no one to help her through the last few months of her pregnancy. Maybe if this weren’t her first child, she could manage it on her own, but as much as everything screamed at her to run away, that wasn’t an option now.
“You’ve considered all the other boys on the ship?” she asked, her voice still weak.
“Of course,” Salome said with a dismissive flick of her wrist. “But, like we agreed, none of them are Deltan. Jerem-ahra is the only young man who is committed to our customs and traditions. Surely you can see why such an … unusual arrangement would be necessary.”
“It’s all right,” Mariya said softly. “Please—don’t be upset.” She squatted down and put her hands on Noemi’s shoulders, making her flinch.
How is this happening? Noemi wondered. She looked up at Mariya and saw a desperation there that positively frightened her. Here they were, light-years from home with no way back, and now the last of her friends was asking—no, demanding—the only man standing between her and the utter loneliness of space.
“Don’t be upset,” Mariya repeated. “It’s all for the best—really. We’re already such good friends, we’d make perfect sister-wives. Besides, I’d be able to help you and Jerem-ahra understand each other—to translate your needs, so that he can take better care of them. It’s only going to get harder once the baby arrives. And who knows—maybe this will help you to grow even closer to each other.”
“Maybe,” Noemi whispered. But when she looked into Mariya’s eyes, she saw that her friend had no idea what she was asking of her.
Salome put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “Please try to think of this from my daughter’s point of view. She’s of a prime age to marry, and has no prospects—none that are worth settling for, anyway. A marriage with Jerem-ahra would make her very happy, even as a second wife. In fact, it would make all of you happy.”
“Does Jeremahra know about any of this?” Noemi asked, her heart racing.
“Jakob is talking it over with him as we speak. Being the man that he is, I don’t think he’ll say no.”
“Are you sure? What if he does—what if this isn’t what he wants?”
Salome and Mariya looked at each other for a moment. “If we had what we wanted, we never would have left Megiddo Station,” said Salome. “Do you think any of us wanted to leave our home for the stars of the unbelievers? Life isn’t about what you want—it’s about what you do with what’s been given you. We may not have been given much, but we have been given each other.”
She’s right, Noemi thought, blushing at the not-so-gentle chastisement. They were all refugees now, headed for the furthest reaches of the Outworld frontier. It didn’t make sense to think in terms of what any of them wanted—only what they had to share.
But what if Jeremahra did say no? Was there still a chance of that? A part of her desperately hoped that he would. But if he did, how would the others react? From the intensity in Salome’s eyes and the barely restrained eagerness in Mariya’s, she doubted that either of them would take it well. And if they didn’t, how would that affect their friendship? How would that change things, once they arrived at Zarmina—the only other people on an uninhabited world?
Jeremahra can’t say no to this, Noemi realized. If he does, that will put an awful rift between us and the only other friends who can help us through the pregnancy. Her legs went weak, and her blood turned to ice.
“It’s for the best,” Mariya said, taking her hands and squeezing them. “Really, it is.”
“Are you asking for my blessing?” Noemi asked softly. Or are you determined to marry my husband whether he wills it or not?
“No one is forcing you,” said Salome. “If either of you refuse, we’ll respect your decision. But I urge you, please consider the needs of my daughter as well as your own. As Deltans and as outworlders, we need to do our best to look out for each other. Will you look out for us just as we’ve looked out for you?”
Is this God’s will? Noemi wondered as a wave of dizziness passed over her. Is there a reason why this is happening to me now? She eased herself down on the nearest bunk, her legs shaky and unsteady. It didn’t help that she was carrying a child—Jeremahra’s child. How long would it be before Mariya bore him children as well?
“Don’t worry,” said Mariya as she sat down beside her. “After all, a strong family shines brighter than all the stars.”
“That’s right,” Noemi whispered. But what if I’m not strong enough to see it through?
Chapter 13
“Did you talk with him, Daddy? What did he say?”
“Now, now,” said Jakob, motioning for her to hush. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure they weren’t overheard.
Mariya fidgeted impatiently with her fingers. Noemi was using the public restroom, and Jer
emiah had just gone to sleep. The corridor was wide open, but if there was no one within earshot who could understand them, what did that matter?
Evidently satisfied that that was the case, he turned back to her and leaned in so he didn’t have to speak so loudly. “Yes, I talked with him. He doesn’t seem too excited about the idea, but I think we can still get him.”
Mariya frowned. “‘Get him’?”
“Of course, dear. Did you think he would jump at the idea? Give him some time, keep the pressure up, and trust me—he’ll come around.”
You make it sound like he doesn’t want it, Mariya thought. Even if that was true, she didn’t want to pressure him into doing something that he didn’t want. Far better to convince him that this was something he really wanted instead.
“You—you didn’t try to force him, did you?”
“Force him? No. But I do know how to close a sale.” There was a glint in his eye that disturbed her, one that was wild and almost predatory.
“Dad, this isn’t a trade negotiation.” She put a hand on her hip to emphasize the point.
“Of course it is, dear. Finding a good mate is always about selling yourself, and I’ll be damned before I sell you short. I love you far too much.”
“I know, but—look, can you just let things develop a bit on their own? There’s no need to make him feel like he doesn’t have a choice.”
“But if you tell him he does, you have to be ready for him to refuse.”
Mariya swallowed hard. Like it or not, her father was right. If Jeremiah had the slightest chance to turn her down, everything could fall apart in an instant. Just the thought was enough to make her knees go weak. To start a new life at Zarmina alone—
“Don’t worry,” said her father. He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “Young men like Jeremiah don’t always know what’s good for them. I certainly didn’t, back when I was his age. Your mother was a bit zealous at times, but it all worked out in the end.”
Did it, though?
“I don’t know,” she said, folding her arms. “What if everything falls apart? What if—what if it breaks them up?”
“Breaks them up?”
“Yeah,” said Mariya, a sudden panic surging through her. “When me and Mom talked with Noemi, she was almost as pale as a comet. What if she can’t take it, and the whole thing destroys the family that—”
“Look at me, dear.”
He looked her square in the eye, placing both hands on her shoulders.
“We’re not breaking up their family. You’re not trying to come between them, are you?”
“I know, but what if that’s what ends up happening?”
“Jeremiah and Noemi have been through a lot harder things than this. They’ll come to accept you in time, no matter how hard it is for them now. Trust me, dear—they’re outworlders, through and through.”
His words did little to comfort her, but her fears were all so vague that that was enough to quell her panic. Still, there was one concern that gnawed at the pit of her stomach. If she didn’t give it voice, she feared that it would consume her.
“Do you think he’ll ever love me?”
Her father frowned. “Are you doing this for love?”
“No,” she admitted. “But—well, do you think he ever will?”
He wrapped his arms around her in a reassuring hug. “Of course he will, Mariya—of course he will. One thing about love is that it grows, sometimes in ways that you would never expect. If you do your best to treat him right, even better than he treats you, I have no doubt that things will work out for the best.”
He sounded so convinced that Mariya couldn’t help but believe him too. And as she did, a deep sense of peace washed through her. She hugged him back, and they stood together in the empty hallway for a long while, just holding each other.
Is this what the second and third wives of the forefathers went through? she wondered as they headed back for the bunk room. If it was, then they’d obviously found a way to work things out. And if that was true, and she was also on her way to an unsettled world, would she someday be an ancestor to a whole new colony just like Megiddo Station? The thought filled her with even more wonder than the stars.
Whatever she did, she couldn’t afford to screw up.
* * * * *
Noemi wandered away from the cavernous mess hall down the unfamiliar corridors of the Hope of Oriana. She walked slowly, unsure where to go. With Mariya at her post in communications and Jeremahra at the station negotiating a trade, there was no one to guide her. It didn’t help that the corridors were mostly empty, with the majority of the passengers already on leave and headed from orbit to the world down below.
At length, she found what she was looking for: the bathroom. The main facility was down the hall a short distance from the medical bay, on the opposite side. Like everything on the Hope of Oriana, it was huge—at least, huge compared to the Ariadne. Six toilet stalls lined the far side of the room, with three sinks fitted with special vacuum reclaimers for use in micro-gravity. A little alcove with a winged door stood off to her left, with lockers along the walls. The sound of running water on the other side piqued her curiosity, and she glanced over just in time to catch a glimpse of a naked man in a large public showering room beyond.
Am I in the wrong restroom? Noemi wondered, her heart beating furiously. There hadn’t been a sign on the door, but then again, the bathroom was so large, it had to be the only on on the ship. A second alcove just beyond the first confirmed this—and this time, she saw the women’s sign.
Even here in the bathroom, space was cramped. The sinks and bathroom stalls were so close that she could touch the rim of the counter and the nearest door simultaneously. The stalls were so narrow that she brushed her shoulders as she turned around in them. With all the extra tubes and devices around the seat, no doubt in case of a loss in gravity, she hardly knew how to use the place.
Fortunately, all she had to do was pee. It was a need she felt often nowadays, with the pregnancy well into the second trimester. She relieved herself quickly, then took a little extra time to familiarize herself with the equipment. Once she felt confident enough that she could use the facilities again when the need arose, she washed up and left as quickly as she could manage.
I feel so lost here, she thought to herself. Everything about the ship was so unfamiliar—the lack of portholes or windows, the inward slanting walls of the corridors, the sharing of everything, even down to the public restrooms, and the casual lack of privacy that exceeded even what she was used to. At least on Megiddo Station, each family had had their own dedicated personal space, however small. Here, someone else occupied her bed while she was awake.
And yet, what choice did they have? There weren’t any medical facilities on the Ariadne—none that would be of any use if a complication arose in the pregnancy. And even if there were, Noemi didn’t feel that she could get through it with Jeremahra’s help alone. She needed the support of friends like Mariya—friends who could help her through in a way that only another woman would understand.
Mariya.
She swallowed hard as she walked past the bunk rooms toward the dream center. Mariya was at the core of everything—not just the pregnancy. Without Mariya’s help, it was a challenge just for her and Jeremiah to communicate. He’d been trying hard to learn her language, but there was only so much he could teach himself. And even though Noemi’s Gaian was rapidly improving, she barely understood the language well enough to navigate the bathroom. They both needed Mariya far more than they needed anyone else right now—which was exactly why she felt so trapped.
She entered the dream center and stood for a moment in the doorway. The place was completely empty. Wires dangled from the ceiling like haphazard tinsel, while the reclining chairs branched out from the computer cores like giant flowers waiting to swallow her. She hesitated to enter, unsure whether she was out of place, but the hum of the machinery told her that the simulators were on, and that at l
east meant that the dream center wasn’t closed.
Taking a deep breath, she went to the back of the room and chose the furthest reclining chair from the door. The shape and texture were completely unlike the chairs on the Ariadne, but in a moment that wouldn’t be important. It took some effort to get on, but once she was comfortably seated it was simply a matter of leaning back and pulling the dream monitor over her head. The jacks slid into the neural socket on the back of her neck with a satisfying click—
—and then she was floating in a wide, featureless void, her body as insubstantial as a breath of air.
From the moment she first plugged in, she began to relax. Here, within the artificial world of the dream simulator, she was completely in control—no more feeling lost or helpless without another person to show her around. She lifted her hand and pierced through the illusion of reality to brush her mind against the stream of raw data from the simulator. The effect was like splashing her face with cold water, making her feel alive.
The Ariadne was connected to the main network, with only a flimsy password gate between her and full access. She broke through it easily enough and opened a menu to access the Ariadne’s memory banks. A glowing blue window opened up before her, with moving images from the dream worlds she’d shared with Jeremahra.
She lingered for a moment over each one, savoring the memories of their time together. That was the one of her home at Megiddo Station, and this was the one of his homeworld that she’d reworked to help him forgive himself. A half dozen others showed various exotic planetscapes, all from worlds she’d never seen. There was even one of the Temple of a Thousand Suns, at Gaia Nova in the heart of the Coreward Stars.
None of these were the ones she’d come for, though. That one was at the very bottom of the list, almost half the size of any of the others. The image on the menu showed a simple blue sky with a wide expanse of long green grass and verdantly forested mountains ringing the horizon.
