Reckless Rescue (a barren planet romance)

by Rinelle Grey

  “What do you think I should do, Nelor? Sit here and wait for my mother to pick my next partner for me? Don’t you care at all anymore? I thought you loved me.” Tears pricked at the back of her eyes. How could he have moved on so quickly?

  “I did, Marlee.”

  Marlee jerked back. “You did?” When had their love become past tense?

  Nelor reached for her hands. “I do.” His voice was earnest. “You know I love you. But what if this doesn’t work? What if his ship really can’t be repaired?”

  “But what if it can?” she countered.

  He wouldn’t meet her eyes. “I don’t know. What if it can? Would anything really be any different for us?”

  Confusion swamped her. “Of course it would. Why wouldn’t it? If we can get away from here, away from the restrictions, there’s nothing to stop us from being together. Can’t you see?”

  “Yes there is, Marlee. Even if we get away from here, I’m never going to be able to give you a baby. Nothing is going to change that.”

  Marlee shook her head, and smiled gently at him. “What makes you think the problem is with you Nelor? It could just as easily be me or both of us. And maybe if we get back to civilisation, they’ll be able to fix it.”

  “But what if they can’t?” Nelor persisted.

  “It doesn’t matter. We can be together anyway. There are no rules and restrictions on relationships on Urslat. We don’t need a baby.” She ignored the little wisp of longing that curled in the bottom of her belly.

  “Marlee,” he protested.

  “Shh,” she said, silencing him with a finger on his lips.

  Obediently, he stopped speaking and instead kissed her finger. Marlee smiled tenderly up at him, forgetting her surroundings until she heard footsteps behind her.

  Tyris cleared his throat.

  Nelor jumped back, his face red. Marlee just turned to Tyris, who hesitated at the doorway to the bedroom, and beckoned him over. “Tyris, this is Nelor.”

  Was it her imagination, or did Tyris look a little put out?

  Whatever it was, he recovered quickly and held out his hand to Nelor, saying with a smile, “Marlee’s told me a lot about you.”

  His smile was warm and welcoming, and despite being flustered by the interruption, Nelor smiled back. “She has?”

  Marlee ushered Tyris to the chair and insisted he sit. He seemed quite steady on his feet now, but he needed all the rest he could get if they were going to make it to his ship in the morning. She urged Nelor into the other chair and hurried back to the sink, immersing her hands into the soapy water, now cold. She scrubbed the rest of the dishes as fast as she could as she listened to them talk.

  “So, has Marlee told you what we’re planning?” Tyris asked.

  “She has.” Nelor sounded more interested now than he had earlier.

  “And are you willing to help us out?”

  Marlee turned in time to see Nelor’s grin. “You haven’t been around Marlee long enough to know the answer to that. I wouldn’t dare say no to her.” He glanced over at her, giving her a look that was for her alone. She felt a blush stealing over her cheeks and turned away, using the water hissing in the kettle as an excuse to hide her face.

  There was a pause. “So first thing in the morning then?” Tyris said finally.

  Marlee held her breath, waiting for Nelor’s answer.

  “Are you sure you can repair it? We couldn’t even get the power to come on.”

  She let out her breath in a sigh. He couldn’t just wait and see, could he?

  Turning around with two cups of tea, freshly poured, she saw Tyris smiling confidently. She couldn’t help but smile in return. Tyris had no doubts and neither did she.

  “I’ve swung enough battle repairs in my time. I’m sure we can patch it up. Your engineer might’ve been good in his day, but they’ve improved the engine significantly since its conception. There are fail-safes and backup systems. There’ll be some way around the damage.”

  Nelor looked over at Marlee. “You’re determined to do this?”

  Marlee nodded firmly. “I have to.”

  “Then I’ll come. Someone has to keep you out of trouble.” Nelor was staring at her, a slight frown on his face.

  In contrast, Tyris raised one eyebrow and grinned.

  Marlee felt flustered with both of them staring at her. And a little torn. It felt weird to disagree with Nelor and agree with the stranger. But she wasn’t a little kid who needed to be looked after. “I don’t need you to come,” she told Nelor stiffly. “There’s no point if you don’t believe this will work. We don’t need your pessimism dragging us down.” She went and stood beside Tyris’s chair. At least he was focused on doing something, not just accepting nothing could be done.

  Nelor’s face fell. “I’m sorry, Marlee. I didn’t mean it like that.”

  But he did. He was only agreeing to come because he was afraid they might get caught in a storm. He wanted to watch out for her, like he always had. Her anger melted. “I’m sorry too,” she admitted. “I just want this to work so much.”

  “It’ll work,” Tyris said.

  Nelor stood up and handed his cup back to Marlee. “Well, if we’re going to be up before dawn, I’d better go home and get some sleep.”

  Marlee let him out the door this time. She stood in the doorway, watching him walk away for a moment, then came back inside.

  “Your boyfriend doesn’t seem too convinced.” Tyris’s comment echoed her own thoughts.

  Marlee defended Nelor. “He’s just been worn down by living here all these years. Everything always seems to go wrong, so it’s hard to believe it might go right for a change.”

  “You don’t seem to have that problem,” Tyris pointed out. “How did you escape the negativity?”

  Marlee considered that for a moment. How did she manage to stay positive when everyone around her wasn’t? Was it as simple as the fact that she couldn’t accept the misery, and the only alternative was to stay positive? “I don’t know. Nelor’s older than me. He’s had it shoved down his throat for longer. Maybe he’s just given up and accepted it.”

  “Maybe.” Tyris didn’t sound convinced.

  Tyris was so different from Nelor. His attitude towards getting things done, moving on, and not giving up matched hers perfectly. If only Nelor were a little more like Tyris.

  She gave herself a mental shake. Nelor was perfect just the way he was. What was she doing wishing he was like someone else?

  It was easier for Tyris to be positive. He’d led such a different life from theirs. Marlee wanted to ask him if he truly thought his ship could be repaired. She needed to hear him say it again because when he said the words, she believed it. In between, doubts fought to claw their way in. She shook them away. Tyris didn’t need someone around him voicing doubts. He needed someone who was as strong as he was.

  She squared her shoulders. “We should get some sleep. It’s going to be a big day tomorrow.”

  Tyris looked so tired that she wasn’t surprised he didn’t argue. He followed her into the bedroom, and it was only when he stood by the bed that he made a small protest. “Where are you going to sleep?”

  Marlee waved at the pallet on the floor near the foot of the bed. “Here.”

  Tyris frowned. “You mean you’ve given your bed up for me? That doesn’t seem fair. You take the bed. I’ll sleep down there.”

  Marlee smiled, but shook her head. “It’s sweet of you to offer, but it’s not a problem. You’re still not fully recovered, so I’d rather you got a good night sleep. I’ll be right here if you need anything.”

  Tyris still didn’t seem satisfied. “I don’t see how where I sleep will make that much difference to my recovery. I feel bad taking your bed while you sleep on the floor.”

  She grinned a little. “If where you sleep isn’t going to make that much difference, then why would it make a difference to me? Go to bed and stop arguing.”

  Tyris opened his mouth then closed it
again and smiled ruefully. “I’m beginning to see what Nelor meant. Saying no to you just doesn’t work, does it?”

  Marlee grinned. “No, it doesn’t, so you might as well give up now and get some sleep.”

  Obediently, Tyris climbed into the bed, and Marlee blew out the lantern. Silence filled the room for a while before Tyris’s voice broke through the darkness. “Marlee?”

  “Yes?” She sat up, ready to jump up to get anything he needed.

  “Why am I here? In your house I mean. Not that I mind, but isn’t there somewhere, well, more suitable I could be?”

  Marlee relaxed again. “There wasn’t anywhere else. Most of our houses are already pretty crowded. I’ve been living here alone since Nelor left, so it made sense.”

  He didn’t reply, and Marlee wondered if he’d fallen asleep.

  Then he asked softly, “Did you think it made sense, or were you forced to take me in?”

  Marlee smiled into the darkness. “Oh, I volunteered.”

  There was silence from Tyris, and Marlee wondered what he was thinking. But all he said eventually was, “Goodnight, Marlee.”

  “Goodnight, Tyris.”

  TYRIS WOKE TO A HAND shaking his shoulder. “Huh?” He sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes. When he opened them again, it was just as dark as it had been a few moments ago.

  “It’s time,” Marlee whispered.

  He was about to question her assertion, given that he could see no signs to indicate morning until he heard a strange crowing sound in the distance. Was that a real rooster?

  He’d slept fully clothed in expectation of an early start, so he fumbled through the house to the front door. Of course, in that short distance, he managed to kick his toe on a table then run into the wall. Muffling a curse, he hobbled to the door frame.

  Marlee gave a muted giggle but took his hand, preventing any more mishaps. Her fingers, curled around his, were warm and comforting and led him safely the rest of the way out.

  Outside, he reluctantly released her hand. The cold hit him like a wall, and he wished he had accepted Marlee’s offer of a shawl, no matter how silly it made him look. His flight jacket wasn’t thick enough for weather this cold. He stuck his hands deep into his pockets and hunched his shoulders. The walk would warm him up quickly enough once they got going.

  The starlight covered everything with a silvery glow, enough to make out objects and shadows, but not enough to identify them. To the left, the sky was faintly paler. Marlee had timed it perfectly. The sun would rise soon.

  Despite the darkness, Marlee led him unerringly to a strand of trees to the south, taking his hand again when he stumbled on the rough ground. On his own, he would have been totally lost. Until now, he hadn’t left Marlee’s house, and being unconscious when he came in, he had no idea where anything was.

  “What took you so long?” Nelor’s whisper startled him.

  Marlee dropped his hand abruptly. “It took me a while to wake him up.” Her accompanying giggle sounded dangerously loud in the early morning silence.

  “Shh!” Nelor responded. “You’ll wake someone.”

  Tyris couldn’t see much in the darkness, but he followed Marlee further into the trees, focusing on not tripping over anything. None of them said anything until they were sure they were out of sight of the village. “We need to wait until it’s a bit lighter to go the rest of the way,” Marlee said.

  “Why stop now?” Tyris protested. Now he was this close, he wanted to keep going. “We’ve made it this far just fine.”

  “That was over flat ground that’s been cultivated for years,” Marlee pointed out. “In the woods, there are roots and tree branches everywhere, waiting to trip us up.”

  As much as he didn’t want to wait, Tyris had to admit that her explanation made sense. He gave a sigh. Marlee and Nelor found a fallen tree branch to rest on. They sat close together, whispering.

  Tyris remained on his feet, pacing the small clearing to keep warm, impatient to get on their way. He blew on his hands, trying to warm them. Standing still, the cold crept back in through his exposed extremities. He glanced over at Marlee and Nelor. It was light enough now that he could make out their clasped hands. They weren’t cold, he thought sourly.

  He wished the man hadn’t turned up last night. Not that Tyris had anything against him—he seemed friendly enough—but the addition of a third party complicated matters. Marlee was distracted, not as focused on getting to his ship as she had been. He needed focus right now.

  He itched to get out to the Hylista and see what damage had been done. He was over all this waiting.

  Marlee had done all she could to make him feel welcome, he couldn’t deny that, but he wanted to get back to the world he knew, even to the relative familiarity of his spaceship. He didn’t belong here.

  He didn’t dare listen to the fears in the back of his head, squelching the tiny voices that suggested maybe his ship couldn’t be repaired. He wouldn’t accept that option, as if denying its presence could deny the possibility.

  He was relieved when Marlee finally stood up and said, “Let’s get going.”

  Tyris was more than ready, and it seemed Nelor was too because he jumped up and strode off into the woods.

  “That’s the wrong way,” Marlee interrupted.

  Nelor turned and frowned at her. “No it’s not, the ship is this way.”

  “No, it’s more to the right, down that path,” Marlee pointed.

  “You could go that way,” Nelor agreed, “but it’s longer. This path is more direct.”

  Marlee put her hands on her hips and frowned at Nelor. “And what makes you say that?”

  “Because Dad and I went this way and it was shorter.”

  “How do you know it was shorter if it’s the only path you took?”

  Tyris looked from one to the other in frustration. He didn’t need this right now. “Do either of you actually know how to get there?” Both of them nodded and pointed down different paths. Tyris sighed. Marlee seemed so mature when he was alone with her, but put her with Nelor, and she turned into a giggling teenage girl. He much preferred her on her own.

  His question sparked them to start bickering again, and it took all his willpower not to tell them to shut up. He needed their help. “Right,” he interrupted them as gently as he could. “If they both get there eventually, then it doesn’t matter which we pick. We’ll go that way.” He pointed down the path Marlee had chosen. She seemed certain, and each of her suggestions had worked for him so far.

  Nelor crossed his arms. “The council is going to be up soon. Surely you want us to reach the ship as soon as possible.”

  Tyris bit back a retort and instead said as mildly as he could, “Which direction is the ship from here?”

  This, at least, they both seemed to agree on, they both pointed to the south-east without hesitation. Nelor’s path was a little to the right of the direction, and Marlee’s a smidge more to the left.

  “Right,” said Tyris. “Neither path goes directly, but since Nerris knows Nelor’s path, I’d rather take the other one.”

  Nelor frowned at him but didn’t argue. Marlee grinned sideways at Tyris, who deliberately didn’t return the expression. He was not going to get into the middle of this power struggle. How they had managed to live together for more than a week without smothering each other was beyond him. He strode off into the trees ahead of them.

  By the time they reached the Hylista, Marlee and Nelor had made up and were holding hands, though neither of them had the breath to whisper after the pace Tyris had set. It took little effort for him to ignore their behaviour. He was too busy staring at his ship.

  From this side, it appeared undamaged. He heaved a sigh of relief. The shields must have held then or it would be showing extensive external damage. He walked around the perimeter of the ship, running his hands over the smooth metal.

  His heart sank as he came to the rear, where the boosters stuck out above his head. He could see now why they hadn’t f
ired. The left booster was dented and damaged with the casing torn open on one side. Climbing up the trunk of a tree that had been knocked over by the crash, he peered into the darkness. His breath caught. It was hard to see much, but the internal oxidiser pump showed damage as well.

  Tyris smashed his fist into the side of the ship in frustration, barely noticing the pain it caused. Even given the right tools and equipment, he wasn’t sure he could fix this. Out here, with nothing but wood and maybe the odd hammer, he had no hope. And without the rocket boosters, the Hylista couldn’t break orbit.

  Tyris climbed back down and stared at the ship. What was he going to do now?

  “Can you fix it?” Marlee’s innocent voice interrupted his thoughts.

  “Shhh, don’t interrupt him, Marlee,” Nelor cautioned.

  Tyris was glad he didn’t have to reply. He needed time to take in the facts in front of him. The reality that even if, by some miracle, he could work out a way to fix the oxidiser pump, there would be no way to complete it before winter set in.

  First things first, he would worry about breaking orbit later. Right now, if he could get the power on…

  He pushed the mechanism that opened the hatch and walked inside. He didn’t even waste time trying to reinitialise the Hylista’s systems. Power had already been sketchy on his way down, and Nerris had said he couldn’t get it to come on either. It wasn’t going to miraculously just start working.

  It took him only moments to pull off the maintenance panel and discover why. The secondary power generator had been knocked loose and damaged badly during the crash. Tyris took a deep breath. This, at least, he could fix.

  Something moved behind him. When he looked around, he saw Marlee standing in the doorway. The expression on his face must have given a hint to his thoughts, for the smile slipped off her face.

  He sighed and threw the hatch cover onto the floor. The clatter echoed loudly inside the metal hull. “It’s going to take me a couple of hours before I can even identify the problem. You might as well make yourself comfortable.”

  Marlee stepped into the ship and put her hand on his arm. “We don’t have a couple of hours, Tyris. We have to go back to the village now. Clouds are building. A snowstorm is on its way.”