Jayce sounds frustrated. "I don't know if Kat is alive or not. I haven't heard anything. I'm sorry. I'm just trying to not lose my mind right now."
"Calm down and listen to my voice. I won't let them hurt you again. If Clark tries to do anything else, I will knock down this wall if I have to in order to protect you." He stops talking when he hears a door open on the other side of the wall and people start yelling. Jayce begins speaking in French so fast that Jarred can't understand any of it. "Jayce, stop. I can't understand you. What's wrong? Who's in there?"
"Aidez-moi! Jarred! Aidez-moi! Help me!" Jayce is screaming as more voices fill the room on the other side.
Jarred can only listen as Jayce's cries suddenly stop and the door shuts again. "Jayce? Are you there?" Now there is nothing but silence. He has to try something so he taps out a bit of their tap code, but there is still no response. He's left pressing his hand against the wall with a growing feeling of dread rising in his chest.
14
Doss leads Katarina out of the ship and into the icy air of a simulated winter. The streets are dusted with snow and icicles hang from the glass and metal buildings. Children throw snowballs at each other as a white wolf chases them. Doss whistles and the wolf runs up to him then lies down at his feet, wagging his tail in the powdery snow. Doss kneels down and rubs the wolf's belly. "Katarina, meet Abel, my furry best friend."
She bends over and is immediately jumped on then screams as Abel pins her down and licks her face.
"Awe, he likes you."
Katarina giggles as she quickly becomes covered in snow and slobber. "Doss! Help me."
"Abel, let her up." He reaches down and takes Katarina's hand as he pulls her to her feet. "Sorry. He gets excited when I come home."
"You didn't tell me it was winter here. I'm cold."
"You're the one in just my t-shirt and boxers."
Byron steps out of the ship then removes his coat and puts it around her shoulders. "There's two hundred dollars in the left pocket. Go buy some warm clothes."
"Thank you, Byron."
He ignores her and walks off towards the residential district.
Doss notices the sadness in Katarina's violet eyes. What can he do to cheer her up? He hates seeing humans, especially pretty women, upset. He thinks for a moment before grabbing her waist and pulling her up onto his back. "Grab on tight."
"Doss! Put me down."
"Nope. We're going flying."
She wraps her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist then screams again as Doss takes off into the sky.
He calls back down to Velex. "Take care of Abel for me. I'll meet you for dinner later."
* * *
After hours of shopping and carrying Katarina's bags, Doss is ready to eat something so he takes her to the cyber café in the same building as his apartment after dropping off her things in his room. He has never had this much fun with someone so beautiful. All day, he has watched her, talked with her, and become completely entranced by her. Every move she makes is wonderful, every word she speaks is music in his ears, and every touch of her hand on his arm is magic. Even now, he can't look away from her doing something so mundane as eating a sandwich. Doss knows he's falling hard for her, but he's no longer afraid of where he'll land.
Katarina reaches over the table and touches Doss's arm to break him out of his thoughts. "Can we go to the hospital?"
"Why would you want to go there? I've spent way too much time in there recently."
"I want to check on Jarred and Jayce."
Doss puts down his martini. "Oh. Kat . . . they, uh . . . you can't go see them."
"Oh no. Are they okay?"
What can he say? It's too early to let her know the truth. She is still very much in a fragile emotional and mental state after all that happened down in Paradise. He has to tread lightly here. "Yeah. They're fine. They're just . . . in surgery and will be for a while. The doctors said that they can't have visitors until they are doing better."
"So are they going to be okay?" Katarina asks with her large purple eyes begging for answers.
"They'll be good."
"That's good. I really care about them."
"I know." He knows all too well. That's the reason he isn't telling her the truth. Doss has something else to ask her about that requires her to be in a different mental state altogether. He reaches across the table and takes her hand. "Have you thought about taking me up on my offer?"
"To marry you?"
"If you think I'm worthy."
Katarina sighs and picks at the crust on her sandwich. "Doss . . . why? Why would you want that?"
"It's embarrassing and terrible for me to admit, but when you were down in Paradise for those few weeks, I couldn't stop thinking about you. No matter how hard I tried to think about something else and do nothing but work in those flight simulators nonstop, I couldn't get you off of my mind. I had the single most disturbingly and wonderfully erotic dream about you. It awakened feelings in me and my body that I thought I couldn't feel. I didn't know what to do and I freaked out then didn't sleep for two weeks."
"Good thing you don't have to sleep, right?"
"It's still good to help regulate my body, but you're right." Doss says. "I don't have to sleep. I usually avoid it if I am struggling with thoughts that scare me and at that moment, I was the most frightened I had ever been in my life."
"You didn't really answer my question. Just because you feel attracted to a woman doesn't mean that you have to marry her."
"According to the way I interpret my vows, I do. It is sinful for me to have thoughts and dreams like that about a woman who isn't my wife. It's a dangerous slope into adultery and lust."
"Doss, it's natural for men to be attracted to women. It's okay." Katarina says.
"Natural? I'm a robot, Kat. Don't you see that? I know it's convincing that I'm alive like you, but this is all programming and evolution of my artificial intelligence system. In no reality should I be feeling sexually attracted to anyone." He leans closer and whispers to her. "Until recently, I didn't even know that my body was capable of . . . that."
"Oh. You mean-"
"Yes, that." Doss says as he feels his face turning pink with embarrassment. "I had no idea that I could even function as a man in that way. I'm admittedly scared."
"Oh, Doss. Don't be scared. Had you never done anything to discover that?"
"No and I still haven't. I don't want anything to do with it."
She giggles. "Amazing."
"Not really. I think embarrassing describes it better." He clears his throat and finishes off his martini. "Anyway, we can go get your divorce papers if you'd like. Either way, I want you to stay with me in my apartment instead of going to Byron's house. I don't trust him to be alone with you after the way he treated you down in Paradise. There's no excuse for a man to behave like that towards his wife."
"And how should a man treat his wife?"
He smiles at her and traces the lines on her palm with his fingers. "A wife should be glorified, placed above the man, given a place of honor in his soul and home. He should defend her, provide for her, and make her feel like a princess. She should be the number one priority in his life, never leaving his mind or his heart."
"That's beautiful, Doss."
"It's true. That's how I want my wife to be. That's how I want you to be. Your marriage to Byron is over and you know that. Allow me to do this the right way." Doss kneels down at Katarina's feet and takes her hand as he looks into her eyes. "Katarina, will you marry me?"
The tall, thin man in an IGR military uniform emerges from the crowd on the far side of the room. "Well, well. What's this?"
Doss jumps at his voice. "Velex, I didn't see you there."
"A proposal? You're getting married?"
"I . . . yes."
Velex grabs Doss's arm. "Excuse us for a minute, Katarina." He drags Doss into the corner of the noisy room. "What are you doing?"
"I asked her to marry me.
Is that a problem for you?"
"It's a problem for Himmel." Velex says. "You can't marry someone who is still married, Doss."
"We're going to get the divorce papers right now."
"No you aren't. Don't you remember that law that passed when people began moving to Himmel from the other planets? Katarina and Byron won't be granted a divorce because they weren't married on Himmel. So unless you are suddenly content with breaking your vows and facing the penalties, then you can't have anything to do with Katarina."
The penalties. He had nearly forgotten about those. When he took those vows, he never thought for one moment that he would be facing the punishments for breaking them. "I'm beginning to wonder if it would be worth it."
"It's not worth it. Don't go through that torture for her. She's not worth it."
"And who is going to hold me to those vows anyway?" Doss asks. "Some Technotheist priest?"
"I will. I will never let you go against what is the best for you. Becoming infatuated with a woman you met not even three months ago isn't an excuse for breaking vows that you have strictly adhered to for years."
"So what? You're going to arrest me and castrate me yourself?"
Velex glares at him and crosses his arms. "If that's what it takes to get through to you. Listen. I don't want to hurt you. I want you to be happy. If you can find a way to marry Katarina legally and without breaking your vows, then you have my blessing and I wish you all the happiness in the world. I'm not doing this to be cruel. I know how you can be when you get a spontaneous idea in your head that you think you have to act on no matter what stands in your way. Why do you think I've been so harsh with you for the two hundred and something years we've known each other? Someone has to keep you grounded or you fly off and do stupid things that you regret later. Don't turn Katarina into another Heather. You're still paying the price for that one."
Doss knows that all too well. "Ten lashes every Sunday night."
"Do you think I like doing that to you? Do you think Kazimir likes doing that to you? No. We don't enjoy having to whip you for some stupid vow you took to some ridiculous deity."
"Not that one, Velex." Doss can't control his growing anger any longer, especially when his religion is in any way insulted. "That was a vow I made to Heather years before I had even joined the church. You know that. Don't you dare try to bring my religion into this. I don't insult your beliefs so I would appreciate the same from you."
"Don't yell at me, Doss. Next Sunday, I'll make sure to break your skin and make you suffer. We've been going easy on you lately because you've been adhering to your vows so well and taking orders. I'm warning you. Don't hurt Katarina the same way you hurt Heather. If you do, Kazimir and I will give you the most brutal beating of your miserable robot life. Is that clear?"
He shouldn't have raised his voice to his superior. "You're right. Thanks, man. I'll do what I can to figure this out."
"I need the truth, Doss. Did you do anything with her while she was staying in your cabin on the ship?"
"No. I swear it. I saw her naked and that's it. I didn't touch her."
"Okay. I believe you." Velex takes Doss in his arms and pats his back. "Buddy, don't lose sight of what is truly important to you. I never want to pick up that whip again or hear Kazimir beat you. You're my best friend who I would do anything for. You know that, right?"
"I know. You and Kazimir have my best interests in mind. I realize that I need strict rules and punishments or I do stupid things. I realize that."
"Well, when you think you're ready to move past this and you believe that you have taken enough punishment for what you did to Heather, then you tell me and we will never have to beat you again."
"I'll let you know." Doss says. "I have to check the total. I know I'm getting close to the end."
"So you're planning on finishing the sentence?"
"I will take every single lash."
"Okay." Velex turns him around and pushes him towards the table again. "Don't keep Katarina waiting, you hear? Have fun. I'll see you in the morning."
"Thanks, Velex."
"No problem, buddy."
* * *
Doss lands outside of Byron's house and Katarina slides off of his back. "Thanks, Doss."
"Are you sure you don't want to stay with me? I don't mind at all."
"Thank you, but I need to check on Byron. We may be having our problems, but I owe it to him to be a good wife as long as I am his wife."
"That's honorable of you, but where does that leave you and me?"
Katarina leans close and kisses his cheek. "We'll figure everything out. Don't worry. You should get some sleep. Don't you military people have to get up early?"
"Sometimes. I have a meeting with Chancellor Dressler in two days, so I guess you're right. Keep your communicator watch with you in case I need to get in touch with you. I have a bad feeling about this meeting and what could come about from it. But tomorrow is Sunday."
"Oh yeah. I forgot about that. Don't work on Sundays?" Katarina asks.
"I'm the only one who gets the day off. Want to do something tomorrow? Tomorrow night, I have . . . plans."
"So what is it with you and Sundays?"
"Ask Kazimir." Doss says darkly as he turns away from her and flies off across the city.
That was a concerning change in demeanor. There has to be something there that hurts him or he wouldn't have just left like that. Katarina makes it her mission to find out what is going on with him. But right now, she has other obligations. She knocks on the door to Byron's house.
The door opens and a blonde woman in a short red dress opens the door. "Can I help you?"
"Oh. Sorry. I think I have the wrong house."
The woman leans against the door frame and looks her over. "You must be Katarina. I'm Annette."
"I am Katarina. Is this Byron's house?"
"Sure is. Come on in."
Who is this woman and why is she at Byron's house? She has a bad feeling about this, but she follows her inside anyway. Once inside, she has to smile. It's messy and rustic, just the way she would expect Byron's house to be. She steps over his muddy boots and a few discarded shot gun shells before sitting in the only empty chair at the table.
Annette moves a pile of Byron's clothes out of a chair and sits across from Katarina. "So . . . you're Byron's wife?"
Katarina glares at her. "And I'm guessing you're his mistress?"
"Don't look at me like that. You have your liaisons as well, like that handsome archon."
"He's a virgin. I haven't done anything with him."
"That's not what I've heard." Annette says with a devious grin. "Seems like he's quite infatuated with you. And proposing marriage earlier? What did you say?"
"That's none of your business."
"I'm wondering, though. Can I have Byron when you run off to be a whore?"
Really? She's going there? "Whore? You think I'm the whore?"
The bedroom door opens and Bryon shuffles into the room as he finishes off a bottle of Alezi Blue tequila. "Ladies, ladies, stop bickering."
Katarina jumps up and goes to her husband. "Byron-"
He pulls away from her. "What are you doing here?"
"I thought I would stay here with you. I don't have anywhere to go."
"What's wrong? Did Doss get tired of you too?"
Katarina sighs. "Byron, please stop. I came here because I wanted to be here."
Byron digs his fingers into Katarina's arm and drags her into the bedroom. "Give us a minute, Annette." He throws her down on the bed and slams the door behind him as he starts to yell. "We're done, Kat. It's over."
"Byron, stop. I came back because I love you."
"You love me? Is that why you spent the entire day with Doss?" Byron asks.
"You've spent the day with your mistress. What happened to you not being tied down to one woman? Now it's a double standard? You can sleep with her whenever you want, but I can't spend the day in town with a chaste man? That
's ridiculous."
"Seeing you so happy with Doss killed me inside. Don't you get that? You weren't just having a friendly day together. No. You love him. You love him more than you ever loved me. I see that now."
Not this. "Don't."
"And now you want a divorce."
"Me? That was your idea. You're the one who first said it down in Paradise. I thought you wanted that."
"I do." Byron says. "You need to be happy and I know that you aren't happy with me. I'm going to say this one time and then I'm never going to say it again. I love you, Kat. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone else. I've been in your life since you were only days old. I've watched you grow up and become a beautiful young woman. I don't know what possessed you to marry a man like me, but it's time for both of us to move on. It's not the nanobots that are killing me now. Love is a much stronger poison. I can't love you anymore if your heart belongs to another man. I'll be okay. I have Annette now."
"Well, we can't get a divorce. Because we weren't married here, we can't get a divorce. We're married until one of us dies."
He turns his back to her and points to the door. "I want you to leave and never come back. Go back to Doss and leave me the hell alone. You've done enough damage to my heart. Don't kill my soul as well."
15
It's Sunday night and Doss is alone with his ancient-looking leather bound ledger open on the desk underneath the pale yellow light from the stained glass lamp. As he counts the tallies and adds the totals up, he comes to the nearly overwhelming conclusion that he had started to think would never happen. Fifty-two thousand exactly. This will be the first Sunday night in one hundred years that Doss hasn't been whipped.
At eight o'clock exactly, the door to his apartment opens as Kazimir and Velex come inside and sit at the table. Kazimir leans back in his chair and puts his boots on the table. "You ready get this over with?"
Doss closes the journal and slides it into the top drawer of his desk. "We're not doing that tonight."
"Oh? Finally had enough?" Kazimir asks.
Paradise Awakened Trilogy Page 32
