The Afterlife of Alice Watkins 2

by Matilda Scotney

  “My goodness! Well, I look forward to reading your reports. We were so long without communication and…” in her happiness to see him, she hadn’t noticed. “Why are you in an automatrans, wearing a support suit and not on board the Accessor?”

  “Aunt. Alice got married. You must have known.”

  Principal Katya hesitated. How could he know? And to have got it so wrong.

  “I think it best you speak to Alice.”

  “We’ve got nothing to say to each other.”

  “Are you so sure?”

  “You knew, didn’t you?”

  “If you are speaking of the secrecy you and Alice created about your relationship, yes I do. That there even was a relationship, well, I suspected. As no-one here has ever seen you with a woman, no-one else suspected anything between you.”

  “Then you know how hurt and let down I feel.”

  “You need to go to her, Noah.”

  “I’d have to think about it.”

  “No, Noah, I am determined. You are to go and see her. If necessary, I will have the controls on that automatrans rerouted or disabled by central command and reassigned to her aunt’s home.”

  “I can’t—what if her husband is there?”

  “I know she is there with her aunties. You are to go. It is an order. You will not disobey an order from your Principal.”

  “You don’t give orders, aunt.”

  “I am giving one now. You will go.”

  “It will be difficult.”

  “More difficult than a stone-throwing alien? Noah, you have spent over two years in unknown and uncharted space, with all manner of dangers, and you are afraid to face one slip of a girl?”

  “I’m not afraid of Alice, aunt. I’m disappointed and betrayed but…” it was no use arguing. She would get her way. “very well, I will go, then come directly to the Tabernacle.”

  It was difficult to see someone she loved on the bitter edge of disappointment, but all would be well, of that his aunt was sure. He had just spent two days in a cramped space suit in an automatrans faster than light speed, negotiating treacherous A-waves. If he had no intention of seeing Alice, he would have stayed on board the Accessor. Principal Katya doubted she would see him too soon after he saw Alice.

  Chapter 38

  On the short, reflective journey to Alice's home, Noah deliberately dawdled, distracting himself by thinking on his time away from her. Patrick and Quintock had a short-lived affair, both quickly moving onto various others. But she became a valuable member of the crew, earning commendations from both the Chief Medical Officer and Statesman Junnot who scouted the anomaly and surveyed several planets alongside her, citing her as "observant and innovative."

  In private conversation, Patrick often spoke of Alice, even once telling Noah of his love for her, that the two years apart would only prove to her how much she cared for him, despite her earlier rejections.

  Noah asked him casually about fidelity and met with the expected reply.

  “Fidelity, Ryan? There's no requirement for me to be faithful to Alice! She rejected me. Anyway, it's just sex, a bit of fun to while away the hours. You should try it—loosen up,” he'd grinned at Ryan before becoming serious. “If Alice changes her mind, I'll marry her, and it will be a whole different story. She will be my princess.”

  Noah listened to him making plans, regretting now he’d not taken Patrick seriously. He planned to ask Alice to marry him as soon as they were in communications range, but now—she wouldn’t be marrying either of them, so no point in owning up to their relationship.

  And if the news of her marriage and motherhood saddened him, he felt worse when the aunties house, perched on the cliff, came into view; a place that held so many precious memories. He brought the automatrans down silently, as far from the house as possible to avoid immediate detection and giving him time to think and plan for the hundredth time, what he would say to her. Conventional words and phrases like 'congratulations' or 'you look well, Alice' just sounded trite. He sat for a moment, looking at the house through the forward viewport. With her, he'd been truly happy, so secure in her love for him, even with the prospect of two years apart. Now, with all his hopes dashed, the next mission couldn’t come quick enough for him.

  Near the stables, three figures walked in the direction of the house. Noah peeled off his deep space support suit and climbed from the automatrans. This would have to be the most difficult walk of his life, and he kept his focus on the figures. Alice was one of them, Mary and Jane arm in arm beside her.

  Alice’s hair had grown so long, loose and shining in the sunlight; even from here, he saw it lifting and blowing freely in the breeze. How could she do this to him? To them? Alice’s head was turned and bent towards the little figure whose hand she held.

  Puzzled, he stopped. Realisation dawning with a tiny spark of understanding as he peered across the field. That wasn’t a new baby! What was Ahmed talking about? That was a toddler! Most likely born in the few months after he left. His heart hammered against his chest, and he broke into a run. The aunties saw him first and drew Alice's attention, she looked at them, then to Noah dashing across the grass.

  Alice lifted Eliza into her arms and waited for him to reach her. Noah slowed as he drew close, breathing heavily from exertion, astonishment, and relief. Alice had no idea about the misinformation, and his dear face looked so troubled and confused. He lifted his hands in question to her, to the child in her arms; he would have spoken, but he couldn't find the words. Eliza threw her teddy at him and giggled. In his bewilderment, he didn't try to catch it as it got him squarely in the chest, falling to the ground at his feet. Looking down, he bent and picked up the toy and turned it over in his hands. For all his education, for his exploring, his deep space travels, and his knowledge of far-flung planets, Principal Ryan was now faced with the most significant question the universe had ever placed before him.

  “How?”

  But Alice had prepared herself for this moment.

  “The chip,” she said. “It was old technology.”

  Of course! The chip! The chip? He didn't care; there would be time for explanations later.

  He stretched out his arms. This baby, this tiny version of Alice, she was his. They were both his, these beautiful girls. Alice lifted Eliza across to him with a smile.

  “Eliza, meet your daddy,” Alice said, and slipped herself under Noah's other arm. He held her gently at first, then pulled her against him with such force, she was lifted off the ground, and they both laughed out loud in their happiness. He kissed the top of her head, kissed the top of Eliza's head and swung them both around, his heart so full he could have wept. Space could stay where it was. This was where he wanted to be.

  They lay that night, arms and legs intertwined, in Alice’s bed, making up for all the time they had lost over the last two years or more. Together again, they felt no awkwardness, no getting to know each other, almost as if there had been no separation. She remained faithful to her love for him, as he had for her, and he was utterly and blissfully happy. But Noah couldn't sleep, because nothing he'd seen or experienced in the past two years compared with the events of the past day. He looked down at Alice, her face against his shoulder. She opened her eyes.

  “You want to talk, don’t you?” she murmured.

  “I’m sorry, Alice, I didn’t mean to wake you. I do have questions.”

  “I know, ask them.” Alice turned on her tummy to face him and then rested herself against his chest. He stroked her hair.

  “When did you find out you were pregnant?”

  “Seven weeks and a few days after you left. I had a suspicion before that, but I was just in denial.”

  “We were only just out of median space. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “It would have made it a long two years, Noah. I remember what you said about Hennessey being desperate to get back when his baby was born. Then I was frightened to tell Principal Katya in case she told you and the secret about Patrick w
ould come out. It was a huge mess.”

  “I would have resigned and come home.”

  “No, you wouldn’t. You’re more responsible than that. But I believed, wrongly, this would ruin your career.”

  “Why did you think that?”

  “Hennessey. He told me taking his wife with him was a bad career move. Amelia told me once that parents stay with their children till they are 15 and don’t go back to full-time service until their child is in aptitudes. We tried to access military rules without success. I just continued in stubborn ignorance.”

  “Hennessey is a civilian married to a farmer. They barely made scale, and that was with interventions. Military rulings are different from civilian rulings; Amelia wouldn't know about military rules.”

  “But the Hennessey’s were on the scale, weren’t they? Otherwise, they would live in the Calamities.”

  “Well, yes. His wife is an agricultural scientist, but at a basic level, so I believe; he likes space, but he’s happy to do what he’s doing. He’s with his wife and son.”

  “Yes, I’ve seen the baby. Lester.”

  “Lester? They called him Lester? He hates that name!” Noah laughed, fancy that. Lester.

  “Noah, I have to ask. When I saw you coming across the paddock, I thought you might be angry. Did you know about Eliza?”

  “Ahmed told us you’d married and had a child. Someone saw you at the Principality House. You can imagine my disbelief, my dismay. I took an automatrans from the Accessor, I had to know for myself. Aunt Katya told me nothing and insisted I come here before I went to the Tabernacle.”

  “Principal Katya didn’t know about Eliza until after she was born. I’m afraid I handled it all rather badly.”

  “It's my fault starting the whole secrecy thing in the first place. Besides, I suspect you're forgiven, though I will have some explaining to do to my parents tomorrow and no doubt, my aunt.”

  “Oh, dear, yes of course. How did Patrick react when he heard I’d married?”

  “Shocked. He was sure you’d change your mind and planned to ask you to marry him. The fact that we were together before the Significator left and that Eliza is mine—well, that might be harder to explain to Patrick than my parents. The Significator isn’t due for three weeks, but I’ll have to contact him before that.”

  “Did he meet anyone on board to take his mind off me?”

  “Patrick was his usual self. I thought he’d brought one of the new doctors on board because they had a history. Turns out, I was wrong, but he found other companions. Sex and love mean different things to Patrick. But I believe now he was sincere in his feelings for you.”

  “I told him he couldn’t fall in love in such a short time, then I did exactly that with you. I believed Patrick was sincere too, but had I given in, I’m not sure I wouldn’t eventually become one in a galaxy full of discarded floozies.”

  “Patrick will be OK. He’s going over to the Magellan as Chief Engineer on secondment for two years. Perhaps it might be good for him and me to have time apart after all this.”

  “But Noah, what happens now, to us? We need to consider Eliza. You’re going back to space in a few months...”

  “…and you are both coming with me, right?”

  “We will go anywhere you go,” she said, snuggling back into her favourite place, under his arm, near to his heart.

  They married at Alice's home. Noah's parents attended the ceremony and fell in love with Eliza at first sight, offering no reproach to Alice about not being told of her birth. Noah's somewhat bemused sisters, Mel and Zoe also attended, surprised that Noah had not only met someone who could put up with him, but they'd also had a child before marrying. Such a stickler for protocols all his life, they told Alice, they now viewed their brother through new eyes. Amelia and John came to help celebrate, along with Dr Grossmith and Principal Hardy who, when they learned of Eliza, good-naturedly blamed each other for the oversight regarding her chip, but were both glad it turned out so wonderfully.

  Statesman Mellor and Principal Katya officiated, and to Alice's surprise, Patrick turned up, covering his hurt, but as always, gracious and charming. Noah had made a special journey to the Significator to speak to him as they travelled home.

  “I'm happy for you, Alice,” he told her when they had a moment alone. “But I wish I'd known. I made an ass of myself.”

  “No, you didn’t, Patrick, that’s nonsense. Besides, there was nothing to tell until a few days before you left.” She laid her hand on his arm; she hadn’t set out to hurt him. “I said many times, I didn’t return your feelings, that you were a dear friend to me. I hope we are still friends?”

  He hesitated before hugging her, then stepped back, his gorgeous smile lighting his face.

  “Yes, Alice. I should have taken you at your word, or punched Ryan on the nose. Who would have thought it? That you would choose Ryan over me!”

  She laughed. Patrick would be fine.

  Eliza, thrilled at being the centre of attention all afternoon, was exhausted by the time everyone left and the aunties took her with them so that Alice and Noah could spend time alone.

  They walked along the cliff in the evening, Alice shivered and cuddled into Noah for warmth, and with gratitude they were finally together. But she had a favour to ask.

  “Is it alright for us to stay here until the next mission, Noah? Mary and Jane are so attached to Eliza.”

  “I already anticipated that," he said. "We don't need to be assigned accommodation. We can stay here for as long as you wish. Most of our time will be spent in space anyway if that's OK with you.”

  “I don't want us to be apart again, but sometimes, I feel like I only just got here! So much has happened in the last couple of years.”

  Chapter 39

  Over the next months, Noah was assigned command of the Magellan and plans made for the next mission. Patrick stayed with Noah as his first officer, Junnot continued as second officer, and a delighted Ahmed took over the Significator.

  The Tabernacle agreed they would attempt the three years mission. The Significator would explore the anomaly charted in Sector 932 and the Magellan would chart and explore Sector 933.

  The time to leave Earth was upon them and Noah was due to depart for the Magellan, with Alice and Eliza following in two days. That morning, a beautiful morning at the beginning of the Southern Hemisphere Summer, Noah and two-and-a-half-year-old Eliza, perched on her father’s lap, busily explored the merits of peeled apples. Alice walked out onto the verandah, touching Noah’s shoulder as she passed the back of his chair; he looked up and smiled. She walked over to the balustrade and perched herself on the rail, looking out over the paddock, lending half an ear to the goings on at the table.

  “Look, here’s mummy, washed and dressed,” Noah said, pointing out Alice to Eliza. “Daddy and Eliza are having breakfast, mummy. We’re having apple.”

  Eliza didn’t look up at Alice, instead gave a piece of apple skin to Pecky, before trying to force another piece between Noah’s lips.

  Alice watched them for a moment, then looked out over the gardens. The aunties were down near the stables; Mary looked over and waved. Alice breathed in deeply and leaned her head back against the support. When had she ever felt such peace? She rolled her head ever so slightly to look at her family and sighed.

  Somewhere, she remembered other children she'd loved, in a dream, ghosts of people she once thought she knew. Letting the thought go, she closed her eyes and felt the beauty of the day, the beauty of her life. A voice stole quietly across her mind, stepping on her peace.

  “These are only moments in time. You must let her go.”

  Alice’s eyes snapped open, her heart fluttering wildly. She’d heard that voice at the Top of the World, but what did it mean? She stood, startled.

  Noah saw it. Settling Eliza safely on her seat, he quickly came to where Alice stood. He’d seen this before, at the Cotillion Ball, and now he held her arm, fearing she might fall.

  �
��Are you alright, Alice?”

  “I’m fine,” she managed a smile but held onto his arm anyway. “I’m thinking about us leaving,” she lied, not wanting to worry him. “I’ll miss the aunties.”

  “Well, I know you would take them with you if you could,” he smiled, relieved, “and Pecky and Jorrocks…”

  “Yes, I would!” she poked him in the chest, recovered. “Noah, you need to get going. Change your shirt; you've got Eliza's apple spit all over the front.”

  Noah looked down and frowned.

  “That’ll teach me. Clean shirts and children don’t go together.”

  Alice slid her arms around him and smiled at Eliza dressing Pecky in apple peel. Noah held her tightly and kissed her head. No long separation this time.

  “Noah,” she murmured against his chest, “as we’re not joining you for another two days. I would like to take a little trip.”

  He held her away from him.

  “A trip? To where?”

  “I thought to go and visit the A’khet.”

  Somehow, he’d expected this.

  “Did you receive an invitation?”

  “No, but they’ll welcome me.”

  Noah thought back to their meeting with the A'khet—it seemed so long ago now, so long since Alice spoke so poetically of the effects of Knowledge. They would welcome her. Those possessed of Knowledge needed no invitation.

  “Of course, sweetheart. Are you taking Eliza?” he turned to look at his daughter, now eating the much played with apple.

  “I think she’ll enjoy it.” For some reason, Alice felt it essential Eliza accompany her.

  Noah changed his shirt and hugged the aunties, who tearfully kissed him goodbye, then let Eliza and Alice walk down to the shuttle alone with him.

  “Are you excited about being a space wife?” he grinned, as Alice put her arm around his waist.