by Cara Wylde
“This is surreal,” she whispered.
She stood on her tiptoes and gazed beyond the fence, at the small houses in the village. They all looked the same.
“All this looks and feels exactly like…”
“… your home planet.”
She chuckled. “My home planet in the Middle Ages.”
A tiny fluff ball hopped off a chair on the patio to welcome her. Allie took Skippy in her arms and scratched his ears. She felt Kimmy ripple around her shoulders, as if it was jealous of the alien pet. Allie sent reassuring thoughts to both Skippy and the Kidem, then reminded them they didn’t have to be friends if they didn’t want to, but they did need to behave. Apparently offended by her demand, Skippy struggled out of her arms hopped to the ground, and disappeared in the garden behind the house.
“Yes, the Middle Ages,” said Ark. “Which, if you think about it, is impressive for the first wave of newly reincarnated human souls. Don’t forget that Old Earth started in caves. The souls who are now populating New Earth are very evolved. It’s why they were ready to make such a difficult, forced transition. They came with plenty of knowledge accumulated on your old planet to build houses, farm the land, and domesticate wild animals.”
“Wait. They have fire?”
“Yes.”
“Electricity?”
“Not yet, but they’re learning and making new discoveries fast.”
“Aww… so no technology for me in this lifetime,” Allie joked.
Ark kissed the top of her red head. “Sorry. But you’ll be happy to find out that all our neighbors here have abilities similar to ours. Their telepathic skills are not as developed as yours and mine, but they’re pretty good at manifestation. They almost do it consciously. Almost.”
“That’s amazing! So, we don’t have to hide?”
“No, not that much. Just try not to manifest… I don’t know… a washing machine out of nowhere.”
“How about a dishwasher? I hate doing dishes.”
“I’ll do the dishes, don’t worry.”
“Oh my! Captain Arkvar is going to roll up the sleeves of his fancy uniform and do dishes? I have to see this. Come on, I need to cook something right now. What do you think will make more of a mess? Hmm… mashed potatoes with… veggie meatballs? Sound good?”
Ark wrapped his arms around Allie’s waist and pulled her against his chest and away from the door she was about to open.
“Mmm… I could get used to this,” she murmured as she ran her hands up and down his broad chest and strong biceps.
“You might have to.”
“Is that a promise?”
“Allie…” Ark took a step back, held her at arm’s length, and looked her in the eyes. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you. I think… I hope… this is the right time and place.”
She furrowed her brows. He seemed very serious, and she couldn’t tell whether what followed would be good or bad.
“Oh!”
Okay, it was good. Ark just dropped to one knee in front of her, dug inside his pocket, and pulled out a plain black box. Inside, there was a tiny ring with a simple-cut diamond adorning it.
“Alison Page of Old Earth, will you marry me?”
She laughed, clapped her hands, and jumped up and down a couple of times. Her unexpected reaction scared Kimmy, and the Kidem wrapped itself so tightly around her shoulders that Allie had pull at its slippery body to convince it to release her. Once she was able to breathe again, she cleared her throat.
“Yes, Captain Arkvar of Unxendio, I will marry you.”
Ark’s tense features relaxed. He stood up, a huge smile on his lips, and gently placed the diamond ring on Allie’s finger.
“I assure you, this is the fanciest, most precious thing in this village. The people here haven’t even seen diamonds yet.”
“So, they don’t know how valuable my ring is?”
“Hmm… Don’t get mad, but… you see, for them, your ring doesn’t hold the slightest value. Sure, when they see it, they’ll probably appreciate its beauty, but that’s about it.”
“But… it could be exchanged for money. Not that I’d ever do that.”
Ark laughed wholeheartedly. “What money?”
Allie blinked. She opened her mouth to say something, but Ark made sure to silence her with a deep, passionate kiss. One minute of that, and she forgot what she’d wanted to ask him.
“Shall we?”
“Sure.”
He opened the door, but when she wanted to step inside, he lifted her up bridal style and carried her over the threshold.
“What are you doing?” she chuckled.
“Isn’t this how the humans of Old Earth used to do it? I did my homework this time. Properly.”
“Oh, so that’s why you nailed the proposal so well.”
“Just well? I thought it was flawless.”
“You’re right. It was flawless. Flawless victory, Captain.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind. I do hope New Earth will invent video games at some point.”
Ark smiled. He was getting used to her talking about things which were so foreign to him. It was one of the things that made their relationship so exciting and rewarding. They came from such different worlds that they’d never get bored learning about the other. Sometime between the Council’s final decision and their arrival to New Earth, Ark had found a couple of minutes to research who Mystique was. He totally understood why Allie was so crazy about the character.
“Oh. My. God.”
Allie started kicking her legs and arms in excitement, so Ark had no choice but to put her down.
“I don’t believe this! Shirin in a dress?!”
She was too distracted by how gorgeous the tall, blue alien woman looked to realize what was actually happening in her and Ark’s new house. She hugged Shirin, then ran her hands through her long, now wavy hair, and all over the golden dress which was complimenting her athletic body so well.
Shirin took a step back and playfully swatted her hands away.
“Behave yourself. This is serious.”
“What’s serious?” Allie’s eyes moved from Shirin to Ark, then to Thivo. The Chief Officer was dressed rather elegantly, too. “What’s going on?” She spotted the burning candles on the table behind Shirin and Thivo, and the huge bouquet of white roses waiting for her. “Ooooh. When you asked me to marry you, you meant…”
“… today,” Ark finished her sentence.
“I… I’m not ready.”
Ark blinked in confusion. Shirin was about to give her a piece of her mind, while Thivo looked like a puppy who’d just been refused a snack.
For a second, Allie embraced her mischievous side and enjoyed the effect her words seemed to have on them.
“I can’t get married like this… no wedding dress, no Cinderella shoes, no nothing. Just give me a minute.”
She closed her eyes and imagined herself as the bride she wanted to be. She was past materializing clothes she’d later have to change into. Now, Allie was able to manifest all of it directly onto her body: a tight, pearl-embroidered corset, a long, rich skirt, white high-heeled sandals that made her a few inches taller, and white roses in her red hair. When she opened her eyes, she knew she didn’t need to look in the mirror to know it was all perfect, just the way she had pictured it. Finally, she telepathically asked Kimmy to suffocate Shirin for a while and ruin her outfit, then sent a message to Skippy to come join them.
“Alright, let’s do this.”
Thivo handed her the rose bouquet. “I will lead the ceremony,” he said.
“Works for me. There aren’t any priests around here, are they?”
“No,” Ark chuckled. “No religion yet.”
“No money, no religion… no politics either, right? I think I might like it here.”
Thivo cleared his throat.
“Err… if you could please face me.”<
br />
Ark and Allie did as they were told.
“Actually, maybe you should face each other. And… err… say your vows?”
Allie threw him a funny look.
“You suck. But you’re a good First Officer. Stick with that.”
“I’m not very sure how this works,” said Ark apologetically. “I just say… that I love you and I’ll always be faithful to you?”
Allie laughed. “Oh, this sure is the wedding of my dreams. Let’s see… yeah, say all of that. And then say you will forever do the dishes and take the garbage out.”
They all laughed at that. The traditions of Old Earth were peculiar to the Unxendi, but even they knew humans wouldn’t go as far as to mention washing the dishes and taking the garbage out in their wedding vows.
“Oh, oh! And also say you’ll peel and chop the onions for food. I hate chopping onions.”
“Okay, here goes. Alison Page, I promise I will love you, be faithful to you, and care for you always and forever. I will do the dishes, take the garbage out, and peel and chop the onions whenever you feel like cooking fulfilling meals for us.”
Allie winked at Shirin and Thivo. “Oh my, this one’s a keeper. Am I right?”
“Your turn.”
“Don’t look so excited! Okay, let’s see…” She closed her eyes and thought for a moment. “I know! Arkvar, I take you as my husband, to love and cherish, so on and so forth, till death do us part. I promise to stay proper blue and sexy, and be my best, sexiest and most fabulous self always and forever.”
Ark nodded thoughtfully. “That works for me.”
“It better!”
Thivo interrupted their playful banter: “Captain Arkvar… Alison Page… I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Allie squealed when Ark lifted her in the air, spun her two times, then bent her down over his knee so he could kiss her like he’d seen in the sappy romantic movie he’d caught at the cinema with Thivo during those three days he’d spent on Old Earth.
“Do we, like… also get a party?” Allie asked when he released her.
“Back on The Hesperia,” Shirin said. “The pilots have prepared quite a show for you two.”
“Aww… then why didn’t we have the ceremony there?”
Ark hugged her from behind, placed his chin on her shoulder, and whispered in her ear:
“I wanted this to be intimate and special. And I thought it would be nice to do it in our new home, with our closest friends as witnesses.”
Allie hugged him back, then smiled at Thivo and Shirin.
“Thank you, guys. This means a lot to me.”
“Are you ready to party?” Shirin asked cheerfully while pulling at the Kidem and throwing it at Allie.
“Oh yes! Let’s party!” Before allowing Ark to pull her through his stargate to The Hesperia, she added: “Wait. Party with your lame Unxendi music?”
Shirin barely had time to shout out an answer: “You’re in for a surprise!”
And what a surprise it was, indeed. The first thing Allie heard before even opening her eyes on the spaceship now orbiting New Earth was “Red Blooded Woman” blasting through the walls.
“Oh, no! Noooo!”
Her blue eyes went as wide as saucers. She covered her mouth with both hands because the sight of three Unxendi pilots dancing on Kylie Minogue’s song was too much to handle.
“No way!”
She laughed, wiped tears from the corners of her eyes, then started swaying her hips to the chorus. Shirin joined in, and Allie had to give it to her. The Second Officer knew how to shake her stuff.
Boy, boy
Let me keep freakin’ around
I wanna get down
I’m a red blooded woman
What’s the point in hanging round
Don’t wanna keep turning it down
When this girl wants to rock with you
EPILOGUE
“You’re okay, you’re fine. This is easy, right? You can do it, Allie!”
“Ugh! This is not what I signed up for,” she yelled at the midwife.
“I’m here, I’m here. Hold on to my hand,” Ark whispered in her ear.
Allie pushed him away.
“No! Go away! Get out! I don’t want you to see me like this.”
“I don’t care, I don’t care… Baby, I love you.”
She glared at him.
“I love you, too. Now, get out.”
Ark sighed, stood up, and made his exit. He knew his wife well enough to know she wasn’t joking.
Allie could finally breathe more easily. She lay back on the pillows, and smiled when Shirin patted her forehead with a dry towel. She was sweating like crazy, and the midday sun peeking through the curtains didn’t help at all. Why did the baby had to come in full-blown summer?
She was grateful Shirin and Claire were there. Claire was her midwife, the best midwife in the village, actually, and she was from Old Earth, which really helped Allie relax. Claire was Theren’s twin flame, and she already had a 4-month old daughter. As she massaged Allie’s huge belly, the dark scales on her light-green neck and chest gleamed happily in the sun.
“I’m not ready,” Allie moaned.
“Yes, you are,” Shirin reassured her. “You’ve been preparing for this for months.”
“Breathe,” whispered Claire. “Just breathe. I’ll tell you when to push.”
Allie nodded and did her best to breathe like she’d been practicing at the Future Mommy Workshop held twice a week in the village. Claire was the one who’d started it, and she was also the one who’d taken it upon herself to train young women who wanted to become midwives. It was all done mindfully and in alignment with the changing feminine energies of the women who wanted to become mothers or were already pregnant. The whole point of the trainings and workshops was to honor the female body, its unique ability to create new lives, and turn the experience of giving birth from something painful and scary to something simple and joyful. What Claire had noticed over the past year was that, unfortunately, women who originated from Old Earth, herself included, were likely to have more difficult births. The ones who’d reincarnated on New Earth were more in tune with their natural cycles, almost to the point where giving birth didn’t hurt at all. Claire found it fascinating.
“Alright, you need to push now. You can do it, Allie. Trust your body.”
Tears streamed down Allie’s face, but she kept her focus on her baby. It would be over soon, and she’d get to hold her little boy at her breast. Yes, she knew it was a boy. Both her and Ark could communicate with the baby telepathically, and he had even chosen his own name. He was an Old Terran soul who couldn’t wait to start his new life on Young Earth. Allie knew the child would forget most of the knowledge he had now, while still in her womb. Claire had told her that her daughter had forgotten everything one month in. It was normal.
To Allie’s surprise, it all went more smoothly than she had expected. She let out a loud sigh of relief when she heard the first sounds her son made. He didn’t scream, nor cry when Claire cleaned him up and wrapped him in a soft blanket.
Shirin helped her sit up just enough to receive her new bundle of joy.
“Look at you…”
The baby was staring at her with his intense blue eyes. His skin was light blue, and he had his father’s nose and chin.
“Matthew… You’re beautiful, did you know that?”
“Matthew,” said Shirin. “I’ve never heard this name before. Terran?”
“Yes. He chose it because it was the name he had on Old Earth at the time when… well… you know…”
The Unxendi woman nodded. They were way past that. None of the human women now living on New Earth talked about their old planet anymore. They had all come to terms with what had happened, and they also agreed it had been necessary. Life on this new, gorgeous planet was simple, peaceful, and abundant.
“Claire, wil
l you please tell Ark he can come in now? I’d do it myself, but I’m exhausted.”
The midwife smiled, closed her eyes, and reached Ark with her mind. In less than five seconds, he was bursting through the door with Thivo in tow.
“Alison, baby… you’re okay!”
He ran to her side and hugged her as best as he could, kissed her sweaty forehead, then nervously looked at the tiny, blue-skinned newborn in her arms. Allie’s Kidem rippled from around his biceps to his wrist, then down the back of his hand and all over little Matthew. It wrapped itself around him like a second blanket, careful not to squeeze him too tightly. Allie had shooed Kimmy away hours ago, as the creature responded to her emotions and made her even more nervous while she was in labor. It had attached itself to Ark and waited impatiently to be allowed back into Allie’s personal space.
“Hello, there,” Ark cooed. “Aren’t you just perfect?”
“Do you want to hold him?”
“Isn’t he hungry?”
They both tuned in to the baby’s thoughts and saw how excited he was to meet them, his parents. Yes, he was hungry, but he also wanted his father to hold him just for a minute or two. Gently, Ark took him from Allie and stood up to show him to Thivo and Shirin.
“He’s a strong boy,” the Chief Officer said.
“He’ll be a leader one day,” said Shirin. “I can feel it.”
“Oh, yes,” agreed Ark. “A leader greater than his father.”
They held him in the sunlight and played with his tiny hands and fingers. They would’ve never given him back to Allie if it weren’t for his thoughts, which were growing louder and louder. He was hungry.
Claire helped Allie position him at her breast, then showed her how to hold his fragile head.
“Okay, you two,” she looked over at Ark and Thivo. “We need some privacy here. Why don’t you go get everything ready for tonight?”
The other six fleet captains were coming over with their twin flames for a nice, intimate party. It was nothing fancy, but they all wanted to celebrate Matthew’s birth.
