Final Words

 

Final Words             post on 10/19

Month 17 Day 30

1342 Hours

Captain Jane Burke

Jane entered the transpod room and glanced around. Smitty stood at the controls. Normally, he'd be overseeing the transfer of cargo; he must have Wilson doing that. Bugalu and MacGregor were standing nearby. No surprise there. Of course they'd want to say good-bye. 2 pods waited with their doors open… and there was no sign of the redhead. “I don’t think she gets to change her mind, at this point,” Jane stated. “She’s still pregnant, isn’t she?” She asked Drake.

“Yes, and don’t even joke about it being otherwise,” he responded.

He's right. It was a heartless thing to say. “No, that wouldn’t be a joking matter,” Jane agreed. But where is she? Is she having difficulty packing?

The door opened and MacDowell entered, her duffel bag slung over her shoulder. She looked different out of uniform, wearing low shoes, pants and a long-sleeved turtleneck. She looked young, small and vulnerable, despite the duffle bag she so easily carried. She seemed surprised to see her captain there. “Captain.” She actually saluted, despite not being in uniform.

“You seem to have forgotten something, lieutenant,” Jane told her with a gentle smile. “Which of these 3 men have you decided to marry? As soon as you name him, I’ll perform the ceremony, and the other 2 can act as witnesses.”

“She decided to marry me,” Smitty stated. “We’ve made plans.”

“I don’t remember receiving a transfer request for you, Smitty.” Actually, I haven’t gotten a request for any of them. Have her plans somehow hit a stumbling block? Why didn’t anybody tell me about it? “MacDowell?” She asked, and everybody turned to look at her.

The redhead developed red flags on her cheeks, and then her face went white as tears started down her face. “None of them,” she answered curtly, and moved forward, towards the transpods.

Smitty’s mouth dropped open in shock. “Colleen!”

MacDowell whirled to face him, pain obvious on her face, her tears flowing even faster. “I thought you understood! I have to go to Gaelund! When I join you in a year, then I’ll marry you. But I can’t do it before that. If my family discovers who got me pregnant, they’ll declare war! I don’t even plan to tell them I’m engaged, for the same reason. Which reminds me, don’t try to contact me, not any of you." She glanced at MacGregor and Bugalu to include them. "If they find I’m communicating with men—I don’t even want to think about it! I’ll send messages through Abdulla and Yellow Dog. Once I’ve determined it’s safe, then we can exchange occasional messages.”

Smitty was obviously in as much pain as she was. “Then, how do I tell you where to meet me? How do we discuss the possibilities I discover? How do we… keep our love alive?”

Her duffel bag hit the floor with a muffled thud, and she was in his embrace, kissing him. After a moment, she ended the kiss, but still clung to him. “Okay. We'll have to risk it. Tell your communications crew that I will send messages to you addressed to Joe George. I know there’s nobody aboard with that name. If there is, I've never met them, which would be highly unlikely. In that case, have Abdulla send me another name to use. When you get a message from me, and it sounds like garbage, put it through the Yukosk translator. Nobody on Gaelund will know a word of Yukosk, so that should be safe for me to use. Okay? And never forget that I love you.”

“And I love you,” he returned, his voice gravelly with emotion. “Forever and ever. But you have to marry me, now, before you go to Gaelund. That way, the Fleet will send half my paycheck to you, as my spouse who's living separately. I'm afraid your pension won't be nearly enough to support you.” 

She gave him a watery smile and caressed his cheek. "Oh, that's sweet." She sniffed and went on. "But I've got some vacation time and sick leave saved up. I'm sure all that will get me through."

She's wrong. It won't be enough, and soon there'll be 2 of them. I thought they were discussing all the possibilities? But they somehow didn't discuss the finances of living separately? With the financial demands of taking care of a baby as well? What have they been talking about?

"It's my responsibility to see that you and the child have everything you need," Smitty argued. "Just a 2-minute ceremony and it'll be done."

She reached up and placed a finger over his mouth. "I can't do that, and I told you why." She gave him another long kiss.

Eventually, a buzz sounded from the control board, and the couple broke their embrace. Looking bewildered, Smitty needed a moment to identify the source of the noise. He cleared his throat. “The station’s getting impatient for you to debark,” he told the redhead. Moisture gleamed in his eyes.

He reluctantly let her move away from him. Turning, she pulled a crumpled paper from her pocket and turned to Jane. “Captain, this is my letter of resignation.”

Jane was having her own emotional reaction, which she was trying hard to hide as she took the letter. “I wish we could have found a better solution for you than to send you back to Gaelund for a year.”

“I’ll make it work,” MacDowell stated huskily, and coughed. “I’m in a lot better position now than I was when I left at 17.” She turned and gave MacGregor a hug. “I’ll miss you, Uncle MacG. You’ve taught me so much.”

“I insist you put me in contact with your obstetrician,” he answered. “So I can keep track of you and the baby.”

“I will,” she promised, and transferred her hug to Bugalu. “My best brother ever.”

“I expect to send you messages,” he told her. “What fake name do you want me to use?”

Initially startled, she answered, “Oh, Bugalu is fine. If anybody asks, I’ll just tell them you’re from Africa. They’ll never know Bugalu isn’t a woman’s name.”

“Good.” The buzzer sounded again, and he released her. “You’d better go.”

“Yes,” she acknowledged, her voice strained. She retrieved her duffel bag and placed it in one of the transpods, then stepped into the second and waved good-bye. "It's only a year, Smit. Not even a Gaelund year." Tears streamed down her face as she stared at Smitty while the pods sealed themselves and started on their journey to the station.

I’ll still be losing Smitty, but that’s put off for a year. I had my misgivings about that one when she arrived, but she settled in and became an excellent member of the crew. Takor is grateful for his yeoman, Yellow Dog, who has also fit into the crew. The only one that hasn’t is that nurse that arrived with them, and I don't understand why she's still with us. “Duck, with me,” she instructed, and glanced at the other 2 men. “You 2 take the rest of the day off.” She turned and left, trusting her Chief Medical Officer to follow.

The End

A Rational Discussion

Month 17 Day 24

2144 Hours

Smitty

In the pleasant afterglow of sex, Smitty rolled off his beloved and wrapped his arms around her. “I’m never going to get tired of having sex with you,” he told her softly and kissed her cheek.

“I feel the same,” she told him, and her mouth formed a soft smile, though her emerald eyes looked rather bleak.

She hasn't been herself since she got back from sick bay this morning. “What’s got you upset?” He asked after a moment. She's been pensive and rather uncommunicative all afternoon. What did Drake say to her at her medical exam this morning? Is he still trying to replace me?

It took several long moments before she answered. “I’m not making enough progress in strengthening my internal muscles,” She finally said. “It looks like I need to return to Gaelund until after childbirth.”

“Oh.” He thought about that for a time. “I can ask for a leave of absence and go with you.”

Her face went white, and her eyes grew round in horror. “No, you can’t!” She shook her head emphatically. “Gaelund’s gravity would be too much for you. You wouldn’t die right away, but you would die at least 20 years earlier than you would under Earth gravity. I’m not willing to have that happen so soon.”

Hmm, even MacGregor has implied something like that, a time or two. There has to be a way we could make it work. “I could stay on one of the space stations, get a temporary job.”

She snuggled closer to him, but he could feel her trembling within their embrace. “I don’t see any purpose to it. You wouldn’t be able to come down to Gaelund to see me, and I wouldn’t be able to come up to see you. Plus… I wouldn’t want my family to make life miserable for you. Which they would do, sooner or later. All my brothers and my father, all with Gaelund strength.” She shuddered and pulled him closer. “They could easily kill you.”

He held her tight for several minutes, wondering what to say to ease her worries. It almost seems like she’s looking for excuses. Has she changed her mind about us? Could this be pre-ceremony jitters? “They wouldn’t have any reason for any of that. We’d be married.”

She was still quivering with fear, still slow to answer. “I don’t know,” she answered haltingly. “Papa probably still sees me as his little girl, not to be deflowered by anyone. And my brothers just fall right in line with whatever he says. When I came back for Matt’s funeral, Pa treated me just the same as he did before I left for the Academy, and I was long past the age of adulthood, even on Gaelund. Even if he did somehow get used to the idea of me being married and having my own kids, he didn’t choose you, so he’d hold that against you. Probably forever.”

He turned that over and over in his head, looking for any way forward that wouldn’t bring on more excuses. She got mad at me once for not asking for her input before making decisions that would effect both of us. Maybe that sort of thing is rearing up to upset her again, even though we have been discussing various options between us. Lots of options, but not her returning to Gaelund. “Well, do you have any suggestions?”

Her breath gently tickled the side of his neck and down his chest. She took a long time to answer; so long, he began to fear the personal alarm would go off before she responded, and she would have to leave the question unanswered. But eventually, she gave him a gentle kiss. “I think I have to go to Gaelund to have our child. That means I’ll have to leave the Fleet, of course, but I’ll have a pension to help me get through. Doing it that way will let you stay here, at a job you love, for another year. After that, I can meet you wherever you transfer to, and then we’ll be together.”

Her pension will be blasted small, no longer than she’s been in the Fleet. But that’s okay. I’ll send money to support them. “Is that what you want to do?”

“No,” she responded right away, and gave him another kiss. “I’d rather marry you and move with you wherever you transfer, and live happily ever after. Even if I have to consciously and consistently carry my Gaelund gravity with me everywhere I go. But I'm afraid I might mess that up. So it seems easier to go to Gaelund for a finite time and then live happily ever after.”

“A year is a long time to be without you.”

“We're facing that anyway,” she pointed out. “I have to go into strict Gaelund gravity as soon as I leave this ship. We won’t even have an hour a day for sex. Or just holding. Having you in the other half of the room, or of the apartment… I don’t know if I can do that, day after day, for an entire year.”

“You think it would be easier to be far from each other for a year?”

“Probably not,” she admitted. “But I wouldn’t be facing the temptation, the option of turning off the Gaelund gravity and climbing into bed with you. I would be on Gaelund. Doing what I have to do for the health of our baby. And knowing that I've also made the right choice in regards to you; you'll be too far away to ignore the danger of Gaelund gravity on your body.”

Maybe she’s right. Once we get married, I can have the Fleet send half my paycheck to her while she’s on Gaelund. That should get her through. I’ll miss her terribly, but giving up the sex and the holding is probably best done cold, and without the temptation of chucking it aside at a moment’s notice. He let his hand slide down her back to cup her derriere. “I shall miss you every minute that you are away from me.” If she needs Gaelund gravity, then she shall have Gaelund gravity, whatever I have to do.

“And I will yearn for you with every particle of my being,” she murmured sweetly, and moved her head to glance at the personal alarm. “Speaking of which, are you ready for more sex?”

“Absolutely.” And he kissed her passionately.

Still Not Good

Month 17 Day 24

11:22 Hours

Dr Drake MacGregor

Mac’s forehead puckered in confusion and disappointment as she sat facing Drake across his office desk. And her eyes are gleaming with unshed tears. No, she's not taking this well at all. “No improvement at all?” she asked.

“I didn’t say I see no improvement,” Drake corrected, wondering if she would start crying. Some days it doesn't take much to start the tears flowing. “I see a very slight improvement, but not as much as I had hoped to see by now. But there's still time. Have you made any progress with your boot gravity units?”

One tear started down her cheek, and she sniffed as she wiped it away. Drake handed her a paper towel. “I don't know. Well... I just started a new configuration yesterday,” Mac stated. Only one unit, on my left boot, with an enlarged area of engagement. My right foot doesn’t stay in Gaelund gravity all the time, but my body does, and I'm learning to compensate for what feels like being lop-sided. So between all these efforts, I am spending at least 90% of my time in Gaelund gravity. I had hoped that would be enough.”

“Possibly it is,” Drake drawled. “Or will be. You just started this latest batch of gravity enhancement. It's too early to tell how much it will help, but it will help, so don't get discouraged. What would be even better would be for you to be in Gaelund gravity all the time, but that’s not going to be possible on a ship.”

Her eyes grew round, and her face went pale. “The only way to be in Gaelund gravity all the time is to be on Gaelund.”

“Well, that would be one way,” Drake told her. “You and Smitty are both engineers, and there must be other possibilities. Here's an idea, and I'm not an engineer, but once you get settled into an apartment, you could install Gaelund gravity in that apartment.”

“And… what? I'd never leave the apartment?”

“No doubt you’d have to, from time to time. For medical appointments, if nothing else. But you already have portable units to take with you. So you could, conceivably, get your non-Gaelund-gravity time down to 1 or 2%. Which I'm sure would do the trick.”

She stared at the floor, thinking about what he had said. “What happens if my muscles don’t regain their strength? I never manage to give birth? My baby dies inside me because I can’t give birth?”

“Nothing so drastic,” he assured her. “They can always deliver by Cesarean. It’s just better for both mother and child if the childbirth can be done the normal way. That’s why I’m trying to get you ready for that.”

“I appreciate that,” she said slowly, her voice husky with emotion. “I just worry about my body being so stubborn about getting into shape. But I can’t subject Smit to constant Gaelund gravity in his own home. It wouldn’t be good for him. He’d die at a very early age.”

From what I've read of the early pioneers on heavy planets... “He probably would,” Drake agreed slowly. Married but living separately? Hardly ideal, but—

“I know he would,” she stated. “Gaelund textbooks explain it all to our school children. The original colonists, those who landed on Gaelund, all died within 20 years of landing. Even the first generation of those born on Gaelund all died before they reached 60. It wasn’t until the 2nd and 3rd generation of native-born Gaelunders that the life expectancy started to lengthen. So I can’t ask Smit to live in Gaelund gravity. I won't do it to him.”

“Life with him can still be done,” Drake offered. “Maybe it might take a larger apartment. Then you split the apartment in half, with Earth gravity in one half, for Smitty, and Gaelund gravity in the other half, for you and the baby.”

“So close, and yet so far away.” Her tears sounded very close to the surface just now. "It would be torture."

“Talk to Smitty about it,” he suggested. “I'm not an engineer. Maybe the 2 of you can think of something better. Unless you want to go home to Gaelund.” I can't imagine so, but she is the one who brought it up. Is she considering it?

White-faced, she sat absolutely still for a long moment. “I never want to go back. I’ve gotten used to the idea that I would never go back to Gaelund. Especially not like this.”

“Then you’ll need to find a way to make the split apartment work. Or some other arrangement. On the plus side, once you get those muscles up to strength for this pregnancy, you could dip back into Earth normal gravity from time to time. As long as you spend, oh, I’d guess about 50 or 60% of your time in Gaelund gravity, there shouldn’t be any difficulties with any future pregnancies.”

She looked up in abject surprise. “Future pregnancies? You are getting too far ahead of me, MacG. I can only think about getting through this one.”

Just a bit of tunnel vision? I suppose that's understandable. “Of course,” he answered. “And you’re going to do fine. I’m just giving you all the possibilities so you can make educated decisions. Whatever you and Smitty decide to do, I know you’ll make the right decision and make it work.” He watched as she once again stared, frowning, at the floor. He leaned forward to make sure he had her attention. “You are making progress, Mac, and adding the walking and standing in Gaelund gravity will no doubt help propel you forward even faster. There’s nothing for you to worry about at this time.”

“Perhaps,” she said quietly, sighed and stood up, retrieved her under-chair grav unit. “If you're done with me, I'll return to work.”

“Talk to Smitty,” he suggested again. “If anyone can figure out split gravity on an apartment, it’s him.”

“Yes. You’re right,” she murmured, and turned to leave his office.

She still seems upset. Well, Smitty will think about it for a couple minutes, and then explain how simple it will be to have dual gravity in their apartment, wherever they wind up. I’m sure she’ll be back to her usual self by supper. 

A Moment of Concern

Month 17 Day 21

10:48 Hours

Drake MacGregor

Drake closed his medical scanner, which hadn't revealed anything about the redhead was amiss. “I don’t find anything wrong,” he stated quietly to the young woman who sat in a chair in front of the captain’s desk. “You say you got dizzy. What were you doing?”

“Talking to the captain,” Mac answered, and her face flushed a bit. “If this is a normal part of being pregnant, then I’m sorry to have caused such commotion.”

“It can be a normal occurrence during pregnancy,” he told her. “But I’m glad to check you out whenever it happens, just to be sure.”

The door to the hall opened and Smitty hurried in. “Captain! Colleen! What happened? All I was told was that they sent for MacGregor and I should get here right away!”

The redhead turned a delicate pink. “MacG just gave me a clean bill of health, Smit.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Drake told her drily. “I’d still like some information on what you were doing just before you got dizzy.”

“I told you, I was talking to the captain.”

“We were talking,” Jane agreed. “I gave her a piece of news that got her excited, and she stood up quickly, talked eagerly, then suddenly stopped and turned absolutely white, looked ready to faint. I wonder if she got over-excited for her condition.”

Smitty squatted down to look beneath Mac’s chair, took one of her hands in his as he did so. “She got up quickly, did you say?”

“Yes,” Jane confirmed.

“Well, she’s got Gaelund gravity on her chair, so as she rose, she would have gone from Gaelund gravity to Earth gravity in short order. Would that have any bearing on it?”

“That definitely could have started the process, yes,” Drake stated. “And excitement could have complicated her reaction. Mac, you need to be a little more careful about going from one gravity level to another. I wouldn’t want you to fall because you lost your balance.”

“Is there some reason why it's necessary for her to install Gaelund gravity under every chair she sits in?” the captain asked.

“That's what I understand,” Smitty answered before Drake could. “She’s got to build up the strength in her internal muscles before the baby comes. She works out in Gaelund gravity, sleeps in Gaelund gravity, and now she sits in Gaelund gravity. We’ve been trying to work on gravity units to attach to her boots so that she can walk and stand in Gaelund gravity, but that hasn't been going so well.”

“What do you mean?” Jane asked. "What's the problem?"

Mac sighed, sat up straighter and answered. “If we put a small unit on each boot, I feel myself moving from Gaelund to Earth gravity every time I take a step. And if we enlarge the dimensions of the units’ area of effect, I move from Gaelund to higher-than-Gaelund gravity every time I take a step. Either way, it’s very disorientating.”

"That's not the effect I was hoping for," Drake stated. And I don't think either one is going to do her any good.

"I would find that terribly disorientating," Jane agreed. "Perhaps it would be better to reassign her to quarters where you could install Gaelund gravity in the whole thing."

Mac sighed. "There would still be all the time I'm not in my quarters. On duty or with my friends."

"So you've already considered that," Jane stated. "Of course you have."

“What was the news that got her so excited?” Smitty asked, his forehead wrinkled.

“Hold that thought a moment,” Jane told him, and moved to the door to the bridge. “Lt Bugalu, would you step in my office for a moment?” She moved back to her desk and waited for the helmsman to join them. He gave a quick glance around the office that was the only indication he was surprised by the occupants, and then stood slightly behind MacDowell. “Alright, now that you all are here. I pulled some strings at headquarters, with good results. All 3 of you have been approved to marry Lt MacDowell. Without her having to leave the Fleet. Obviously, you can’t all marry her, but I stand ready to perform the ceremony, once she decides who she wants. Now, Dr MacGregor, since she nearly fainted when I told her that news, what are your instructions for her at this time?”

Looking as surprised as the other men, Drake quickly pulled his thoughts together. “I’d like for her to go to her quarters and lay down for an hour,” he answered. “Then, so long as she feels okay, she can return to her usual schedule. If she doesn’t feel okay, I want her to summon me again.”

“Good. That should allow her to have lunch with Mr Smythe, or whoever. Whoever she picks, they have things to discuss, and time to do it is limited. How does that sound to you, Lt MacDowell?”

“I don’t feel like I need to lay down for an hour, but I will follow the doctor’s suggestion. And I appreciate having lunch with Smit. We do need to talk.”

“I’ll walk you back to your quarters on my way to engineering,” Smitty volunteered, and took hold of her arm to help her stand up. Bugalu bent over to grab the gravity unit and handed it to her as she turned toward the door.

After the couple left, Jane turned to face the remaining 2 men. “She seems to have made her choice.”

“Probably,” Drake agreed. "It may depend now on the possibility of finding a place that needs a pair of engineers, but can wait a year for the 2nd one.”

“And how does that make you 2 feel?”

“Whatever makes her happy,” Bugalu stated at once.

“And you, Duck?” The captain asked.

“Oh, I agree with Bugalu,” he said. “But if they can’t find appropriate positions, then maybe physician and engineer positions will be easier to find.”

“Well, yeah, with that caveat,” Bugalu added. "Helmsman and engineer."

The captain didn’t frown, but Drake had the feeling she wasn’t exactly happy with their answers. “Very well. We’ll see how things play out from here. Dismissed.”

Righting a Wrong

 

Month 17 Day 21

10:28 Hours

Jane Burke

The door to the hallway opened, and Lt MacDowell walked into the captain's office. “You wanted to see me, captain?”

“Yes, come in, lieutenant. Take a seat.” Jane watched the redhead put something under the indicated chair and then sat. She noticed a faint fuzz poking up from behind her red curls. “It looks like your hair is growing back in.” I hope she’s not sensitive about that. I’m trying to be her friend. Jane, I do believe you’re going to miss her.

“Yes,” MacDowell agreed, and smiled. “It tickles when a hand is run over it.” The smile faded. “But it isn’t red. I’ll have a streak up the back of my head.”

A small price to pay, when she could have paid with her life. “Well, that will make you even more unique.”

MacDowell gave a quick grin. “That’s right.” She folded her hands in her lap, apparently ready for whatever she’d been called here for.

Jane sighed mentally. They always expect something bad. “I wanted to catch you up on some recent developments. Regarding your desire to get married.” Now she really looks worried. Afraid I’ll tell her she can’t marry Smitty for some arcane reason, even if she does resign from the Fleet. Keep going, Jane, don’t keep her in suspense any longer than you need to. Jane opened her top desk drawer and pulled out a few sheets of paper. “I did something for you, lieutenant. I spoke up on your behalf. I did even more. I asked others to send in a letter commenting on you.”

“Others?” Her eyes were round and worried.

“I asked Captain Valentine and Chief Engineer Facchini of the St Elmo to send their thoughts on your skills and professionalism. I don’t know what they said, but I hope they were suitably impressed by you. For my own part, I sent a lengthy reply to the refusal for Smitty to marry you. In that reply, I pointed out the various discrepancies in your personnel, discipline and medical files from your time on the tugs, and the fact that all the ’trouble-making’ in your Academy files completely disappeared during your senior year, when Cadet Baker was no longer at the Academy. I also sent in your records from the time you came aboard, and pointed out that the only time you were in the brig was while security investigated your fight with Mr Winthrop. Which they determined was self-defense on your part.”

“That… was a lot of… work for you to do.” She seemed stunned that anyone had done so much on her behalf.

“You haven’t been treated fairly since you arrived at the Academy,” Jane pointed out. “The denial of Smythe’s Request to Marry was a further compounding of that disservice. If I allow such behavior to stand, unchallenged, then I am condoning it, and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. So I objected, with every reasonable point I could find. It took some time, but I was able to make some headway.”

MacDowell’s stunned expression had started to look hopeful, but that light in her eyes now faded. “Oh, some,” she repeated quietly.

Jane selected one of the papers she had removed from her desk. “I have here a Request to Marry form that has been approved. The one Lt Bugalu submitted, listing you as his intended bride. It has been approved. You may marry him without having to resign from the Fleet, if you wish to do so.”

“Oh. Bugalu. Well, that’s good. I guess.”

Not a lot of enthusiastic passion in that response. Sorry, Lt Bugalu, I don’t think you’re going to be chosen. Not that I think you’ll be heart-broken if she doesn’t choose you. She selected another form. “Here is the Request to Marry from Dr Drake MacGregor, also listing you as his bride. It has been approved also.”

“Okay. MacG—MacGregor. Kind of unexpected, but okay.”

Nope, no passion in that response, either. Only one left to tell her about. Jane picked up the final form, the one that  had come back with the note, ‘We’re dying to know which one—if any—this woman wants to marry.’

“This is the request from Lt Cmdr Smythe…”

The girl sat a little deeper in her chair, looking defeated. “The one they denied.”

“It has been approved.” Jane watched her carefully.

MacDowell suddenly sat forward, hope in her eyes and a faint color in her previously white cheeks. “Approved? I can marry him?”

“Yes.” Definitely interested now. Not any great display of passion, but maybe she’s afraid it will be snatched away from her. Like she feared her first shore leave with us would be cancelled at the last minute.

“And I don’t have to leave the Fleet to do it?”

“That’s correct.”

“Oh! We’ll have to look at transfers for Smit! And for me!” She surged to her feet, grabbed Jane’s hand and shook it strongly. “Thank you, captain! I can’t begin to thank you!”

Okay, enthusiasm, and passion, too. It’s not a completely one-sided affair. Good. I will report that to Admiral Longview. I could still wish I wasn’t losing Smitty. And MacDowell. But it’s not fair to keep them apart. “You don’t need to thank me too profusely, lieutenant. I’ve heard a good deed is its own reward.”

“Not in this case, because you’ll be losing Smit.”

“From the sounds of it, I was going to lose him anyway, as well as you. Now, I’m sure you want to go tell him the news. Tell him I don’t expect him to join me for lunch today. I’m sure you 2 have things to talk about, now that circumstances have changed.”

“We do! I wonder if he’d rather—“ Her face suddenly drained of color, and her hands clutched the desk top as her upper body wobbled.

Jane hurried around her desk and took hold of the girl’s upper arms, trying to steady her. “Sit down, MacDowell, before you fall down. The chair is right behind you, just bend your knees slowly and I’ll steady you.” Once she got the young woman seated, she realized MacDowell’s eyes were closed, and her body limp. “Blossom, call MacGregor, get him up here.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Take a deep breath, lieutenant,” Jane told the redhead. “Are you feeling sick?”

MacDowell took a breath, but it wasn’t very deep. “No,” she answered. “I suddenly got… dizzy.”

“That can happen to women in your condition,” Jane told her calmly. “Just breathe deeply. I’ve sent for MacGregor, just to be safe.”

Trying Hard

Month 17 Day 16

16:42 Hours

Bugalu

Bugalu chose a table and sat down. Most of the supper crowd had finished, but he and Mac had paused for a conversation before coming to the mess hall. “I imagine that didn’t sit well with Smythe,” Bugsy commented once Mac had also sat down with her meal.

“MacG thinks it’s terribly important,” Mac stated. “After today’s exam, he called Smit to sick bay to discuss it with both of us. I’m not sure how I’m going to fit more time in Gaelund gravity into my day. I sleep 8 hours, workout at least half an hour a day between Weight Station C and Treadmill C. Like I told Smit as we went back to engineering, I suppose I could just sit in Weight Station C for an hour or 2, but that seems like a waste of time.”

“Well, it’s for your health, Mac…”

“I know. But there’s so much to do! We still haven’t decided where Smit’s going to transfer! And we’re packing up Joe to take with us, leaving George for Abdulla and Wilson to work with.”

How come I don't remember her mentioning those guys before? “Who are Joe and George?”

“Oh, those are the names we gave our Yukoskian Transportation Devices. We built 2 to have one send while the other receives. That’s how the Yukosk began, and only later figured out how to make them work at a distance.”

So they aren't people at all. “How are you all going to continue to work on it?”

“Lots of technical communications, I imagine. Plus we’ll each build ourselves a second machine. Well, once Smit gets transferred and we get settled into our new home.”

“Are you looking forward to that?” Bugalu asked. “Settling into a new life with Smythe?”

She hesitated long enough to take a bite of her sandwich and get it down her throat. “To be absolutely truthful, I have so many mixed feelings, I don’t know how I feel. I am thrilled with the thought of spending the rest of my life with him. But what if it’s not idyllic? Maybe I'll get fat, or he'll get tired of me. Before I came here, I never imagined I would ever get married. And certainly, I never expected to become a mother. Despite Pa, I knew it took both a man and a woman to make babies, and that seemed pretty impossible. Plus, the Fleet gave me shots to keep me from getting pregnant, so I just didn’t think about it.”

“Yeah, most of us don’t,” Bugsy stated. Will people be more careful, at least for a time, now that pregnancy has actually happened aboard? “But if you think about it, your upbringing is what made motherhood possible, by negating the effects of that shot.”

“Yes, she agreed, and shuddered. “In a strange way, I’m rather grateful for pa's rules, now, because I would not give myself to a man. Until Smit.” She raised her iced tea to drink, lowered it again as she saw someone. “Oh. Here he comes.”

Bugalu turned his head and saw Smythe hurrying across the mess hall, headed right for them.

“Good, I found you,” he said with a smile, and placed a hand on Mac’s shoulder.

“Is something wrong?” She asked.

“No, nothing,” Smythe answered easily, and held out a small gravity unit, about half the size of an MR27 unit. “I just finished this gravity unit just before shift change, and I’ve been looking for you.”

“I didn’t think we had any that small,” Mac stated, and took the unit to look it over.

“We don’t keep them in stock,” Smythe answered. “I had fabrication make it. It’s set to produce a 2 foot column of Gaelund gravity, 6 feet tall. I’ve already tested the field, and it holds steady. The idea is to put it under your chair while you're sitting. It’s not voice controlled, you’ll have to flip the switch on and off. Completely portable, just don’t forget it when you get up and move away. Hook it up to the power grid to recharge when you go to bed at night.”

Mac stared at the small machine as tears started down her cheeks.

Smythe saw them, too. “Darling, what’s wrong?” he asked.

She dried her tears with her napkin and glanced up at him, shaking her head slightly. “I don’t want you to get into trouble over having equipment specially made and giving it to me like a present, all because I’m pregnant, when I wasn’t supposed to get that way!”

Smythe moved over to sit opposite Bugsy and took hold of Mac’s unoccupied hand. “I paid to have that unit made, so I own it, and I choose to give it to you. As for your condition, pregnancy within the Fleet isn’t completely unheard of; it does happen. And the Fleet will pay the medical bills. But, of course, you’ll be married to me, so you’ll both be covered as my dependents.” Another tear started down her face, and he gently wiped it away. “Colleen, everything’s going to be fine.”

“So you keep telling me,” she answered, and gave him a trembling smile. “And I believe you. I do. I think the tears must be caused by fluctuating hormones. MacG warned me about bouts of crying.” She dried her face again and managed a real smile. “There, I think I’m done.”

“Good. This gravity unit should give you a good dose of Gaelund gravity. I’ll put it under your chair, get you started with it.” He took the unit and bent over in his chair for a moment before sitting up again. “How does that feel?”

She gave a slow nod. “I never realized how much harder chairs feel under Gaelund gravity. Thank you, Smit, this should definitely get those stubborn muscles in shape faster than I’ve been able to so far.”

“Tomorrow, I'll work on units for your boots, for when you’re walking or standing,” he told her with a grin. “We’ll work together, since you’ll have to test them.”

Her smile was dazzling. “I look forward to that!”

“Good.” He picked up her closest hand and kissed it. “Then I’ll let you 2 get back to your evening.” He stood up.

“Feel free to get some food and join us,” Bugalu stated, then feared the older man would join them for the entire evening.

“I ate with the captain,” Smythe stated. “And I promised not to monopolize Colleen’s time. As the captain pointed out, I have years and years ahead with her. So, I leave you 2 to your fun. Just do me one favor, Lt Bugalu. Don’t let her forget her under-the-chair gravity unit!”

“I’ll do my best,” Bugsy promised.

Smythe turned away, and then turned back. “Don’t forget, Colleen, 21:30 hours!”

Mac grinned as her cheeks turned pink. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

Smythe smiled at her. “I’ll see you then.”

After the Chief Engineer walked away, Bugalu turned back to his sister. “What's at 21:30? Exactly when will you sleep tonight, Mac?”

She took a drink of her tea. “At 22:30. We set an alarm every night to remind me it’s time to go home and go to sleep.”

“A reminder alarm? Every night?”

“Every night I have a date with him at 21:30 hours.” She picked up her sandwich. “Which is every night.”

“What kind of a date is only an hour long?”

Having taken a bite, she hurriedly chewed and swallowed. “Usually, it’s sex. But occasionally, we never get around to that.”

“Well. Look at you.”

She looked up in confusion. “What?”

“My little sister has definitely grown up.”

“It’s about time,” she muttered, and returned to her supper.

Gentle Warning

Month 17 Day 6

12:27 Hours

Drake MacGregor

Drake and Jane disposed of their lunch trays and headed for the mess hall’s exit when Drake noticed Smitty and Mac sitting down at a corner table, ready to start their lunch. “Excuse me, Jane, I’ve got to explain something to MacDowell.”

“Remind Smitty that the girl has friends who will miss her once she’s gone, so he might not monopolize her for every meal.” There was a hint of disapproval in the captain’s voice. “He hasn’t even left yet, and I already miss him at our meals.”

“I’ll try to get that inserted at some point,” Drake promised, and walked over to the couple at the corner table. “Having lunch a little late?” He asked as he approached them.

“We prefer to eat alone, Drake,” Smitty stated flatly.

“I’m not staying,” Drake stated, but pulled a chair from another table to sit down. “Captain says you both have friends who will miss you when you’re gone. And you’ve got your entire rest of your lives to be together, so could you please consider spending some time with those other friends?”

Mac’s face went pink, while Smitty frowned at his lunch tray. He sighed and looked up at his fiancée. “Yes, alright, we’ll make time for them. There’s just so much to do, to… get ready to go.”

“Good. Now for the reason I’m here.”

“You mean, that wasn’t it?” Mac asked in surprised.

“I was feeling rather forgotten,” Drake admitted, “but I probably wouldn’t have said anything if Jane hadn’t instructed me to.”

“Then why are you here, Drake?” Smitty sounded genuinely interested.

“I have some instructions for Mac, concerning her pregnancy.” Mac looked up from her salad, looking almost alarmed. “Nothing too awful, but I haven’t seen you in the gym recently.” Not since before the St Elmo, in fact.

“It’s hard to fit in everything, Mac stated. “Just the paperwork to get all my projects submitted…”

“We can work on that during my days off,” Smitty promised her, and turned his attention to the doctor. “So what are your instructions, Drake? Surely you aren’t telling her to work out with Tall Bear and Ferguson again.”

“Actually, I am,” Drake stated. “And to spend time on treadmill C as well. They don’t have to be hard workouts, just enough to keep your Gaelund muscles toned. If you don’t keep your muscles toned to Gaelund gravity, childbirth could be much more difficult. It’s probably a good idea that you’ve got Gaelund gravity installed on your bed.”

“Oh,” Mac said flatly, and her face went pink again. “I haven’t been sleeping in my bed. Much.”

“As I suggested, I can install variable gravity in my bed,” Smitty said softly.

So my suspicions are confirmed. Drake accepted the import of that simple statement, and then he thought about what that suggestion would mean to Smitty’s body. But I can't let him do that. “Smitty, I can’t recommend that. Tall Bear and Ferguson spend a few minutes every 2nd day in Gaelund gravity in order to spot for Mac’s weight-lifting. They’re younger than you, and they’re weight lifters, so they can handle it. If you tried to sleep under Gaelund gravity, your system would be working harder while you were sleeping than during the day under regular gravity. That wouldn't be good for you.”

Smitty stopped chewing his food for a moment, then finished chewing and swallowed. “Are you telling me we can’t sleep together? Ever?”

“No,” Drake answered. “I assume you’ve figured out that Mac can sleep fairly well under Earth gravity as long as she’s got an ‘anchor’ of some sort, and I also assume you work as that anchor. I’m not trying to put a damper on your love life, but I think she should be spending the vast majority of her sleep time in her own bed, under Gaelund gravity. And any other spare moments she can find during her time remaining aboard. The closer she gets to full term, the more time she should spend under Gaelund gravity. That will get in the way of you 2 being together eventually, but not now. Adjust your time together, save sleeping together to once a week.”

“That’s hardly ever!” Mac exclaimed in protest.

Smitty frowned at the cup of coffee he had raised, and put it back on his tray. “This is to help her have an uncomplicated delivery?”

“To help her have a healthy baby as well,” Drake stated. “Delivery is a complicated process, and certain muscles will have atrophied in the years since she was last home for any length of time. She can exercise all she wants, but it’s unlikely she’d actually work the internal muscles that are used during childbirth. Actually being under Gaelund gravity more and more as she progresses through this pregnancy is the only way I can see to get those internal muscles ready to do an effective job during childbirth.”

“That’s not fair,” Mac murmured, her meal forgotten.

“No, life isn’t fair,” Smitty whispered and sighed. “Alright, Drake, we’ll see how much time we can get her under Gaelund gravity.” He patted Mac’s hand and suggested, “Perhaps we can install variable gravity on your desk chair, for when you work on your projects.”

“Where do I find time for those?”

“We’ll ask for help,” Smitty told her. “Abdulla could help with your Yukosk dictionary, and submitting it. Wilson could help prepare the paperwork for the Yukosk transportation beam, both to announce our findings so far, and to submit for a patent.”

“Oh! I never thought of a patent! It was all of us together that built the thing, with some input by Takor, and based on a technual from the Yukosk people!”

“Which makes it complicated, but not impossible,” Smitty told her. “I’ll work with Wilson on that.” He glanced at the clock on the wall. “Was that all, Drake?”

“The only other thing is I want to see Mac in sick bay, to make sure everything is progressing normally.”

“Already?” Mac asked, and paused before nodding. “When?”

“As soon as possible,” he answered. “Now, if you can manage it.”

“Yes,” Smitty answered before Mac could respond. When Mac gave him a questioning look, he told her, “It’s for the baby. And you. Run along with MacGregor, and I’ll see you in engineering when you’re done.”

Mac sighed, tossed her napkin atop her tray and stood up. “You might as well head for sick bay, MacG. I’ll take a couple Jeffries tubes and probably beat you there.” She turned and headed for the disposal area.

Drake started to stand, but Smitty grabbed his hand so he couldn’t move off. “If you’re trying to drive us apart, Drake, it won’t work. Whatever I have to do to make this work, I’ll do it.”

“Well, that’s good to hear. But given your track record so far, I can’t help wondering how you’re going to feel next week. Or the week after that.” He pulled his hand free.

“The same as I feel now.”

“I sincerely hope so,” Drake told him, and moved off.