Dedication: To all the souls that are searching for their other half.

Acknowlegement: As always my thanks to my beta reader Alice

Earth Space Station Gamma
2039

“Paula who else can go?” Ray Jones asked his friend and sub-ordinate in earnest.

Blonde short hair shone like spun gold as the artificially programmed sun bounced around the utilitarian room.

Green eyes scrutinised the man who was pacing the floor, he always did when he was trying to convince her that something was the right thing for her to do, and she disagreed. Having known him for over twelve years from her early days at the space academy it wasn’t hard for her to note his every reaction.

“Not my scene Ray. Hell why would I want to be saddled on a colony of mainly women? Jesus it’s hard enough getting a date now because of the crazy workloads and hours. No thanks!”

Ray knew she wasn’t the first choice for this assignment, however she was the best, and they needed the best according to the report his superiors had given him. It had been difficult maintaining a balance when natural disasters had befallen Earth and left over two thirds of the old inhabited part of the planet uninhabitable. Fortunately if any good could be said to come out of the situation, scientists had been believed and the fifteen-year window to remove people had been taken. Space travel had literally been pushed to the top of the list; they had to go out into space if they were to survive in any great numbers. Now they had numerous space stations orbiting the Earth and colonies on some of the less inhospitable planets that the new leaps in technology had allowed them to go to outside the solar system. Pioneers they had called these people, and they certainly had the old pioneering spirit because many had perished in the early days.

Space pilots, were a precious commodity, as precious as gold dust once was to the old timers on Earth and the lack of the resource was a problem that had plagued the ruling executive for years. In the beginning it hadn’t been so bad but now that colonies were being developed, people left and never came back even the pilots. Gradually the number of people who were good enough had dwindled as the population on Earth moved into the different galaxies and their own challenges.

Amazon Seven was such a planet and had requested a specialist pilot who would be flexible for a minimum two-year contract; their original pilot had been caught unexpectedly in a meteor storm and killed. Of course they had a few pilots but not a top notch one that had been trained for combat as well as colonisation, they were the elite and few and far between.

Ray was surprised that the Executive committee had deemed it practical to replace the original person sent so soon. Laura Craven had been a damn fine pilot and it was a pity she had been killed so soon in her career, tragedy happens unfortunately.

“Anyway what happened to their original pilot? All off world colonies are provided a capable first pilot as part of the package and in turn train replacements over a period of time.” Paula starred hard at the shorter man, towering over him by at least five inches, having the stature of her Dad who had been six-five, she was six-two and her Mom had always insisted she was growing even when she reached thirty.

Brown hair bounced around as he shook his head vigorously in agreement. “She was killed two months back, the colony had landed only a month before, and they need a replacement as fast as possible.”

Paula glanced around the grey walled room and hooked her foot under the stool she was standing next to as she contemplated the news.

“Is it a dangerous place?”

“Not really… well anymore than the normal risks that is. As you know replacements aren’t sent immediately, one of us old timers gets the assignment when we are no longer capable of being one hundred percent efficient.”

Laughing at the term of old timers, yep you got to forty if you were lucky and then they pensioned you off to some god-forsaken community. At least you still had it good, the best accommodation and supplies. When she was done with her assignment quota, she had her retirement all planned out at Vegas Sixteen. The revellers paradise according to some of her buddies and she wanted some of that action when the time came, not kicking her heels teaching snotty nosed kids how to fly and rudimentary combat moves, where it was all work and hardly any play.

“Why is this place different?”

“Seems one of the counsel members has influential friends on the Executive committee. Christi Smith-Berlinger no less.” Jones smiled wryly as the blonde head shot up at the name.

“You’re joking of course?” Paula was astounded; Smith-Berlinger was the Senior Executive for off world colonies, next to the President of Earth she was the single most important person in the ruling executive.

“No joke, her signature is on this document and you don’t see that very often. She wants the best and you are the best Paula we both know it.”

“What about Perry, surely he was next for this kind of long term assignment?”

“Yes he was but he has a problem.”

“Problem, what kind of a problem? I talked with him this morning he was fine!” Paula’s brow furrowed as she thought about the amiable conversation she’d had with Perry.

“It’s a problem off world on that particular colony, they wanted a woman.”

The attractive laugh the woman had made Ray smile. Years ago he’d asked her out and they had a short-term relationship, Paula wasn’t the long-term kind of girl and she had been out for the next conquest within weeks. He’d secretly had a crush on her at the time but had eventually met and married Nancy, who knew about his fascination and that she didn’t have to worry, Paula Clayton wasn’t interested in him at all!

“You have to be kidding Ray, they can’t stipulate that? That’s…well its discrimination against the male!”

“Seems they can and do, not much I can do about it and as you were next in line, I’m sorry Paula but what choice do I have?” He held up his hands and gave her a grimace.

“If I said no you can’t force me can you?” Paula unhooked her foot from the stool and walked towards the door.

“True I can’t, not at this moment, however if you declined at the right time that would mean you will have to go out there privately and you hate defectors isn’t that right?” He was hoping to touch the raw nerve she had over experienced pilots using their talents for big money. It wasn’t the time; there were still so many people, who needed to be relocated, one day maybe, but not yet.

“Yeah it would, I’m going to take that break you promised me and I’ll be back in a few days with my answer. See you later Ray and say hi to Nancy and the boys for me.” The tall blonde flicked him a wink and left the room.

Shaking his head he smiled, that was Paula full of herself and no one was going to make any decision for her, except her, it was the way it had always been and would always be he suspected. Then again maybe there was someone out there that could put a ring through the nose of the bull and lead it home. The very thought made him laugh heartily as he glanced once more at the paper in his hand.

Yep. Christi Smith-Berlinger who would have believed it!.

 

* * *

Amazon Seven
Two Weeks Earlier

“What do you mean they haven’t appointed anyone yet Selina? I personally made my views known at the last meeting it was imperative we have a replacement.”

Selina Ralph had worked hard on several projects, Sirus Three and Aphrodite Two, before she was asked to command the colony of Amazon Seven. It had been the culmination of her work to date and other than the loss of the pilot within the first month by sheer bad luck; they still had everyone healthy and working hard. It helped that this woman who was in the room with her, who she dubbed privately her second in command, was also a doctor and a great one.
 

Doctor Tamara Shaw was compassionate, caring and committed. She had glorious dark hair that reminded Selina of black coal and there were times when Selina wanted to run her hands through it to see if it really felt like the silk it looked. She had never of course, they had kept their relationship purely professional, although in the past year they had developed what she hoped was the groundwork for a deep friendship. A birthmark on Tamara’s left cheek the size of a golf ball meant she wasn’t as cosmetically attractive as others who had caught Selina’s eyes over the years, however, the package Tamara offered far outweighed any slight facial defect.

“I had a message from Earth, they are trying to persuade someone to take the post offered.”

“Don’t talk rubbish Selina, people aren’t talked into these things, dedicated space pilots are given tasks and they go do it!” Tamara was annoyed at the delay, they needed a specialised pilot the strain on the two younger and certainly inexperienced pilots were telling in a big way emotionally, with Tia Lopez in particular who was becoming uptight and unruly.

Selina smiled at the woman in the room with her, she was a five feet four bundle of energy when she was fired up, which was getting more and more frequent as they progressed with a more solid structure on the planet.

“I wasn’t! The message clearly states that, see for yourself.” Handing Tamara the message correlator.

Reading the message the doctor was annoyed even more, this was a new colony and if it worked out here it would be one of the closest to an earth like planet anyone had colonised so far. Admittedly it was a good six months even in spectrum flight but they had agreed to give it their best shot and here they were. Problem was some of the readings indicated that life of some kind had evolved on the planet previously, although they hadn’t come across it yet. The biggest deficiency was their lack of combat skills, yeah they could defend themselves but work out an offensive strategy should they need it…well that wasn’t in any of their fields of expertise, except Laura’s and she was dead.

“I’m going to contact Christi see if she can pull strings.”

“Tamara wait!”

Turning to look at the First Counsellor she raised her eyebrows, the terse words had been a surprise.

“For what?”

“The message says give them a few days and they will know for sure who will come out here. What are a few more days?”

“God give me strength Selina! It will be a few more days and then what? Okay have it your way I’ll see you at dinner.” The door crashed closed behind the small woman, and left the first counsellor starring at her, wondering if it was a yes she’d wait, or merely lip service.

* * *

Paula glanced around her one room accommodation grimacing at the blue walls and the less than appealing thought of watching what was on the video link. Having spent the last eight months escorting colonists to Ares Five and having to dodge black holes and erratic radiation storms, she had been given a month’s leave to recharge the old batteries.

Yeah she felt old too at times, when really she was in her prime at thirty and usually within a week she was back to her super charged self. A few drinks at Sam’s and the odd one nightstand had a marvellous regenerative effect on her. Nico Camo her recent escort who was also quite interesting for a Genetic Engineer, although his biggest asset to her, was he was great in bed.  Paula had to admit he was still just another person to relieve her sexual tension, nothing more. She wondered if she was capable of loving someone enough to want to spend more than five days with. So far she hadn’t, and odds were in her particular occupation she wouldn’t. That didn’t bother her in the slightest, all this hype about love, what a load of crap!

When Ray had called her back, barely into her much awaited leave she had been surprised, and now she knew why, it was annoying. Why not let them all wait until she finished her leave? Serve them right for being so particular about the gender of a pilot. Perry Smith was a great pilot.

Damn why were some women so short-sighted and discriminative!

Moving off the sofa she went over to the storage area and looked at the containers that had been sent to her place three months ago, after her mother had died.

Christine Clayton had been one of the older generations who had remained on Earth, she had been running a successful diary farm and it had fortunately been spared when the disasters had hit. The Executive had moved the main population from Earth and allowed only the farmers and manufacturers to stay behind in small communities, to use the earth to provide food and materials.

Paula had decided to be a pilot when she first saw video clips of the moonwalks, and eventually she had persuaded her parents to let her study towards that goal. Rose her sister had been more interested in the farm and she had helped when their father died ten years ago of a heart attack. Now with their mother having died unexpectedly in a freak accident on the farm, Rose ran the family holding these days. Not that she minded, it was never something she had been interested in, and Rose had married one of the farm hands and had a daughter of her own, who might or might not end up running the farm. Anyway chances were she wouldn’t have children and had never considered them to be that important in her life, at least this way the land stayed in the family.

Family, what an interesting concept, all those lives that touch each other over the centuries, with pretty much everyone accounted for even the villains in family closets. Wonder if they had the odd stranger wandering in theirs.

Selecting a box she opened it and inside were further boxes, each marked with a year. Removing the first box, which was the most recent, opening it she saw a book and videotape.

Throwing the book to one side she pushed the videotape into her player pressing play. On screen came her mother and scenes from the farm and other family celebrations. She grinned as she saw the one she had attended two days before her last assignment. Mom had been in a very reflective mood that day, so much so she’d been rattling on about when she had been in a sanatorium for a time. Strange really her Mom had been one of the most levelheaded people she had ever met in her life. They hadn’t ever discussed her earlier life before she met dad, somehow it had always been pushed under the carpet and ignored. She did remember her mother asking if she wanted to read about her life one day. Of course she’d agreed to keep her mom happy and this had been the result, she had been given all her Mom’s memories in boxes.

“You were a beautiful woman Mom in both looks and personality, I wish we had spent more time together.” Paula spoke softly into her silent room as the video finished its short run.

Her mother’s death had been a shock and she had been upset when the message finally arrived in her part of space. As it was all over and she had been light years away totally unaware when it happened, making her wonder about how much you loved a person if they could die and you never felt a thing at the time.

Picking up the discarded book she opened it and saw her mother’s handwriting, hell it was a daily journal. Who wrote like that any more? It was far easier talking into the computer. Then she smiled wryly recalling her mother’s apparent obsession each evening at home.

Flicking over a few pages she saw something that caught her eye as the first few words were in bold print.

It’s our anniversary today! Who would have believed it thirty-five years and I still miss her as if it was yesterday. She was my closest friend and someone I could talk to, and know whatever I said would be okay; we’d work it out together. How I miss her, how I’ll always miss and love her.

Paula was surprised at the comment her mother must be talking about their father surely? As she re-read the entry it was clear that her mother was talking about a woman. Who was the woman? She never recalled her mom having any close friends male or female.

Settling down on the sofa she opened the book at the beginning and began to read the entries, maybe they would shed some light on this new person.

Several hours later she was tired having read through the last ten years of her mother’s life, what had shocked her most was the entry on her dad’s death.

He was a wonderful man so caring and considerate, I know he loved me very much. I loved him too in my own way. However, he never could understand my obsession to write all my thoughts in a journal said it was silly when we had all this technology. My husband the farmer married to an intellectual who lost her way and was saved from a lonely life by his love for me. He always knew of course that he wasn’t the love of my life; he accepted it and loved me more despite that I’m sure. The girls are upset naturally and I am too, he became the substitute best friend I lost so long ago.

God speed to you on your way Kevin to someone who can love you as you deserve my dear.

Paula had always thought her mother and father were inseparable and nothing would ever come between them. However her mother had loved someone else more apparently and that someone had been a woman.

Looking at the time, she needed some sleep; maybe she would take a trip home and ask Rose. She had the time, let the off worlder’s wait for her for a change; she had well deserved leave to take.

* * *

Tamara was pacing the floor of the surgery room it helped her to think something she had definitely inherited from her father. He said it helped when all other options failed, and she was certainly feeling that way herself today.

Christi had promised, after a rather long silence at her end interrupted only by Tamara’s constant nagging, someone would arrive shortly to replace Laura. Okay, she had used a powerful connection; Christi being an old family friend, however they really had run out of all other options.

Selina was going to be annoyed she had contacted Christi, after being asked to wait the few days for the authorities. This couldn’t wait they were under immense strain. Who knew if the old inhabitants of this area might actually come back to reclaim what was theirs? The colony was a peaceful one, predominantly women with a handful of men for procreation purposes. The men had been specially selected from a gene pool and all had willingly volunteered to make the relocation.

Pacing faster, the door opened and her senior nurse Mary Campbell entered, rolling her eyes as she saw the doctor’s furious pace.

“What’s the problem today Tammy?”

Tamara looked up and stopped her movement as she grinned at the woman, she and Mary had worked together for years on several medical facilities over the past eight years, and this assignment had been what they had both been looking for, somewhere to call home.

“No problem.”

“Yeah, pull the other one, it has bells on. I haven’t worked and shared quarters with you all these years to not know something isn’t right with you, so give?”

Continuing her pacing, Tamara looked out of the porthole of the temporary structure they were housed in; until the Engineers cleared the land to begin building secure and permanent homes for them, this was all they had. The view was beautiful, in the far distance a huge waterfall showered the pool below with water glistening in the sunlight, it wasn’t the sun of course not the one they were used to but the description served its purpose. A small forest, which ran for a mile in each direction, had something similar to trees, which they weren't familiar with at the moment but as the seasons changed they hoped to learn more. Probably it would take years to know the workings of this small area never mind the rest of the inhabitable planet, centuries more likely.

As she continued to look out of the window Mary came closer and looked over her shoulder, she was at least three inches taller than her friend, however being pint-sized hadn’t appeared to bother Tamara in anyway.

“Are you going to tell me what the problem is?” Mary watched Sasha Meredith supervising the engineering staff; her word was law when it came to changes in the environment. As she was the senior ecologist in the colonists it was up to her to make sure they didn’t make the same mistakes on a New World that they had on Earth.

Turning and cannoning into her friend who grinned at her, she steadied them both and gently pushed Tamara towards her desk.

“I’ve kind of done something that Selina might not approve of.”

“Kind of? Or have?”

Gazing sightlessly at the desk, which was strewn with papers, she looked up guiltily. “Have!”

“Want to share the burden, it might help? Then again it might not, depending on how serious the situation is.”

“You’d better not know, that way you can’t be called an accomplice can you?”

Mary laughed heartily, “Tammy from the day I met you I think I’ve shared pretty much all the episodes that can be called questionable. Some I’ve known about, others I haven’t and it didn’t stop people from assuming I was part of the deal. Why not just tell me and that way we can both consider how much of a problem it’s going to be.”

“You know I don’t know what I’d do without you as a friend Mary, you always find a reasonable solution to all my little scrapes.”

Mary had to admit she did appear to do that frequently, for such an intelligent woman the doctor did get into situations that were at times refutable.

“Well it’s like this Mary….”

* * *

Clayton Farm
Earth

“You haven’t told me why you’re here Paula?” Rose asked her sister quietly as she watched her tall sibling look over photographs and pick up several of the family ornaments before turning to face her.

“I thought I’d make a visit to see my family before I was sent on another trip, it might be months, perhaps a couple of years before we get to see each other again.”

Paula continued to wander around the room; in some aspects it had changed to reflect Rose and her husband Tom’s tastes. Although at the same time you could see several things that reminded her of her parents, things they’d collected over the years and the pictures of family and friends some alive others long gone.

“That’s a good reason of course and you know you are always welcome….”

Paula glanced up sharply as her younger sister trailed off. “You don’t believe me?”

“To a degree yes of course I do Paula. You said yourself when you arrived you’ve been on leave for a week already, if you wanted to see us why not come home immediately?”

Paula heard the rebuke in the words and she couldn’t blame her sister, after all, their mother had died albeit some months previously and she hadn’t come home to pay her respects immediately.

Shrugging her shoulders she walked over to the window and looked out over the drive leading to the stables and cattle sheds. As she watched the scene she could picture her mom striding about the place being as bossy as all get out with the other farm workers, even her dad. She could even recall the numerous times they had played around in the yard as a family, both her parents had been great role models. As she recalled her memories tears welled up in her eyes, for they were just that now, memories, no longer able to take physical form.

“I didn’t realise how much I missed her Rose, until I started reading her journals and saw some old video footage. Here looking over the drive and yard I can picture us all having those silly playtimes with mom and dad.”

Silence followed her comment and she didn’t realise that Rose had moved until her sister who was the same height, except she had midnight black hair like their mother, placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“I remember Paula, we had good times didn’t we?”

“Yeah and out in space all those months you forget your roots and the people you leave behind. Until you come face to face with it all again then it seems like yesterday but it can’t ever be yesterday can it Rose? Mom and dad are gone.”

Rose smiled at her sister; she had always been the hard one rarely letting emotions cloud her judgement on anything. Although there was only two years between them in age, it could have been twenty, Paula was a loner and Rose doubted she even had a friend growing up.

“You’ll always have us Paula, no matter where in the world you go or for that matter which world!”

Turning Paula hugged her sister briefly and it brought a tender smile to Rose’s lips, another rare occurrence a hug, wonder what else was due. “Thanks, where are Tom and Chris?”

“Tom thought we needed a little catch up time so he took Chris to watch a foaling at old man Rivers ranch.”

“You married a very thoughtful man, but isn’t Chris a little young for that?”

Grinning Rose walked towards the kitchen entrance, “Yes and no. Yes to Tom, he’s one in a million and one-day maybe…. Okay point taken, no on Chris she’s five years old and she knows more about birthing in animals than most people will in a lifetime.”

“Definitely your daughter!” Paula grinned and Rose winked at her as she ventured towards the kitchen and the wonderful smell of freshly baked bread.

Ten minutes later they were both sitting munching on hot buttered fresh bread opposite each other over the kitchen table.

“Rose did Mom ever mention…what? What?” Paula asked as she saw Rose, shaking her head at her.

“Mom would kill you if she found you talking with your mouth full, she’d ask where you put your manners today.”

Paula gave her sister an exasperated glance and saw the laughter filled hazel eyes shining at her.

“Yeah, yeah whatever.”

“Did Mom ever mention?”

“Someone other than dad that she was in love with?”

Glancing at her elder sister sharply Rose frowned. “What makes you ask that?”

“Is it true?”

“Where did you get such a notion Paula, mom and dad were very happy together you know that.”

Selecting another piece of bread and chewing it slowly, annoying her sister as Paula waited until she’d finished before replying.

“Yes…I thought I knew that but.”

“But what!”

“Oh nothing it doesn’t matter.”

“Paula Madison Clayton what are you getting at?”

Giggling as she heard the frustration in her sister’s tone, not to mention the use of her full name, next thing you know Rose would be stamping her feet like she used to as a kid.

“Okay, okay don’t loose your hair I’ll explain.”

“I should think so too!”

“I was reading some of the journals that mom used to write in. Did you know she only started them when she was at collage, a year before she met Dad.”

“I always knew she wrote in them, it was a ritual with her every evening before she went to bed. I remember sometimes she was exhausted at the end of the day but she would always spend a few minutes writing up her day.”

“Funny I never really took that much notice myself. I brought a couple with me, I’ve marked the pages I’ve read, do you want to read them and see what you think?”

“Sure big sis, you go make us a drink while I read.”

* * *

Amazon Seven
Air patrol

Tia Lopez flew by the monuments that had been erected by a civilisation they hadn’t encountered and assumed at this time to be extinct. All their scans had indicated that life forms similar to their own didn’t exist on the planet, or any other except for vegetation.

First Counsellor Ralph had insisted that every pilot make a recognisance flight over the area before they finished their shift. So here she was, another chore added to the many she and fellow pilot Sheryl Weller had taken on when Laura had died in that damn freak storm. All that was left was for something threatening to turn up and they would have to take on the protector role as well!

She had been a good pilot in her class but not outstanding. When the assessments were over she had been passed over for the elite branch that were trained for just about everything that could possibly be thrown their way. She had been trained to be a support pilot and thoroughly enjoyed it. At the end of a shift she could go home and relax and not have to think about the next day, that was someone else’s domain and they could keep the stress it involved.

Now she was expected to think about tomorrow, every second in fact, not to mention her other pilot’s lot too. Okay it wasn’t only one way Sheryl had the same burden too but she appeared to thrive on it!

“Nothing here as usual, on the next shift I think I’ll give it a miss, who would know or care.” Tia muttered as she scanned the area and logged the details into the computer that no one had ever bothered to check after Laura’s death.

“Time to go home and have a shower.” The humidity was high today and she hadn’t set the environmental control properly in the cockpit when she’d left, the miniature surveillance planes didn’t have onboard climate controls.

Glancing down once more briefly, she turned her plane towards home and fired her engines to deliberately mark the area with scorch marks. What she didn’t witness was something darting at lightening speed between the monuments from the scorched area.

* * *

“Okay this makes interesting reading I admit, have you brought the very first volume?”

Paula shuffled around the kitchen and then picked up her leather case and removed a volume and passed it over to Rose. “Have you read it Paula?”

“No.”

“No? Why ever not?”

“Maybe I don’t want to know the truth.”

Rose gazed at her sister she had always been the one that hid her emotions, however she was wearing them clearly on her sleeve at the moment.

“Whatever it says Paula, Mom loved Dad she said so and he knew the score, she said that too. Let’s see who's the mystery love of her life was shall we? Together!”

“Are you going to read it first or we both read it?”

“I think you should read it aloud, Mom gave them to you after all.” Rose passed the journal back and settled in her chair to wait for her sister to narrate the contents.

April 17th 2014

The funeral was beautiful as she was to me. The family was really nice even though they were engulfed in grief; Maddy will be smiling somewhere at all the fuss. Her Dad had called me April 10th and told me the sad news, I knew before he’d said it though I could hear the tears in his voice.

Madison Smith who had so much to live for was killed in a fire at the sanatorium where she spent three days a week helping out. The place I'd met her for the first time, the person who single-handedly saved me from myself and brought me back to life.

She had been my life in all the important ways, my sanity, my best friend, and my love. I know she felt the same she would never say, although I saw it in her eyes every time we contacted each other. I heard it in her voice when we spoke on the phone, the silly gifts she sent me at collage to make me smile she said, the touch of her hand on my shoulder when she wanted to point out a particular place or object of interest. It was the eyes though; those wonderful smouldering eyes that captured mine, and spoke to me of dreams and wishes that could never be verbalised. Not at that time anyway, I had one more year of college and I was sure, as sure as I’m writing these thoughts that we would have been together for the rest of our lives.

She’s gone now, it wasn’t real before but it is now the only person I will truly love with all my heart has left me alone!

I will do what she had tasked herself to do the day she saw me off on the train journey to college. I’ll keep a journal of life and have my memories forever and share them with her everyday.

I love you Madison Smith yesterday, today and forever.

“Hell fire Paula that’s some admission.”

Paula was clutching the volume tightly as she’d spoken the words aloud she felt an affinity to them that she didn’t quite understand. Must be because it was about her Mom, how could it be anything else she had no room for emotional claptrap like this in her life.
“Yeah it is. Do you know who Madison Smith is?”

Rose shook her head; looking at her sister she gave her a gentle smile. “She named you after her and Dad must have approved.”

“Yeah, strange that.”

“What’s strange about it, I think it’s a great accolade for someone you love.”

“Perhaps, but what about Dad.”
“We’ll never know for sure, knowing Dad I think he felt fortunate that Mom loved him enough to want him in her life and he obviously knew the score. At least the old love wasn’t going to come out of the woodwork and make it difficult for him was she, who ever heard of ghosts doing that.”

“Emotional ghosts maybe.” Paula muttered as she stood up from the table and walked over to the outer door wanting to take in some fresh air, suddenly everything was closing in on her.

“I don’t understand why she married Dad, don’t you think she should have committed herself to another woman?”

Rose considered the question for a few minutes and then went over to her sister and hugged her, whispering.

“Paula, love isn’t an observer of our petty human conventions and it breaks boundaries that you never thought could be broken, then wham there’s no stopping it! Maybe that was the score with Mom and her friend, we might never know for sure.”

“Thanks sis, I’ll go for a walk and catch up with you for dinner.”

“You do that, your niece wants more of your adventure stories in space.”

“Okay that I can do.” Paula opened the door and left the house strolling slowly down the drive and then to the yard and the memories she had of this place. Trying to take in that her mother had once had a life far different from what they had always known.

Love is a strange phenomenon. Thank God it has never been part of my life.

 

* * *

“What were you thinking of Tamara?” Selina’s voice filled with shock and irritation.

“I was trying to cut out the red tape. Look Selina it’s common practice that they don’t send out another pilot immediately. Sometimes you have to wait years until one of the old timers retires you know that! We can’t afford the luxury of waiting.”

“So you! You decided to use one of your friends to make it happen faster.”

“Well, yes that’s the truth and I’d do it again tomorrow if it works.”

Selina turned away and shook her head, this woman was filled with so much caring and compassion but she had a streak that flaunted all the rules. Interesting character trait in anyone but with this one you never believed it possible. However it was and highly doubtful anyone could ever get her to think twice before being so impulsive.

“Your friend appears to have very influential friends on the executive committee. Christi Smith-Berlinger no less.”

“Christ…yeah they must.” Tamara finished lamely it was prudent to stay quiet on the fact that her friend was Christi Smith-Berlinger.

“Yes and she’s agreed to push forward a replacement pilot. According to the note I have from the executive we should see someone within six months, seven at the latest.”

“Selina that solves our problems doesn’t it, don’t you think it’s worth using the odd contact or two if the need is great?”

“Tamara there are ways of going about these things and behind the back of the First Counsellor isn’t the way, not if you want to remain friends. Next time…”

“There won’t be a next time Selina, I promise.”

Nodding her head already forgiving the small woman who was flashing absorbing eyes in her direction. “Okay, go do your doctoring thing, we have a Counsel meeting tomorrow early, seems that Sasha has news of the old inhabitants.”

“Great! I’ll be there and…thanks Selina.” Tamara virtually ran out of the room, her smile wide as she returned to her office and the couple of waiting colonists with minor ailments.

 

* * *

Earth Space Station Gamma
One Month Later

“Why Paula? Why didn’t you tell me you were going to be taking your full leave?” Colonel Ray Jones starred at his friend and underling with exasperation.

Paula shifted her glance from her highly polished black booted toe to the man in front of her.

“What was it this time, eating, drinking and sex not necessarily in that order in the pleasure centre’s off world?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes it matters! I have to explain to the executive why the pilot I assigned after a personal request from a senior, and I might add, very powerful member didn’t go immediately.”

“Actually Ray it wasn’t that at all, it was a family matter.”

“A family matter! When did family matters interfere with the job? We are trained to ignore personal affairs and concentrate on the assignment at hand.”

“They interfere with the job when I see fit for them to!” Paula burst out, it had been frustrating enough, her search for this mystery person who her mother had professed to love without Ray trying to stick this down her throat as well.

“Are you questioning our code of practice Paula?”

Ray couldn’t believe it, this was a most unexpected turn, was she becoming militant these days.

“No. Look Ray I’m here now and I intend to carry out the mission, a minimum two years right? Doesn’t that at least allow me to take some leave and see MY family before I embark on it?”

“Yes it is two years, you should have told me Paula.” The man’s voice resigned as he answered her question. He would have wanted to see his family too; it had never occurred to him that she would.

“Okay I should have told you, brief me and I’ll be gone tomorrow if you have the craft ready.”

“You know Captain Clayton, there are times when I wonder why I put up with you.”

“Oh come on Ray it’s because I have you on a string and you love to play dangerously.” Laughing as she saw him shake his head at her strangely true comment.

“Anyone ever mentioned that you might one day get burnt playing with fire like you do Paula?”

“No! Who would dare?”

“Who indeed. See Doctor Fusel for a check up and then I’ll catch you in the briefing room immediately after.”

“At your service Boss.”

The woman walked out of his office, her confident gait was making him sigh, thank god he had married Nancy and she grounded him when this woman was about. He only had to look at Nancy’s photo and his two sons and he was back to wonderful satisfying reality, Paula Clayton was a fantasy that would remain one forever.

 

* * *

Amazon Seven
Three Months Later

Sasha Meredith was seething inside as she watched Selina Ralph smile at the small dark woman at her side. Doc Shaw was a nice woman no getting away from that and she was capable too, but irritating, why was she always right!

Three months ago Sasha had told the counsellors that the old inhabitants of the area were no longer in the area and that the flights over the monuments could be stopped, why waste fuel and energy on something that had been dead for centuries maybe more. They had better use for the pilots time and she had been fed up of Tia Lopez bending her ear every opportunity about it anyway.

Doctor Shaw had disagreed and pushed the room to a vote, as it was she had won because the doctor had little more than gut feeling to go on. Although it was clear that Selina, who headed the counsel, would have taken the Doc’s side if she provided them with enough evidence.

A situation, which really irritated her, Selina didn’t have eyes for anyone else but the doctor, and why that was, was the question. The doctor was as plain as hell and even had a facial birthmark that made her look even worse, not attractive at all. Not only that, the doctor didn’t appear to notice that Selina was interested but she was and that made it difficult for anyone else. Unrequited love was like trying to work your way through a brick wall with a cotton wool sledgehammer.

Walking over to the two women she gave them both a smile, one false the other brilliant.

“Hi, want to share the joke?”

Tamara gave Sasha a smile, she was a little odd at times but generally the ecologist was okay and she certainly knew her stuff. From what she had seen already, they hadn’t disturbed the ecological balance at all, although they had several buildings established as the first township in lightening speed.

“No joke Sasha, just laughing at a shared experience.”

“Sasha how are the engineers progressing with your new fixes for the water system?” Selina remarked as she became immediately professional when the woman came towards them.

“Very well Selina, no major problems envisaged. Tor is working towards completion of the whole project next month.”

“Excellent, once we have the major amenities in order we can advise Earth executive and they may consider sending further colonies to the planet.”

“Isn’t it a little early to be thinking that way Selina?”

“You doubt my judgement in this doctor?” Sasha smiled inwardly as she saw the doctor pale at the retort.

“No! No absolutely not. I just thought that usually Earth wanted the colonies to allow three to five years before they issued that request, we will have only been here six months.”

“We have seen and experienced nothing that indicates this planet to be anything other than an ideal establishment for human colonists. That is our goal after all Doctor, or did I miss something in the briefing we were given?”

The words were sharp and not like Selina at all, as Tamara smarting from the rebuke nodded her head slowly.

From Sasha’s point of view this was turning out to be quite an interesting and fruitful encounter.

“Why not show us Sasha, what is happening at the moment.”

Turning to give the woman a wide grin Sasha moved forward towards the engineers building.

Tamara held back slightly, something wasn’t right and she felt it in her bones. Her father had often said she had to go with her inner feelings they would never let her down, especially for her. When she had been young she had never understood it, years later when her father had become head of the research programme into mental disturbances after the problems on earth, he had told her why he said that to her.

“You always say that Dad.”

“I’m always right too aren’t I?” Doctor Ben Shaw grinned at his youngest daughter. She had followed in his footsteps, whereas his two elder children from his wife’s first marriage had opted for business and farming.

“Yeah you are, so why do you say it?” Tamara hugged her father as they settled into the old sofa that he had insisted be part of his possessions to be shipped to the small unit on the space station.

Ben Shaw looked down at his daughter she was his only flesh and blood and he was as proud of her as he could be of anything in his life. No awards or accolades ever came close to the precious gift she was to him.

“Well… it goes back to when your mother was alive, god bless her soul.”

“And?” Tamara heard the hesitation in his voice and the slight tremble she saw on his lips, as he spoke about her mother. She couldn’t really remember her; her mother had died when she was three years old in a fire at work.

“You would have these feelings as a baby and tug at her legs for attention and point or make a beeline for what was wrong. She said you cried desolately the day she left that last time and kept asking her not to go. I met her as the shift changed before I left for that damn meeting…”

“Dad you can’t blame yourself, if you had been there you might not have made it either, we would have been orphans, it was just meant to be dad.”

His daughter’s eyes had already filled with tears as they mentioned the circumstances of her mother’s death. She had known, not in enough words to be coherent but enough to feel the pain.

Kissing the top of her dark hair he smiled as he let the tears he felt drop onto her head blinking the residue back under control.

“No I don’t blame myself Tammy it was the will of god and your mother was a fine woman and died with courage.”

Tamara looked up at her father, “Was mom the only one to die?”

Ben lost himself in the terrible memories of the day, the fire engines and police that had stopped him from getting close to the building and his wife.

They had lost ten patients and four staff members in the blaze that had eventually gutted the sanatorium; the glory that once was would be no more.

“We lost ten patients that day, and your mother of course not to mention three other co-workers.”

As he tried to dredge up the old memories of those who had died that day, particularly in the staff, one came to mind immediately, Madison Smith. The part timer who had an affinity with patients he thought must have been a gift from the hand of god. He heard that it was Madison who had a chance to leave the building unharmed but had gone with Kay to the secure the wing to help a patient there. The nurse in charge having deserted the post without getting the patient free, they hadn’t made it out any of them!

“Did you know any of the others very well?”

“Yes all of them, some more than others. One in particular, she was a witness at our wedding, a very special woman.”

“What was her name?”

“Oh Tammy you know that, it’s Maddy. Christi talks abut her all the time even now.” The old man chuckled as Tammy smote a hand to her forehead.

“Yeah…”

“Doctor, are you coming or catching the scenery?”

“I’m right with you.”

Tamara increased her pace and caught up to the two women as the engineers building came into view.

Tor Anders was a giant of a man and was a wonderful engineer, how they had managed to secure him on this particular mission had baffled many, including Tamara. He was witty, capable and concerned for the environment they lived in. He also loved women! The number of women he had actually courted in the past six months could quantify that. Quite at odds with the general makeup of the women as it was clear many of them didn’t want a relationship with a man. Perhaps that was the challenge; she must ask her dad his opinion, at the next inter galactic video link they had.

As they entered the building they saw the models of the future buildings making up the town, very impressive.

“Anyone home?”

A muffled sound was heard from a door that was slightly ajar. After a few minutes Sasha went towards the door and shouted again, her voice rather sharp and arrogant to Tamara’s mind.

“What do ya want now woman! Haven’t we followed all yah damn plans? Do ya want blood?” A loud bellowing voice answered as the man they knew abruptly surfaced into the room.

“Do you have to sound so affronted Tor?” Sasha was as red as a beetroot when the man replied.

“Aye I do, I’ve changed and back tracked and done…” He stopped as he realised she wasn’t alone in the room.

“You were saying?” Selina Ralph cocked her head to one side in interest. The facial expressions on both the man and woman concerned were comical to say the least.

“Why First Counsellor Ralph I didn’t expect to see you here and the good doctor too.”

“Does it make a difference to the tone of the conversation?”

“No! No of course not, the woman here is a slave driver that’s all.”

Tamara heard the comment but also picked up on the deceit in the tone; he certainly didn’t think that way.

“Good, so Tor what have you to say on how things are developing?”

“Excellent progress Counsellor, the shift of the water supply to the town from the river that runs by the old monuments was a minor change and will serve the purpose.”

“Excellent, Sasha take me round the new system.” There was no hesitation from the ecologist as she escorted the first counsellor to the next room.

“Do you agree with the change Tor?” Tamara asked quietly watching the two women leave the room.

“Now doctor that’s not for me to say.” The large man grinned at her and winked.

“Perhaps not but you have a personal opinion surely?”

“Is this a private personal opinion or a public one?”

“Aren’t they one and the same?”

The large man pulled at the small neatly groomed red beard on his chin and grinned.

“Ach I see we both know were we are coming from Doc. I think she should have stuck with the river above, call it an engineers gut feeling but that’s how I see it.”

Tamara looked at the old plan and the new one and her own gut said pretty much the same.

“I think you’re right Tor, let’s hope we are both wrong and Sasha proves our guts totally out of sorts.”

“Ya think that likely Doc?”

“No! But it’s worth a shot.” Tamara smiled at the man and he pointed to the old plan, which they discussed in depth waiting for the other two women to return.

 

* * *

Space Craft XG0004
Deep Space
Three Months Later

Paula looked at the readings, she was two days away from Amazon Seven, and all her communications had so far fallen on barren ground, although in uncharted space you never were entirely sure you could make contact until you hit the planet’s orbit.

Having woken from the sleep stasis she had programmed for herself after leaving the Earth’s orbit, it was pretty much a waiting game until she got to her co-ordinates.

What to do, what to do?

Glancing around the small spacecraft, small in comparison to some of the crafts she had piloted in recent years the largest being a colony ship with over a thousand people aboard. Not something she usually had on her task list, they had been desperate and the next transport pilot was six months away, and would need at least a month maybe more to relax after being at work for almost fifteen months solid.

That particular event had taken eight months to complete and in that time she had learnt a great deal about the way colonists thought, a lesson worth learning but not one she wanted to participate in as a career move.

Yawning at the boredom of the next twenty-four hours that stretched out before her. Her eyes tracked to the personal box she’d brought with her, it was her mother’s journals and videotapes. Rose had wanted her to leave them behind and try to locate the mystery woman, who now had a name. Paula had declined and said she thought the time she had in the next two years might help her piece it together, and when they talked on the communication link she could maybe give Rose information to research.

Rose had been her usual agreeable self, knowing her own time with her family and the farm would prove limiting to spend on research.

Opening the sealed container she rifled around and pulled out the journal she had read partially with Rose.

Sitting in her pilot seat and placing her feet on the side of the console, if Ray could see her now! She settled down and flicked the pages until she came to the entry after the last one they had read.

May 16th

It’s our anniversary…well the nearest to an anniversary we would ever have, it was the day I met her for the second time. The first I have no recollection of and Maddy never did get around to explaining all the details of the months prior to me waking up in the hospital bed that day. Inside from the first moment I met Maddy she was familiar to me but I didn’t recognise her when I woke up from the accident. Perhaps the familiarity was from the previous months, perhaps it was because she cared so much, and it has always been hard for me to work out. Maddy promised one day that she would let me read her journals. Now it may be too late, I must contact her dad and ask what happened to them.

Paula read through several months of mundane entries about her mother’s days at college, she was quite the academic and a loner it appeared, must be where she got that from.

October 5th

Kevin asked me out today. He’s the most sought after guy on campus, and I’m the envy of all the women in my fraternity, I’ve declined naturally.

December 21st

He never gives up and now he’s asked if I will allow him to escort me home. He lives Up State and said it’s on his way. Quite laughable really, as I know its not and it will mean he has an extra day travelling to his folks for the holidays. What harm can it possibly do?

Smiling as she read the next few months entries, which were a mix of her college days and the romance her mom had finally allowed with her dad. In some ways it was like peeking into the private lives of her parents and in others it was a simple boy meets girl scenario.

March 19th

Kevin wanted to know about all my scars, the physical and emotional ones and you couldn’t blame him. I told him and he went quiet for the rest of the evening, he left me at the residence and didn’t say much. Maybe this is goodbye and I wouldn’t expect anything else, after all he’s competing with a ghost.

May 12th

I won’t say it has been easy because it hasn’t. Kevin decided to let me have some space, when really it was he who needed it. I love Kevin as a good friend and I know we could have been happy together. However if he wants my total love that is now, impossible I gave it to another and I’m sure she knew it.

May 15th

Kevin asked me to marry him today, I accepted. I love him in my own way and he loves me far more than I deserve. I know he’ll be good for me, as I will ensure I’m good for him. It’s time to move on and I will because I know that Maddy would have wanted that and at the end of the day do I really know if she cared for me in the same way.

May 16th

I miss you Madison Smith, there will never be a time I won’t but life goes on and I know you will be smiling somewhere and approve the decision I came to. He’s a wonderful man and he will make me happy I know. Who knows in another time we might meet again!

Wow her dad was one focused person, he had decided that their mother was worth going that extra mile for and in the end it had paid dividends. No one could say that Kevin Clayton had ever needed to doubt his wife’s sincerity she had completed her education and then settled into a life of farming that was quite at odds with her original educational background. She gave him two healthy daughters and they were happy. Familiarity breeds’ contempt people often say but in this case it just made them a stronger partnership.

As Paula finished this final part of the journal she looked around her at the dark expanse of space.

I wonder if I will ever love anyone enough to think they will be in my life forever.

* * *

“We can’t carry on like this for much longer Selina!”

“I know, I know but we have little option, we can’t get back to the communications building it’s swarming with them. The pilots are tired and Sheryl is still suffering from a concussion but she never gives up.”

Tor Anders his face streaked with black dirt and his features haggard having watched half the colony perish under the vicious attack by…who knew what they were, only that they were deadly and had appeared once they had diverted the water from the old inhabitants monument area.

“There’s a spare communication console in the Engineering building.” The man spoke quietly; in stark contrast to what you would have imagined coming from a man his size.

“I never knew that?” Selina wiped a weary hand over her eyes as she surveyed the people in the area with her. They had managed to maintain the security integrity of the hospital building and two of the living quarters close by, beyond that everything else was swarming with god knows what!

“Are you sure? I was told you approved the additional installation, a back-up measure in the case of an emergency.” The man looked directly at the first Counsellor who frowned in concentration, unable to recall the matter coming before the main counsel.

“When did this happen and who told you that?”

Tor shifted uncomfortably as he considered his answer carefully. No way did he want to drop someone in the proverbial, as he would call it. As it stood the decision was sound and they might have a chance of getting a message out.

“Well…look Selina does it matter it was a mighty fine call if you ask me and the Engineering building is a spit away from the hospital emergency exit. We know the critters don’t like the heat, if we send a person in with a suit that emits heat they might have a chance.”

“Tor the plan is admirable I’m sure. Nevertheless there are two matters of concern, one, have we got such a suit? And two, who can I ask to potentially go on a suicide mission?”

“We are dead if we don’t get a message to the pilot due, at least we can save their life and maybe in turn they might save ours.”

“How do you work that one out?”

“The space craft will have equipment aboard that can help us bombard certain areas with heat, what the hell it’s a chance Selina!”

Considering the engineer’s remarks she knew that he was right, the Engineering building was closest and not as infested with the creatures who swarmed a person and created a wall of energy that appeared to suck the life out of the victim leaving only a shell behind. The first casualties had been three weeks ago and doctor Shaw hadn’t come across anything like it in her experience or the data banks from any of the other off world colonies. There hadn’t been any evidence of who or what had taken the colonists lives and nothing further happened until four days ago. All hell let loose then as a swarm that was going to kill them, fear and panic would be close on it’s heels. Resources were limited now; they had enough fuel in the small planes for two more short trips each.

Tia and Sheryl had been ferrying handfuls of the colonists with minimal provisions to a site a hundred miles away. They made the journey in the heat of the day and travelled back almost immediately to avoid being caught when the temperature dropped significantly. Another problem encountered had been the changing temperatures on the planet; autumn came quickly and without notice.

Sheryl had been caught in a freak storm much as Laura had when they arrived on the planet; fortunately she had been descending and came away with bruises and a concussion refusing to consider rest, people depended on her.

Doctor Shaw had been suffering from a minor virus she called it, when the trouble began and was now working on reserves, looking terrible most of the time. The only person who could make her rest for a short time was her friend and senior nurse Mary Campbell, and that was only catnapping.

They were all exhausted, bewildered and unable to comprehend what was going on. In all the years colonies had been developed on off worlds this was the only one that had suffered so many causalities in so short a time. She had been so wrong to send that last message back to the Earth executive to advise them it was okay to send more colonists. If they didn’t get a message out more people would die and it would all be her fault.

“Can you provide the equipment for this attempt Tor?”

“Yeah and I’ll go one better I’ll even volunteer myself.” The large man grinned; who would have thought they were talking about a life-threatening situation he appeared to think it was some Boy Scout outing.

“Thank you Tor but you are too valuable to go, we need you here if it fails. An engineer is worth rather more than a politician in these circumstances.”

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“I imagine so, you had better brief me on the whereabouts of the console and any other tactical information I need to impart to the pilot.”

“Selina it shouldn’t be you!”

“You’re wrong Tor, I am the best person for the job and it’s my responsibility. Don’t waste any more time arguing with me lets get that suit made and the data onto a transfer stream.”

The woman walked away to talk soothingly with some of the other colonists in the area, who brightened immediately with her calming words.

She couldn’t go! The colonists needed her authority and calmness. If she died then the others would go to pieces and everything would be lost, at least at the moment they had a chance. He needed to go see someone who would have an opinion, why not; it was her idea about the console.

* * *

Paula scowled as she tried for the umpteenth time to contact the planet; she had been orbiting for the last two hours. Protocol demanded when on approach to entering a planet’s orbit was to begin contact proceedings and establish communications should there be a problem on final entry in to the atmosphere and then she could ask for backup assistance if needed.

All the records she’d received from Ray didn’t indicate that there was a problem. The last communication she’d read from her download was everything was going so well, they had requested further colonists to be sent. Admittedly that was a message two months ago but what the hell things couldn’t have gone belly up that fast and if they had then she would have received a message by now surely.

Attempting once more to make a communication link she scanned the planet for human life signs and found them concentrated in two areas, with a distance of approximately one hundred miles apart. Strange, she was certain that originally there had only been one outpost, irregular too without adequate facilities.

Settling back in her chair she punched up the concise data on the planet and those in charge. Nothing spectacular about any of them and certainly the mix was what she had expected after her briefing. There was no significant political faction that might have caused a break-up of the colony.

Normally she would apprise Earth and wait for a decision, except she didn’t have the fuel to wait the week for an answer and then turn back if necessary. Although they would meet her along the space path back to earth and refuel but that was always a risky business even with all the increased technological fixes. It all depended on how competent the fuel carrier pilot was and in the past they weren’t that efficient in her estimation.

Nope, she was going to have to land on the planet and hope all was well and if it wasn’t, well; she’d evacuate and head home.

She’d send her message to Earth anyway it didn’t hurt to check. Punching in her message and sending, she set the computer to maintain planetary scans as she made the necessary entries for entry to the atmosphere.

Wonder what was waiting for her down there.

* * *

Mary Campbell watched her friend moving like a snail to her desk she was all in, having to calm the nerves of some of the more frail personalities of the very frightened people here. Not to mention some of the people who were coming down with the same virus the doctor had. Mary wasn’t sure if it was sheer will power that kept the woman on her feet, but whatever it was she wished some of the others here would have the same strength of character.

“Want some tea Tammy?”

Dark circled eyes, bloodshot from sleep depravation and constantly watering eyes that reminded them both of a symptom of a bad cold, stared at her vacantly for a moment before the dark haired woman settled her jaw in her hands and muttered a please.

“Good, how about something to eat too, you need to keep your strength up.”

“Ugh I don’t think I can face food, sorry Mary.”

Mary glanced sharply at the doctor she was getting worse and they hadn’t found a cure for this virus, which was sure to disable her soon. All the others who were suffering either had red sores or were virtually comatose.

“Okay tea it is,” leaving the doctor’s office and opening the outer door to go to the kitchen and make the tea she cannoned into Tor Anders who grinned at her.

“Why Mary I didn’t know you cared.”

“Away with you Tor, what can we do for you?”

“I need to see the Doc. is she in?”

“Yeah but hardly coherent, I hope it isn’t any more bad news.”

“No better from that damn virus?”

“No, I fear the worse myself and she might end up a patient before the day is out.”

“No one has died yet from this virus have they?”

“Yes, an hour ago young Carole Johnson. Tammy tried everything but she couldn’t save her, Sylvia came down with the virus about the same time and we might lose her too.”

Tor gave the nurse a compassionate glance, “Aren’t they twins?”

“Yeah. You’d better go see Tammy and please Tor nothing too difficult okay?”

“For you beautiful anything.”

The nurse smiled at the large man, if only he wasn’t such a ladies man she might have given him a chance but she wasn’t going to compete with every woman that caught his eye and there were certainly some beautiful women in this colony.

Tor opened the office door slowly and saw the small doctor collapsed on her desk. Walking slowly towards her he called her name softly.

“Doctor, hey Doc. Are you sleeping on the job?”

He stood at the edge of her desk and reached down slowly and stroked back the dark hair, which was soaking wet the woman was burning up. This was not a good time for a discussion.

“Well Doc I think you should be in bed asleep not at this desk.”

“What…what? What is it?”

Tamara woke with a start and couldn’t quite make out the person next to her as she tried to clear her glazed vision.

“Take it easy Doc. it’s me Tor.” The man moved away slowly and as he did so Tamara focused clearly on him, how she hadn’t known it was him amazed her.

“What can I do for you Tor?” Her voiced sounded slow and drawn out, almost in slow motion.

“Maybe you should go to bed Doc. I think you’re all tuckered out.”

“You didn’t come here to tell me that Tor, what’s happening out there?”

“Out there is pretty much as it’s been for the last twenty-four hours but inside, inside that’s a totally different matter.”

Tamara shook her head slowly trying to clear her head but all she did was cause a pulse of pain to rip through her skull, wincing she looked closely at the man waiting for him to continue.

Fortunately for her he decided to do just that.

“She knows about the back-up com console.”

“She as in who exactly?”

“Tamara you know who, the most important woman on this planet barring my favourite doctor that is.” Tor grinned and blushed a little as he tugged on his beard.

“Okay, okay Selina knows, does she know it was me who initiated the requisition?

Tamara was in two minds about the situation, happy because it was out in the open and maybe they had a chance with that console as opposed to the ops room, which was completely enshrouded in the creatures.  Who it was obvious inhabited the planet, so much for Sasha’s claims that there wasn’t anything living on the planet beside vegetation.

Distressed in that she had gone behind Selina Ralph’s back …again, even after promising she wouldn’t. She hadn’t wanted to and it certainly carried a big risk. Her place on the counsel was in jeopardy in all probability too, deportation back to one of the Earth space stations in disgrace.

“No, I decided that the problems facing us were far more important than a petty argument over protocol, there is another issue though.”

“I’m sure there is, who wants to risk life and limb to try and use it.”

Tor smiled this pint-sized woman was one sure quick cookie and she was well below par too, god help anyone who tried to run rings round her they wouldn’t stand a chance. “Got that in one Tamara but a person volunteered.”

Expecting the man to admit it was himself she was shocked when he told her Selina had agreed to go.

“She’s crazy Tor! If anything happens to her the rest of the colony will break down she keeps what little semblance of calm there is with her presence. She can’t go!”

“Hey Tamara don’t go all antsy with me I did offer but…she’s in charge you know. You do know that right?” this time the man laughed as she gave him a sheepish look, okay sometimes she took liberties.

“Sorry Tor but she can’t go! I’d better go speak with her.” Standing up quickly the doctor swayed and was helped to sit back down by Tor as Mary walked back inside the office with a tray of tea and small sandwiches.

“You must have been reading my mind Mary my girl.”

“I was not you old reprobate this is for Tammy, and if you haven’t upset her I’ll let you share.”

“Have I upset you Doc?”

“No. No he’s okay to share Mary anyway he needs to fill me in on a situation and you might as well know as well.”

Tor gave her a keen look; Selina had wanted it to be a secret within the counsel members, not out in the open. Then again Mary Campbell was not one for gossip and if the doctor trusted her then he would too.

“Right you are, how about one of those processed beef sandwiches I can see there as I advise you of the plan?”

Mary snorted as she passed over a couple, one for a man his size would not be sufficient and she was right as he polished it off in one bite.

“I need to come up with a heat suit…”

* * *

Paula judged the estimated time of landing to be in a little over one hour, the computer had made all the necessary calculations and she had made the required reports and set them in the safe storage area should there be a problem and the craft burnt up on entry. Quite unlikely but without any help from the ground, remote possibilities became that little less remote. And she had no intention of being left in cinders for some salvage prince to pick her up. The thought made her chuckle; yeah-another fairy story, life was full of them. Just like she considered her mom’s journals in part to be, now she had time to think about them in depth.

Trying once again to contact the planet she was puzzled by the static feedback, normally that would only happen if they had the channels open. When she had tried earlier it had been silent, maybe they were trying to contact her and there was a problem with the equipment below, feasible and likely to be the problem. As she pondered the situation it made her feel pumped up and ready for action, not that she hadn’t been but her adrenaline surge had been tempered with tension, now the tension part had been assuaged to a degree.

“Okay you old crate lets get the show on the road and go meet our new buddies for the next two years.”

Strapping herself in and placing the oxygen mask in place, she began her descent to Amazon Seven and the next adventure in her life.

* * *

“You’re such a fool sometimes Selina you can’t go!”

“Someone has to, why not me?” the woman asked as she looked out of the window of the room she had taken for this private counsel meeting. Tor with the heat suit had yet to arrive but he already knew the plan. Sasha and Tamara Shaw were being briefed and Sasha was getting particularly agitated.

“For once I have to agree with Sasha, Selina, your place is here with the people, and they need you more now. Haven’t you noticed that you can calm them when all hell is breaking loose around them, it never happens for me unless I administer drugs and Sasha doesn’t have your patience.”

“Yes the doctor’s right you do! Others are more dispensable, you must see that Selina.” Sasha didn’t want the woman to go on a personal level, more than her duty to any of the other colonists. She loved her and didn’t want anything to happen to her.

“No one is dispensable Sasha, all life is important how can you ask me to force another to go and watch in the background?”

Tamara watched the exchange with fascination, she knew Sasha had a crush on Selina it had been obvious from day one, maybe it was more than a crush, could be why the ecologist didn’t like her much. Selina had always preferred her counsel over the other woman’s even though they were potentially equal in the chain of command.

“It’s your place to send people on dangerous missions Selina, you knew it when you agreed to head the colony and this is just that type of command decision. All great leaders can sacrifice their lives for their people, we saw it through our history lessons but can they save themselves, and lead their people to greater things in the face of adversity. That’s the question Selina, there will be many people who will happily volunteer if you ask, no one will need to be forced.”

Selina glanced across at the small dark haired woman, she had wanted to talk with her about the predicament she was in, in private, and time had been against that. How she put things into complete perspective so easily, and Tamara was right there would be many volunteers and some infinitely more able than she was.

“We need to make a short list of suitable candidates and ask them here and pose the question.”

Tor entered the room at that moment with the heat suit and cocked his head to one side as he asked, “What question?”

“Selina has seen sense Tor she’s not going on the mission. We are going to ask for a volunteer.” Holding up her hand Tamara smiled weakly at the man, “forget it you’re staying here.”

“Okay, okay can’t a man try.” He grinned at the three women as he explained how the suit worked and they set about making the short list.

Time was of the greatest importance, as the pilot should be in range now, they needed to act quickly to prevent any more loss of life other than their own, if that was to be their fate.

* * *
Amazon Seven
One hour later

 
“Who the hell hit me?”

Tor Anders rubbed the back of his head as he groggily picked himself up off the ground, voicing what his aching head asked.

As he did so, he remembered the main reason he was in the lab…the heat suit and it was gone!

Oh god, Selina was going to have a fit. Who would want to sabotage the mission? It might be the difference between life and death for the colonists.

Searching to find any evidence of the person who had stolen the suit and hit him over the head, disappointedly finding nothing that might shed any light. Quickly exiting the room at an unsteady gait, he made his way over to the building Selina was sure to be in, the perfect view of the engineering area.

Venturing inside he expected someone to ask him why the mission wasn’t underway; they hadn’t as he rubbed not only his head but his chin too in puzzlement.

“Good, you’ve arrived Tor. I thought you were going to miss the main event.” Sasha Meredith remarked noticing his approach as she stood close to Selina Ralph, who didn’t turn at his approach, as she watched anxiously at a figure making slow but steady progress to the side entrance.

“Who is that?”

Selina did turn at that remark, giving him a wary glance before she answered. “I assume you mean Lawrence? Jane Lawrence is making her way over to the building as we agreed. I gave her the data stream on her way to your lab.”

“I don’t understand.”

“What don’t you understand Tor? It was a perfectly simple explanation, has someone hit you over the head?”

“Well actually…” before he could finish Sasha remarked jubilantly.

“She’s inside the building, now we wait.”

“I still don’t understand.”

Sasha intervened and spoke brusquely. “Tor, you were never that quick on the up take. Jane Lawrence is in the suit that you provided and helped her into and is now on the mission.”

Selina was somewhat annoyed at Sasha’s tone and looked closely at the man. He was an intelligent person and didn’t deserve her condescending attitude.

“That’s just it, I never helped anyone into the suit. Someone hit me over the head from behind and stole it. Whoever is in that little number, is highly doubtful to be Lawrence.”

All eyes turned to the large man as he spoke. In turn he felt like he was a bug being scrutinised and might be stomped on at any second. Failing that, he expected them to fall about laughing.

“If it isn’t Lawrence, then who could it be?”

“Your guess is as good as mine, they never left a trail to follow, and I looked!”

“We need to locate Jane Lawrence, I hope she wasn’t injured.” Selina voiced softly, how much crazier could it be on this planet she asked herself.

Sasha spoke up again and reminded them that Lawrence had gone to see Doctor Shaw for a quick examination prior to the suiting up. “Maybe Doctor Shaw will know what happened next.”

Quickly picking up her internal video link, Selina tried to contact Doctor Shaw; no one answered. Quickly reconnecting to the hospital senior nurse, Mary Campbell would know where Tamara was.

“Hello, Nurse Campbell here, how can I help?”

“Oh, it’s you First Counsellor.”

“Mary where is Doctor Shaw?”

A moment’s hesitation only but a moment was too much of a give away sign for Selina who immediately asked, “Where is she Mary?”

There was a battle going on inside Mary. What the heck, Tammy would understand, it was too late now anyway.

“To the best of my knowledge she’s in that damned suit of Tor’s trying to save our butt’s.”

“What do you mean? Strike that, why?”

Mary hesitated a fraction as she felt her composure slip slightly.

“She made me promise not to say First Counsellor, all I know is that if the mission is possible, she will see it through.”

Considering the situation what could she do anyway, “Where is Jane Lawrence?”

“Doctor Shaw gave her a mild sleeping drug, it will wear off with no effects within the hour.”

“I see. When this situation is over I want to see you and Doctor Shaw immediately!”

The videophone was switched off angrily as Selina moodily stomped towards the window to watch the deserted area around the Engineering building.

Tor and Sasha looked at each other with Tor shrugging his shoulders, wait until he saw the Doc again, they were going to have a damn fine conversation about his sore head.

“Typical Shaw, she never could take orders.” Sasha remarked sarcastically as she went to stand beside Selina.

Tor had to hand it to the Doc, she sure knew how to rattle everyone’s cage, what puzzled him was why. The same reason for him not being allowed to go would have applied to the Doc, more so he thought. Well they would find out if and when she got back.

* * *

Having successfully negotiated the side entrance to the building, Tamara sucked in a deep breath contemplating the task ahead.

She hoped Tor would forgive her for hitting him over the head, at least that way he wasn’t an accomplice and she had tried not to damage his skull too much.

Mary had pleaded with her to think again when she had confessed her newest plan to breach the rules. Sometimes she wondered if she had been cut out to obey rules and then she considered why she broke them…always to help others. Made sense to her but it was inexplicable to others. Still, she was the best candidate if the risk they were taking ended in tragedy. Her life span wasn’t exactly going to last much longer anyway, if the virus went the same way in her as it had the Johnson twins, Sylvie had died an hour after her sister.

Moving slowly forward she was astounded by the silence. Okay this building wasn’t engulfed with the creatures as some of the others she had entered were. Perhaps they had left…it was possible.

She and Tor had found an affinity in their gut instincts, not sure exactly what that meant long term but short term they had both realised that an extra communication link was needed. Not only that they had both been wary about Sasha’s denial of the old inhabitants of the planet being totally extinct.

That woman wouldn’t listen even for a second of someone else’s opinion, even if it was a remote opinion and far fetched. When new worlds were colonised you had to respect that some things take months, years, even centuries or forever to find the answer. They hadn’t given the planet time to allow its secrets to be found, now look at them.

Walking towards the door of the room that held the equipment, she wondered if the creatures would attack her even with the suit? Then she shook her head slowly, that kind of mind warp wouldn’t achieve her goal.

Carefully opening the door, she tentatively dropped her head around the corner to see if it was safe.

As far as she could see, there wasn’t any evidence of any presence in the room as she slowly ventured inside. Speedily making her way to the communications console firing up the system.

Tor said it would take two minutes for all the services to become active. Once she saw the Earth logo she should insert the data transfer disk for streaming and attempt to contact the pilot, who in theory should still be in orbit if they had followed the protocol. It was known in all circles that elite pilots followed them to the letter, like having a cast iron guarantee.

Flicking the necessary switches, which thankfully were simple, she had the console up and running just as Tor said it would be. What worried her was the noise level; from as silent as the grave to waves crashing on the shore. She hoped that the creatures had left for they were sure to seek her out now.

Tamara often wondered what life would have been like if she had taken up Christi’s offer to be on the medical staff of the executive committee, instead of here and now. Would she change her mind given the chance again…?

Great the communication line is open. Should it have been?

Deciding to disregard the odd quirk she asked the computer to scan for an orbiting craft.

No orbiting craft at this time.

Tamara sat down at the console and punched the question again.

No orbiting craft at this time, would you care to extend the parameter?

No, I wouldn’t care to extend the parameter! What else can you scan for?

Unidentified craft

Well, go ahead and scan for that then! Her thoughts mirrored her questions.

Tamara knew she shouldn’t get uptight, after all this was only a machine but it was really trying her patience!

Unidentified craft in the final phase of entry to the atmosphere, communication delayed on re-entry. Continuing data stream transmission, time scale calculated as two minutes thirty-one seconds, unless you abort.

Closing her eyes briefly…perhaps she hadn’t been the right person for the mission. She was tired, her head ached and she felt like the world was on her shoulders. Not only that some idiot computer was playing word games with her.

What should she do now? This could be a ploy by the enemy…enemy…it was the first time she had thought in those terms.

Oh god, what do I do?

As she thought the words, her answer became clear, her instincts told her to continue to send the message she slipped in the data disk.

Turning quickly upon hearing a noise, which had nothing to do with her or the console in front of her.

They were coming.

Hopefully Tor’s suit would be her defence or she was going to die a little earlier than even she had anticipated!

* * *

Paula watched with fascination as she entered the planet atmosphere while flames danced all around her. It was for her a beautiful and quite stimulating experience. Years ago pilots hadn’t the screen defences that they had now and although it looked as if you were engulfed in a fireball, which indeed you were, it was marvellous to experience, for her anyway. Many of her friends and colleagues often used the shield to mask the process; to her it added to the thrill and excitement of the moment.

The computer counted down the seconds to communication interface and she waited patiently. She deduced what the chances would be of how long, once she hit the atmosphere, before the community defence grid picked her up. They might not have any military experience but the grid was programmed to activate regardless of the expertise of the operator. Laura would have seen to the set-up as a priority when they landed.

Incoming message from the planet surface.

The computer droned on for what seemed like hours when really it was only a matter of seconds as she punched in the acceptance code.

Scanning the contents that had been transcribed into text for her. Her forehead creased into an unbecoming frown as she deciphered them.

“Computer! Message to Earth Gamma Command, marked urgent priority, code red, level gold extreme. Stream message received from Amazon Seven, indicate current spacecraft position and plot expected landing site. Authorisation, Major Paula Madison Clayton, First Gamma Command code 007, Archangel Gabrielle 002, transmit.”

Transmission complete.

“Calculate expected time for transmission to reach Gamma command assuming no unexpected problems.”

Six days, fifteen hours.

“On retrieval of data how long before realistic rescue mission?”

Six months, two days, one and three quarter hours.

“Oh that quick.” Paula scoffed, knowing the chances of survival were limited for the colonists with that time scale. Best-case scenario was that she could take two people back with her, although her coldly derived scenario was to land and wait for the craft to cool down and take off again. Hey, she was a valuable commodity it was part of her rules and regulations. Right now she wished she’d done what they originally stated even if it meant a close call waiting for a fuel recharge in space. Funny thing was, she had never been one to flaunt protocol…she had lived by it too long now. However, something was making her break those rules. It had started when she began to read her mom’s journals, funny how such a small occurrence had dramatic impact on your life.

“Is their communication link still open?”

Yes.

“Open our link, there might be someone sending at that end, it’s worth a try anyway.”

Paula removed her oxygen mask and wiped the sweat from her brow. Many would see that as panic in the face of the odds, when for her it was a natural reaction to the mask on her face. An aversion since she was a child made her feel as if she was suffocating and it took strong willpower whenever she wore any kind of headgear.

Link open.

“This is Earth Gamma pilot Clayton, please respond.”

Several seconds passed with no response, Paula tried again.

“Earth Gamma pilot Clayton here, please respond if this is not an automated message.”

Paula waited and wondered, in all probability it was automated. The information she had gained from the message indicated that the souls on Amazon Seven were probably close to death if not dead already.

“Computer track life signs, advise number.”

Original base camp thirty-five humanoid forms, second location twenty-five humanoids.

“Are you sure?” what a stupid question Clayton of course the damned computer was sure. Punching in the colonist compliment, she read that originally over one hundred and fifty people had been sent with all records indicating only having one fatal injury.

Thirty-five location one, twenty-five loc…

“Stop.”

Landing position, thirty seconds and counting.

She would have to decide what to do once she was on the ground.

* * *

“This is Earth Gamma pilot Clayton, please respond.”

Tamara jumped as the console crackled into life wondering if she should answer. The aliens were close now and she suspected they heard the transmission from the room.

Damn what to do!

“Earth Gamma pilot Clayton here, please respond if this is not an automated message.”

No it wasn’t a damn auto message! Galvanising into action Tamara moved back towards the console from out of the shadows she had found when the noises got closer.

Pressing one button after the other she eventually heard the computer indicate connection.

“I’m Doctor Shaw, for god’s sake help us!”

Static built up as she waited for a response, turning suddenly as she felt rather than heard something approach her.

The ethereal figure moved closer and Tamara saw several others floating in the background, reminding her of the old folk legends about vampires ready to pounce. Well, she wasn’t going to go without a fight. At least she had completed her mission…that was the real issue. Her life now could be forfeit.

Placing a hand on the button of the suit that increased the heat source she switched it to half way feeling the heat rise. Surprisingly, the figure moved back a fraction joining its allies.

Tamara had always been guided by her father to have an open mind about things, perhaps that was one of the reasons she enjoyed the challenge of this new era of colonisation of other planets. Having an open mind and actually being in the presence of beings that could kill you, apparently easily, she had no wish to make a closer acquaintance at this time. In this particular situation she was going to accept caution as her by-word.

Moving away from the console realising this was as good a time as any to escape and deduce if the aliens were in fact affected by the temperature change.

Stepping towards the cluster of figures perilously close to her, Tamara decided that her job here was done and getting killed waiting for a message wasn’t in the game plan…for today anyway.

“I can do this, I can do this, I can…” she spoke rapidly as one would hype oneself up for a difficult task.

Incoming coded transmission.

Shit, now what? How the hell did she decipher a coded message with the creatures all around?

“Oh, only a transmission for me…be right back with you,” grinning for all she was worth at the entities around her, humour had to have it’s day, right?

Turning on her heel, she stepped back towards the console with the entities remaining at the same distance, about two feet away. Some tea party this was turning out to be, maybe they could all pass the time of day together. Giggling nervously as she put Selina’s password into the computer.

One thing was certain Tor’s suit appeared to be working. The aliens kept their distance and that had never happened before.

Transmission decoded, available for access.

Looking behind her she was amazed at the image she saw, all the creatures were merging together into one mass. Where previously she had seen a humanoid type shape, now it was a swirling mass of transient colours, primarily white and grey with a tinge of blue around the edges. What did this mean? I think I may be in big trouble now.

Well it was decision time; she was struggling with the heat being generated by the suit, seeping inside increasing her body temperature. Her painkillers for the virus headache she had taken were beginning to wear off; allowing lethargy to consume her limbs, knowing each step would be a slow painful effort. The creatures might be massing together to eradicate the effects of the heat from the suit and she would be a dead woman for sure. Then there was the positive side, the opportunity to see the message and perhaps help everyone else on the planet.

Wasn’t her oath to save life?

Punching in the five-digit access code Selina had given her, which would allow her into any interface and protocol the computer might throw at her.

“Advise your position Shaw, I will help. Original message transmitted to Earth.”

That was it? I stayed behind for that? Jesus, talk about foolhardy.

She didn’t have a clue about co-ordinates…that really wasn’t her field. All she could do was state the building she was in. Typing in the brief message, she jabbed the send button and turned to face her moment of truth as she switch up the heat sensor in the suit and felt the immediate impact, so this must be what it feels like to roast in an oven!

Facing off the creatures or was it just a creature now, she moved towards it and the door that was her only exit.

Here goes nothing. Stepping into the unknown by attempting to go through the middle of the alien mass.

* * *

Accessing all available computer files, Paula scrambled around the storage area of the craft looking for anything that might be useful providing heat emission.

Rummaging in the lower hold she collected two fire torches, one pulsar rifle and several heaters for general-purpose use, not an arsenal but a start. Anyway, she wasn’t Hercules and she had to carry them after all.

Information assimilated.

Great just what the doctor ordered, smiling as she figured that was a fairly accurate assumption on her part. Assuming the doctor was still alive and she had severe doubts about that. Although the last message, which was badly typed, did indicate a building and that was a good sign. However, that was ten minutes ago and anything could happen in that time span. Life or death, she calculated if the message she read was anything to go by.

“Computer transmit options into portable data receiver, I’ll download as I locate the area. Have all geographical information transmitted with best case scenarios based on removal of all possible shelter options for the enemy.”

Collecting her hard terrain battle ready suit she quickly removed her internal space gear and donned the slightly heavier but much more serviceable and practical kit that all specialist pilots had as essential wear. It had saved many a life along the way, her own on more than one occasion.

“Seal all entrances and exits on my departure. Only open to the following command. Channel red eleven, seven zero two nine four, Gamma Earth Madison. Self-destruct if access is breached by any other method.”

Command accepted.

Attaching the large backpack on her shoulders, she heaved the heavy pulsar weapon to her right side leaving her left, more powerful, arm free for other activities.

Glancing around the craft that had been her home for the last few months, she tipped her hand to the visor of her helmet and left by the forward exit.

According to the data she had been given, the building in question was three miles away, off centre of the main township and accessible three ways. At her usual speed she should arrive in the area within the next thirty-five minutes, if she didn’t come across any resistance.

Perhaps this assignment might not be as bad as it sounded heck it was starting to look remarkably challenging to her right now!

* * *

“Andy has confirmed that a spacecraft entered the atmosphere half an hour ago. She said that the computer predicted its landing position to be within a three to five mile radius of here.”

Selina looked at the woman who had given her this information. Part of her was euphoric as the other colonists, who had cheered and stamped their feet at the news. Another part of her was sorry that the pilot had landed; they would now be in the same position as the rest of them. Added to that, if Tamara hadn’t managed to get a message through, it might be too late to stop other colonists travelling here to the same fate.

Her demeanour never changed. She could not allow the others to see that she felt the depression of the situation as keenly as they did. Who did she have to turn to for guidance and comfort? Tamara had been her confidant on many occasions and she welcomed the closeness allowing her to release the stress that built up over time. What if Tamara was dead, she would never forgive herself. Why was her friend such a hot head sometimes?

“Selina are you okay?” Sasha asked peering at the pale features of the First Counsellor.

“Of course, of course I’m fine Sasha. Please Radna, did Andrea say anything else?”  Dismissing the ecologist’s overtures of concern, she had no time for that right now, her own feelings would have to wait.

Radna Solvensky grinned, she had that country girl look that endeared you to her and at thirty her experience in farming techniques was astonishing. She could grow just about anything you asked of her and a force to be reckoned with along with her partner, Andrea Callan, who was a veterinarian. Together they made quite the team and now between them they had taken up the task of external watcher’s, transmitting information on the movement of the creatures and anything else in the area.

“She said the pilot was on the move according to her scanner. As soon as the pilot comes within a mile of the township, we will know more.”

“Thank you Radna, I appreciate the risks you and Andrea are taking on behalf of the colony. If you need anything at all please advise me.”

“First Counsellor, this is our home now and we would like to keep it. We all lost friends recently we want to help.”

Smiling slowly Selina placed a warm hand on the stocky woman’s shoulder and squeezed it gently in genuine appreciation.

Scanning the room, she attached her gaze to two figures watching earnestly out of the left-hand side window, Tor Anders and Mary Campbell side by side. Walking over to their direction she was stopped as Sasha laid a hand on her arm delaying her movement.

Eyeing the young woman’s hand on her arm she glanced up into worried brown eyes. “Yes Sasha?”

Clearing her throat the ecologist remarked. “Selina you need to rest, you’ve not slept in days and there’s nothing you can do at the moment.”

Sleep? Sleep! How could she sleep at a time like this? It was the most critical of events that had befallen them so far, was the woman mad?

“Sasha, thank you for your concern but sleep is the furthest thing from my mind right now. I doubt I will sleep again until we resolve the problem once and for all.”

Shaking the hand that restrained her lightly from her arm she left the woman gulping back tears. Nothing or anything she said or did had any impact on Selina. What do I do to make Selina notice me? Damn that doctor she was so…so irritating.

Closing her eyes briefly she saw Radna leaving the building, maybe there was something she could do that might make Selina proud of her.

“Penny for your thoughts.”

Mary Campbell was the first to turn for a moment only, acknowledging the Counsellor before her eyes went immediately back to their old position.

“Selina, there isn’t enough money in the kitty to buy my thoughts.” Tor answered unable to divert his attention away from his searching gaze at the two exits he could see from this position.

“Do you think she made it Tor?”

“The Doc made it!”

“You sound so positive.”

“Got to be positive Selina. Anyway, that slip of a Doc wouldn’t dare come back and see me unless she had. Don’t forget we have a conversation about using force on my poor head when she comes back.”

“Mary, why did she go?”

This time Mary gave her complete attention to the woman. Glancing around and seeing there wasn’t anyone to hear the conversation she chose to answer.

“Tammy has the virus that caused the death of the twins, she’s virtually at that late stage herself. Effectively without a cure Tammy will die like the twins. She chose to try and help as she felt, at this time, it might be the last good thing she could do for the colony.”

The words were spoken clearly and with little emotion. Mary had already cried her initial tears for Tammy, now she had to pray none of it came true and she would think positively like the man standing next to her.

“I knew she wasn’t feeling well. She never said anything about the same virus that claimed the twins!” Selina closed her eyes at the news. When she thought that things couldn’t get any worse they did.

“I thought you knew, she’s in the final stages before the coma. I told her it was foolhardy to take this risk but she said that under the circumstances she was the right person. She was dying anyway…unless they found a miracle cure.”

“How do we know she hasn’t collapsed inside? Tor can you make up another suit, someone will have to go check.”

Selina’s fear was more for Tamara than the mission.

“Selina, we haven’t the resources you know that and the Doc wouldn’t have gone if she didn’t think she could at least stay upright to complete the assignment.  You know how tenacious she can be, let's see if she succeeded first, shall we. Anyway, the pilot is due shortly, we will know soon enough.”

Unable to take any more bad news, Selina sat down heavily on the bench seat behind the other two, staring at the blank walls. All there was for now was to pray and frankly she hadn’t done that in years, guess you never forget how to do that.

* * *

Paula heard a sound at two hundred yards to her right. From an elevated position too according to the small scanner located on her left arm. Company, now I wonder who that could be.

Repositioning the pulse rifle for easy use should she require it, she continued on and came within twenty yards of the original sound and with lightening speed aimed the rifle for precision shooting at what she saw crouched in the shadows.

“Wanna come out of your hole and tell me why you are spying on me?”

No reply.

“I’ll give you ten seconds and then I’ll open up your sorry ass to the elements!”

This time she was pleased to see that her threat had been taken seriously, out popped a head covered in ginger hair, the features covered in freckles. Was this kid sent out to do an adult job?

“Come here kid.”

Paula relaxed but only fractionally, her training had instilled even the innocent could do major damage if they were so inclined.

Scrambling from the hillock vantage point the person came to stand before the pilot who towered over them threateningly. Well, she did look kinda menacing with her special suit and the weapons; her stance wouldn’t help casually aiming the pulse rifle at the belly of the person.

Lifting up her visor Paula scrutinised the figure and was amazed to see that instead of a kid she thought had been watching her was in fact a young woman. Age was hard to figure, early twenties perhaps and because she was so small barely reaching her shoulder, she looked like a kid.

“Name.”

The young woman had seen video of battle commando’s on the information data streams they had been given but she had never expected to see one in the flesh. The woman was tall with incredible eyes, which bored into her body without mercy. Her voice was rich and authoritative, the only word she could think of was EXCITING!

“I’m …I’m Andy, Andrea Callan from the colony. Did you get our message?”

Paula had to stop herself from laughing as the woman spluttered over her name but managed to virtually shout out about the message.

A small smile tugged at her lips as she replied. “Yes. Let’s not waste any more time. I need to find your Engineering building.”

Andy grinned and pressed her communication button on her small radio.

“Rad, Rad can you hear me? I’ve found….” The instrument was roughly taken from her and Paula glared at her.

“What the hell are you doing?” Paula spoke roughly. This was a dangerous time, communication had to be only under special circumstances.

“That’s my partner, she’ll relay the message to the First Counsellor.”

Looking at the small instrument Paula wondered if some people had any sense at all, the threat to the colony might tap into their communications and know everything about them.

“Forget it, come on lead the way.” Pushing the young woman roughly forward…they had wasted enough time.

As they walked along Andy asked her name.

Paula guessed she had manhandled the kid a little too much, wouldn’t hurt to give out her name, “Major Clayton.”

Andy glanced up at her and gave a wide attractive smile, “thanks.”

“How far now?” By her estimate they should see the town in the next hundred yards.

“Over the next ridge.”

“This threat, I haven’t seen it yet?”

Andy’s expression changed as it clouded slightly. “They don’t announce themselves, they appear and kill us.”

“I see and this Doctor Shaw how able is she?”

“Tammy is one hundred percent able and she obviously succeeded in the mission, you’re here.”

“Kid, I wouldn’t be here if she had sent the message half an hour earlier. I’d be on my way back to Earth and the big guns would have come out to help you.”

Paula knew that the big guns, as she called them, would be too late, if the threat were half as bad as the data indicated.

“But you are here and you’re gonna help right?”

Refusing to answer the question as they reached the ridge seeing the township. At first glance it was a fairly normal set-up nothing special, except for the wonderful scenic views. Didn’t get them on every planet, some were rather barren to the aesthetic eye.

As they descended the ridge, she saw flickering images coming from the central building and several others in close proximity. What the hell was that?

“What’s that?”

Andy looked in the direction of the black-gloved pointed finger. If only they knew it might give them an edge.

“The aliens that have been killing us. We don’t know what it is exactly. Sasha says it could be the old inhabitants of the planet.”

“Sasha?”

“She’s our senior ecologist.”

“All the information forwarded to Earth executive indicated that the previous inhabitants had been extinct. Who provided that data?”

The two women were getting closer and closer to the buildings as they talked. “You would have to ask First Counsellor Ralph she is in charge. I’m only a vet.”

Paula was surprised and it showed in the raised eyebrows as she caught the younger woman’s stare.

“A vet, well, well I would never have guessed. Mata Hari in disguise more like it kid.”

Andy grinned, Clayton was thawing she knew it. The woman had actually made a rather dry attempt at a joke at her expense but she didn’t mind. Ribbing was a way of life with her because she didn’t look her age.

“You think so? She was beautiful from all the stills I saw in the history archives, brave too!”

“Yep she was a brave woman, now young Hari take me to your leader.”

Andy knew the small talk was at an end as she indicated the building and they quickly entered, amidst gasps and shock from the colonists in the room.

Paula looked around her at the rather depleted and definitely ragged looking compliment. Did I really agreed to this assignment, wait until I see Ray in two years time.

“I take it you are Major Clayton from Earth here to replace our deceased pilot?”

Paula looked keenly at the woman who was about three inches shorter than she was, her manner was one of quiet authority that brought with it immediate respect.

“At your service First Counsellor Ralph.”

Smiling inwardly as she saw the surprised expression flitter across the Counsellor’s face for a moment.

“Thank you for not abandoning us to our fate.”

The words seemed to echo in the room. It was a solemn statement but with it hung the hopes of all in the room waiting for confirmation.

“My first question refers to the Doctor who sent the message. Is Shaw worth going on a rescue mission?”

* * *

Sasha had followed Radna Solvensky outside the building and tried to make the woman take her on one of the information-seeking missions she undertook with her partner Andy.

“Sasha this isn’t the type of work for you. Counsellor Ralph needs you with her, after all you are a counsellor now.”

Radna had been disturbed that this woman had followed her; few people actually liked the ecologist on a personal basis. Work wise she was considered an expert and had proved it, except in the assessment of other inhabitants of the planet. However, who could have known that they were so different from human form and so very deadly.

“The First Counsellor approves my plan to help you.”

Rad looked up startled, no way absolutely not! Ralph would have told her personally, she was sure of it. Nonetheless calling a counsel member a liar wasn’t exactly a good call either.

“Well, I guess if the First Counsellor approves.”

“She does!”

“Okay, Andy is due to send a message anytime, I’ll go standby the equipment, how about you check in with Tia Lopez and see if she’s got back yet from the relocation of the colonists. Then you can advise the other counsel members.”

“Excellent idea.” Sasha quickly retreated to the confines of the building that led to the small makeshift shuttle bay.

She would do something useful and make Selina aware of her, she had to and Shaw wasn’t going to take all the credit, no way!

 

* * *

Engineering Building

Tamara had a surge of adrenaline that pushed her beyond any limits she had ever known. Something was making her see this through to the end and that something wanted her alive. It was primeval urges that prevented her from giving up!

There was still something she needed to do yet with her life she knew it, her gut told her, her heart agreed.

What haven’t I done yet?

Although her body was reacting to the adrenaline feed, her mind was becoming ever more cloudy and delusional.

The wall of light the creatures provided for her could be her stairway to heaven…it was possible wasn’t it. As she walked through them it sent a surge of energy into her body, reviving for a time her flagging levels. Her body, which had been overheating inside the suit, cooled immediately… what a relief that was.

The exit door was in sight, she could see it as she walked through the mass of energy. By some miracle she reached for the door handle and it opened. Are they letting me go?

Tor’s suit was working better than she suspected he thought it ever could have. Now that they knew the weakness of the creatures, they could plan how to combat them. Surely battle strategy was as simple as that, well to her it was and complex planning wasn’t always the most beneficial…she had found in the past.

Closing her eyes briefly in respite at passing through the creatures without harm, she was shocked at the blinding light as she opened her eyes into the corridor. For what greeted her was a wall of light, the saturation of which tripled at least from what she had experienced in the other room.

Fumbling with the control that would turn up the heat on the suit, she had no choice really if she was going to make at least an attempt at escape, she had to turn it to the highest intensity. As she did so she could feel the immediate impact inside the suit, knowing that she couldn’t keep the volume at this level indefinitely or she was going to roast quite literally, inside.

Another thing she noticed was her visor on the suit was clouding up and she was having difficulty seeing where she was going. Surely it wasn’t that cold in the building to produce this much condensation?

Whipping away the moisture as she stepped forward, Tamara thought of her father and what he would think of her. A tender smile crossed her face, as she knew exactly what that would be. Her dad would think she was her mom all over again and he would be proud, just as he had of her, a chip off the old block he’d no doubt say.

Let’s try to get out of this alive, Shaw!

 

* * *

Community Building

Well, Paula didn’t have to wait long before she felt the true disposition of the colonists, as she was almost ejected from the building and dumped on her ass outside to await her fate.

All she’d asked was the doctor worth a rescue attempt.

The barrage of language not to mention some pretty fearsome expressions, especially from the giant of a man, whom had welcomed her initially with a wide grin, gave her the answer she needed. Not that she had been in any doubt really anyone who attempted to help others in extremely dangerous conditions always had her vote.

Holding up her hand, halting the barrage of abuse she was receiving from the mob in the room. Calmly, with little change in her features, nodded her head in acceptance of the reply to her question.

“First Counsellor I need all the available data you have on these creatures. Do you have any video streams, which show what happened to any of the colonists who’ve fallen victim to these…aliens?

Selina Ralph was still reeling inwardly at the pilot’s original question, how could anyone ask such a thing? How could she even have such a thought running through her head, had she no compassion?

“First Counsellor?” Paula was watching the leader of this pack of colonists with interest. Having read as much as possible on the senior personnel, she had a good idea how this woman ticked. Evidently the profile was reasonably accurate…she put the welfare of others before her own. Had a strong following with a cross section of people and was a diplomat in the finest use of the word. Her weakness if you could call it that, was her inability to see potential dark spots on the horizon; she went by facts and facts alone. Obviously taking this situation as a case in fact, having advised Earth everything was working well.

“I’m sorry Major Clayton my mind was elsewhere, you will have to excuse me. What was your question?”

Paula saw the slight shift of the body indicating she was embarrassed at her lapse in concentration. Repeating her question waiting for the reply, minutes could be the difference between life and death for the doctor inside the other building.

“Yes of course Major we have data available, it isn’t very pretty…then again I suppose you will have seen more gruesome events.”

“We’ll see I guess. I also need to download the schematics of the building into my portable data recorder. Lets get to it, we have a doctor to save.” Her voice was authoritative and positive as she saw the effect her words had on the people who had crowded around her. Internally she wasn’t that confident of the fate of the doctor, however miracles happen, not normally on her shift though.

“Tor will you please help the Major.” Looking around the room she saw familiar faces waiting expectantly for her to say more, what more was there to say?

“We are in your capable hands Major, please bring back Doctor Shaw and yourself safely. We will all pray for you.” As she spoke people returned back to their original positions, some watching from the windows and others sitting at the tables quietly talking with relatives and friends.

Paula watched the people disperse heaving a sigh of relief, now to get the job done.

“Tor I take it?”

Tor Anders gave the pilot a long hard stare he wasn’t as forgiving as Selina was, smarting over her comment about the Doc. Not only that she had upset Mary and he wasn’t having that at all. “Yes.”

Turning to give the man an equally hard stare back she figured he was still upset at her crack about the doctor, maybe they were an item?  Her dossier on the Doctor had made interesting reading from a career point of view; little or nothing was mentioned about a private life except brief details of her family. Perhaps the woman had finally found one with this man. “Exactly what do you do here Tor…?”

“Anders, Tor Anders senior infrastructure engineer. I’m also a member of the interim emergency council.”

Tor thought he’d add that, maybe the arrogant bitch might respond to that authority level.

“Excellent, the main man, so to speak, in this situation. Give me everything you’ve got and even stuff you think might be irrelevant, who knows what is and isn’t in this type of situation.”

Catching the blue eyes of the pilot he cautiously conceded that she was at least covering as many bases as she could in a short time span. If this was their only hope he would give her every scrap of information they had and some ideas he and the Doc had been formulating on their gut feelings.

“You’d better come this way.” He pointed to an area filled with machines and where a couple of technicians worked on equipment.

Paula walked along side the man smiling briefly as Andrea Callan stood in her path blocking her way.

“Major Clayton?”

“Yes.”

“Can I be your watcher?” the tiny woman grinned at her as Paula’s face contorted wryly, what was it with this kid.

“I don’t…sure but keep out of trouble, I don’t wanna have to come rescue your butt.”

“Not a chance!” Andrea Callan shot off with a wide grin to slap another woman on the back that had just entered the room and was engulfed in a warm affectionate hug for her efforts.

Tor had listened intently to the conversation. Maybe this pilot wasn’t as arrogant as he had first presumed; then again Andy was a charmer. Having broken many hearts when she had succumbed to the hidden charm of her partner Rad.

“Nice of you to indulge Andy, because she doesn’t look her age many don’t take her seriously unless it’s about animals.”

“She has a brave heart and for the record I don’t indulge people.”

Tor felt the dismissal as they walked towards the consoles that would give the pilot all the information they needed.

* * *

“Are you ready Major?”

“Yes.” Glancing around the area she placed her combat helmet on and readied the visor to cover her face. Once it was on she had a geographical grid impose itself to allow her to track not only her steps but also any other thermal changes in the area. As they hadn’t captured a creature and information was limited except of course that heat caused them difficulties. However was that a temporary difficulty or long term, only time would answer that question?

“Good luck Major Clayton and please bring the Doc out of there in one piece.”

Tor traded eye contact as he spoke; Paula acknowledged his interest in the other party.

“That’s my aim Anders.”

As she turned to the exit Doctor Shaw had used to go to the Engineering building, Selina Ralph arrived to wish her luck.

“All in a days work First Counsellor, I will see you shortly.” Her voice held a confidence that filled the room with hope. Taking a deep breath, she slipped down the visor and left them.

Andrea Callan rushed forward attempting to follow her out but was restrained by Tor’s forceful grip on the collar of her jacket.

“Whoa there young Andy, where do you think you’re going?”

“Tor let me go, I’m her watcher remember?" She said.

Selina watched the two of them with interest. Tor was the type of person who would ensure that no one came to harm if he possibly could and Andrea was far too impulsive, coupled with a ferocious brave streak. She was fortunate indeed to have colonists like this who put others first before their own welfare, as Tamara Shaw had also done. Thinking about the doctor she saw her smiling face that always settled her when problems arose.

Why hadn’t Tamara told her she was so sick? They were friends! She shouldn’t have had to learn that from another. How so very like the woman not to consider herself before everyone else and knew without Tor saying, Tamara had been the one who had broken all the rules and sanctioned the second Console.

“First Counsellor I’m sure you will agree with me on that?”

Starring at Tor, Selina had once again been so lost in other thoughts that she hadn’t caught the conversation, “I’m sorry Tor?”

“I told Andy she couldn’t go…not yet. If the Major needs help she will communicate it to us.”

Considering the statement Selina nodded, “I agree Tor, however, Andrea why don’t you be our communication contact with the Major, that will be equally as important and you will know first hand if she requires her watcher.”

Tor had to hand it to Selina, she knew how to make some unpalatable situations feel like they were indulging in the lap of luxury as he saw the wide grin on Andy’s face, quickly leaving to take over the communication console from one of the technicians.

“Thanks.”

“To quote from our new pilot, all in a day’s work. Incidentally Tor, she didn’t have on a heat suit or is that combat gear she was wearing heated as well?”

Pulling on his neat short whiskers that wouldn’t be neat for much longer if he couldn’t trim it soon.

“Between you and I Selina a woman like that doesn’t need a heat suit. Her confidence level alone is enough to fill the whole room with hot air, she has resources of her own.”

A soft chuckle came from the counsellor who had to mask her amusement at his jibe. The pilot was rather full of herself but that wasn’t such a bad thing under the circumstances.

“I think that’s a little harsh Tor, after all she has just arrived here and rather than a welcome, we are sending her into the lions den. I think her confidence is the difference between us seeing Tamara alive again or not. If she succeeds then I’ll gladly put up with her inflated ego if that’s what you think she has.”

Tor looked out of the side panel window and watched as the pilot with confident strides made it to the side door and entered the building, her pulse rifle at the ready should she need it.

“Yeah, Doc Shaw should have returned by now shouldn’t she, if she could on her own steam? I wish there was something more I could do!” The man sounded defeated as he starred at the side door and wondered what was going on inside the building and hoped that the Doc was still alive, she certainly deserved to be.

“Why don’t you go and keep Mary company, I think she would welcome a friend at the moment.”

With a grateful smile the large man left Selina to do just that.

Glancing around the room the Counsellor wondered where Sasha had gone, it wasn’t like her not to be in the thick of things. At times the ecologist got on her nerves but she was turning out to be a very good counsel member, if a little on the arrogant side. Over time that would change, it always did. Anyway, Sasha would be back, she always came back.

* * *

“Counsellor Meredith is something wrong?” Tia Lopez ambled out of her small craft astonished that the ecologist was in the small hanger.

“No, nothing more than was wrong when you left. Although the new senior pilot to replace Laura has arrived, which should please you, it will relieve you of some of the pressure.”

“Really, the pilot landed? How come? They wouldn’t have received a message or did the gung-ho Doc get through and warn them?”

The young woman was noted for her sour attacks on other colonists and had few friends, probably none at all, just the right person to help her achieve getting herself noticed by Selina.

“Not at first, however Doctor Shaw did manage to send the message. It’s just a matter of time before Earth comes to rescue us.”

Tia gave the woman in the hanger a long stare, was she mad! The best possible rescue from Earth would be six months or more, no one else was in this part of space, that was why it had been so easy to convince Earth to let a predominately female colony check it out first. No one else wanted to be that far away from help.

“Yeah in six months or more, we’ll all be dead by then!”

Sasha glared at the woman there was no need to be that pessimistic, even if she might be right.

“We shall see on that Tia, now I want to talk to you about a project I have in mind.”

“Me? Why me? I’ve just got back from taking another load of colonists to the new area, can’t it wait I’m tired?”

Hearing the petulant tone she looked up and screwed up her eyes as she shook her head slightly, here was one person who was never going to earn the title heroine anytime soon.

“Yes you! Sheryl is about to take the next batch of colonists and won’t be back for at least three hours I want this project to be completed successfully within that time.”

“Is it a Counsel project?”

Sasha delayed her reply for a fraction answering confidently. “Of course it is, First Counsellor Ralph is in full approval. You can check of course but that would make you look foolish. I’m a counsel member also and you will be implying that I’m not to be trusted.”

Wiping the sweat from around her neck Tia shuffled around in the dirt of the hanger floor and considered that. The sooner the woman was off her back, the sooner she could get some sleep and then meet the new pilot in charge, wonder who it is.

“What’s the new pilot called?”

Sasha thought about it for a second or two, “Bayton…no it wasn’t Bayton something like that. Clayton that’s right Major Clayton.”

Tia’s eyes popped out of her head as she heard the name.

“By your expression, I take it you know this pilot?”

“Know her? No, I don’t know her and I wish to god I didn’t have to know her either!”

“Really? Why?”

This was interesting…always useful to get the works on new people…you never knew when you might need the information.

“Clayton is an ace pilot. She‘s done everything there is to do out in space. A real demonic worker too, never lets up on herself and those that work with her. Most people who have to work with her and I say have to, because no one chooses Clayton unless they’re a masochist.”

Well that was interesting, good for the colony in most ways but even better for her, she could use Tia’s fear of the new pilot to her advantage should she need it.

“Tia if you help me with this project and we are successful. I’ll see to it that Major Clayton never gets her teeth into you, how would that be?”

Dark as night eyes looked at her out of olive skin, an expression of gratitude crossing it with scepticism. “How can you do that?”

“Ah my dear Tia, you forget I’m a member of the Counsel and when we succeed at this little task, trust me, everyone whose left will think that the Doctor’s attempt to help was merely a blip on the radar. Come with me I have something to show you.”

Unable to comprehend what was really going on she had little option but to follow, after all anything but working with ‘The Demon Clayton’ had to be better.

“Right with you.”

* * *

Paula shifted her helmet from side to side as she entered the building scanning the area. She wasn’t going to become too confident with the only aspect they knew about the aliens, just yet anyway, until she saw that for herself, first rule of staying alive in a difficult situation.

As she sharpened the field on her grid to take in minute elements and traces of movement, if anything was going to come after her she would be as ready as human technology allowed. Thank god Ray had the foresight to have the craft updated for the trip, if she had left without the new updates she would be frying in a suit the engineer had explained the doctor now wore. He meant well of course and it probably had kept the woman alive to make the communication. However, turning a suit like that on to full power would bake the woman inside in a short time. Chances were it would already be too late for her, she had to try and as she’d conveyed to the First Counsellor, it really was all in a day’s work for her.

Walking down the corridor indicated by the references from her personal wrist computer, bringing her a few yards from her goal. As she grew closer she felt a presence around her that hadn’t been there when she had first entered the building. It felt like a humming in her body, as if someone was trying to tune into her own wavelength. Odd!

Moving forwards faster as she felt the presence, rather than saw anything with her equipment. The doctor obviously hadn’t made it out of the communication’s room or she would have come across her by now.

Base, I’m about to turn into the corridor immediately before the comm’s room, no sign of the doctor at this time.

“Be careful Major.” Andy spoke clearly as she saw the message come up on her screen; her computer would convert the verbal message to text. Major Clayton had decreed that she would type messages rather than speak, less noise to distract or attract the creatures.

Entering the corridor.

Andrea had monitored the Major’s steps on the simultaneous grid that was projected to their equipment from the pilot’s visor.

Paula stepped around the corner and was blasted with a wave of feeling that sent her senses reeling and her blood raced around her body erratically. What the hell!

Flipping the visor up Paula looked around, her eyes widened in astonishment. Confronted with a body of light that filled the whole corridor, normally she would have said like a solid mass but this wasn’t solid you could see images through them. The one in the centre, literally held in a stasis like pose, could only be the doctor.

Jesus this is different!

I think I’ve found the doctor the creatures have her, expect spasmodic message’s from now on.

Andy shouted for the First Counsellor who was talking quietly with a few of the nervous colonists that were due to leave on the next shuttle.

“Major Clayton has found Doctor Shaw.”

Tor and Mary rushed over, as did the rest of the colonists who all huddled as best they could near the equipment listening intently to what Andy was saying.

“What is her position Andrea? Is Tamara alive?”

Selina’s face etched with concern for her friend.

“The Major indicated that the creatures had her, she said to expect limited communication at the moment.”

Closing her eyes at the comment, Selina slowly pushed away her hair that rested untidily across her forehead.

“I understand, please tell the Major to be careful and if the situation is untenable to leave. We have lost too many people to this threat already.”

“I think she knows that Counsellor, I did add be careful though.”

Andy realised that perhaps she shouldn’t have said that, it was after all a statement from the person in charge of the colony.

“I’m sorry Counsellor, I’ll relay the message.” As she was about to do so a hand pressed her shoulder.

“You are right of course Andrea, the Major will know when to call an end to the mission.”

Turning away to pull up a chair beside the young woman she felt her whole body sag, the weariness of the past few weeks finally taking it’s revenge. How could she keep up this façade that everything was going to be all right, when clearly, it did nothing but get worse.

Surprisingly, Mary Campbell stood beside her whispering, “Tammy will survive, she still has so much to live for and do yet.”

Gratefully looking up at the woman who knew the doctor better than anyone on the colony.

“I know she does, so did the other unlucky colonists who are dead.”

Tor watched the disintegration of the First Counsellor as did many of the others and he wondered how she was going to keep it together for the rest of them if something happened to the pilot. It now looked as if the Doc had sacrificed her life for them and he, for one, wasn’t going to let that sacrifice be for nothing.

Where is Sasha? Selina could do with a friend at this moment.

* * *

There were times in life that you simply didn’t have answers for. At this moment, that was what Paula Madison Clayton thought as she saw the heat suit presumably holding the body of Doctor Shaw inside floating with ease inside…who knew what it was exactly.

Interesting thing was the mass of light wasn’t moving at least not to take her presence in, did they even know she was there?

Standing rigidly to her spot she looked all around her not that there was much to see except wall to ceiling glowing light. Scrutinising the organism around her, at first glance it looked like a mass of light. However, as she peered closer there were corporeal figures floating inside, not many or was it that she couldn’t differentiate the spectrum they existed upon. Whatever she could see were centred closely to the Doctor’s suit. At this stage, she had to give the doctor the benefit of the doubt that she had somehow managed to leave it behind and she really wasn’t in the thick of things.

Clayton, don’t be a bloody optimist!

She was here for a rescue attempt and so be it, she would give it her best shot. Stepping forward one pace, she was amazed that the mass moved back a pace with her!

What was this? Were they allowing her a false sense of security?

Paula watched the figures around the heat suit as they moved to cover it and blended together into one entity. This wasn’t going to be one of the easiest tasks in the Universe. It made her feel like Flash Gordon out of the old video’s she and her sister had watched with their dad.

Her mom had never watched such nonsense. She said because out there life was enough of a challenge, without trying to lose yourself in make believe. The memory of her mother gave that extra boost to her resolve to at least try to save what was left of the Doctor.

Another step forward and the mass moved back once again. As she moved so did it. What she didn’t realise immediately, as it moved backwards it consolidated and the mass concentrated into a smaller area. At this rate she was going to have the mass backed up against a wall, metaphorically speaking, except she couldn’t use her weapons, what if by some miracle the doctor was alive.

The door to the communication room was now to her left. She could easily open the door and enter knowing the creatures wouldn’t stop her, leaving the exit options difficult.

Her concentration, however, was clearly with the figure held off the ground and now being smothered so much by the aliens; it was becoming hard to distinguish.

What puzzled Paula the most was the lack of aggression. These creatures had killed half the colony and the threat to the rest was evident. Yet, so far there wasn’t any attempt to stop or attack her. Quite the contrary, what she felt the most was stillness or maybe it was the calm before the storm.

Communication, one of her early trainers had once told them at the academy, was the only true medium where disputes and misunderstandings could be rectified. How?

Looking down at her wrist computer, she saw moisture covering the small screen and wiped it away looking like condensation to her. Tapping in her latest update to the colonists waiting for her news, she then glanced around her with a more experienced eye and saw water dripping from the walls and a layer of moisture residing on the floor under her boots. Checking the humidity and temperature of the corridor, she found it to be within normal parameters for a building that wasn’t currently inhabited.

She didn’t know enough about the planet to judge if this was normal or not. Going by the mistakes of the current leadership in this colony, she doubted that they understood it half as much as they implied to Earth in earlier dispatches.

Standing her ground she sucked in a deep breath as she pondered her next action.

There really wasn’t anything else to do but go inside the mass if it allowed, was that a crazy idea? Yes it was and totally against her rulebook. Then again she hadn’t followed the rulebook to get to this point had she? Nope she was going on gut feelings and something inside her gut told her that it was the right thing to do.

Turning her blue gaze to the translucent mass that swirled around her and the prone figure of the Doctor, she held up her hand.

“I’m Major Paula Madison Clayton of Earth Gamma Command, you have one of our people we want her back!”

As she spoke, the colonists simultaneously heard the words.

No reply or movement from the mass.

“Doctor Shaw is a member of the colony from Earth, who reside on this planet, I want her back!”

This time she made it personal and as she did so that feeling of invasion into her body once again made its presence felt, as she experienced the adrenaline rush. What the hell is that?

“If you don’t give her back to me I’ll take her by force if necessary.”

Oh way to go Clayton, let the creature’s know you aren’t really interested in a polite tête-à-tête.

She placed a hand on her side firearm, which she had converted to flame emission rather than laser. It might well be effective if they hated heat and this close she could certainly give them a blast treble to match the heat charge from the doctor’s suit.

The single moment she pulled the firearm from its holster, the mass parted and the bodysuit that had been held at least a foot above ground was now floating gently to rest on the floor of the corridor. The mass was allowing a gap of free space between Paula and the suit.

Can this be a trick?

“Aliens are allowing access to the Doctor.”

Paula moved slowly forward, it would be so easy for the creatures to shroud her in their entity and no way was she going to go down without a fight.

There wasn’t any movement from the suit as she knelt down to wipe away what appeared to be a layer of ice from the visor. It wasn’t that cold in this area how had this happened?

“Are you in there, Doctor Shaw?”

Paula wiped away the ice and the accumulating moisture that replaced her efforts to allow a clear view. She rocked back on her heels as she saw the woman’s face; it was red and blotchy like a bad case of acne.

Unclipping the restraints that held the helmet in place Paula released the Doctor’s head from its prison, as she did so water cascaded out of the top. Hell they drowned her!

Was she breathing? Paula checked the woman’s pulse and didn’t find one; okay CPR was the next best thing or mouth to mouth, as the suit wouldn’t allow her to efficiently give CPR.

Putting back the head, which fell limply in her hands, Paula drew in a deep breath and began her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

After several attempts Paula considered it a lost cause, the woman was dead, she hadn’t responded at all. Glancing down into the face of the woman, she thought she saw a flicker of the eyelid, must be her imagination. Then it happened again and Paula checked the pulse, it was a thread possibly, one more try at the mouth to mouth.

This time she was unprepared for what happened next. Going from a purely medical critical situation, she was shocked when the arms in the suit pulled her closer and the mouth to mouth changed to a passionate kiss.

It was no ordinary kiss…it connected to her soul and sent her senses reeling, her blood pounding and the erratic feeling she had been experiencing when she had entered the building was now transmitting a thousand fold. She was drowning too, but in a very different way.

There was nothing she could do she was helpless in this embrace and the emotions it produced within her.

A lifetime!

No.

An eternity of loving!

* * *

“What’s happening Andrea?”

Selina had heard the pilot speak and challenge the creatures for the Doctor. What bewildered her most was that the Major hadn’t come across any problem and was in a position to speak to them. How had that happened when so many had died, what was so special about the Major?

“I don’t know, she mumbled something about the creatures drowning the Doctor. She was giving mouth to mouth now it’s all quiet except for a build up of static.”

“Ask!”

Andrea pressed the communication button at the command. She had said it was static to everyone listening but if she were asked to guess what was going on, she would have said they were kissing. Couldn’t be of course this wasn’t a game, this was a life and death situation.

“Major are you okay? Major please, answer me.”

There wasn’t anything except the ‘static’. Was this the end of the line for the pilot too and all their hopes of staying alive.

“Major Clayton, please advise your position.”

No reply.

“I’m not getting any response First Counsellor.”

Selina looked at the pensive faces around the room, they were looking to her for the answers and she had nothing left to rally them.

“The next allocation of colonists please report to the hanger now. Tor brief the pilot they can’t rest they must go back immediately. There is no telling how long we have before the creatures come for what’s left of us.”

Tor heard the instruction she was right of course but…they had no indication the Major was dead, life signs were still strong from the equipment tied into her.

“Okay, that will leave about ten of us, only two more shuttle loads. I’ll get onto it.”

He looked directly at Mary, she was crying, silently he felt her grief for her friend but who said she was dead yet, who said any of them were. Until the fat lady sings there was always room for hope.

“Want to help me Mary?”

“I…I really should go back to the hospital.”

“All the patients have gone on the last shuttle with Sheryl, there’s no one left in the building. How about it, keep me company, I’d appreciate it.”

Mary looked up at the man and saw the gentle compassion, she really should stay but he might need help. “Okay.”

They left the building with the colonists set for the next transport. Tia Lopez was going to be in a sour frame of mind but that wasn’t anything new.

* * *

Paula finally came up for breath and looked into the features of the woman who had literally knocked her off her feet with that kiss.

What is happening to her, to me?

“Hey are you okay Doctor?”

Green eyes flicked open at the words and Paula was drowning once again, this time, eyes reflected a need she hadn’t ever seen before in her life. Imploring her to understand and take the opportunity, an opportunity to do what?

“You came at last.”

The words were spoken so softly Paula wasn’t sure if she heard them and gave the Doctor a brief smile as she nodded her head.

“Yeah you asked me to remember.”

“You never forgot me, you remembered.”

“I remembered Doctor…it wasn’t that long ago.” Winking at her as she gently eased the woman up, this was still a dangerous situation and for some reason the creatures were allowing them to…bond?

“No, no it wasn’t. That was our promise and you are here now.”

Paula looked at the woman with a strange expression obviously rambling. Not surprising with all that had happened to her, the miracle was why was she still alive.

“Do you think you can walk Doctor Shaw or do you want me to carry you?”

Paula stood up and pulled the smaller woman up with her, Tamara felt as if she was climbing up a mountain, her head barely touched the woman’s shoulders.

Tamara couldn’t help herself she giggled and the giggles wouldn’t stop as Paula eyed her curiously. Yep, she was going to be a basket case for sure.

“Let’s go while the creatures let us Doctor Shaw, who knows when they will turn nasty again.”

“They won’t!”

“They won’t?”

“No. I understand the problem now. We can do something about this without anyone else getting killed.”

Eyebrows raised to the roof as Paula gave the Doctor a shrewd glance, a definite candidate for the funny farm, did they have one on the colony?

“Let’s go do that shall we.” Paula placed her arm around the woman who allowed her to do so, although she walked amazingly well considering.

Wondering why there hadn’t been any message from the command control she looked down at the transmitter in her suit, it was damaged, crushed in that rather interesting embrace.

Oh well, she would have a wonderful surprise for them when they left the building. Who knows, maybe the Doctor was right and she really could communicate with the aliens. Miracles did happen and now maybe they happened to her too!

“You’re never going to leave me alone again, are you?”

Paula quizzically turned to the woman at her side, what an odd question.

“No.”

As the single word passed her lips, Paula knew in that instant that it was the truth…for now at least.
 

Amazon Seven
Hanger

“What the blazes is that?”

Tia Lopez stared at the object Sasha Meredith had taken her too hidden away in a corner of the temporary hanger they were using to take colonists to a safer area.

“Really Tia and you being a pilot and all!”

“I might be a pilot but I was never THAT kind of pilot.”

“It’s really very simple Tia ,we load the bomb onto the craft and in minutes we can rid ourselves of the threat by taking out the infested area.”

Tia might not be the best pilot around but she wasn’t suicidal either, surely the Counsel hadn’t agreed to this drastic measure.

“Counsellor Meredith, it will take precision to drop a bomb of that magnitude and stop any fall out to the buildings that still have colonists in them. What are we doing going on a suicide mission?”

Sasha glared at the woman; really it was very simple and quite logical to her. When the pilot was in the air she would advise Selina to abandon the area and they could watch from the higher ground. It was so easy she wondered why the others hadn’t come up with this idea before.

“As I said before Tia, if you do this I can ensure that Major Clayton doesn’t figure at all in your life on this planet.”

Yeah like I believe you and I’m not going to end up toast here!

Tia looked down at the bomb encased in a container of aluminium. Laura must have put it here with a few of her other special pilot toys when they first landed. Her ship didn’t have the protection to avoid the blast from a short-range attack; it was a cargo ship with limited abilities. She wasn’t even sure it could drop such an object.

“The ship isn’t equipped to handle a short range blast of the magnitude that bomb will be capable of.”

Another excuse, can’t this pilot just take orders and be done with it!

“I know that, however, this baby here can be programmed to be dropped and explode afterwards. That would allow you time to leave the area to a safe distance.”

Impressed by the woman’s knowledge but not entirely confident that would be the case.

“Can you programme it?”

Sasha drew her gaze away from the woman to the black and silver oblong object that really looked rather innocent, more like a lump of metal used in construction. She had seen a note in the container. The handwriting was a little obscure but readable...just. It gave certain instructions and she was sure she could follow them to achieve the objective.

“Yes.”

The pilot gazed at her trying to decipher the truth, could or couldn’t she?

“I guess we load it on the transport and get it over with.”  The pilot wasn’t totally convinced and her voice shook slightly with trepidation.

Smiling broadly Sasha placed a firm hand on the younger woman’s shoulders. “Excellent, you won’t regret this one, you will be a heroine before you know it.”

“Thanks, I’d rather be alive.” The pilot muttered as she looked around for a transport dolly to load it to the craft.

Unable to quite distinguish what the woman said she ignored it and thought about her plan and how simply clever it was how everything was going to work out. Soon very soon they would be rid of the threat to the colony and she...she...not Shaw, would be the toast of the township. Knowing in her heart that Selina couldn’t ignore her presence any longer. She would prove to be as brave as Shaw, braver in fact, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

“Are you still with me Doctor Shaw?”

Paula felt the drooping of the shoulders of the heat suit and wondered if the woman’s original robust attempt to give the impression she was okay had been a front.

“Yes, I’m quite well, thank you…I’m sorry you didn’t tell me your name or did you?”

Paula grinned inside her own visor, which she had donned again as they walked down the corridor, on the way to freedom. Couldn’t be too careful, the aliens might change their mind, she only had the Doctor’s word for it that they were going to co-operate. Okay, so it looked that way too but she had seen similar things happen in her time.

“Major Clayton.”

She was being stuffy, Paula knew it but her mind was still whirling after her encounter with the figure she was helping and it was her own inbuilt defence mechanism.

“Major Clayton? Does the Major have a Christian name by any chance?”

Tamara hadn’t felt this good in…ever she suspected. Not sure if it was the alien influence or the well being she felt at this woman’s appearance in her life. She hadn’t hesitated to kiss her when the opportunity presented itself; the really weird thing was she didn’t have a clue where Major Clayton had turned up from but it had seemed so right to her. One minute she was in a strange half-life, floating around listening to voices...some foreign to her, others clear as day. Then next she felt the warm sensual mouth of the Major on hers and she was lost forever. It was like coming home after a long trip away and finding yourself. Familiarity, they say, breeds contempt. In her case, she relished the experience and wanted more, so much more.

Paula’s mind wanted to say no; it was futile her heart was already speaking for her. “Paula Madison Clayton at your service Doctor Shaw.”

A tender smile crossed the doctor’s lips as she replied. “It suits you. Mine for the record is Tamara Christine Shaw.”

“Pleased to meet you Tamara. Now, I think, we should conserve what energy we have and get out of here. The exit, I do believe, is this way.” Pointing to the way out she had discussed with Tor Anders.

Tamara wanted to see into those beautiful eyes she had drowned in earlier, however, the visor eliminated that possibility. In the near future she knew she would and that would be worth waiting for.

“Lead the way Major.”

Paula hitched the woman further into her grasp and virtually dragged the Doctor along. Tamara didn’t care in the slightest she was closer than ever and that made her happy.

There's more ---->