Regulated Planet, page 28
part #2 of Worlds Apart Series
“You won’t ask for another planet or try to get Zerris back?”
Marlee held her breath. It sounded like they were considering it. If they could pull this off…
She refused to think about the possibility that Tyris’s mother’s technology might not work. They’d cross that bridge when they came to it.
Tyris looked over his shoulder at Yasmyn. She was the only member of the council present, Nerris had left with the others on the understanding that he would be the most qualified to coordinate the rebellion if it was needed.
Yasmyn paused uncertain, then nodded. “If you agree to give us Semala, then what happens to it after that is our problem, not yours. We won’t ask for another planet.”
“And the rebellion will cease immediately?”
“You have my word,” Tyris said.
“This mission is not Colonial sanctioned, and you won’t have any support from us. You will need to fund the entire thing yourself,” the strange man warned.
“I think we can’t manage that.” Tyris squeezed her hand.
“You have one month,” the man said with finality.
His acceptance seemed unbelievable, despite the difficulties they still faced. Marlee had no idea how they would manage it, but with so many people involved, she was sure they would find a way. Her heart began to beat in excitement.
This would work. It had to.
Chapter 22
Tyris sighed, and threw the tablet on the bed beside him. Finding a spaceship that had both the capacity for the growing number of people who wanted to come to Semala with them, and the ability to get there within their lifetime, was proving harder than he’d expected.
It wasn’t the money. Between his inheritance from Uncle Max, and the contributions of a research company interested in the technology they planned to test, they didn’t even need the savings of all the other couples, who were instead buying tools and supplies.
The truth was, there just weren’t that many spaceships available commercially. And they had less than a week to get off the planet, before the government rescinded their offer.
“Give it a break,” Nerris suggested, looking up from his own search. “You’ve been through all the sites already today. Go outside and get some fresh air.”
Tyris nodded his tired acceptance of the sensible suggestion. Then another thought occurred to him. “I have something else I need to sort out. Will you be alright here for a couple of hours?”
“Sure.” Nerris didn’t question him, and Tyris hesitated, half thinking he should run his thoughts past someone else. It seemed like the perfect idea to him, but he was aware that women didn’t always see things quite the same way.
Nerris didn’t look up from his reading, so Tyris headed out of the room. As he walked past the sleeping bags and blankets laid out in the main room of his Uncle Max’s house, he wondered what his uncle would have thought of the latest developments. He liked to believe that the old man would have been enthusiastically looking for a spaceship with them, more than eager to leave the Colonies behind on this grand adventure to find their own planet.
Their own planet. What a thought.
He sighed. So long as they could find a spaceship.
Shaking off the thought, he jumped in his car to head back into the city. If he finished his errand early enough, he could pick up Marlee, who had gone to the hospital to visit Brenda, Nelor, and their newborn son.
That thought removed the last of his hesitations, and by the time he pulled up at the gates of the Space Force base, he was sure Marlee would love his idea.
The guard at the gate recognised him. “I’m sorry, sir, but you no longer have access to the base.”
Tyris nodded. The exclusion, which had once been one of his greatest fears, didn’t bother him in the least. “I’m looking for General Kendal. Is he on duty today?”
The guard nodded. “I’ll contact him and see if he is willing to see you.” His voice was doubtful. It was plain he didn’t approve of Tyris’s actions and was firmly behind what the Space Force stood for. Tyris didn’t need his approval. He just needed the man to contact General Kendal. He was pretty sure the general would see him.
The guard’s words confirmed his belief, even if his tone was disapproving. “You can go through, he’s expecting you.”
Tyris nodded thanks, and made his way in to see his old mentor.
“You’ve been making a name for yourself.” General Kendal greeted him with a slap on the back that signified his approval. “How are you going with finding a ship for your expedition?”
Tyris sighed. He didn’t want to be reminded of his failure. “Not so well. Seems that people aren’t too willing to sell ships that work and have the capacity we need.”
General Kendal frowned. “You only have one week left don’t you?”
He wasn’t going to be able to avoid the conversation. “Yes. I thought a month would be plenty of time, but it’s running out fast. I’m sure something will turn up though,” he said, trying to remain optimistic. “But that wasn’t what I came to see you about today.”
General Kendal raised an eyebrow. “It wasn’t?”
Tyris smiled. “I came to ask a favour.”
“You know I can’t change the government’s decision,” General Kendal said. “That’s way over my head.”
“Actually, I wanted to ask if you would officiate at my wedding.”
The general stared at him for a moment, then a smile broke over his face. “There’s nothing I’d like more.”
“We were planning to wait until we arrived on Semala, but the more I think about it, the more I want it settled as soon as possible.” Tyris needed to explain to someone, even though General Kendal couldn’t understand his need to make it clear to the villagers from Zerris that he and Marlee would be remaining together, no matter what.
The general misunderstood his need for haste. “Don’t give up hope of finding a ship yet.” He hesitated. “I may just have an idea.”
“I don’t want you to get in the middle of this. It’s not your problem.”
General Kendal hesitated. “My niece was one of the women Marlee helped. She’s a good kid, but when her father was working long hours, she went off the rails briefly as a teenager, gaining a criminal record when she was caught shoplifting. It was the wakeup call her dad, my brother, needed, and he hired a manager to run his company, and spent more time at home. She was just about to start a family when the new population laws came in, and when she became pregnant accidentally, she was devastated at the thought of having her baby taken away from her.”
He smiled at Tyris. “Marlee’s actions have touched the lives of many, and she’s fought so hard to get where she is. Both of you have. That deserves to be rewarded.”
Tyris’s heart warmed at the man’s words. Was there anyone Marlee hadn’t won over? But he tried to suppress his excitement at the general’s offer. “I’ve already asked the government if there were any decommissioned ships we could purchase, and they claimed there was nothing. I suspect that they’re trying to make our lives difficult, but either way, things could get unpleasant if you try to change their mind.”
“No, no, nothing to do with the Space Force,” the general smiled. “My brother, the one I mentioned, owns a ship building yard. I’m sure he’ll be grateful enough to arrange something. Just go sort out the rest of your plans, and meet me at the commercial space dock tomorrow. We’ll have your wedding and christen your spaceship in the same day.” He seemed pleased with the idea.
Tyris had already spoken to every ship building yard in the city, so no matter how grateful General Kendal’s brother was, he couldn’t find a spaceship that didn’t exist. But he began to feel more hopeful anyway. If there was any ship out there, perhaps they could find it. He thanked General Kendal for his help, and decided to focus on the wedding until he heard back from him. Having that sorted out would relieve at least one of his stresses.
He headed for his car, and as he drove out of the base, he made a call.
“Yes,” Milandra’s cultured voice answered.
“Do you feel like going shopping?” Tyris asked.
There was a stunned silence. “Um, you don’t even like shopping,” Milandra pointed out.
Tyris laughed. “Not with me. I need someone to take Marlee to buy a wedding dress, and obviously it can’t be me. I figured you’d know all the best places.”
Milandra was silent for long enough to make Tyris realised that perhaps asking your ex-wife to take your fiancée shopping might not be the best plan. He racked his brain trying to think of anyone else he could ask, but came up blank.
“So does this mean you’ve found a ship?” Milandra asked.
“Not yet, but General Kendal said he knows someone who might be able to help us.”
“How much is that going to set you back?” Milandra’s voice didn’t give away any ulterior motives, but it did remind him of something.
“We have backing from a terraforming company. They’re very interested in the technology Mother’s developed for dealing with the effects of the impact winter on Semala. I’m spending a fair bit on supplies, we plan to set up Semala properly, with power stations and mining equipment, so that it will be viable for a long term colony, but I’m not touching the half I offered you at all,” Tyris assured her.
“That wasn’t why I was asking,” Milandra insisted. There was a long pause, then she added. “I don’t really need it anymore. It’s not like I’m trying to run my show. And you guys can’t come back and get what you need later. If you need the money, you keep it.”
Tyris smiled, even though she couldn’t see him. “Thanks, Landy. But we’ll be fine. I want you to have it.”
She didn’t protest further, instead changing the subject. “Of course I can help Marlee with shopping. I take it the wedding is a surprise?”
“Yes, that’s the plan.” Sudden doubts assailed him. “Do you think she’ll hate it?”
Milandra laughed. “Some women maybe, but not Marlee. I’m sure she’ll love it, Tyris.”
“Thanks.”
Tyris hung up, and began to make plans for rings, flowers, and inviting guests.
Two hours later, it was all planned, and he joined Marlee in the city, where she’d gone shopping after leaving Brenda and Nelor. His heart filled with tenderness as she showed him all the clothes she’d bought for the baby, as well as material for more clothes as he or she grew.
While he’d been trying to find a ship, she’d been spending many hours shopping in the last few weeks, determined to bring everything she could to make life more comfortable for them all on Semala.
He hoped General Kendal came through for him.
*****
“Hi, Marlee, do you want to go out and do some shopping?” Milandra’s cheery voice on the phone surprised her. Though they’d called a truce since Milandra had helped organise the protest, Marlee was still surprised to hear from her.
“I don’t know. I’ve been out all week, and I was thinking of just spending a quiet day at home,” Marlee said. It wasn’t an excuse, it was the truth. She pressed a hand into the small of her back, where yesterday’s ache hadn’t quite faded.
“Oh I know. You’ll all be off to your new home soon. I guess you won’t have time for more shopping there. There won’t be any shops to visit if you need clothes for a special occasion. Say, what do you have planned for your wedding dress?”
“Um, I hadn’t thought about it,” Marlee said, a touch guiltily. “I’ve been so busy buying stuff we’re going to need. I’m sure I can wear something I have though.” It seemed so impractical to buy something she’d only wear once.
“Oh come on, Marlee. It’s your special day. You’ve spent so much time being sensible, don’t you deserve something special? I mean, did you ever even expect to get married?”
She hadn’t. The idea of being married to Tyris, having that guarantee that he’d be there for her for the rest of her life, was still astounding. And special.
Milandra was right. She should have something special to wear to her wedding. Except for one problem. “I can’t shop for something now. I’m so big with the baby that nothing I buy is going to fit by the time we have a wedding.”
“Oh, I’m sure you could take it in later, couldn’t you? I mean, you make whole dresses from scratch, how hard could modifying something be?”
“I suppose,” Marlee wavered.
Milandra jumped on her indecision. “Good, I’ll pick you up in half an hour.”
By the time Milandra arrived, Marlee had eaten and was feeling a little more prepared for just one more shopping trip.
And maybe even a little excited.
She wasn’t too sure where Tyris had disappeared to. Something seemed to be going on. Her mother had been acting strange this morning too, crying when Marlee had talked about the house she hoped to build with Tyris.
Marlee shook her head to clear it as she slipped into Milandra’s car. Tyris would sort out a spaceship, he had to. And there was nothing she could do to help him. She didn’t know the first place to start looking, or how to tell if a ship was suitable anyway. Nerris was doing a much better job assisting him than she ever could. Taking a day off to go shopping for a wedding dress wasn’t going to make any difference.
Milandra chatted nonstop on the drive, and Marlee was glad not to have to say anything beyond a few murmurs of agreement. Worries invaded her mind, and a couple of times she nearly told Milandra to turn around. What if they couldn’t find a spaceship? Looking for a dress seemed so frivolous beside their more pressing worries.
She should be helping Tyris. And if there had been a single thing she could do to help, she would have pulled out of the shopping trip immediately.
But there wasn’t. So she didn’t say anything as Milandra pulled up in front of a small store, standing by itself. Strange that it wasn’t in a mall. That was where Milandra seemed to prefer to do most of her shopping.
A bell tinkled when they stepped in the door, and Marlee couldn’t help the soft gasp that escaped her lips. Several plastic people stood around the store, their frozen faces not displaying any joy at the fact that they were wearing the most beautiful gowns she’d had ever seen.
These weren’t the sort of dresses Milandra would have worn. There wasn’t a slim, elegant one among them. Instead, they were the stuff of fairy tales, with floating gauze, intricately woven lace, and scattered ribbon roses.
Any remaining anger she felt towards Tyris’s ex-wife melted away as she realised Milandra had taken the time to think about what she would like, rather than just assuming Marlee would like her style of clothes.
She turned and smiled. “Thank you.”
Milandra shrugged one elegant shoulder. “I drove past here the other day, and this looked like your sort of stuff.” Her voice was a little off hand, and Marlee guessed she was embarrassed and trying to make light of it.
So she nodded, and turned back to the dresses. A little old woman came in from a room out the back, summoned by the bell no doubt. She smiled at Marlee. “Come in. Looking for a wedding dress are we? I do love a pregnant bride.”
“Oh, I won’t be pregnant by the time of the wedding. I just wanted to look.”
The woman’s eyes met Milandra’s over the top of her head, but by the time Marlee had turned to scrutinise her friend, she was just smiling.
“I have the same styles of dresses in maternity and non-maternity, so why don’t you try on the maternity ones, and if you like one of them, you can order a non-maternity one in your size?” the woman suggested.
By this stage, Marlee wanted to try on the dresses, so she nodded. Milandra and the woman chatted as she walked around the store, touching the silky material. There were so many beautiful dresses she didn’t know where to start.
Then her eyes fell on a model in the back of the room. Unlike the ones at the front, who were slim, this one had a baby bump, though a little smaller than hers. The dress it wore moulded itself to the form, emphasising the small swelling rather than trying to hide it.
For a moment, Marlee felt a little sad that she wasn’t going to be pregnant for the wedding. The dress was beautiful.
But it would be beautiful in any shape. The soft folds of the silken material were finer than anything she’d ever worn. Small blue beads formed swirls across the body and eased into subtle frills of gauze down the skirt.
“Can I try on this one?” she asked.
The woman broke off her conversation with Milandra at once, and bustled across. “Of course, dearie. I’ll just find one in your size.”
Moments later, Marlee stood in the fitting room, staring down at her baby bump covered by little blue bead swirls. Maybe she could convince Tyris to have the wedding sooner?
“Come on,” Milandra called from outside the fitting room. “We want to see.”
Since the mirror inside the small cubicle wasn’t big enough to see anything other than a close up of her bump, Marlee opened the door and stepped out.
The two women standing there were silent, and Marlee began to wonder if there was something wrong. Had she forgotten to do up a zip? Stepped on the bottom of the dress and ripped it? She tried to look down, but she hadn’t been able to see her feet for a while. So instead she took a couple of steps across to where a large mirror took up most of the wall.
She stopped and stared. The dress fitted her perfectly, even though she was carrying far more baby than the model had been.
“It’s beautiful,” Milandra said, coming up behind her. “You should get that one Marlee.”
“Tyris and I were going to wait to be married on Semala, after the baby’s born,” Marlee said, though she didn’t know how she’d be able to walk out of the store without the beautiful dress.
“You can wear it for something else,” Milandra said. “I’ll buy it for you.”
Marlee couldn’t make herself argue. After all the money she’d spent on supplies, food, medicine, clothing, even the hefty price tag of the dress didn’t seem that big a deal. And she’d never have the opportunity to walk into a store like this again, would she?
