1. Immortal: "No young man believes he shall ever die," said Stek, who had turned forty the week before. "But we both know that's not true, don't we? Just think of all that we could achieve if we didn't grow old and die just as we are getting starte...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Four weeks earlier
Elka Mercedes hurried home through the corridors of the space station Aurora, almost bursting with the enormity of her news, her face flushed with excitement. Benn met her at the door to their small apartment, waving his hand quickly over the service panel to halt the daily air-filtering in progress. He smiled. "You're home early!"
She flung both arms around her husband. "I've got it, Benn! I've finally got a berth on a starship. And she's one of the best, the Saranyu!"
"That's great," agreed Benn enthusiastically, not fully understanding but prepared to be happy because she was happy. "Which run will you be on? Centauri or Luyten?"
Elka only just managed to stifle an indulgent laugh. Evidently the ship's name had meant nothing to Benn. "Oh, nothing local like that. The Saranyu is a deep space vessel—we'll be exploring, going into unchartered space! Out into the Cygnet Quadrant, beyond Deneb—perhaps even further!"
Benn stared at her. "Deneb? But that's nearly a thousand light years away! How long will you be gone?"
"I guess that will depend on what we find. The initial contract is for six months, with the provision to extend if necessary."
"Six months!"
Caught up in her own excitement, it gradually began to dawn on Elka that Benn was no longer thrilled by the news.
"But what about me?" he continued. "What about Ailsa? I know she's only three, but a girl needs her mother. What are we supposed to do while you're gadding around the galaxy?"
"Just what you normally do, clean the house, supervise her meals, look after her. You're her father!" Elka bit back the words and said with forced patience, "Benn, this is my career, my job. This is what I do. You've always known I'd be away for extended periods."
"Of course! But it's always been a matter of weeks—not six months!" He took a step back, biting his lip, tears filling his blue eyes. Impatiently, he brushed the tears aside and squared his shoulders. "I don't want you to go, Elka."
"Not go?" Elka stared at him in disbelief. "This is an opportunity of a lifetime! If I turn this down, I'll never get another offer."
"But... Deneb! It's so far away. Anything could happen. Nobody's ever jumped that far before, have they? What if you don't come back?" Benn's voice was rising with every sentence. "We'll never know what happened to you!"
There was no way of communicating across space, at least no method that would get the message to its recipient in any timeframe that would be meaningful. Information had to be carried by ships and the people on board them.
"You don't need to worry," Elka assured him, still focussed on the wonderful opportunity that had come her way. "It's all covered in the contract. If the ship's not back within twelve months, you'll qualify automatically for a dependant's pension."
Benn flinched as if she'd struck him. "Well that's wonderful! I'm sure that will be of great comfort to Ailsa, when she's asking for her mother!" He flung the words over his shoulder as he stormed out of the room.
Elka hesitated for a second. She wasn't going to change her mind, but she didn't want to leave Benn this way. She went after him.
~~~
What could be wrong? wondered Elka. All her medical assessments preparatory to being offered the contract had come up clear. She was as healthy as she could be. What had happened in the short time between the assessments and now? Had she developed a rare cancer? One of those aggressive varieties, which stormed through the body in a matter of weeks, or days? But if that was the case, surely she should have experienced some symptoms, some pain at least, but she felt fine. Absolutely fine.
Elka lay on the examination table, watching the Medic's face as she ran the scanner over her body one more time, and rested it for a moment on her stomach. The older woman was frowning as she looked at the results and Elka's stomach twisted with anxiety. What had she found?
Medic Norton looked at Elka, concern in her eyes. "I'm sorry, there isn't an easy way to say this, but I'm afraid you're pregnant... and the embryo is male."
Elka didn't hear anything else although she could see Norton's lips moving.
That night. The night when she and Benn had made up, after she'd told him she was leaving for this voyage. The irony was so bitter she felt like weeping. Benn would have been so thrilled to have a son, a little boy to play with.
"Elka?" Medic Norton was touching her shoulder, trying to get her attention.
"Yes?" She answered vaguely.
"I can schedule the procedure as soon as you're ready."
"Procedure?" Elka couldn't seem to think straight.
"The termination," Medic Norton explained, her voice kind but firm. "You're nearly five weeks along. Even if we turned and went home today—which isn't an option given the importance of this mission—the damage would be done. The chances are high that you would miscarry, but if you didn't..."
"If I didn't?"
"The baby would be severely disabled. Brainwiped."
Elka swallowed. The news was too overwhelming, she couldn't seem to get her head around it.
"I need more time. I have to have time to think," she said.
She saw Norton's eyes fill with resignation – and determination. Elka grabbed her arm, suddenly frantic.
"Don't do anything! Please. Promise you won't do anything until I say so!"
Norton sighed, then patted her arm. "Of course I won't do anything without your consent. But don't leave it too long will you? A delay is only going to make matters worse."
