FALAHA'S JOURNEY: A Spacegirl's Account in Three Movements

Episode #47

After another hour we had a short break to move around a bit, stretch our limbs, and remove the processed waste from the suits. Without a suit Eyuran had to deal with his physiological calls the regular way, so stops were unavoidable. The tunnel seemed never-ending. We were yet to discover any intersection and our position within the Enclave hadn't improved much since we left the place with the scrap—the tunnel wasn't going in the direction of the Core anymore. Our rescue attempt looked even bleaker now.

Walking back and forth not far from Bradoh, I was chewing on another seasoned meat piece and enjoying the view of coalescent darkness beyond the ring of light from the gear, leaving Eyuran and Baro to their own matters.

Giving another thought, I took out the data tag and stuck it into the sleeve's tiny reading slot. Without the Node I had to use the small display of the suit's rabhain.

To my surprise I found no protection on the data.

Tagranat was Baro's father's name.

Officially Danna males had a single name and Danna females had patronyms added to theirs, while the Medans used double names for everyone. The first part of a Medan name depended on a child's gender and was either the father's or mother's second name.

As I browsed further, I came across something I'd seen before.

[UNFILED] To the Danna Family Records Archive Overseer:

I'm a healthy Medan male of age, request permission to find a suitable female partner within any of the Danna kennar. Detailed bio for matchmaking attached.

[images]

[medical records] [bloodline records]

[apprenticeship, skills, achievements, honors] [personal records]

[current job records]

Such bios were usually put on the network, so people registered with the Archive could find someone they wanted to meet and to know. Then the families arranged the meetings through the Family Records Archive Matching Service.

I wondered what kind of regna Baro would have met had he filed the request. So I decided to see what kind of man he appeared to be and started with the personal section.

To my further surprise I found countless entries of text and various visual data, neatly organized writings and pictures of his journeys on Medas. It seemed this guy had climbed every possible rock, every existing mountain on his planet in every possible style, at any possible season and in all possible weather conditions. And not only that—he had documented every ascent in great detail, from route to weather, to possible dangers, to equipment and food choices on long climbs, and to anyone climbing alongside him and anything else, hence all these numerous records. It was hard to tell which he liked the most out of climbing or writing. But one thing was certain: a huge portion of his whole life was here. The life he loved.

I hadn't seen Baro smile since I met him; that angry grin or one sad smirk could be hardly called a smile. Yet on many of his pictures of ascents he was smiling. When he did, he wasn't scary at all.

His current job records showed only two entries: one, of course, was the Engineer at the MDF and the other turned out to be a mountain guide. So his writings weren't only for him... That made more sense now.

These records weren't what I had expected to see here and, for some reason, my discovery made me sad. Maybe it was because Baro was very passionate about things he did back home and he had lost that now. A glimpse of a destroyed life, even if just one life, added to my determination.

"We're done. What's with the long face?" Eyuran approached me. "Baro is in his place and is eager to go already," he told me, smiling. "You know, I, too, used to be sad at first, fearing that my mom and dad's last journey together had turned out to be their final one. Now I hope to see them alive. I think this guy is the same, he has people he wants to see again." He took me by the hand.

"What do you mean by last journey together?" As always, he didn't avoid eye contact. He leaned forward and hugged me, wrapping his arms around my upper body.

"Dad's no longer espoused to Mom. They're still good friends, but they're both single now. Mom has someone she is interested in and has been proposed to. Or so I heard. I also don't think Dad is looking for anyone now. Well, that's their business; they'd still be Mom and Dad regardless of their romantic pursuits."

Besides being a highly skilled medic any ship would gladly take despite his soma type, Orewen was attracted to women and men, so he would be extremely popular with non-pair family units with more partners available and that would mean he might leave our kennar.

"Why do I always find out the last?" I mumbled, sticking my face into his chest, touching his warm skin with my lips, and putting my arms around his waist. I honestly wished my suit was non-existent right now.

He touched my hair gently. "I was about to tell you, on the day of the rescue, but then this happened," he replied.

I lifted my head again to look at Eyuran's face.

"Why did they separate?"

"Because of some issues in their private life. I heard Mom complaining that Dad's wearing her out and she wished for a less—," he blushed vividly and loosened his tight grip, "fervent man for a spouse." And slowly he let me go. "We would probably have another guy in our household. I wonder what he is."

I foresee something phlegmatic coming into her life... I just hope she will still have the chance to enjoy the life she wants.

As we walked towards Bradoh, it dawned on me. Could this be the reason Orewen behaved so quietly in her presence? Could this also be the reason why Eyuran is so careful expressing himself around me? I found pleasure in his intensity and I loved his hands on me, soft or demanding. I couldn't imagine him being any other way. Does he fear I might start avoiding him because of his wilder, ardent side?

I caught his hand and he responded with a craving squeeze.

I could understand Aunt Rifa. Compared to my mom, she was a mild woman. She usually avoided grand things and fierce emotions. Those exhausted her. Why did Orewen and Rifa mate in the first place, being so incompatible? Does it have something to do with their son?

It was also obvious who Eyuran inherited his strong temperament and tons of indefatigable energy from. I think it was what had drawn me to both of them, to someone who wasn't afraid to live, really live, demanding from life what they wanted, loudly or silently, yet persistently, and without hesitation.

Needless to say, Baro had that same spark in him, hidden deep under the folds of his calculating mind and his preference for neat order in things. My whole body still remembered his raging heartbeat when we were arguing. It was beautiful.

"Baro, I want to return something to you." Taking my place in the machine, I opened my palm, showing him the ID tag. He looked much fresher and sharper now with his beard gone—Eyuran must have helped him.

As much as his crippled face allowed him, the Medan smiled. "Keep it."