The Scapegoat: a Capricorn Adventure

Space Part 2

Image by NASA on UNSPLASH

Later, when Peyton visited her quarters, she found Ariana was her assigned roommate. 

"I'm Peyton," the Pilot introduced herself.

"I'm Ariana."

"What do you do?"

 "I'm a hydro-biologist," Ariana explained.

Peyton was curious as to why Ariana had inquired about Capricorns during boarding, but would take a while to work the conversation around to that point. The journey from Mars to Earth would take one hundred and eighty days, or approximately six months UTC. That was around 4,350 hours and a couple leap seconds, so the girls would be thrown together a lot. It was important that they got along.

"What brings you onto this ship?"

 Ariana patted her stomach. "I hope to get back to earth to give birth - although I'm not sure I'll make it all the way."

Peyton admitted that she was fleeing a broken heart, the victim of a dumb astro-miner who had been unable to see her true value.

"The guy that dumped you was a loser," Ariana observed.

"It is kind of you to say so," Peyton replied. 

"You're welcome."

"What about your situation – where is the baby's father?"

Ariana smiled weakly: "My husband is a strong willed Taurus. He decided that it would be best for me to get well away from the Free Mars Colony before the baby was due."

"I see," Peyton said. "Very wise!" 

She was able to empathise far better than she was willing to say. A law had been passed on Mars discriminating against anyone born under the sign of Capricorn, so the woman had cautiously filled out the medical forms giving her baby's due date as 'early February'. 

"I discovered that I was pregnant early in May," Ariana whispered. 

Peyton had done the mathematics and her heart went out to Ariana. 

"And I realised that there was a chance of giving birth under the sign of Capricorn. The child simply would not have been allowed on Mars under the current prejudicial administration."

Peyton nodded understandingly: "That would have been very awkward." 

"I am missing Todd already," Ariana admitted.

"Why didn't he come with you - if I may ask?"

Ariana sighed. "Todd pulled a lot of the strings to get me a place on the ship bound for Earth, where I could work off my passage with light duties, however, he was contracted to remain on Mars."

Peyton nodded and Ariana wiped a tear from her eye. "Todd is my solid anchor." 

"You are lucky."

The Biologist pulled out a photograph of a slim and intelligent Asian man clearly born under the mighty sign of the bull. "No one else could compare."

"I think that sounds sweet," Peyton said wistfully. "I do hope things work out for you two."

"Oh they will." Ariana had the optimism of an Aries. "I hope you meet someone nice too."

Peyton shook her head. "I won't be rushing into anything."

"You never know - it's a big universe."

Over the next few weeks, Peyton tried to be supportive towards Ariana. The girl was brave, but clearly missing her husband. Todd, sent daily radio-mails when they were within transmission distance, but as space closed in around the cruiser, communication became more difficult, and more expensive.