Regulated planet, p.17
Regulated Planet, page 17
part #2 of Worlds Apart Series
The planet hovered on their right, and stars filled sky on their left. It was the perfect end to the perfect evening. Every time Marlee thought of Tyris’s words, or the ring on her finger, tears filled her eyes. Things couldn’t get any better than this.
But it couldn’t last of course. Finally, Tyris nudged her, and pointed out to the right, where the first rays of the sun broke over Urslat. Marlee stared in amazement at the sight—sunrise from orbit. Tyris kissed her one last time, then rose with a sigh. “I’ll have to take us down.”
Marlee nodded, and held out her hand for him to help her up. Tyris kept hold of her hand and bent to pick up the tablet, discarded in their passion. “Here, this is for you. It loaded some movies and music on it, and you can access the internet too.”
Marlee hesitated. “But won’t Milandra notice it’s missing?” She wanted to pretend Milandra didn’t exist, to ignore the fear about her finding out about them. But things weren’t completely settled yet, and it would be awful to make a mistake so close to being safe.
“No, this is an old tablet of my uncle’s. It’s a bit out of date now, but no one will trace it back to me.”
Marlee nodded. She would marvel over the device later on, right now, she could only think about Tyris and his nearing departure.
They walked hand in hand into the cockpit, and Tyris bought them down to land in the old building again. As the engines died away, he took his hands away from the instruments, and just sat there for a second, before taking a deep breath. “This is it I guess,” he said. “It’s only a little over a month though. It’ll be over before we know it.”
Marlee nodded, thinking how much things were going to change in that time. She put her hand on her belly, where it was just beginning to swell, and Tyris placed his hand over hers. “Take care of our baby, Marlee. And if you have any concerns about the pregnancy, go see Dr Benton. I trust her. She’ll take care of you.”
Marlee nodded, her eyes filling with tears, and Tyris pulled her into his arms and kissed her thoroughly. His phone started beeping, and he swore. Pulling it out, he glanced at it and pressed a button before returning it to his pocket. “I have to go,” he said. “Ker’s up at the house, probably asleep somewhere. He’ll take you home. I’ll see you soon, okay?”
He took her face into his hands, and searched her eyes. They filled with tears and Tyris kissed her gently. Then he jumped down the stairs of the ship and ran back to the house. A few moments later, Marlee heard his car start up, and then race off with a screech of tyres.
She sat down on the top step of the ship and stared at the ring on her finger, her mind awash with conflicting emotions. The thought of marrying Tyris was wonderful, but fear for what they had to navigate first overlaid the excitement, followed by loneliness that he was gone.
“Hey, beautiful.” Kerit climbed up the ship and sat on the stairs next to her. He picked up her hand and examined the ring. “I take it you said yes then?”
“Of course I said yes,” she told him, the loneliness retreating slightly.
He took her hand and kissed it. “Welcome to the family then, sis.”
Marlee smiled at him, and he threw a friendly arm around her shoulder. “Let’s get you home, hey?” he said.
As they drove back to her father’s apartment, Kerit looked over at her, and caught her admiring her ring yet again. “You’re going to have to be careful who sees that,” Kerit said. “I know Ty says he has things sorted, but it’s still going to be weeks before he gets back and it’s official. A lot can happen in that time.”
Marlee frowned, knowing what he said was true. Much as she wanted to share the news with everyone, she couldn’t risk it right now. Regretfully, she pulled the ring off her finger and tucked it into her pocket. It didn’t matter if she couldn’t tell anyone yet. She knew, and that was what mattered most.
Chapter 12
Marlee stared down at her jeans in dismay. No matter how much she pulled, the button hole just would not meet up with the button. Her belly seemed to have doubled overnight. She glanced down at the three discarded pairs she’d already tried on, then over at her cupboard and sighed. Few of the clothes she’d bought with Milandra that first day were going to fit any better than the jeans.
“Come on, Marlee, we’ll miss the movie,” Kerit called from the next room.
Marlee grabbed for the green dress and dragged it over her head, slipping the jeans off underneath and leaving them in a pile on the floor. Grabbing her bag, she headed out into the living room where Kerit was waiting for her.
“Ready,” she said.
Kerit nodded, and they headed for the door. “Is everything okay?” he asked. “You usually don’t take that long to get ready.”
“I’m having wardrobe issues,” Marlee said with a sigh. “Nothing seems to fit anymore.”
“You know that tends to happen when you’re having a baby, right?” Kerit teased.
Shaking her head in amusement, she slipped into the car when he opened the door for her. “Yeah, I know. I just need to go shopping again I guess.”
She wasn’t so sure this shopping for what you needed was any easier than making things yourself. She would have been able to loosen the elastic in a skirt, or put some darts into a dress, at least for the next few months. But jeans were so fiddly, and didn’t lend themselves to easy alteration.
“That shouldn’t be hard should it? Girls love to shop.”
Marlee made a face. “Maybe some do. I wouldn’t even know where to start. I mean, most of the clothes out there are never going to fit a pregnant belly.”
Kerit laughed. “You don’t shop in normal places for pregnancy clothes, they have their own stores.”
“They do?” There were special stores for women who were pregnant? She had a lot to learn. Even Kerit, who’d never considered settling down with a family, knew more than she did.
“Don’t frown, beautiful. How about we blow off the movie and I take you shopping instead?”
Meeting his eyes, she couldn’t help a smile. Kerit may be different from his brother in so many ways, but both of them were kind at heart. “You hate shopping,” she reminded him.
Kerit shrugged. “I’d hate to go shopping with someone like Milandra, always interested in fashion and what others might think. But I don’t mind going with you. You’re different, like a sister or something.”
It was the longest, and sweetest, speech Kerit had made, and it left Marlee feeling warm inside. She thought of her three half-brothers, not one of whom had made any attempt to contact her since they’d arrived on Urslat. None of them would have even considered taking her shopping.
“You’re better than a brother,” she said to Kerit, grinning as his face went pink. “I’d love to go shopping with you.”
Kerit drove them over to the nearby shopping mall, and Marlee stared at all the shops, as she followed Kerit through the crowd. There were clothing stores everywhere, but none of them mentioned the word pregnancy. Kerit stopped outside one that said ‘Maternity Style’ and sure enough there was a silhouette of a woman with a pregnant belly.
He looked uncomfortable. “I can wait for you here.”
Marlee raised an eyebrow. “Suddenly remembering that you don’t like shopping?” she teased.
Kerit gave an unwilling laugh. “No, but if I go in there with you, people are going to assume I’m the daddy. I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”
“I’ll tell them you’re my brother,” Marlee assured him. It was close enough.
Kerit still looked unsure, but he followed her into the shop and he did a great job of holding stacks of clothes and returning to get a different size from the rack when she needed one. The store owner said it was cute that her brother was helping her shop. Marlee was sure she was eyeing Kerit, but he deftly avoided the woman’s flirting.
She left the store with some new dresses and shirts that actually fitted, as well as little panel that the owner had shown her could button between the zip on her jeans and make them last a few more months.
Outside the store, Kerit heaved a sigh of relief. “Do you want to get lunch?” he asked.
Marlee’s stomach growled in response, causing her to laugh. “The baby says ‘yes’.”
It seemed like everyone else had the same idea, because the lines were crowded everywhere they went. Kerit had bought them some sandwiches, and they were looking for a seat that wasn’t already taken, when a voice from behind them said, “Fancy meeting you here.”
Marlee turned around and came face to face with Milandra.
She swallowed. “Hi, Milandra.” She tried to keep her voice light, and tried not to think about the engagement ring, burning a hole in her pocket. Tyris had told Milandra it was over, and not just because of her. She had nothing to feel guilty about.
From the angry look in the other woman’s eyes, she didn’t agree. “So, been out shopping I see.” Milandra kept her voice light, and a fake smile twisted her lips. Then her eyes narrowed, as she stared at the shopping bags in Marlee’s hands. “Maternity Style? What were you doing there?” She stared at Marlee. “Are you pregnant?” she demanded. “That’s it, isn’t it? That’s why Tyris has been acting so weird and why he asked for a divorce.”
Her words froze Marlee to the spot. She needed to convince Milandra that wasn’t the case, but she couldn’t think of anything to say.
“Ty? Wanting to settle down with a family? Come on, Landy, you don’t really believe that do you?” Kerit said, his voice scornful.
Milandra looked at him with a finger to her lips. “A year ago, I would have said ‘no way’, but he’s been different since he got back. Something happened on that planet, and this goes a long way to explaining what.”
“Tyris is helping me, we’re friends. But the baby’s father is from Zerris,” Marlee said. “Why would I be going out with Kerit if I was having Tyris’s baby?” Milandra had to believe their ruse. She had to.
Milandra looked from one to the other. “You know, that never did ring true. You and Kerit just don’t seem right for each other. You don’t have anything in common at all.”
“Marlee and I have a lot in common,” Kerit said. “I didn’t even know that you could care about someone this way until I met her. She’s someone special, someone anyone would be proud to spend time with.”
Marlee hoped her mouth wasn’t hanging open. She’d grown used to those kinds of speeches from Tyris, but she hadn’t realised his brother could make them too. If she didn’t know differently, she could easily believe Kerit did feel something for her. He was good at pretending. Wasn’t he?
People jostled around them. Milandra stared at Kerit as though she were just as surprised as Marlee was. “You have a thing for her?” she said, her voice disbelieving. She glanced at Marlee for a moment, then shook her head in disbelief. “This is an interesting turn of events. Kerit has a thing for his brother’s girlfriend.”
“Come on, Milandra, do you think I’d do that to Ty? If he and Marlee were involved, I’d be staying well away, no matter what my feelings for her were.”
“That wasn’t what you said to me at Tyris’s memorial service,” Milandra said, her voice silky.
“I think you might be remembering what happened a little differently than I do,” Kerit said flatly.
“I remember that kiss we shared. That wasn’t staying well away.”
Marlee’s head jerked up. What? Kerit had kissed Milandra?
“Then you’ll remember what I said when I shoved you off me. Did you really think I was going to make out with my brother’s wife… at his memorial?”
Milandra tossed her hair over her shoulder. “You enjoyed it anyway. I’m not stupid. I can tell when a guy is enjoying kissing me.”
“Really? I don’t even like you, Milandra. I’ve never liked you, and the only reason I didn’t flatten you for trying it on was because I figured it was some sort of weird grief thing.” He paused, considering. “Of course, I wasn’t so sure after you tried it on poor old Ralph. He was just stupid enough to believe you, poor bastard. How’s that going anyway?”
“Stop trying to change the subject. You’re just trying to hide the fact that Marlee is having Tyris’s baby. Illegally.”. Milandra’s eyes flashed. “No one betrays me like this and gets away with it. I’ll do everything I can to bring all of you down.”
Before they could say another word, she turned and stalked off. Marlee took a step after her, wanting to pull her back and beg her to reconsider. Her heart pounded in her chest. This couldn’t be happening.
Kerit stopped her with a hand on his arm. “Let her go, Marlee. You’ll never change her mind.”
“We have to try,” she insisted. “What if she tells someone that she thinks my baby is Tyris’s? They could…” She couldn’t speak the words.
“Milandra’s all talk,” Kerit said. “She’s not really a bad person. She wouldn’t hurt anyone. And anyway, the government is so slow that even if someone found out, Tyris would be back before anything could happen to the baby.”
Marlee hoped he was right.
Chapter 13
Marlee lay on her bed and stared at the ring on her finger, letting herself escape her current worries and dream a little. Even now, a week later, she still couldn’t believe Tyris had asked her to marry him. What would it be like, being married? Knowing that they’d be together forever? The thought filled her with a warm glow.
A knock at the door made her jump guiltily, and she sat up, slipping the ring off her finger and into her pocket. Who could it be? She listened as her father answered the door.
“Good morning,” a muffled voice said. “I’m looking for Miss Royn?”
Unable to bear not knowing what was going on, Marlee peeked into the other room as her father asked, “Can I ask what this is about?”
“I’m afraid I can’t say, sir.” The voice was polite, but definite. The man wore a uniform, the same as those she’d seen at the Space Force base.
Panic filled her for a second. Had something happened to Tyris? But if it had, they wouldn’t be here talking to her about it. No one knew about their relationship.
Milandra suspected though. Her stomach churned.
She stepped into the room and the man turned towards her. “Can I help you?” she asked, relieved that her voice sounded calm and collected.
“Miss Royn, I’m going to have to ask you to come to the base with me.” He moved a little, revealing another man, dressed identically, standing just behind him.
Her father stepped aside as she walked over, but the disgruntled expression on his face didn’t change. Marlee wasn’t too thrilled either, but she tried not to let it show. “Why?”
“I’m afraid I can’t say. I’m sure General Harrington will explain once we get there.” He was trying to sound friendly, but she didn’t buy it.
“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to, Marlee. Unless they arrest you, they can’t make you,” her father said.
The man changed tack. “Dr Benton says she wants to run some tests on your baby. Just routine stuff, nothing to worry about.”
“Last time Dr Benton wanted to talk to me, she called and asked me to come in. She didn’t send two armed men to get me,” Marlee retorted. They had guns on their hips. This wasn’t a casual check.
Surely Milandra wouldn’t have told anyone, would she? Kerit had said she wouldn’t.
Marlee’s heart thumped in her chest, and blood rushed in her ears. Mentally, she worked through all the escape routes out of the apartment, but she was pretty sure the athletic men in front of her could catch her before she reached any of them.
The man took a step into the doorway. “Look, why don’t you just come with us and she can explain it to you when we get there?” He held his hands up in a show of good faith.
“Stay outside,” Marlee’s father snapped. “You have no right to enter without a warrant.” His chin jutted out.
“If that’s the way you want to do it,” the man growled. He reached into his pocket and produced a piece of paper. Marlee wasn’t close enough to see what it said, but she could guess. “Marlee Royn, you’re under arrest.” He took a step towards her.
“Run!” her father yelled. Before she could stop him, he’d taken a swing at the man, connecting with his chin. The soldier stumbled back into his partner.
Instinct took over. Marlee raced to the back door, frustrated at the seconds it took to unbolt it. She didn’t dare to look back, despite the sounds of a scuffle behind her.
She pushed through the door, then balked at the fence ahead of her. It wasn’t tall, only about her chest height, but it was brick, with few footholds.
Somehow, she wasn’t too sure how, she made it to the top. Below her was a sheer drop into someone’s backyard.
“Stop!”
The voice goaded her to jump. She stumbled on the other side, crashing into some rubbish bins that fell over with a loud clatter. She kept running, ignoring the people who had come to the back door and were saying something.
The gate at the side was open. Just another few steps…
“Stop or I’ll shoot.” There was a loud crack over her head. Marlee ducked, and stumbled.
Judging the distance until she would be out of sight, around the corner of the house, she knew it was too far. She wouldn’t make it. Her heart pounding in her chest, she stopped, and put her hands in the air, as she’d seen people in the movies do.
The man caught up to her in a couple of seconds. “Come on.” He grabbed her arm. “Nothing to see here,” he said to the couple at the door, and seeing his uniform and the gun in his hand, they disappeared back inside quickly.
He took her the long way around to the front of the building, where there was a car waiting. Her father sat in the back seat, a yellowing bruise on his chin.
The man shoved Marlee into the car beside him, and the doors locked from the front. No one said anything on the drive to the base, but a thousand unpleasant thoughts rocketed through her head. Tyris had said he wouldn’t let anything happen to their baby, but he wasn’t here to protect them. It all depended on her, and she had no idea how to get out of this. What could one person do against the whole Space Force?
