Micca Ch. 03

'Listen – stay right there. I have to go see Aston.' Llyr stood up and walked across the restaurant to a door marked 'Private'. Micca was glad he had left her alone. There was so much going on in her head, she couldn't think and it wasn't just the wine making her giddy. She had looked into his eyes and seen love – there was no mistaking it. Had he also seen the same in hers? Oh, God, she thought have I fallen in love with a man I may never see again? That's why he had called her to see her again before he went...Who knows where! The irony of having Llyr Sommers in love with her but leaving her life as quickly as he had come into it again was so typical! She gave a bitter laugh, pulled up her shoulders, held her head high and thought, C'est la fucking vie! She poured herself some more wine and drank it greedily. A little voice inside was saying, No Micca! You must have a clear head for tomorrow! But she ignored it, drained the glass and poured another. She leant back on the plush velvet padding of the booth and closed her eyes. A myriad of thoughts flitted through her mind; her past; her present...her future?

'Micca? Are you ok?' Llyr's voice was softly calling her. She smiled then opened her eyes.

'Hi,' she giggled, 'More wine Cap'n?'

Llyr laughed. 'Sure! Looks like I have some catching up to do!' He poured some wine and then took hold of her hand. He's been doing that a lot tonight, she thought. He cleared his throat.

'Micca, don't take this the wrong way but could we go somewhere more private? Maybe I can explain a bit more to you without fear of being overheard.' Micca's brain suddenly jolted awake. Somewhere private? Don't take it the wrong way? Overheard? She was beginning to get the feeling she was in one of those old cloak and dagger ROMs her father used to like watching so much. But she was intrigued and as far as she was concerned right now she wished he did want to see her in private for the wrong kind of way.

'Micca? Are you sure you are ok?

'I'm fine, Llyr – it's all just a bit mysterious!'

'I know. I'm sorry. Please let me explain?'

'Ok, but it had better be good!'

To Micca's surprise Llyr led her to a small spiral staircase that rose up from the entrance to the Ballroom. She didn't say anything but just kept walking. She had assumed that Llyr would take her to some swanky off ship hotel or even to his ship. He took a large golden key from his pocket and opened a door at the end of a narrow corridor. Micca gasped when she saw the inside of the room. It was dark, lit only by candles in sconces on the walls. Two leather armchairs sat facing each other in front of what looked like an unrestricted fire. In the corner of the room partially hidden in shadow was an enormous bed with drapes and canopies of the same ruby velvet that adorned the chairs downstairs.

'What the...?' Micca started but Llyr led her to a chair and said,

'Sit down, Micca. I told you not to take this the wrong way.' He laughed gently.

'Aston wanted to recreate a 'Belle Epoch' club as faithfully as possible! You could order private rooms to fulfil any fancy I believe! This one is quiet and safe.'

'Safe? Why do you have to be safe? Llyr you're scaring me!' Micca stood up. Llyr sighed.

'I'm sorry, Micca. I should never have spoken to you but now I have there is no going back. I'll tell you everything as long as you promise to tell no one else. I'm going to trust you Micca as I have trusted no one else.' The gravity of his voice and the seriousness of his look made Mica sit back down.

'Ok, Llyr. Tell me and I can only give you my word that I will tell no one.' Llyr sat opposite her and the flickering of the fire made shadows play across his face.

'Yes, I am still working for Outmine Com. But I am being sent to Earth .' Micca's mouth opened to speak but he held up his hand, 'Please, Micca, let me finish.' Micca scowled but shrugged her shoulder and he continued.

'On my last trip but one, on my way to Bieto's moon Toleth, I discovered a spatial anomaly. At first we weren't sure what it was but the Scarlet Dragon's computer diagnosed it as a wormhole. Wormholes have been found before, I know, but we don't have the capacity to explore them so we leave them alone, but, this one is different. Something is coming out of it and we don't know what. Some kind of matter, inorganic as far as we can tell, but still something is issuing from out of that hole. When I got back to Glia5 and made my report all hell broke loose, as you can imagine. My ship was swarming with Outmine and Glian officials. We were quarantined, swabbed, x-rayed the lot, but nothing untoward was found. On the last trip to Toleth we took samples of the particles being emitted from the hole and I have to take them to Earth to give my report and have them tested. The authorities are naturally worried shitless about what this could mean'

Micca let all that Llyr said sink in. Then she said,

'But why you? Why do you have to go?'

'Orders,' he said simply.

'Do you want to go?' Micca asked. Llyr smiled.

'Yes...and no.' Micca returned his smile.

'The yes I can understand! Llyr you are getting to go to Earth! I would give my right arm and more to be able to go to Earth! But the no...I'm not quite sure I understand that!' Llyr looked at her.

'I'm not sure I do either. But I understand this, Micca, from the moment I was ordered to Earth I knew I had to see you and explain.' He looked her straight in the eye. 'Have you ever thought of me in the past two years?' Micca had to look away. What could she say? She couldn't lie at a time like this. She looked back at him.

'Many times, Llyr. More than you can imagine.' Llyr stood up and started pacing the room. He stopped behind her chair and grabbed the back of it.

'I have thought about you every day since I first saw you enter the lecture theatre at fight school. You were so aloof and contained! You took the jibes and the sneers! You never seemed to let those guys rattle you! You worked so hard, were so dedicated. I was in awe of you Micca. Still am.' Micca felt her breathing quicken. She leant back her head to look at him.

'What are you saying, Llyr?' She felt his hands slide down to her shoulders.

'I love you, Micca. It would have been better unsaid, left alone. I've just made things worse, for both of us. What was I thinking about?' He removed his hands and began pacing the room again. Micca struggled to think straight. He was going away, but he loved her. She loved him. They could at least have one night together couldn't they? One night to keep them warm through the cold, cold vacuum of space?

'Do you want to fuck me?' Her words stopped him dead.

'What?'

'Do you want to fuck me?' she repeated

'Micca, that's not what...'

'I know that's not what you had in mind but answer the question.' Llyr knelt down by her chair and stroked her cheek.

'And what good would that do?' he asked gently.

'Well, it would give us something to remember.' Micca took hold of his hand and kissed it. Llyr laughed softly,

'Just when I think I have you figured out... Come here!' He pulled her up and took her in his arms. 'Captain Traquair, I would like nothing more than to...make love to you.'

'Oh, so you do want to fuck me then!' Micca laughed.