Gliese Chronicles - Sakcore Explored Ch. 03

Robb walked back in and checked the monitors and looked at them. "Has he gained consciousness yet?"

She was about to respond when she felt Jason's hand tighten around her hand. She looked at him as his eyes slowly opened to look at Robb standing at the end of the bed. "Robb, I'm drowsy, but feeling better. I thought when I first opened my eyes all of the girls were here with me. I wasn't sure I was really awake, it seemed as if I were in a dream, not real."

"Jason, they're here with you. The medication I gave you is still affecting you. Your vision and mind will clear in about ten minutes. Your vitals are almost normal, but you'll feel weak for a while. Your body took quite a shock. If it weren't for the fact you're in excellent physical health you wouldn't have made it."

His eyes closed again and his grasp of her hand weakened. She looked at Robb. He smiled, "Okay, give him twenty minutes. The toxin has been completely neutralized but the other meds I used to relieve pain are still having an effect."

It was twenty-five minutes later when Jason's eyes opened and he saw them standing looking at him. A weak smile crossed his face. "I don't think it liked the way I tasted," as his gaze went to Kira, "I'm not as sweet."

It must have been the release of stress that caused them to laugh. There was no holding back their emotions as Kira, Hianne, and Cela were all near tears as they understood he was really going to be fine in a few days. It had been so close—she couldn't get that fact out of her mind.

Robb wheeled the bed to the cargo lift and took Jason to the second deck to the quarters they had prepared. Jason was quiet and closed his eyes again as they followed—there was no doubt he was going to need time to recuperate. In preparing the room they had taken the fold-down bed built into the bulkhead and secured it to make space for another bed. There were also two built-in chairs with cushions. As soon as Robb left, Cela took a seat where she could watch Jason after having made up her mind she wasn't going to leave him alone—she wanted him to see her when he opened his eyes again. After a minute Kira and Hianne left, saying they would be back in a few minutes.

A few minutes later Hianne came back with another chair and sat down next to her with a smile. "I think I'll join you. Kira will be back with her tablet in a few minutes—she's setting up the communications link with the underwater cameras so we can watch in real time. By the way, I took a tissue sample of the tentacle, prepped it, and put it into the sequencer. We should have a complete genome sometime tomorrow."

"Thanks, I appreciate your thoughtfulness. I guess my mind really hasn't been on work."

"Mine either frankly, but it helped pass the time, I needed something. I need to know more about what it is we may need to face tomorrow, or whenever we go back out onto the lake. I wonder if the thing was just curious, if it thought Jason was something else, like the Buoyant Dragons, we just don't know. Can you think of any other place missions have gone lately where they have encountered something like this? I can't."

"Not really. Outside of Ettera and Suskin, the life forms haven't advanced to a state yet where they are as advanced in their physiology compared to us. These animals are well advanced based upon our examinations so far. It makes this moon especially interesting, though as we've also discovered, more dangerous. In the past it's been the viruses and bacteria that posed the biggest threat. Here we've found a few things like that, but the plants and animals seem to be posing greater risks. I'm sure we haven't encountered all of the predators yet. But we should remember there are likely plants and Eusectoids that we will encounter that will harm us due to our ignorance—we just haven't encountered them yet."

"Do you think the predators are going to be a problem?"

"I really don't know. The animals we've encountered so far don't view us as a threat. I mean most of them we can walk right up to, and if we don't do something to them they pretty much ignore us. The predators have evolved with their prey species, and I don't think they see us as food. We just seem to have gotten ourselves into a few awkward situations. At least I hope that's the case."

"Cela, we've been lucky so far. I mean I've had time to think about what happened on the lake and I'm not sure I would ever be the same if Jason had died. I know you've thought about it, but I really didn't expect to feel the way I do. When I saw that creature, that thing, with Jason in its grasp I got mad. I was determined it wasn't going to take him away from me...from us...I...it...just made me more determined."

She could see the expression on Hianne's face. It was hard, as if she were reliving the experience all over again. Hianne looked at her as if she needed her approval for the way she felt at that moment, as if what she had done had been selfish in a way. How could she possibly blame her for having feelings for Jason similar to her own? Hianne had seen what she had not and acted to save him when she couldn't. Cela knew she had her husband thanks to her efforts and her...love. That was it wasn't it? At that moment Hianne realized she loved him without a doubt.

"Hianne, you saved his life. You did that. Whatever happens between all of us happens because he is still here with us. You don't need to feel guilty or apologetic for how you felt then, or how you feel now. We don't simply turn our feelings and emotions on and off like a water tap about someone we care about. I can't, and I don't think you or Kira can either. We all have him back because all of us played a part, but you made what Kira and I did possible. I can never, ever, repay that debt by denying your feelings for him."

They sat silent for a few minutes lost in their own thoughts until Kira walked in with her tablet.

"I'll plug this into the comm screen so we can watch the cameras in real time and pretend we're getting some work done."

They sat together watching the partitioned screen showing images from the cameras. After a few minutes a mid-sized streamlined animal swam by in a flash. They observed at least ten different animals, from soft-bodied jellyfish like animals that floated by and several schools of faster swimming hard-bodied crustacean looking creatures. They made a few comments to each other and Kira took notes of first impressions so she could review the image files later. They didn't see anything with tentacles which may have been a good thing considering. Kira stood and moved towards the bed and looked at Jason, as if she could wish him to wake up, and then gently touched his hand by placing hers on top of his.

She turned and looked at Cela "He's warm and breathing steady. For a while when I had him on the deck of ACV I wasn't sure if he had water in his lungs or not. When I turned him on his side and he wretched I was sure what came up was from his stomach even though his breathing was impaired. When I forced air into his lungs they filled and then emptied. Cela, I've never felt so relieved in my life as it meant there was a chance if we got him back to the ship he stood a chance of recovering."

It was then she saw the expression on Kira's face change, then a small smile as her gaze went to her hand—Jason had placed his other hand upon hers. She gasped, "He's waking up."

All of them took station around his bed and slowly his eyes opened. As he looked at them a weak smile appeared, "That's the last time I go swimming without all of you with me."

"That's the last time you go into the water unless there's a cage around you Mr. Beckworth," Cela replied as she brushed his hair back with her hand.

"That's a bit of an overreaction, don't you think?" he said quietly.

"No!" Came a chorus from the three of them almost in unison.

He smiled, closed his eyes and fell asleep. They stood silently for a few minutes watching him, then decided they should get organized for the next day knowing Jason would not be able to work, or at least they wouldn't allow him to. They walked to the lounge with their tablets and decided on a new schedule together that would move them forward in their work.

After two hours they retired to their quarters for the evening. Cela stopped to spend a few minutes with Jason, standing next to his bed as he slept, a tear left her eye and rolled slowly down her cheek. She wiped it away—she had almost lost him, they had almost lost him. She leaned down and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek and left him sleeping knowing she would miss him beside her tonight. But there would be a tomorrow thanks to Hianne, Kira, and Robb. There would be a tomorrow to give him another kiss and a smile.

The ship was quiet, only a hint of the ventilation system as it cooled the ship could be sensed. Then, the whisper of a door opening, silent, bare feet moving down the passageway, then another door silently opened, then closed. She stood looking at him in the dim red light of the clock that read 0202, then slowly, she slid in under the blanket and lay next to him, his warm body inviting and comforting as she gently snuggled into him.

Jason at first though he was having a wonderful dream. He was warm and could detect the odor of a woman with him as she pushed her soft body against him as he lay on his back. Then, slowly, he opened his eyes and saw the red number on the clock, 0213 and realized he was in a different bed and not in his quarters with Cela. He shifted slightly and the slim figure next to him rose up and shifted up to lay on his chest. He moved his arm and took her in as she snuggled against him with a soft, gentle sound of contentment. At first he was surprised, then slowly he remembered what had happened, at least in part. His hand went along her slim body and he nuzzled his nose into her hair and he knew who it was.

"Hianne, are you warm enough?"

"Yes, I'm so relieved you're okay. I had to come to make sure, then I couldn't help but lay next to you. I needed to feel you against me again so my body would remember how good it feels."

"You saved me didn't you? The last thing I remember is seeing your face near me in the water."

"I cut you loose from the tentacle. Then Kira and I got you to the ACV and Cela got us back to the ship so Robb could treat you. Jason, I don't ever want to be without you. I love you. I know that more than ever now."

He felt her lips on his neck as she kissed him, her warm, exhaled breath coming afterward as she lay her head down on his shoulder and lay still. She had never said those words to him before, but he knew they were true, just as he knew he felt the same way.

"I love you too."

It was just before 0600 when Cela walked quietly toward the room Jason was in. The door opened quietly and she stepped in far enough to see if he was sleeping. There was a blonde head next to Jason's head, their eyes closed, deep in sweet sleep. Cela stepped back out and walked back to her own bed knowing he was well taken care of—Hianne had saved him. It was only right she should be rewarded for her courageous act. Cela wanted him and knew it would come soon enough—but now was the time to share him.

Kira opened her eyes and glanced at the bulkhead clock, 0614. It was light out. She had awoken during the night with a vision of Jason lying on the deck of the ACV barely breathing, his body convulsing as he heaved water as she pressed down on him. She opened her door and walked down the passage way to the room Jason was in and pressed the button to open the door. She stepped inside and allowed her eyes to adjust to the dim light to see if Jason was sleeping and noticed something different—a lighter object near his head. She stepped inside as the door closed behind her for a closer look—it was blonde hair! She took a step back towards the door, waiting for it to open, then walked back to her room with a small smile—Jason was fine, he had someone looking after him.

It was fully light out as Hianne joined the other women in the mess. The smell of breakfast prepared by Robb was in the air and she found she was famished. Jason was still sleeping when she left him to dress in her quarters. She headed to the mess for something to eat and when she drew near the aroma sent her stomach to grumbling.

"Good morning," she offered as she sat down at the table across from Cela with her food.

"Is Jason awake yet? I saw you were both asleep this morning when I got up to check on him."

"I don't think so. He was sleeping when I went to get dressed. Cela you aren't upset I was with him are you? I just couldn't stay away after I checked on him last night."

"No. Seems as if maybe that was best as Kira and I both looked in on him after you did. If you hadn't been with him one of us probably would have woken him anyway. Best to let him rest. I don't think we should let Jason do much today. In fact, maybe it would be best he simply stay put."

"You won't get an argument out of me," a male voice replied.

Surprised, they all turned to see Jason walking towards them slowly. He looked a bit haggard with a two-day old beard, his hair askew. He sat down next to Cela with a weary smile.

"Yes, I know I look crappy and I feel about the same. I'm feeling weak, nothing that a good breakfast won't help. I'm sorry to look such a mess."

Cela leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek, "I don't think any of us mind seeing you walking and talking regardless of what you look like. In fact, after breakfast, I'm thinking of taking you back to our quarters for a little nap. I didn't sleep well last night."

"Don't you have plans for the day?"

"Yes, we have a plan for the day. We have the cameras set up to monitor the lake and will use them for data collection in real time. We decided to stick close to the ship today to make sure you don't do too much. We all know how you are. You'll overdo it if we don't stop you."

"So, I don't have a say?"

The women all looked at one another and chuckled. Cela looked at him. "You have a say, but since you're outvoted, it doesn't really matter."

Kira chimed in with a smile. "You may as well get a taste of what your life is going to look like in the future if you decide to have three wives."

"I suppose." Jason replied quietly.

They finished eating breakfast and then Cela looked at him, "Do you want to tell us what happened, or would you rather not just yet?"

"I guess I may as well tell it now," as the settled himself more comfortably on the seat. "I was sitting in the raft and had just finished putting the antenna and solar collector at the proper point on the rope when the tip of a tentacle came up the rope. It hadn't touched me yet and I was looking at it trying to decide what to do. I made up my mind to let the entire assembly go into the water thinking perhaps the camera would record whatever it was. Then another tentacle came over the other side of the raft and grasped my bare leg. I pulled my leg back and went to pry it off when it let go, then it came farther out of the water and wrapped around my leg again before I could react. This time I could feel pain and it started to pull me towards the water."

Jason, paused to take a sip of his drink, then continued, "I grabbed the side of the raft to hang on and before I got a good grip it pulled me into the water. I had my knife on the seat of the raft where I had used it to trim the plastic rope and I lunged for it. That made the animal pull harder and it pulled me under. I had just enough time to take a breath and once under the water I used my other leg to kick at the tentacle. It released me and my life vest pulled me to the surface, I had just enough time to take another breath before it pulled me under again. I struggled but it wasn't doing any good. I swallowed some water, then some more, and felt more stabbing pain in my legs and arms as the tentacles held me. The last thing I remember was seeing Hianne's face in the water, then it went dark."

They all sat silent. Finally, Cela took his hand. "I think it's time for you to get some more rest."

Five minutes later Cela removed her clothes and slipped into bed and wrapped herself around Jason, then closed her eyes thankful to have him close. After a few seconds she heard a whisper near her ear as he pulled her close.

"I love you, Mrs. Beckworth and always will."

"I know and I love you too—now get some sleep. I'll get up in half an hour and you can stay in bed and rest."

Cela rose an hour later, dressed, and went to the lounge where Kira and Hianne were watching the monitors and recording data having made up a temporary chart of the different animals they had observed. She sat down next to Hianne her eyes on the monitor.

"Is he sleeping?" Hianne asked.

"Yes. I think he realizes now how much the toxin and the stress of almost drowning has taken out of him. I'm sure he'll feel much better tomorrow and have more energy. It's best we just let him rest for a while. Kira, maybe later you can go and spend some time with him after he wakes up. You'll need a break from watching these screens by then I expect."

"That's a good idea, I'll do that," she smiled knowing Cela wanted to give her a chance to be alone with him too.

Two hours later Jason woke, feeling hungry. He walked to the mess and took a chocolate flavored bar and a cold drink from the refrigerator, and decided to go to the upper lounge where he would be able to look outside. He was getting antsy as he hadn't yet worked on the colorful plants that stood near the ship, several of them he was certain were species new to science. He finished his snack and was preparing to leave when Robb entered the mess.

"Jason, are you feeling well?"

"Yes, just a little weak yet. I was going to the upper lounge to sit for a while. I suppose the girls are working in the lounge watching the monitors."

"Yes. Why don't I go with you, just in case you can use some help."

Jason looked at him with a grimace, "You too?"

"You know you're lucky to be alive don't you? Another minute or two and you wouldn't be. It's lucky that the level of neurotoxin in your system was as low as it was or you wouldn't have been able to breathe. If Kira hadn't gotten your lungs working again, it would have been a different story. You gave all of the women a real scare, so you should be thankful they all knew what to do. Otherwise, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Jason felt properly chastised and simply nodded his understanding.

Jason sat down after Robb escorted him to the upper lounge and looked out the window. It was a beautiful scene outside, the colorful plants with their diverse shapes, their leaves of different forms, the small flying Eusectoids coming and going. Robb was right, he was lucky to be alive. But he realized he was lucky in another way too—there were three women who loved him, though Kira hadn't come right out and said as much, he knew she did. He also knew he loved Kira just as he did Hianne and Cela. It seemed an impossible situation. How could a man do justice to three women? Three wonderful, talented women.

Gliese society was very flexible in terms of relationships between mature adults. A woman could be the wife of two, or even three men if she chose, though this was very rare. The vast majority of couples were monogamous. There were a small number of polygamous marriages, particularly in the far-flung corners of the system where women outnumbered men at times. If the individuals were consenting adults a woman could bear a child, even out of wedlock, and not face scorn or be looked down upon. The only thing required by society was their children be their highest priority—regardless of their relationship in legal terms.

Each adult was allowed to replace themselves—with a man bearing the responsibility of providing for his offspring with any woman who chose to bear a child with or for him. If a woman had twins or triplets in the natural course of events there was no penalty imposed on the parents. Assisted reproduction was limited to a single child, being treated the same as natural insemination. The total number of natural births resulted in a very slow growth rate as few children were lost, while the number of twin births more than compensated for such losses. If a child was lost due to accident or illness the woman or man could seek permission for replacement.