Space Colony: The Founding

"At this moment? Iron restraint. I.... I wasn't sure you were interested in me."

"Fool." She said pulling my face around and kissing me. She broke off after a while and smiled. "Well, that was worth waiting for. Can....?"

I stifled her question with my mouth. Still kissing, Lisa tugged me to my feet and led me to the pod, the bunkroom....

---

And now a year has passed since that meteorite hit the ship. Things had settled down, we had checked the radio less and less until we didn't bother anymore: We felt we didn't need rescuing any more. But now there was a ship overhead. What should we do?

"I don't want to leave Dave. Do we have too?" Lisa asked.

"I don't see why. They'll probably leave us alone if we ask." I smiled in reply.

A shuttle touched down gently close to the lake. We walked down to see it.

"That's how a landing should be made." I said as it set down.

"Ahh! But they had full control. And ours was much more exciting." She laughed.

"I still don't know when you're pulling my leg." I smiled.

"Most of the time actually."

"Madam."

We had got close to the shuttle now. I could see it was from a colonization ship by its markings. A couple of crewmen came out to greet us. They saluted when they saw the remnants of my insignia on my jacket.

"Knock it off boys. It's been a while." I said, half returning their salute.

"Sir, how are you here? We thought this planet was uninhabited."

"It was until a year ago when we crashed." I paused. "Have you come to build a colony here?"

"Yes sir!"

"Can we respectfully request you do it away from us?"

"You....You don't want to be rescued?"

"We're happy here thanks." Lisa spoke for the first time; she was holding my arm tightly. "But you could inform our folks we're alive if you like." Now she smiled. "And tell them they're grandparents!"

---

The shuttle had gone. The colony was to be built a few hundred miles away; they had stopped only because they had heard the beacon. We were to be left alone, at least for a while longer, until the colony had begun to grow or we felt the need for other companionship. I cradled Eve, our daughter, as Lisa went to the waterfall, and marvelled at the chain of events which had led me to this state of nirvana. And I was happy.