Station Chronicles III: Martin Advance by Mary Brick

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The Station Chronicles: Martin Advance (6/6)
by Mary Brick

CHAPTER 6

Bess was standing at the kitchen counter getting ready to start dinner when Morgan burst through the front door.

"Bess!" he shouted excitedly. "Bess, where are you?"

She ran out of the kitchen and met him in the living room. "Morgan, honey, I'm right here. What's the matter?"

Morgan threw his briefcase on the coffee table. Taking Bess in his arms, he waltzed her around the room. "Put on your best party dress, sweetie. We are going out celebrating!" he said, laughing and dancing and basically carrying on like a lunatic.

Bess laughed with him though she was thoroughly confused at his outrageous behavior. "Morgan Martin, what has gotten into you?" she exclaimed.

Stopping in mid-dance step, Morgan released Bess with a flourish and bowed gracefully to her. "You, my dear," he said with great aplomb, "are looking at the new Government Liaison to the Eden Project."

"Eden...?" Bess began but Morgan interrupted her.

"Excuse me, let me rephrase that. You are looking at the new *Level Four* Government Liaison to the Eden Project." He struck a pose as he saw Bess' eyes widen with excitement.

"You got a promotion!" she exclaimed. "Oh, Morgan, I'm so proud of you!" She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Yes, I did and we are going out to Paley's to celebrate," he announced.

"Paley's!" Bess repeated. "That's the most expensive restaurant on the station. We can't afford that!"

"Oh, yes, we can," Morgan contradicted. "With the raise I got, we can afford to eat there every night of the week if we want." He grabbed Bess up in a bear hug and swung her around the room.

"Morgan, put me down before you drop me," she said, laughing and out of breath. While he did as instructed, she continued, "Now, tell me all about this promotion."

Morgan gave her a gentle push towards their bedroom. "All in due time, my wonderful wife, all in due time. Now, go get dressed. We have reservations for 1900 and we can't be late."

***

As the maitre d' led them to their table, Morgan was reminded of their first dinner together in the shabby restaurant on Earth. He realized how far they'd come since then. And how far they were going to go, figuratively and literally.

After they were served their meal, Morgan proposed a toast. "Here's to new beginnings." He sipped appreciatively of his wine. "I could get used to this," he said with a smile.

Bess set her glass down. "So, tell me all about this promotion," she said eagerly. "It must be a good one to afford all this."

The first hint of uncertainty crossed Morgan's face. Recovering quickly, he took a deep breath and smiled.

"Okay. It's like this. As I said, I've been promoted to Level Four, in fact, a deputy secretary's position," Morgan said proudly. "The promotion includes a transfer to the Department for Interstellar Development."

Bess looked impressed. "Deputy Secretary for Interstellar Development. Sounds important."

"Well, now that you mention it, I have been given a very important assignment." Morgan hesitated. "Have you heard of the Eden Project?"

Bess thought for a moment. "Eden Project? Sounds familiar. Eden Proj..." Bess' eyes grew wide with sudden comprehension. "Morgan, isn't that the project Devon Adair is working on? The one to cure the Syndrome children?"

Morgan nodded. "The one and the same."

"But, Morgan, isn't she taking a shipful of people to another planet?" Morgan nodded, slower this time. "What exactly do you have to do with this?"

"Bess, honey, I'm going with them."

Bess stared at Morgan, dumfounded. "You can't be serious! You can't possibly."

Morgan put up a hand to stop her. "Let me explain. Devon Adair has this son with the Syndrome. Her theory is that it's caused by some lack of nature or the sterile station environment or some such thing. Anyway, she's found a planet that is very much like Earth." Seeing a look of confusion cross Bess' face, Morgan corrected himself. "No, not like Earth is now. Like it was years and years ago. Clean and all that. Anyway, she's got this idea that if the Syndrome children were on a planet that was clean and natural, they would get better. She's got a group of families that wants to go. So she's going to take them there and set up a colony for them."

"And where do you fit in?"

"The department is very interested in what she is doing. So I'm the government liaison for the project. I'm to go with Adair on the advance ship and monitor the set-up for the colony."

"The advance ship?"

"Yeah. The advance ship will get to G889 first, giving her time to check out the planet and get New Pacifica set up." Morgan shrugged. "New Pacifica, that's what she's calling it. Don't ask me where she got the name. Anyway, when the colony ship arrives, they'll drop off the families who are staying and return to the stations."

"And how long will this whole trip take?"

Morgan fidgeted with his wineglass, not daring to look at Bess. "Well, counting the time it takes to get there and back and the time on the planet waiting for the colony ship…," Morgan stopped and at looked at Bess. "Forty-six years."

Bess sat back in her chair, stunned. "Forty-six years,' she whispered. She looked at Morgan steadily, tears welling in her eyes. "I can't believe you took it."

Morgan sighed. "Bess, they assigned me to it. I had no choice. It was either take it or lose my job."

A tear rolled down Bess' cheek. "I can't believe that your job is so important to you that you would leave me for 46 years."

It was Morgan's turn to be stunned. "Bess, no!" he said quickly. "Bess, honey, how could you think such a thing? I'm not leaving you." He took Bess' hand in his. "You're going with me," he said with a smile.

"What!?!" Bess couldn't believe her ears. "Morgan, I can't go with you!"

Morgan's smile faltered. "Bess, honey, you don't understand. You have to go with me!"

"Oh, no I don't." Bess shook her head emphatically. "I can't go that far away from home."

Morgan sat back in his chair, totally stunned. This was not going the way he planned at all. "Bess..." he began.

"Morgan, please. Let's not talk about it here. I want to go home." Bess rose from her chair and walked to the door.

Morgan quickly paid the check and followed her out. The ride home was made in total silence, Bess too stunned to speak because of Morgan's news and Morgan too stunned to speak because of her reaction.

Arriving home, Bess immediately turned on Morgan. "Just what were you thinking when you took that assignment without consulting me?" she demanded.

Morgan was at a total loss for words. He just looked at his wife as if he didn't know her. "Bess, I don't think you understand."

"Oh, yes, I do." Bess was livid. "You were so busy climbing the Government ladder that you didn't think for one minute how a change like this might affect me! You just made a decision that will affect our lives forever." Tears welled up in her eyes as she continued. "If I go with you, I'll never see my father again! Did you think about that?"

Morgan placed a hand on her arm. "Bess, calm down. Let's...."

"Don't tell me to calm down," she retorted, shaking off his hand. "Answer my question."

Morgan couldn't look his wife in the eye. "Yes," he said quietly. "I thought about that."

"And you took the job anyway?" Bess looked at Morgan in amazement. "I never knew my feelings meant so little to you."

"Bess, how can you say that? You are my whole world. You are everything to me. Why else would I insist that you go with me?"

"Morgan, did it ever occur to you to not take the job?"

"I never thought you'd react this way," Morgan replied.

"How else was I supposed to react? You uprooted my life once, but I accepted that. And now that I'm finally comfortable here, you want to uproot my life again. Tell me, how was I supposed to react?" Bess shook her head. "I just don't understand you sometimes, Morgan Martin. I just don't understand you at all." With that, she ran into their bedroom and closed the door.

Morgan moved to follow her, but knew it was futile. He looked around the living room where just a few short hours ago they'd been so happy about his news. Now it had all fallen apart. Needing time to think, he walked out of the unit and started wandering aimlessly down the corridor.

***

Bess heard the door shut as Morgan left. She wasn't concerned. He needed time to think. They both needed time to think. Bess thought about her life since she met Morgan. All in all it was a good life. Leaving Earth hadn't been so bad. Station life certainly had its advantages. And Morgan was a good husband. Oh, sure, he had his moments of selfishness, but never about anything serious. And she was always able to make him see the error of his ways. He always came around. The only problem was Morgan's relationship with her father. Sure he didn't like visiting Earth, but he did when he was courting her. Why he never would go back to see her father always bewildered Bess. He usually did what she asked, but on this he was adamant. It was as if he was afraid of her father. Why that should be Bess couldn't fathom. It's not like there was some deep, dark secret that her father held over Morgan's head. But she eventually got over that and visited him on her own. She was sorry that they never got along, but there didn't seem to be anything she could do about it.

Now Morgan wanted to take her away again; this time forever. Oh, it wouldn't really be forever, but she'd never see her father again. And all for what? Morgan's job! Really. Didn't he see that no job was worth her not seeing her father again?

"But you did marry him...for better or worse...forsaking all others,' Bess told herself. Didn't that include her father? She did seem to make a great many sacrifices where Morgan was concerned. But in spite of all that, her love for him was stronger than ever. So was her need for him. She always said she would follow him to the ends of the earth. And now it looked like she would have that chance.

***

(Present)

"The ends of the earth," Bess whispered into the darkness. She thought of her last meeting with her father just yesterday afternoon. Bess tried to be strong. But as she held her father in one last embrace, she felt him trembling and she broke down and wept. He gently stroked her hair as he tried to hold back his own tears. This wasn't like when she left for the stations. This time they knew they'd never see each other again. "Bess, honey, it will be all right," he whispered. "But, Daddy," she protested. "No," he cut her off, looking her straight in the eye. "You have to do what you must. Haven't I always taught you that?" Bess nodded. "I love you, Daddy." Taking Bess' hand in his, Maynard Klempt took one long last look at his little girl. "I love you, too, Bess." Over the loud speaker they heard the final boarding call for Bess' shuttle to the stations. Her father released her hand. "Now, go and make me proud."

Bess wiped away a stray tear that ran down her cheek. She would miss her father terribly. It was the one regret she had about leaving for G889. She heard the front door open and watched as Morgan quietly entered the room. Her heart surged with love for her husband. She understood that he needed her to be with him on this trip, and she knew that she would not fail him.

"Morgan, honey, are you all right?" she asked.

Morgan sat down beside her and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about leaving tomorrow. I didn't want to wake you, so I decided to take a walk. I ended up at this cafe. I kept thinking about things. The past, mostly. My parents. School. Work. You." Morgan smiled. "A lot about you."

Bess smiled back at Morgan. "I know what you mean. I've been doing the same thing."

Morgan looked at his wife. "No regrets?"

Bess smiled and shook her head. "None. I have a feeling it's going to be all right." Morgan looked a her skeptically. "As long as we're together, nothing bad can happen. Trust me."

-The End-

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