Chapter 17

“How was I to know it was your bunk?”

“The sign. Did you miss it? It says Commander, Captain Scarlett.”

“You’re a Colonel,” she said with a pout. She was curling up into a fetal position and refusing to make eye contact.

“Lonely?”

“Maybe.”

“What’s really the matter?” In response, she just mumbled. “I didn’t catch that.” Again, she just mumbled. “You’re going to have to speak up.”

“I said I miss Gerry!” then she thought for a moment, “I mean Alex!”

“It’s ok, you can miss them both.” Alan smiled as he remembered Aunt Eris and her little nephew Gerry. They bonded immediately and were rarely apart.

“You fucked up my life!” she demanded. “I never needed anyone, then YOU came along, you handed me the baby, and took me for boat rides, and gave me a marine, and showed me all the water...”

“Sorry, shit happens,” said Alan, trying seriously hard not to laugh. He felt guilty for the laughter that was trying to bubble up, because he knows how she feels. He was just a happy-go-lucky back alley spaceboy until Eris’ father introduced him to her twin sister, Pandora. It was six years of hell. Being spacemen, they were pulled apart for mission requirements, reunited maybe five times a year for a week at a time. Then Pandora got that three-year assignment into a still classified area and Alan missed her so much that he became suicidal. He didn’t realize how bad he was until he was facing 502 enemy fighters at Venus Prime and thought, “I’m not going to be lonely anymore.”

“It really sucks, being alone, doesn’t it,” Alan finally said.

“How do you do it?” Eris groaned. The acceleration started, and the wall became a mattress, and they were soon lying side by side.

“Pandora and I have a code. I send her a number. It means that I love her and miss her. She responds with a different number that means she loves and misses me. If I change the number it means something has changed here, otherwise it’s the same number every time ... until I send her the same number she was sending me, then it means I’m coming home.”

“And you’re the last Martian of your family,” said Eris. She patted him on the shoulder.

“No, all our kids were born on Mars. Uncle Ray insisted on it. He even flew us all to Mars and back for each birth. I doubt they’ll ever understand the meaning behind it, in fact I’m not sure myself, but that’s Ray.

“Ray ... Ray Clark? President of the Union of Martian Colonies?”

“Yeah. He’s a cool old guy. Hopefully he’ll have a few minutes when this is over, I’ll introduce you to him.”

“We’re going to Mars when we’re done?” Eris suddenly brightened.

“Of course, that’s where your marine is. He’s probably keeping an eye on your stuff. Now, tell me about the Friedensbringer.”

“As far as I know, the Friedensbringer was brought into Epps Whitson Shipyards in 2149 for a total refit. It needed six new engines, and about a dozen directional thrusters so it was parked in the ghost fleet until six engines were located. In 2154 shit was getting hot between East and West so the JCHA decided to prioritize the Friedensbringer but when they went to pull her into the engine shop, she wasn’t there. Her position in the ghost fleet was gone, whoever took her, closed the gap she left so she wouldn’t be noticed missing.”