Tales From The Triple Suns (Chapter One)

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“Just think about it, okay?” 3

~~~~~~~~~~ 4

I thought about it after he left, and all of last night. It was the first thing on my mind when I woke this morning. I can’t get the idea out of my brain, and it’s really starting to annoy me. 5

I looked up as the second sun was rising on the afternoon, casting multiple red hued shadows across the cityscape. I never grew tired of living on a planet with more than one sun, and it never failed to impress me when the colour show started. My favorite had to be the shades when the third sun peeked over the horizon just after mid-noon, and mixed it’s topazes with the red and soft yellow of the other two suns. Too bad the third sun, or Ackar,  never rose more than a quarter above the horizon. Guess the planetary alignment just wasn’t right. 6

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to leave all this behind. My mind went back to the question Craig had asked last night, and I stared blankly from my seventy-eighth story balcony at the City Park off in the distance. I grew up not far from here, and although I left for a few years, my heart always brought me back. This planet was my home. This planet was Craig’s home…and in two months, this was to be our home. Now he wanted me to give it up. Possibly forever. 7

I shook my head, trying to banish the thoughts away for a little while. I turned from the soothing view, and headed back inside to get ready for my work. 8

My work. That would be another thing I would be leaving behind if I decided to leave with Craig. I would be giving up yet another thing that meant so much to me. Giving it up for an unknown future…an uncertain future. 9

Grabbing my identification cards and public transit pass, I headed for the door, promising myself that I would not think ‘about it’ until I got back home this evening. 10

~~~~~~~~~~ 11

Well, I couldn’t help not thinking about it, so I finally told my best friend to get her reaction to it. 12

“He wants to do what?” Sindra asked. 13

“Be a pioneer,” I repeated.  “His work wants him to do the on-planet set up.”14

“Uh huh.” She leaned back against the row of monitors and crossed her arms. She must have caught me lifting my eyebrow in a silent comment, and unfolded her arms. She always crossed her arms when she was about to say something I would not like. 15

“Yeah,” I said. “I’m not overly fond of the idea either.” 16

“Then don’t go.” 17

I sighed lightly. “I know it would be exciting, and I could probably write a helluva story about it, but it’s really not something that I pictured myself doing.” 18

“Then don’t go.” 19

“But Craig…ohh…you know how long I’ve been waiting for someone like him.  This is a big opportunity for him, but I know he’ll turn down the offer if I don’t want to go.  I don’t think I can do that to him.”  I paused.  “And I don’t want to stay here without him.”   I looked at the computer monitors, so as not to meet her gaze. “Although I’ll hate myself for saying this, Craig is my soul mate.” 20

Sindra’s eyes opened wide. “Did you just say the two words that you say don’t exist?” 21

I smiled wistfully. “When he’s not around, I ache to be with him. When he’s with me, I never want him to let me go. I feel…safe…with him.” I had always despised, detested, loathed and generally hated the term “soul mate” but here I was…in love with mine. 22

“Then…” Sindra began slowly. “You should go.” 23

“Nice one-eighty,” I replied. 24

“It’s not an about face,” she snorted. “It’s reality, chickie. If you truly believe that Craig is your soul mate, and he believes you are his, then you should go.” 25

“No mystical reasons? No ‘it’ll balance the cosmos’? Just that I should go?” 26

Sindra laughed. “Well, I could give you all the cosmic reasons that you should go, but love outweighs them all.” 27

~~~~~~~~~~ 28

I spent the entire trip home thinking about what Craig had said, and what Sindra had said. I was so deep in thought that I missed my stop, and ended up at the end of the line, in a shopping district. Instead of grabbing the next bus back, I walked through one of the centers, marveling at the ‘newest, all improved’ articles that would be outdated as soon as I bought them. 29

I stopped at a small café, had something to drink as I finally made up my mind what to do about my…I mean our future. 30

I walked back to the transit depot and caught the next ride back home. 31

~~~~~~~~~~ 32

“Two conditions,” I said as Craig walked into my apartment. 33

“Pardon?” he asked as he shut the door behind him. 34

“One,” I continued. “If I don’t like it there in two months, I’m leaving.” 35

He kept his face neutral, but I could see excitement in his eyes. “And two?” 36

“You come back with me.” 37

“Lady…you have a deal.” He crossed the room and enveloped me in his arms. “I’d go to the ends of the universe to be with you.” 38

Our lips met, and once again I felt like nothing could harm me, nothing could go wrong when he was with me. I raised my head as he started to kiss my neck and smiled as his hands worked their way under my shirt. We parted slightly as he pulled my shirt over my head, and held onto him again as his lips moved down from my neck. 39

Scooping me into his arms, Craig carried me to the couch, and laid down with me. I ran my fingers through his hair as his lips worked their wonderful magic. Getting out of the rest of our clothes was difficult as he lay on top of me, but it added to the excitement. 40

“Damn,” he whispered against my skin. “My pants are caught on my foot.” He laughed softly as his warm body left mine for a moment, and I could hear slight rustling before his pants went flying over my head and landed in a heap on the floor. 41

~~~~~~~~~~ 42

I watched him as he slept, something I loved to do. He looked so peaceful in the moonlight, nothing in his face giving hints to the hardness he had experienced in the past. Most people say that they are attracted to someone’s eyes, but I keep finding myself drawn to his lips. So quick to smile, they were basically perfect…not too big, not too small, and so soft and gentle against mine. 43

His skin was a handsome tan color, and his eyes, a bright blue that should have clashed, went perfectly with his shade. I reached out and gently moved his hair aside, leaning over to kiss the scar near his hairline. (I had asked him about it once, and even though the smile never left those delicious lips, I could sense a change in him. “I’ll tell you about it sometime, but not right now,” was all he said.)   I ran my fingers slowly through his hair, then down to his shoulder and along his arm that lay over my chest and curled up around the side of my head.  My fingers lingered on the Army tattoo on his upper arm, tracing the Gladiator part of the image.44

I moved over slightly, trying to get some space on the couch. It was large enough, but still too small to comfortably fit two sleeping adults. I rolled over so I could see out the patio doors, and the multitude of stars in the midnight sky. Soon I would once more be traveling though those stars. 45

I had met Craig three years ago, on one of my ‘escape’ journeys. I had left a relationship with a man who told me the only way out was in a body bag. After that promise nearly became reality, I felt it better if I were to just disappear for a few months, and let the authorities handle him. Once I was released from the hospital, and my facial injuries healed enough so as not to get unwanted stares from others, I hopped the first transport off planet for…anywhere. 46

I ended up on some small planet renowned for it’s beautiful beaches and wonderful resorts. I had enough money to stay forever, if I wanted. My family had been wealthy, and me being an only child, inherited it all when my parents died in a vehicle accident (one of the reasons I prefer public transit, I suppose). 47

There I was, sitting on one of those beautiful beaches, soaking up the sun while trying to read some book-card I purchased, when a shadow fell across me. I looked up into this smiling face. 48

“Whoops,” he said with that little laugh. “You’re not Kerina.” 49

Thinking that it was a rather lame come-on line, I shook my head. “Nope, sorry.” 50

He turned back to where he came from, and counted beach chairs. “Number twelve.” He turned back to me. “You sure you’re not Kerina?” He sighed when I shook my head again. “Turn left at the second path, chair number twelve,” he mimicked in a high pitched voice. 51

I coughed lightly. “Umm…hate to tell you, but I think you took the wrong path.” 52

“Come again?” 53

“I’m chair number twelve, third path.” 54

He stared blankly at me for a few moments, then closed his eyes. “Crap.” He looked at me once more. “Sorry ‘bout that.” He turned back towards the path, and disappeared. 55

I watched him go, admiring his behind as he walked across the sand. 56

~~~~~~~~~~ 57

“You okay?” 58

I jumped slightly at the voice behind me. I rolled over on the couch, and smiled at him. “Yeah,” I whispered. “Just thinking.” 59

“About?” 60

“You.” 61

“A wonderful subject,” he said seriously. “Well worth devoting time to.” 62

“I was thinking about the first time we met,” I said with a laugh. 63

“Chair twelve, third path,” he said with a smile. “Best mistake I ever made.” 64

“Charmer.” 65

“Do you really want to be a pioneer?” he asked. “Or are you just doing this for me?” 66

I exhaled slowly, thinking about the questions. “Yes.” 67

“Yes?” His lips turned up slightly. “Yes to which one?” 68

“I’ll let you know when we get there.” 69

“You really don’t want to go, do you?” he asked slowly. 70

I cringed slightly. “At first, no…but…you know…I think I’m actually interested in the possibilities that it could provide.” 71

“That’s what attracted me to it,” Craig said with a nod. “New planet, new challenges, new outlook on life.” 72

“You need a new outlook on life?” 73

“Rephrasing,” he said. “We’re getting married, and I thought it would be nice to start a new life in a new place.” He smiled softly. “But, if either of us doesn’t like it, then…it’s not worth staying.” 74

“What happens if you turn down the offer?” 75

He laughed slightly. “Nothing, really.” The company he worked at was responsible for finding new places to colonize, and grow produce for the ever expanding Alliance Of Planets. “If I don’t want to do on-planet then I still lead the design aspect.  If I decided to go until set up is complete, then…” He smiled that smile that always melted my heart. 76

I sat up on the couch as something he said registered in my mind. “Wait, wait, wait…set up is complete? You mean we’re not moving there forever?” 77

“Didn’t I mention that last night?” 78

“No,” I replied slowly. “You did not. That makes a difference. How long is the set up?” 79

He shrugged slightly. “Usually lasts for six months to a year, depending on how long it takes for two growing cycles. Then I either get called back, or given the choice to stay.” He looked into my eyes, his gaze melting into my very being. “And that choice is something we both make.” 80

“Is it hard pioneering?” 81

“Pffft…prefabricated dwellings, machinery, seeds, all the things needed. It’s not like the pioneer wagon trains of Old Earth. The only hardships are trying to get things to grow, and the weather.” 82

“And anything the planet throws at you,” I added. 83

“That too, yeah.” He glanced at his watch as a small alarm sounded, frowning at the time as he hit a button to silence the beeping. “Damn…I got a conference call in thirty minutes.” 84

I turned his arm over to see his watch. “At three in the morning?” 85

He nodded as he crawled over my body and sat on the edge of the couch. “Had to schedule it on Miradnes time. They’re the ones funding most of this project.” He grabbed his shirt, pulled it on, and ran his fingers through his deep brown hair. “Where’d I throw those pants?” 86

I pointed with my thumb to the floor beside my head. “Back there.” 87

He smiled as he stood, grabbed his pants, and put them on as he made his way to the kitchen. He turned on the small overhead light, cringing slightly at the sudden brightness. “You want a coffee or something?” he asked as he hit a few buttons on the food distributor. A few seconds later, a steaming cup of coffee emerged. 88

“No thanks,” I mumbled as I rolled over. “I think I’m gonna go back to sleep.” 89

“Good idea.” He flicked the kitchen light off, headed for a door just off the living room, and opened it. Since he spent most of his time at my place, I thought it wise to make one of the extra bedrooms into an office for him. I had my own office in one of the other rooms, but I’m a bit too territorial of my office space, or else I would have had him put his stuff there. 90

I closed my eyes again, and was soon asleep. 91