TAKEN: Journey to a New Home (9 page)

  “Ah, well, Blanca, I
earned
the position of captain which puts me in charge of resources and personnel on this ship. So you will follow orders or deal with the consequences. “

  Blanca was fuming. “This is your fault, you stupid bitch,” she shouted and pointed at Sienna. “If you hadn’t made us go do that stupid catering, this would have never happened. When I tell Daddy what you’ve done, he’ll run you out of town!”

  “Enough!” Dezek commanded. “Blanca, no one could have foreseen the events of that day. Sienna was doing her job: feeding people who pay for it. You were there due to your own bad behavior. So sit down and be quiet. I still have a more to say that’s going to make you angry so you might as well save the tantrum that way I only have to deal with it once,” he told her in stern voice.

Blanca sat glaring at Dezek. The door behind him opened to admit Ashaa, Rose and Vax. Rose was smiling and holding Vax’s hand. Holly rushed to Ashaa and hugged her hard.

  “You look so much better. We were so worried,” Holly told her. Ashaa smiled.

  “Thank you, Holly. I do feel much better. How are you?” Ashaa gave Holly a pointed look and Sienna suddenly realized Ashaa knew Holly was pregnant.

  “I’m great. Really great,” Holly told her.

  “Can everyone sit for a few more moments? I’ll tell you the rest of what I need to share and then answer questions,” Dezek asked them. Everyone sat and Dezek took a deep breath and started again.

  “Last, we are not taking you home.” Total silence reigned. Judging by their faces he was certain that this was not news to all of them. And as he figured, Blanca detonated.

  “What! You can’t keep us. We are not slaves!” Blanca screamed at him. “You bastards!”

  “Blanca, sit down and shut up or else!” Tabitha told her. “Please explain, Dezek.”

  “I’m sure Nogith, the suPonick, responsible for your initial abduction, explained that he destroyed the base so that no one would know he had taken all of you and Ashaa. If I were to take you back, you would then be pressed to explain your survival, disappearance and then reappearance. At best, people would think you were crazy to claim abduction by aliens. At worst, your own government would want to help the story you were crazy along, make you disappear again to protect their secret or prosecute you claiming you had something to do with the Base destruction. Or possibly all of the above,” he paused to let that sink in for a few moments. “I’m sorry but I don’t believe that any of you would be safe. Also, I am not about to give Ashaa back to your government to further abuse. Then there is the law I cannot violate. The decree from the Coalition of Planets puts your solar system in a no-fly zone. Doing so could bring sanctions against my people. If the suPonicks are caught trading with your people, they could face some serious backlash. Your people are considered extremely unstable and volatile as a society which is the reason for the ban. The council doesn’t want you to have long range space flight for considerable time until your race grows a little more. You will have good lives on my planet. You will not be considered or treated as slaves. You are considered to be rescued. And there are other humans living on my world. Vax and Rev’s mother is human and so is Nyman’s, our pilot.”

  He waited while they thought about the information. Dezek knew it weighed a lot.

  “Where is Taylor?” Sienna suddenly realized the pretty Navajo wasn’t present.

  “She’s in the gardens with Zabyss and Moz. Zabyss is teaching her how tell when gahix fruit is ripe according to Moz,” Rose answered after a pause.

  “What is gahix fruit?” Samantha looked puzzled.

  “The ugly brown stalks that were juicy and sort of taste like citrus,” Rose told her with a smile. “She already knows all of this apparently.” Dezek guessed Rose’s smile said she also had known these things.

  “Axon, why don’t you take Tabitha, Jasmine, Natalie and Wendy to the gardens so Moz and Taylor can give them a tour,” Dezek suggested. “Blanca, Holly and Samantha, Vax and I need a further word with the three of you and then Rose can show you to the gardens.”

  “I’m not talking to you,” seethed Blanca.

  “Fine but you will listen.”

  Axon led his small group into the passageway headed for the gardens. Dezek surveyed the remaining women. This wasn’t going to be easy.

  “I don’t know if this news will surprise any of you or not but all three of you are pregnant.”

  “You are such a liar!” Blanca was the only one to issue a denial.

  “Actually, he is correct, Blanca,” Vax told her. “I have the ability to not only heal injuries but can detect many other things about your health. I know for a fact that you are indeed pregnant.”

  “I already knew,” Holly smiled at Dezek and Vax. Then she smiled at Ashaa. “Ashaa told me one night, while we were on the Mirkndack ship. I already suspected it but she confirmed it.”

  “Are you married?” Sienna asked.

  “No. I was engaged but I caught him with his ex-girlfriend from two years before having sex in our living room one day when I came home early,” she shrugged and tried to smile through the pain. “He told me he was sorry he was still in love with her and he was moving out, then they left together. He was gone the next day when I got home from work and took almost everything with him. So a month later when I started to suspect, I didn’t even bother to find him and tell him I thought I was pregnant. I didn’t know what I was going to do.” Tears shimmered in Holly’s eyes and she took several deep breaths to hold them back. Ashaa hugged her.

  “Holly, I’m so sorry,” Sienna got up and hugged her too.

  “It’s okay. I’m actually kind of excited now that I’m not going to get eaten. Ashaa told me it’s identical twin girls,” Holly grinned at Ashaa. “And she promised to help!” Holly laughed again and Sienna saw she meant her words and her laughter was heartfelt.

  “Samantha?” Vax questioned.

  “I knew I was pregnant,” she said it flatly. Sienna went back to her best friend, sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist.

  “Are you okay?” Sienna asked knowing the question was redundant. Samantha had wanted to have a baby for the last two years and David had kept putting it off. Samantha’s demeanor made her suspect David hadn’t been happy about it.

  “Yes. I don’t want to talk about it right now but I know,” she said softly. Sienna looked at Dezek with worry on her face.

  “Well, you should also know that you are having twins. The babies are both girls but not identical like Holly’s. Like Holly’s, the babies are both very healthy and haven’t suffered any damage during abductions,” Vax told her gently. Samantha put hand over mouth and tried not to cry. She suddenly bolted from the room. Vax stopped Sienna from following her.

  “Give her a little while. She needs to be alone. I’m not sure but something was bothering her about the pregnancy before this all happened and I sense she just needs some time alone to adjust. I know she’s your best friend but will you trust me on this?” Vax asked.

  Sienna nodded and sat down again.

  “Blanca, you are also pregnant with a girl but only one.” Vax stated and watched her.

  “You’re lying,” she said but it didn’t have as much conviction as the first time she said.

  “The baby is healthy and you’re about ten weeks along in the time frame you’re used to using,” Vax told her and didn’t acknowledge the insult. Blanca glared at him and stalked out of the room. Vax turned to Ashaa.  

  “I know you can heal because Rose told me you took care of a black eye for Sienna. Can you also diagnose?” Vax asked.

  “I don’t know. I didn’t know Samantha and Blanca were pregnant but then I don’t think I’ve had physical contact with either of them. One night on the Mirkndak ship, everyone was sleeping and Holly became ill. I helped settle her stomach and while my hands were on her I just knew. I even knew the babies were identical girls and told her. But I had no idea how far along she was,” Ashaa explained.

  “You had contact with Samantha but both times you were unconscious and came to in situations that needed your immediate attention,” Holly told her. “First, Jennings kicked you in the back and struck Sienna and second when he attacked Rose and the others. Both times Samantha is the one who was trying to wake you.”

Vax had a furious expression on his face. “What happened to this Jennings,” he growled.

  “I killed him when he attacked Rose and the others. Or at least I believe I fatally injured him before the Mirkndaks pulled us a part,” Ashaa said calmly. Ashaa couldn’t be sure but she thought she heard Dezek mutter, “Saves him from me.”

  “All right,” Rose clapped her hand together, “enough of this doom. Let’s go down and see the gardens. We need to breathe a little and relax. Let’s deal with the clothing issue later since it’s not urgent. Axon told me he’ll worry about the crate later.”

  “Agreed,” said Sienna. Rose gave Vax a quick kiss on the lips and led the rest of the women into the passage. On their way to the gardens, they stopped to see if Samantha and Blanca were ready to join them. Samantha came out and said she wanted to go. Blanca refused to answer them or speak so they left her in her quarters and went down in the lift.

  Vax and Dezek stopped in the passage in front of the lift. “That went better than I thought it would,” Dezek said with a wry smile. “Only one tantrum.”

  “It will hit a few of the others in a little while but I think it will be tears and pain of loss, not necessarily anger that we see. They’re losing all family and friend connections while those connections aren’t like ours, some are still very strong. Right now most of them are just glad to no longer be food stock so they’re still counting themselves lucky,” Vax explained.

  “Thanks for that cheerful news, Kid,” Dezek said shaking his head. “Let’s just keep an eye on Blanca. She’s the one I worry about. Also we have to keep her away from Fazon and Axon. I don’t think I have ever seen Fazon lose his cool so thoroughly before this,” he said with a laugh.

  “True,” Vax laughed with him as they got into the lift and headed for the bridge.

***

  When the second group of women arrived at the hydroponics level they were as impressed as the first group. Zabyss was happy to see the rest of the group and gushed about her night and the beautiful plants when she and Taylor met the second group at the lift doors.

  “How is everyone this morning?” Taylor said with her trademark serenity smile back in place.

  “Great,” Holly answered as they hugged. Holly it seemed was a hugger, Sienna thought as she too hugged Taylor.

  “Everyone else is over on the far side sitting on the minawl weed,” she told them as she started to lead the way.

  “They’re growing weeds?” puzzled Samantha.

  “No,” Taylor laughed. “It’s like sort of like grass back home only it’s a soft pastel yellow but they call it a weed by translation. It’s one of the few things growing in dirt here on the Hydro Deck.”

  The group reached the others and Sienna saw relief on their faces. “Is everything okay?” Natalie wanted to know.

  “Yes,” Holly smiled and hugged the others. “Vax just wanted to make sure that several of us knew we were pregnant.”

  Squeals, laughter and questions erupted from the women.

  “How far along are you?”

  “Is the baby okay?”

  “Did you know?”

  “Wait, wait,” Holly held up her hands in surrender, laughing. The new group joined the others sitting on the patch of minawl weed. “I did know I was pregnant. I’m about 14 weeks along, so I’ll probably start showing soon. The babies are fine and identical twin girls,” she answered smiling.

  “Twins?” Tabitha gasped.

  “Yep, Ashaa told me that part. I suspected I was pregnant but not that I was having identical twins or that the babies were girls till Ashaa helped me with a little ‘morning sickness’ in the middle of the night on the Mirkndak ship.”

  “You must have been even more scared than the rest of us,” Tabitha said with concern on her face.

  “I was scared to death but now I can’t stop smiling.”

  “So Blanca is also pregnant?” Wendy asked with a frown. “Oh, heaven help us all.”

  All the women laughed over this statement. Wendy looked at Samantha who was still quiet.

  “Are you okay, Sam?”

  “Yes, I’m also having twins Vax said but not identical. They are both girls though. I’m about 16 weeks along and both babies are healthy,” Samantha shared with the others. “I’m still not sure how I feel about it. Part of me wants to jump for joy and part of me is worried how I’m going to do this alone.”

  “You aren’t going to be alone,” Sienna told her with conviction in her voice. “I am here and not going anywhere.”

  “I second that,” Natalie told her with a smile. “You’ve been there for me when I was fighting with my parents. I’ll be there for you and the babies.”

  “Thank you,” Samantha said with a watery smile.

“By the way, Ashaa, awesome ‘tan’,” Wendy joked with her. “You look great.”

  “So the green doesn’t bother you?”

  “No, why would it? It’s a beautiful color and you look more relaxed somehow,” Wendy told her.

  “Keeping in camouflage expends huge amounts of energy for the Zargazians,” Rose answered for Ashaa who still looked uncertain. “The tension you felt from her was energy she was using to keep it stable. Vax said he had no idea how she managed it for such extended periods of time especially unconscious.”

  “So you and Vax seem attached at the hip,” Natalie commented to Rose.

  “That is an understatement,” Rose laughed. “But it’s more like attached at the mind.”

  “Taylor, you must be in heaven with a greenhouse this size,” Jasmine said.

  “Yes, some of the plants are outrageous too. You should see the tree the spiky blue green orbs, we ate while with the suPonicks, grow on,” she said laughing.  “Its fronds are nearly the same orange as Zabyss and just as fuzzy and the trunk is royal purple.  It looks like it came out of a Dr. Seuss book.”

  Just then Zabyss appeared again and came scurrying along the path with Moz behind her. She chittered in delight. Moz was carrying a basket with them.

  “Ladies, Zabyss brought you a treat. She can pick fruit like a champ,” he said with a smile. He reached into the basket and pulled out what appeared to a shiny green Granny Smith apple. They stared in awe.

  “You have apples?” asked Jasmine reaching for the fruit.

  “Yes. This variety is called a Granny Smith but I’m guessing you might already know that.”

  “How did you get Granny Smith apples,” Tabitha asked as she reached for one also.

  “Just because your planet is in the no-fly zone doesn’t mean some of the more unscrupulous characters in the galaxies haven’t visited,” he said laughing.  “Only those of us who actually obey the laws and are concerned about sanctions pay attention.”

  “Sounds like home,” Wendy said ruefully as she passed the basket of apples.

  “Well, every place has its issues and people who just can’t seem to help themselves. I’ve never seen any place that didn’t at least have one or two,” he said with a sigh. “Someone came across the apples in a supply station and brought them home. We have other humans on our planet so we culled the seeds from the fruit and started our own trees. We have four different varieties at home: a pink, a red and a yellow besides the Grannies. But I only have room for one tree here on the ship, since the Grannies travel well and are multi-purpose, I grow that one. I also have a black plum tree and a lemon tree on board. Most of the protein we eat during space travel is put together on molecular level by the dispensers or frozen but nothing beats fresh fruit and vegetables to go with it.”

  “I have a question,” Natalie said with a serious face.

  “I’ll try to answer if I can,” Moz told her.

  “I know you can’t take us home. But what about Zabyss?” she asked with a concerned frown while hugging the little creature.

  “Zabyss is headed to Lar-kevel with the rest of us.  Unfortunately, the world she is originally from, Xydrakon, was nearly completely destroyed in a war between a bi-ped species native to the planet and another invading bi-ped species. What resources weren’t destroyed, were then plundered by the invaders. They left it just barely habitable. Many of the Xydrav were also taken from their world as pets before and after the war. Even after it became common knowledge that they were sentient,” he told them with a shake of his head. “We have a few colonies of Xydrav on Lar-kevel that were started as we’ve rescued them from bad situations. They’re great neighbors and farmers especially where orchards are concerned. Their tentacles allow them to move easily through the trees.”

  “Zabyss live near Taylor,” the little orange creature told them.

  “Yes,” Taylor laughed in agreement.

  “Aren’t we missing one?” Moz asked.

  “Yes, Blanca is in her room pouting,” Rose told him. “She doesn’t believe she’s pregnant.”

  “That one is pregnant?” Moz was gaping at Rose. “May the Heavens help us.”

  “Actually, Holly and Samantha are also pregnant,” Rose laughed at the expression this news brought to Moz’s face.

  “Is everyone okay? Are the babies okay?”

  “Yes, we’re fine,” Holly laughed at his expression too. “Vax assures us the babies are healthy.”

  “Well, no heavy lifting for either of you,” Moz said with a fierce look. “Should you even be working?”

  “Doesn’t matter what planet a man is from. Tell him a woman is pregnant and he thinks she’s an invalid,” Taylor said smiling at him.

  “Well, well…” he stammered to a stop. He looked at the women and threw his hands up in surrender and walked away muttering, “I’m going back to my fruit trees.”

  All the women went into fits of laughter.

***

  A while later Moz looked up from his pruning project with Zabyss to see the group of women moving toward him with Taylor in the lead.

  “We’re looking for jobs to do,” Taylor told him with a smile.

  “You’ve only been here one day. You can take a few days to recover,” he told her softly.

  “We’re all used to working. We all enjoy working. We’ve spent the most of the last month or so sitting idle and bored out of minds in various cages. Dezek said we would all be assigned jobs this morning when we had our meeting upstairs,” Wendy told him and the others agreed.

  “Well, I don’t think he meant you needed to start today. But if you’re willing, I do have a job that I’d love to share.”

  “Share away,” Sienna said with a smile.

  “It won’t hurt my feelings if you back out just remember that,” he said with a smile. He went on to explain that seeds he had purchased had to be gone through by hand and pull any that didn’t match what should be in each packet. They groaned but still agreed to help rather than sit with nothing to do for hours on end. So Moz showed them to an area that looked much like a picnic spot where there were assorted tables on another patch of the minawl weed and then went with Taylor and Wendy to get the boxes of seed packets and sorting trays. They returned and he emptied a packet of seeds into a tray and used a thin wand to move seeds from one side to the other until he found two that didn’t match. These two were removed with tweezers and placed into another tray (for strays he said). Once he found no more seeds that didn’t match he returned them to the packet and wrote a series of characters on the envelope.

  “This is the date in my written language,” he explained. “If you can’t copy the characters don’t worry about it, dating them is the easy part for me.”

  “Okay, ladies, let’s sort seeds,” Wendy said.

***

  Dezek completed his report and sent it on to the Fathers at home. He glanced at Rev. He and Fazon, the two biggest men on the ship, were still stewing over recent events. The last twenty four hours hadn’t been easy for anyone. The tension on the bridge was becoming intense. He knew everyone was waiting for one or both of the big men to explode. He decided to try and defuse one of them. 

  “Does it really matter if she chooses to keep the name?” he asked and felt everyone on the bridge flinch. They had been tiptoeing around Rev all morning.

  “Yes, damn it, it does. It’s abhorrent that they gave her an acronym, not a name!” Rev growled for not the first time this morning.

  “But if she chooses to make it her own, then let her.” Dezek told him patiently. “She may change her mind in the future and that’s fine. If she doesn’t then that’s also fine and it actually makes a pretty name. If you hadn’t explained it, I never would have guessed it was anything but a name. But by trying to force her into changing it, you become exactly what she has escaped from.”

  Rev’s jaw dropped and he stared with a stunned look at Dezek. Dezek waited patiently. Rev would either get it or throw a punch. He watched understanding dawn across his friend’s face and he bit the inside of his cheek not to smile. Rev’s eyes closed and his head and his shoulders dropped and he swore in several languages under his breath.

  “I’m a damn insensitive cretin,” he said heavily. “I owe her an apology.”

  “Yes, you do. She’s on the Hydro deck with the rest of them. You and everyone else should know that three of them are pregnant: Blanca, Holly and Samantha.”

  “Blanca?” Rev groaned. “That is not good. She’s already a pain in the ass.”

  “Fazon and Axon will both agree with you on that fact,” he smiled as he said it and Fazon shot him a dirty look and grimaced. “By the way how did you know Blanca was pregnant? Moz tells me you knew yesterday before Vax and I had our meeting with them.” Dezek asked turning to Fazon who shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny.

  “I’m not as good at diagnosis as Vax is but I always know a pregnant female when I see one,” he admitted grudgingly. “And the first bastard that cracks a joke or smiles is going to get pummeled,” he threatened with a fierce growl. Everyone on the bridge ducked their heads into the station where they were working while trying not to smile.
One of the fiercest of their ranks was a baby detector, how ironic was that
Dezek thought as he fought his own smile.

  “I’m going down to apologize to Ashaa,” Rev said as he headed for the lift. “Weapons diagnostic and check are complete as you requested,” he said as he went into the lift. “All sensors have undergone diagnostics and are verified also. We’re ready if there’s trouble.”