Between the Strokes of Night

All the newcomers needed a lot of teaching. That didn’t seem to worry Wolfgang. He must miss Charlene, but otherwise he seemed totally happy with their new existence. Peron didn’t know much about Wolfgang’s background, but the man was a natural father who just happened to have no children of his own. In the old days he had apparently lavished care and affection on the animals in his charge. Now he was responsible for every new group of arrivals on Kallen’s World, complaining to Peron about their questions while obviously delighting in their youth and enthusiasm. He would never leave for S-space, or anywhere else. And Peron himself? That was a harder question. Food was certainly better here than in S-space, and it always would be. He helped himself to another muffin, sniffing that fresh-baked aroma before he bit into the crisp surface. Sex was better, too. He and Elissa had known that long ago, before the end of their brief visit to old Earth.

But there was another important variable: knowledge. Stay here, and you would never find out what was changing selected stars of the local arm to red dwarfs. You would never learn if humanity survived the threat. You would be dead, long before humans could meet the aliens or understand the nature of the Pipistrelles and Gossameres. You would be plagued by one of the oldest questions: what comes next, after I am gone?

Peron heard a noise from the narrow hallway. Elissa was up — at last. Recently she seemed to have been sleeping later and later. He poured another cup in anticipation of her arrival, then studied again the most recent plan of the settlement. Wolfgang had been an optimist when he said the new group might see some karnoos at ten kilometers. A new clearing by the agbots had already spread beyond that.

Elissa entered, rubbing her eyes. She came across to Peron, gave him a silent hug, then grabbed the drink that he had poured for her.

“Not even a thank-you?” He held her robe so that she could not step away, and put his other arm around her waist. “A wonderful bright morning on Kallen’s World, and you with a face so grim.”

“Not grim.” She smiled down at him. “Serious. Big difference. What are you doing?”

“Reviewing our progress — or lack of it.”

“I was afraid that’s what you might say.”

“I’m wondering if we should be here at all. We were so sure that a second research facility in normal space was the answer, but we’ve discovered nothing. In five years, we’ve not reported one useful thing to Gulf City.” “Five years. That’s, let’s see, a bit less than a day in S-space. They’re not looking for results from us yet — they hardly know we’ve left.”

“But we know. Almost all our efforts go into the colony, making sure that new arrivals are safe or directing the work of the people already here. I was thinking, five years of that is enough for us. Wolfgang loves it here, and he has everything under control. We could return to S-space for a while, and come back here if and when they need us. What do you think, Elissa?”

She was standing by his side. Instead of answering, she grabbed his arm that was still around her waist. She pulled open her robe. She was wearing nothing underneath it, and she placed his hand on her bare belly.

“Feel.”

At first he felt nothing but smooth skin, but then there was the tiniest quiver under his palm. He gasped and said, “How long?”

“Five months.”

“Why didn’t you say before?”

“I wanted to be sure. This morning I felt her kicking.”

“Her?”

“I checked that, along with a ton of other things because we’re on a new planet. It’s a girl, and she’s developing absolutely normally.”

“She’ll be the first — the first human baby born on Kallen’s World! We have to send a message at once, even if Kallen himself never gets it.”

“You’re not upset?”

“Upset? I’m delighted. Shouldn’t I be?”

“I wasn’t sure. We’re stuck here now. There can be no return to S-space for years and years. Not until she’s grown.”

“I know that. It doesn’t matter.” Peron stood up. “Come on outside.” “Like this? I’m not dressed.”

“You’re dressed enough. I just want you to see something, then you can come back in.”

“See what?”

“Kallen’s World. Where she’ll be born. Where she’ll grow up. Where we all live. Home.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Jezel was high in the sky. The season was close to midsummer, and the humidity promised rain and a thunderstorm before evening. Wolfgang, pointing out plants, animals, and natural features, kept a close eye on the group. They had all placed well in their different Planetfests, so they were used to pushing themselves to the edge of endurance and beyond without letting it show in either their expressions or their attitudes. However, the last thing that he wanted was a collapsed new recruit on his hands.

“Gather around and take a look at this,” he said. “Don’t touch it, or come any closer than I am.”