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She drew maps, the baggy sleeves of her husband's blouse moving like wings around her arms.
She put on her sunglasses as they stepped onto the stone platform. The alien breeze blew through her short hair and rippled the sleeves of her green uniform.
The blade sliced through the cord, and she pulled open the doors as the hay burst into flames.
There was silence on Explorer Eight. The lights came on according to a timer, along with the pre-selected music. It was flutes accompanied by piano, gradually growing louder as the song continued. Inna walked down the corridor as the familiar music followed her, humming along as a string guitar joined the ensemble. She activated the lights with a touch of her hand, examining the room to make sure it was still clean. One of the drones was still in the corner, a flat plate of a creature that scurried away once she was there. Inna lifted one foot and let the creature go past her into the hall to clean another part of the shuttle.
The pod stood against the back wall, and Inna took a moment to look at the woman within. Her face was settled, her eyes closed as if in slumber. Her hands were on her stomach, one slightly higher than the other. She wore the standard red uniform, identical to the blue one Inna wore. Her blonde hair, cut short to her head like everyone else on the settlement when they left, had grown long. It now touched her shoulders when loose, but she had it pulled back into a braid. She pressed her palm to the scanner to the right side of the glass and woke her partner.
The glass slid away. A moment later, Eless opened her eyes. The first thing she saw, as always, was Inna standing in front of her. She smiled and took Inna's offered hand and stepped out of the pod.
"Welcome to Day 446 of the mission."
"Thank you, Inna." Eless put her hands on Inna's shoulders and kissed her lips. Inna returned the kiss, smiling when they parted. Eless touched her braid as if to make sure it had remained in place during her rest. "Actual mission day?"
Inna had checked this information, so she didn't have to look it up. "Seventy one thousand, nine hundred and forty."
Eless nodded. "Have you been awake long?"
"A while, yes."
It was a joke between them. Inna, as Eless' physician, was required to wake up twenty-four hours before she woke Eless. She diagnosed the organic sections of the ship, checked Eless' vital signs, and checked their trajectory and the upcoming course for any unforeseen hazards. Once all that was taken care off, Eless was revived in order to plot the next fifteen months of their journey. Usually all it took was twenty-four hours, at which point she and Inna returned to stasis for the next leg of their journey.
Inna followed Eless to the bridge. The habitation rooms were located in the long, narrow portion at the back of the ship. The main rooms - the bridge, diagnostic sections - were at the long, curved portion at the front. When the ship was designed, the public called it the Stingray after a long extinct creature from The Planet. Eless liked the name, better than Explorer Eight. She thought it gave their ship a personality, which was appropriate considering forty percent of it was a living being.
"Anything to report?"
"There's an asteroid field about thirty light years from here. We might avoid it on our current course, but to be safe..."
"I'll adjust. Radio signals?"
"We only picked up eight in the past year. Apparently way out here on The Edge, there are fewer societies."
"Or just fewer societies that have advanced that far."
"True. The drones are all operating within acceptable levels. The food supply is fine, but I went ahead and started new growth so we'll have a little surplus, just in case any of it goes bad while we're sleeping. And I've missed you."
Eless smiled. She stopped at the door of the bridge and turned to face Inna. "Technically we've only been apart for a day."
"I can miss you in a day, my love."
Eless touched Inna's cheek and then stepped closer to her. "I've missed you, too. And I feel like I just saw you five minutes ago when you put me to sleep." Inna tilted her head up and they kissed properly. Confederation protocol was extremely strict on who was chosen for these long-term missions. The preferred arrangement was for a couple in a long-term relationship, preferably homosexual so there wouldn't be a risk of accidental pregnancy. Eless and Inna had been together for eleven years before they were chosen.
They broke their kiss and touched foreheads. Inna smiled and said, "Your report, Commander."
"Yes, Captain."
Eless opened the door to the bridge. She was taken in by the sweep of glass across the front of the room, exposing the starscape beyond. She walked to the control panel and checked the readout. Inna had activated everything for her, so it was just a matter of sliding her fingers over the touch screen to see what she needed. Their trajectory was mapped out using the ship's advanced sensors. She saw the asteroid field and made a minute adjustment to their course. If it wasn't enough, the ship would either make the necessary changes itself or wake her so she could do it.
"We'll check to make sure everything is underway before we send our report back to the Colonies. How are my vitals?"
"Absolutely fantastic, Commander."
Eless dipped her chin. "Stop it, Captain." She tapped a command and the screen lit up. There was a representation of her body that showed her internal organs. 83% health, well within the parameters. She tapped the screen again and the image rotated to show her heart.
Inna moved closer to Eless' shoulder and looked at the image. "How is the new heart treating you?"
"Fantastic. I think I've finally got it where I want it." She reached up and tapped her chest with her fist. The operation had happened during the first decade of their trip. Her heart had grown inside of a tank while she and Inna slept, and the surgery was performed the following "day." The defect might not have ever made itself known, but the policy of the Colonial Confederation was to err on the side of caution.
"While you do the boring things, I believe I shall prepare us breakfast. Old-fashions?"
"That sounds delicious, sweetheart." She bent down and kissed Inna's lips. "I'll join you soon."
Inna stroked Eless' arm. "Save the report for mid-day at the earliest. I have a few experiments running and I want to get the results before we send a message back."
"Okay."
Inna left the bridge and Eless turned her attention to the ship's needs. It took each message they sent approximately three-point-one months to reach the Colonies. Since there was only one sent per year, its arrival was a colony-wide celebration. She had gone to the square with her father when she was a girl, sitting on his shoulders while the commander of Explorer Two made his annual report.
Eless was in the middle of running a diagnostic when something outside the ship caught her eye. It was at the far side of the glass, moving in a wide arc across the expanse of space. It was a sphere of blue light, shifting in size as it traveled. Eless furrowed her brow and stepped around the console. She tapped her ear. "Inna. Come to the bridge, please."
"What's wrong?"
"Maybe nothing. I just--"
The object suddenly accelerated, filling the screen with blinding light. Eless flinched even though she knew the Stingray's shields would protect them from any impact. To her shock, the flat surface of the bridge bucked and threw her into the air. She cried out in surprise as she was thrown back. She hit the floor and was thrown back several feet. The ringing in her ears faded as the doors slid open. Inna shouted her name, "Sam!" and ran across the room. She hit her knees, cradling Eless' head and stroking her hair.
"What the hell happened?"
"Sam?" Eless tried to focus on the bizarre name.
"No, it's me. It's Inna. Who is Sam?"
Eless closed her eyes and shook her head. "I-I don't... know. I don't know. God, my head."
"I'll check you out. Just lie still." She stood up and took a handheld scanner from the console. She knelt next to Eless and slowly ran the scanner over her body. Eless closed her eyes and slipped her hand into Inna's. She heard the comforting beep of the device as it passed over her body, and then opened her eyes when Inna sighed. "You're fine, thank God. It must have been a residual hiccup from the stasis process. How do you feel? Lightheaded?"
"No. I think I'm fine now. Help me up?"
Inna put her hand into Eless' and stood up. She looked out the glass and saw only a few streaks of light from the stars they were passing. "Check the systems. I want to know if there's anything in the air. If not, we'll just put it away to clumsiness." She kept her hand on Inna's arm when she tried to turn away. "Are you sure you didn't call me Sam?"
"I'm sure." She put her hand on top of Eless'. "Who is that?"
"I don't know. I just thought it... no, never mind."
Inna cleared her throat. "Eless, if I think you've been compromised, I have a duty to report it."
"You won't have to report anything." She patted Inna's hand. "I just needed a little more time to wake up this time."
Inna nodded but she didn't look convinced. "I'll get breakfast ready. Unless you want me here to babysit you?"
Eless turned Inna around and swatted her rear end. "Go. I'll be fine." She waited until Inna was gone before she stepped around the console and tapped the information menu. "General search. Proper name. Sam. Search Crews of previous Explorer Missions."
There was only a momentary delay before the information began to scroll by. Samte Call, commander of Explorer Six. Sama Ronar, physician on Explorer Four. Both the names were familiar, but neither would explain Inna's mistake or Eless' confusion, whichever it was. She lifted her hair and pressed the base of her skull. It wasn't sore, and the odd beam of light was almost forgotten. She was sure it was just an anomaly, some strange quirk of nature out here in the vast unknown near The Edge.
She closed the menu and focused on the diagnostics she had been running when she was so rudely interrupted. By the time Inna commed to let her know breakfast was ready, the odd light and "Sam" were both long forgotten. She walked down the corridor to the dining room, basically just a widening of the corridor with a small table and a booth that followed the curve of the wall. Inna was already seated when Eless arrived.
The old-fashions smelled delicious. Puffy white egs, crisp bakin, and sawsage. She bent down and kissed her partner good morning. They sat close enough that their thighs touched as they began eating. The food was replicated, but it had been so long since they had ground-grown that they couldn't tell the difference. Eless ate with her left hand, and Inna with her right so they could hold hands while they ate.
They chatted, discussing the status of the ship. Inna spoke of the dreams she'd had during her stasis, and Eless shared her own. Dreams of wide vistas of green grass and tall trees, a dome of blue sky overhead that was filled with sunshine and birds. When Eless signed up for the mission, she worried there would only be time for official CC business. But there were many days when they had to fill hours with conversation, games, lovemaking... keeping themselves and the ship alive was just a secondary chore.
After they ate, Eless helped Inna wash their dishes. She remembered the small kitchen of their little house, the one they'd bought just after taking vows. She could close her eyes and see the manufactured lawn and sky. Those early days, full of research and training, had been more stressful than the reality. She remembered how people treated them once it became common knowledge they would be the Crew of Explorer Eight. Going farther, staying away longer, than any previous mission. The past Crews had been heroes, but Inna and Eless were near godlike status by the time they finally launched.
The legends about The Planet claimed that homosexual couples had once been ostracized and considered 'second class' by others. On the Colonies, they were the true celebrities, the explorers, the ones who made the most amazing discoveries. She wasn't sure if it was unbelievable just because she didn't want to believe it. Either way, things had changed. She'd had dolls of Lyll and Dryss Adoum from Explorer One. There was a serial television program detailing the lives of Explorer Two's Crew.
"What are you thinking about?"
Eless smiled as she put away the clean dishes, which they would use again for their midday meal. Inna knew her so well she probably didn't even have to ask. "I'm wondering what the people back on the Colonies think of us. If we're as famous as the past Crews."
"Well, we are the most beautiful."
Eless laughed. "Do you think they made dolls of us?"
Inna considered the question. "I've seen dolls for most of the Crew, so I have to assume so."
Eless smiled. "I wish I could have a little Inna doll to sleep with. Take her into my pod and spend the whole year with her."
"If we had a little more power, I might be tempted to crawl in there with you. Spend a year in your arms."
Eless put her arms around Inna's waist and pulled her close. She bent down and pecked Inna's lips, their kiss becoming slowly more passionate until Eless had Inna pinned against the kitchen counter. With a gasp, Inna broke the kiss and gripped the collar of Eless' uniform. "Down."
"Floor?"
"Mm."
Inna went to the floor, pulling Eless with her. Eless put her hands out, palms flat on the floor as she stretched over Inna's body. They kissed, Inna bent her knee along Eless' hip and slowly undid the front of Eless' uniform. She wore the black sleeveless v-neck undershirt, her skin evenly tanned from the ultraviolet filters used in the pods. Inna pushed the uniform off her shoulders, and Eless shifted her upper body and tugged her arms free of the sleeves.
She straddled Inna, still stealing the occasional kiss as they wrestled out of their uniforms. Inna's undershirt was tossed aside, her breasts cupped as Eless bent to kiss her nipples. Soon both were moaning, kicking away obtrusive clothing and pressing skin to skin. Inna covered the scar over Eless' left breast with her hand, felt her heart beat, and then slid down to tease her nipples with slender fingers.
Eless took Inna's hands in her own, their fingers laced together as she angled their legs together like scissors. Eless began to rock, watching Inna watch her, gauging her speed based on Inna's reactions. Her toes curled, her lips parting as her breath became ragged. Inna's full breasts drew her attention, their dark nipples standing at attention.
"I love you with long hair," Inna gasped.
Eless smiled and guided Inna's hand to her breast. Their fingers separated and Inna squeezed, and Eless arched her back and cried out her orgasm. She put her hand between their bodies, stroking until Inna came as well. She finally lay down, cradling Inna's head to her chest. There was a chine, and they said in unison, "No distress."
Their vital signs had been picked up by the ship's onboard sensors, which identified heightened heart rates, body temperatures and sounds of distress. If they didn't respond to the first chime, an alarm began to sound. If it wasn't silenced in five minutes, a beacon was sent back to the Colonies. Twenty-four hours later, a second message was sent declaring the mission was a wash and both explorers were dead.
It was a hassle to deal with each and every time they had sex, but the warning system meant they would never drift in the endless expanse of space if something did happen to them. "No distress" became a way of punctuating their lovemaking sessions. Inna cupped Eless' face, kissed her eyelids, cheeks and lips, and then sighed. "I should get to work."
"Yes, you should. Your commander is quite the task master from what I hear."
"She gives me spankings for every minute I'm late."
Eless pinned Inna to the floor. "Oh, really? Well, then maybe I should just tie you down here."
Inna laughed and escaped Eless' trap. She managed to separate their outfits, identifying her undershirt due to its increased stretching around the chest, and they dressed while sitting together on the kitchen floor. Before Eless stood up, Inna reached over and touched her forehead. "What?" Eless said.
"Just checking. You did fall down and hit your head a minute ago. Are you sure you're all right?"
"I'm fine." She kissed Inna's palm. "You worry too much."
"Habit. I've cared for you for over two hundred years, El. I'm not about to stop now that I'm being paid for it."
Eless smiled and softly kissed Inna. "I love you, Innasho."
"I love you, too. Now come on. We shouldn't put off Report Day any longer than we have to. People on the Colonies are probably already half drunk. Or, well, they will be in three months."
"Right." They helped each other up. They kissed once more for good measure, and then separated to walk to their separate stations. The bridge was front and center, while Inna's lab was at the far starboard wing of the forward section. Eless pressed her hand against the sensor and turned to watch Inna disappear through the second door. She smiled to herself and took a step forward as she turned and stepped through
the Stargate. The alien wind was strong, and she squinted at the unexpected brightness of the sun as she took her sunglasses off the front of her vest. The event horizon rippled behind her and she smiled at the sound of Janet retching. "It's okay. Happens to the best of us." She turned and saw the doctor bent forward, hands on her knees, looking as pale as anything. She put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right?"
Janet could only manage a nod. She wiped the back of her sleeve over her lip as she forced herself to stand up straight. "Sorry. That's been happening a lot lately."
"Maybe you are with child." Teal'c's voice was stoic, calm, unaware of the social faux pas he'd just made. "I recall Lieutenant Gray experiencing similar discomfort--"
Sam cleared her throat. "I'm sure it was just a badly-timed lunch."
Janet pointed at Sam. "I think you are right, Major." She put a hand over her stomach and took a few deep breaths. "Fresh air is different on this world."
Sam nodded. "Sometimes the differences are too small to notice. Other times... just be glad we don't have to deal with Colonel O'Neill complaining about it the entire time." She could still see his relief when General Hammond suggested Sam and Teal'c escort Janet to P43-228 on their own. His relief was shortlived when he realized the reason for his exclusion was a sit-down meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Sam had wished him a lot of fun as she went to gear up.
There were worse things in the world than sitting under an alien sky with two good friends. She could catch up on her sun, maybe read a little of the novel she had stored away in her pack, and basically just relax. Colonel O'Neill would be happy if he knew. He was always on her to relax more.
She led the way down the stone platform, eyeing the general area of the Stargate. "Why do so many cultures put their gates in fields?" Janet asked as she followed. "Even if they don't know what it does, I think it would make a nice display piece. St. Louis Arch, the Space Needle, Portal of the Gods."
Sam laughed. "Having them out in the open makes things easier on us. Less of a spectacle when we walk through." She stopped by the MALP. "The plants you saw on the UAV footage are about half a click from here. Feel like a hike, Doc?"
"Please." Janet hitched her pack higher onto her shoulders. "I run two miles every morning. I think I can handle a little walk."
"You run?" Sam and Janet fell into step next to each other. Janet nodded. "So do I. Maybe we could schedule it so that we could jog together sometime."
"That would be amazing. And if you're over at my house in the morning, you could help corral that wildebeest named Cassandra and get her to school."
Sam chuckled. "I would be glad to." She glanced back, worried they were leaving Teal'c out of the conversation. He was a few yards behind, keeping up with them and using his staff weapon as a walking stick. "How are you, Teal'c?"
"I am fine. Colonel O'Neill warned me of this."
Sam looked at Janet, their smiles fading. "Warned you of...?"
"The yakety-yak."
Janet had to cover her mouth to silence her laughter, and Sam's cheeks grew red as she turned back around. "We'll try to keep it to a minimum, Teal'c, we promise."
They continued on, talking about Cassandra and inane things until they reached the field Janet had seen on the video. She paused to take off her pack, turning so Sam could help her with the buckles and snaps. She scanned the field and then knelt down to begin going through her supplies. "We're going to have to harvest these while they're open, during the sunlight. I'll run some tests while you and Teal'c... y-you don't mind..."
"Not at all. Just tell us what to cut and what not to, and we'll be fine."
An hour into the harvesting process, Sam had shed her jacket and continued on in just her sleeveless undershirt. The work was monotonous enough for her mind to wander. She focused on odd things, like doing the dishes and eating breakfast. In the fantasies, she was never alone, but she couldn't quite make out the face of her companion. It would be nice, she thought, to have someone to do everyday things with. She was looking forward to doing her morning jog with Janet with absurd excitement.
She paused and wiped a hand across her forehead, leaving a streak of dirt behind. She looked back and saw that Janet had already started testing the first batch of plants harvested, sitting on her pack with the testing supplies on her lap like some sort of field medic. She had also taken off her uniform jacket, her olive drab baseball cap turned backward so she could use the microscope. Sam smiled at the sight and cut off another stalk.
The knife sliced through the meaty part of her hand. At first, she looked at the white line and told herself it wasn't too bad, that it didn't hurt at all. But then the blood welled up, and the pain arrived in a dull, rapid throb. "Ah..." She gripped her wrist with the other hand, trying to cut off the flow of blood as she turned around. "Janet... I had a little accident..."
Janet put down her supplies and hurried to Sam, getting to her just moments before Teal'c. "Oh, Sam. Didn't anyone tell you that you need your thumbs?"
"Well, it was just getting in my way."
"It won't need stitches. That's good, anyway." Janet pulled out some antiseptic and bandages. She used a small cloth to wash the wound, making sure there was no dirt or sap from the plants they were harvesting in the cut. "Little sting." She sprayed it and Sam hissed, wrinkling her nose as Janet wrapped the wound. "There you go. Good as new."
"Thank you."
"I think you got cocky, knowing there was a doctor on hand."
Sam smiled. "That must have been it." She opened and closed the hand to make sure her movement wasn't impaired and then thanked Janet once more.
"Just doing my job. Let me know if you need anything else." She squeezed Sam's arm and went back to her testing, and Sam returned to harvesting the plants. After another hour, Sam was dripping with sweat. She and Teal'c carried two bags back to where Janet was doing her examinations and she set aside her field lab. "Thank you both so much for helping out. Teal'c, if you could do me an additional favor?" He inclined his head slightly. "Could you take these that I've marked back to the SGC? I have a team waiting to do more detailed experiments with them."
"I would be happy to." He bowed to Sam before he gathered the bags Janet had prepared. "I will be back as soon as I can."
"No rush," Sam said. "We'll get some of that girl talk yakety-yak out of the way while you're gone."
Teal'c smiled, bowed to her, and started off across the field. Janet stood up and stretched. "While he's gone, I'll help you harvest some."
"Thank ya kindly, ma'am," Sam said, adopting a Southern accent. "It gets so hot out heah in the fields and my big strappin' husband is gone to war."
Janet fanned her face. "Well, ain't nothin' you wouldn't do for me, Miss Samantha. I do declare."
They both laughed as they began cutting stalks. They had only done a handful before Sam's radio came to life and she heard Teal'c's voice. He never sounded panicked, but now his clipped and urgent tone was as close as she'd heard him. "Major Carter, Doctor Fraiser!"
"Teal'c? What's wrong?"
"Approximately two-thirds of the way to the Stargate I encountered a sudden and intense downpour. I evaded the worst of it, but I fear it is approaching your position."
Sam looked to the sky, her lips parted to tell him that the sky around them was clear, but she saw the clouds rising over the tree line like a plume of smoke. "Oh, wow. We see it, Teal'c. Can you get to the Stargate?"
"I can."
"Get there and stay there until we give you the all clear." She looked and saw Janet was already running back to gather her things. "Janet and I will find shelter here. We'll radio the SGC when everything's clear. Carter out."
Sam ran to help Janet carry her things. Their supplies were scattered around the area Janet had made her lab, and Sam grabbed their jackets and the pup tent. "Come on! We'll take shelter by those rocks. They should protect us from the worst of the wind." They started running just as the storm entered the clearing. Like Teal'c said, it was almost an instantaneous change from daylight to deluge. They were instantly soaked, goosebumps rising on the skin exposed by their sleeveless tees. Sam wished she had a moment to put her jacket back on, but there would be time for that once they were bunkered down.
She looked back and saw a bizarre sphere of blue light lowering from the clouds. It hovered, shifting in shape from a perfect circle to an oblong, and then shot toward them. She shouted Janet's name and shoved her to the side, squeezing her eyes shut as the ball of light slammed into her. There wasn't a solid impact, but it seemed as if her every synapse stopped working for a half minute. She was thrown forward, her feet leaving the ground so that she landed in the mud in a graceless belly flop.
She was stunned, but she heard Janet shouting, "Eless!" An arm went around her waist and Sam managed to mutter that she was fine as she got back to their feet. She leaned heavily on Janet for the first few steps, but soon she got her legs back under her and was leading Janet to safety. They ducked under the slight curve of the tallest rock, which provided them a roof from most of the rain.
Sam put up the tent, creating a barrier against the wind and rain. Once it was secured, Janet turned her around. "Look at me. Right now, Sam."
The examination was quick, checking her pupils and her breathing before listening to her heart. "Your heartbeat is rapid, but I guess that's to be expected." Sam normally would have waved off the concern, but she'd never been struck by lightning. She couldn't calm down. She felt like she had absorbed the charge and now she had to expel it before she exploded.
She cupped Janet's face and kissed her. Janet made a surprised noise in her throat, her hands dropping to the shoulders of Sam's T-shirt. Just as Sam was about to end the kiss and begin the apologies, Janet tilted her head and parted her lips. Sam moaned as Janet's arms went around her neck, pulling her close as their tongues touched. Sam pushed her hands up into Janet's hair, yanking off the cap and dropping it to the ground before taking Janet's head in her hands again.
Rain water ran down their faces and mingled on their lips, dripping from the tips of their noses. Sam's hair was caught in her eyes as she opened them to look at Janet, trying to see any hint of uncertainty in her face. But Janet looked as eager as Sam felt, so she continued the kiss, pressing her body tighter against Janet's. Janet scrambled forward, straddling Sam's knees to sit on her lap.
When the kiss finally broke, Janet wiped away the mud that had spread across Sam's cheek in her fall. "Why?"
"Just now I thought I might die without ever doing that. I didn't want to wait another minute."
Janet smiled and hooked her finger under Sam's chin. This time their kiss was slow and romantic, Sam's hands dropping down to the small of Janet's back as they each explored the feeling of being kissed by their best friend. Janet's hands moved from Sam's shoulders to her breasts, and Sam felt the bizarre urge to apologize for the fact her nipples were hard. Janet squeezed, and Sam arched her back and whispered Janet's name without breaking the kiss.
Sam stroked Janet's belt like it was a map, around to the front of her trousers. She began to tug on the belt buckle, but Janet broke the kiss and whispered, "No."
"Sorry, I-I thought--"
"You're not wrong." Janet dropped her hand and guided it away. "But not here. Not squatting on our coats in a muddy field. I want to take the next step properly. Is that okay?"
Sam nodded. "Yes."
They kissed again, and Janet let her lips slide along Sam's cheek. She kissed Sam's neck, guiding Sam back to lean against the taut material of the tent. She licked Sam's earlobe. "When we get home."
"Mm-hmm."
"When we get back, I'm going to take you to my house. I'm going to take you to bed and undress you so slowly."
Sam closed her eyes and lowered her head, kissing the skin just above Janet's collar. Her skin tasted of sweat and rainwater, a tangy metallic taste that lingered in her mouth.
"I'm going to lay you down in my bed, and I'm going to take off my clothes for you. Then I-I..." Her voice caught and she licked her lips, her tongue skimming Sam's ear in the process. "I want you to put me down on the mattress and cover my body with yours. I want to feel you on top of me, I want to feel you naked."
"Yes." It was the only thing Sam could say, the only words her lips would comply to form. Even that one syllable was shaky. She could feel the stirrings of desire and need, her thighs pressed together because she couldn't spare a hand even to relieve the itch. She had to touch Janet as much as possible to make up for all the time they had lost.
Janet pulled back and looked into Sam's eyes, cupping her face. "I've wanted you for so long. When I saw you fall..."
"Shh." Sam kissed Janet's lips, their tongues meeting once more as their hands explored. Now that they knew it was just a prelude to the real thing, their movements became more relaxed. There was no urge to push things farther. Sam saw how Janet's breasts felt in her hands, while Janet kissed a trail down Sam's neck to the collar of her shirt and then shifted to kiss up the other side of her neck. Sam whispered, "Kiss me," and Janet muffled the second word with her lips, one hand against Sam's cheek.
Sam kissed her best friend, becoming more comfortable with the position. Her hands rested on Janet's back, flat against her shoulder blades, while Janet stroked Sam's breasts through her shirt. They pulled back and rested their foreheads together. "I'm going to make love to you."
A raindrop or a tear ran down Janet's face and she smiled. Sam kissed the corners of Janet's mouth. Before, she had contented herself with holding Janet's hand in the movies or linking their arms while they walked at the mall. Now that the line had been crossed, now that it was possible to kiss Janet whenever she wanted, she was afraid she would never stop.
The rain drummed against the side of their tent. They hadn't heard any further thunder or seen any flashes of lightning, but they had been distracted. Sam cleared her throat. "We probably shouldn't be like this when Teal'c comes back."
"Probably not."
They kissed once more before Janet withdrew, finding her cap in the mud and setting it to one side. She sat next to Sam, their backs against the side of the tent that was touching the stone wall. Sam held out her hand, and Janet laced their fingers together. They squeezed, and Sam reached up with her free hand to
wipe the sweat from her forehead. Eless wore a training keikogi, open at the collar. The legs of her pants were flared, her hands extended to either side as she moved from first position to second. Her right bare foot lifted into the air behind her as she leaned forward with her arms extended to either side. She heard the door open, but didn't bother looking. Inna's soft footsteps moved around the side of the mat and, soon enough, she was standing in front of Eless.
She wore an identical tunic, single-weave white cloth joined at mid-torso with a string tied around a wooden plug. Her hair was up, and she applauded politely. "Nice form."
"But what do you think of my exercise?" Eless asked.
Inna stepped onto the mat facing Eless. "Such a smart mouth in such a pretty face." She mimicked Eless' position with her arms extended.
They posed and stretched in companionable silence, occasionally pointing out when a position needed to be corrected. "Your left foot" or "Arms a little higher," were the only things passed between them. But their eyes never left one another. Eless admired the way Inna filled out her tunic, and Inna cast an appreciative gaze up and down Eless' body as she moved from one position to the next.
They were in the farthest section of the Stingray's tail, in the small gymnasium. The far wall was domed glass, showing them everything they had passed. During their single day of the year when they could actually enjoy the view, protocol allowed them to slow enough that they could see stars, passing solar systems, nebulas, and the various sights that the universe had to offer. The true reason was so they could photograph and send back images of things that were invisible from the Colonies, but it benefited everyone well.
Right now, to their left, a large gas giant was lazily transcribing a semi-circle across the dark sky. Eless could enjoy the full spectacle of the galaxy if she just turned her head to the left, but she couldn't take her eyes off the woman she had first seen in the Confederation Library. They had both still been in school, getting the knowledge they would need to even be considered as Crew. It was a double-edged sword. To be chosen required years of schooling. The dedication required to studies meant little time for a relationship. Those smart enough to be chosen didn't date, and those who dated seldom met the educational requirements.
"Excuse me."
"Oh. No, I'm sorry. Please, take it."
Eless took the book, reluctant to be the winner against this lovely woman. "I won't be long. Where are you sitting?"
"I just dropped in to get the book. I should get to class."
Eless had pressed the book against Inna's chest. "Then take it, please. I'll skip to another section until I get a chance to look at it."
"Thank you so much. I can make sure it goes to you. What's your name?"
"Elessan."
"Innasho."
Inna wore glasses then, before the Confederation officially endorsed them as Crew and paid for her eye surgery. That night Eless had been lying in bed thinking of the gorgeous woman she'd met in the library and yes, shamelessly masturbating as she rewrote the way they parted. She had been close to climax when there was a knock on the door.
She cursed on her way across the room, her bad mood evaporating when she saw the object of her fantasies standing in front of her. She held out the book they had both wanted.
"I didn't want to make you wait."
"Have dinner with me."
"Yes." A blush rising in her cheeks, relief flooding her features. She repeated herself just to make sure it was official. "Yes."
Inna broke into her reverie. "Do you want to resume our game after showering?"
"Sure. After that we can jog and do proper exercise."
"Sounds good to me."
Another pose. Stretching as she thought about their chess game waiting for them in what they called the Parlor. Inna soundly defeated her every time, but she still loved the games. It was a chance to occupy her mind with non-important strategy and calculations. It was a relief, even if she did end the game in second place.
She was about to declare an end to their session when a quiet alarm began to sound. She sighed and dropped back to a ready position. "It's like the Stingray can sense when we're starting to relax."
Inna laughed and followed Eless out of the room. A narrow corridor ran along the side of the tail, allowing them to make quick passage from the training room to the bridge. Eless arrived first thanks to her longer legs, and she tapped the screen on the main control console. "That's odd."
"What?"
"Nothing."
Inna raised an eyebrow.
"No, literally, there's nothing wrong. No obstacles or alerts. We're not picking up any radio signals." She tapped the screen twice more, and an image of the nearest planet appeared on the screen. She traced her finger along the upper curve of the
planet model. It turned under Isabel's fingertip, giving her the temporary sensation that she was moving the world. She could almost feel it moving under her feet and suffered a moment of vertigo. She closed her eyes and waited for it to pass before she released the... what was it called? Earth apple and examined the shape of its continents. She had to lean in close to read the small writing. It truly was a marvelous thing, a replica of Behaim's in Nuremburg.
The door opened and Mary entered. Isabel looked up, already smiling at the 'intrusion.' She gathered her dresses in her hand and moved quickly across the floor. "You've spoken to William?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Mary's face left little doubt. Isabel's smile faded. "And why, praytell, did he refuse me this time?"
"The same reason as ever. Your gender precludes you--"
"Damnation." She turned and stormed back toward the planet's model. She slapped the ocean, making the entire thing spin on its axis. She took a deep breath and exhaled it sharply. "I have all the training and twice the resolve of the men he's chosen for this journey. Simply because I lack an external sexual organ..."
Mary had crossed the room and placed her hands on Isabel's shoulders. "Women lack the stamina of a man. The strength necessary to--"
"Ridiculous claims. A woman could..." She pressed a hand to her temple as Mary began rubbing her shoulders. Her eyes closed as she leaned into her lady-in-waiting. "You will not distract me."
"No?" Mary brushed aside Isabel's blonde curls with the back of her hand. She kissed the back of Isabel's neck. "Your husband has been so distracted of late. Has anyone seen to your needs, m'lady?"
"You will be the death of me."
"I give you life."
Isabel turned and touched Mary's face. "I suppose there is some good in my request being denied. I doubt I could bear to be apart from you for the length of a sea voyage."
As they kissed, the doors to Isabel's private chamber opened. Isabel opened her eyes without breaking the kiss to see Anthony hesitating on the threshold. She stroked Mary's cheek and pulled away from her. "What is it, Anthony?"
"Begging your pardon, Signora. A message from your husband."
Mary rested her head on Isabel's shoulder. Anthony handed the paper to Isabel and she unfolded it with her free hand, embracing Mary with the other as she read. Her eyes widened and then darkened with anger. "He cannot be serious."
Anthony looked perterbed. "Signora?"
Isabel stepped away from Mary and tossed the message onto the floor. "Tell him he can hang. Tell him that he may have them if I bring them myself. Tell him that! Do not lighten my words."
"Yes, signora." He turned and fled.
Mary was stunned. "Isabel!"
"He requested my maps." Isabel's face was burning red, her nostrils flaring with each exhale. "The maps I slaved over. Countless hours examining other maps from countless sources, combined to make one that had a hope of--" She bit off her anger, folding both hands in front of her face as if in prayer. Mary embraced her from behind and Isabel released her anger on one tremulous breath.
"Damn his name," she said. "If he desires my maps so much, then he can invite me aboard his ship. He can let me join him so I can make a map of my own which I will gladly let him use."
Mary started to speak but then stopped.
"What?"
The silence stretched out until Isabel turned to face her. Mary looked conflicted. "He doesn't sail for another hour. If you were to make your way to the docks, I'm certain you could make your way aboard without anyone seeing you. Perhaps you could tell them you had a change of heart and wished to deliver the maps in person. Then you could hide aboard the ship. Once they were out at sea, they wouldn't waste the time just to drop you off."
Explaining the plan seemed to take all of Mary's strength. Isabel's eyes watered. "And then I would have my wish. But I would not see you for more than a year."
"A small price to pay for exploration. I will be waiting when you return." Her tears slipped free but she quickly brushed them away. "You must take the initiative, Isabel. He will never allow you on his ship by permission."
Isabel bent down and kissed Mary's eyelids, tasting the tears caught in the lashes. She took Mary's hands and whispered, "Come with me."
"To the ship?"
"No." She walked Mary to the door. "Join me in my husband's chambers."
"Your marriage bed? Isabel, I could not--"
"You've earned it more than he ever has." She brought Mary's hand to her lips and kissed her knuckles. Mary hesitated at the threshold and then followed Isabel into the corridor. Isabel's heart throbbed against her ribs, sweat beading on her flesh as they broke into a run. By the time they reached the chambers Isabel shared with her husband, they were both laughing. Isabel scooped Mary into her arms, her wide dress rising like a flower in bloom as she was tossed onto the mattress. Isabel climbed on top of her and they came together for a long, searing kiss.
Isabel opened her eyes
at the sound of static. The rain had stopped falling as hard, diminishing to a slow patter against the exposed side of their tent. Janet was curled in Sam's lap, her head on Sam's shoulder as she slept. Sam put her cheek to Janet's forehead, forgetting briefly what had disturbed her own sleep until the radio made noise again.
"Carter, do you read?"
"Janet. Wake up." She reached for the radio as Janet stirred. "Carter here, sir."
"Thank God. You and Fraiser okay?"
Sam let Janet climb off of her before answering. "Yes, sir. The storm was pretty heavy there for a while. I... sort of got hit by lightning."
"You what?"
Sam winced. "I'm fine, sir. Janet checked me out and I'm no worse for wear."
She could hear the irritation in his voice. "Well, apparently this planet has some pretty heavy storms that the UAV neglected to tell us about."
"Sir, to be fair to the sensors, that storm was moving impossibly fast. It might have been out of even the UAV's range when we sent it through ten hours ago."
"Yeah, well, as long as we're all in one piece. Teal'c and I are coming back. We've got a damage trail here, looks like a tornado passed through. Everything okay on your end?"
Sam pushed open the tent and climbed out. "Oh, my God."
The entire field of medicinal plants had been razed, leaving behind only a wide swath of dark brown dirt and broken stems. Janet joined her and gasped at the sight.
"Carter?"
"Sir, the... the field of possible medicinal plants Janet was harvesting is-is just gone." Janet had walked past her and knelt at the edge of what had once been a field. "The storm destroyed everything."
"We'll be there in about five minutes. Sit tight."
"Yes, sir. Carter out." Sam knelt beside Janet and put a hand on her back. "I'm so sorry."
Janet was looking down at the dirt and shook her head. "We got a lot of good samples. The SGC will have enough for testing, at least. If we find anything useful, maybe we can find seedlings or more fields like this elsewhere on the planet. Hell, we may even find a way to reproduce the plant on Earth. I said I wanted as many samples as possible. I got my wish. And now we get to go home."
She took Sam's hand, and Sam realized what she was saying. "Home."
Janet smiled and quickly pecked Sam's lips. They stood up together and began searching the wreckage for any signs of undamaged stalks or seeds. Four minutes later, give or take, Sam heard Colonel O'Neill's shout coming from the tree line. She turned around
and shouted for water. People were racing in every direction, some of them looking for safety while others wanted to help but simply didn't know how. Gwendolyn shouted furiously at them and drew the sword from her scabbard, racing across the courtyard to the burning stable. She could hear the horses screaming within, a sound that tore at her soul. The doors were tied shut with a cord and she sliced through it with her blade just as the flames reached the hay.
Gwendolyn lifted her tunic to cover her face as she made her way to the first stall. The horse reared back and she called to it, calming it as she opened the gate and stepped to one side. She waited to make sure it was safely away before she moved to the next stall. She looked toward the door and, through the haze of flame and smoke, saw Cadence, the physician's wife, appear like a mirage. Cadence grabbed Gwendolyn's arm. "Patrick!"
Gwendolyn nodded. It was no trick to make her voice sound husky considering the amount of smoke she'd inhaled. "Take the far side! I'll free these."
Cadence nodded and they separated. More townspeople appeared with buckets of water, trying to keep the fire from spreading to the nearby structures. Gwendolyn did her best to avoid their sloppy throws; the gum holding the whiskers to her chin and lip was good, but it wouldn't stand up to a full drenching. Her hair, cut into a bowl, soon became dark from soot and smoke.
The last horse was freed, and Gwendolyn pushed Cadence toward the door. "Go! I'm straight behind you!"
They ran together. Gwendolyn spotted the movement from the roof, and her first thought was that a burning beam was falling toward them. She put a hand in the center of Cadence's back and shoved, taking the brunt of the hit herself. It was only just before impact that she realized it was nothing more than a bizarre sphere of blue light. It impacted her body and made her limbs go numb, causing her to fall to the ground.
"Help me, you cows!" Cadence shouted. Strong hands gripped Gwendolyn under her arms and dragged her from the burning stables. By the time she was in the fresh air, she was able to walk again. She pulled away from the men dragging her, assuring them she was fine as she turned to survey the damage. The horses were being rounded up, spooked but alive, and people were thanking Gwendolyn as they raced by for more water.
Of course, they didn't call her by the name given by her parents. She was Patrick de Clark, son of a nobleman. She brought her hand up on the pretense to wipe soot from her skin, but in reality she pressed her mustache and goatee tighter against the gum. She didn't want it falling off in the middle of the melee.
Cadence approached her, unseen in the fracas until she was close enough to touch. She smiled and said, "That first horse that you rescued, his name is Thunder. He was the last thing given to me by my husband before he went off to fight the Crusades." She looked like she wanted to say more, but she quickly stretched onto her toes and pressed her lips to the corner of Gwendolyn's mouth. Gwendolyn closed her eyes, enjoying the all-too fleeting press of a woman's lips against her own.
"Thank you," Cadence said.
"The pleasure was mine, m'lady."
She watched Cadence walk away, moving to help those fighting the flames, and absently touched her cheek. "We're at the edge." Gwendolyn frowned and turned toward the voice. No one was standing behind her. The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. Her hand tightened around the grip of her sword. "What? Show yourself." She stepped closer to the
console to confirm Inna's findings. She couldn't bring herself to believe it, not unless she saw it with her own eyes. Inna pointed with a trembling finger.
"We're not all the way there," she corrected herself. "But another week's journey and we'll be at The Edge of the universe."
Eless looked at the readings, and Inna hugged her from behind. She squeezed Eless' waist as she confirmed the information, and then looked toward the glass as if she could see the edge. "My God. I... was starting to think we would never see it."
Inna released her and moved to the tertiary controls. "We'll postpone returning to stasis. No reason for us to go to sleep just to wake up in seven days. We'll send back reports every day." Her smile seemed permanently attached to her face. "We've made it, love. We did it."
"In a week, we'll have done it."
Inna sighed. "You're such a perfectionist."
Eless shrugged. "It's a good thing we waited to send today's report."
Inna laughed and nodded.
Eless looked at her partner and said, "Hey." Inna looked up. "We're going to be out of our stasis pods for a week. We can sleep together."
Inna's expression softened. "Oh, my God. The whole night."
"Yes."
She crossed the bridge and kissed her wife. They were going to reach The Edge, and they had an entire week to spend together. Eless truly didn't know which she was more excited about. She stroked her lover's face and felt tears. "Inna?"
"Sorry. I swore I would never tell you this. But it hurts me. Spending one day out of every two on my own, it's painful. There are days when I have to order the drones to lock your room so I won't wake you early. And now I get seven. Seven whole days with you. I'm just so happy."
Eless pressed her forehead to Inna's. "My darling. I'm so sorry. I had no idea."
"It's okay. I knew what I signed up for. One day shouldn't be... but every day I see you, I know that I won't see you tomorrow. That I didn't see you yesterday. I miss you so much during those days that I almost can't bear it."
Eless' mind worked. After five full minutes of holding Inna, she finally broke their silence. "Then let's stop."
Inna stepped back. "What?"
"We're at The Edge. We were told there are two options. We either go beyond the line, or we turn around and go home. I've aged a year since we left, and you've aged two. So on the way back, wake me up when you wake up. We'll have two days together instead of just one. No one will have to know. It'll save energy."
"But you... protocols..."
"Fuck the protocols."
The crude, ancient language made Inna blink in surprise. "Love."
"I can't bear the thought of you being alone on the ship. So from now on, whatever happens in a week, wake me up. I want every moment with you."
Inna nodded. "Yes, Commander."
Eless grinned. "I want you
to see this." Isabel sat up, letting the blankets fall away to expose her breasts. Mary was lying beside her, just as nude, and watched as Isabel withdrew a sheaf of papers from the bedside table. She pushed herself up as Isabel spread the pages over the bed in front of them. She put her head on Isabel's shoulder, arms around her as she looked at the painstakingly inked drawings. "Your maps."
"Yes. Do you see?"
Mary brushed her fingers over the parchment. "You draw so beautifully. I cannot make heads or tails of these drawings, let alone understand how someone could use them to navigate something as wide and unchanging as the sea."
Isabel kissed her lady's hair. "I suppose you'll never make it as a sailor, love. Look. Have you ever stood on the shore and looked at the ocean? Have you ever watched a ship sail away?"
"Mm-mm."
"They shrink, but they also seem to melt. The bottom half first, then the sails, and the crow's-nest. Look." She picked up a piece of charcoal and smeared her fingers as she drew on her map. "Do you see? The land curves downward from England. And out, here." She drew more curving lines. "Do you see?"
"No."
Isabel closed her eyes. "The sailors have known this for ages. The world is not a dish, it is not an inverted bowl. I believe that anyone sailing west will one day arrive in the east."
Mary furrowed her brow. "Well, of course. Because the world is rounded, as a ball."
"Correct. Like Behaim's Earth apple. But I have observed..." She turned over one sheet and drew a circle in the middle. "The world we live upon is a circle. The moon and sun are circles." She drew two more, one on either side of the planet. "We know that they move, we all move in the sky." She sketched out the paths. "They orbit us."
"Yes."
"No."
Mary sat up. "Yes, of course they do."
"Why would they?"
"Because we..."
Isabel smiled at the way her voice trailed off. "The moon is to Earth as we both are to the sun. A smaller body caught up in the pull of another. The sun is the center, and we circle it. Everything is a circle, is an orbit. Everything comes 'round again."
Mary was blinking. When she spoke again, her voice was hushed. "You must not speak of this to anyone, Isabel." She took the charcoal from her fingers and scribbled out the drawing. "Do you have any idea what they would do to you if--"
"I know." She gripped Mary's hands, squeezing them and smearing charcoal over the delicate white flesh. "I was telling you because I want to share it with you. That is why I am so determined to go to sea with my husband. I want to see the curvature of the planet with my own eyes. If I can see it, perhaps I can--"
"Blaspheme? Have yourself put in the stockade until you--"
"I will not speak out. I'm hardly an astronomer." She licked her lips. "I just want to know. I want to see the truth for myself, even if I can't speak of it to anyone."
"Except for me."
Isabel smiled. "Yes. Save you." She leaned in and kissed her lady's lips again. Her lady-in-waiting, who had taught her to dance and speak French. The woman who had taught her to give pleasure to a man, and how to gain her own pleasure. "Would that I could hold the world in my hand and deduce all of its mysteries... I would do it just so I could share them with you, my love."
Mary grinned and lowered herself to the bed. "Have your way with me, missus."
Isabel ran her fingers up the inside of Mary's thigh, pushing her legs apart. She was already wet again, or perhaps still wet from their last encounter. She parted Mary's labia with two fingers and leaned down. Mary had demonstrated with a sliced peach at their dining table, and now Isabel couldn't eat one without blushing. She brushed the soft hair with her cheek and then extended her tongue to tease and taste her lady.
She used her fingers as she imagined Mary, backlit by the kitchen window, sliding her tongue through the meat of the fruit. She closed her eyes as she stroked with her tongue and tips of her fingers. Mary was soon moaning, writhing as Isabel pressed her mouth tighter against her slick center. Mary was close to climax when there was a rapid knock on the door and Anthony burst in unbidden.
Isabel ignored the intrusion, ignored the sound of soft shoes running on stone and the doors being pulled shut again. Mary came quickly thereafter, pushing Isabel's head against her as she writhed. When she was finished, Isabel kissed Mary's stomach and then the rosy tip of each breast. She rested her face against Mary's upper chest, smearing her sweat together with Mary's as she reluctantly called out for Anthony.
The door opened again, slower this time. Isabel resisted the urge to snap at him. "What information is so important you would disturb me like this?"
He swallowed a lump in his throat. "I'm sorry, Signora. But your husband... he gave me an urgent message. If you insist that you go where your maps go, then he is willing to accept the offer. But you must leave immediately if you are to reach the boat before they set sail."
Isabel sat up and looked at Mary with wide eyes. A year's journey, at least. If she survived the trip at all. This could be the last time she ever saw her lover. Her lady. She touched Mary's cheek.
"You must go. If you refuse now, he will forever use it as an excuse to deny you."
"I can't
believe this is happening." They were both breathing heavily, still dizzy from their kiss. Janet stroked Sam's hair and thrust her hips forward. Sam had her index fingers curled in the belt loops of Janet's jeans, pulling her closer. "Tell me this is happening."
"It's happening." Janet kissed Sam's mouth. "You're going to take me to the bedroom and you're going to undress me, and you're going to make love to me." She groaned, baring her teeth in an almost canine snarl. "And you're going to do it soon."
Sam kissed Janet and guided her down the hall without breaking the kiss. Without the rain diluting Janet's taste, Sam was able to explore the true texture of Janet's mouth. She sucked the tip of Janet's tongue and ran her own tongue along Janet's bottom lip. They whispered instructions, like Janet telling Sam to be careful of the buttons on her blouse while Sam told Janet to take off her belt. At the bedroom, Janet opened the door and turned so that she was pulling Sam inside. She couldn't manage a spoken invitation, so it was as close as she could get. Sam pushed the door shut with a flick of her fingers, immediately returning her hand to Janet's body. Their clothes fell away and Sam dropped down. She kissed Janet's chest, moaning in spite of herself as she ran her tongue over the rough lace of her bra.
Sam knelt and kissed a line across Janet's stomach. Her skin was warm, and Sam put her hands on the small of Janet's back and felt the dimples above her ass, the waistband of her panties and jeans. She couldn't stop thinking it was like a dream, like some fantasy conjured up and brought to life in a vivid hallucination. She stroked Janet's skin before unbuttoning her jeans. Janet made a sharp, surprised noise and then whispered, "It's okay, don't stop. Don't stop."
Her pants were lowered and Sam stared at Janet's underwear. She could see a hint of the dark hair through the pattern and her mouth became dry. She ran her hand up the inside of Janet's thigh and cupped her, looking up as she began to rub. Janet's mouth was open, her eyes closed, one hand on Sam's shoulder to keep from falling as she bent her knees to open her legs wider. She could feel Janet's wetness on her fingers. She withdrew her hand and took the finger into her mouth, moaning as she tasted Janet.
She stood and pressed herself against Janet. She slid her hands down to the back of Janet's thighs, and Janet jumped. Sam took her weight, and Janet wrapped her legs around Sam's waist. She hooked her ankles together as Sam walked her to the bed. She lowered Janet gently to the mattress, going down with her. The sight of Janet made Sam weak, the tanned skin and the light purple underwear. Janet's hair fanned out behind her head, and she was breathing heavily as she watched Sam watch her.
Sam unbuttoned the blouse she had worn to dinner and shrugged it off. Her bra was black, and she reached back to undo it and let it fall away. Janet had seen her naked before, but Sam hoped doing it like this would be different. Judging from the way Janet's eyes widened, it was. Sam straddled Janet's thighs, the dress she had worn just for the novelty of it fanning out to cover Janet from knee to hip.
She bent down as Janet rose up, kissing as Sam finally reached back to undo Janet's bra. She ran her fingers over Janet's shoulders and down her arms, guiding the underwear away before she looked down. She sucked in a breath at the sight of Janet's breasts and she closed her eyes, licking her lips as she cupped them with her hands. "Janet..."
"It's okay... take as long as you need, sweetheart."
Sam held Janet's breasts, tracing the nipples with her thumbs as she began to rock her hips. Janet's nipples rose in response to her touch and Sam looked at Janet's face to watch her pleasure. She bent down and kissed Janet's slack lips, causing her to moan happily.
"I looked up some things online." Janet's lips curled into a smile. "I-I mean, I wanted to do this right. But I don't know what you... l-like. Do you want me to rub against you like this, or use my fingers? O-or I could use my tongue."
"To do what, baby?"
Sam blushed. "On your..."
"Say it..."
"On your pussy." Sam swallowed. She thought that word might be a little crude, but Janet shivered against her. "Do you want me to use my tongue to make you come?"
"Maybe the second time." Janet put her hands on Sam's ass, biting her bottom lip as she guided Sam's thrusting. "Lift up your right leg..." They shifted positions, Janet guiding their bodies until their legs were scissored. She pulled Sam close and groaned as she felt Sam's panties brush against hers.
"Oh, God..."
"Rock your hips like you were..."
"Janet, I don't know if I..."
"It's okay. It's okay."
Sam began to move. Janet met her rhythm, lifting her head until they were looking into each other's eyes. Sam touched Janet's face. "We're making love."
Janet moaned. "Yes, baby, we are..."
"I want to... do this a lot."
Janet laughed and pulled Sam to her. "Well, twist my arm... don't stop. Just like that, m'lady. Isabel, oh..."
Sam kissed Janet's hair. "Fuck... Mary..."
Neither of them paid attention to the names, too focused on giving each other pleasure. Janet teased Sam's nipple, pinching it between her thumb and forefinger as Sam arched her back. "Touch me..."
"Where?" Janet kissed Sam's neck.
"Fuck. Everywhere. I don't care."
Janet laughed and sucked Sam's neck. "You taste like electricity... my little lightning bolt."
Sam moaned and buried her fingers in Janet's hair. Their lower bodies pressed together, somehow more intimate than actually having someone inside of her. She rolled her head back and came, muttering an apology as she pressed hard against Janet. "Sorry, I'm sorry... I'm sorry, Janet. I'm sorry."
Janet stroked Sam's face and shushed her, holding her until she stopped trembling. "What the hell are you sorry for?"
"Finishing."
Janet laughed. "Honey... we're going to do this a lot more than once. That was just the first time."
Sam looked at Janet and then reached down, slipping her hand into Janet's panties. "Actually, it was half the first time." Her face burned like she was staring into the sun as Janet arched her back and whimpered. "Come for me, Janet. I want you..."
Janet gripped Sam's wrist, holding her in place as Sam's fingers moved inside her. Sam gasped at the feeling and then began to thrust gently. Janet tightened around her and Sam cried out in surprise. But she recovered quickly, her mouth hanging open as she touched Janet. Her free arm went around Janet's shoulders and she squeezed her eyes shut as she
tossed Cadence down, following her onto the mattress as she unfastened her trousers. Their kiss was hungry and primal, teeth and tongues fighting for dominance as Gwendolyn tore away Cadence's blouse to reveal her full breasts. They rose and fell with each breath as she supported herself on her elbows. "My husband..."
"Is gone. As I will be, soon." She had volunteered to join the Crusades, knowing that distance was the only thing that would keep fair Cadence from her mind. But their goodbye had been far too passionate, and neither was certain which of them had prompted this. "I could die, or it could be years before we're together again. I wish for you to remember me."
They kissed and Cadence seemed to collapse, pulling Gwendolyn down on top of her. Gwendolyn couldn't control her strength. She squeezed Cadence's breast hard enough to bruise it, clothing tore rather than opening as it was meant to. Gwendolyn, well aware that what they were doing was a sin, pushed herself up. "Hit me."
"I don't--"
"Hit me in the face."
Cadence struck Gwendolyn hard with one fist, then the other. She sobbed and stroked her cheek, but the sting remained. Gwendolyn pushed Cadence's legs apart and shoved her dress up. She planned to simply use her hand, but she became so distracted by Cadence's wet sex that she forgot herself. By the time she realized Cadence had one hand in her trousers, it was too late.
"No! God damn you, no..."
Cadence's fingers stroked nothing, brushing through thick pubic hair before reaching the sensitive folds below. Gwendolyn closed her eyes, certain the punches would be real now... but then Cadence began to stroke. Gwendolyn opened her eyes in shock, and Cadence smiled at her.
"My dear Patrick. Did you think I did not know?"
She curled her fingers
in the bed sheets and arched up to meet Sam's hand. Janet threw her head back, and Sam bent down to kiss her neck. Janet went rigid when she came, breathing in quick bursts through her nostrils before she suddenly went limp. It was as if she'd exhaled all of the air in her and became a balloon devoid of life.
Sam guided Janet down to the bed, kissing her the entire way until they were lying together in a nest of blankets. "I think I'm still in that lightning bolt," Sam whispered, keeping her lips against Janet's as she spoke. "I think this is something my brain created to keep active while you try to save my life."
"Maybe," Janet whispered. She stroked Sam's hair and then turned her head. "Can we nap? Before we try that again?"
Sam was glad Janet made the suggestion. She wanted to sleep with Janet, to wake up in her arms. She kissed Janet's eyelids. "Yes." She rolled to the side, and Janet curled against her. She kissed the top of
Inna's head, stroked her back, and looked at the drone crawling up the wall. "Lights." Inna murmured in her sleep and Eless quieted her as the overhead lights dimmed. They were naked, curled together in the bed Inna used when she wasn't in stasis. The ship drifted forward through the expanse of
water, rising and falling with the waves. Isabel returned from the private quarters, her skin flush. She was dressed in men's clothing, a fact that their stowaway had found too alluring to pass up. A brief visit had turned into a raucous lovemaking session that would likely have drawn sirens to them rather than the other way around. She went to the forecastle and stood with one hand on the railing as she looked out to sea. The world curved, and she smiled to observe just how wide the angle was. Circles, orbits, it all goes 'round and 'round.
The sky was angry with clouds, so she looked up to see if the storm was truly brewing. At the top of the mast, St. Elmo's fire had coalesced into a tremulous ball of light. She was about to call out, to ask if it was always that shape, when the light swept down and came right at her. She didn't even have time to scream as the light passed through her body and knocked her off her feet. She tumbled over the rail, her screams unheard as she plunged into the
chest of the other fighter. Gwendolyn, now Sir Patrick to her comrades, swept the fine edge of her sword around and cut into the side of the now-dead man's comrade. The fighting raged all around her, spears and blades clanging together as sweat poured from each man. Gwendolyn had long ago given up applying her beard. There was more than enough dirt and soot on her face to conceal the softer, feminine lines of her features.
She shouted a battle cry as she surged forward, unaware of the knight still stirring by her feet. He spoke a word in his language and she turned as he pressed the tip of his spear into the soft flesh of her stomach. Her eyes widened and he used the last of his strength to shove it deeper, burying it in her as he fell away dead. Gwendolyn gripped the shaft of the spear as she fell backward and landed
with a jerk, startling Janet awake. "Baby? Sweetheart, what is it?"
"I had a nightmare," Sam whispered. Her heart was racing as she swept her short hair out of her face and looked down at Janet's naked body. She touched Janet's breast. "I guess when my real life is this good, there's nothing left in my head to make good dreams."
Janet chuckled and pulled Sam down for a kiss. Sam moved her hand
to the panel next to the door and stepped through. In their week together, she and Inna had only spent a fraction of it making love. There were chess games, races, exercise sessions, reports sent back to the Colonies - the first time in history that a week's worth of reports were sent all in a row; the Confederation would have been having a fit - and so many meals they had run out of things to talk about. Inna was convinced that she was now informed of every formative moment of Eless' life, and Eless knew that she could identify all of Inna's brothers and sisters on sight. Their week together, an uninterrupted week where they slept together and woke up together, had done something Eless thought not only impossible, but unnecessary.
She and Inna had fallen in love again.
Now they were all professional. They walked to the consoles, assuming their stations as the ship neared The Edge. Eless' heart was pounding as she looked at it. Some people had doubted it even existed. There were schisms in the Colony about what, if anything, it meant. How could space have an edge? Then again, how could it continue on forever?
Eless believed that nature abhorred edges. It was humanity that drew borders and boxed things in. But she knew in her heart that this was real, from the moment the mission had been announced. The Earth was not flat, it was round. And she believed the universe was round as well. She didn't think The Edge was a real ending. She thought it was like the atmosphere. One last barrier before the next thing.
A human ship flying to The Edge was like ants flying to the thermosphere of The Planet, before its destruction. This was just the next line humanity had to cross. To the moon, to Mars, out of the solar system. She thought of those first explorers in their boxy ships. The Prometheus and the Odyssey, ships pasted together and then shot out into the ether.
And now, they were taking the next step.
"I'm scared."
Eless turned to Inna and smiled. "Thanks for saying it first."
Inna dipped her chin. "Captain Innasho, ready."
"Commander Elessan, ready." She swallowed and guided the ship forward manually. An alert began to sound. "No distress."
"No distress," Inna confirmed. The alert quieted, but a red light appeared on the display.
Eless was shaking. They had confirmed their intention to do this in their last message back to the Colonies. If all went well, they would send another report as soon as possible. If something went wrong, they had said the appropriate farewells in the final broadcast. Inna turned her station to automatic and walked over to join Eless at her station. She covered Eless' hand.
"Together."
"Like everything else," Eless said. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
The Stingray, Explorer Eight, eased forward. Eless and Inna both closed their eyes as they crossed that invisible barrier, when black nothingness turned to gray and then
Mary tightened the blanket around a sodden Isabel's shoulders, helping to warm her after the other sailors pulled her from the water. They kissed without paying heed to who was watching and
Cadence looked up as the doors to her room opened, pressing her lips together so they wouldn't tremble as she saw Gwendolyn, Sir Patrick de Clark, limp inside. She rose from her chair and ran to her love, ignoring the pleas to be careful of the wound as she embraced the woman she loved. Gwendolyn put both arms around Cadence and kissed her ear as
Sam woke just long enough to pull the blankets up over herself and Janet. Janet nuzzled closed to Sam's body and said something about being cold as she slipped back into her dream. Sam kissed Janet's eyebrow and
Eless' jaw dropped, her eyes open wide as her mind was thrown back. A multitude of names, all of them her own. Neri, Talitha, Daisy, Samantha, Alaina, Marilyn, Delores, Helen, Yvette, Dorothy, Isabel, Patrick, Gwendolyn, Dionne. The strange energy of the barrier wrapped around Eless and designated her as the commander of the vessel. It wrapped around her body and sought stretched backwards. She knew she was being judged, she knew her lives were being weighed and measured. Her mind raced back along with the energy and she saw thousands of years of life, herself in each one being touched by the energy of The Edge. And in every life, she saw
Inna's face was streaked with tears as she remembered. Lives joined together in her soul, an old soul that stretched back thousands of years. Her names were Begnet, Ben Muman, Janet, Irene, Uasal, Amelia, Annabella, Esther, Inger, Mary, Cadence, Saul, Leonara, Siobhan. And in every life, she saw
Eless reached out and gripped Inna's hand, their fingers lacing together as the Stingray slipped through the barrier to whatever awaited them on the other side.