The Amelioration Expedition
Chapter 5
Captain McKillum had confided to Marlin that, while commanding a research ship had never been his dream, he had been inspired by Donte and his team. He had been a ten-year-old boy when Donte visited Oriel and, since his father had been the lawyer for Purlieu and his grandparents had housed them, he remembered all the controversy surrounding the trial. After that, he dreamed of traveling to new planets and starting colonies like they had on Purlieu. He said those were the dreams of a child and reality provided another picture. Most flights were uneventful, following a regimented routine. He had lost his youthful enthusiasm until he was instructed to stop at Purlieu and pick up "the legendary Donte."
Marlin could appreciate his enthusiasm, even though she didn't share it, so when they docked the Spero near Purlieu she understood his excitement. It was actually kind of cute the way he couldn't stop grinning when he told them that Purlieu had dispatched a shuttle and it was approaching the Spero. It was like watching a child anticipate his first bicycle.
Marlin's mood was nothing less than apprehensive. Everyone turned their attention to the docking door when a man in a dark blue uniform with a gold insignia on the upper arm stepped through. It crossed Marlin's mind that Donte wasn't nearly as tall as she had expected. Then she realized that the uniformed man wasn't Donte. Of course; Donte was no longer the Ruler of Bergen, so he wouldn't be wearing the uniform. The next person through the door was definitely Donte. He stood nearly a head taller than the first man and he was dressed in dark gray trousers and shirt. He was lean and lithe. Both men were solemn as they approached the group.
Marlin had seen enough pictures of Donte to recognize him, but she was shocked at his youthful appearance. At sixty, Donte looked closer to thirty. The pictures in history books didn't do him justice. Donte had a graceful way of moving that enhanced a perfect physique. His face was smooth, void of any hair but long dark eyelashes and expressive brows. His eyes were a beautiful dark blue with lighter highlights. His lips were full, well defined and masculine with a pronounced cupid's bow. His features were flawless. To say he was good looking was an understatement. Looking good didn't make him good any more than being ugly made a person bad.
The blond man with a graying beard offered a hand to Captain McKillum.
"I'm Gerritt, the ruler of Bergen," he said.
His attitude certainly couldn't be described as lofty, but it wasn't the casual introduction that Donte was known for, either. Captain McKillum shook Gerritt's hand, obviously forcing himself to keep his attention on the high official until he was introduced to Donte.
"It's an honor to meet you. I'm Captain McKillum."
Gerritt indicated Donte. "This is Donte, my second."
Captain McKillum gripped the hand Donte offered, unable to contain a grin. "I'm delighted to meet you, Monomi."
For a moment, Donte looked startled, but he recovered quickly and smiled. "Donte," he corrected. "McKillum…are you related to Lovita and John?"
Captain McKillum couldn't stop grinning. "Yes. They were my grandparents. "Jason McKillum is my father."
Donte frowned. "Were?"
Captain McKillum sobered. "Yes. I guess you hadn't heard. My grandparents passed away a couple years ago."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Donte said. He looked at Gerritt. "We stayed with his grandparents on Oriel and his father was our defense attorney." His attention returned to Captain McKillum. "I'm pleased to meet you." Donte had an accent, but he spoke the language better than Gerritt.
Gerritt nodded stiffly. "We are all in your debt." His gaze indicated Donte and returned to Captain McKillum. "Whatever he wants, if you cannot provide it, we will. We wish to be kept informed on a regular schedule."
Donte looked uncomfortable. Gerritt was making it clear that Donte was valuable to them and they considered him on loan only.
Gerritt spoke with a thick accent, obviously not comfortable with the language, but Donte's accent was mild, complementing his deep voice. Marlin felt instantly drawn to him. That was caused by the pheromones he exuded. Donte was a mix, having a combination of different animal genes. Her research had revealed that mixing increased pheromones. She steeled herself against their effects.
"Yes sir," Captain McKillum said. He shifted his attention to the team and began introducing them.
Marlin suppressed a groan. Captain McKillum had addressed Donte, incorrectly, as Monomi, yet he used the term sir to address Gerritt, who was Donte's superior. Of course, Donte had corrected Captain McKillum. Maybe he didn't know how to address either of them.
Captain McKillum continued the introductions. "This is Dr. Oriana. I'm sure you remember her."
Gerritt shook her hand. "I have heard much about you."
One by one, Captain McKillum introduced each of them to the six expedition members, saving Marlin for last. She said nothing until she was introduced.
She shook Gerritt's hand and smiled at him. "It's nice to meet you."
When Donte offered a hand, she blurted out what she had rehearsed. It was best he knew who she was from the start.
"Captain Pacilio was my grandfather," she announced.
The smile disappeared from Donte's face, but he continued to hold his hand out to her. She finally accepted. To do otherwise would embarrass the other members of the team.
The moment his palm touched hers, she had the sickening sensation of falling. She jerked her hand from his and gasped.
He looked bewildered for a moment. "Are you a seer?"
She frowned up at him. "I'm a psychic."
His gaze sought Dr. Oriana, no doubt searching for the meaning of the word.
Dr. Oriana looked at Marlin before shifting her attention to Donte. "She senses things – kind of like you, but events before they happen. What happened?"
He didn't answer her; his attention shifting back to Marlin. "Who is going to fall - and where?"
Marlin frowned. Had she shared his vision or had he shared hers? "Why would I know any more than you would?"
His gaze was steady on hers, his expression more paternal than anything else. He wasn't her father or her superior – in any way. She lifted her chin and met his gaze defiantly.
His eyes suddenly flooded with humor and a smile turned up the corners of his mouth. He looked at Dr. Oriana, finally answering her question.
"When our palms touched, I had the sensation that I was falling. It was a little like when Celyn and I connected, only then I was flying."
Marlin recognized the name Celyn, but it took a moment to remember how she fit into Donte's history. Celyn was the princess of Anialwch; Donte's prophesied connection. The history books hadn't said how they worked together. Maybe they didn't know. Being thrown in the company of Donte might at least provide her with information that wasn't available on Oriel. She might even be able to write and sell a book on the subject.
One of the crew approached them and spoke in a quiet voice to Captain McKillum. He nodded and the man left. Marlin couldn't hear what they were saying, and from the expressions of everyone but Donte, she assumed they couldn't either. Donte glanced at Gerritt and said something in a language that was faintly familiar. She was certain Donte heard what the man had said. Did the animal genes give him better hearing? She'd have to be careful about that. It was one more thing for her book.
Within minutes, they knew what the conversation was about. A man in a light green uniform approached them from the landing bay area. He must have been asking for permission to board the spaceship. The man went directly to Donte and bowed from the waist.
Of all the…. Marlin rolled her eyes and groaned. Gerritt was the ruler. Why didn't the man bow to Gerritt? A glance at Gerritt revealed only interest in their conversation.
Captain McKillum gave her a stern look. It appeared that everyone was going to support Donte, no matter how outrageous his actions.
Since the man spoke to Donte in a language no one on the Spero knew, it was impossible to know what they were discussing. Donte shook his head and responded in what sounded like the same language.
The man leaned his head forward slightly in another bow and responded. Turning back toward the bay, he walked away.
Captain McKillum lifted a brow at Donte.
Donte shrugged. "He was sent from the spaceship Baigh. He's a Premier Infantry troop and he was offering to go with us. I said I wasn't in charge, but I personally didn't think we needed military assistance."
More like he didn't think he needed a personal body guard. Why all the fuss? Even the ruler of Bergen appeared to put more value on Donte's life than his own. It wasn't like any of them were all that important. Bergen was a colony on a primitive planet, not a sophisticated country with millions of subjects. From what she had read, Purlieu didn't even have a monetary system, so they literally had no money.
Gerritt shook Donte's hand and said something in their language. The only word Marlin understood was Monomi. The history books said that was a term used from one Mascot to another in high office. Well, if Donte was Gerritt's second, that put Donte in a high office, but Gerritt wasn't a Mascot. These people were still worshiping the Mascots as if they were a higher life form. Oh man. This was going to be an interesting expedition if Donte expected to be treated that way. She wasn't going to do it. Would the others?
***
Donte was intrigued by Marlin. It wasn't merely her psychic abilities, although that was something he'd like to explore further. Marlin had a free spirit for someone who had lived on Oriel all her life. He liked the way she had looked him in the eye without flinching. She was the kind of person they needed to start a colony on Opus. She was young and invincible – and pregnant. That part bothered him. Why would they send a pregnant woman on an expedition into uncharted territory?
Marlin was an attractive young woman. When she talked, a deep dimple appeared in each cheek. Her long straight brown hair was parted in the center and pulled back to the nape of her neck with a colorful hairpiece, where it hung free down her back. It looked shiny and healthy. Her eyes were hazel, surrounded by long thick eyelashes. She had used some kind of blue substance on the upper lid that made her eyes look larger. Her lips were painted a shiny red. As far as Donte was concerned, she would have looked better without the paint. Marlin was taller than any of the other women and she probably had a nice figure when she wasn't pregnant. She was wearing trousers and a loose-fitting shirt, but the bulge of her stomach was obvious. It made him think of Rianne, for some reason. Everything reminded him of Rianne.
Dr. Oriana escorted Donte to his room and left him to get settled. His luggage had already been delivered to the room, as well as a musical instrument he had not packed. He didn't think he could enjoy the music without Rianne, but maybe someone else would get some enjoyment out of it.
He glanced around. It looked basically the same as Purlieu ships the same size. Of course, all their ships except the Elw had originated at Oriel. They had maintained the three original ships and built one more.
When Donte went to the dining area the first morning, he found everyone on the expedition team there except Marlin. He glanced around at the friendly faces.
"Good morning. It looks like everyone is here but Marlin."
Everyone looked uncomfortable and all eyes turned to Dr. Oriana for an explanation.
Dr. Oriana shrugged. "She likes to sleep in. She usually doesn't show up until lunch." She shrugged again. "Maybe she needs the sleep. In any case, it doesn't matter yet. There isn't much going on right now."
No one else volunteered information, but Donte sensed they were uncomfortable with the subject. He changed the subject and immediately the mood at the table changed. He had the feeling that they didn't like Marlin. If that was the case, how did she get on the expedition?
On Purlieu they ate only twice a day; morning and evening. Donte joined them at the mid-day meal with a hot drink made from the ground root he had packed. He had been introduced to coffee on Oriel, but had never liked the taste. The different diet on the Spero was going to take some adjustment on his part. He had done it before and he could do it again.
Marlin joined them for the evening meal. Donte had the feeling that the others had manipulated them into sitting next to each other. He didn't care, but wondered why they would bother. Marlin made no attempt to hide the fact that she wasn't thrilled with the seating arrangements. At first, she was reserved, but after a while she appeared to relax.
The next morning, to everyone's surprise, Marlin joined them for the morning meal. She voluntarily took a seat opposite Donte. Once again, she was reserved for a while, relaxing later and even addressing him directly several times. Maybe she was one of those people who warmed slowly to others.
***
Lori had been shocked when she discovered that Marlin was pregnant. How could she jeopardize the expedition like that? She should have let them know before they left Oriel. There were other qualified people who could have taken her place. At least they all knew why she had avoided them – until they got far enough out that they wouldn't turn back. That was selfish and immature.
The object of Marlin's discontent became obvious when Donte joined them at Purlieu. From the beginning, she was disrespectful toward him. Her comments about the fact that he had animal genes were embarrassing, yet Dr. Oriana didn't reprimand her. No doubt that was because Marlin's father was the CEO of Fontalo. That part simply wasn't right. That was no way to run a business and she would have thought that Arlo would be above that kind of behavior.
Donte was a pleasant surprise to Lori. For someone in such a high position, he certainly was humble. He talked to them all as if they were friends. He listened to what they had to say the same way Captain McKillum did.
Captain McKillum liked Donte. That much was obvious the day he arrived and Captain McKillum couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He treated Donte as if he were some kind of royalty. At least he didn't bow to him as the uniformed officer had done. What was that all about?
Donte had a gentle soft-spoken way about him that Lori liked. When she mentioned that his experience in colonization would be helpful, he immediately disclaimed any experience in that part. He thought his ability to sense animals was his only asset to the expedition. He was wrong. They had a lot of questions and Donte was able to answer them to their satisfaction. He wasn't born yet when they colonized Purlieu, but he certainly knew what had worked and what hadn't. That knowledge wasn't a result of his leadership. In fact, it was probably the other way around. The knowledge made him a good leader. Donte hadn't single-handedly united the colonies, but he had been a huge factor in bringing them together.
From the moment she saw him, Lori decided that Donte was, by far, the best-looking man she had ever seen – and she'd seen a lot of good-looking men. Something about his expressions made her think he'd be fun to know – and he was.
Hopefully Marlin would come around. Pregnancy was probably making her irritable. When they got to Opus, she'd probably have to stay on the Spero. That couldn't be improving her mood. It was a shame that she was going to miss all the excitement after all her manipulation to get there.
***
From the beginning, Marlin understood why she felt so drawn to Donte. Fighting the effect of his pheromones became a challenge that distracted her from the persistent nausea. As she spent more time around him, she became convinced that the mutation was obvious. Donte didn't merely have a genial personality. He obviously didn't respond like a human. Regardless of what she said, he didn't react. How did he make it through an entire trial without everyone realizing he wasn't human?
It was eerie how he looked at her sometimes. She would be eating her meal, paying no attention to him, and suddenly feel his attention. She would look up to find him staring at her. He never said anything and his expression revealed no emotion whatsoever.
Occasionally she would toss a challenge to Donte – usually about his animal genes – to see if she could get a human reaction out of him. She wanted him to know she wasn't sucked in by the effect of his pheromones. She wasn't going to act like she liked him and if she had something bad to say about him, it might as well be to his face.
Dr. Oriana usually looked like she wanted to crawl under the table. The others acted like they didn't notice. It was no surprise when Dr. Oriana asked her to come to her cubicle. Marlin figured she was going to get a reprimand, but when she arrived, Dr. Oriana offered a chair and handed her a book.
Marlin looked at the worn book and then at Dr. Oriana.
"Just look through it," Dr. Oriana said, "and then we'll talk about Donte."
Marlin opened the binder and leafed through the articles. Until that moment she hadn't realized how infatuated Dr. Oriana was with Donte. What were they going to talk about? Marlin obediently looked through the entire book, pausing now and then to skim through an article. She had seen most of it at the library and in history books. Finally, she turned the last page and shut the book.
"It's a nice collection. Are these original magazine covers?"
"Yes." Dr. Oriana retrieved the book and put it on a shelf next to her bed. "What was your first impression?"
Marlin's gaze followed the book. Dr. Oriana probably didn't actually want to know her first impression, but she had no idea where Dr. Oriana was going with the question. Unable to come up with anything else, she finally answered the question truthfully.
"I thought you must be infatuated with Donte."
Dr. Oriana looked startled. "What?"
"You kept all the articles about him for twenty years…."
Dr. Oriana's expression went from shocked to curious and on to annoyed. "Donte wasn't the only one in the articles, you know. He had friends and family with him. It isn't everyone who gets to meet such a famous person, let alone his family. I was in the right place at the right time and I cherish the memory."
Warmth crawled up Marlin's neck. She had been the one who only saw Donte. "So you wanted me to notice that he is a high official who deserves more respect."
Dr. Oriana frowned. "No. I hoped you would notice the family bond."
Marlin sighed. "He doesn't respond to anything. I don't know how anyone can call him human. He doesn't act like he has any feelings."
Dr. Oriana's brows shot up. "How can you look at him and not think of him as human?"
Marlin shrugged. "Humans have feelings. I don't think he does."
"Even animals have feelings, Marlin. He's a master at hiding them, that's all."
Dr. Oriana retrieved the book and opened it to a page where Donte was with his children. "Look at this." She handed the book to Marlin. "Aren't those two children the most adorable you've ever seen? How do you think he felt about taking them to another planet…one that might be hostile toward them?" She reached over and flipped the page to a picture of Rianne and Donte ice skating. "See the way she's looking at him, and the way he's smiling at her?"
True. They were smiling at each other in a way that two humans in love would look at each other. Marlin handed the book back to Dr. Oriana.
"So how do you explain how he acts now?"
Dr. Oriana put the book back and frowned. "I wish I could. Something is definitely wrong. Donte has a good sense of humor, but I haven't heard him laugh once since he came aboard the Spero."
"The way he keeps looking at me gives me the creeps."
Dr. Oriana smiled. "I was wondering about that. I think I know what he's doing."
Marlin frowned. "What?"
"I think he's trying to make contact with you the way he did with Celyn."
Marlin stared at her. Of course; why hadn't she thought of that? "But why?"
Dr. Oriana shrugged. "Maybe because he feels out of place and he's looking for something that feels normal. It's hard to tell with Donte."
"Well, you'd think he'd give up when it was unsuccessful."
Dr. Oriana Smiled. "First, Donte didn't get where he is by giving up. Second, he has been successful, at least to some degree. That's enough to encourage him."
Marlin rolled her eyes. "Where is he now? His wife left him and he is no longer the Ruler of Bergen. Who knows why he lost her or his job? And how do you figure he's been successful at contacting me to a degree?"
Dr. Oriana watched her for a moment. "Sometimes marriages don't work out. They were together for thirty years. That's a long time. He wasn't kicked out of his job, you know. He resigned – for personal reasons. You saw how Gerritt acted with him. They all adore him. He said that remaining Gerritt's second was a condition he accepted when he resigned." She shook her head. "I can't believe you actually thought they kicked him out of office."
Marlin shrugged again. "So he gave everything up. I guess that's better?"
"I don't know whether it's better, but it's certainly more accurate."
"Well, he still hasn't been successful at contacting me – not even to a degree."
"You feel him looking at you, don't you?"
"I'd feel that way when anyone was staring at me that way. You would too."
Dr. Oriana studied her hands reflectively for a few minutes before responding. She lifted her gaze to Marlin. "I suppose I would, but I don't know. As far as being successful in his life, he reached the top." She shook her head. "I don't know what happened with Rianne. I can't even imagine. They were so in love with each other."
"That was twenty years ago."
Dr. Oriana nodded, but said nothing more about it.
Marlin sighed. "When I'm with him, I'm so distracted that I forget about the nausea."
Dr. Oriana looked startled for a moment. "Is that why you don't come out for half of the day – morning sickness?"
Marlin stared at her for a moment. Had she and the others been talking about the spoiled rich brat who stayed in bed half the day?
"I suppose everyone assumed that I'm one of those people who have nothing better to do than sleep half the day. I never have and I'm not now. I figured no one wanted to watch me retch."
Dr. Oriana shrugged. "I wouldn't know what everyone assumed. We never discussed it. In any case, it isn't the distraction that helps when you're around Donte. It's his pheromones. Rianne said that as long as he was near, she didn't have morning sickness. He would leave her a shirt if he had to go someplace. She said that worked."
Marlin took enough time to thoroughly absorb the information. "Seriously? You think that's what it is? I thought it was all in my head."
"Well, I could give you something for the morning sickness…but it would…."
She left the sentence unfinished, so Marlin finished it for her.
"But it might not be good for the baby." She rolled her eyes. "Just give the baby up for adoption, they say. No problem, they say. Meanwhile I'm the one who suffers the rape, the misery of morning sickness and swelling for nine months, not to mention the agony, cost and risks of childbirth. Just give the baby to someone who wants it. I'm the victim over and over. Everyone assumes I asked for it. Well, for your information, I was saving myself for the right man."
Dr. Oriana cringed. "I'm sorry. I suppose we don't think about all that – only the baby. Do you want me to give you something?"
"No!" Marlin snarled as she stood. "I'd settle for a little respect." She pointed in the direction of the dining room. "None of them like me. I can see it in their faces when I walk into the room. They've all judged me – just like you. It's all right for everyone to treat me that way, but I'm expected to treat Donte like a king. News flash. You guys are the ones who think he's better than me. I'm the only one who accepts the fact that he's not even completely human."
She turned on one heel and left the room. This time she didn't slam the door. She merely shut it and marched away. She had her head down and nearly ran into Donte. He stepped aside and paused, but she walked past him. She wasn't in any mood to talk. By the time she reached the end of the hall, the feeling that he was watching her was so powerful that she stopped. She wasn't going to look at him - but she was curious if it was all her imagination. She turned and found him standing where she left him, watching her.
He smiled but she rolled her eyes and released an exasperated sigh before turning away. Why was he capable of contacting her that way? She wasn't part animal, like Celyn.
Soft Science Fiction
