Sleeping With the Enemy

    “You didn’t think I could get you pregnant,” he said flatly.

    “Don’t look at me like that! Have I ever given you reason to think, even for a moment, that I didn’t… care for you, just the way you are? We’re from different worlds, damn it! I just never thought beyond that.”

    He shook his head at her. “Fool!” he muttered with amused tolerance. “Didn’t you think it… convenient that we fit together so well?”

    Sybil blushed. “I thought it was a wonderful convenience.”

    He chuckled. “We may well be from different worlds, nodia, but you and I… we’re like… cousins from distant stars. Didn’t you wonder why we were so curious about the people of Earth?”

    She shrugged. “I did wonder what you could possibly have found so interesting,” she said wryly. “You’re sure your scientists didn’t do a little… experimenting?”

    “Not legally,” he said grimly. “I wouldn’t rule it out, but it was the fact that we were so similar on a genetic level that drew them here to study humans to start with. Before you ask, they never did find the link, but…” He stroked a hand down her belly. “He’s here. That should be proof enough.”

    Sybil smiled up at him. “It might not be a ‘he’, you know.”

    He stroked her cheek, smiling down at her. “It doesn’t matter to me. It’s ours.” Leaning lower, he kissed her briefly. “Let’s get you settled. It isn’t going to be comfortable, I warn you. My quarters are tight for one.”

    “You’re serious?”

    “I have never been more serious in my life-the place is like a box! I can’t fall off my bunk with hitting my head on my desk.”

    “If I’m staying, I’m working with everybody else,” Sybil said firmly. “They aren’t going to accept me if I sit on my ass while they work… and it would set a bad example.”

    Anka studied her thoughtfully for several moments. “You really are good with plants?”

    “I really am,” she said with determination.

    “Let’s see just how good you are, then. You can start the first outdoor garden.”

    She looked at him doubtfully. “What are my chances of success?”

    “I’m thinking slim to none,” he said smoothly, “but… surprise me. You always have.”

    “Do you have a spot picked out?”

    “I can give you a general area.”

    “Well, nothing beats a try like a failure,” Sybil said cheerfully.

    Shaking his head at her, Anka escorted her to the soldier in charge of tools and told him to issue her what she needed. After glancing around for several moments, he summoned one of the men working on a foundation close by. “Cerek, you’re going to help Sybil.”

    Cerek stared at Anka blankly a moment before he saluted. “Yes, Sir!” He looked uncertain. “What will I help her with, Sir?”

    He sent Sybil a look of amusement. “Sybil is going to plant our first experimental garden.” He reached toward her and patted her stomach possessively. “You’re going to help her and watch out for her. She’s pregnant. I don’t want her to get overheated.”

    Cerek gaped at her belly, turning as red as a beet. “Yes, Sir… what should I do if she overheats?”

    Anka rolled his eyes. “Carry her inside, son, so she can cool off! If she faints, it’s your ass.”

    Carrying the tools, they crossed the construction site. Anka stopped on the other side and dropped the tools to the dirt.

    “Here?” Sybil asked doubtfully.

    He gestured widely with one hand. “Anywhere you like. You have the entire planet.”

    Sybil sent him a look, but lifted a hand to shade her eyes and scanned the terrain. “At least there won’t be a problem getting enough sunlight,” she said dryly.

    Anka dragged her to him and kissed her right on the mouth. “Don’t work too hard. I have plans for the night.”

    Red faced, Sybil gaped at him as he walked off. Cerek distracted her when he knelt down to collect the tools Anka had left. “Just leave them for now. We have to pick a spot.”

    He stared at her in confusion. “It’s all flat.”

    Sybil shook her head at him. “We need a little more than ‘flat’,” she said wryly, striking off.

    Cerek dropped the tools and followed her. “I could get a scanner to test the soil.”

    Sybil glanced at him. “You haven’t tested it?”

    “We test it every week.”

    “There isn’t much point, then, is there?”

    He shrugged. “The scientists think it could be many years before the soil is ready.”

    “Think? Or know?” Sybil asked absently.

    “We know what the conditions were before we began to terra-form.”

    “We knew that, too-at least, we had a fair idea. We hadn’t landed a probe in years. It could’ve changed, I suppose. It certainly has now.” Spying one of the grayish-green patches she’d spotted before, she strode away from him and crouched down to study it more closely.

    “We’ve analyzed that. It isn’t edible.”

    Sybil threw him an amused look. “It’s growing voluntarily, though. That means its finding what it needs in the soil. Let’s give this spot a try.”

    Cerek glanced back to where they’d left the tools. “It will be a long way to carry water.”

    “Then we’ll carry it… if we have to. I’m thinking there’s a fair amount of water that collects here anyway or this wouldn’t be here.”

    “It may rely upon the condensation that collects overnight.”

    “Maybe. Whatever we plant would benefit from that, too, though, wouldn’t it?”

    Apparently deciding there wasn’t any point in arguing the matter any further, he left her and went back for the tools. Sybil had decided on trying a modest sized patch for the experiment by the time he returned. There didn’t seem much point in wasting the seed if it wouldn’t grow in the soil. Of course, she was going to be really disappointed she hadn’t made it bigger if the plants did grow, but it certainly seemed like it would be big enough to try a variety of plants.

    Once she’d shown Cerek the area she’d marked off, the two of them set to work chopping up the soil.

    “Why are we doing this?” Cerek asked when they stopped a little later to sit down and rest.

    Sybil threw a weary smile in his general direction. “Ah! A city boy!”

    He reddened, but he grinned back at her. “Aside from making new blisters on the old ones,” he added.

    Sybil studied her own hands ruefully. “Gloves would be nice! It’s to make it easier for the plants. The first roots will be critical and they’re babies. They won’t be all that strong, so we need to make it easy for them to burrow down to the water and food they’ll need to flourish. When we have it chopped up good, we’ll make hills to plant the seeds so that they get good drainage. If there’s too much water, the plant drowns.”

    He looked out at the terrain doubtfully. “It doesn’t look like getting too much water would be a problem.”

    “It might not be, but a hard rain with this sort of terrain could cause a flood and wash everything away. And those clouds up there,” she said, pointing, “are carrying rain unless I’m very much mistaken.”

    He pulled a flask from the shoulder pack he’d brought with him. “You look like you need a little watering.”

    Sybil took it. “Thanks!” Ignoring the uneasiness that flickered through her, she took the lid off and took a few sips and handed it back.

    “We were immunized against human diseases.”

    Sybil felt her face redden. “Good for you! Unfortunately, I wasn’t immunized against anything you might be carrying,” she said tartly.

    He grinned at her. “You were thoroughly exposed, however. I think you can consider yourself safe. If there was danger of that, you would know already.”