Paradise Blight

Chapter 11

The Legion again slept. They did not question the erratic nature of the signal lately, for that was not part of their programming.

[Gan]

Liz impressed me. As governor, she held the most powerful position on this world and had near absolute authority, at least until the representative council formed. No one else would I trust more in that role. When she put on her governor hat, everyone knew who was in charge, but outside of that, she was warm and even playful. How else could I get away with teasing the 'Grand Poobah of Paradise', a title I bestowed upon her during dinner?

After Liz departed, Mora took my hand, an enticingly sly grin on her face. "Come with me. I have something for you."

"What is it?"

"You'll see," she replied, pulling me along.

Mora led me to a nearby greenhouse, one of several that resembled transparent half-pipes laid in neat rows, side-by-side. I shaded my eyes to the brightness of Tau Ceti that reflected off the windows. A pleasant, fruity aroma greeted me as I opened the door and stepped inside.

With widened eyes, I turned to her. "Strawberries?"

The raised beds that lined the greenhouse overflowed with strawberry plants, some of which cascading over the sides. The dark green leaves that reached up to the light partially hid the bright red fruits.

Mora handed me a plastic basket-like container and then took one for herself. "There is nothing like fresh off the patch."

The first several I picked went straight into my mouth, while closing eyes to savor the intoxicating sweet tartness and the fruity fragrance.

"Mora, this is wonderful. It has been a long time since I had fresh strawberries."

That alluring crooked smile brightened her face. "Like I said, one advantage of running the botanical test plots is first access to the fresh produce. It is also useful for bribery to get things I want."

"Mora, are you trying to bribe me?"

"Maybe," she answered, rounding lips and casting eyes upward.

In hardly any time, we picked nearly two liters of ripe, succulent berries, our fingers stained red. At that moment, my com-viewer beeped, and I pulled it out of my pants cargo pocket.

"Ah, Bob has completed his task."

Mora followed me outside the greenhouse as Bob buzzed overhead, shaking her head. "I still don't understand why you named your survey drone Bob."

"Well, Robert just seemed too formal for such an easy going drone."

Bob landed in one hand as I downloaded the data to my com-viewer with the other. I held up the drone to eye level. "Good boy, Bob."

Mora rolled her eyes.

Returning to the greenhouse, we sat down on a bench near the door. I popped another berry into my mouth as I reviewed the survey data. "Some good news. No sign of any other blighted areas within the search range."

Mora tightened her lips and lowered her eyebrows, seemly baffled. "That is good, but still strange. The blight hasn't grown at all and the boundaries were so well defined. I don't know what it is."

"We'll figure it out. Especially now that Liz has thrown in her support."

Mora turned her eyes up to mine. Her expression became pensive, and she paused as if trying to find the right words. "Gan, I am sorry about not listening to you about the Watchers. And then how I got so angry at you." Her voice softened, and she tilted her head down. "You did not deserve that. I know now you looked out for me."

With two fingers, I gently lifted her chin. "I am sorry too. I should never have come down so hard on you."

"There are some things in my past..."

I took hold of her hands, wanting to be supportive. "Tell me."

Mora's eyes dropped again. "I spent most of my childhood in foster and group homes. I never knew my dad and my mom got caught up in drugs, so they took me away. In college, I moved in with a guy who I thought really liked me. It seemed good at first, but then he started trying to control my life and would hit me sometimes if he got angry." After wiping moisture from an eye, she continued. "I was so passive then and let it go on too long. When I finally tried to leave him, he beat me, really bad. I was in the hospital for two days."

Hot anger rose from my gut at the thought that anyone would try to harm her, but outwardly, I remained as stoic as I could and let her continue.

"I blamed myself at first, but came to understand it never was my fault. Only his. But when I tried to press charges, he disappeared, and I was always afraid he would show up again. That is part of the reason I came here."

"Mora, that is terrible. I... I don't know what to say."

I moved a hand to her cheek, and she leaned into it, saying, "You've likely noticed that I can't smile quite right... from the nerve damage."

"Actually, I love your quirky smile." Once in a while, I said the right thing. She flashed me that smile as she looked up with watery eyes. I nodded with a grin. "Yeah, that one."

Then the smile faded. "Gan, I had not been with a man since... until the other night with you. Before we continue with any kind of relationship, you should know what an emotional mess I really am."

I offered my arms and Mora accepted, collapsing against my chest. "Mora, I do want to have a relationship with you. Please understand, though, that I can be emotionally clueless sometimes. So what do you say? Would you like to be my girlfriend?"

Mora's embrace tightened. "We wouldn't want to disappoint Kate and Liz."

We held each other for a few silent moments, then it became my turn as Mora said, "Tell me about your wife."

I paused, not sure how to begin. "Alyssa... I think you would have liked her. She was a breath of fresh air in a troubled world with a big heart, always helping people. She became a paramedic."

My gut twisted at the words to come. "One day we got caught up in one of the food riots. This one was bad, very violent. She was off duty, but there were many injured. I told her it was too dangerous, but she went to help, anyway. She... She took a bullet in the chest. There was nothing I could do, and she died in my arms. It still haunts me sometimes."

I put my head down in my hands and old tears traced my cheeks. "I haven't told anyone this before, but she was pregnant. We had just found out."

Mora put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry Gan."

"Even good deeds have consequences." I brushed water from my cheeks. "For so long, I held this anger against her for rushing into harm's way, even though I warned her not to. That anger came through with you and the Watchers. I'm sorry."

"I understand," Mora whispered as she pulled my head to her shoulder and embraced me, warming the depths of my heart.

After a few moments, I took a deep breath and straightened back up. "It seems we are both emotional messes."

"So, what should we do?"

I pulled her around until only a breath separated our lips. "I am giving serious consideration to kissing you."

Mora was receptive...