She could feel the ship dropping steadily and wondered if they’d entered the atmosphere close to their destination or if they might expect hours more of cruising before they landed at last. Concentrating on that instead of the sickness, she almost felt as if she could count the miles they dropped, see the land rushing up toward them.
The gravity was noticeably different.
It was a smaller world than Earth then, almost certainly, but not much. Or, perhaps, the planet spun more slowly? Or the sun that warmed it was more distant?
When the whine of decelerating engines filled her ears, she opened her eyes. Around her, she saw the other women perched on the edges of their cots, staring hopefully at the door to their compartment.
They were excited, but afraid to show it. She felt the same.
She hoped they weren’t all going to be disappointed.
A sudden jolt announced their arrival. As abruptly as it had begun, the noise of deceleration ceased. The silence was nearly deafening.
Too nervous to stay still any longer, Dalia struggled off of her cot and began pacing the compartment, listening to the sounds of doors banging open and closed around the ship. Finally, she heard the tramp of approaching footsteps and the door to the compartment swung open. Everyone simply stared at the cyborg standing in the entrance, wanting desperately to stampede the door and afraid if they did he’d slam it shut again.
He motioned for them to follow him. Exchanging glances, they surged to their feet almost as one and moved quickly toward the door. Dalia, the only one already on her feet, was the last to reach it. When she stepped into the corridor, she saw it was crowded as the men disgorged from the compartment before theirs into the corridor. In front of her, she caught a glimpse of Pierce’s blond hair as he stepped through the door to the men’s compartment.
He glanced in her direction, surveyed the females passing closest and finally plastered himself against the bulkhead, allowing everyone to surge around him as he searched for her. Relief and pleasure washed through her. In the next moment, however, she caught a glimpse of Reuel, standing by the gangway. Unnerved, she ducked her head down as he glanced over the heads of those shuffling toward the door. A sense of panic rushed through her.
She wondered if he was looking for her, and if so, why?
It occurred to her that he might not be, that he might merely be watching to make certain everyone disembarked in an orderly fashion, but it didn’t matter. Even if he wasn’t looking for her in particular, she would have to pass by him unless he disembarked before she made her way to the door.
When she reached Pierce, she met his easy grin with a look of panic. “I think Reuel may be looking for me,” she whispered.
Pierce frowned, glancing quickly around the crowded corridor. Nodding finally, he grasped her hand and allowed her to trail slightly behind and to one side of him. Relieved when she saw that Pierce almost completely blocked her view of everyone around them and assuming the same was true from Reuel’s viewpoint, Dalia did her best not to attract attention by appearing conspicuous.
She’d almost made it through the door and onto the gangplank, when a hand clamped onto her tunic, pulling her to a stop. She glanced around, knowing even before she saw him that it was Reuel. He glanced from her startled face to Pierce’s, his expression hardening. “We have ... matters to settle between us,” he said.
It was apparent she wasn’t going to be able to avoid the confrontation she’d been dreading. Finally, she nodded and tugged at her hand until Pierce reluctantly released her. “I’ll meet you later,” she said to Pierce, smiling up at him to allow him to know she was all right with staying.
He searched her gaze and finally lifted his head and looked directly at Reuel. “I’ll wait.”
“You won’t,” Reuel said grimly.
Dalia glanced from one man to the other nervously. “It’s all right, Pierce. Really. I need to talk to him about ... about his baby.”
The comment brought two piercing gazes upon her. She glanced from one man to the other, feeling a sinking sensation in her stomach when she saw that both were incensed. Finally, Pierce nodded and strode down the gangplank. Dalia followed his angry departure with her gaze, glancing blindly at the scene of chaos below as the passengers and crew of the ship collided with the cyborgs that had come to welcome the ship, and finally, reluctantly, turned to Reuel.
“Who is he?” Reuel demanded tightly.
Dalia tilted her head to one side, studying him. “A dear friend,” she finally said.
Something flickered in his eyes. He lifted his head, watching Pierce until he disappeared into the crowd below.
Dalia didn’t really like the look on his face, or the way he watched Pierce. A shiver skated along her spine. “What do you mean to do with me?”
As she’d hoped, the question brought his attention back to her. He considered her for several moments, glanced around the corridor and gangplank as if he was looking for something and finally caught her upper arm and led her down the corridor in the opposite direction from which she’d come. Finally, he stopped before a door and pushed it open, indicating that she should enter.
She glanced inside, saw that it must be his cabin and looked at him uncomfortably. “I’m fine standing.”
His lips tightened. “I’m not.”
She debated for a moment and finally stepped inside. When he’d followed her, he closed the door. She moved across the room to a chair, but instead of sitting, she turned to face him. She saw that he’d propped a hip on the top of his desk and was watching her. His gaze flickered over the rounded mound of her belly and finally returned to her face.
“Thirty to forty days,” she said.
His brows rose questioningly.
