Leaving Eternity part III

Darienne walked up behind California and touched his elbow to get his attention. Electrons flowed between the ions of his captain's jacket and her finger tips. He stopped talking to the person in front of him and turned slowly. "Ca..." he began and she shushed him.

"Darienne," she corrected. He nodded slowly. "May I meet you later... Somewhere?" she asked nervously.

He nodded again and said, "Captain's apartment, quandrant 3 tonight after the second bell."

They stood uncomfortably until the person California was talking to coughed politely. California bowed his head and turned back to continue his conversation. Darienne breathed out a sigh of relief as she turned and walked back to Farlene.

---

Darienne knocked on California's door and he answered. He smiled and stood aside with his arm stretched out to show her how welcome she was to step inside. Darienne nodded and entered. California followed her down the hallway to the living space and motioned to a couch. They sat across from each other, he in his large comfortable chair.

Darienne tried to relax him with conversation and small talk. California cannot relax. It is a simple matter of physics. If he relaxes, the weight of everything on Eternity will crush him.

Darienne finally got her point during a lull in the conversation. "Captain, I apologise for taking your time but I need your help."

California nodded slowly. "I think I understand," he said.

Darienne looked at her lap. "I have committed a capital offense," she said.

"Calista," California said, "Why did you do this?"

"So you know?" she asked quietly.

"I've known since I saw you on ship's day 32," he answered.

"That's why I need your help. I used someone else's identity to journey to the new planet in the hopes of finding a new life." She almost added the "with you" phrase she had practised.

He seemed to pick up on the missing phrase. "For me? You risked death? The automatic scanners will catch you no matter what I try to do. The security team are incorruptible. It's out of my hands."

Calista nodded. "I know," she said.

California leaned forward. "They will kill you. It seems septic and clean referring to it as 'ejection' but it's not. You will die."
For my wife, who dreamed it.

Calista nodded again, fervently. "It's worth it," she said. "We all die. Some of us delay it more than others."

California was perplexed. "You've committed suicide. I can't protect you."

Calista said, "Death is not a destination. It is an email that is delivered to you. I've released you from your obligations to me. I release you. It is enough to talk to you once more."

California raised his voice. "You know how they say that there is someone out there for everyone? How it's destiny? You said it yourself. 'There's someone who's meant to be there for me?' It's a lie. It's not me. You will release me? You could never bind me in the first place."

Calista deflated visibly. She covered her face with her hands, then dropped them to her lap. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Most people think love is like the wind that blows," she said. "It's not. Love is the house that stands up to the wind. It is what remains after the wind is gone."

California raised his hand to stop her. "I'm sorry, Calista. Darienne, whatever. You have to leave. I can't compromise my position. The safety and success of Eternity is up to me."

Calista stood slowly and walked out. She paused one last time as she opened the door. California did not look up. She closed the door behind her.

---

As the passengers disembarked, California reviewed the reports from his captain's chair on the bridge. His first lieutenant stood nearby uncomfortably. "Sir?" he asked.

California waved him away. On his vidscreen was a security loop showing Darienne or Calista being led away in cuffs. As she is walked toward a red aperture she turns and looks at the camera. She smiles and steps through.

California pounds his chair with his fist and quickly wipes his eyes.