Mission Epilogue

Pavov and Mary Beth have their wedding, inviting everyone. Pavov’s father is the only family member present on-planet, but the newlyweds are both in high spirits.

Minister Lev chews on his lip. “They’ll miss a week of training.”

“They’ll get their exercise,” I say, “and come back a notch up on their maturity. I’ll take it.”

“Have you explained to them about children?” says Lev.

“Yes,” I say. “No children until their tour is finished.”

I understand Lev’s warning. In the face of five hundred years of attempted extinction by the Pentarion, kid-raising families are king. Fluke, despite its safer location from Pentarion attack, is no different. It’s a planet of ninety million humans hoping desperately to reach one billion before the Pentarion find a way here.

With babies as the highest social virtue, telling a new couple they can’t have any children yet is like swimming upstream in a firehose.

Pavov and Mary Beth were okay with it. For now.