By Heather Hammonds

"He'll probably grow up to be a pianist," Helena Koenig had joked.

"A real lady- killer in the making!" Alan Carter had exclaimed.

Tanya had beamed with pride at the compliments. She'd never imagined she could feel this way towards her baby. It was more than love. It was indescribable. David was in awe of his son, picking him up as though he were made of the finest china, and liable to break at any moment. Every time he took the baby, Tanya had to hide a smile.

The door to their quarters quietly slid back and Tanya stopped her rocking.

"I'm just on my lunch break," David whispered, tiptoeing over. "I thought I'd stop by and check that you're both okay."

"We're fine thank you," replied Tanya, handing the baby to him and standing up. "I was just about to put him down for a nap."

David carried young Davey over to a little crib which stood at the foot of their bed, and gently placed him inside it, tucking the blankets around him. He thought about the fact that in another few months they would probably need to apply for a bigger apartment. Since he and Tanya were organizing the allocation of quarters in the new sections of Moonbase, that shouldn't be a problem. He would choose a really nice place for the three of them, but he would have to be very careful that it didn't look as though he was showing favoritism to himself.

Tanya disturbed his thoughts by coming forward and pinning something small to the sleeping baby's jumpsuit. <img src=cross.jpg>

"What's that?" he asked. "Did someone give that to you?"

It was a small brooch, not more than three centimeters long. It looked to be made of silver, and was formed in the shape of a cross. A tiny round red gemstone glinted at its center.

"It was my mother's," she murmured. "She passed it on to me, when I was born."

David remembered that Tanya's parents had been quite religious- they were Russian Orthodox Christians. He also knew that Tanya had been baptized into the church, but had drifted away from it as a teenager. He'd always thought that she was completely disinterested in her religion, but here she was, pinning a tiny cross on their baby son.

"Er, what's it supposed to be for?" he asked, not sure he was going to like the answer.

Tanya seemed slightly embarrassed. She cleared her throat and replied,

"The older women used to pin one of these on the babies in their families to protect them from the 'evil eye', until they were safely baptized. It's an old Orthodox superstition."

"Come on Tanya," David said gently. "You don't believe all that stuff, do you? I mean, you're hardly the religious type- not like some of the personnel here."

Tanya took him by the hand and led him away from the crib, so that they wouldn't disturb Davey.

"David, I know you're going to think this is crazy and you're right- I've never really been one to think much about religion, but.... Well, since Davey was born, it's crossed my mind now and again. I'd really like to have him christened, in a ceremony as close to the old Russian Orthodox one as possible. It's important to me. My parents did it for me."

David, who had been brought up in a family who had never practiced any form of religion and had not been christened himself, was puzzled. It was all a load of superstitious mumbo- jumbo, wasn't it? There were so many different religious faiths back on Earth, and each one was convinced it was the only true one. There were so many different gods and so many different ceremonies. And the religious beliefs of different races of people had been the fuel for countless bloody wars over the centuries. No- he had no time for organized religion. He thought it was all a bunch of crap.

He was just about to state his feelings out loud, when he looked up at Tanya and saw that she was crying.

"I can guess what's going through your mind," she sniffed. "And I know you think it's a waste of time, but whether you believe in the Christian faith or not, somewhere underneath, I always have. After all, someone or something has kept us alive out here for all these years. Someone found us a new home."

David couldn't bear to see his wife in tears. She'd been so happy, ever since the birth of Davey. He'd heard that a few of the women on Alpha had suffered bouts of post- natal depression after giving birth, but Tanya hadn't shown any signs of it. Was that the problem now, or was she truly serious about having Davey christened? He decided to go along with her. If it would make her happy to have the baby baptized, then so be it. He'd figure out a way to get it done.

He put an arm around Tanya and led her over to the small sofa, sitting down next to her.

"Tanya, I don't think it's stupid," he said sincerely, wiping the tears from her cheeks with his fingers. "If you want him baptized, then that's fine."

Tanya's face brightened.

"You're not going to object?" she asked.

David shook his head.

"No. The only problem I can foresee is organizing such a ceremony. Did you go to many christenings, when you were younger?"

"A few, but I can't remember what went on at them," Tanya replied. "Maybe one of the other Russians on the base will know how the ceremony is performed. I'll look into it."

David kissed her on the cheek and stood up to return to Main Mission. His lunch break was almost over and he still wanted to grab a sandwich from the cafeteria on the way past.

"Try Petrov from Weapons Section first. He seems to know everything about everything!" he suggested.

Unfortunately, Petrov, who did seem to know a lot of obscure bits and pieces of trivia, knew nothing about Russian Orthodox baptisms.

"Try Michaela Szabo, in hydroponics," he suggested, when Tanya contacted him.

Michaela was clueless also, and as Tanya questioned each member of the tiny Russian community on Alpha, it soon became plain to her that not one of them was going to be able to help her. By the time David finished his shift and returned to their quarters, she was no further forward than when he'd left.

"I can't believe that none of us remember how the service is performed," she said, as she changed Davey. "It's frustrating."

"What about getting Pastor Jeffries to christen him then?" asked David. "I know he's Anglican or whatever, but the services can't be that different, can they? After all, he is the base chaplain."

Tanya shook her head, as childhood images of ancient churches filled with smoky incense, and walls covered in religious icons filled her mind.

"It's not the same ceremony at all," she replied. "I do remember that much. It wouldn't be right to ask Pastor Jeffries to change his service and I'm sure he'd say no, even if we did."

Pastor Robert Jeffries was an aging, rotund, pompous little man who had become more pious and inflexible in his beliefs as each year on Moonbase Alpha passed.

David thought about the problem for a few minutes and then hit upon an idea.

"We'll do it ourselves," he said. "I'll do it! Just give me a few hours with computer and I'll go through all the information we have stored on the Orthodox Church. The ceremony might not be exactly the same, but I'll do my best."

Tanya put her arms around David's neck and kissed him deeply.

"You're so good to me," she murmured.

"Anything for the mother of my child," he joked. "Now; do you and Davey feel up to a little trip out, so we can grab some dinner?"

Tanya looked at her tiny son, who was lying on the change table waving his arms and legs around.

"I think we are," she said with a smile.

David stayed up long after Tanya had gone to bed, drinking Alphan coffee and tapping away at the computer in their quarters. He'd pulled everything he could find out of the central computer's memory banks on Christianity in general, as well as the Orthodox Church, and had quickly become absorbed in what he was reading. It was so complex, and the history of Orthodox Christianity was so long. He could easily spend months researching it.

He decided to narrow his reading down to Orthodox baptisms alone so as to get to the point, figuring he could read the other stuff at a later date, at his leisure. Here he began to run into problems. The ritual was not explained very well in any of the information he could find. He switched to other Christian baptisms and found more detail. The outline of a plan began to form in his mind.

An uncomfortable snuffling began to come from Davey's crib, and soon he was in full voice, crying hungrily. David stood up stiffly from his chair and reached into the crib, carefully picking up his son.

"Someone needs a feed," said Tanya, sitting up in bed. "Here- pass him to his Momma."

David did as she said and watched fondly, as Tanya began to nurse him.

"Why haven't you come to bed yet?" she asked. "Is there a problem up in Main Mission?"

"No, nothing like that," replied David, with a quick shake of the head. "I've been researching this christening thing. I got a bit carried away with my reading and forgot the time."

"Did you find out about the service?" she asked, a slight note of anxiety creeping into her voice.

David heard it, and chose his words carefully.

"There isn't much on the actual baptism Tanya, but there's a lot about the church. Some of their music and their icons- and also, the fact that Orthodox Christians baptized their children by total immersion. Davey will have to be submerged in water, not just have his head sprinkled with it."

"Anything else?" she asked. "An actual transcript of the service, or anything?"

David shook his head.

"Sorry, no. But we can adapt. I've got an idea- let me think on it a while longer and then show you what I'd like to do. I'll have it all mapped out by tomorrow night."

"Okay," agreed Tanya.

She could see he was trying hard to please her and knew that he would produce something special. She was content to wait a little while.

"You'd better come to bed," she said. "You've been so busy in Main Mission lately while I'm on maternity leave, that you need your rest."

The next day when he was on a break, David hurried down to Hydroponics Section and poked his head in the door of Eddie Collins' office.

"Hi," said Eddie, looking up from his desk full of work with surprise. It was not often that David Kano ventured into Hydroponics so whatever he wanted, it must be important.

"What can I do for you?"

David cleared his throat and stepped into the room. Eddie noticed that he had a couple of sheets of paper in his hand.

"Are those for me?" he asked.

"Well, maybe," said David. "I have a favor to ask."

"Go ahead," grinned Eddie.

He liked and respected David Kano, even though the two men didn't have much in common.

"It's about young Davey," said David. "We've decided to have him christened and because Tanya was- is- Russian Orthodox, she'd like to have the baby christened in a similar ceremony."
Eddie whistled.

"Great, but what does good old Pastor Jeffries make of this? Have you asked him to do it?"

"No," sighed David. "I think it's safe to say he would never agree, so I'm going to sort of do it myself. Perform the service, that is."

Eddie had to fight hard to keep his face straight. David Kano, performing religious services? It was comical, really. Still, he could see the man was serious.

"How do I fit into this?" he asked. "You don't want me to be an altar boy, do you?"

David laughed.

"Nothing like that! The thing is, both you and Shermeen paint and draw in your free time, don't you."
"Goes with the territory," said Eddie. "We're botanists, and often make sketches of our finds. Our other artwork is a natural progression of that, I guess."

David thrust the sheets of paper across the desk at Eddie.

"What do you think about these? I know it's asking a lot, but is there any chance that you and Shermeen might have the time to paint a large copy of each of them? I need them for the service. I'll find some way to make recompense, of course..."

Eddie stared at the computer printouts. They were of magnificent oil paintings; centuries old icons from some ancient Orthodox churches, by the look of them. One was of Jesus Christ, and one was of Mary. Around both their heads glowed golden halos and despite the fact that the printouts couldn't convey the full beauty of the works, he was in awe of them. At the same time, his fingers began to itch at the idea of having a go at copying them.

"What do you think?" David asked hesitantly.

"Wait here," instructed Eddie. "Shermeen's working among the plants somewhere. I'll just go and have a quick word with her."

Five minutes later he was back.

"We can't promise that they'll be half as good as the originals, but we'd love to do them," he said. "There is one favor we ask in return though."

"Name it," said David.

"That we get to attend your son's christening."

"Done!" David grinned. "By the way, please don't mention any of this to Tanya. She knows about the christening of course, but the rest is going to be a surprise."

His next stop was at Sahn's quarters. She was off duty at the moment, and he crossed his fingers that he would find her home. He knew that being a devotee of Buddhism, she used a lot of incense. He also knew that every so often she ventured down to one of the chemistry labs to make it herself. Hopefully, he would be able to persuade her to make some for him, even though it would be used in a service that she would probably consider heretical. When she answered her door and smiled at his nervous request, he was pleasantly surprised.

"I would be honored to contribute something to your son's christening David," Sahn said quietly.

"You're invited, of course," he said. "You will come, won't you?"

"Naturally," she replied. "I would not miss it. How soon would you like the incense?"

David told her, and then took his leave shortly afterward. As usual, she had kept him standing at the door and he felt as if he was invading her privacy. Not many people made it into Sahn's inner sanctum.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of activity. As Tanya had mentioned, his workload in Main Mission at the moment was huge. He would be glad to have his wife back to assist him, as soon as she was ready. At the end of his shift he was exhausted and was more than happy to head straight back to their quarters.

"By the look of you, I'd say we're eating in tonight," said Tanya.

"Mmmm," David mumbled in reply, as he checked on Davey, who was sleeping. "I've been busy."

"Never mind; I'll be back at work soon enough," she sighed.

David noticed a beautiful piece of fine white cloth, lying on their sofa.

"Where did that come from?" he asked.

"Helena Koenig gave it to me when she called in to check on us and I told her about the christening," replied Tanya. "I'm going to try to make Davey's christening outfit myself."

"Oh, right. That was kind of her to stop by, considering she must have her hands full with her own baby," muttered David, fingering the cloth.

Suddenly he felt nervous, wondering if Tanya would be happy with what he was planning.

"Are you going to tell me what you've arranged?" Tanya asked.

David took a deep breath.

"Okay," he said. "I hope you like it. When Davey's six weeks old, he should be okay to take a quick trip down to Loki. I'm sure the Commander will give permission for us to take him under the circumstances, and for some inexplicable reason, I have the feeling that it's really important for the service to take place there. It will give him a connection with the planet he's going to see every day of his life, whether he lives on Loki, or here, or even one of the mining colonies. I've managed to organize quite a few of the traditional aspects of a Russian Orthodox baptism which I'd like to keep for a surprise for you, and I'd like to fill in the gaps in the service where I've been unable to uncover information, with things pertaining to Loki. It will be a kind of Lokian Orthodox ceremony. We can set up a marquee on the planet and deck it out like a church inside. What do you think? Will you be happy to take Davey down to the planet for a few hours?"

Tanya walked away and stared down into Davey's crib. She did not reply for a full minute and David began to wonder if she was angry with him. Just as he was about to speak again, she turned around and gave him a smile that made his heart skip a beat.

"It's a most wonderful idea," she said. "And I love you very much for thinking of it."

David sighed with relief.

"Tomorrow I've got a few hours off, so we can get started on the invitations," he said.

The weeks before young Davey Kano's christening seemed to fly by. He happily thrived under his parents loving care and was completely oblivious to the fuss his impending baptism was causing. Nobody had thought to hold any sort of religious service on Loki before, and when Pastor Jeffries got wind of it, he was not pleased. He even went as far as making an official complaint to the Commander, requesting that the service either be performed by him, as Alpha's only man of the cloth, or not at all.

As gently and diplomatically as he could, John Koenig had explained that everyone on the moonbase had a right to express their religious beliefs as they saw fit, and if Tanya and David Kano wanted to hold a special service of their own on Loki, to celebrate the birth of their son, then he wasn't about to stop them. Privately, he thought young Davey's christening was a wonderful idea. He and Helena had been invited, and they were looking forward to it. It would be a chance to take their own baby for a brief trip to the planet for the first time. Tony Verdeschi had already volunteered to stay behind and mind the shop for the few hours he would be away.

By the time the day of the christening arrived, Tanya was exhausted. So many people had offered their assistance, once word got around about what David was organizing. Some of it had been welcome, like the assistance Helena Koenig and Kate Goldberg had given her with the sewing of Davey's christening gown. Some of it, in the form of an offer of religious instruction from Father Jeffries, had not been so welcome.

Writing the invitations had been a nightmare, as she agonized over who they should invite and who they shouldn't. In the end she'd sent far more than she knew would be able to attend, so that nobody got their feelings hurt. David had been pre- occupied for days, as he arranged for a large supply of goods to be freighted down to Loki by Eagle. Tanya had persuaded Catering Section to rustle up food and drink but apart from that, she hadn't seen the rest of the stuff that went aboard the Eagle. David had said he was keeping a few surprises up his sleeve for her and he wasn't about to let her in on his secrets! He'd already gone down to the planet himself the day before, to set everything up. Now she and Davey were about to follow him.

"Are you ready young man?" asked Ben, leaning over Davey's carry basket.

Davey whimpered and waved his arms about in reply, disturbed by the tension and excitement in the atmosphere.

"So Ed Spencer will be in charge of Medical Center today?" asked Tanya.

"Yes, and it will do him good to have the extra responsibility," replied Helena. "It's not often that he gets the chance to be boss."

"Come on then ladies, or we'll miss our Eagle flight," Ben grinned, picking the carry basket up. "Since we've got the star of the show here, we can't do that!"

"Do you know exactly what David has planned?" Tanya asked him, as the three walked towards the Eagle docking bay.

"Oh yes," he replied. "But- I'm sworn to secrecy. And before you ask her, so is Helena!"

Helena laughed at this.

"That's true," she said. "But I will tell you this much- you're going to love it."

"Seems like I'm the only one on the base who doesn't know what he's up to," grumbled Tanya.

"Well... not the only one," Ben chuckled. "There's Father Jeffries."

Tanya felt bad about this. She hadn't wanted to offend the pastor and had even sent him an invitation to the christening, but when she'd politely refused his offer of religious instruction, he'd been quite rude and stormed off. She hoped he'd get over it.

The Eagle for Loki left Launchpad One, filled with Tanya and David's guests, plus two fractious babies. At first, it seemed as though young Alex Koenig and Davey Kano were having a competition to see who could scream the loudest, but with a little nursing from their mothers they soon settled down, lulled off to sleep by the roar of the Eagle's engines.

"I heard that noise from the command module, even with the door shut," joked John, coming aft to sit next to Helena for a few minutes. "Alan is up there swearing black and blue that he's never ever going to have any kids!"

"Just wait until the right woman comes along and he'll change his mind," whispered Helena.

John raised his eyebrows.

"You don't think Sandra could be that woman? I've heard a rumor he's been seeing quiet a lot of her lately."

Helena slowly shook her head.

"I wish she was, but... I don't know. He sees so many women and never seems to settle with one."

She would have been so happy to see Alan Carter settle down and have a family. He obviously adored young Alex, even at this early age. He would make a fantastic dad, whatever he said about not having any kids.

Tanya sat in her seat and rocked young Davey, hoping he wouldn't cry during the service. His christening gown lay carefully folded in a bag at her feet; she would put it on him when they arrived. Leaning back in her seat, she let the chatter of the guests wash over here. Everyone was excited and happy to have a little free time away from the moonbase, even though most would be returning as soon as the service and subsequent party were over.

David had told her that the service would be held near the fledgling settlement of Area Three, and she was looking forward to seeing how it was progressing. Months had passed since she'd visited the planet; she'd not set foot on it since her honeymoon. It was a puzzle to Tanya as to why David was so insistent about Davey's christening taking place on Loki, but as the weeks had gone by, she was glad that he'd suggested it. After all, she had a sneaking suspicion that Davey was conceived on Loki. In some ways, in her mind, that made him a child of the planet.

"We're almost there," said Ben Vincent, interrupting her thoughts. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Fine, thank you," replied Tanya. "But I'll be glad when all this is over."

"Even though you started it?" Ben asked.

"Even though I did," Tanya sighed.

The gods of Loki had decided to turn on a perfect day for the christening, and as the Eagle touched down, several people aboard expressed regret that they would have to return to Moonbase so quickly. Everyone filed out and onto a stretch of grassy ground on the plateau above the amazing white cliffs, where trestle tables had been set up with a few drinks. A sizable marquee made from old canvas packing material from Alpha, stood a short distance away, so close to the edge of the cliffs that Tanya wondered whether it would blow over the edge in a high wind. Its entrance doors flapped slightly in the soft breeze and she spotted David as he exited it.

"Hi," he said, running towards her with a silly grin on his face.

"Shall I change Davey in there?" asked Tanya, pointing at the marquee.

"No," David replied quickly. "Let's do it in the Eagle. I want your first sight of the inside of the marquee to be when the service commences."

"David, I need to know what I'm supposed to do during the service. Don't you think it might be a good idea to tell me now how you're going to conduct it?" asked Tanya.

David shook his head.

"Nope. All you have to do is stick with Helena and Ben. They'll point you in the right direction."

"Okay," Tanya reluctantly agreed.

David kissed her gently, and then left her to change Davey into his gown. She wouldn't see him again until the service began.

Ten minutes later the refreshments had been consumed and Ben Vincent was ushering everyone inside the marquee. There was an amazed silence as the guests shuffled in and took their places in the rows of seats, which had been set up on each side of a central aisle. How had Kano done this? The passage through the door was like stepping from one world into another. Tanya was the last to enter, along with Helena and Davey. John Koenig was sitting near the back with baby Alex and he gave them a smile of encouragement as they passed by. Tanya's eyes filled with tears when she saw what her husband had done, and her footsteps faltered. She felt Helena's hand on her arm and took a deep breath, following her to the front row of seats.

Although it was bright and sunny outside, David had darkened the inside of his 'church' with a second layer of brown painted canvas. A sharp, spicy smell of incense filled the air and dozens of candles flickered in candelabra. At the front of the marquee stood a little altar, together with a large hexagonal bowl on a stand, that looked suspiciously like a cut down storage container. At the back of the altar hung two magnificent paintings- icons of Jesus and Mary. Little curtains behind the icons hid what could only be a small iconostasis- a sacred area of the Orthodox Church. In the background, a recording of a sacred Orthodox liturgy was softly playing.

The smell of incense, the paintings, the dim light- it tore the years away from Tanya until she was a little girl again, sitting beside her parents in church. There were so many memories, both happy and sad. It was hard to accept that she was now on a planet light years away from that place and time.

The sound of David's voice disturbed her reverie. He had stepped up to the altar, and was dressed in a neat brown tunic and slacks. It was plain that he would not pretend to be something he was not- a priest.

"Before we start this service today, I would just like to say a big 'thank- you' to all the people who helped me set this up. It means a great deal to my wife and I and we can never repay your kindness."

A few heads nodded their acknowledgment, and David began.

"Tanya, David, Helena and Ben; please step forward."

The three adults went to stand around the 'font', Helena and Ben guiding Tanya to her place, as she carried Davey.

David continued.

"We are all here today to celebrate the birth of the son of Tanya and myself, David Boris Kano. We welcome him to this new world of Loki, this world that will eventually belong to him and all the other children of Alpha. We ask that God look upon him with benevolence and allow him to face the challenges that undoubtedly lay ahead of him with wisdom and strength. We ask that he be received into our small community and that he be a fruitful and happy member of it all his life. We ask that Loki be kind to both him and all his generation, as they seek to grow and prosper here, and throughout this solar system. These are our prayers."

Tanya was astonished at her husband's words. She had never, in all the years she'd known him, heard him speak so eloquently- so poetically. She had no idea of what to expect next.

Smiling, David turned to Ben and Helena, who obviously knew what was to happen and were waiting to play their part.

"Ben and Helena, do you both agree to act as Godparents to David, and to oversee him as he grows and matures into a productive member of our community, ensuring that he receives proper instruction into the religious beliefs of his forebears?"

"We do," they replied in unison.

David now turned to Tanya.

"Tanya, please remove David's gown and nappy."

With Helena's help, she carefully did as she was asked. David reached forward and took Davey from her arms, holding him as gently as always. He hesitated for a moment as he held his son over the font full of water. Even though he'd warmed it earlier, the sudden dunking would be a shock to Davey and part of him hated to do this.

"In the name of God and of Loki, I christen you David Boris Kano," he said.

He plunged Davey down into the water and then quickly brought him up again, choking and screaming indignantly. Raising him high above his head, David walked along the aisle between the seats, out of the marquee and into the brilliant sunshine. The view from the edge of the cliff was fantastic- it seemed to go on forever. He felt as though he could the whole planet, and that it in turn, could see him. There was no better place to present his child to this world.

"David Boris Kano!" he shouted triumphantly, his voice competing with the baby's cries.

The guests milled around, happily chatting and eating the finger food from the trestle tables. Soon it would be time to return to Alpha for most of them, and they were determined to enjoy themselves while they could.

"It was a wonderful service and Kano really turned that marquee into something special, didn't he," John commented to Helena.

Baby Alex was sleeping, as was the star of the show. Hopefully they would continue to do so for a little longer.

"It was very moving," sighed Helena. "And it meant a great deal to Tanya. I was thinking- the area where Kano set the marquee up would make a wonderful spot for a permanent place of worship. You know, just for anyone down here who feels the need..."

"You're right," agreed John. "We should bring it up at the next meeting. Building a place of worship is not a top priority at the moment, but I guess it could be done if enough people wanted it."

Tanya stood at the door of the marquee and gazed inside it. The candles had been blown out and the incense no longer burned, but it's pungent smell still lingered and the icons still hung behind the podium. A small table stood at the back, covered in christening presents for Davey. Everyone had been so generous! Tanya sighed with happiness; her son was baptized now, in the most extraordinary service imaginable. When she had re- dressed him in his gown, she had removed the little brooch. He was safe now, in her mind.

"Did I do okay?" David asked softly, coming to stand at her side.

"You did better than okay," she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'll never ever forget what you did for your son, David. I know you don't believe in this stuff, yet you gave him the best ceremony possible. Everyone who was here today will remember it for a long, long time."

David kissed her.

"I know I said I don't believe in this... and I don't really. But... but... I felt something. I don't know... just something. I hadn't planned on taking Davey outside after immersing him in the font, but it seemed like I had to... present him to the planet. Maybe I'm being silly, but it was a very profound moment for me too. I may be an atheist, but it didn't make the moment any less special."

"I'm glad for you," whispered Tanya. "And I know what you mean about the planet. It's a major part of our lives now and it was right to include it in the ceremony."

She hugged him tightly and then stepped back a little.

"Come on," she said. "I'll give you a hand with the packing up. I'll have to be getting back to Alpha soon, and so will you."

David grinned with delight. He'd been saving a final surprise for her.

"No need to rush," he said. "I must have forgotten to tell you- the Commander gave me four more days' leave, so that we can have a short holiday here. I've been working so hard in Main Mission lately that he said I deserved the break."

Tanya laughed with delight.

"What? You should have told me! I didn't bring any clothes, and I need Davey's things-"

David reached out and placed a finger on her lips.

"Everything's all taken care of," he said. "I packed clothes for you and Davey, and brought them down with the christening stuff. We've been allocated the visitors' hut at Area Three for our stay, too."

Tanya didn't know what to say.

"This is too much David," she murmured softly, staring at the painted icons behind the altar. "It's overwhelming."

"It's my way of showing how much I love you and Davey," he answered her.

The little family of three watched from a safe distance, as the Eagles carrying their guests lifted off. The sun was going down and there was an evening chill to the air, as the sound of its engines died away. Tanya pulled Davey's shawl tightly around him and David put his arm around her.

"Come on, let's get over to Area Three and check out the visitors' hut," he said.

Tanya nodded her agreement.

"I can feed Davey and get him settled. Then we'll have the evening to ourselves."

"Mmmm, that sounds good," sighed David, as they walked in the direction of the few buildings that represented the core of Alpha's settlement on Loki so far.

"I wonder how much time our son will spend on this planet?" Tanya said.

David looked down at the dozing infant and shook his head.

"Who knows," he replied. "Who knows what any of our children will think of this harsh world. They may think it's beautiful, or they may just see it as a resource."

"Loki is not as hospitable as Earth, but I do hope they care for it," sighed Tanya, looking up at the rapidly darkening sky. "As you say, who knows what the future will bring."

Heather Hammonds. March 1999.