Author's Note: This story takes place in an alternate universe bubble caused by a collision between Barbara Conrady's "Matter of Life and Love" universe and the Florida Universe. Although I have linked it through both universes, it really does not happen in NEITHER universe. In MOLL, Helena does not have a sister. In the Florida Universe, Melissa remains completely faithful to Alan. That said, if it did exist, it would be after "Friendship and Marriage" in MOLL and in the middle of "Sandman" in FU. Enjoy.
It was midmorning and Helena expected Command Center to be buzzing quietly. Instead, the double doors opened to an emergency alarm and tense chatter.
“Commander, there is a contact,” Sandra glanced at the big screen. A wide starscape flicked and changed to a more specific area of space.
“Replay,” Koenig ordered.
There was a moment of static, then the black of space returned and a flare brightened the center of the screen and died out.
“What is it?” Helena asked softly. She stood at his elbow.
“We think it’s a small spacewarp,” Maya answered. “We’re not headed toward it, and it doesn’t look big enough to draw us closer, but something just came through.”
“A spaceship?” Koenig asked.
Tony shook his head. “Not unless it’s an incredibly small one.”
“Send an Eagle out to investigate,” Koenig ordered.
“Carter and Russell are already off the ground. They were flying some supplies out to the pole mining crew,” Tony replied.
“Sandra,” Koenig called. “Divert them.”
“Yes sir. I have contacted them. They are altering course now.” Sandra frowned and turned to her board. “I am receiving a transmission from the object. It sounds like… a standard suit frequency.” She turned to the Commander. “It’s very weak; an emergency beacon.”
Koenig turned to Helena and at his glance she headed toward the life sciences desk in front of Tony. Maya was already sending data to the screen by the time she sat down. She frowned momentarily, trying to make sense of what she was seeing.
“I’m not getting anything on visual,” Maya said.
“There’s something there,” Helena said. “The life signs are faint, but they’re there.”
There was static on the communications link from Sandra’s board. “We’re on our way, Helena,” Carter’s voice said. “ETA fifteen minutes.”
“Alan, I can’t get a clear reading, but I think that should be fine.”
“Lee is suiting up now. He’ll be ready to go EV as soon as we approach it.”
“Careful, Alan,” Koenig cautioned. “Just because there seems to be a suit frequency transmission doesn’t mean it’s friendly.”
“Aye, Commander. We’ll proceed with caution.”
The fifteen minutes passed slowly. Helena couldn’t get a clear signal on the object, but there did appear to be a heartbeat, and there were also signs that the object was radiating heat.
The Command Center listened at Eagle 3 approached slowly. Lee had the cargo section decompressed by the time they arrived. He was ready to spot the object and make contact with it. Helena found her hands sweating as she waited. She wished she were aboard that Eagle.
“I can see it,” Lee’s voice was filtered through the suit’s microphone and the dear voice sounded tinny. “It’s shaped like a standard suit, but it’s completely black. It looks like it’s covered with sand. Alan? Can you move us about ten feet to starboard? I think I can reach it without leaving the airlock.”
“You got it, mate,” Alan replied.
With great precision, the Eagle drifted slightly to starboard. Lee reached out and grabbed the hand. The suit had pressure but was covered with black sand and he couldn’t tell if there was anyone in it or not. He pulled the suit inside the Eagle, supporting it as it entered the artificial gravity field.
“It’s a suit, all right,” Lee said. “It seems to be completely covered with some kind of black sand.”
Alan turned on the camera in the cargo section and Sandra placed the transmission on the big screen. Lee carefully lowered the suit to the deck and closed the airlock, starting the cycle to re-compress. He knelt awkwardly over the suit and brushed the black sand from the faceplate. He leaned forward to look in the faceplate, then he looked up at the camera on the communications post. “Is Helena on Alpha?”
It was an odd way to phrase the question. With a glance back at John, she spoke up. “I’m here in Command Center, Lee.”
She couldn’t tell anything from his body language with the bulky suit on. An alarm sounded to let Lee know that the pressure was back up to normal. He unlatched his helmet and pulled it off. Then he leaned down, brushed more sand from the suit and unlatched that helmet. He pulled it gently away from the suit and supported a blonde head as he pulled the helmet away. From the camera angle Alpha was using, little could be told about the person in the sand covered suit. Lee quickly stripped off his own gloves and touched the neck, looking for a pulse.
“Helena?”
“Yes, Lee.”
“I could be wrong, but this looks like Melissa.”
“Melissa? My sister, Melissa?”
“It’s been a long time, but… Helena I’m not getting a pulse.”
John had moved to stand behind her. “Alan, bring that Eagle back down here, now.”
“Yes sir. On our way.”
John put a hand on Helena’s arm. “Get a team together and meet them. But be careful. Any reason some alien might mimic someone Lee knows?”
Helena shook her head, already standing. “No. And certainly not my sister. They never really got along.” She glanced up at the screen. Lee was removing the suit. It looked like Melissa was wearing only a tiny t-shirt and tinier underpants. Well, that would certainly be like her sister.
“Keep me informed,” John cautioned.
Helena patted his arm as she left. “I will.”
A memory of dark choking dust, the dizzy tumbling of zero gee and an incredible pain in her chest greeted Melissa as she fought her way back to consciousness. This had been one of the worst reactions yet to a spacewarp. She sat up gasping for breath.
“Easy, easy, Mel,” a familiar voice said gently.
“Helena? Cake?” Melissa opened her eyes hopefully. If this were some kind of dream, it was one she wanted to stay in. The sight of Alpha’s medical center greeted her and Helena sat by her bed. Melissa reached out for her and hugged her closely. “Oh, Cake. I thought I’d never see you again!” She held her sister tightly, unable to stop the sob rising from her throat.
“Shhh,” Helena soothed her. “It’s okay. You’re going to be fine.”
“We’re really here? We found you?” She held Helena back at arm’s length and looked around the medical center. Both she and her sister had tears on their cheeks. Oh, to be together again! It was like finally being whole again.
“We? Mel, who were you with?”
“What do you mean? Where are the others? The ship? Didn’t we all make it through the storm?”
“Storm? What ship? Honey, you’re not making much sense.”
“We brought the ship. The Metaprobe. We put another engine or something in it and brought the plans with us so everyone could go home!” Melissa looked around again. She and Helena were alone. No one occupied the other beds. “Cake, they’re here aren’t they? Tony and the others?”
“Mel. We found you, floating in space in a spacesuit covered with some kind of sand. Nothing else. You came through what we call a spacewarp.”
Melissa could only look at her sister in horror. “Just me? No ship? Tony?”
“Tony? Tony who?”
“Cellini, silly. He was the only one who knew enough about the Metaprobe. Alan told me it was just like the Ultra probe, so when we decided to take it, I went and found him. We were outside the ship, trying to fix the sensors. Well, I mean, he was fixing the sensors and I was supposed to help. That storm was messing them all up and we went outside, he had some kind of alphabet soup for it.”
“EVA,” Helena supplied.
“That’s it. And there was all this black stuff, then I just got swept away from that jet pack thingy I was holding onto.”
“MMU,” Helena offered again.
Mel nodded. “Whatever. And then I called and called and I couldn’t find him. Or the ship. But Diana said she needed the sensors to do another jump, and then I felt that dizzy feeling like another jump was starting up.” She looked around. “Then I woke up here. Oh, damn, I hate those things.”
Helena wasn’t sure what to make of Melissa’s story. She had seen the Metaprobe blow up. And she had also seen Tony Cellini die fighting his monster. But she had no doubt that this was her twin sister. She worked to calm Melissa down. “It’s okay, Sweetheart. You’ve been through a lot. I’m going to give you something to make you sleep for a while.” She helped Melissa lie back down and caught the eye of the nurse who came forward with a hypospray.
Melissa sighed, but complied with her sister’s request. She allowed Helena to give her the shot and hold her hand while it took effect. “Cake? Where’s Alan?”
“Alan?”
“Why isn’t he here? Has he… has he found someone else?” A tear rolled down her cheek. “I thought he’d be here. He’s all right isn’t he?”
“Alan Carter?”
Melissa nodded, eagerly, even though the sedative was obviously taking effect. “Is he all right?”
“He’s fine, honey. You sleep now. Okay?” Helena smoothed back her sister’s tousled blonde hair, so like her own.
“’kay,” Melissa murmured, eyelids drooping. In moments she was asleep.
Helena glanced up at the nurse. “Jenny, will you please keep an eye on her?”
“Yes, sensei. She looks very much like you.”
Helena smiled fondly at her sister. “My twin. She’s about half an hour older than me.”
“Was she also involved in the space program?”
Helena shook her head. She smiled and fought back tears. “She’s a travel agent. I have no idea how she got here.”
She patted her sleeping sister’s hand and stood. “I’ll be in the Commander’s office if you need me.”
“Yes, Sensei.”
She ended up in the dining area instead of John’s office. John, Alan and Lee were sharing a table and John moved around the table so she could sit next to Lee. She selected a salad with some sort of fake meat on it and headed to the table.
“Well?” Koenig asked as she sat down.
“She was conscious for a while, but very upset. She’s in shock, dehydrated and exhausted. I think she’d been in that suit for quite some time.” She turned to Lee. “If you hadn’t brought her aboard when you did, she wouldn’t have made it.” She tried to repress a shudder, but Lee took her hand and held it reassuringly. She smiled her thanks to him.
“Is she really your sister?” Koenig asked.
“John, she is my sister, but there’s something… wrong.”
“Wrong?” Koenig frowned. “What do you mean, ‘wrong’?”
Helena turned to Alan. “Alan, have you ever met my sister?”
Alan shook his head. “I met you when you started your tour of duty on Alpha. I’ve never met any of your family. Why?”
“She was asking about you. She was frantic, and puzzled as to why you weren’t there when she woke up.” She glanced at the three men at the table. “She wanted to know if you had found someone else.”
Lee and John exchanged grins and John nudged Alan. “Another conquest and you haven’t even met her!”
“Honest! I haven’t!” Alan protested.
“So, is that what was wrong? Your sister has a crush on our intrepid Captain Carter?” John said with a smile.
Helena shook her head. “She said she was on a ship. A rescue ship. She said that the Metaprobe had been refitted with some experimental engine and that Tony Cellini was piloting it.”
Alan and John exchanged worried glances. They had both been present when Cellini was killed by the space monster who had haunted his dreams.
“I thought you said the Metaprobe was destroyed,” Lee said, looking around the table.
“It was,” Alan said. “ I saw it myself.”
John nodded. “Alan was in an Eagle above the surface at Breakaway. His Eagle recorded the explosion at the space dock and the Metaprobe.”
Maya and Tony joined them at the table with their own trays. The others filled them in and they discussed various possibilities.
“I think we may be dealing with a parallel reality.” Maya suggested.
“What?” Tony asked. “Like that antimatter planet where we encountered Vindrus?” He turned to John. “Maybe I should post a guard?”
John glanced at Helena. “Perhaps just video surveillance for now.”
Helena gave a reluctant nod. “John, I am sure she’s my sister,” she assured him.
“I’m sure she is, Helena,” Maya said. “But from a different universe, not an anti-universe, simply one that exists in parallel to ours. Identical to ours. Perhaps it has only recently split away from us.”
“I thought such parallel universes were only theory,” Lee said.
Maya shrugged. “Quantum theory practically assures us of an infinite number of parallel universes, existing in conjunction with our own.”
Lee opened his mouth to ask another question and Helena could see that he and Maya would shift into a theoretical discussion that could last hours. She placed her hand over his and he turned and smiled at her. “Okay, Maya and I will talk shop later. What does this mean for Helena’s sister?” he asked the others.
Maya frowned. “Theoretically, the space warp she fell through must lead to her universe, and back to her ship.”
“Then we should try to return her?” John asked.
“It might not be so simple to do so. But I can try,” Maya said. “Can I examine her suit, and that sand that was on it?”
John nodded. “It’s in the isolation lab.” He turned to Helena. “Could there be any risk of contamination from contact with her?”
Helena shrugged. “I can’t see why. Other than the physical ordeal she’s been through, she appears to be perfectly healthy.” Helena turned to Lee. “She’s actually healthier than the last time I saw her. Her lungs look great. She hasn’t been smoking.”
“Well, that’s an improvement,” Lee said softly.
“Let me know when she wakes up. I’d like to meet her,” John said.
“It won’t be until morning. I gave her a very strong sedative.”
First shift had already started when Melissa woke up. There was a bad taste in her mouth and everything felt fuzzy. Her eyes didn’t want to focus properly and her head was pounding. She tried sitting up. That wasn’t too bad. She looked around. If she remembered correctly, her sister’s office was just around that corner to the left. She stood slowly and steadied herself on the edge of the bed. She felt weak and tired, but she was determined to get up.
She walked slowly around the corner. Helena stood just outside her office door, her arms around someone. Melissa thought it was John, but when they parted from the clinch she recognized him immediately.
“Melissa!” Lee said.
Helena turned around and both Helena and Lee stepped toward Melissa who appeared to be about to topple over any minute.
Adrenaline surged through her. Though still weak, Melissa crossed the distance between her and the couple with sure steps. Helena reached out to her but Melissa batted her sister’s arm out of the way. With all the strength she had, she pulled back and slapped Lee across the face. The smack could be heard throughout Medical Center. Before Lee could react Melissa closed in and tried to kick him, an ineffectual move in bare feet. She altered her strategy and changed to a knee in the groin. Just before she connected someone lifted her completely off her feet from behind and pulled her back, strong arms pinning her own arms to her side.
She struggled ineffectually, looking down and noticing the black sleeve on the left arm of the person that secured her. “John? What are you doing? What’s he doing here?”
“Melissa!” Helena looked both embarrassed and shocked. “What are you doing?”
“Trying to give him what he deserves,” Melissa was still struggling against John’s hold and glaring at Lee. “You should have stayed dead, Lee Russell.”
“What did I ever do to you?” Lee asked, surprised. Helena took his hand and glanced behind her. The glance wasn’t lost on Melissa.
“Don’t let them drug me or anything,” she glanced up and behind her at John.
“Then calm down,” John cautioned. “You can’t just go around hitting people.”
Melissa took a deep breath and did her best to calm down. Her body relaxed and John gently placed her back on her feet. He kept hold of her arms, but without immobilizing her.
John looked over his shoulder at Lee. “Aren’t you on duty soon?”
“I was just leaving,” Lee said, taking the hint with a nod. He made a quick exit.
John let Melissa go so he could look into her face.
She looked puzzled and very much like her sister. “John? Cake? What’s going on here?”
John took her hand. Now that the anger was gone, she looked pale and weak. “It’s a long story. Let’s use Helena’s office and talk about it.”
Melissa listened to their explanation with a good deal of incredulity. “So,” she asked Helena at last. “You’re not really my sister?”
Helena shrugged. “For all intents and purposes, yes I am. From what you’ve told us, we seem to share a common past. At least up to the point where in your universe, I met John Koenig before coming to Alpha.”
“Melissa,” John said. “We’re doing everything we can to try to get you back where you belong.”
“Do you know how to do that?”
John and Helena exchanged a look and John turned to her honestly. “Not exactly. But we have some people working on it who are very capable.”
Melissa sighed. “All right. So, now what?”
“You need something to eat and some rest,” Helena said.
“Here in Medical Center?”
Again John and Helena held an unspoken conversation and Melissa wondered how anyone could possibly come between the two of them.
“You don’t need to be in Medical Center,” Helena said with a smile. “In fact, you’ll probably rest better away from here.”
John nodded and stood. “I’ll have quarters and a commlock issued for her. You find her some clothes and bring her by my office.”
Helena nodded and John left with a nod and a smile.
“Come on,” Helena said to her sister. “You can borrow some of my clothes.”
“Just like old times,” Melissa said with a smile.
“Don’t you have anything that’s not beige?” Melissa opened another drawer.
“Not much,” Helena admitted. “There should be a pair of black slacks here somewhere, though.”
She opened another drawer while Melissa pulled a red leotard from the bottom of a drawer. “This has possibilities.”
“Here,” Helena pulled a pair of black linen slacks out with a belt of interlocking metal rings. Beneath them were matching a blazer and black sandals.
“That’ll do,” Melissa said. She peeled off the blue pajamas she had been issued in Medical center and began pulling on the other clothes.
“Mel?” Helena asked. “Why did you have such a reaction to Lee? I know the two of you were sometimes at odds, but you seemed furious with him.”
“Where did he come from, anyway?” Mel asked as she slipped on the red leotard. “I thought he was dead.” She didn’t sound particularly unhappy about Lee’s death.
“His ship was lost. There was never any proof one way or another. They were transformed into a form of antimatter. The first time we encountered the survivors, he tried to warn us away, to keep us safe. I guess it was the bond between the two of us that even allowed him to try. Then he found a way to return to our type of matter and he’s been with us ever since. You didn’t answer my question,” she reminded her sister.
Mel gave a short laugh. “I never could distract you from anything.” She sat down to put on the sandals and looked at Helena. “Cake, I don’t know about here, but where I come from he was far from perfect. After the Jupiter probe was lost, former girlfriends appeared out of the woodwork, all willing to tell all to the tabloids.”
Helena sat on the sofa next to her. “Mel. I assure you, that’s not the case here. We had—we have a wonderful relationship.”
“Helena, he made a pass at me the day of your wedding,” Melissa confessed. “I should have taken out his balls then, but I thought it would pass.” She shook her head. “After that, I just tried to avoid him.”
“Melissa, no one is perfect. And I guess there are more differences between our universes than first thought. Here, Lee never approved of your lifestyle.”
“My lifestyle?”
“Smoking for one. And the way you…” Helena trailed off.
“Sleep around?” Melissa finished for her.
Helena nodded, embarrassed. “I never could convince him that you’d settle down one day. The way you talk about Alan, it sounds like you’re finally ready.”
“And it may be too late,” Melissa said with regret. “I may not find him at all now. But I sure hope Cellini gets the ship to Alpha so they can all go home.”
“I do too. In fact, maybe your counterpart is on the way here.”
Melissa hesitated, pressing her lips together, deep in thought. “Cake, I do love you, but… I think… if it hadn’t been for Alan. For you both being here. I wouldn’t have done it. I’m not sure I would have even had any idea of what to do.”
Helena nodded. “I understand. Besides,
we’re pretty sure the Meta probe was destroyed. And Tony Cellini was here
on Alpha with us, so he wouldn’t be available to pilot it.”
“Tony’s here?” Melissa said.
Helena shook her head. “Not any longer. He… died about a year ago.” Helena decided not to go into details about his death.
Melissa took her hand. “It seems there are more and more differences, doesn’t it?”
Helena nodded. “We’ll do everything we can to get you home.”
Melissa nodded.
Helena took her to John’s office. It was just down the hallway from Command Center, a small room with a desk, a few chairs and a wall full of computer screens. She got her first good look at this universe’s John Koenig. He stood when they walked into the room and she noted the way he looked at Helena. It was the look of a starving man, but he masked it quickly. So, Melissa knew that there was one person who didn’t approve of Helena’s reunion with Lee. They had been so perfect together before the moon left.
John offered them seats and handed Melissa a commlock. She assured him that she knew how to use it. She’d been to Alpha once before. Helena’s commlock chimed and Helena was called back to Medical Center. She gave Melissa’s hand a squeeze and John assured her that he would take good care of her sister. Melissa watched the way John treated Helena, gently, warmly. Yes, she was sure John would take good care of her.
As they walked down the hallway, Melissa took his arm. John looked at her with surprise, but when she smiled at him, he smiled back. “So, how did you meet my sister?” she asked.
“I met her when I was assigned here to Alpha,” he explained. “You knew me, when I pulled you away from Lee. I take it we met in your world?”
“About a year before the moon left,” Melissa said with a smile. “You’d just met Helena and you came to Florida on business with Alan. I happened to be visiting Helena, so we met.”
“Helena said you really hit it off with Alan.”
Melissa nodded and swallowed, finding it harder to talk about Alan than she thought. John indicated a door to the right. Melissa took the commlock and opened the door. “I never expected to fall for him, but I did.” They walked into the room which looked just like all the other rooms on Alpha. Melissa wandered past the empty closet, by the bed in the corner, by the shelves and desk and sat on the curved sofa in the corner of the room.
She looked around at the room which held absolutely no personal items, void even of the fake ambiance of a cheap hotel room. “Now what, John?”
“Maya, our science officer would like to talk to you,” John said, kindly. She looked lonely and vulnerable in this empty room. “Then perhaps you would have dinner with me?”
She put on a brave smile. “I’d like that.”
He held out his hand and she took it. They left the empty room behind.
Maya was kind and friendly. She told Melissa that Helena was a good friend and she had seen pictures of the two of them. She asked endless questions, most of which Melissa had no idea how to answer, but Maya was patient and understanding. Two hours later John returned and swept her away to the dining area. Melissa was relieved to see him. It was tiring to sit there and tell Maya over and over that she had no idea how anything worked, or what the conditions in that sand storm had been like.
The food in the cafeteria was adequate if not particularly appealing. There were plenty of fresh vegetables and Mel chose something that looked like noodles drenched in a passably spiced tomato sauce. She sat with John and noticed that as others came and went they watched her carefully, although none approached her.
None, that is, until two familiar faces walked into the room. Bill Fraser and Alan Carter arrived together. Mel had met Bill briefly the last time she had seen Alan off. The two pilots spotted her with John and moved toward them before selecting their food.
“Melissa,” John said, making formal introductions. “This is Bill Fraser and Alan Carter.”
Both held out their hands. She shook Bill’s first, then turned to Alan with a smile. The smile froze on her face as she took in Alan’s look. He was checking her out from head to toe and liking what he saw. But the look he was giving her and what she had come to expect from her lover were two different things. ‘Her’ Alan was never slow to appreciate her body, but she had come to enjoy the overall tone of their relationship. There was none of the warmth or playfulness or familiarity that she expected. Suddenly she couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t respond to this stranger at all.
She stood and dashed from the room with a quickly mumbled, ‘Excuse me.” A sob threatened to rise to her throat and she was afraid she was going to be sick.
She stopped just outside the door. Trying to catch her breath. She heard the door open behind her and for a terrible moment she thought that he had followed her. She couldn’t handle this. Then a hand was placed on her shoulder and she heard John’s voice, full of concern. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
The sob surfaced and she turned to bury her face into his chest. “It’s not him. It wasn’t him. Oh, John,” she shuddered. “It was like some… horror movie where the zombies replace the people you love. I’m in the wrong place.”
He tried to comfort her. Holding her gently. “You knew you weren’t in the right place. It’s okay.”
“It’s not the same as knowing,” she moved back from here and placed her hand over her heart. “In here.” Tears streamed down her face.
“Come on, let’s get out of here.” He drew her down the hallway to his quarters. They were closer than hers and he sensed that she needed some privacy to regain her equilibrium “I promise you,” he said with a laugh. “He’s not a zombie.”
She used the back of her hand to wipe the flowing tears. “I know, I know. But, it was just… such a shock.”
They moved into his quarters and he sat on the sofa next to her, still holding her hand.
“John? Do you think I’ll ever find him again?”
He sat back and pulled her into his arms. “I hope so, Mel. We’ll do everything we can to help.”
She curled comfortably next to him. He breathed in her scent. She looked so much like Helena. He stroked her blonde hair, understanding completely her broken heart.
Eyes closed, head pillowed against his shoulder, she asked, “So, what happened between you and Helena?”
John sighed. “We met here. We… seemed to click. Everything felt so right. When we were together, it didn’t matter so much that we were stuck on this rock in the middle of nowhere. Then we found Lee. And everything just… fell apart.” He explained Lee’s first return and how he tried to help Helena through the grief of losing him again.
“I asked her to marry me. Then Lee showed up again. This time he was in a form that was able to stay here.” He leaned his cheek against Melissa’s silky head and confessed. “I was such an asshole. I didn’t want him here. I didn’t want him near Helena. I wanted everything back like it was. I even trumped up a reason to banish him. And that nearly killed her… literally broke her heart. So, I asked him to come back.”
Melissa sat up and looked into his eyes. She stroked his cheek and looked at him with those beloved green eyes. “And that broke your heart.”
He looked at her for a long moment. “I’m… getting used to it. He’s really not such a bad guy. And to see Helena happy…”
She settled back into his arms. “This love shit just really sucks. I don’t think I’ve ever been so miserable as when I’m in love. I was happier just screwing guys for fun.”
John had to laugh. She had a good point, but she looked and sounded so much like Helena, and was so completely different from her. He couldn’t remember when he’d heard anything funnier. Melissa laughed with him. Then she turned and smiled at him, and leaned forward and kissed him.
At first it was just a soft friendly kiss, but his arms were around her and her tongue flicked against his lips and his hand moved inside her jacket, moving from waist to breast. She pressed against his hand, encouraging him.
He pulled back. “We shouldn’t…”
“Why?” She asked boldly. “Seems we’re two consenting adults who could certainly use a good diversion. And I can’t think of a better one.”
John grinned at her. She stood and removed the black jacket. Then with a quick twist, she unfastened the slacks, let them drop to the floor and stepped out of them. She wore only a leotard and the black sandals. John noticed there was no bra under the leotard. Her nipples were tight and stretched the thin fabric.
She held out her hand. “Come on, John. Consider it a ‘mercy fuck’ on both our parts. No strings attached.”
He hesitated and she bent over him. “Besides, I guarantee you’re the only man in the universe who’ll ever have both the Thompson twins. And plenty have tried.”
He leaned forward, touching his lips to hers. This time there was nothing friendly about the deep hungry kiss. She moved his hand to her breast again and he stood and lifted her off her feet.
He took her to the bed and she lay beneath him, watching, as he pulled off belt, tunic, pants and boots. Her look was appreciative. She liked what she saw. His body responded as she reached out to touch and explore him. He stood by the bed while she ran her hands over his torso and lower. She leaned forward and kissed the tip of his engorged member, then encompassed it with her mouth. Her hands ran up and down his thighs, moving to squeeze his buttocks. He gasped at her expert touch. Helena had never done this! He moaned with pleasure and reached down to caress her breasts.
She pulled back with a smile. “We’d better get rid of this,” she fingered the leotard. “Helena always hates it when I rip her clothes.”
“That’s Helena’s?” John asked. He had never seen her wear it. Helena was nearly always in uniform.
Melissa stood and wiggled out of the tight garment. John mightily enjoyed the movement. Melissa stepped out and tossed it aside, then pulled him down onto the bed and mounted him.
She was bold and demanding. She knew what she wanted from him and told him in no uncertain terms. He was breathless with desire for her and practically in a frenzy by the time she allowed him to penetrate her.
She moaned with pleasure and urged him on. “Come on, big boy! Do me!”
He thrust harder, deeper and she screamed out as her orgasm began. “John! Harder! Don’t stop!” Her cries became louder and more incoherent. Her long nails pressed into his shoulders as she pushed against him and her screaming reached a crescendo. He released with a long moan of his own and held her tightly, gasping for breath.
Mel clung to him, gasping herself. “I… needed… that.”
He kissed her cheek and stroked her hair. “It’s been a long time.”
“For me too.”
He began to pull away. She stopped him with a touch and looked into his eyes. “Slowly,” she ordered. “I want to feel it. I want it to last as long as possible.”
He nodded. Green eyes locked with blue, he rose above her. He could see her pleasure in the sensations and enjoyed prolonging it. She licked her lips and gave a soft sigh as he separated from her and leaned up to give him a quick sweet kiss on the lips. “That was good.”
She settled against his shoulder. She caressed his chest, drawing patterns with her nails against his skin. They talked, about things more intimate than he had ever shared with anyone. She knew he had been married before. She knew he had loved Helena. He found himself telling her intimate details that he would never have shared with anyone, not even Jeanne or Helena. She returned the favor, sharing her own life and loves with him.
When she sensed the time was right, her caresses moved lower on his body. He was surprised to find they were both ready again. He wanted her and told her so. She moved to straddle him and told him to relax and let her ‘drive’. He had no problem telling her that he preferred to be in charge, something he might have been reluctant to admit to any other, even her sister. She simply laughed and assured him that she would take good care of him. He lay back and let her have her way, finding this lovemaking to be very different from any before.
They spent the night alternately playing and talking. It was nearly six in the morning when she drifted into a drowsy sleep by his side. He found his commlock, called the Command Center and told them that he could be reached by commlock in the event of an emergency, then he returned to her side.
She turned sleepily to him and mumbled. “I’m not falling in love with you, John Koenig.”
“Good girl,” he assured her, he patted her lovely bare bottom fondly. “But, would it be so bad if you had to stay here?”
She gave a low soft chuckle. “You like to be on top too much.” She whispered, “I want to go home.”
“I’ll find a way, Mel,” he promised. He closed his eyes and slept more deeply than he had in ages.
When he woke up, she was gone. He expected that. It was after noon. He rose and stretched, feeling more rested than he had in a long time. He showered and noted a few scratches and bite marks but noticed that Melissa had thoughtfully placed them in spots that would be covered by his uniform. Or perhaps it was only chance. He grinned at himself in the mirror. Helen would always have a place in his heart, but he truly felt that he could let her go completely now.
At least twice a week Helena and Lee met in their quarters for lunch. It had been a suggestion of Lee’s shortly after he had arrived and realized just how grueling Helena’s schedule was. She had always been a workaholic, and he would quickly admit that he was as well, but eighteen and twenty hour days were common for her and Lee realized that she needed him to help her find a bit of down time. Lee arrived first with two covered trays and a coffee pot. It was their usual day, but Lee had almost expected Helena to call him and tell him she was canceling today to spend some time with her sister.
Helena stormed into the room just as he set out the plates on the table.
“Do you know where my sister was last night?”
Lee looked at his wife mildly. It was obviously a rhetorical question. He had not seen Melissa since yesterday morning when she had tried to beat him up. Helena had gone to the quarters assigned to Melissa last night and upon finding she was not there, had returned to him, puzzled and disappointed. “No, where?” he asked as Helena paced the room.
“She was with John! All night!”
“And how do you know this?” Lee asked.
“Mel just told me! I stopped by her quarters and she was just getting out of the shower. She didn’t hesitate to let me know exactly where she was and what they were doing! She said…” Helena stopped and looked at her husband then changed her mind. “Well, never mind what she said. But they weren’t just talking.”
Lee had to smile. “Helena. They’re both adults. Both unattached. And no doubt both lonely. She’s probably good for him.”
“Good for him!” Helena exclaimed. “But he’s…” She stopped again and looked at her husband.
Lee raised an eyebrow and watched her. John was no longer hers. She had made her decision, and he knew she didn’t regret it. They had talked before about the fact that John must be lonely and Lee was well aware that she was still more than fond of him.
“Lee, she’s my sister.”
Lee nodded. The two were close. He knew that well. There had been time in the early part of their marriage when he had felt like an interloper, coming between them. The two could talk on the phone for hours. And when they got together, their shopping sprees were legend. Helena had also told him once with a bit of pride that they had never stolen or shared boyfriends. Melissa had certainly just skirted, if not violated, that rule. He took a couple of steps forward and cautiously put his arms around his wife. She allowed him to hold her close.
“Helena. I spent the morning with Maya. We think we have a way to get Melissa back where she belongs, but it’s a long shot and it’s very, very dangerous. She was going to find John and let him decide whether to try it or not.” He took a deep breath. “Under the circumstances, I think a bit of a diversion, for both of them, isn’t such a bad idea.”
Helena looked at him. “How dangerous?”
Lee led her to the table and sat beside her. “Helena, assuming she lives through the return through the space warp, there’s no guarantee her ship is still close enough for her to reach it, or that her shipmates can retrieve her.”
Helena shuddered. “Then perhaps she shouldn’t go.”
“From what I understand, she’s being pretty insistent about returning. What choice do you think she’ll make?”
Helena knew her sister well. She buried her face in her hands. “My sister is the most infuriating person in the universe.”
Lee patted his wife’s shoulder. They would most likely never know if Melissa survived this or not. Helena would need his shoulder to lean on through this.
“You want to what?” John asked, incredulous as Maya finished her explanation. He had arrived in Command Center to find Maya in conversation with Lee and Helena. She had quickly detailed the plan to him, telling him it was up to him to determine whether it should be tried or not.
Maya simply looked at him. “The sooner we do this, the better the chance for success.”
John looked at Helena. “What do you think?”
“I hate it. But it’s all we have. I also hate to think that she’s this close to rescuing the Alphans from her own universe. She deserves the chance to return and finish what she’s started.” Helena was calm, but looked pale and shaken by the idea. “Melissa should be allowed to make the decision.”
John remembered the way Melissa had burst into tears when she met Alan. This wasn’t where she belonged. He also had a better understanding of her after last night. She would want to try this, he was certain. He looked at Lee, Maya and Helena and nodded reluctantly. “Okay, I’ll go find her. Have an Eagle standing by.” He turned to leave.
“John,” Helena said softly. He turned back and looked at her. “I’d like to come along.”
John nodded and left Command Center.
He found her in the rec room talking with Bill and Annette Fraser and Alan. All three were laughing as she finished up a story.
“And Daddy always gets up early and exercises, so the first thing he hears as he comes up to his exercise room is our foreplay. He comes bursting into the room and starts shouting at Alan to “take your hands off my daughter.” Melissa imitated her father’s booming voice. “Alan is trying to get up, but his hand gets stuck inside my t-shirt and every time he pulls away it just sort of bounces back.” She demonstrated, her own hand yo-yoing off her breast. “I thought I’d have to pull the shirt off so Alan could get out of the bed!”
The others laughed.
“So did they end up in a fight?” Alan asked.
“No, my mom heard the commotion and came running up the stairs. She and I got Daddy out of the room. Oh, I was furious at the time.”
John leaned over the sofa next to Melissa. “Your Alan must be a brave man to face that for you,” he winked at his own friend in the easy chair across the way.”
“He is,” Mel said, beaming. “I was afraid he’d never want to see me again. But by my birthday when my parents showed up unexpectedly, Alan just made sure they knew they were welcome to sleep on the sofabed while we took the bedroom. I think my father has finally faced the fact that I’m not a thirty-five year old virgin.” She rolled her eyes and the others laughed.
“Can I tear you away from here? I’ve got some info for you,” John said.
“Sure, Sweetie,” Melissa said with a smile. “Later guys.” She stood fluidly and rounded the sofa to take John’s arm.
The others bid her goodbye and Koenig heard Alan’s sotto voce “Sweetie”. Laughter followed them out the door. John felt his ears redden, but silently vowed that Melissa could call him ‘Sweetie’ any time she wished.
John patted Melissa’s hand on his arm. “We’ve found a way to send you back.”
“Really? How?”
“Helena says your something of a daredevil. Ever done any skydiving?”
“I’ve jumped a time or two.”
“Think of this as a jump then. You’ve got to be going in exactly the opposite direction as when you came in at exactly the same speed. We’re going to get you up to that speed using an Eagle, then you jump and we brake, and back through the warp you go.”
John tried to sound casual, even though he himself was still appalled at this method. Maya insisted that it should work, but John thought taking a laser to her would be quicker and more merciful.
“Dear god,” Melissa said. “That’s the best you can do?”
“That’s all we can come up with. Given the conditions you’ve described on the other side, sending an Eagle through with you would be a bad idea, even if we had one to spare, which we don’t.”
Mel blew her breath out slowly. “When are we going to do this?”
“We lift off in an hour.”
“I either need a cigarette or a good screwing.”
John steered her around a corner. “My quarters are this way.”
All too soon they were aboard the Eagle. Lee and John were piloting. Melissa and Helena sat in the back, hand in hand, both too distraught to speak. Helena had tried to talk her into staying, but Mel insisted she needed to go back where she belonged. Melissa’s final argument was, “Helena, I did something really stupid coming out here. I never thought once about Mom and Dad. They’re all alone back there. I’ve got to see this through and get us back to them. At least here, you’ve got Lee, and my counterpart is still on Earth with them.”
Helena couldn’t argue with that, so she simply nodded and steeled herself not to cry. They suited up and sat side by side.
John entered the passenger section with a somber look on his face. “We’re almost in position. I’ll go EV with you. Helena, you head up front to help Lee with the readings. Maya is giving us a countdown to the correct coordinates.”
Helena and Melissa stood. Unable to speak, Helena hugged her sister fiercely and headed forward.
John helped Melissa with her gloves and helmet. Before sealing the helmet he gave her one last look. “You could stay, you know.”
Melissa gave him a hug and a quick but passionate kiss. “I need to go home. I need to find him. And I damn sure hope Helena has the sense to keep her hands on you in my universe.”
John grinned. “I hope so too.” He wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “I’ll miss you.”
She smiled. “Don’t forget to have a little fun once in a while.”
“I promise.”
They sealed their suits and cycled the air out of the passenger section. John used a short line to secure Melissa to him then they stepped outside the Eagle. He climbed up to the top of the Eagle and fastened himself to the framework, towing Melissa behind him. He touched a button on her radio.
“You okay?”
“I’m terrified, but other than that, just peachy.”
“Ok. Helena? Time?”
“Two minutes until contact, John. Mel? Good luck.”
“Thanks, Cake. Good luck to you guys too.”
John carefully positioned Melissa in front of him, holding her by the waist. He unhooked her line and placed her feet against his thighs. “All right. We’re in position. Helena, you do the honors. Lee, brake on her command. Mel, when you hear the word, push off from me, just like a skydive.”
“Piece of cake,” Melissa said with bravado. “Thanks for everything, guys.”
Helena called out 45 seconds, 30 seconds, then counted down from ten. As she reached zero, John gave Mel a little push and she sprung away from him. The Eagle’s engines braked and Melissa seemed to rush away from them. There was a quick blinding flash, and Melissa vanished.
Helena watched from the command section, holding her breath. Lee reached across the aisle and squeezed her hand.
“John?” he called.
“Okay,” John’s voice replied over the intercom. “I’m returning to the Eagle. Helena, it looked like it worked.”
“From our end,” Helena said, shakily.
“It’s up to Melissa now. And from what I’ve seen of her, she’s a force to be reckoned with.”
Helena smiled, tears streaming down her face. “That she is. A force all her own.”
January 2003
Maureen J. Long