Dar's Adventures in Space 1: Space Crazy (19 page)

Dar poured a glass of wine and joined her in the kitchen. “I saw Cogg on my way in. The place looked empty.”

“Only get maybe five or six customers a day. Even most of the freighter crews are going to other settlements since there’s nothing going on here.”

“Maybe you should retire.”

Denrika turned to him. “And where will the drig come from? I don’t have a male in my life to help support me.”

“I’ll take care of you…I can send drig home every month.”

“Dar, I can’t ask that from you. I know you have your own life, and things you need.”

He set his glass down. “My needs are small, believe me…Look, I’ll get an account with the Ontarrin Bank and set it up so you get a monthly allowance. Would that help?”

“But…”

Dar decided it was time. “Mother, come with me.” He grabbed his spotting glasses off the counter and led her outside. “I wanna show you something.” Taking a moment, he let his eyes adjust to the dark. Then he started looking. Yes, there she was, just about forty-five degrees above the horizon. “I came home because I wanted to show you this.” He offered the glasses to her and pointed. “Look, there.”

Denrika held the glasses to her eyes. “I see something. Looks like a ship.”

“That’s
my
ship.”

“What?”

“I won her in a game of chance…She’s called the Marsuian.”

She regarded him. “What did you just say?”

“That’s Marcy, my ship.”

“The name, the proper name.”

“Marsuian?”

“I don’t believe it.”

Dar folded his arms. There was a chilly breeze. “Really, she’s my ship.”

“You don’t understand,” she said in a stiff tone.

Now he was confused. “Mother, what do you mean?”

She pointed. “That ship, the Marsuian, was the very one that brought your grandparents and a very little youngling me to this planet.”

“The first log entry—her maiden voyage.” He put his hand over his mouth. “You were part of the forty-five,” he said softly. “The forty-five that came here with a bunch of farm equipment.”

Denrika nodded. “I was too young to remember, but your grandfather recounted the voyage to me when I got older.”

He looked up at Marcy. “Amazing!” Dar stepped behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders. “What are the chances of that?”

“She’s come full circle, then. Now my son commands her…And I hope you have a long and prosperous career together.”

“Yeah,” he said softly. “I do too.” Leaning down, he kissed the top of her head, smelling the Softsuckle flowers in her hair.

THE END

About the author

K. Rowe retired as a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. She has been writing for the last twenty plus years. Stationed at various bases around the U.S.A. and in Europe, she draws from over twenty years of active service. Blending fact and fiction, she spends hours researching technology and locations for her work. She lives in eastern Kentucky with her husband, two dogs, two cats, and three horses on a 100 acre farm.

Other works by the same author:

The Dragonslayers Saga (military thrillers)

Project: Dragonslayers
(2010)

Dragonslayers: Mind Games
(2010)

Dragonslayers: Battle Rhythm
(2011)

Contemporary romance

Cowboys and Olympians
(2011)

Facebook: Project: Dragonslayers