Descending Road - WANTING TO DRIFT by Dana W. Paxson

WANTING TO DRIFT

2414 CE

The Hau Ren representative, a neat, compact man from Singapore dressed in a crisp pale-yellow singlesuit, issued a packaged smile to Miriam and Allan. He tapped a keypad in a rapid, routine pattern, intoning subvocalized system commands as he spoke in perfectly-modulated Share, his words coming in blocks and pauses. “We’ve reviewed your records in detail, and you’ve got the right credits: physician and physicist, both top-drawer.” He frowned at the datascreen, then said to them, “Doctor Miriam Parker, Doctor Allan Windham, welcome to the new frontier of interstellar space. You are joining the Hau Ren Team.” He beamed, and went on, “No other combine offers this priceless opportunity. Please read your contracts carefully, and return them, witnessed and signed, within the next 48 hours. Do not tell anyone about this offer. If you do…" Turning from him, Miriam abandoned restraint and kissed Allan on the mouth.

“I must emphasize,” the representative said as they broke free. His smile faded. “This selection and everything that follows it is being conducted with the utmost discretion. You must make no public statement of your participation, and no sharing of the program’s details with anyone. Your immediate families will receive the same directions. Due to the political volatility in so many places, we wish to keep our colonization plans and activities carefully protected. All this applies whether or not you decide to go. Do you understand and accept these terms? Further details are in your information packages, coming in your mail.” He waited, his brows slightly raised.

Miriam remembered the piece of bone she had plucked from her hair, the day Allan had rescued her. She and Allan exchanged a look and a nod. “Yes,” they both said.

Clutching stacks of Hau Ren datawafers, they returned, increasingly jubilant, to Allan‘s apartment, with a flask of spice-flavored boojuice Miriam had picked up at the drugstore en route. She was ready now to do with Allan exactly what she’d wanted to do for the last two years.

“I’m staying over,” she said to him, bumping his door shut with her backside. “No sense in calling for escorts at some late hour, when I’m stoned.” She kicked off her shoes.

He looked surprised and pleased. “I was hoping,” he admitted. “If I’d known it took leaving the Solar System to get you into my bed, I’d have volunteered a lot sooner.”

“But then we still didn’t have our degrees, and they’d just test us positive for sex and throw us out.” She walked up to him and pressed against his chest, looking up soulfully. She knew he loved that.

“A familiar song.” He grinned and held her close.

“Not tonight,” she said, and wrapped a leg around him to stroke the back of his thigh. “No more No. It’s just too bad I can’t start the trip pregnant.”

“Yes,” he said. “Now we’ve got to wait again. But not for this.” They kissed, long and deep; Miriam caressed Allan‘s tongue with hers, letting the electricity fill her. He was so good at all the ways of making her feel loved, that she felt helpless in the face of it, just wanting to drift in his warmth like a fish in the tropic sea.

“It’ll be no time,” she said dreamily. “After getting through med school, thousands of years will feel like a good night’s sleep. Do you think they’d let us go down naked and locked together?”

Allan ruffled her hair. “Wanton doctor. What if I broke off inside you before we thawed out?”

“That’s your problem. Possession is the law.”

“Oho, is it?” He reached down to grab her ass, but she spun away and taunted him.

“I could sew us together again, I suppose, but you’d probably pop a stitch trying to pump things up and get the baby started.”

“You’re a devil. Gimme that flask before you suck it all down.” He chased her and caught her, and they laughed and wrestled all the way to his bed.

Story List	SURPRISE ME	Author Page
USER SURVEY	PUZZLE ME	MAKE ELM MARK

HOVER Lucida Bright BARE	HOVER Lucida Bright FULL	HOVER Palatino Linotype BARE
HOVER Palatino Linotype FULL	HOVER Times New Roman BARE	HOVER Times New Roman FULL
PAD Arial BARE	PAD Arial FULL	PAD Lucida Bright BARE
PAD Lucida Bright FULL	PAD Times New Roman BARE	PAD Times New Roman FULL


	WANTING TO DRIFT 2414 CE The Hau Ren representative, a neat, compact man from Singapore dressed in a crisp pale-yellow singlesuit, issued a packaged smile to Miriam and Allan. He tapped a keypad in a rapid, routine pattern, intoning subvocalized system commands as he spoke in perfectly-modulated Share, his words coming in blocks and pauses. “We’ve reviewed your records in detail, and you’ve got the right credits: physician and physicist, both top-drawer.” He frowned at the datascreen, then said to them, “Doctor Miriam Parker, Doctor Allan Windham, welcome to the new frontier of interstellar space. You are joining the Hau Ren Team.” He beamed, and went on, “No other combine offers this priceless opportunity. Please read your contracts carefully, and return them, witnessed and signed, within the next 48 hours. Do not tell anyone about this offer. If you do…" Turning from him, Miriam abandoned restraint and kissed Allan on the mouth. “I must emphasize,” the representative said as they broke free. His smile faded. “This selection and everything that follows it is being conducted with the utmost discretion. You must make no public statement of your participation, and no sharing of the program’s details with anyone. Your immediate families will receive the same directions. Due to the political volatility in so many places, we wish to keep our colonization plans and activities carefully protected. All this applies whether or not you decide to go. Do you understand and accept these terms? Further details are in your information packages, coming in your mail.” He waited, his brows slightly raised. Miriam remembered the piece of bone she had plucked from her hair, the day Allan had rescued her. She and Allan exchanged a look and a nod. “Yes,” they both said. Clutching stacks of Hau Ren datawafers, they returned, increasingly jubilant, to Allan‘s apartment, with a flask of spice-flavored boojuice Miriam had picked up at the drugstore en route. She was ready now to do with Allan exactly what she’d wanted to do for the last two years. “I’m staying over,” she said to him, bumping his door shut with her backside. “No sense in calling for escorts at some late hour, when I’m stoned.” She kicked off her shoes. He looked surprised and pleased. “I was hoping,” he admitted. “If I’d known it took leaving the Solar System to get you into my bed, I’d have volunteered a lot sooner.” “But then we still didn’t have our degrees, and they’d just test us positive for sex and throw us out.” She walked up to him and pressed against his chest, looking up soulfully. She knew he loved that. “A familiar song.” He grinned and held her close. “Not tonight,” she said, and wrapped a leg around him to stroke the back of his thigh. “No more No. It’s just too bad I can’t start the trip pregnant.” “Yes,” he said. “Now we’ve got to wait again. But not for this.” They kissed, long and deep; Miriam caressed Allan‘s tongue with hers, letting the electricity fill her. He was so good at all the ways of making her feel loved, that she felt helpless in the face of it, just wanting to drift in his warmth like a fish in the tropic sea. “It’ll be no time,” she said dreamily. “After getting through med school, thousands of years will feel like a good night’s sleep. Do you think they’d let us go down naked and locked together?” Allan ruffled her hair. “Wanton doctor. What if I broke off inside you before we thawed out?” “That’s your problem. Possession is the law.” “Oho, is it?” He reached down to grab her ass, but she spun away and taunted him. “I could sew us together again, I suppose, but you’d probably pop a stitch trying to pump things up and get the baby started.” “You’re a devil. Gimme that flask before you suck it all down.” He chased her and caught her, and they laughed and wrestled all the way to his bed.