The CHANGI BULLET

Chapter 33 - Moscow

Dinah sat behind Dmitry as he rode them up to the top field to feed the cows. His belly was now a six-pack and she held it tightly. They never wore helmets, both their long hair flowed in the wind. They laughed and enjoyed the warmth, and the fun of the bouncing quad bike. They were young and free and in love.

After completing the feeding task and looking the animals over, they lounged out on the grass. For the fourth time in two days, they discussed the astonishing offer of the places on the Izzati II. Did they really want to swap the freedom of Waterloo for the possibly authoritarian regime of being in a new colony? They were both excited by the idea of going, given that the outside world was not exactly welcoming, at that moment in time. But in Belgian-Russia they had each other, they had food and work, and two marvelous friends. What if they were separated on the new planet? They weren't just going to step off the space ship and be given the keys to a home and regular jobs; they would have to help build the society. However, they were young and they were fearless. Plus, her father would be there, watching the ship land, and he wouldn't let anything happen to them.

Still, they went down the field and got on with other things, again without coming to a decision. She jokingly blamed him, and he did the same with her.

'It's your fault.'

'No, it's your fault.'

Over the following week, circumstances added a new factor into the equation. Dinah began to worry that she might be pregnant. It went around and around in her head for days, before she did the only sensible thing, she went to confide in Liza. Liza happened to have a pregnancy kit in the cabinet under her bathroom sink. Not long after, the pregnancy was as good as confirmed.

They sat quietly in the cheesemaking shed, far away from the boys, and chatted about it all. Dinah was happy, but frightened and confused.

'Well,' said Liza. 'This is wonderful. I don't see how it changes anything. You either have the baby here, I trust the local doctor. Or you go, and have the baby in a new world. It might be the first one born there; it will grow up famous.'

'Pregnant in space, Liza?'

'Well, you'd have to check with the SEASA scientists, but think about it - asleep for half your pregnancy. Some women would kill for that.'

They giggled.

'You don't mind me having the baby on the farm, do you?'

'Of course not. I've always wanted to be an auntie.'

'Now, the big question is, do I tell Dmitry? It might alter his thoughts on everything. I wouldn't want to unfairly influence him.'

'That's up to you, Dinah. I promise, though, I won't say a word.'

The following day, the mail came to the farm. The postman for the Waterloo area delivered on horseback, not because that was how it was done in that part of the world, he was just a bit of an eccentric old fellow. Dinah saw him coming along the lane and went out to say hello. She wasn't going to take the mail from him personally; Oleg-Paul had created a big wooden mail box, to abide by social distancing rules. The postman waved. He pulled down his mask, revealing a rather fetching grey goatee beard, and asked how she was.

'Very good, Marc. What have you got for us? Come on, surely bills no longer exist?'

He jumped down easily for a man in his sixties. 'I'm afraid they do, Dinah. I have a special letter for Oleg-Paul and Liza. Can you sign my silly machine, if I place it in the box?'

'Of course.'

The postman stepped politely back from the gate while Dinah signed for the letter.