CANAISIS ∞ Chronicle One ∞ 2: A Captain's Journey

90 ∞ Three Years

"Well, look at this—it's our good friend! Don't tell me you got tired of Earth?"

Dara shook her head no. A woman rushed up beside her and grabbed her hand.

"Dara, don't you ever run off like that again! You scared me half to death! You know better."

Recalling the mother's name, Gareth held up his hand to shake. "Good to meet you again, Janine. I was just asking Dara how she was."

"Oh! Captain Levant! Please forgive my manners." Flustered, she shook his hand.

Harlin proffered his hand next. "It's a surprise to meet you here. How was your visit? Heading to Maar so soon?"

"Well, it seems the Masursky Institute has an office here on this station and a job opened up," Janine replied. "It's not in my field, but they offered it to me. They even arranged schooling for Dara."

"That's great. This station has an excellent school set up for long-term station members with children. It's small, but I think that's better since the children get more individual attention." Harlin smiled down at Dara.

Janine beamed with pride at Harlin. "She'll only be going part-time. The institute said they were worried about the differences in Earth schooling and Maar's, so they have private tutors to ensure she gets brought up to speed. The institute also wants to start working with her aptitude and developing it."

"That's great. I don't remember, what field of work were you in again? What will you be doing here?"

Janine launched into an explanation, but Gareth was still on his knee regarding Dara as the conversation flowed above his head without sinking in. Dara's dark hair had grown a little longer, making her olive skin and dark eyes stand out. She clutched a long cylinder close to her chest, her gaze calm and patient—far more mature than a child of her age. She raised her free hand to touch the insignia on his collar.

"You were right, Dara. I'm going to be Captain of the Canaisis. How did you know?"

"I just know things," she whispered.

"You do? What kind of things?"

"I knew you were going to be here today."

"You did? That's amazing."

Dara shrugged her shoulders, then proffered the cylinder she was holding. It was narrow, but half her body length.

"What's this?" he asked.

Janine noticed and broke off her conversation with Harlin. "We visited a museum display of paintings and sketches by the great artists of old. She took a fancy to the technique of sketching with paper and pencil, so we visited an art supply shop. She's been working on that for weeks just to give to you, Captain Levant.

"We're so sorry about your wife. We watched your speech—it was very moving. It almost broke our hearts, yet gave so much hope. Dara was adamant that you have this, so please accept it with our love."

Gareth's gaze had remained locked with Dara's, so the sentiments barely touched him. He took the plastic cylinder, looking it over.

"You made a real sketch for me?"

Dara nodded, then she grabbed his jacket with a gentle pull. He bent forward as she leaned in to whisper into his ear.

"You will sail far, far away, so I made this for you. Remember your promise."

Gareth did. He remembered her vast imagination—a quality that adults lost much too soon—and her incredible artwork. For her to create something just for him reached through his glass wall. Emotion stirred inside his heart, but fear of it breaking the wall made him clamp down on it. He couldn't afford to feel. Dara's eyes seemed to tell him she understood, and she stepped back.