destiny

Destiny Unraveled, part 7

Grandmother Kiona led her great granddaughter to the door and raised her fist to knock
on the door. She was about to knock when she paused. Her hand flattened, seemingly to
feel the radiating temperature of the door, then backed away. The older woman struggled
to keep the look of amusement from her face before looking down at the little girl.

"Honey, why don't we give them a little time to wake up, okay? Let's go get some
breakfast."

At age three, her namesake didn't even wonder how her grandmother knew that her
mommies were still sleeping, just accepting that she was a grownup and knew things she
didn't. She followed her back to Kiona's room and placed her bag inside then headed for
the dining room. Once there, she spotted her friend Mel and ran to her. They had been
born within a week of one another and were like sisters, always together. They often
spent nights in each other's beds or piled up like puppies with some of the other children.
Pam had breast fed Kiona so often that she considered the little girl her second child.

Pam leaned over to kiss the top of Kiona's silky hair as she greeted Kiona. Eva smiled at
the older woman before offering to bring them something back to eat. Kiona accepted as
she sat down to join Pam and the children.

"They haven't emerged from their love nest yet?" Pam asked the older woman with a
knowing grin.

"You know them too well. I thought it was best to leave them to themselves for now."

"They were up quite late," Pam mentioned. She and Eva shared the cabin next to the
other couple. The activities in the next room had woken them several times in the night
and by the sounds of it, neither would see the light of day for a long while yet. Pam didn't
say any of that aloud but she didn't need to. The elder Kiona, although new to Cierra's
adult life, already knew her granddaughter well.

Cierra was a young woman of deep passions and emotions. Nothing she did was
half-hearted, either in work or love. She might not shout out her feelings for all to see but
she still experienced them fully. Kiona saw how the weight of so much responsibility on
her shoulders had worn her down. This vacation away from all that she had been dealing
with had been good for her. The weary look in her eyes was fading and the aura of
exhaustion was replaced with a vitality that all young women should have.

Kiona nodded to herself as she looked out the large portal window next to their table.
Although not familiar with oceans, she knew something was wrong with the colors outside.
She reached out with her spirit to listen to what the surroundings were saying.

Pam said nothing, recognizing the same far away look that Cierra often got. Kiona
reached out her hand to one of the minor officers who was walking past, stopping them.

"Young woman, will you ask the officer on duty that I would like to speak with them?
Thank you."

The female officer walked away and Pam leaned forward. "What is it?"

"A storm is approaching. We need to stop and seek shelter. If we keep moving south
we'll be hit by the worst of the storm."

"I'm glad you can see these things. That's quite a talent you have," Pam said as Eva
returned. The Eurasian woman placed the tray in front of both of them as well as cups of
tea. The older woman thanked her then returned her gaze to Pam.

"We all possess special abilities. It's just a matter of listening. Look at what they call
'women's intuition'. We have nothing extra special over men other than we're more likely
to pay attention to our feelings."

"I only see you and Cierra doing things I can't comprehend."

Kiona took a sip of her tea before speaking. "Let me ask you this. Have you ever woken
up in the middle of the night to check on your daughter and found her upset?"

"Of course I have, I'm her mother."

"You're asleep. How could you possibly know she needs you even when she's not yet
crying?"

"Maybe I heard something," Pam dismissed, unwilling to believe she had any abilities
beyond the normal.

"I've spoken with many people at the village. Most of the early settlers there all said
they heard through rumors and emails (a concept that to be explained to a woman who lived
without technology) about Cierra and her friends. I can't believe how so many intelligent
people could possibly believe such a wild story. Not only believe it but sell all they owned
and came to California to join the colony. Are all of you that gullible?"

Pam's first reaction was to feel insulted. She was about to give Kiona a piece of her mind
when what the older woman said sunk in. Lord, they had all done just that. Based on
rumors and word of mouth, most of them had sought out Cierra with the intention of being
part of it all. Colonizing another world. It sounded like the ravings of some drug induced
dream. No self-respecting adult with any common sense would have believed such a
crock, much less actually taken steps to seek Cierra. Especially based on nothing but a
story that sounded like a rag magazine article.

Yet she had done just that. She had given her notice to the University, packed her bags
and got on the first plane heading to America. Her parents should have had her
committed when she told them her plans, not send her off with their blessings. It had been
sheer lunacy yet she had never questioned her own actions. Everything in her had told
her to do exactly as she had done.

Kiona saw the comprehension on the former professor's face. She patted her hand. "All
of you listened to your inner voices. It was not mere chance that brought people here or
that all of you live so harmoniously together. I'm sure that if I spoke to everyone, each of
you had a dream of such a place in your hearts. How many of your early settlers gave up
and asked to leave?"

"None."

"And how many have gotten along with the rest of the people around them?"

"All of them," Pam answered shyly. Her first instinct was to give Cierra and the original
council full credit for that. However, she knew that without the co-operation of everyone
involved, it would have never worked so well in spite of Cierra's efforts.

"So all of you dreamed of such a place, sought it out, then made it happen. It seems to me
that all of you are doing remarkable feats that rival anything my granddaughter and I can
do." When Pam didn't argue with what she said, Kiona smiled snuggly.

* * * * *

"Which way do you think we should go?" Janice asked Kiona. Without hesitation, the
older shaman pointed in a direction that wasn't quite a 160° change. Janice examined the
compass settings and gave the orders to change course as well as to prepare the engines
in case they were needed. She thanked Kiona and had one of her junior officers escort
her back to her cabin.

Janice, her command face firmly in place, didn't sigh but she certainly felt like it. People
from Earth had gotten all too accustomed to using instruments and technology to predict
weather. Somehow, their own instincts weren't as sharp as they needed to be. She
wondered if they could convince Kiona to remain onboard but she doubted it. Her crew
had reported distant storm clouds to the northwest and even she had assumed it was just
a minor squall approaching. Captain Harrison, in spite of her faults, wasn't a fool. If
Kiona and her instincts said to avoid it then she would follow the older woman's advice.

The crew memebers were already prepping for the storm, securing items and making
sure everyone was where they should be. Janice knew they could have just asked Cierra
to jump them to one of the other worlds that wasn't storming and avoid all that. It would
be the easiest method but she didn't want her people depending on Cierra to get them out
of trouble. The shaman wouldn't always be with them with no guarantee that her children
would inherit her abilities. One day, all of the Cierra's on Mother Earth would age and die
and the future generations had to be independant from everything from the other existing
worlds.

A good start had been made. A system of laws existed that wasn't bogged down by
lawyers, people were getting along, and everyone was prospering. Even the crew on her
ship showed promise of wanting to make this a generational community. Only a few of the
families wanted to settle on land but the rest made it clear they would stay as long as the
Wave Dancer was sea worthy. Two babies had been born on the ship and three women
were now pregnant. Their little community was growing. The children would grow up with
the ocean in their blood and raise their own children the same way.

With the Greeks now settling on Mother Earth, perhaps other vessels would also explore
the world. Janice's imagination provided the vision of a network of living ships that met
and socialized, just like the clans on the mainland. Janice wanted to laugh at her own
fanciful thoughts but had to admit it was all possible in her lifetime. Was this how Cierra
felt when she saw how the people around her got together? Did the young woman imagine
the possibilities and what the future might bring? Well, she wouldn't know unless she
asked but Janice wasn't the type of woman to ask such a thing. Cierra was her friend and
that was good enough. She would have the freedom to share what and when she wanted.
That was the way all friendships should be. With a nod to confirm her own thought, Janice
began shouting out instructions. They had a storm to deal with and that was their reality.

* * * * *

Cierra woke to a dim room and the sensation of rocking. She untangled herself from JP,
who was still asleep. Her lover's leg and arm was drooped over the side of the bed and a
her pillow was no where to be seen. She found it on the floor and placed it on the bed
before rolling JP towards the center of their bed. JP made a cute little groan and curled
up into a fetal position. Cierra straightened out their bedding, covered her wife, then
headed for the bathroom. She glanced at the clock and was surprised at how late it was.
No wonder her stomach was rumbling.

After her shower, she gave JP a little shake to waken her then headed for the dining
room. She would bring something back to their cabin to eat to hold them over until dinner,
which was in a few hours. To her disappointment, the kitchen was closed and secured
because of the approaching storm. Nerrisa spotted her and came over to greet her.

"Hey, I see you finally woke up. How are you feeling?"

"Fine, but I'm starving. Is there any way to get something to eat?"

"Oh, sure, let's raid the pantry, shall we?" The young Greek woman took a plastic
container and with Cierra's approval on the selections, placed finger foods and such into
it. She then snapped on the lid and warned her that dinner would be cold sandwiches if
served at all. It would depend on how severe the storm was. Cierra thanked her and
headed back to their cabin.

JP was was in the process of putting fresh sheets on the bed when she returned. JP's
shaggy, dark hair was damp and tossled from her shower. She looked up at her return
and glanced at the container in her hand.

"Please tell me that's food. My stomach thinks my throat has been cut."

"Yeah, bits and pieces. We slept through the storm warning it seems. Everything is
locked down," Cierra informed her, pulling off the lid.

Her wife peeked inside and grabbed a piece of dried fruit and stuffed it in her mouth. She
finished placing the pillows on the bed and joined Cierra at their table. They nibbled on a
combination of crackers, fruits, sweet pickles, and smoked sausage. They had just
finished with their snack when the mild rocking of the ship increased with one large wave.

"Oh man, we might regret eating if that keeps up," JP warned. A knock on their door
stopped Cierra's wisecrack.

"Mommy!" The cabin door swung open and little Kiona and her grandmother came into
the small room.

"Your daughter doesn't like storms and wanted her parents," Kiona informed them. The
little girl rushed into Cierra's lap and demanded to be held.

JP patted the toddler's back. "The last storm didn't bother her but she was asleep
through most of it." She looked up at the older shaman and saw a strain around her eyes
and mouth. "Should this storm worry us?" she whispered.

Kiona didn't answer at once, her eyes staring upwards. She knew they had avoided the
worst of the storm but this wasn't a small storm system either. They should be concerned.
"Yes," she answered simply.

Destiny Unraveled, part 8

Nicholas admired how Janice issued orders in a crisp, calm voice that could be heard over
the roar of the storm. She showed absolutely no fear, her confidence that they could
survive the storm successfully giving the crew the ability to focus on their jobs instead of
their own terror.

"Franklin, adjust the heading to 10 degrees to starboard, Roberts, keep a sharp eye on
the wind directions." She paused to place a pole brace against one of the windows that
had sprung a leak, secured the window, walked two steps without swaying from the
rocking of the yacht to pick up the headset and call the engine room. She stood steadily
as she gave them her newest orders and hung up.

"Andros, how is damage control doing? Do they need any assistance?"

"No, ma'am. They just reported that the clogged pipe has been cleared and the pumps
are now working properly," he informed her.

"Tell them good job next time they check in. Nicholas, how are our power resources?"

The first officer checked over his panel. "Down another fourteen percent, Captain
Harrison."

"Get on the PA and warn everyone that we will be shutting off power to the cabins until
the storm is over. Give them three minutes to turn on their emergency lamps then divert
all power to the engine room."

"Aye, Captain."

Roberts spoke up over the din. "Captain, the wind has shifted once more. Now heading
SSW."

Janice gave a new heading to Franklin, who turned the ship to face the storm directly.

"Captain!" One of the junior officers cried out, pointing out the bridge windows. "A large
wave heading right at us!" he said, his voice squeaking slightly.

She ordered Nicholas to tell everyone to brace for impact on the PA while she grabbed at
one of the metal braces. She could hear Nicholas' strong voice warning everyone even as
the base of the wave begun lifting the bow of the Wave Dancer.

"Hold on tight guys, this is gonna be a wild ride!"

The ship rose with a sickening motion, tilted sharply, then seemed to hover in that
position for agonizing seconds before dropping down with the speed of a runaway
elevator. Nearly everyone lost their hold and tumbled to the deck. The Wave Dancer
bobbed several times then seemed to settle down. Janice got to her feet, grimacing at the
pain of her left wrist, and checked on her crew.

Most were bruised and one man probably had some cracked ribs, but all in all they were
alright. She checked the wind direction and headings before looking out the windows. The
ocean waves seemed to be settling down and she could see that the sky seemed to be
getting lighter. With any luck they would be out of the storm within an hour.

"Have all repair crews report in. I want to know what's going on with my ship. Nicholas,
Make sure anyone injured is taken to the sick bay. Have the crews check cabin by cabin
in case someone isn't able to reach their phones."

"Aye, Captain."

She pointed at one of the junior officers and told him to help his injured friend to the
sickbay.

"How about yourself, Captain?" the second officer asked. "I see you hugging your arm.
You're hurt."

"I'll go once I'm sure the storm is subsiding. Not a minute sooner."

The officer sighed. Why were Captains always the most stubborn patients?

* * * * *

The three families from the Napa clan had all gathered in Cierra's cabin just before the
storm worsened. Of the three children, only Robbie's son seemed oblivious to everything
as he slept. The women holding the children were on the bed while the others braced
themselves in the bolted down furniture found in all the rooms. It was one feature that
Janice had insisted on to be installed. All the cushioned chairs hid the seatbelt straps to
keep people secure. The furniture was bolted to metal plates under the carpeting.

Another feature she had in large supply for visitors were barf bags. They were kept in
pockets on the furniture for such weather conditions. Tracy's red-headed complexion was
even paler than normal. Even her freckles looked washed out. She was keeping her eyes
tightly closed and her bag handy just in case. She wasn't alone in this. JP and Eva were
also sweating heavily in their efforts not to be ill. The elder Kiona had gotten it over with.
She felt better for it but still kept a second bag gripped in her hand. The only person not
feeling any effects of the motions, surprisingly, was Robbie. The tall blonde had the worst
case of morning sickness ever seen when she was pregnant but now took the heavy
rocking in stride.

Eva glared at Robbie. "I think I hate you," she said between clenched teeth.

"I took my motion sickness pill a few hours ago," she boasted, "like all of you should
have done."

The engineer looked at her wife. "Remind me to push her overboard later."

"Alright, love," Pam answered seriously in spite of the mental image of her tiny wife
attempting to overpower the 6'-3" blonde.

Tracy was about to make a pert remark when everyone was almost thrown into the air.
The women on the bed braced their feet against the footboard, grateful that it was
sturdily attached. The wave had the women nearly standing on the iron frame before
being dropped backward with a jarring motion. Sean woke from the sudden change and
screamed his displeasure. JP was almost thrown from the bed and only her hold on the
headboard kept her in place.

"I hope that doesn't happen again," Pam gasped as she tried to sooth her daughter.

"That was the worst Earth Mother will bring us today," Kiona told them.

"We're almost out of the storm?" Cierra asked, wanting to make sure.

A knock on the cabin door made everyone look in that direction. A young man opened the
door to peer inside. "Is everyone okay in here?"

"We're fine," Cierra told him. He waved and closed the door.

"If Janice is sending people out to check on everyone it must be nearly over," JP
concluded.

"Whatever," Eva said, her eyes still tightly closed, "I'm staying right here until my
stomach settles down. You all do what you want."

The Wave Dancer did another jump. Not nearly as violent but not a gentle bump either.

Cierra took her hand off the safety belt release and gripped the armrests. "Good idea."

* * * * *

With everyone pitching in, the cleanup took very little time. The repair crews only had
minor issues to deal with and Janice authorized the cooks to begin preparing something
for dinner. With a nod of approval from Kiona, she had her bridge crew return to their
previous heading. The skies were darkening near the time everyone sat down for a
dinner of cold sandwiches and hot soup.

Pam urged her always too thin wife to take in some of the onion soup. It had a nice
crunchy bread and cheese topping and wouldn't be hard to digest. At least the tiny
engineer had a little color in her cheeks.

"I wonder if this was what Jenny had in mind when she told you to take a vacation?"
Tracy asked before taking a bite of her sandwich.

"I think she was delusional," JP teased, "and probably pregnant again. Everyone knows
trouble follows after Cierra."

"So being pregnant shuts off the brain?" Tracy asked dangerously.

JP realized she almost stepped onto a conversational landmine. "Oh, no, not at all. I'm
just saying she's feeling happy about another child and wants everyone else happy too.
That's all."

"Good save," Robbie whispered.

Kiona sat there quietly, amused by JP's discomfort. Her own abilities, not solely about
the weather, had told her something else earlier today. She only wondered how her
granddaughter and spouse would take the news?

The older shaman cleared her throat politely until she had everyone's attention. "As you
know, I have the ability to feel things, like the rhythm of weather but also other cycles."

Cierra had a feeling her grandmother had something to tell them but she wasn't sure she
actually wanted to know. She put her spoon down and clasped her hands together under
the table.

"And?" JP asked, completely unsuspecting to what the older woman might be ready to
drop into their laps.

"Cierra is pregnant and JP, the child is yours."

Absolute silence surrounded the table where they all sat. No one was capable of making a
sound as her words sunk in.

JP was feeling dizzy and for some reason she couldn't put two thoughts together at all. In
fact, she wasn't even sure if she was even breathing since she was feeling lightheaded.
Her body had a cold, numb feeling and she thought she saw Kiona's lips moving but
couldn't hear a word. That was the last thing she remembered.

"Oh shit, she passed out!" Pam said. Robbie rushed to her friend's side and caught her
before she could hit the decking. People at tables nearby turned to see what was going
on.

"It's okay folks, just a little fainting spell. We'll take care of her," the tall blonde told
everyone.

"Here, let me," Nicholas said. He carefully picked JP up and carried her from the dining
room. Her friends all followed behind her, refusing to miss a single moment of what was
going on. They wanted to know how Kiona knew this and how it had happened.

JP was settled onto her bed, legs elevated, and covered in case of shock. Cierra sat next
to her while hugging her daughter closely on her lap.

It was Eva who spoke for them all. "How in the world can JP 'father' a child?"

Kiona smiled knowingly. "Anything is possible in the corridor. You know that."

Eva looked at Cierra. "You two made out there last night?" Her tone was shocked but
the grin on the Eurasian's face said she was amused.

Cierra's mouth opened and closed. She shrugged with a sigh. "It was an accident. We
were...busy, and the next thing I knew we were there. I didn't think anything much about
it since I had other things on my mind."

None of the happily married women needed to know exactly what had occupied her real
attention at that moment. Their imaginations filled that in just fine but was it possible that
JP could give Cierra a child?

JP moaned and shifted so everyone's attention went to her. It wasn't until the older
shaman was convinced JP was now fully awake before she continued. "JP, last night, you
and Cierra shared something special in the corridor. There's no real need to question it or
know how it happened. That part isn't important. What is important is that you will have
another child. Kiona will adore her little sister."

JP felt like she was fighting a hysterical laugh when she spoke. "Does she have a name
already or do we get to decide?"

"I think I will let you discover her name on your own."

"Gee, thanks," JP groaned. The others laughed softly.

Pam took the hand of her wife and tugged her towards the door. "I think they need some
time alone now." That was hint enough for the others, who all wished Cierra and JP a
good night.

Now alone, JP sighed. "Well, at least we didn't have to use Kota again. We won't have to
share this kid with him like we do with Kiona."

"I'm sure he'll still study her like a hawk when he finds out. So, how do you feel, daddy?"
she teased.

JP laughed. "No different now the shock wore off. I'm already daddy to Kiona. She's my
child as much as this next one. You know that," JP reminded her wife, caressing her
cheek.

Cierra smiled. She knew how much JP adored Kiona and was confident that her wife
wouldn't play favorites between them. "I still want to have a little boy down the line. I
guess we'll have to find another donor next time we try."

"Yeah, I still want to name one after my brother," JP said sadly.

Cierra leaned forward and placed a kiss on JP's mouth, wanting to cheer her up when the
sad look appeared. "Just think, once the women back home find out about this, how many
will want to see if they can do it too?"

"Oh my, Dream Walker will be pleased with all that traffic, won't he?"

"At least he's a gentleman and doesn't peek."

A blush suddenly colored JP's cheeks. She hadn't thought about that at all.

"Not that we would have noticed. We were rather busy last night," Cierra teased.

JP's eyes narrowed as she remembered the night before. "Let's put Kiona to bed. I think
I need to refresh my memories. Things were a little hazy sometimes."

"I'll remind you, don't worry," Cierra purred wickedly as she stood up. "I think I'll see if
grandmother wants to baby sit again tonight. As I recall, we were rather...vocal last
night." The shaman didn't wait for an answer. She saw the look of barely contained
passion on her wife's face. Maybe she'll tell Kiona to keep her namesake until at least
noon. Yeah, that would be best.

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