Page 2 of Joven's Bride
Chapter One
Washington, DC morning traffic clogged the streets. Carly Adrian stood at the door of the tour bus checking off students on her list as they boarded the bus. She and her friend Sara were two of four chaperones from their small-town high school in southern Ohio.
Carly taught freshman science and Sara taught senior English. Sara was doing the same just down the street. The kids were up half the night socializing and were not getting up and out of the hotel very quickly at all. Carly and Sara were checking them on to the buses while the other chaperones were going room to room to roust the kids out. About half of the kids were still in the hotel, a few straggling out at a time with their luggage.
No matter what was going on at the school, there were always stragglers. So, they waited.
Traffic was pretty loud, so they didn’t hear the noise right away. First came the blinding wall of light and with it the roar, almost like a freight train. Closer and closer until it cut through between the two tour buses.
Carly was horrified as Sara disappeared behind that hot wall of light. She screamed and screamed until her voice gave out but the noise was so loud that she couldn’t even hear herself screaming. When the wall of light was gone so was the other tour bus, the students and Sara her best friend since grade school.
Sara was the sister she never had. Now she was gone, just gone. All that was left was a huge black hole about a mile square and three hundred feet deep.
Carly sank to the pavement sobbing while the kids on the bus screamed and cried in the background. All those people driving those cars, people in the buildings people walking on the sidewalks disappeared. Carly knew with certainty they were all dead. Life as she knew it changed forever.
A few weeks before that an alien starship came into Earth orbit. Captain Dargan Merrek’s face appeared all over the world announcing the United Galactic Alliance of Worlds offer for Earth to join the Alliance.
The United Nations were not so united. They squabbled over whether opening relations with an extraterrestrial alliance was in our best interest. Alliance diplomats were trying to reassure world leaders that their intentions were entirely honorable.
Carly had believed they were, but who else would have the technology to cause the destruction she had witnessed in Washington?
They were stranded for days in Washington in a hotel with only auxiliary power. Eventually, they learned that an alien enemy of the Alliance had attacked Earth in an attempt to subjugate the world and use it as a food source. The Alliance stopped them and Earth joined them.
One Year Later
“I quit,” Carly Adrian murmured, holding out her folded letter of resignation, and sighed.
Principal Larry Marsh reached across his desk and looked up at Carly as he took the paper from her. “I can’t say I didn’t see this coming. Losing Sara, the way you did last year would mess with anyone’s head… And on the heels of aliens announcing their presence to the world. That pretty well changed the world as we knew it.”
“That’s exactly it,” Carly said. “I realized there was more to life than just a job. I’ve been given an opportunity no science buff could refuse.”
Principal Marsh raised his eyebrows.
“I’m going to the stars to meet my soulmate and live on a colonial world.” Carly smiled. “And I can’t wait!”
“You’re serious.” Larry shook his head. “I don’t believe it. When did this all come about?”
“A few weeks ago. Sara and I put applications in before DC. After first contact, we discovered the Narovian Interstellar Matchmaking Service advertising on line. They use DNA to find soulmates for various compatible races. Sara said it was like wishing on a star,” Carly paused and sighed. “I forgot all about it until they contacted me. I was in shock at first.”
“You’re going to marry a man you never met?”
“I already did. They guaranteed 99% success in matching people genetically. His name is Joven Brendict and we’ve been exchanging video mail almost daily,” she told him. “I’m sorry I didn’t give you more time, but Holly knows my curriculum and she said she can fill in until the end of the school year. I’m leaving on Monday.”
“Well, Carly, I certainly wish you the best. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
So, do I.
“Thank you.” She gave him a smile and took his extended hand for a last handshake. He was a good guy, and a pleasant boss, but like most of the good guys in their small town, he was already married.
This is the right thing for me. Joven is the one. I must not doubt him.
Two Months Ago
To: Carly Adrian
From: Narovian Interstellar Matchmaking Service
Carly,
