The Twins Paradox by Alan Gasparutti (best contemporary novels txt) 📖

planning permission has been granted, and arrangements have been made for contractors to construct the turbine.”
“When is it due to be constructed?” asked Commander Ondichi.
“Next month,” said Henry. “We just need to assemble the turbine and supporting infrastructure, before it can be constructed. The problem is most of the team I took here have moved on. The project is too big for just a few of us, even with replicators.”
“I see,” said the Commander. “And you’d like some of my men to come and help you assemble the turbine?”
“If it’s possible,” said Henry. “I’d be most grateful. It may even be the start of a new revolution on Earth.”
“I’ll see what I can come up with, and let you know later,” the Commander told him. “That other person who wanted to come to Earth won’t really be up to the task.”
“Oh, why’s that?” asked Henry.
“It’s Doctor Gammazeta,” the Commander confessed. “She’s not really in the best shape to assemble large and heavy items. She’s pregnant.”
“Pregnant!” exclaimed Henry. “Shouldn’t she remain on the ‘Pilgrim, in that case?”
“Well, she claims that the father isn’t from the ‘Pilgrim,” said the Commander.
“But who could be the father?” queried Henry, before he began to work out what may have happened while they went to visit London in April.
“What are you going to do?” the Commander asked him.
“I don’t know just yet,” said Henry. “I’ll speak to Ramondo, and let you know later.”

When Henry found a suitable moment, he went to speak privately with Ramondo about Doctor Gammazeta. Ramondo was as surprised as Henry, and unsure what to say at first, though he didn’t deny an earlier affair.
“Are you absolutely certain she’s pregnant?” Ramondo asked Henry, as if seeking a way out of the mess.
“Commander Ondichi seems pretty certain,” Henry told him. “Did you ever let her out of your sights for any length of time while she was here?”
“No, she was with me all the time, apart from when she had a shower or went to the lavatory, of course,” replied Ramondo.
“You don’t deny sleeping with her?” Henry queried.
“No,” Ramondo replied after considering what to say for a few moments. “She never told me she was fertile, though.”
“Why, wouldn’t you have ‘obliged’ her otherwise?” asked Henry. “Anyway, more to the point, I don’t suppose you object to Doctor Gammazeta staying with us?”
“No, not at all,” he replied.
“Well, I can’t say I really know the lady, but I did tell you she had a certain reputation,” Henry told him.
“I accept that,” said Ramondo. “I noticed a few hints after picking her up. I think she must have gained that since we left the Interstellar Pilgrim. She always seemed okay to me when we were there.”
“She seemed okay to me too,” agreed Henry.
“Perhaps she’s been looking for someone to settle down with, and never found the right man?” suggested Ramondo.
“Perhaps,” considered Henry. “How about Zebrina - do you still love her?”
“I don’t know if I really do love her any longer,” confessed Ramondo. “Since you invited me back to Ribblehead, we seem to have drifted apart.”
“You’re not blaming me for that, I hope?” asked Henry. “You still go to the warehouse at Skipton, and see Zebrina most days.”
“I know, I know,” admitted Ramondo. “We don’t really have a sexual relationship anymore, though.”
“Sexual relationship?” queried Henry. “There’s more to life than just sex.”
“I know, I know,” Ramondo acknowledged. “Besides, she has another partner at Skipton – Richard Copeland.”
“And why should she show any affections to Richard Copeland?” questioned Henry.
“He saved her from that cave she got lost in, not long after we’d arrived here,” said Ramondo. “Doctor Gammazeta has shown me things I had never known before. Experiences I had never had with Zebrina.”
“That’s quite enough,” Henry said abruptly. “I don’t want to know the bare details, thank you. I don’t object to having another member with us, or even two for that matter. My main concerns are, if she’s going to stay with us, to give her a recognised identity, and everything which goes with it.”
“Like give her a first name and register her with local authorities, you mean?” queried Ramondo. “We could register her as a migrant from eastern Europe, set up a foreign passport.”
“Possibly, but let’s see what transpires first,” said Henry.

Later that day, Henry contacted Commander Ondichi to inform him that Ramondo had admitted to the possible implications of Doctor Gammazeta, but suggested that he didn’t think it was all down to Ramondo.
“I accept what you’re saying,” the Commander said to Henry. “Doctor Gammazeta has been known to be a loose lady, though she has been rather quieter since returning from Earth.”
“Do you think she knew what she was getting up to?” asked Henry.
“Possibly,” replied the Commander. “It could also be because she has felt ‘under the weather’, as people say on Earth. I don’t mind her returning to Earth again, but I’ll only agree to this if it’s agreeable to you.”
“I’m prepared to agree to this, if you can arrange to send me down some men to replicate that turbine I was telling you about,” Henry said to him.
“That’s fine,” replied the Commander. “I’ve already spoken to four lads, who are pretty useful with replicators. Will that be enough?”
“Probably,” said Henry. “If you come, too, that will leave seven of us, so I can leave Lucas back in London. Doctor Gammazeta can look after Ribblehead Cottage while we’re away. Do you know when will be the earliest you can come?”
“We can come in the next hundred Earth hours, if you like?” the Commander suggested.
“I think we’d best leave it until Sunday night,” said Henry. “This is summer now, and the fells around here can get quite busy. The pot holes are often busy at weekends, including Meregill. I’ll look for another suitable pot hole where you can land.”

Henry and Ramondo visited several possible landing sites for the new Large Reconnaissance Craft, over the next few days. It was decided that Rowten Pot, on the fells the other side of Ingleton, may be the best location to land. It was not too far away from the hamlet of Masongill, where a road ran past and up towards the fell known as Gragareth. The pot hole was less than half way up the fell. Though it was a little further to drive to the pot hole, it was only about half hour away.
On Sunday night, Henry went to collect the equipment with Ramondo, before he contacted Commander Ondichi, to confirm they were coming to collect them. As they drove to Rowten Pot, Ramondo couldn’t help but recall his earlier occurences with Doctor Gammazeta. Surely there was more to her than her reputation, he thought? She was a Doctor, after all, which must have meant she had spent plenty of time studying. Perhaps she wasn’t really a tart, just a misunderstood female who wanted to catch up with events she may have missed during her younger years - events which had now caught up with her.
After passing through the hamlet of Masongill, they noticed a sharp speck of light for brief second. They then drove their cars up to the end of the road leading up the hill. They parked at the end of the road, before taking the equipment up the hill to Rowten Pot. When they arrived at the pot hole, they relaxed for a while before preparing the equipment.
“Is everything alright up there?” Commander Ondichi asked from his his mobile at the bottom of Rowten Pot.
“Everything’s fine,” said Ramondo. “Is Doctor Gammazeta with you? Would you mind if I spoke to her?” at which point the Commander passed his mobile to the Doctor.
“Hello, Ramondo, how are you?” she asked him.
“I’m alright – what about you?” asked Ramondo. ”Is it true what I’ve been told, that you’re pregnant?”
“It’s true,” she told him. “You’re not upset, are you?”
“No, not really,” said Ramondo. “A little surprised, perhaps, particularly at what else I heard.”
“That you’re the father?” she queried. ”That’s true as well. That’s why I’ve decided to come to Earth.”
At that point Henry took the mobile from Ramondo.
“Can you hand me back to Commander Ondichi?” Henry requested, before confirming everything was ready for the pick-up.
The whole job had to be done quicker than on the last occasion. There were more of them due to be pulled up this time, so it was agreed to start immediately. The Commander came up first, followed by Zelcius. Next came Doctor Gammazeta, who quickly ran over to Ramondo, and hugged him. They had a brief chat with eachother, before Henry sent him over to help the Commander pull Philpin and Crabtree up the pot hole, who were each rather large.
“Has Doctor Gammazeta been working you too hard?” Philpin asked, grinning at Ramondo, to which he was totally embarrassed and said nothing. “She has, hasn’t she?” he said as he noticed the embarrassment on Ramondo’s face.
Ramondo wanted to get up and thump Philpin, but he knew it wouldn’t be a wise move at this point.
“Don’t worry yourself, she’s had most of us,” said Philpin. “Doctor Gammazeta’s not that bad, really. She just can’t keep her emotions to herself. It happens to everyone from time to time.”
Ramondo simply sighed, and walked over to the Doctor. He really felt something earlier, something special, something he had never felt with Zebrina. Surely this counted for something, and wasn’t just another ‘notch in her crotch’. He didn‘t want to show his emotions in front of the others, though.
The final member to be raised to the surface was Adhera, which was just before 4 am, and when the sun began to rise in the morning sky. Henry and Ramondo then drove them all back to Ribblehead Cottage, where they all rested for a few hours.
It was noticeable that day, how pleased Ramondo and Doctor Gammazeta were to see eachother. Though he had tried to forget her, this meeting, and the prospects of seeing a little Ramondo by the new year, had brought them closer than ever. This wouldn’t be for too long, however, as he was due to go along with Henry and the others to assemble the turbine.

At six o’clock on the next morning (Tuesday) that Henry woke Commander Ondichi.
“Are we due to leave already?” asked the Commander, as he placed his arm over his head while the sun shone through the window.
“In a couple of hours,” Henry told him. “I’ve booked seven flights to Stornoway. The thing is, we need to get to Glasgow Airport to catch the flight.”
“Where is Stornoway?” asked the Commander. “Will it take long to get there?”
“It’s the main town of a group of islands to the north west of Scotland,” explained Henry. “It’s where my Atlantic project, you know, that turbine I told you about, is going to be constructed.”
“And how far is Glasgow Airport?” asked the Commander.
“A few hundred miles or so,” said Henry. “It won’t take long to get there, by the time we’ve reached the M6 – it’s all motorway from there on.”
Henry then awoke the others, after which they all had a large breakfast. By seven-thirty, they left in a large seven-seater family-saloon, bound for Glasgow Airport. Though it was rush-hour, once they were on the M6, the journey was relatively easy, and by 11am, they had checked-in. They each had a drink and bite to eat, before heading for the local flight.

That afternoon, at Stornoway airport, Henry rang Doctor Gammazeta, back at Ribblehead Cottage to check if everything was okay. He was becoming concerned