Olive has wanted to take midwife training, but the waiting list is nearly a decade long. When she is offered the chance to take the training and go into space, she takes it. Who wouldn’t?
Assigned as midwife to a pregnant Terran on an alien world, she is immersed in a world of fighters, trainers and paparazzi.
Regaran knows that a Terran would be a good match for him, but the only one he knows is taken. When he meets Olive, he is stunned by his response to her soft words and shy manner. After she gets a good night’s sleep, he finds out that her words are carefully chosen and she is not as demure as she looks. She’s a warrior who picks her battles, and he is looking for a fight.
The email she had been waiting for finally arrived. It was addressed to her full name. Ms. Olive Alberta Green.
She looked over her computer at the other folk in her office and quickly opened the email.
Ms. Olive Alberta Green,
It gives me great pleasure to inform you that you have qualified for the Second Wave of your species to leave the Earth.
Please see the attached files for information specific to your training location. The occupations that you selected have been carefully analysed to coincide with the aptitude tests, and your training will commence the day that you arrive at the facility.
Additional confirmation will come via mail and phone contact using information you included on your application.
We welcome you into the program and look forward to seeing you on your arrival.
Yours sincerely,
Recruiter Norz
It was short, to the point and had her opening the attachment immediately. Four days. She had four days to make it to the training facility, but luckily for her, it was across town.
She was glad that they added the additional confirmation measures. She had heard of people quitting their jobs and running to a training centre only to find that it had been a prank played by co-workers or friends.
Olive printed out the letter and got to her feet. She went to her manager’s office and knocked on the door.
“Olive, come in.” Wendy smiled kindly.
Olive closed the door behind her and handed her the letter. “I am sorry that it is short notice, but I start training in four days.”
“Are you sure this is a real acceptance?”
Olive’s phone buzzed in her pocket, and the caller ID was from the Volunteer Centre.
“May I?”
Wendy was curious now. “Please.”
Olive answered. “Hello?”
“Ms. Olive Alberta Green?” The raspy, low tone was definitely familiar.
“Yes.”
“It is good to hear your voice again. This is Recruiter Norz. I am just calling to confirm the email that was sent earlier. Are you able to come to the training centre?”
“I am. I was just resigning my job.”
“Excellent. My apologies for the late notice, but they have decided to run your particular class six months early.”
“If I may ask, what will I be training for?”
“My dear Ms. Green, you are to become a midwife.”
Olive grinned and went through the rest of the pleasantries on automatic. She couldn’t get the smile off her face.
After final goodbyes, she hung up, and Wendy sighed and accepted the document as an accelerated resignation. No one volunteering could be penalized or threatened in any way. The moment that the acceptance came through, they had the equivalent of diplomatic immunity.
“If you have any questions about the veracity of the assignment, here is his number at the Centre. He agreed to answer anything you care to ask him.”
Wendy smiled. “I am going to lose my best problem solver.”
“Not lose me. Consider me out on loan.”
“You aren’t coming back.”
Olive raised her finger in the air. “Unlike the first wave of Volunteers, we have the right to return home after three years if we want to. We have to give it a try for just three years, and if we don’t like it, we can come home. The Earth isn’t closed to us like it was to the others. I can come home in three years.”
