Gen 1 Ch 5: Crystalline Carbon

By the time they arrived in Al Simhara, Kaitlin's concerns seemed to have vanished and she relaxed visibly.
"You know, I'm really glad we came here! We barely get to spend time together at home anymore."
Arthur was glad to hear her say that. He had been wondering whether her research was all she cared about. He promised to finish up his work here quickly so they could spend the rest of the trip enjoying Egypt together.

Arthur visited several excavation sites to find all the relics he needed.

In the meantime, Kaitlin explored this foreign country in her own way - by collecting samples.

She was excited to find some fruits she hadn't seen growing anywhere back home!

After Arthur had finished all his work in record time, he took Kaitlin to an especially beautiful place he had read about on the internet. They kissed under the watchful eyes of the Sphinx. Knowing that now was his best chance, he gathered up all his ever-growing courage and dropped down on one knee.

It felt good to see the shock in Kaitlin's face - lately Arthur had always been on the receiving end of the surprises.

"Oh Arthur, what a beautiful stone! I'll have to take a sample..."
"Let me put it on your finger first, Kait, dear."

 And with that, they were engaged.

They spent a magical night under the stars, with no wild stories about extraterrestrials from distant solar systems.

Early the next morning they roasted their breakfast over an open flame while watching the sun rise over the dunes.

 For lunch, they visited the local market, where they tried all sorts of local delicacies.

 They also discovered something called a "shower in a can". The technology behind it delighted both of them.

 Right in the middle of the marketplace, Kaitlin took Arthur's hands in hers and looked deep into his eyes.
"Arthur, I love you so much! I don't want to wait to get married - let's do it right here and now!"

And so they did! Arthur never could say no to Kaitlin.

Arthur felt like the happiest man in the world when they visited the Sphinx as Mr and Mrs Kim-Wyman. But he knew Kaitlin too well. The look in her eyes could only mean one thing.
"You want to get back home to your research, don't you?"

 "No, Artie. I want to get back home to our boys."