"Commodore
Christina Vasa here, aboard Constellation."
"Lieutenant
Hue Sangok responding from New Edo."
"I have
a crew of 473 and 25 visitors from a distant planet, Damos, across the
galaxy..."
"[Gulp!]"
"We seek
permission to enter into and to maintain a fixed orbit above New Edo, and
to teleport down."
"Yes,
sir. I have to check with Captain Marlowe first."
"Is Captain
Marlowe's first name Mariko?"
"Yes,
sir."
"Lieutenant
Hue, can you put Captain Mariko Marlowe on the visuscreen? I would like
to speak with her. Please contact me in fifteen minutes. Commodore Vasa
out."
"Hey,
did you hear that?" gasped Hue to the entire command crew that had gathered
about his visuscreen. "That was Christina Vasa herself! And did you see
that tall bald person next to her? That must be one of the inhabitants
of that planet, Damos. They found an intelligent alien civilization! There
IS
intelligent life out there! Across the galaxy!"
The near
pandemonium of the command room brought Captain Marlowe out of her office.
She was a short but athletic woman whose apparent youth seemed to belie
her rank. A sure sign that she was an ELBer. As commander of the military
unit on Paracelsus, she wielded considerable power, and worked with the
Central Government as well as with the various city and town Police Departments.
"What's
going on out here? Did somebody have a baby?"
"No,
sir, but..." The din of ten people trying to explain what had happened
to cause the uproar made communication impossible. Finally, Hue was able
to calm people down. He said, "It would be best if you saw it for yourself
on the visuscreen, sir."
"Christina!"
shouted Mariko, recognizing her old friend. "And what we can assume to
be intelligent aliens!"
"Yes,
sir, both of those things have gotten us excited! Commodore Vasa is a legend
to us, and she's succeeded in this spectacular quest. We never thought
we'd ever get to see her or to meet her, and as far as meeting aliens is
concerned...!"
"Your
excitement is not misplaced. But we have to get things done. Put me through
to the Governor on his hot line. I must speak with him at once. Then we'll
have to contact Commodore Vasa on Constellation. What are you waiting for,
Sangok? Get hold of the Governor now!"
Governor
Sven Svenson IV, a middle-aged descendant of Christina's school chum from
long ago, was a tall, blue-eyed, blond man whose almost perpetual smile
and generally cheerful demeanor hid a serious mind and a strong personality.
He was a remarkably successful administrator on this planet, whose millions
of inhabitants were virtually all rugged individualists. Somehow, he had
managed to instill in the planetary conscience a sense of working for the
common weal while building the kind of life that is possible only in remote
corners of human populations. Perhaps his wife was partly responsible for
his success. Ilse Jorgensen seemed to be equally comfortable with miners
and ranchers, farmers and factory workers, government officials and intellectuals,
the wealthy and the less well off (there was no poverty in this land of
opportunity for everyone), old settlers and new arrivals, individualists
and communitarians. Tall, blue-eyed and blonde like her husband, Ilse was
a handsome woman in early middle age. She traveled tirelessly, meeting
many of the Paracelsans in their homes, bringing cheer, advice, aid, and
messages of hope to all her compatriots.
It was
an extraordinary coincidence that one of Christina's friends from the time
of her later trips to Mesnos to complete the campaign against the Militia,
Mariko Marlowe, had just recently been named commander of the military
unit on Paracelsus, shortly after the Svensons arrived. Sven had for years
wanted to meet the legendary Christina Vasa, friend of his equally-legendary
ancestor, who had become if not President of the Earth Government, a long-time
Senator and cabinet minister. And so a look of disbelief crossed his face
when Mariko announced that Christina was about to teleport down, accompanied
by a delegation from Constellation and a delegation of aliens from a distant
planet.
"Is this
another of your practical jokes, Mariko? The last I heard, Christina was
sent across the galaxy; nobody has seen her for a good ten years. She probably
died in an accident at a wormhole or in some unfriendly planet."
"Sven,
this is no joke. I've just spoken with her, seen her on a visuscreen. Come
over here, with Ilse, just as soon as you can. We're planning an informal
welcoming celebration, prior to a more formal gathering later."
"We'll
be over with a group from the government offices. In an hour."
"For
our part, we'll turn out as many people as we can, and we'll ask Christina
to teleport down almost everybody except a minimal crew that will remain
on board the spacecraft."
The teleportations
continued for a good stretch of time. Finally, all who would be coming
down on the first round–everyone but the unlucky few who were needed on
board–had materialized on the surface. They formed an imposing group, over
450 of them, in a kind of meadow or open field located within a park in
the center of New Edo, the capital city of Paracelsus. They looked about
them. The trees were tall and green against the deep blue sky. Flowers–Earth
flowers–appeared to be in blossom everywhere. Insects and scurriers rushed
here and there across the grass, while birds flew individually or in flocks
overhead. The day was calm and warm.
Beyond
the verdant stretches of the park and the delicious aromas that wafted
to the travel-weary wanderers from all the life they saw and heard around
them rose the tall buildings, the elevated roadways, the glistening hallmarks
of 29th-century Earth culture. New Edo was an ultra-modern, but distinctly
human, city, its exuberant, Baroque-like asymmetry so different from the
meticulously logical and mathematically constructed buildings and public
spaces that could be found all over Damos. Both beautiful in different
ways, both powerful and exciting, once the esthetic keys were found. The
Kolok had been intel-lectually prepared for what they were to see, they
had viewed countless images on the three-dimensional visuscreens, but they
were unprepared for the rapturous effect of the first live experience of
this aspect of Earth civilization.
But they
had little time to discuss that, for coming forward to meet them was a
large party consisting of the Governor and his wife, the Commander of the
planetary military presence, the President and other officers of the fledgling
university, and their entourages, dignitaries and ordinary people alike.
Governor
Sven Svenson made the first address, inviting the humans and their Kolok
guests to Paracelsus, expressing delight that the inhabitants of this small
colony should be the first humans to welcome an alien race to their soil,
and ending with a personal note in which he revealed to Christina his direct
desendance from her old friend from so long ago.
Christina,
taken by surprise by this news, thanked the Governor for his welcome and
hoped to have the occasion to reminisce with him about her friend Sven.
She then introduced Ambassador Ecnelav Enohr, who said a few words on her
own in English, then switched on the translation machine. She presented
the Governor with a pair of dog-like lizards that were the most common
house pets on Damos.
Captain
Mariko Marlowe advanced, greeting Christina personally, and then welcomed
her and all the people on Constellation to New Edo, and had a reception
set up for the entire group, which numbered about 800. It was a perfect
situation for people to get to know one another and to renew old acquaintances.
The Paracelsans had thousands of questions concerning the current expedition
of Constellation, and were in awe over the tall and gracious people of
Damos.
Arrangements
were made for everyone to spend the night with the Edoans, and to attend
a major and more formal celebration the following day.
"Mariko,
how wonderful to see you here, with your promotion, and with such delightful
colleagues."
"Delightful,
and superb. I was so excited when I saw you on the visuscreen. That's one
of the down parts of being in the ELB: all too often we make friends we
might never meet again, even though we live to a ripe old age!"
"And
I can't tell you how hard it was to hold my enthusiasm when I learned that
you were the C.O. here. It was not in our directive to make a side trip
to Paracelsus on the way home. We were expected to head straight for Earth
if we encountered intelligent life elsewhere. But the Damosians and the
crew wanted to come here. We have about 20 Paracelsans on board, you know."
"Commodore,
we are thrilled that you decided to come. In my family you're something
of a legend, you know. The pranks that you and my ancestor played on one
another are almost mythical."
"And,"
added Ilse, "probably exaggerated beyond belief. Commodore, did you really
ever lock Sven in a closet containing only a virtual ski machine?"
"Well,
that one is true. He had sneaked into the gym one day, and hid when I came
in to go 'skiing'. He teased me mercilessly about my falling down so often!
One day, I secretly moved the machine into a very small room, fixed its
setting at such a level that he'd be constantly falling, and also secretly
hooked up a means of recording the scene. I figured that after a while,
when he realized that he'd not get out soon, he'd pass the time of day
by using the machine. He fell for my explanation of why the machine had
been moved (I said it was because I wanted to be able to practice without
being observed), and then he went in. He was there for hours! I still have
that disk, and if you're interested, I'll get it for you. It's a scream!"
"Oh,
we'd love to see it, Commodore!"
"Please
call me Christina. I feel more comfortable to be called by my name in informal
circumstances."
"Very
well, Christina it will be, and Sven and Ilse, too. We've heard several
allusions to experiences you and Mariko had on Mesnos back around 2800,
when we were little children. Now that you're both here together, would
you be willing to share a reminiscence or two with us? Since you knew Sven
until his death, there's not much we can add; but when your story is told
we'll do what we can to fill in whatever gaps you have."
"It's
a deal. I was, at that time, a Captain, and Mariko was a Lieutenant Commander."
"You
mean you've only been promoted a grade or two in all that time? That's
terrible!"
"When
we joined the ELB we were told that promotions would come slowly, and that
we'd have to be patient. I am impatient for a promotion for one of my staff,
though, who replaced Martin as Chief of Security but is still an Ensign.
Any chance the Commanding Officer would consider promoting Ensign Amadou
Mgamba to a permanent rank of Lieutenant junior grade and to a temporary
rank of Lieutenant senior grade? I am not authorized to promote my crew,
but I am permitted to make such requests."
"If the
Captain of Constellation makes a formal request, it will be honored."
"And
we'll be honored by your story."
"Mariko,
where's the rest of our team?"
"I'm
not sure, Christina. Blinko and Tamara have been captured by the Militia."
"More
fodder for the wolks and the stots."
"You
really think they've killed them?"
"They
say proudly that they have no jails, and that they take no prisoners. You
saw what happened to Ali Akbar's squad."
"Yes,
it was horrible. Severed limbs, decapitated corpses which were then left
to to wolks and the stots. Nothing left but sun-whitened bones."
"They're
even crueller than they were when Boris blew up the underground settlement."
"They're
certainly more desperate. If we can wipe out these guys, Christina, we
should have them all. It'll be all over!"
"Don't
celebrate yet. First, we haven't wiped them out here. And second, there
are–or were–a few stragglers left on Mars. Maybe our forces have eliminated
them there."
"I don't
like this situation we're in, Christina. The méki bush doesn't provide
much cover."
"I have
a feeling of déjà vu, or déjà entendu, as though
I've had this conversation before. With Boris. Actually, it's more that
I know this place. I've been here before; I recognize that small building
there. About 200 meters behind it, and partly down an incline, is a low
garage-like structure; on the right side of that is a hidden entrance to
the basement of that smaller structure. If it seems worth while, and there
haven't been any changes around here, we could find our way in from there.
It would be better to alert the other units about our whereabouts, but
without our communicators there's no way to do that."
"How
do you think Martin's squad is doing?"
"We haven't
heard or seen very much, no shouts of battle, no indication of laser beams,
no fires begun by the weapons, so it's hard to tell. Mariko, duck quick!"
A trio
of Militia. That small building must be their headquarters; maybe Blinko
and Tamara are being held there. There can't be more than 20 Militia left,
maybe 25 tops. Mariko and I would have no chance against them if they confronted
us en masse. And stunning these three would only let them know for sure
we're in the vicinity. We'll have to lie low and think, and plan. If Martin's
squad–two quintads–came here by chance, we'd have a shot at it. Otherwise...
"Let's
move over towards the woods. We need time to work out a plan."
"You're
the boss. But to be honest, I don't have the foggiest notion where we are,
and how to get back to where our units split up."
"That's
my department, Mariko. I never forget such things."
Got to
do this quietly; check around for anything that might make noise. First
to get under that other méki. We'll be exposed for about ten seconds.
Choose time carefully. No one in sight. "OK, low to the ground, and head
for the méki!" Made it. Stay here for a minute or so without stirring.
Still no one in sight. There's a hollow just behind us that should offer
protection. Best to back down into it, so as to keep an eye on their HQ.
Can't see anyone behind us. Easy does it. Good. We're in what seems to
be safe grounds.
"From
here we can get back to our rendez-vous site, Point X, by going off to
the right and doing some twisting and turning. It might be risky with the
sunlight on us."
"I don't
think I'll ever get used to these two suns."
"The
distant one, right now, seems to rise about the same time the other one
sets. It acts sort of like bright moonlight."
"Where
do we go if we take off to the left?"
"That
will lead us to that low garage-like building I mentioned. That could be
risky, too, not only because of the light but also because the Militia
might be using it. Maybe our best bet is to stay here until it's relatively
dark, and either go back to Point X, or straight behind us into the woods.
On the other hand, what if they have Blinko and Tamara there?"
"We could
try that hidden entrance you mentioned. Their lives might depend on it.
If they're there."
"Ah! there's
the hidden trap-door. Let me put a few drops of oil on it before we try
to open it. Rusty as it is, it'll probably squeak."
"And
the squeaky door gets the oil."
"Down
we go, super quietly." Let's see. Seven steps forward, take the right-hand
passage to the end, turn left. Up the stairs and... Damn! There's a wall
there, near where the door should be! Did I make a mistake? I don't think
so. But to be sure we'll have to get back to where we were and go straight
instead of turning right. Did I hear a noise just then? Is there someone
behind us? We'll freeze for a moment or two. OK, no further sounds, must
have been some small animal. We're back to the fork. We'll go right and
then...
"Not
so fast, Vasa. We've got you cornered. No tricks if you expect to live."
"Noslohcin!
The Butcher of Sandstone! What are our chances of living if we don't try
any tricks? Now that you're the Deacon, have you become even more heartless
and devious?"
"Shut
up, Vasa. We have the two of you in our hands; there's no way out. Throw
down your guns."
Mariko
knows what to do in this kind of case: she really knows the training manual.
She removes the power pack from her gun, and slips it into a kind of timed
flare. I do the same with mine. I stall for time while we're doing this.
I notice Mariko putting her flare on a sort of shelf behind us, out of
sight of the Militia. Then I ask, "What would happen if we aimed them at
you and your gang?"
"You'd
murder one or two of us, then you'd be killed instantly."
"Murder!
You who brag about the 1000 victims you've handled all by yourself?"
"Quit
stalling. Throw those guns down."
"I guess
we'll have to do what you ask for. Here they are."
"Tie
them up, Stoddard. Do a good job. I don't know about her comrade, but Vasa's
a slippery thing. Be careful."
"Ow,
not so hard!"
"Shut
up. We'll go out now and on to HQ. We have a couple of your friends there.
Well treated. At least thy're still alive."
"You
bastard! You've probably tortured them to a point near death!" I drop my
flare while talking and pretending to try to free myself. We're pushed
and shoved and hit across the back on the way to the Militia HQ.
"Put
them in Room 2, tied to a chair. Then come back here to prepare their friends."
"Prepare
their friends! Ha! ha! ha! Deacon, you know how to tickle me!"
"Nokio,
have you seen the Captain? Her squad was supposed to meet us here at Point
X about now."
"No,
Commander. But I did find a few traces. I think they've found the Militia
somewhere near here. We could try following those traces, but it might
be hard, with the sun setting."
"I think
all that's left of Earth Federation troops on the ground are the ten of
us and whoever the Captain has left. Her squad was decimated, judging by
the blanched bones and bloody uniforms we saw back there. Damn wolks! Damn
stots!"
"Unless
that was Ali Akbar's squad. I didn't have any way to identify the victims.
What should we do, Commander?"
"We'll
have to try to find her and her squad. The smaller sun should provide us
with enough light to see. Lead the way, Nokio."
"You've
beaten them and drugged them."
"At least
they're feeling no pain, Vasa. Sardon will do that to you."
"Is that
how you've 'prepared' them for us to see? Drugged so that when they come
to they'll feel euphoric, even though their bodies are bloodied and they
have countless broken bones?"
"It's
fun watching our prisoners see their wounds and giggling about it. It makes
the final beating all the more fun. You need some diversion, a bit of comic
relief, in a war like this. But now let's get down to business. How many
troops do you have, Vasa?"
"You're
looking at them."
"What
a liar! You've got to do better than that! Or would you rather have me
start burning your friend Tamara? I've got a torch prepared for her, and
a fire in the fireplace."
"OK.
Just about everyone else who came with us has been killed by your assassins,
or is hunting you down on Pacifica."
"On Pacifica!
Why would we go there? It's a wildlife preserve, without any of your ilk
in sight."
"Our
Intelligence seemed to point to Pacifica. We came here more or less on
a lark. I guess our Personnel Tracking Devices need more work."
"Personnel
Tracking Devices, eh? You believers in technology should read the Bible
instead of high-tech manuals."
"Fortunately,
I adjusted mine enough so that it indicated your presence within five kilometers
of here. You see, we follow your DNA."
"Christina!
Don't tell them any more. They're going to torture Tamara and Blinko to
death anyway, in our sight, before we suffer the same fate."
"What
a perceptive comrade you have, Vasa. Marlowe, eh? I think we'll just...
What's that?"
Stoddard
rushed in, shouting, "Deacon! An explosion! The hangar's on fire!"
"What?
Get the ammo we have there, Stoddard. Hurry!
"We tried,
Deacon, but the flames and the smoke were too much. We lost a pentad in
there, too."
"Quick!
Get everyone outside. We've got to salvage whatever we can. Lock the door
on these two!"
"Good
going, Mariko. Your flare did its job. Now let's undo these ropes. There!
We'll get out through the window. And by the way, I gave him some more
or less public information. But I didn't tell them Martin's here, too,
if his group has avoided annihilation."
"I noticed
you also didn't tell them that the main body is due back from Pacifica
at Point X in about an hour."
We pick
up some branches and strip off the leaves so that in the dark they might
be mistaken for weapons. Then we sneak up behind the Militia group, but
stay back at the HQ building. We have to survey the scene and fix on a
plan of action. About a dozen of them, looking at the fire consuming their
warehouse of pretty primitive weaponry. Suddenly, a familiar voice can
be heard as Martin's squad appears out of the darkness.
"The
jig's up, Deacon. Your life of crime is at an end. We have you and your
twelve apostles surrounded."
"Martin!
That damn liar Vasa told me that everyone was dead or on Pacifica."
"Move
together, lads and lassies, into a circle. Try to escape and you'll atone
forever for your sins."
Stoddard
rushed towards Martin, handgun drawn. A red bolt stopped him in his tracks.
"Don't
say you weren't warned."
Two Militia
persons suddenly appeared behind the squad.
"You're
lucky we didn't send you to Hell, Martin. Drop your..."
Mariko
leaped forward, striking him in the middle of his back with a powerful
kick. As he fell, his weapon discharged, striking a third Militia person
emerging from the shadows. Mariko fell upon her victim, disarmed him and
applied a karate blow to his neck. He was out. In the distraction of the
moment, the Deacon saw a chance to escape. But as he began to flee, his
jaw was met by Christina's right fist, which dislodged a couple of teeth.
He staggered back, then rushed her, swinging wildly and shouting, "I'll
get you, you non-believing killer!" Christina side-stepped, caught up with
him as he swung around.
"Here's
for one of your 1000 innocent victims, Butcher!" A blow to the solar plexus
rendered him unconscious.
"You
forgot me!" shouted the other armed Militia person. "And I'll get you!"
But as he spoke, Christina's flare went off just in front of him. He was
set ablaze by the force of the flare. His death was instantaneous.
Their
leader captured, their situation hopeless, the Militia personnel all surrendered.
Except for two, who chose suicide as a way out–a fiery death in the burning
hangar. The rest were ankle-cuffed, three by three, and marched to Point
X, which they reached just after the Constellation crew returned.
Martin
and Christina led their drugged comrades along the path just as soon as
they were able to walk.
"What
a story! My ancestor would have been proud of your success in ridding Mesnos
of the Militia. And for that matter, the rest of our planets."
"Christina,
I'd love to take you to see Christina's Rock. I think Mariko has not had
a chance to go there. Tomorrow we'll have various ceremonies officially
welcoming the Constellation crew, the heroine of Paracelsus, and of course
the Kolok people who are accomanying you. How about the day after that?"
"That
sounds just wonderful, Ilse. Even though I'm shuddering a bit at the very
thought of going there. You don't get over such a traumatic experience
in only a century or so! And that's one of the places the Kolok want to
go to."
"We'll
work out the details tomorrow. Now how about some port wine? It's my last
bottle, straight from Earth. I've been saving it for just such an occasion
as this."
"It will
be just what the doctor ordered, Sven."