by I. O. Adler
“I get it. It’s hopeless. Earth is doomed. So why even bother?”
Sylvia sat down on the edge of the couch. “Because we don’t give up.”
“Which ‘we’ are you talking about?” Carmen asked.
Her mom beckoned for Carmen to join her. When she hesitated, Sylvia said, “I won’t bite, honey.”
Carmen sat next to her. If Sylvia Vincent was there to infect her with a cyber-virus or convert her into a Melded zombie, she would have done it by now. When her mom put an arm around her, Carmen felt her eyes sting. She rested her head against her mother’s shoulder.
Was it so wrong to want to bring her mom home so they all could be together with Jenna and the boys and have a quiet week, month, or year and let whatever was going to happen, happen? But she couldn’t ask for that. Knew it wasn’t the answer. She felt it burning in her gut, the not wanting to face facts. For the moment, she was Earth’s representative.
None of this should have fallen on her shoulders.
“We need to know if Jenna’s okay,” Carmen managed.
Her mom kissed her head. “I want to know that too.”
“There’s one more thing I want to ask. Will you talk to the Cordice in their sim? Hear them out about what you left behind?”
“Communication is down and we’re leaving.”
“If She Who Waits can make contact, will you?”
“Why?” Sylvia asked.
“I want you to hear it from them that they can make you whole.”
“Carmen, dear, you already asked that. I understand what happened to me. When we come back, we can see them together. If something needs to be fixed, then I’ll go to them. But not right now. Is that good enough?”
They sat together for a while in silence. A screen appeared next to She Who Waits. It showed the shuttle and the Framework in glowing lines, along with a third vessel coming closer. At first glance it looked like a cluster of elongated grapes with a variety of incongruous components at its front and rear. Pulses of lightning erupted from a bulbous section behind the ship’s main body. It dwarfed the shuttle.
“That’s the One,” Sylvia said.
Carmen tried to make sense of the approaching ship. “Is every spaceship so ugly?”
The colors within She Who Waits faded to a soft gray. “Designate Melded and designate the One are waiting for us.”
The Melded frigate had likewise detached from the Framework and floated just beyond the One’s larger craft. If they had weapons pointed at them or each other, Carmen couldn’t tell. Supposedly the Melded had no more missiles. But she remained skeptical of the claim.
A second couch unfolded from the wall like origami taking shape and worked by unseen hands. This couch was less cushioned and simpler than Carmen’s.
“Is that going to be enough?” Carmen asked.
“Designate Melded do not require the same comforts to protect their bodies. You will both want to prepare yourself for maneuvers.”
Carmen didn’t want to press the issue as her mother went to the couch. At what point did a human become a Melded? Her mother eased herself into a reclined position. Carmen went to her own couch but didn’t lie down.
“Thank you for taking us,” she said to She Who Waits. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“I will dock with the Melded and then it will be they who take us to your world.”
“And you’re still trying to contact Earth? Will anyone else hear the reply?”
She Who Waits twinkled briefly. “Once I relay it, yes.”
Her mom didn’t seem to be paying attention. But there would be no hiding Carmen’s request. “When you hear something, let me know first. Then we can talk about who else gets to be included before we start a dialogue.”
She Who Waits made no reply, instead gliding off through the door towards the front of the shuttle. The shuttle lurched and they were free floating. Carmen hurried to get comfortable. They began moving and turning, and all sense of up and down went by the wayside.
Her mother let out a laugh. “Carmen, I’m glad it was you who came to find me.”
Carmen resisted the urge to shut her eyes as she thought it would increase her chance of throwing up. “Why’s that?”
“Because anyone else would have given in or given up.”
With her hands gripping the inside of the couch, Carmen tried to ignore the comment. But she wondered what would have happened if she had been the one who lost her leg and her sister had come to rescue their mother. Or what if Agent Barrett had been there at that moment?
No, she decided, she wasn’t the right woman for the job. They could replace her with anyone with a shred of training. Humanity needed a diplomat, a scientist, a xenobiologist, another astronaut, maybe even a psychologist.
Anyone but her.
Chapter Twenty-Two
They were pulling hard g’s. The display showed that both their shuttle and the One’s ship had successfully docked with the Melded frigate. Carmen felt her neck muscles ache from craning her head to peer out of the couch to look.
From that moment forward, she would have to remain fully reclined. The pressure on every inch of her body kept building and building. She tried to focus on the fact that she was going home. That there might be someone she could hand the situation off to. As the squeezing sensation felt like it was going to make her eyes go squish and keep her from ever taking a normal breath again, she stopped thinking of anything except enduring the trip. She hoped she could sleep and wake and have it all be over. But the moments dragged as a dull ache grew in her joints.
As advertised, the Melded had a fast ship. And she imagined the worm prompting their pilot to pour it on, damn the torpedoes, and let that be a lesson to the troublesome human in the translator shuttle. If she suffered a stroke, or turned to jelly, too bad.
The world faded…
Motion in the periphery of her vision. She couldn’t move to look. Blotches filled her eyes as the g pressure built even more, and it felt as if an invisible pillow was being pressed against her face. Yet something was moving. A shadow. The thing from the elevator that had almost killed Ovo. Here. Impossible.
She tried to take in enough breath to call out a warning. Could barely whimper. The shape moved closer.
Not a shadow. It took her eyes a moment to see the figure clearly. Her mother appeared over her. But how? Carmen tried to raise a hand. Too heavy. But there she was, her eyes full of concern, the dark alien lines on her face deepened, her lips newly black as she leaned in.
Carmen attempted to speak. “Wh-wh-wh?”
“I could have made this easy for you, honey, but you said you didn’t want it. We burned hard early, and I heard you having trouble breathing. It will only be another hour and it will ease.”
Her mother left her field of vision. Carmen gave up trying to speak so she could focus on breathing. She didn’t want to pass out again, but even as the thought crossed her mind, she drifted.
She couldn’t tell if she had been out a minute or hours. She licked salt from her lips. Felt as if she had been someone’s punching bag. The soft aches were everywhere.
Her mother appeared with a cup of water. “Drink.”
Carmen swallowed it all down. “How were you able to move around so easily while we were accelerating?”
“It’s still difficult. But I can move because of the Melded conditioning. Think of it as giving my muscles and heart a tune-up with high g in mind. The bots help my eyes so I can still see and my brain so I can think. And the nanobots stay on the lookout for anything that might weaken.”
Carmen sat up. “And what if you decide you don’t want to be one of them anymore?”
“There’s nothing nefarious about what they did. My choice to work alongside them has zero to do with how they’ve helped me. There’s no strings attached if that’s what you’re asking. If I want to go home, then this is my ride back. But you know I can’t stay on Earth.”
“And this is what you want for me…for t
hem to make me into one of them.”
Her mom clenched her jaw. “If you want to leave with us, then it’s one choice. The other is the simulation. I’m not the cause of this situation. It’s hard. Our house is on fire and it’s either jump through a window or get burned.”
“I’m going to check on She Who Waits.”
The display of the Melded frigate with its two attached vessels continued to hover. But none of the adjoining data streams meant anything to Carmen. She shuffled past the altar but saw no way to open the door to the front of the shuttle. The short walk exhausted her. She took a moment to catch her breath before softly slapping at the door.
Her mom followed her over. Smirked as she touched the altar and a red light appeared. Carmen placed a hand on the altar but didn’t feel a button.
“The Melded have an app which interfaces with many of the other races’ tech,” Sylvia said. “It helps with virtual controls like that one.”
“I see. Are those still your eyes?”
“Yes. But they have an overlay which allows for augmented reality. They’ve also been bolstered to not deform or lose circulation during maneuvers. I’ve opened a channel. She should be able to hear you.”
“Can you give me some privacy?”
Her mom returned to her couch. Hardly out of hearing distance, even without the possibility that her ears had been likewise augmented and supercharged.
“Are you there?” Carmen asked in a soft tone. “I want to know if you’ve heard from Earth.”
The red light pulsed. She Who Waits’ reply felt loud. “I have not. But the Melded have begun their own transmissions. They are not sharing their communication channel with me.”
“Why not? Did you ask them?”
After a minute, her reply was as calm as ever. “They are considering my request.”
Carmen bit her lip. “That wasn’t the deal. They’re supposed to be our ride, nothing else. How will we even know what they’re saying? Does the One know?”
“I can contact him.”
“Okay, wait. How long do we have before we make it home?”
“Sixteen hours. To preserve your health, I recommend you return to the couch.”
There was time. They could figure out what the Melded were saying to Earth later. Carmen felt a cautious optimism that the One would also want to know. But Carmen had her mother with her, and this might be her only opportunity to convince her she wasn’t well.
“Is there any chance they’re blocking your communications?” she asked.
“They might jam a radio transmission, but I also have a laser as part of my communication suite. I detect no interference.”
“Then open a channel with the Framework.”
Minutes passed. Then She Who Waits said, “The communications for the station remain down.”
“Then don’t talk to the station. Can you target just a single ship? It’s the Cordice I want to reach.”
A second light appeared. As Carmen waited, she felt her strength ebb. She leaned on the wall next to the altar. Guessed there would be a delay if they had crossed any measurable distance. Her mom had propped herself up on her elbows and was watching.
When the Cordice spoke, Carmen didn’t recognize the voice. It wasn’t the engineer or the historian.
The voice sounded distant and tranquil, as if the speaker had taken a sleeping pill or two. “Been trying to contact you. Communications remain disrupted throughout the Framework.”
“Who is this?” Carmen asked.
When no immediate reply came, she cursed herself for forgetting the time lag and not asking something more important.
“I am the operator subroutine for the Cordice home ship. None of the council members are free to speak with you, Carmen Vincent. There has been a new emergency on the home ship. We have lost one of our reactors to an unknown event. We have had to power down the simulation and back up all stored data.”
Carmen tried to process the news. “What does that mean, back up the data? Is everyone okay? What needs to happen to fix you? Can you reach anyone else on the Framework?”
As Carmen waited for a reply, she leaned in over the altar. “She Who Waits…see if you can open up a channel with anyone else. Contact each ship.”
“I will try,” the translator said. “Many do not possess receivers independent of the Framework. Designate Cordice and designate Melded are among the few with fully functioning ships.”
“I get it. Send the message. Let everyone know what’s happened to the Cordice.”
Sylvia had gotten back up. “Whatever intruder is on the Framework might be on board the Cordice home ship.”
“What do you know about the intruder that you’re not telling me?”
“Nothing. It’s all been speculation among our scientists. Perhaps a mutation of one of the Framework residents, an automated system which has gone rogue like the caretaker aboard the Cordice home ship which attacked you, perhaps a prey animal.”
“You think someone’s pet is causing these problems?”
“I didn’t say pet. At least two of the races have other creatures they feed on. But none we know possess intelligence enough to sabotage ship functions. Accidentally, maybe, but the Framework power supplies were disrupted a few times when the survivors came together. An automated mining factory was destroyed, and now the communication network.”
“Isn’t there someone who can check everyone’s ship?”
Her mom smiled patiently. “There’s no police force on the Framework. Not many are willing to let other races on board their vessel. Call it paranoid or prudent. After decades or centuries of running, everyone is extra cautious with their spaceships.”
“Except for the fact that there’s an infestation of mysterious shadow monsters that might be breaking things. Tell me the Melded aren’t doing this.”
“They’re not.”
“And are they listening now?” Carmen asked. “Have you told them what’s happening?”
“Yes. We need all the facts. If the Cordice home ship and anyone else allowed something onto their vessels, it only makes our recovery of the harvester more urgent.”
“We need to go back.”
“That’s not possible. We’re halfway to Earth already.”
“Don’t you get it? Half of you is still inside their simulation. I wanted to have you talk to yourself so you can see that there’s something wrong with you. The only way for you to be made whole is if we can bring you to the Cordice so they can fix it.”
“Oh, honey. I know this is hard for you to accept. I know I’ve lost memories. It’s nothing that can’t be repaired later. But it’s not urgent enough to risk everything else. Once we retrieve the harvester, we can talk about what you want to do next. The Melded will return to the Framework and figure out the problem. I want you and Jenna and the boys to come back with us.”
Carmen couldn’t shake the thought that her mom was holding something back. “Why can’t we hear Earth’s reply to our messages?”
“Because it’s not important. While you’ve certainly become a part of the events of the Framework, it’s time you let those who are responsible to do their share.”
“You’re telling me to butt out after everything that’s happened?”
Her mother’s tone took an edge. “The time for tantrums is over. Our actions will decide the fate of the Framework survivors and whether they get to see future generations live. So stop acting foolish. The Melded are doing what they have to for everyone’s good.”
“What does that mean exactly? What are the Melded doing, Mom? Cutting everyone’s communications? Sabotaging the Cordice?”
“Patience, Car. This isn’t a fight. We’re all on the same side. Now let’s get some rest—”
Sylvia tried to put a placating hand on Carmen.
Carmen flinched. “Don’t. You’ve been lying to me and She Who Waits and everyone on the Framework who trusted the Melded. Maybe it doesn’t matter if this is really you or not. But if you’re in the
re somewhere, remember that you raised me to be better than a liar or a thief. You’re making choices for everyone on Earth, but no one gave you that authority.”
Sylvia retreated to her couch. “You’ll want to lie down soon.”
Carmen felt herself trembling. Her mom wasn’t even pretending the Melded weren’t behind the communication malfunction on the Framework. She needed to talk to She Who Waits and the One before the Melded made it to Earth and caused more problems.
When the translator light twitched, she realized she had almost forgotten she was waiting for a reply from the Cordice.
“Attention She Who Waits and Carmen Vincent,” the Cordice operator said. “I’m authorized to confirm that we have successfully archived the simulation until we restore the reactor. With the caretaker remaining offline, our current automation is hampered. If the harvester is returned, the repair will accelerate and we will require no aid.”
Carmen waited for more, but the message ended. “Hear that, Mom? Can you relay that to your new friends? Do the worm and the rest of the Melded see that if they grab the harvester they’re not just leaving the Cordice behind, they’re killing them? You say their simulation is the alternative. But their ship is broken and they need help. Do you even care?”
Her mom had reclined and had her eyes closed. Was she even listening?
The air within the shuttle felt stuffy. If her mom couldn’t be bothered to comment, surely She Who Waits was paying attention.
“What do we do?” Carmen asked.
“There remains much we don’t know. While my communications remain compromised, I have been able to listen to designate Melded.”
“How?”
“While radio remains cut off and I cannot intercept their laser signals, I have been able to analyze the vibrations beyond our adjoining airlock. I have isolated most of their crew along with the message received from Earth.”