A collective gasp of astonishment rose from the candidates.
Leaning over from the adjacent table, Meiling hissed, “Amrita was in your triad. You might be disqualified as tripilots without a third psychic sister.”
Flinching at the taunt, Holly looked away and declined to answer.
Rosie pressed her arm in an affectionate gesture, murmuring, “We’ll be fine.”
Vivian raised her hand to claim attention. “Quiet, please.” When the whisperings had died away, she said, “Fortunately, the senior officers of Taxyon Space were able to negotiate a substitute candidate. The Lunar colonies have offered a verified psychic, Lana Cho, as a replacement.”
The announcement the sisters had been expecting, even dreading, came next.
Their chief guide, Overseer Arrak, entered with his two brothers.
Conversations hushed as the Warrish trio strode across the room and stood in front of the tables.
Arrak said, “Calm seas, Brisai.” Switching to common lingo, he said, “Ladies, I am pleased to convey the decision of Triarch Webale. After consulting with the tripilots on Europa, he instructed the eleven of you to fly to Galileo Station on Europa. A twelfth candidate will join you on the spaceship. She is highly qualified as a psychic and an excellent swimmer.”
Sporadic clapping and a couple of gleeful shouts arose from the audience.
After the applause faded, Arrak continued, “Once you arrive at Europa, the resident tripilots in our submarine base will gauge your ability to sense hyperthreads. If you are unable to detect the hyperspace nexus of Jupiter, you will be transported back to Earth. Success will propel you on the next wave to the Opaline School on Rishalt and the benevolent patronage of our glorious Prime Tol-Ziral.”
Vivian asked, “When will the shuttle arrive? I’m sure our girls are eager to know when they will depart.”
Arrak said, “Be prepared to take the shuttle early tomorrow morning. The spaceship, Taxyon Two, is already docked at the Space Station. It will depart for Europa as soon as all passengers have boarded. Taxyon Two is one of your fastest spaceships. The journey is expected to take only thirty of your days.” He beckoned to his brothers. “We have one further stipulation. You must swallow one of these pills to boost your immunity to alien infections.” The two junior Black Arrows went to each table and handed a blue pill to each of the psychics.
Waving her hand to attract attention, Dr. Kumar said, “Ladies, allow me to explain the importance of these immune boosters. We have recommended this extra precaution for passengers on all space flights. Some spaceships have experienced an outbreak of a highly contagious, and often lethal, infection. It is commonly known as Belter fever because of its suspected origin in the Asteroid Belt. I urge you to take the pills.”
The Moon sisters were glad to comply. One pill seemed a simple precaution against a deadly disease.
Chapter 17
BASWIN WOKE.
The dull eye of the monitor hung above him. He recalled speaking to Triarch Webale and his exhaustion afterward. He touched the itchy spot on his temple. It felt less tender than he remembered and the bruises must be healing. Further investigation revealed that he was covered by a sheet and secured to the raised platform by a single band fastened loosely around his waist. Somebody must have lifted him from the floor while he slept.
Glancing around the room, he noticed the handheld qtel had been removed. Just when he wanted to call his brother.
The door slid open. Overseer Ronnith entered and laid a tray of dishes on the cabinet beside him.
The aroma of baked bread and stewed fish elicited a pang of hunger. Baswin wriggled into a sitting position and examined the contents of the tray. A bowl of soup competed with a plate of stuffed rolls for his attention. The slices of fruit looked enticing. And was that molte in the cup?
“Eat, Brin Tallis. Your body needs nourishment to heal.”
Giving a faint grin, Baswin said, “I won’t argue that point.” Yet before he dove into the meal, he asked, “Where is the qtel? I must call my First.”
“Ambassador Zarnis Galamis Jervaron will speak with you in half an hour. You may ask him about the device.”
Content to wait while he ate, Baswin consumed all the food on the tray and swallowed the watered molte.
Ambassador Zarnis arrived on time. He greeted Baswin in a kindly manner, “Calm seas, Brin Tallis. I am informed that your service as Earth Watcher has been terminated. The Triarch has arranged passage for you on the Earthers’ fastest spaceship, Taxyon Two. You will be attended on the voyage by the Black Arrow Triad. They have completed their service at the embassy and will fly home with you. We have been permitted to transport you to the spaceship in our shuttle. It will leave in a twenty-fourth of a cycle.”
Baswin gave a grunt of dismay. The interval converted to one and a half Earth hours, too little time to create a new disguise. “Ambassador, I am pleased to be going home, but not on an Earther ship. They must not learn of my secret mission.”
“We anticipated this problem, Tallis. The Earther captain was told to expect a passenger with severe injuries. You will not be disturbed during the voyage.”
Baswin flung up his hands. “But I have nothing. No clothes or toiletries. No qtel or weapons.”
“We will supply a guard’s uniform and other necessities. The spaceship will have medical supplies and a physician if your injuries need special care.”
“May I borrow a qtel? My First will be anxious to hear from me.”
“Call him after you are on the spaceship. You must hasten to prepare for the voyage. I recommend you resume a Warrish appearance as closely as possible in the short time available. We do not wish the Earthers to suspect your covert existence in their society.”
Bowing to his superior, Baswin offered the formal response, “I hear and obey.”
The ambassador departed, although Baswin was not left alone for long.
The three members of the Black Arrow triad crowded into the room. They introduced themselves as Underwarders Torris, Tikkar, and Tonnor Winnek Tikarith.
The First, Torris, said, “Calm seas, Brin Tallis. We have orders to serve as your guards for the voyage to Europa.”
Baswin groaned, “On an Earther ship. They’re not supposed to know about me.”
Torris said, “Don’t flip over your heels, Tallis. They promised to berth us in a private section of the spaceship.”
The Second uttered a mocking guffaw. “We’ll dissuade the Earthers from bothering you.”
Tonnor added with a grin, “We’ll be your nurses too.”
“I don’t need nurses,” Baswin protested. “Just a little rest.”
“You looked near death when they carried you down here,” Torris said critically. “Can you walk?”
Shaking his head, he grimaced. “I doubt I can even stand without support.”
“Urish.” Torris patted Baswin’s shoulder in reassurance. “Don’t spray grit in your gills. We’ll carry you onto the shuttle. What do you need for the voyage?”
“Everything,” Baswin groaned. “I lost all my possessions when I was thrown off the cargo ship and had to swim the rest of the way. Overseer Ronnith lent me this tunic to wear while I reported to Triarch Webale.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll pack a bag for you. The embassy keeps extra gear.”
“Very generous,” Baswin said gruffly. “I’m grateful. Since we’ll be sharing quarters for the trip, you’d better call me Baswin.”
“What’s your triad color?” Torris asked.
“I’m Baswin Kenton Tallis, the Second of the Flaming Comets Triad.” The idea of resuming his proper identity made him smile. “Our colors are orange tipped in yellow. But, my hair’s not long enough to create the full wave.”
“Your hair will grow longer during the journey home.” Torris nudged his Third. “Fetch the dyes and gels. Quick.” Glaring at his Second, he said, “Clothes and other gear. Essentials only. The flight to Europa takes about four hexads. If the healers
are correct, he ought to be walking well before we arrive at our base.”
Tikkar said, “The Earthers invited us to their dinners on our voyage here. He’ll need suitable wear for company.”
Holding up his five-fingered hand, Baswin protested, “They mustn’t see me. I was mutilated for this undercover task.”
“Urish.” The First’s expression turned solemn. “We’ll offer them an excuse. We’ll say you’re incapacitated and cannot leave our quarters. You can dive into the open after we’re safe in our submarine base on Europa.” Angling a finger at his brothers, he instructed, “Gather whatever he’ll need for the journey.”
The Second and Third hurried away on their tasks.
Torris said cheerfully, “We’ll have you ready in the flick of a finger.”
Satisfied with the plan, Baswin lay back on the pillow and entwined his fingers behind his head. “It’s good to be going home.”
“By the Great Mother, you speak the truth. We also yearn for the warm seas of Rishalt.”
When the junior Black Arrows returned, Tikkar had a pack slung over one shoulder and Tonnor carried a basket with a barber’s tools.
By the time the Black Arrows had finished preparing him, Baswin sported a short orange crest of hair above his bruised forehead. He showed them the design for his triad mark.
Copying the design, Tonnor painted a temporary tattoo on Baswin’s left cheek. Stepping back to examine his work, he said, “The paint will pass a casual inspection. We’ll have plenty of time on the spaceship to prick a proper tattoo.”
Removing a wrist band from his belt pouch, Tikkar said, “We’ve brought a spare qtel. Hold out your hand.”
Happy to possess a means of communicating with his brother, Baswin complied and watched Tikkar fasten the band around his wrist.
Torris glanced at his own qtel. “It’s time to ferry him to the shuttle.”
“Where is the shuttle?” Baswin asked.
“Our embassy has a small airport on the island above us.”
The Black Arrow brothers fetched a carrier from a closet and Baswin had the ignominious experience of being swaddled in a sheet and carted through the building to the Qtrans.
Tonnor and Tikkar supported him during the quantum transport to the upper building. They hustled his stretcher through the passages of the embassy and into a small room beside an exit. A row of spacesuits hung on a rack with the helmets lined up on a higher shelf.
His escorts placed the carrier with Baswin on the floor while they donned their spacesuits. Then, they eased him, one limb at a time, into another flexible suit and attached the six-fingered gloves. Lastly, they gave him a helmet to hold.
Then, the two junior Black Arrows carried him out into the open air.
The salt-laden sea breeze elicited both good and bad memories, happy memories of diving in the oceans of Rishalt and dreadful memories of his treacherous swim in the Pacific Ocean.
Palm trees fringed a paved level area abutting the ocean. On the landward side, a small plane sat in a hangar and the heavier shuttle stood at the edge of the tiny airfield.
Tonnor and Tikkar bore Baswin across the airfield to the shuttle and hoisted him up the ramp into the passenger cabin. They carried him to a separate section behind the front rows of seats. After shutting the partition between the compartments, they maneuvered him onto a bench.
Tikkar said, “Sit tight. We’ll strap you in for the flight. You’ll need to wear the helmet.”
“When do we board the spaceship?” Baswin asked.
“Immediately after the shuttle docks. They don’t want us straying into their Space Station.”
Torris said, “On our sun-bound flight from Europa, we stayed in special quarters of the spaceship. The officers didn’t want us to mingle with the regular passengers.”
“They ought to chat with us,” Baswin said. “After living among Earthers for many hexads, I’ve decided we’re not so different. We can breathe the same air and eat similar foods. Some of our people have mated with Earthers.”
“Urish,” Torris agreed. “Like the Ramis Bell Duad. They made their home in the oceans of Europa. We might meet them in our base.”
The sound of voices came from the forward compartment. More passengers were boarding, probably Earthers.
On a silent cue from his First, Tonnor settled into the seat across the aisle from Baswin. The two older brothers opened the partition and went to join the other passengers.
Not long after the Black Arrows had found places, the shuttle pilot announced, “Ready for takeoff. Get those helmets sealed.”
The roar of the rockets forestalled further conversation. Baswin shut his eyes and let gravity push him against the padded seat. He could relax until the shuttle docked at the Space Station.
At one point during the flight, Tonnor nudged him awake.
Pointing at the viewer mounted above the forward exit, he said, “There’s the Space Station. You can see Taxyon Two. It is docked in the nearest arc of the torus.”
Baswin felt little interest in the view. He had seen the Space Station when he and Alarik had flown from the Asteroid Belt.
As the orbiting station enlarged to fill the screen, Tonnor unbuckled his safety belt and stepped over to Baswin. “We were instructed to sedate you for boarding. If you’re asleep, you won’t have to deflect awkward questions from officers of the Solar Security Agency. We’ll wake you when we’re in our private quarters on Taxyon Two.” He poured a blue fluid into a cup, eyeballing the quantity, and offered the cup to Baswin.
Baswin downed the liquid in one gulp, and handed the empty cup to Tonnor. Within a few seconds, he grew drowsy.
Chapter 18
ON THE MORNING OF THEIR departure from the Warrish embassy, Holly and Rosie gathered with the other nine candidates for an early breakfast. Conversation was muted.
Queasy with anticipation, Holly ate less than usual. Rosie and most of the others also ate sparingly, while Zabrina and Shauntelle refused to eat anything.
After the meal, they carried their allotted luggage of one large bag to the lobby for transfer to the hold of the shuttle. Next, Ekewaka ushered the candidates to a storage room full of spacesuits.
He explained, “Taxyon Space has provided a specially fitted suit for each of you.” After assisting the candidates to climb into their suits, he checked the seals of the joints and the oxygen hose.
Holly and Rosie pulled on their helmets and grinned at each other through the transparent faceplates.
Taking an experimental step and waving her suited arms, Holly said, “It feels quite comfortable.”
Ekewaka nodded. “The suits are designed to keep a person safe in the vacuum of space or on the Moon’s surface. The shuttle and the spaceship have extra oxygen cylinders for emergency use.”
Holly shook her head, muttering, “Let’s hope we don’t have an emergency.”
“Styx. No accidents,” Rosie concurred.
Once Ekewaka had checked all the candidates’ suits, he led them out of the building onto the airfield.
Their Warrish guide, Arrak, distinguished by the blue cockade visible under the transparent bubble of his helmet, stood by the ramp to the open door of the shuttle.
As they approached, Arrak crossed his arms over his chest and bowed. “Farewell, talented Brisai and may you swim in quiet waters. My Second and I will pilot the shuttle to the Space Station. Once you disembark, the station officials will verify your identity and escort you to the spaceship.”
The passenger section of the shuttle was arranged in human style with pairs of seats on either side of the central aisle.
Holly and Rosie sat together as usual, while the members of other nascent triads were obliged to find separate seats. Following the pilot’s instructions, they buckled the safety restraints.
Two of the Warrish guards in the Black Arrow Triad entered from the rear section. They strode up the aisle toward the cockpit, looking from left to right to check on the passengers. After exchangi
ng greetings with the pilots, they returned and found seats near the candidates. One took the vacant seat next to Shauntelle and across the aisle from Holly, while his brother sat with one of the Li sisters.
Unaware of Baswin’s presence in the rear compartment, the Moon sisters stared through the window, intent on the view outside.
The shuttle roared in a near-vertical ascent, rising rapidly above the ocean until the Isle of Warra shrank to a bulge in the tiny ring of the atoll.
Soon, the sisters could see nothing below except for the blue ocean.
The shuttle gained altitude, passing white puffs of cloud. Landmasses, the continents, crept around the borders of the ocean.
Eyes wide in awe, Rosie grinned at her sister. “We’re leaving Earth.”
“If all goes well,” Holly added, “we’ll be leaving the solar system in five weeks.”
The planet slowly dwindled as the shuttle zoomed higher.
At length, the pilot announced, “The Space Station is visible on the port side. We have received permission to dock in the bay next to Taxyon Two.”
The Space Station, familiar from newsreels, was a giant torus decorated with gleaming solar panels. The docked spaceship looked like a small metal flower bud protruding from a dimple in the curved surface.
The shuttle decelerated, rumbling toward the torus.
A hatch opened on the surface. The shuttle glided inside the torus.
Nothing but steel walls was visible outside.
The two Black Arrows disappeared into the rear compartment, while the Moon sisters disembarked with the other passengers. The low gravity made Holly lightheaded. Each step felt as if she were dancing, and she longed to speed into a run.
They trooped though an airlocked entry, and passed one by one into a small chamber to be disinfected, before crossing the final airlock onto the Space Station.
A sign in large orange letters announced, ‘Solar Security Control Section’.
Two officials, a man and a woman in severe black uniforms, waited at a gate.
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