Revolt on Alpha C

by Robert Silverberg

  They followed the guide through the streets. Captain Reinhardt walked next to him and was talking in a low whisper. A few colonists gathered in clumps and stared with open curiosity.

  “Look at the streets,” Larry whispered to Heitor van Haaren, a short, chubby cadet who had bunked on the other side of the corridor. “I think they’re paved with concrete.”

  “Maybe they can’t afford plastine,” Heitor suggested.

  “Maybe they don’t want it,” Harl said. “It’s not as durable as concrete.”

  “That’s true,” Heitor said. “Plastine has to be replaced every few years.”

  The guide turned off into an imposing building and the Earth party followed him. They climbed a flight of stairs—a strange experience for Earthmen accustomed to escalators and power lifts—and entered a large room.

  A white-haired, distinguished-looking man was waiting there for them, simply dressed in an old-fashioned style. He rose and walked toward them as they entered.

  “I’m Harrison,” he said. “President of the Colonial Council. In exile,” he added in a lower voice.

  Captain Reinhardt introduced himself and some of his party quickly, and seemed to be about to say something else when President Harrison interrupted.

  “Are you people hungry?” Harrison asked abruptly.

  Lam felt like saying “yes” himself, he was so hungry. But Captain Reinhardt surprised him by replying, “Why, yes, we are.” It would have been more like him to take care of official business first.

  “Then let’s eat first and talk later,” Harrison said.

  He led the way to a dining room and indicated that they were to take seats around the table. He sat down between Larry and Captain Reinhardt.

  They ate in silence. A few colonists joined them at the table: all, like Harrison, were heavy-set, silent men. None of the food was familiar to Larry, who was accustomed to concentrates and synthetics.

  The main course was some sort of steak, tough but flavorous. Larry had just finished his piece when President Harrison turned to him and said, without prologue, “Did you like the meat?”

  “Very much, sir,” said Larry, somewhat surprised. It was the first thing Harrison had said since the meal began.

  “Good to hear it. Some of our visitors aren’t too fond of our dinosaur steaks.”

  “Dinosaur steaks!” Larry stared at his plate in amazement, and several of the spacemen smothered laughter.

  “It’s our major food here,” Harrison went on. “We only have about a thousand people in Chicago Colony, so two or three dinosaurs can feed most of us for a week. Those statues you saw outside were carved from ‘saur bones.”

  Then Harrison turned back to his plate and finished in silence. When the meal was over he signaled to the Earthmen to follow him back to the large room.

  Suddenly he said, “I’m glad you came, Captain Reinhardt. We’ve had a lot of trouble here, and were going to have more. But I didn’t want to call the Patrol because I want to settle this thing peacefully.”

  “What are you talking about, President Harrison” I’ve heard some strange things. Why did you move from London Colony to Chicago Colony, for example? What’s going on here?” The captain was frowning. It seemed to Larry that he would rather discuss these things in private with Harrison, and was annoyed at having to talk in front of all his men and the other colonists.

  President Harrison sat back in his chair. “You know, of course, that there is a motion on the floor of the Interstellar Council that will give independence to the Alpha C IV colony within twenty-five years, provided the colonists can show unified self-government.”

  “I’m aware of that,” said Captain Reinhardt. Larry and Harl exchanged glances. The men from Earth watched quietly, listening to every word.

  “Why should that make the people of Alpha C IV—ah—unfriendly to the people of Earth?” the captain asked.

  “A group of hotheads in London Colony decided that this bill would be an excuse for putting off our independence indefinitely, on the grounds that we would never be considered ready for self-government. They took over the rule of London Colony and forced me to come here.”

  “What about Henrikstown? And Bombay Colony? Have they gone over also?”

  “Probably. Chicago Colony is the only one of the four still loyal to Earth.”

  Captain Reinhardt stood up and paced angrily up and down. “This is preposterous. Where’s the Resident Governor? Why hasn’t he done something about it?” The London Colony people have sent him back to Earth, Captain.” President Harrison’s voice dropped. “By regular drive. They gave him a five-year food supply.”

  The Carden men were shocked, but even so a few of them chuckled, Harl the loudest. Larry had to admit it was a clever stroke, packing the Earth Resident Governor off to his home planet in a ship that wouldn’t arrive for years. But it was an even more serious matter than exiling the local government.

  “And you didn’t notify me? You should have informed Earth immediately.”

  Harrison smiled like a small boy caught doing something wrong. “I intended to, Captain Reinhardt. But then I was told the Carden was approaching, and I waited for you before I did anything.”

  The captain continued to pace up and down. Larry felt anger beginning to grow within him. These colonists—even the loyal ones like Harrison—had managed to make fools of Earth and had spumed Earth’s offer to let them have their independence. But Larry felt sure they would soon be put back in their place by the Patrol.

  “What’s the sentiment in Chicago Colony about joining the other three?”

  “About half and half. They’re holding a meeting tomorrow night to decide which they want to do, support Earth or the revolutionaries.”

  “We’ll stop that quick enough. Get me the leader of the local revolutionaries. Olcott,” he said, turning to his pilot, “announce that Chicago Colony is now under martial law. The rest of you get to whatever quarters these colonists have provided. I want to talk to Harrison some more.”

  The men from the Carden were conducted to a building near the edge of town, and Harl, Larry, and Heitor van Haaren were given a large, bare room to themselves. There was one window, and it looked outward over the great wall, so one could see the jungle beyond.

  “Do you think there’s going to be any fighting?” Heitor asked as soon as they got settled. Larry smiled. He had known Heitor slightly at the Academy; he was a rotund, slow-moving boy, a brilliant student who had often baffled his professors with scientific points beyond their comprehension. Larry knew that Heitor would prefer as little fighting as possible.

  “I don’t know,” Larry admitted. “They’ll probably call in the nearest Patrol destroyer if there’s any trouble, and pack us right back to Earth.”

  “It looks like a pretty good fight shaping up,” Harl said. “It reminds me of what I was told about the early days of the Jupiter revolution. They followed the same pattern, and it turned into a full-scale war.”

  “I hope they can prevent it here,” Larry said. “These Centaurans look like good hard-working people. It would be too bad if we had to fight them.”

  “Yes,” Harl said, laughing softly as he walked to the window. “It’s too bad these good hard-working people don’t have sense enough to let Earth sit on their necks forever, eh, Larry? Just like the Martians, and the Jupiter people before them.”

  “Hold on,” Larry said. “What do you mean, Earth sitting on their necks? I don’t like the way you’ve been talking, Harl. Earth’s been helping this colony along since it started, and they just want to get their investment back. If it weren’t for Earth none of the colonies could get started.”

  “That’s right. But if it weren’t for Earth all the colonies would be independent planets now, instead of piddling little mudholes! I don’t know, Stark. I guess that’s what comes of coming from a long line of Space Patrol people. Your family’s filled your head full of so much nonsense about Earth that you don’t blow—”

 
“You can’t talk like that,” Larry snapped, and moved menacingly toward Harl. The burly Martian waited for him, but Heitor interposed.

  Hold on, you two. If you want to have your own private war, go outside and do it. Or work off your feelings hunting dinosaurs. I’m tired, and I want to sleep.”

  “Heitor’s right, Larry. We’re acting pretty silly.”

  “I suppose we are.” He held out his hand and Harl grasped it. “You could be a great guy,” Larry said. “If only you didn’t—”

  “That’ll be enough,” Harl said, giving Larry a gentle tap on the arm with his fist. “We’ll talk about it some other time. Suppose we get some sleep”

  CHAPTER 7

  ON HIS FIRST morning on Alpha C IV Larry awoke early. The cadets had left the window wide open, and the warm, sweet air drifted in and hung in the room like perfume.

  He got up silently—Harl and Heitor were still asleep—and walked to the window. He stared out over the wall. There was a clearing in which the Carden was standing, just as it had been left. And stretching around behind the clearing was a tangled forest of great weird green trees, hundreds of feet high.

  The trees were not the familiar maples and oaks of home, though Larry saw an occasional tree looking something like an ordinary pine standing in the midst of the strangeness.

  Suddenly he noticed a commotion in the trees. The closely packed branches began to wave back and forth and thresh around. Larry stretched on tiptoes to get a better view of whatever was going on. The early morning sun was over the wall by now, and all was as quiet as it always is just an hour after dawn.

  The disturbance in the trees grew more frantic, and then abruptly the trees parted and something ambled out into the clearing. Larry gasped. It was the biggest animal he had ever seen.

  Keeping one eye on the window as if he feared the animal would disappear if he looked away, Larry backed to Harl’s bed and grabbed the bare foot that stuck out from under the covers. He shook it a couple of times.

  “Go away,” Harl murmured sleepily. “Go away.”

  “Wake up!” Larry whispered. “Look out the window!”

  “What do you want?” mumbled Harl. He slowly pushed the covers off and almost fell out of bed. Larry led him, still half asleep, to the window. They looked out.

  Harl was silent for a minute. Then he rubbed his eyes and said, “Pinch me. I’m still asleep.”

  “No you’re not,” laughed Larry. “That’s one of the natives of this planet, that’s all. How’d you like to have him for a pet?”

  They stared. The huge reptile in the clearing was dull gray in color, and long. It had four ponderous legs and a huge neck, at the end of which was a tiny head. Tiny by comparison with the rest of the body, that is. Behind the massive body a tail studded with spines swept away into the jungle.

  There was no way of telling the size of the beast, but it was immense.

  “It’s going near the ship!” Harl said. The monster was cautiously approaching the Carden, which stood upright and gleaming in the morning light. Each step the animal took seemed to be a drumbeat far off. The ground shook under him.

  Heitor, awakened by the conversation, left his bed and came to the window. There wasn’t room for all three of them, and they jostled for position to see what was happening.

  The dinosaur had come close to the empty ship now. It lifted its huge neck and gently nuzzled the cold side of the ship—probably, Larry thought, wondering what sort of animal it was dealing with. Then it continued its explorations until it reached the door at the top of the catwalk—the door sixty-five feet above the ground.

  With great care it pushed the door open with the tip of its nose, and put a giant eye to the open door. Apparently it saw nothing, for it lowered its head again, slowly marched once around the Carden, and, puzzled, turned tail and ponderously strode off once again into the jungle.

  The Earthmen assembled downstairs in a long room ringed with the stuffed heads of bizarre native animals. Several of the other men had seen the dinosaur approach the ship also, and the incident was a topic of general discussion until Captain Reinhardt entered the room. He was followed by President Harrison and two Centauran soldiers, escorting a slender, darkskinned young colonist.

  “This is Jon Browne,” President Harrison said. “He’s the leader of the local revolutionary faction.”

  Captain Reinhardt looked at the young man coldly. “Stand over there, Browne. I want to question you.”

  Larry surveyed the scene. He wished he could understand what motivated Browne, why he wanted to break loose from Earth. Whatever reasons he might have, Larry thought, they could never be sufficient.

  But he didn’t like Captain Reinhardt’s overbearing attitude much either, he reflected. He had admired the stem military man at first, but as the voyage had gone along he had almost begun to dislike him.

  Browne walked cockily over to the place the captain indicated and stood there awaiting questioning.

  “I understand you’re holding a town meeting here tonight,” the captain said. “For what reason?”

  “Are you going to hold any of this against me, Captain? I don’t want to testify against myself, you know.”

  “Don’t worry about that. Why this meeting tonight?”

  “Very well,” Browne said. “You know about the other three colonies, don’t you? Tonight I’m going to ask that Chicago Colony join the other three. And if I don’t do it, someone else will. Only a united planet can win independence for us from the people of Earth, who neither care about us nor about our liberty, but just about our taxes—”

  “That’ll be enough, Browne,” the captain broke in. “You know, of course, that Chicago Colony is now under martial law and that I can prevent this meeting from ever being held?”

  “That’s violating free speech,” Larry whispered in amazement to Harl.

  “Shhh,” Harl said. “Listen to them.”

  “Very true, Captain. But that would not prevent Chicago Colony from revolting.”

  “Suppose you tell me why Alpha C IV suddenly wants to be free, Browne.”

  The young colonist’s eyes flashed. “Not suddenly, Captain Reinhardt. We’ve wanted to be free as long as we’ve been here. But now our dependence on Earth is over; we’re self-sufficient. Can’t you understand that we don’t need Earth, and Earth doesn’t need us? They just cling to us for our taxes and in case they might need us some day. Earth gets no benefit from this colony, really—the taxes we send mean nothing to her economy. No; it’s just greed and fear that makes you cling to us!”

  “That’s not true,” Captain Reinhardt snapped. “Commerce is—”

  “Commerce? Across four light-years? We’re too far away for any particular commerce. It’s all we can do to get the books and tools Earth can supply us.”

  “But if you rebel,” said President Harrison, “you’ll cut off your last supplies of these things.”

  “We can manage. We are a free people,” said Browne, “and we should be free to carry on our own experiments in self-government, without the necessity of reporting our every action to Earth, without the necessity of paying taxes to Earth for the privilege of being governed by them.”

  “That’s a quote from the book I have,” Harl whispered to Larry. “Most of this stuff comes straight out of it.”

  Larry said nothing. He was deep in thought, trying to find some way out of his confusion. All his life he had been taught that Earth was noble, Earth was good, the protector of the colonies, the aider of the weak. For the first time that faith was being questioned, and he was very worried.

  Captain Reinhardt sat silently, his jaws clamped. A few other colonists had filtered into the room and were standing near the door, and he looked at them uneasily. Browne went on arguing, as if the captain could give the Alpha C her independence by himself. “Earth’s trade restrictions hamper us. Their taxes are a burden we shouldn’t have to pay. We have no representation on the Interstellar Council anyway, and—maybe you know your Ear
th history, Captain Reinhardt. Six hundred years ago a colony of another nation on Earth was in the same position. What did they say? No Taxation without Representation? Remember those words, Captain?”

  “I have heard them,” Captain Reinhardt said stiffly. “Don’t they mean anything to you? This colony is ready to stand on its own feet as an independent planet, Browne shouted, “and you can tell that to your Council when you get back. Sure, they plan to give us independence—when they’re good and ready!”

  “How does he know they won’t?” Larry asked.

  “He knows his history better than you do,” Harl said. “The Council never gives anything up till they don’t have any choice.”

  “If you’d only be patient,” President Harrison said. “You tell us to be patient!” Browne shouted. “You tried to tell that to London Colony, and they threw you out. Now you’re here and trying to tell us we should wait and not act by ourselves. Why? Do you want to save your own miserable job, Harrison? You’re wrong and London Colony’s right! We have to proclaim our independence—all four colonies.”

  Captain Reinhardt stood up. “I think that’s enough,” he said. “I see the picture more clearly now. I would like to settle this peacefully, if I could—you could tell your people that, Harrison. I will try to negotiate before I call in the armed might of the Patrol to put down the revolution. In the meantime, I think we’ll keep this man”—he indicated Browne—“in our custody.”

  Several of the colonists standing at the door began to edge forward menacingly. President Harrison turned to the captain.

  “No,” he said. “Arresting Browne would be the worst thing we could do. If we let him go, all he can do is talk. If we arrest him we’ll be making a martyr out of him. It might be a very dangerous situation.”

  Captain Reinhardt scowled. “You’re right. I hate to let him go, but there’s nothing else we can do. What do you think is wisest about tonight’s meeting?”

  “Let it go on as scheduled,” Harrison said. “It’ll only make official what we know already. Canceling it might touch off something serious.”