by J. J. Green
With the Council ship much nearer, Carrie didn’t face the long swim she had made in getting to the placktoid base, and she was no longer hampered by Audrey’s wetsuit filled with oootoon. But despite these facts, she found herself swimming slowly. Belinda kept pace beside her, not speaking, probably thinking she was exhausted from the trials of the day. The truth was, as she swam, she was taking another long look at the ocean surrounding her.
She would no doubt be sent home soon along with the other trainees. Her outlook had changed considerably in the last few hours. Now she knew it might not be the last time she would get to see the underwater world of the marsoliie and other sentient creatures of Gaginion. No Groups or Singles remained, but in the distance she saw an edge of the massive floating mat and other sea creatures she hadn’t seen before. She took in the underwater view, fixing it in her memory until perhaps, one day, when they had defeated the placktoids, she could return.
Chapter Twenty-Six - Reconciliation
When Carrie got back to the Council ship, the first person she looked for as she stepped out of the airlock was Dave, but he was nowhere to be seen. Audrey was there, and she enveloped Carrie in a large, blobby hug. The oootoon had also made its way back after draining out of the placktoid commander and had returned to its box, where it appeared to be none the worse for wear. The other trainees formed a welcoming party, and as Carrie was hugged, slapped, jiggled, bumped and subjected to the various species’ other forms of congratulations, she felt both undeserving in comparison with the bravery of the oootoon and the squashpump, and slightly hurt. Where was Dave? Why hadn’t her best friend appeared? She’d thought they had reconciled, but maybe he was still angry with her.
As soon as she could be extracted from the trainees, Carrie was whisked away to a debriefing session with Gavin, Errruorerrrrrhch and the other managers. She was still in her swimsuit, but Errruorerrrrrhch gave her a blanket to wrap herself in. The managers wanted to know what had happened, detail by detail, what she had seen inside the placktoid base, and exactly what the placktoids had said to her. Knowing that any clue as to where the placktoids were hiding out was vital, Carrie concentrated hard to remember and tell them everything she could, no matter how small or insignificant it might have seemed at the time. But she thought she already knew the placktoids’ whereabouts, and after hearing what the commander had said to her, the managers were inclined to agree with her conclusion. They made her promise to keep the news confidential, however, at least for the time being, until the Transgalactic Council received the information from Carrie’s debriefing and decided on their next move.
Exhaustion overwhelmed her as she left the Central Office. The corridors of the starship were silent. It seemed the trainees were at a meal or other activity. After all the hubbub at her return and the long questioning by the Council Managers, Carrie was grateful for the peace and quiet. In all the excitement she had lost track of time, and the view from the portholes gave little indication as to whether it was lunchtime or late evening. She yawned and rubbed her eyes and decided to go back to her room. Maybe Dave would be there. If he wasn’t she could get a little sleep at least.
Her cabin was exactly as she had left it that morning. She picked up her pyjamas from off the floor and changed out of her swimsuit. She took a quick shower, returning the wet towel to the shower room before getting into bed and falling quickly into a deep sleep.
The next thing she knew someone was waking her. Opening her eyes a slit, she saw Dave’s face peering at her. Turning away from him, she murmured, “I’ll get up in a minute. You go to breakfast without me.”
“Carrie, it’s evening.”
“What?” She forced her eyes open. Remembering the day’s events, she turned back to her friend. “What are you doing here?” She sat up. “And where have you been? I thought you’d be here when I got back. Where did you go?”
He grinned. “Sorry, I meant to be back in time to see you, but I had other things to do. Get up and I’ll show you what I mean.”
“All right. Give me a minute.” Carrie gave a stretch, easing her tired muscles from her long swim. She pushed back her blankets, swung her legs over the edge of the bunk and jumped down. She looked curiously at her friend’s secret, triumphant expression. “I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me what this is about.”
“Just get dressed. I’ll wait for you outside.”
As soon as she was ready, Dave took her hand and led her through the ship.
“Hey,” Carrie said, “did you know Belinda saved my life?”
“Yeah, I heard. She’s pretty cool when you get to know her.”
They entered an area unfamiliar to Carrie. As they stepped through an open door she gasped. “I never knew this place existed. Why didn’t they tell us about it?” The room was like a small lecture theatre, with seats and other furniture designed to accommodate a range of species, though it wasn’t large enough to seat the whole ship’s complement. Instead of facing a podium, the audience looked out through a rounded, cone-shaped window into the sea beyond. Carrie was mildly annoyed. All the time that she had spent aboard the ship peering through small portholes, when she could have come to this observation deck and seen the starscape or ocean in all its splendour.
Her irritation melted away, however, in the face of the sight outside. The trainees and Council staff who had gathered there parted so that she and Dave could go to the front for a good view. The marsoliie had returned. Massive Groups floated just beyond the ship, pulsating and trembling in the ocean currents.
“Why are they here?” Carrie asked.
“Just watch,” replied Dave. They had arrived just in time. Immediately after he spoke, the Groups began to break apart. Individual by individual, Singles detached from the whole, floating apart, until the ocean heaved with lone marsoliie like scarlet snowflakes that danced but never fell.
“Wow,” said Carrie. She itched to be out among the beautiful, fluttering creatures. She turned to her friend. “So the marsoliie all decided to be Singles?”
“Not quite. It isn’t over yet. Just wait a while. I think you’ll see something very special.”
Returning to the view, Carrie saw two Singles rejoin. A third came to join them and attached itself. Then a fourth and a fifth. The new Group began to lazily spin, and another Single approached to become one with the ball. Other Singles were joining ranks, forming larger and larger Groups. These swam among the crowd, as if inviting more Singles into their midst.
Carrie rested her elbows on the window, her eyes following the beautiful and mysterious movement. After some time, the , the ocean was filled with a mixture of Groups and Singles. Then the marsoliie began to disperse.
“Oh, I think I get it,” said Carrie.
“Do you?” asked Dave.
Carrie frowned. “Actually, I don’t get it at all. Why did the Groups split apart just to join up again? And how come they aren’t chasing the Singles any more?”
“Well done, Dave,” said Gavin as he approached. “It must feel gratifying to witness the results of your efforts.”
Carrie’s friend smiled broadly. “Yes, it is.”
“Dave would make an excellent Transgalactic Intercultural Community Crisis Liaison Officer, Carrie,” said Gavin. “I am pleased that he accompanied you on previous assignments, even as an unauthorised companion. He clearly possesses an excellent range of skills. Thank you for introducing him to the Council. In the forthcoming fight with the placktoids, we will need all the expertise we can acquire.”
“Is one of you going to tell me what’s going on?” asked Carrie.
“Oh, are you unaware what your companion accomplished? When the marsoliie were released from the placktoids’ net, only Groups remained. It was apparent that during their time of imprisonment all of the Singles had been assimilated, undoubtedly against their will. Their confinement allowed them no opportunity to escape.
“Seeing this, Dave volunteered himself to approach and reason with these Groups before t
hey dispersed into the ocean. As a result of his excellent efforts at intervention and negotiation, the Groups took it upon themselves to separate. Only those Singles who actively approached others would reform into a Group, while others who did not were free to resume their individual lifestyles.”
“That’s where you went,” exclaimed Carrie. Dave smiled.
“It is a rare officer who can, with such speed, facilitate a positive, mutually agreed outcome,” said Gavin. “Such self-originating agreements are the most stable and long-lasting, and they are the pinnacle of achievement in the business of mediating in intercultural community crises.”
Carrie patted her friend on the back, swallowing a certain amount of jealousy. Gavin was right, it was a great achievement, and Dave would make a great officer. She just wished she was equally good at the job and didn’t constantly blunder through her assignments, succeeding only through luck.
A knot formed in her stomach. The training course was over and they would soon hear who had passed and who had failed. Despite the positive outcome with the placktoids, Carrie still held grave doubts she would be returned to duty. From the deep brain scan results, through her various gaffes during training, to her confession to Gavin that she had stolen a weapon, she assumed she would be gently advised—or ordered—to resign, if she wasn’t outright sacked.
She didn’t want to become a Unity soldier as Belinda had. Though she loved travelling across the galaxy and meeting alien species, her experience with the placktoids had been terrifying. She sparred in Bagua Zhang for fun and exercise, not because she liked fighting. It looked like her career was over.
Chapter Twenty-Seven – The Placktoids’ Plan
Their bags were packed and Carrie and Dave were back in their ordinary, Earth clothes. They were waiting in their cabin for Errruorerrrrrhch to come and talk to them about the training week before they returned home. Farewells in the canteen after breakfast had been emotional. The trainees were unsure of when they might see each other again. Liaison Officers generally worked remotely and rarely went to the Transgalactic Council offices or met staff other than their direct managers. And Carrie was sure that this would be her last time aboard a starship; her last encounter with a Council Manager; her last venture into space. She had burst into tears as she had tried to get her arms around Audrey to give her a proper hug. The green blob had literally saved her life. She could never have come up with the plan to fool the placktoids on her own.
Now she was sniffing and wiping her eyes as she checked the cabin for anything she might have missed. As she was crouching to look under the bunk she gave a particularly loud sniff.
Dave sighed. “It’ll be good to see Toodles and Rogue again, won’t it?” he said. Carrie didn’t answer. After a pause he continued, “As soon as we get back, the first thing I’m going to do is brew a cuppa, then I’m going to eat something, anything, that tastes like normal food.” When Carrie still didn’t answer, he added, “You haven’t got any biscuits, have you?” and chuckled.
Carrie sat back on her heels. “Thanks, Dave. I know what you’re trying to do and I appreciate it, but it’s okay. I am looking forward to seeing Toodles and Rogue and I’ll be all right after a day or two. It was just that I really loved this job, and it’s going to be hard to return to an ordinary life when I’ve travelled across the galaxy and met aliens, you know?”
“Huh? What makes you think you won’t be working as a Liaison Officer?”
“I told you before, I’m going to fail the course. Gavin warned me.”
“You’re not still going on about that, are you? Are you mad? After what happened with the placktoids you think the Council’s going to fail you?”
“That was a group effort. It wasn’t just me. And it wasn’t even my idea. Audrey thought up most of the plan. The only reason I was there was because it was me the placktoids wanted. It’d be nice to be able to take credit for the success, but I honestly can’t, and even if I could it wasn’t Liaison Officer work. It wasn’t what we’ve been training in all week.” She stood and went to the cabin window for a final look into space. The starship had left Gaginion overnight, and now outside all was black velvet dotted with brilliant, hard points of light. Off to starboard was a reddish-pink burst of gaseous nebula.
“Think about it, Dave. You can’t blame them. I was terrible at nearly all the exercises. The only thing I could do well was swim. Swim! Even I wouldn’t hire myself. I should never have strong-armed Gavin into taking me on.” Carrie swallowed. It was time Dave knew the truth, the information she’d been withholding from him all week.
He tutted. “Look, for a start, Audrey said you contributed a lot to the plan, and most importantly you listened and you thought everything through before you did anything. You’re being ridiculous—”
“There’s something I haven’t told you, as well.” She turned to face her friend, her cheeks turning rosy. “During our first night on board, they scanned our brains to assess our mental compatibility with the Liaison Officer role. I got a really low score. Only thirty-four per cent.”
“They scanned our brains without telling us? That isn’t right.”
“They did tell us, but you’d left the canteen by then and you were asleep by the time I got back here. Anyway, it’s pretty clear from what’s happened this week that the assessment was correct.”
“I still think you’re...hang on, I didn’t see my result. Did you see it?”
Carrie hung her head. “Yes, I did see it but I didn’t tell you. I’m sorry. I was upset. You see, you scored ninety-seven.”
“Ninety-seven.” Dave’s eyes widened and he smiled. “That’s...” Seeing Carrie’s expression he stumbled over his words. “I mean, that’s...”
“It’s okay. You did really well, and you’ll make a great officer. Aren’t you glad I made you come along?”
“Well, now that you mention—” The doorbell sounded. Errruorerrrrrhch had arrived. But when Dave opened the door, Gavin was there.
“Hello, Carrie and Dave. My paternity leave has come to an end and I have resumed my duties. I am here to give you your feedback and send you home. I imagine you will both be looking forward to returning to Earth? Would you prefer me to speak to each of you in private?”
“Come in, Gavin,” said Carrie, pleased to have this final encounter with her massive, bronze, insectoid Manager. “You can tell me the news in front of Dave, I don’t mind.”
“Good, good,” replied Gavin as he eased himself into the room. “It would save time to speak to you together, providing Dave does not object?” Dave shook his head. “Very well. First of all, let me congratulate you on a successful training week. I hope you enjoyed the experience and derived benefit from it. Secondly—”
“You mean I passed?” exclaimed Carrie.
“But of course.”
Carrie let out a whoop and punched the air. She grabbed Dave and hugged him, then turned to Gavin and opened her arms to hug him too, but couldn’t find a suitable place. She settled for kissing one of his antennae instead.
“It is most odd that you would imagine you had not passed the course.”
“That’s what I kept telling her,” said Dave.
“But I only got thirty-four per cent on the brain scan.”
“Per cent? You are mistaken. I understand your confusion now. The result of the scan is not expressed as a percentage. Perfect compatibility—the highest possible result—is zero. That is never achieved. Thirty-four is a very high score. I am guessing that perhaps you did not read through the information provided?”
“Oh, I, err...” Carrie’s elation turned to embarrassment. She really would need to pay more attention in the future.
Dave rolled his eyes. “Did you have something else to tell us, Gavin?”
“Yes, indeed. Carrie, the Council and Unity have discussed the report you provided on your encounter with the placktoid commander and have come to the same conclusion that you yourself derived. This information is to remain completely confi
dential, however, so I must warn you that what I am about to say must not be passed on nor even hinted at to another sentient entity until you receive explicit permission to do so. I am able to inform Dave because I have a proposal for you both to consider.
“But first, Dave, after your exemplary performance I am hoping you will accept the position of Transgalactic Intercultural Community Crisis Liaison Officer?”
“Well, I...” He ran his hand through his hair. “It’s a bit risky, but this week’s been a lot more fun than I thought it would be, catering provision aside. I suppose...”
Carrie held her hands to her chest, her fists clenched.
“I suppose so. Okay.”
“Yes!” Carrie punched the air again, grabbed her friend’s head, pulled it down and planted a kiss on his cheek.
“I am extremely pleased to hear that. You will be an invaluable member of the team, I am sure. Furthermore, due to the current crisis the Council is deploying its Officers in teams of two as an additional safety measure. You two would be expected to work as partners. Is that agreeable to you?”
“That would be brilliant,” exclaimed Carrie.
“Hmm.” Dave rubbed his chin. “Well, all right then.” Carrie punched his arm and he chuckled.
“However,” said Gavin as he lowered his head in a serious manner, “I must warn you that I have no forgotten the incident of the stolen weapon. Any further transgressions of a similar nature will result in your instant dismissal. I hope you both fully comprehend me?”
Carrie and Dave nodded solemnly. “But, wait a minute,” said Carrie, “you told me someone was going to fail earlier. If it isn’t me, who is it?”