Black Desert

by Peter Francis

  “I’m beginning to see why you are the least popular person aboard,” said the Professor. “I’m going out to help.”

  “I reckon your elderly gentleman friend can handle himself,” said Ramirez. “He probably went to one of those universities that teach the Marquis of Queensbury rules and fencing with swords.”

  “He is not elderly. He is middle aged.”

  “If he’s middle aged, that makes me a baby,” said Ramirez.

  “That’s right enough,” said Gowan. “Especially where snakes are concerned.”

  “You can drop that snake thing now. We’ve all heard enough.”

  “I haven’t,” said Jenny. “Is it funny?”

  “Well,” said Gowan. “Only if you’ve never heard of the Mojave striped flush pipe snake.”

  “No, I haven’t.”

  “Then let me tell you about it,” said Gowan and put her arm around Jenny to walk her away.

  “Don’t forget to tell her the whole story – especially where you kissed my ass.”

  “I never kissed it,” Gowan shouted back.

  Dunfield joined them and said, “They are still arguing – the Captain and Daniel.”

  “Right,” said Lillishenger. “It’s time I went out to pour oil over troubled waters.”

  “Good luck with that,” said Ramirez. “The signs to look out for are when they start slapping each other with gloves.”

  “So what is it about?” asked Dunfield after the Professor had left and he and Ramirez were alone.

  “They’ll tell you when they’ve settled it,” said Ramirez. “It’s best to let them slug it out before asking.”

  “Isn’t the Professor placing herself in the line of trouble?”

  “She’s one tough old bird. Don’t worry about her. Her hide is thicker than a hippo. She makes the same kind of noises too.”

  When Lillishenger walked outside to approach Stiers and Ogden, she sensed immediately the air of an earthquake in progress. Ogden, unusually for the Englishman, had his hands stuffed firmly in his pants pockets as if to keep them under control. Stiers was using his arms in wide gestures as if to reinforce points.

  Daringly she asked, “What is the discussion?”

  “Ship’s business,” said Stiers.

  “I’m one of the crew now.”

  “Well I’m the Captain and Ogden is first officer. This doesn’t concern you yet.”

  “I would have thought that in the circumstances, everything concerns everybody,” said the Professor.

  “And later, when we have come to a decision, we will discuss it with the other crew members, including yourself,” said Ogden.

  Despite her regard for the rebuke, Lillishenger pressed on. “You are discussing Jenny,” she said.

  “We are, among other things,” said Stiers.

  “Perhaps you need a woman’s point of view.”

  “And perhaps not,” said Ogden. “At least not yet.”

  Lillishenger, whose hide as Ramirez had suggested, was thick enough to make a rhino think twice about charging, stood her ground. “Let me guess,” she said. “The Captain thinks she should be helped and you, Daniel, are concerned with our safety and with keeping things secret. Is that it in a nutshell?”

  Stiers considered. “Yep,” he said.

  Ogden nodded. “Somehow we have to secrete ourselves for the next hundred years. We just can’t invite everybody to this little party. We already have Sarah and Dunfield. They were unplanned.”

  “They’re not unexpected babies,” said the Professor. “They sought us out and have been remarkably helpful. They have already risked jail or worse to help us.”

  “I agree,” said Stiers. “But blessed welcome that they are, they have no concept of the law and using it to prepare for our journey. What would happen, for instance, should the local authority decided to widen this road and pull down our building?”

  “She is very young,” said Ogden. “If we tell her anything it is likely to spread to her family and who knows where else. We’ll have sightseers and tourists lining the streets to get a glimpse of us.”

  “I agree telling her anything is taking a chance,” said Lillishenger. “But I have spoken with the girl and I think she is reliable. If we can save her father and put her through law school I think she could become the best asset we have.”

  “Or destroy our mission totally,” said Ogden.

  “I agree it’s a fifty fifty chance but she loves her dad and I think she would be grateful.”

  “So would he – then he would tell everybody,” said Ogden.

  “Then he can’t know,” said Lillishenger.

  “He’ll recover from bone cancer in a week and won’t notice?” protested Ogden. “Not a chance.”

  “He can only learn about us from Jenny. We’ll have to swear her to silence.”

  “Yes? Father and daughter not communicating?”

  “Daniel – our mission is constantly prone to failure. Success is not guaranteed – far from it. We are going to have to take some big chances to have a shot at saving the Earth.”

  “And the fewer people know about it, the better.”

  “I can’t argue with that but you know as well as I do that we will need to be secure in here for a century. Knowing what we do, we can keep these people here alive for another seventy or eighty years, perhaps a few more. They can get us most of the way. If we don’t do this, the best we can hope for is that our children will be able only to shake their fists in frustration at the aliens.”

  “I understand what you say but we can’t allow this place to become a commune.”

  “Nor can we allow it die.”

  Ogden thought carefully. “You are quite correct, I suppose.” He turned to Stiers. “How do you propose to let this girl Jenny into our little secret?”

  “We’ll just offer a deal,” he said. “That’s all we can do. Let’s just hope she puts her father and survival of the Earth ahead of talking to people about who we are and what we are up to.”

  “Did you suggest Ramirez hint to her about what we could do for her father?” asked the Professor.

  “Yes,” said Stiers. “I want to see how she reacts if she is given a little hope.”

  “She will have to understand we can’t go running all over the place curing cancer.”

  The day, as always, was sunny and warm but still early enough not to be hot. A lizard poked its head out from behind a piece of corrugated iron, pondered the visitors to its territory for a few moments then slunk back while it considered what would make good eating for today. Everything in the desert eked out a living and nothing grew fat. Every ten years male tarantulas would creep out looking to mate with a female whose first post-coital act would be to eat it, and not in a sexual way. Female tarantulas, bigger and hairier, wanted sperm, not companionship. They stayed away from busy areas and lived in the rocks or burrows, just like snakes. Their lives were modern enough though – they had no TV or entertainment but were constantly haunted by idiots racing ATVs in rings around the desert locations that used to be nothing but peace and silence. Now chugging engines and exhaust fumes added to the stress and nightmares of desert dwelling. Just as along the shores of the Mediterranean giant sea turtles trying to lay eggs were turned back by noisy revellers at the beach front night life.

  Ogden said, “This could turn out to be a huge error.”

  “What do you want to do – vote on it?” asked the Captain.

  “This cannot be a democratic decision that splits the crew,” said Ogden. “This is not a democracy. It has to be your decision alone.”

  “But you think I should let the crew have their say?”

  “Far from it, Captain. They should feel neither good nor bad because whatever decision they made led to failure of our return home.”

  “It’s my call, Ogden. I’m going to put it to them and let them have a say.”

  “It’s better for them to have a say after you have made your decision,” insisted Ogden.

&nb
sp; “I have to agree with Daniel,” said Lillishenger. “I think he is wrong but I also wouldn’t want to see the crew divided into pro or against. Whatever you decide, I will try to make work. So will the others. You shouldn’t burden them with this.”

  “I’ll think on it awhile. Right now we can’t even work on the ship until Jenny is either one of us or well on her way somewhere else.”

  “She is an opportunist,” warned Ogden. “From what I understand she was quick enough to pretend to be part of the Ramierz operation when it came to her safety.”

  “I think that shows she is very smart,” said Stiers. “She made the right choice.”

  “Was it?”

  “We’ll see.”

  Ogden took the arm of Lillishenger and the two made their way back to the house. Gowan and Ramirez were waiting for them. Gowan said, “When do we start work again on Challenger?”

  “Whenever the Captain says,” said the Professor.

  Ramirez spoke to Ogden. “What were you and Stiers arguing about?”

  “We were not arguing. We were having a discussion between two senior officers. That is all.”

  “Really? I’m surprised you aren’t both sporting black eyes and cut lips.”

  “Gentlemen can make their points without resorting to fisticuffs.”

  “Tell that to your girlfriend. If you ask me, she’s a tad too forward with her dinner fork.”

  “I missed your nads,” said the Professor. “Anyway, I’m not a gentleman.”

  “I have to agree with that – and I’ve seen you naked,” said Ramirez. “Albeit only briefly.”

  “Aren’t you going to tell us what the fight was about?” pressed Gowan.

  “There was no fight,” said Lillishenger.

  “Okay then – heated discussion.”

  “I’m certain the Captain will tell you when he is ready,” said Ogden. “He has some tough choices to make if we are to return to our own time.”

  “All we have is theory for now,” said the Professor.

  “I do want to go back home,” said Gowan. “I miss my sister.”

  “Accept some reality into your life,” said Ramirez. “We have to get through the next century, timing our arrival in time to penetrate the cloaking device on the alien ship, get inside its shields, puncture the vessel and pump in a poison we do not yet have and hope it has the same effect on them as it does on us. Have you tried to do any calculation on the odds of actually succeeding?”

  Gowan nodded. “It’s not looking good,” she admitted.

  “Yet we have no alternative but to give it our best shot,” said Ogden.

  “I’m going to guess the big tussle out there was about Jenny,” said Ramirez.

  “I’m saying nothing,” insisted Ogden.

  “Talking of her – where is that girl?”

  “She went outside to the front,” said Sarah.

  “Lord, she’ll be wandering around the hangar,” said Ogden.

  “She has already been in there with me,” said Gowan. “There was nothing to see. All the safety circuits are on and working.”

  “Of course,” said the Englishman. “Nothing to worry about then.”

  “She’s coming back now,” said Sarah. “She’s rubbing her head.”

  “That should give you another opportunity to look at her titties,” Gowan said to Ramirez.

  “I can’t help being the medical officer.”

  “I have a sore foot. Would you like me to take my bra off?”

  “Don’t say you’ve started wearing one. Do you really need it?”

  “Are you saying I have small breasts?”

  “I’m saying nothing. I’ve seen them – remember?”

  “Why you…”

  “All I’m saying is don’t let Sarah and Jenny drag you into a titty comparison contest.”

  “I like my breasts, you little snot.”

  “Shut up,” commanded Lillishenger. “Jenny’s coming back inside.”

  The black girl arrived and looked warily at all of them. There was a small bruise forming on her forehead. She tried a smile.

  “What happened?” asked Ogden.

  “I banged my head on the doorpost,” she said. “I should have watched where I was going.”

  “If you take all your clothes off, Ramirez will happily put a plaster on it,” said Gowan.

  “Oh no. It’s fine,” said Jenny but sat down in the nearest chair as if she was feeling unsteady on her feet.

  “I’ll take a quick look when you’re ready,” offered Ramirez. “You can’t be too careful with head wounds.”

  Stiers walked back in and studied all of them carefully. His brow was furrowed as if he was still thinking deeply – or perhaps just worried. He said, “Jenny, you said you would do anything to save your father. Did you really mean that?”

  “I did.”

  “Even if that meant a commitment for the remainder of your life?”

  “What kind of commitment?”

  “A heavy commitment of duty of service,” said Stiers. He looked more closely at her. “Have you banged your head?”

  “On a doorway,” said Lillishenger.

  “No. Not on a doorway. On whatever invisible thing you have in that building across there. And yes, I am ready for such a commitment.”

  “Ah,” said the Captain.

  “I know what I saw and heard last evening – despite my condition,” said Jenny. “I decided to just walk around the inside of the building to convince myself that my imagination was running riot when I bashed my head on nothing. It seems this ‘nothing, is really huge. Is it something invisible?”

  “Not invisible,” said Stiers. “Just cloaked. Perhaps we should show it to you.” Ogden sighed and looked away so the disappointment in his eyes did not show. Stiers said, “Chin up, Ogden.”

  Ramirez said, “Don’t you mean chins?” and received a glare from Lillishenger that would have melted ice.

  “We’ll all go to our ‘yacht’,” said the Captain and led the way. The others followed him across the dirt yard into the huge structure that housed their craft.

  As they approached, the ship identified the DNA of those approaching and turned off the cloaking equipment fitted by Lillishenger and Ramirez. The ship appeared as a vague white shape as the chameleon circuit tried to mimic the background of the wall. A portal opened and Jenny gasped. They walked to the portal and stepped inside the craft where the muted colours created a calm atmosphere.

  “Lord,” said Jenny in a soft voice. “Is this real?”

  “Seating,” commanded the Captain and a small table and stools formed in the floor and rose into position. Jenny jumped back, which in the circumstances Gowan considered to be a mild reaction. Eight stools had formed around the table but they were smaller than when just four people needed to be seated. Stiers and Ogden waited till the ladies were firmly in place then sat down themselves.

  “I am going to explain to Jenny what we are doing here and what we need from her and what we are willing to do in exchange. You’re quite young, Jenny, but you have a cool head and are very intelligent and not easily fooled. What we offer is the cure for your father and the money you need to finish law school and set yourself up in business. We will be your first clients – preferably on a pro bono basis as our funds are limited.”

  “Who are you? Where are you from?”

  “I assure you we are from Earth,” he said.

  “How can you be – with all this?” she asked.

  “That’s an interesting tale. I shall abbreviate it. In a hundred years time or thereabouts, Earth is threatened by attack from aliens – kind of space pirates in a vast, powerful spaceship. We are part of the defence force. When the alien ship decloaked and raised its defence shields the spatial distortion sent us back in time – something we had considered was physically impossible. Professor Lillishenger is a pioneer of cloaking and was sent back a century in an earlier experiment – completely by accident. When we arrived we met up and have been
working on a way back. However, despite travelling forward through time – which we now believe we can do – we will be forced to remain in this structure for a century of your time – a few months for us.

  “Hugh and Sarah have agreed to help us by remaining in this place while we are travelling. They and we will need a lawyer to protect this place from developers or changes in the future. It is vital the place remains intact if our mission home is to succeed.”

  “I can’t take that in. Let’s go back to the cure for my father.”

  “I will prepare medication containing a technology not unlike nanobots designed to eat cancer cells only,” said Ramirez. “They will act as an anti-cancer cancer and destroy the bad cells only. You will need to give your father one a day for seven days. After three days you will give him a second pill designed to promote the body’s own repair system. This treatment will last for four days. Subsequently – once a year for ten years – you will give him one pill which will search the body for any remnants of cancerous tissue. Pick Christmas Day or Thanksgiving or his birthday so you remember easily.”

  “We’ll be back here every decade or two of your time to maintain the time chamber,” said Stiers.

  “And my dad will be cured in a week?”

  “With absolute certainty,” said Ramirez.

  “Were you guys responsible for that airliner rescue?”

  “Yes,” said the Captain.

  “But you say the Professor wasn’t part of your crew?”

  “No.”

  “Could I be part of your crew?”

  “You could,” said Stiers. “But you sure couldn’t travel with us. We’ll be travelling in an unknown dimension and have little real idea of what’ll happen. Anyhow, Pard, we need you to stay here and protect our interests. The only comfort is that posthumously, like Hugh and Sarah, you’ll be known as savious of the world and people will line up in thanks at your graves.”

  Jenny shivered. “I wish you hadn’t quite put it like that. My only concern here is that you can cure my dad.”

  “We can,” confirmed Stiers. “And we will.”

  The ship went quiet as they all sat and thought. Dunfield was the first to speak. “This is difficult for us too, Jenny. However, the world needs help in the future and we can play a real role today in saving our planet for the future.”