The Kicking Tree

by Trevor Stubbs

  “Commander Juliet will tell you everything is perfect – but it isn’t,” continued Sass. “Quite a few of us young ones who cannot remember being anywhere else want to see more honesty and openness, but it’s not easy to speak out. We don’t have an official say until we’re twenty-one. After that there will be some changes. But don’t tell anyone what I just told you. Not on Great Marton, that is.”

  “I won’t,” assured Jalli. “But I do think you have got a lot going for you here. Just being allowed to do what you want is not always the best thing.”

  “If you lived here for a month you would become very impatient,” suggested Sass.

  “I’m sure I would!” agreed Jalli.

  “We’ll take you to the Command Centre next,” said Matt indicating a lift. They ascended and emerged into a large, transparent dome.

  “Wow!” declared Jack. They could see the whole extent of the upper surface of the MEV shelving away to the stabilising “wings” on the sides and the engine housings aft. Above them was an uninterrupted view of stars and galaxies so clear that Jack and Jalli stood in awe for at least five minutes. Matt pointed to a very faint star off the bow.

  “That”, he said proudly, “is the Tatania system where we’re headed.” In front of them was a sort of digital clock that stated, “Estimated arrival at Tatania: 25 years, 215 days, 20 hours, 33 minutes, 25 seconds.”

  “Planet Earth One is over to starboard,” said Matt waving his hand expansively, “The Sun is too faint to be seen except by telescope. Behind us Planet Earth Two, where we came from, is hidden behind the engines.”

  In the apex of the dome was a large reflecting telescope with two men perched on movable platforms beneath it. “These are our astronomers,” explained Sass. “Mum helps them with a lot of the maths on her computer. She has a direct link to the telescope in our suite.”

  Towards the forward section of the dome was the helm. There was a remarkably small bank of screens and buttons. There was no-one around.

  “Does the MEV drive itself?” asked Jalli.

  “Mostly,” answered Matt.

  “Except in emergencies,” said an authoritative voice from behind them, “then we can override the system from here.” They looked round and saw Commander Juliet. “Welcome to the Command Centre. You’ll take tea?”

  Jalli and Jack nodded their assent. She asked her questions presuming the answers. They daren’t decline.

  “Thanks,” squeaked Jack rather overawed.

  “This ball in the centre,” she indicated a red ball on a plinth behind a security glass, “before you ask as it is so obvious, redirects the MEV in any direction you wish. In an emergency we can break the glass.” Jack thought of trains in England but thought it inappropriate to mention the similarity. In fact you just listened to this lady, he concluded.

  “We can avoid large objects should they not be automatically detected (which they always are of course) by simply rolling it in the direction you need to go. If you lean hard on it then you have five minutes super blast that will move the MEV up to half a light year. One five minute blast, mind you, can’t be repeated within seven weeks. The system takes that long to recharge. Persistent use would destabilise the craft anyway – she’s not built for it. I’m telling you all this because ever since I was assigned to this vessel people have asked me why that red ball is in an upturned goldfish bowl. It’s a very clever device to avoid unwelcome guests, should we encounter any… and before you ask, no we don’t carry weapons. All they would do is provoke pre-emptive attack. We are not a battleship and could never compete with any space weapons platform. Our best weapon is surprise speed.

  “Now the really interesting thing is this display. It shows our position in the home galaxy. Here we are on the fourth section of the spiral of the galaxy. This is our departure point,” – the commander indicated a green arrow – “Planet Earth Two. This is our destination, the third planet in the Tatania system – we’ll name it when we arrive…” She threw her arm up to the top of the screen towards a magenta arrow in the fifth section.

  “Now if I touch this button… there, it has zoomed out and gives us a picture of the galaxy in relation to it’s neighbours and… further out you can see the galaxy in relation to the first section of the universe and finally in relation to the five known sections. Miss Rarga, your Planet Raika is about here. So you can see how completely impossible it is for your people to visit our home galaxy unless it is through an IAS like your white gate…”

  “IAS?” asked Jack.

  “Immediate Access System – only God can provide those. In point of fact, She facilitates everything but mostly through Her created beings like us. The IAS is under Her direct control and although we can ask Her we have to wait for Her timing… which, of course, is impeccable.”

  Jalli wondered whether Commander Juliet believed God to be a bit like herself, assured, dignified, assertive and demonstrably “in charge”. She had thought of God as much closer and more friendly. And sometimes she thought of God as a “she” but mostly, as a “he”. “I wonder what Commander Juliet thinks God is like,” whispered Jalli to Jack.

  “So do I,” muttered Jack.

  “Questions?” the commander was aware that there was talking going on.

  “We were just wondering how far the screen can do close up,” said Jack.

  “I see, interested in the microcosm as well as the macro-sphere! There…” The screen zoomed right back in to the stars in the immediate vicinity. “These are the stars you can see through the dome walls… and we can get it to look in any direction from ‘above’, ‘below’ and to… the… ‘side’… and from us looking out.”

  “What’s that small bright object on the port bow?” inquired Jack, looking from the screen to the dome wall.

  “Passing asteroid, I expect… now this is my office – the hub of operations.” Jack and Jalli were ushered into a plush office just as someone was coming with a tray of tea things.

  “Thank you, Simon,” clipped the commander to the young man with the tray. He left but not without a smile in Jack and Jalli’s direction. They took tea as it came, without sugar, as their host asked them about their immediate thoughts of the MEV. They were truly impressed, of course, and Commander Juliet was pleased.

  As they passed the screen Jack noticed that the small bright asteroid had got noticeably nearer to the MEV. The digital display now read “Estimated arrival at Tatania: 25 years, 215 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes, 04 seconds.”

  *

  “Now for my favourite,” delighted Sass as they left the lift and entered a door that read, “Orchard Houses”. There was a small lobby with a desk in it where the guardian sat behind a computer.

  “The Commander has given us permission to visit the Tropical House,” explained Sass.

  When the man spotted Jack and Jalli he exclaimed, “Visitors!?”

  “Yes.”

  “We are blessed,” he said. “Go right in. Take care, it will rain in three quarters of an hour!”

  “Perfect, we’ll begin here and move round,” returned Sass. As they pushed open the doors, she continued, “He knows I like this house better than all the rest of the MEV. If I wasn’t destined for midwifery, I would have chosen this place as my favourite place of work.” The humidity struck them straight away. “It’s usually about 28C to 33C and up to 90% humidity,” commented Sass. Through the next door they were among the trees. Bees buzzed all around and large butterflies of different colours and shapes fluttered about. “Here we have paw-paw, over there – those big trees – are mangoes. Along one side was a bed of pineapples and at the far end several rows of banana plants. Sturdy, healthy tomato vines stood against the wall. They walked past squashes and watermelons and several different kinds of plantains, then palm trees including coconuts that reminded them of Johnson’s island. These were in a separate room with a bath of salt water that was regularly churned to cause salt spray.

  “To make them feel at home?” suggested Jalli.
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  “Exactly! Coconuts are a real luxury. We don’t produce enough for everybody to have some very often.” Jack thought of Johnson and how he had lived on them for five years! The tour took them on through a Mediterranean garden with oranges and lemons, passion fruit and grapes of all varieties. Then into a temperate apple orchard which was as near to the cottage garden as they had experienced anywhere. Jalli took special delight in the beehives at the bottom of the orchard. “She loves bees and things,” Jack told them. “She has real interest in them and wants to become a specialist one day.”

  “Does she now,” said an orchard keeper emerging from a green wooden tool shed. He walked over to her and they stood engaged in animated conversation for a full ten minutes. Jack studied the different sorts of apples and pears on offer.

  “How deep is the soil?” he asked.

  “Several metres I expect,” answered Matt. “I’m not entirely sure. We don’t believe in soil in the hydroponics bays where I work!”

  They left the orchards and had a quick lunch before it was time to go to the Main Deck to be formally introduced.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” announced the commander, “welcome to our all-member weekly meeting. We are all here I am glad to say. Henry is fully recovered so we have no-one ill at all. Welcome Henry!” There was a general round of applause as Henry stood in acknowledgement. “Now our first business today is to introduce our visitors that have come to us through the latest IAS.” There was rapturous applause. Visitors were so rare. “We have been indeed blessed,” continued the commander, “because one of them comes to us direct from the Andromeda galaxy and the other from Earth One.” (More applause.) “They arrived yesterday. Matt and Sass encountered them in the MIVRE. I will allow them to introduce themselves. Ladies first.” The commander motioned to Jalli to begin. Later Jalli remarked that if she ever wanted proof that God helps people then she knew it when she stood in front of two hundred and fifty complete strangers all looking at her and concentrating on every word.

  When she said that she brought good news from Wanulka where things continued in their usual safe way there was more applause. The town was growing and she was one of the first recipients of universal education. She told them of her parmanda studies, and how much she appreciated the beehives they had on board the MEV. She sat down with great acclaim.

  Then it was Jack’s turn who humbly said that he could not boast of coming from a far away galaxy – only Planet Earth One. But this was greeted with no less interest. Humanity’s home world, it seemed, always had a special place in the human colonists of the cosmos. When he said he wanted to work with children it had a special impact because the mission was in anticipation of the arrival of a third generation in their midst.

  After Jack had sat down, one excited teenager called out. Were Jack and Jalli going to stay? “Now you know the answer to that!” interjected the commander. IAS visits were always of a limited duration. Their task was solely to interest and inform. Although in other places Jack and Jalli had been called to do a specific task, here it would be to encourage people. She hoped their stay would, however, be of a substantial period. “The arrival of these young people,” she concluded, “indicates that we have not been forgotten. And they will be equally important because they will be able to report on the good progress and excellent status of the Great Marton.” There was more clapping as Commander Juliet shook the hands of Jalli and Jack in turn. She bid them remain on the platform. Then addressing the meeting she continued:

  “Now we have a short item of business. An application from Jo and Pete for a reallocation of marriage partners. You have all been circulated with the application. I have received fifteen written comments. Ten of them are in favour, one in favour with some reservations and four against. I am going to ask Jo and Pete to give their reasons for wanting a reallocation and then hand over to Judge Joseph.”

  Jalli and Jack held hands in silent sympathy with Jo and Pete as they put forward their case based on friendship and love. They did their best to make rational arguments but it seemed all the logic was on the side of the status quo. Attraction was not an argument in itself. After a short period allowing both of them to speak it was time for Judge Joseph to make his decision. He was in favour of rejecting their application. He said that the law was the law and if people kept changing things then new precedents would undermine it and chaos would follow. Allowing people to be guided by their hearts rather than their minds was a recipe for disaster. There was nothing wrong with the previous arrangements that would result in a good solid foundation for the health, stability and expansion of the colony.

  “Thank you Judge,” said the commander at the conclusion of his speech. “Now we have all heard Pete and Jo’s case and the arguments against. You have had your chance to make written representations and these have been circulated for you all to read. We will move straight to a ballot. As the rules state, only those over twenty-one may vote and, as this will result in a constitutional change, it requires 66% in favour to pass.”

  There was a murmuring around the Main Deck. Young people began whispering into the ears of their parents and guardians. Papers were circulated for the voters to tick in favour of the petition or against the petition. The completed papers were folded and put into a circulating ballot box which was brought up to the table at which the commander was sitting. She called the tellers to come onto the platform. Then, just as the tension arose in anticipation of the counting of the votes, the general alarms sounded! Red lights flashed above the doors.

  “Everyone remain where you are!” commanded Juliet. She pressed an intercom to her ear. “Apparently we have more visitors. This time from the Intergalactic Police!” She detailed a deputy to accompany her to the Command Centre while everyone settled to wait in the Main Deck. Jack and Jalli were relieved to be able to leave the platform and moved down to be with Matt and Sass.

  “We are having a busy time!” declared Will. Jalli noticed Jo and Pete sitting very close with hands held tightly together. What a moment to be interrupted she thought, and found herself saying a prayer for them.

  Jack said, “That would be the ‘asteroid’ then!”

  “I would say you are about right,” responded Matt. Then, very suddenly, the double doors of the Main Deck burst open and two figures dressed in black uniforms and black helmets covering their whole faces stepped briskly in and each raised above their heads a device, not unlike the one Matt had used on the MIVRE. A high pitched noise filled the room and then ascended beyond earshot. People put their hands to their ears and then began falling to the ground. Jalli saw Jack sway and instinctively grabbed him but his lifeless body slumped over far too heavily for Jalli to hold and she crumpled beneath him.

  It only took Jalli a few seconds to work out that the noise from the device had stunned everyone – except her. There was only the noise of the people breathing and the faint sound of the engines that was always there. She could feel Jack’s heart thumping in his chest above her. Then she heard what she guessed were the two black figures stomping around the Main Deck. She instinctively decided to keep absolutely still. Her first reaction had been to push Jack off her, but then she considered that, in the interest of self preservation, the best course of action was to pretend to be unconscious like the rest. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the black figures checking the people.

  After what seemed like an age, a black leg brushed against her, and then the two figures stomped out of the chamber. She heard them talking outside the doors and could see their legs. They were communicating with their ship. “Confirm. All ‘asleep’.” one of them reported. “All clear for the boarding party.” It sounded like a woman’s voice and the accent was almost Wanulkish. “Come on,” said the other, “we’ll head for the dock. Which way?”

  “This way,” the female replied. They moved off to the left.

  “That is not translated,” Jalli suddenly realised, “that is Wanulkan.” She struggled from beneath Jack, kissing his sleeping face
as she extricated herself. The Wanulkans had left two devices on the table still turned on and obviously left to keep the people under. Jalli wondered what to do. Her first thought was to turn them off, but a quick glance did not tell her how she should do it. To press the wrong button, or turn a knob the wrong way might be fatal. While she pondered this, she recalled the invaders had gone to the dock. If she were to get to the Command Centre first and press the red ball she could… perhaps she could… steer the MEV away from the invaders’ ship.

  Jalli poked her head around the doors in the direction the invaders had gone, and seeing the way was clear, shot off in the direction of the Command Centre. When she got to the lift door, she found the commander and her deputy slumped on the floor inside the lift. They too had been stunned. There was a device beside them. Should she move it? She kicked it away but it struck a wall and bounced right back into the lift! The commander didn’t stir. Jalli couldn’t wait. Speed was of the essence. She must get to the Command Centre before the people in black. She stepped over the commander and deputy and pressed the lift button. To her relief it responded immediately and began to ascend.

  At the top she lightly stepped away from the door of the lift just in case there were more invaders. There weren’t. Or at least she couldn’t see any. She could see the invaders’ ship bristling with weapons off the port bow. Without a moment’s hesitation she ran across to the emergency plinth and gave the glass around the red ball a hefty kick. It shattered – half the weight would have done it. She looked at it for a second. Which way? That didn’t really matter, she told herself, but she must lean down on it to get the sudden speed. She pushed down as hard as she could and rolled it away from her at the same time. The MEV immediately lurched forwards followed by a horrifying crash and a huge shudder that shook everything off the shelves.