by Allen Steele
“We’re here. What’s taking so long?”
“Just finished decontamination. You’re gonna love it.” Rain rolled her eyes, and I went on. “Look, the hjadd want us to go somewhere…to our quarters, or so they tell us. That means we’re probably going to be separated, at least for a while. Should we…?”
“Go ahead,” Ted replied. “I’m sure you’ll be all right. We’ll meet up with you there.”
“Roger that.” I clicked off, then slipped the headset around my neck. Rain was waiting for a response; I gave her a nod and she shrugged, then we padded across the room toward the open door.
On the other side lay another tunnel, this one much shorter, ending at a sealed hatch only a dozen feet away. Resting upon a recessed track was a long, pill-shaped vehicle, its transparent canopy open at one end to expose six couchlike seats arranged in tandem. Obviously a tram of some sort. When I climbed into the front seat, with Rain taking the one directly behind me, the couches changed shape to conform to our bodies, with padded bars folding across us. The canopy slid shut; a prolonged wheeze as the compartment was depressurized, then the hatch spiraled open, and we shot down the tunnel…
And out into space.
II
Or so it seemed, for it appeared as if there was nothing on the other side of the canopy except cold, unglimmering stars.
Grabbing at the safety bar, I gasped in horror. For a moment, I thought we’d been jettisoned into the vacuum…then the cab passed through a ring, and I realized that the tram was a pneumatic tube running along the side of a thick cable.
We’d left the saucer where the Pride was docked, and were being hurled through the Talus qua’spah. On either side of us, stretching out as far as we could see, floated a seemingly endless array of spheres, cylinders, discs, and wheels, all connected to one another by an intricate network of cables upon which other trams sprinted back and forth. Lights like a million votive candles gleamed from countless windows while, far above us, spacecraft of every conceivable shape and size moved in stately promenade.
“Oh…” That was all Rain could say; I didn’t have to look back to know that she was awestruck. I seconded the motion, adding another oh for good measure. The Talus qua’spah was more than a habitat; it was a vast city of space, stunning in its beauty, humbling in its complexity.
We didn’t get much of a chance to admire the view, though, because a few seconds later the cab took an abrupt left turn at a Y-shaped intersection and hurtled toward a large sphere. Just as it seemed that collision was unavoidable, a circular hatch opened at its equator; the safety bars held us within our couches as the cab decelerated and then entered the sphere.
We found ourselves in another station much like the one in the saucer. The cab glided to a halt with little more than a slight bump; another long wheeze, and the canopy slid open. I waited until my couch released me from its grasp, then stood up on legs that felt as if they’d become rubber. Rain was just as unsteady; her hand shook when I took it to help her out of the cab.
“That was fun,” I said. “Let’s do it again.”
“Sure. Anytime.” She let go of my hand, then looked around. “All right, so where are we now?”
As if in response, a door behind us peeled open; beyond it lay a short corridor, its hexagonal walls lined with burnished copper panels. “Um…we’re here,” I replied. “Wherever that is.”
The door shut behind us as soon as we entered the passageway. Too late to turn back now, and nowhere to go but forward. So we slowly walked toward the door at the other end. It split down the middle as soon as we approached it, and…
“Holy…!” Rain whispered.
She was getting pretty good at taking the words right out of my mouth. All I could do was stare.
A library, much like one might find in a nineteenth-century manor somewhere in England. Beneath a vaulted ceiling from which crystal chandeliers were suspended, we saw mahogany-paneled walls lined with brass-caged bookcases, their shelves filled with leather-bound volumes. Antique armchairs and sofas stood here and there upon a thick Persian carpet, with brass reading lamps resting on oak tables and lithographs of country scenes framed upon the walls. A spiral staircase led to an upper gallery, and a mellow fire crackled gently within a marble hearth at the far end of the room.
It was comfortable, and luxurious, and lovely, and totally unexpected. My first thought was that this place was nothing more than a clever illusion, perhaps another hologram. Yet the carpet was soft beneath my feet, and when I laid my hand upon the back of an armchair, I felt supple brown leather. No, it was really…real.
“What in the world?” Rain gazed around the room, her eyes wide. “How could they…I mean…?”
“It is very simple to explain,” a familiar voice replied, and I nearly jumped a foot in the air when the hjadd we’d met in the reception area materialized beside me. Heshe regarded me with hisher usual stoicism, yet hisher fin rose slightly. “I apologize. Did I startle you?”
“Yes…yes, you did.” My heart hammered against my chest, and I took a deep breath. “A little warning next time, please, um…what did you say your name was?”
“I did not say.” A short hiss of amusement. “Since you have asked, though, I am Hahatahja Fah Tas-Saatja. I have been delegated to be your liaison while you are here.”
“Hahatafahjasat…” It was a mouthful of a name; when I stumbled over the syllables, sacs on either side of hisher throat puffed outward. “Sorry. No offense…is it Fah for short? Or Haha?”
“Fah. Please do not attempt to pronounce the rest…it would only be an insult.” The throat sacs deflated, and heshe raised a hand before I could go on. “Your names, of course, are known. Jas Sa-Fhadda has already relayed that information to us.”
“Yeah, sure.” Maybe heshe preferred to be addressed as Fah, but I couldn’t help but think of himher as Haha; heshe was definitely one for practical jokes. “We met aboard our ship. Nice guy.”
“Jas said the same about you.” Fah’s head rose upon hisher neck, as if to inspect me more closely. “In fact, heshe said you expressed an interest in our cuisine. Perhaps you will have that opportunity next evening, before the reception we plan to hold in your honor.”
Reception? This was news to me. I wondered if Ted knew about it yet. “We would be delighted,” I replied, trying my hand at diplomacy. “And I’m sure…”
“Excuse me,” Rain said, interrupting us, “but you still haven’t answered my question.” She waved a hand at the room in which we stood. “How did you know what…I mean, how did you build all this?”
“Ah, yes…” Fah’s eyes rotated to take in the library. “It is a replica of the crew lounge of the Galileo. We duplicated it from images we found in the data banks of the Maria Celeste after we recovered it from Spindrift, and used it to help the surviving members of the expedition acclimate themselves once they were revived from biostasis. Since then, we have expanded it to serve as living quarters for human visitors.” Heshe pointed to the gallery. “Your bedrooms are located up there, along with hygiene facilities. I hope the accommodations are suitable for your needs.”
“It’s…very nice, thank you.” Rain’s voice was low; I could tell she was still trying to wrap her head around finding a Victorian library in an alien space colony. “I’m sure the others will…um, find it interesting.”
As they spoke, I wandered over toward the hearth. As I suspected, the fire was just another holo; it cast no warmth, and the logs remained unconsumed. I picked up a book from a side table, only to discover that I was unable to open its cover. Stage props, nothing more. I hoped that the bathroom toilets were functional, or otherwise we’d be in big trouble.
“I’m pleased that you’re satisfied with the arrangements.” Fah cocked hisher head to one side, listened for a moment, then went on. “Your companions are on the way. They will be joining you shortly. If there is nothing else I can do for you…”
Before either of us could say anything, heshe vanished, winki
ng out of existence as suddenly as heshe had appeared.
III
Rain stared at the place where Fah had stood, then let out her breath. “Just for once, I’d like to see himher use the door.” An irate scowl. “And you’re a big help…can’t you learn to say their names correctly?”
“Sure, I can. Fah. Jas. Can’t wait till we meet the one named Duh.”
“Hush. They might be listening.” Self-conscious, she wrapped her arms around herself. “Come to think of it,” she added, glancing up at the ceiling, “we’d better watch what we say.”
“Yeah. Easily offended, aren’t they?” I sauntered over to the nearest bookcase and opened its cage but wasn’t able to remove any of the books upon its shelves. More props. “Next time we come here, we’ll have to bring our own…”
The door leading to the tram opened just then, and we turned to see Ted walk in. “Ah, there you are,” he said, giving us a wry grin. “Serves you right for getting ahead of us.”
“Your idea, skipper.” Rain smiled back at him. “You just missed our host. He was here a second ago.”
“Fah? Met him while we were going through decontamination.” The captain gazed around the library, apparently unsurprised by our surroundings. “Yeah, same place,” he murmured. “Looks like they’ve fixed it up a little, though.”
“Maybe they finally got some real books.” Emily followed him through the door, followed by Ali, Goldstein, and Ash. The others were as startled by our surroundings as Rain and I had been, but Emily accepted it as a place where she’d been once before. Seeing the two of us, she chuckled. “Nice pajamas.”
“Thanks.” I couldn’t help but notice that they were all wearing their own clothes. Well, that made sense; they hadn’t had to put on EVA gear before leaving the ship. “They’re comfortable enough, but I wouldn’t mind going back to fetch my stuff. Think they’ll let me do that?”
“I don’t see why not if you don’t mind taking the roller-coaster ride again.” Emily sat down on a nearby sofa. “Doc’s still on the Pride. We decided that we should follow protocol and leave someone aboard.”
“Where’s Jas?”
“Left us as soon as we came down the gangway. Guess his pals don’t think he poses any sort of contamination threat.” Ted sat down next to his wife. “All right, we’re here,” he said to Morgan. “So now what?”
Goldstein was still staring at the library. Hearing Ted, he glanced back at the captain. “Tomorrow we’ll unload the cargo, and I’ll begin trade negotiations…with Mr. Ash, of course. For now, though, we should make ourselves at home.”
Ash had walked over to the hearth; he quietly gazed at the fake fire, trying to ignore the rest of us. No telling how long it had been since he’d last had a drink. Once again, I had to wonder what it must be like, to be able to hear everyone else’s thoughts whether you wanted to or not. Nor was he the only one ill at ease; Ali kept glancing at the door, as if wishing that he, too, had remained aboard ship.
“Sounds like good advice.” Ted yawned, stretched out his legs. “Been a long day. Going to be a long one tomorrow, too.” He looked at Emily. “Should’ve brought some food over from the ship. I could use dinner.”
“Fah said that a reception is going to be held for us tomorrow.” I ran a fingertip across the back of an armchair. The upholstery wasn’t real leather, but whatever it was, it felt like cowhide all the same. “We should get a good meal then.”
“I wouldn’t recommend it.” Morgan peered up at a chandelier, almost as if speculating about how much it was worth. “I’ve tried hjadd food. Rather disgusting.”
“I’m with you,” Emily said. “Besides, our systems may not be able to digest whatever they give us. I’ll head back to the ship later, gather some provisions. Won’t be much…sandwiches and coffee…but it’ll get us through.”
“Thank you.” Ted stifled another yawn, then stood up. “Right. So let’s rest up and get ready to go to work tomorrow.”
He headed for the stairs, apparently interested in checking out the guest quarters. Ali followed him, while Rain went over to Emily and quietly conferred with her. Morgan continued to stroll around the room, inspecting every artifact in the library with a trader’s curiosity.
That left me with Ash. I walked over to join him at the fireplace. “So…penny for your thoughts?” He didn’t respond, nor did he look away from the holoprojected flames. Apparently he wasn’t in a talkative mood. “Well, look,” I went on, “I’m going back to the ship in a little bit to fetch my clothes. If you’d like me to bring anything to you…”
“My bottle, you mean.” It wasn’t a question; he and I both knew better. Ash glanced over his shoulder at Morgan, who was out of earshot and not paying any attention to us. “It’s in my cabin, in the locker,” he added, keeping his voice low. “Morgan wants to keep me dry, but if you can get it for me…”
“Sure.” I had little doubt that he’d relax a bit if he could shut out everyone, if only for a little while. “And your…?”
“My guitar, too, yes. Please.” He favored me with a conspiratorial smile. “You’re all right, Jules. You’re easy to be around.”
“Thanks…I guess.”
“I meant that as a compliment. You should take it as such.” Ash sighed, his gaze traveling to the fox-hunting scene above the mantel. “God, this is hard. My people should’ve never let Morgan talk them into sending me.”
“Your people.” I hesitated. “The Order of the Eye?”
Looking away from the lithograph, he stared straight at me. Once again, I felt a door open within my mind. “So…Jas knows,” he whispered. “Heshe is aware of why I’m here.”
All of a sudden, I found myself wishing that I’d kept my mouth shut. “I…yeah, I think so. Heshe asked if you belonged to…”
“I understand.” Ash shook his head. “Don’t worry. You’re not involved in this…but I advise you to keep your distance. Things might get…strange.”
“Aren’t you the one who told me I should get used to strangeness?”
The smile returned. “Yes, I did, didn’t I?” Then his face became solemn. “But there are degrees of strangeness, and just now”—a moment of hesitation—“I don’t know what to believe.”
And then he turned and walked away, leaving me to wonder what he’d meant by that.
( TWELVE )
Raw deal…
Ash talks back…
what do you do with two thousand paperweights?…
getting the pink slip.
IV
Next morning, Rain and I returned to the Pride of Cucamonga to unload the cargo. There were no quarrels this time around; in fact, you could’ve almost sworn we’d been working together for years. Of course, things were made easier by the fact that we had an unexpected bit of help.
Since the last time I’d visited the Pride, a second gangway had been extended from the saucer, this one leading to the primary airlock. Made it a little easier for us to get back aboard. Once Rain and I suited up and exited the ship through the docking port, we discovered a half dozen things that resembled bowling balls with two arms waiting just outside. Doc informed us that, according to Jas, these were Talus ’bots tasked to carry away the cargo. A small, sledlike craft hovered nearby, piloted by a hjadd who never spoke to us but instead waited patiently while we opened the cargo modules. I suppose heshe was the one named Duh, although I was careful not to say as much over the comlink.
The gravity field within the saucer was temporarily switched off; since I didn’t need to operate the pod, I helped Rain untie the bales and move them to the lateral hatches, where the ’bots captured them and, in turn, carried the massive rolls over to the sled. Once its bed was full, the sled would glide away, disappearing through a hatch on the other side of the hangar and returning a few minutes later to take on another load.
It didn’t take long for us to get used to working with the ’bots, and although Duh remained quiet the entire time, heshe seemed to understand exactly what we we
re doing. At one point, though, while waiting for the sled to return, I happened to notice four figures—two humans, along with a pair of hjadds in environment suits—watching us from a cupola overlooking the bay. I had little doubt who they were: Morgan, Jas, and Fah, with Ash quietly standing nearby, making sure that all the merchandise had arrived safely.
It took about four hours for us to empty both modules. Once Rain and I were done, Duh disappeared without so much as a thank-you, the ’bots trailing hisher sled as it returned to its hatch. Rain and I cycled back through the airlock. Much to my surprise, Rain allowed me to share the ready room with her, so long as I promised to keep my back turned. Even so, we ended up helping each other remove our gear; she blushed a few times, but otherwise didn’t object to my presence. One more sign that she was getting used to working with me.
After we put on our civvies, we went back to the saucer. At least we didn’t have to endure decontamination again. Just as well; we were bone-tired, and all we wanted was to get a bite to eat and perhaps a nap.
Ted, Emily, and Ali were waiting for us in the library. While Rain and I were busting our humps, they’d had little to do except listen in on the comlink, but Emily had made lunch for us from the provisions she’d brought over from the ship. The five of us were working our way through a plate of turkey and cheese sandwiches when the door opened, and Morgan stormed in, trailed by Ash.
“We’ve been robbed.” His face was dark with anger, and beneath his left arm he carried a small, oblong object wrapped in silky white fabric.
“Come again?” Ted stared at him, then glanced at Rain and me. “Was anything missing?”
“No, damn it,” Morgan snarled. “I didn’t mean it that way. Everything’s accounted for, down to the last pound. It’s just that…” Inarticulate with rage, he jabbed a finger at Ash. “A fat lot of good you were! I was looking for an inside lead, and all you could do was…”