Children of the Dark World

by Will Townsend

  “You do know I’m receiving a visual feed from Faye’s opticals don’t you? Master Chief rigged it up for every member of the crew that’s lunar side.”

  “I must remember to thank him for that,” Ming replied petulantly.

  “Now both of you sit down and let her finish or so help me I’ll put you on medical hold.” They descended into their respective chairs simultaneously.

  Faye finished the scan and Dr. Alexeyev released her to attend to the people of this strange world where she was sorely needed. Alexeyev, without visuals now, addressed the two men through their commbuds.

  “What the hell’s wrong with you two?”

  “I beg your pardon doctor but…” Farr started but the doctor cut him off.

  “You,” she said in an accusing tone, “You’ve got a concussion, two broken ribs and two bullet holes in you. I can’t even count the contusions,” she finished heatedly.

  “He looks alright to me, Ilsa,” Ming’s placating voice offered.

  “Shut up Ming! Don’t you try to smooth my ruffled feathers. You’re in no better shape than him you just don’t have broken ribs. Both of you should’ve taken yourselves out of action after the first injuries. But no, you two have to wander into a gun battle with a small army!”

  Ming and Farr exchanged glances and both raised their hands rather sheepishly and Ming said reasonably, “Look, Ilsa, the situation was what it was, and there weren’t any replacement players to send into the game.”

  “Then you should’ve waited! You know I’ve got to file a report to that damned Council!”

  “Doctor,” Farr began in a quiet, reassuring tone. “We all have our duties to perform; it’s just a matter of prioritization as to how we do that. Take for instance the condition of the people here on the lunar bases. As the contact initiating commanding officer, I’ve got an obligation to these people. They need a doctor here now and I don’t think Admiral Ngata can get a ship here in less than a month, so it could, theoretically at least, be my duty to assign whatever doctor I can find to remain here for that month. As you know, Resolution has to be underway within three weeks to meet mission parameters.”

  “Are you blackmailing me captain?” The words she spoke were icy and cold and Ming shook his head vigorously at Farr.

  “I’m shocked doctor that you would suggest such a thing,” Farr replied in a congenial voice. “Absolutely not, I’m just trying to convey the amount of work that’s required down here. Now reports are necessary, as everyone in the service knows, but there is a time and place for everything. I am suggesting that we put aside these paperwork drills until we’re underway for the belt and file them then. In the meantime, you, as a brilliant and dedicated physician, should be able to stabilize the condition of these people. They’re extremely intelligent doctor and you could easily have a couple of them trained in basic medical assistance and that would suffice in my report until one of the Admiral’s relief ships arrive. Doesn’t that seem reasonable under the circumstances?”

  “Certainly commander,” was the icy reply. “I’ll be down on the surface as soon as you two are back on the ship. This little misunderstanding was regrettable. I am so glad we remedied it. Alexeyev out.”

  “Callum, why didn’t you just jump from the top of the dome if you wanted to kill yourself?” Ming said letting out a deep breath.

  “Do you think it worked? If she says one word about our condition, Councilman Trekos will be beating the bushes for our reliefs and I can’t have that.”

  “Oh,” Ming laughed, “She’ll come through just fine. She was planning on it the whole time. Your threat wasn’t even necessary. She was just blowing off steam at us. She does that to me all the time when I get in scrapes. I let it go in one ear and out the other, which for me, I must admit, isn’t all that hard. But you, oh boy, you tweaked her nose. If you think I’m vengeful when it comes to getting even, she puts me to shame.” Ming finished his statement and his face broke out in a wide grin. “You don’t have to worry about me anymore, but you better sleep with one eye open now that you’ve pissed her off.”

  “Thanks for the belated warning,” Farr said, his lips skewed sarcastically.

  “Why do you think I was shaking my head no?”

  “You could’ve been a little more straightforward.”

  “The man who just pulled off a devastating covert strike that he didn’t even tell his buddy in the foxhole about wants straightforwardness now?” Ming’s eyes were wide and innocent.

  “I knew it. You set me up.”

  “No, honestly I didn’t. You did it all on your own. Let’s go see what’s happening in the ‘garden of Five’,” Ming finished jauntily.

  “You know this requires retaliation don’t you?” Farr said his eyes narrow and calculating.

  “Oh, so now you think you’re entitled to retribution for something you did entirely on your own? Let’s just get dressed and go out into the dome.”

  They found some hundred year old utility coveralls that Faye had left for them and donned the ill-fitting accoutrements. Surprisingly, they hadn’t decayed a bit over that time. They had no idea where their uniforms were but Farr secretly hoped they’d been burned.

  The scene they came upon was a highly organized one. Farr would’ve liked to think it was his crew’s doing, but it was plainly obvious that it was the Workers controlling the operations.

  “Look at that,” Ming said with a low whistle. Everywhere he looked Farr saw Workers repairing and modifying the systems of the Dome. Solomon saw them and detached himself from the group he was with.

  “I didn’t know what to do sir,” he explained walking up to Farr. “They seem to understand what’s wrong with the systems here and they just started…” he stopped and his hands fluttered, showing his confusion with the events transpiring all around him.

  “It’s their world Senior Sergeant, so let them take care of it. If they need anything, give it to them. I just want you to keep the peace. Have there been any reprisals against the ones they called Suits?”

  “None,” and the Senior Sergeant’s voice belied his confusion. He pointed at several locations where people were working and said, “Those are the guy’s we just disarmed.”

  Farr looked closer in the dim light and then glanced at Ming who nodded agreement with him. “I recognize some of them as the Suits who were just shooting at us.” Ming confirmed. It appeared that the former Suits, who’d only recently been rabidly pursuing Ming and Farr, were busily working to repair the biome.

  “Where’s the one that they call the Foreman, Solomon?” The sergeant pointed to the other end of the dome and Farr could see dim figures moving here and there in the distance. He jerked his head at Ming and the two started toward the figures as the Senior Sergeant went back to his duties.

  When they were within fifty meters of the figures they recognized the Foreman and altered their course to meet him. He saw them approaching and turned to greet them.

  “I am glad to see you unharmed commander and you also Ming.” The old man’s face was now one of eminent peace and quiet assurance. But there was another quality Farr had not seen before. The Foreman appeared completely in control of the situation and Farr recognized the air of confidence that now graced the old man’s face.

  “Foreman,” Farr acknowledged with a tilt of his head. “I’m a little confused. Aren’t those people,” he indicated the group at the far end of the dome, “Suits?”

  “Yes,” the old man said his voice at once congenial and firm. “They have rejoined our people and are now contributing to the rebirth of our world.”

  “Foreman, those people are guilty of crimes against humanity,” Farr said, his demeanor somewhat baffled and slightly irritated. “They just tried to murder me and Mr. Ming. Under the Executive orders issued by Lansing and Lao and adopted by the World Council, it’s my duty to arrest those people and hold them for trial.”

  “That won’t be necessary, my son. We’ll take care of them and see to their rehabili
tation.”

  “I don’t think you understand sir. It is my duty to arrest them.”

  “I perceive your dilemma my son, but let me point out that this is not Earth and our civilization has governed this world for a century. I will grant you that we may not have governed it well at times, but we have, nonetheless, governed it and we’ll continue to do so.”

  “He’s got a point, Callum,” Ming whispered to Farr. “And do we really want to get involved that deeply in this matter when we’ll be moving on in a couple of weeks?”

  A look of consternation passed over Farr’s face and quickly disappeared.

  “I apologize, Foreman. You, are, of course, correct and entitled to conduct your society in any way you wish.” He looked at the bustling activity occurring all around the dome and waved his hand. “I’m very impressed with your organization, but how do you know that what you’re doing is correct?”

  The old man eyed him curiously for a moment and then spoke. “Every Worker remembers his assigned job from before the time of the separating,” he replied slowly. The confounded looks he received from Farr and Ming made him continue. “Every line from the separating was taught by its’ ancestor the nature of their work. We’ve lost nothing over the last ninety four periods and have gained much.” Farr let it pass and moved on to other things.

  “What about the rest of the Suits and your people that they enslaved?”

  “Eric has gone to fetch them,” the old man said calmly. Farr was instantly alert.

  “Without asking me? He could be walking into a hornet’s nest. Did they take weapons?”

  “Calm yourself commander. This is an internal matter and we shall handle it. There will be no bloodshed, I promise you this. You’ve accomplished your purpose on this world. Now you and your friend must heal because the road ahead of you is long and your trials will be many.” Farr motioned to Ming and they excused themselves from the Foreman’s presence.

  “We need the security team together ASAP!” Farr said as he and Ming moved quickly toward Solomon.

  “Or not,” Ming said stopping dead in his tracks with open mouth and looking at the entrance. Eric was just entering the dome and behind him traipsed the remainder of the Suits, walking meekly, and the slaves they’d previously held. It was suddenly very crowded in the dome in spite of its size. Eric, seeing Farr standing with Ming, approached them.

  “Hello commander, Mr. Ming, it’s quite the momentous day is it not?” The change in the boy was startling. He walked with confidence and there was a way he carried himself that hinted that he had recovered his optimism fully.

  “It’s good to see you Eric. Did you have any trouble with the Suits?”

  “None whatsoever. Why should there have been?”

  “It just seems a little odd to me that the Suits went from murdering your people and enslaving them to planting shrubbery with you in a matter of a few hours.” Farr could not understand this situation one bit and it was starting to annoy him. Eric regarded him gravely.

  “It was not the people who were corrupt, it was the institution. Once you destroy the institution the people will revert to their more natural state.” His arm swept around the dome. “This is the natural state for our people. We’re the same species. We must work together for the common good.” Farr chewed on that for a second but Ming had another question.

  “Where’s the Chief?’

  Eric’s face turned sad and he spoke slowly. “He is beyond our help. He is quite mad and wouldn’t come away with us. He wanders the tunnels, jabbering to himself in his insanity. He sees wondrous works built in his name and throngs bowing down to him. His delusions are all he has left because he refused to hear the words of the Creators. Do not worry, we will leave food for him, and water, in the tunnels and see that he is cared for. Now, please excuse me. I must report to the Foreman.”

  “How does this sound to you,” Farr questioned Ming, his face a weary mask. “You and I go back to the ship and send the Master Chief down to coordinate this, what do you say?”

  “I am so ready to leave this place,” was Ming’s exasperated reply delivered in a voice full of suffering. “I could use a drink.”

  “I might know where to find one,” Farr said with a glint in his eye.

  “And you could send Dr. Alexeyev down here too,” Ming volunteered mischievously.

  “I’ll leave the Senior Sergeant in charge until Master Chief gets here.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Ming said falling into step beside him. “I’ll drive.”

  CHAPTER 19

  Both men were ecstatic to once again be aboard the Resolution, far from the depressing tunnels of the strange lunar world below. The bright lights restored their sense of reality and lost orientation and the hum of the power plants was a comforting, familiar noise that soon faded into the background. The Master Chief jumped at the chance to go down to the surface. And, Farr thought, he relished the idea that he was in charge of the operations with the Workers. Wells was, hands-down, the best technician Farr had ever seen and his services would be invaluable to the people under the lunar surface. He was so giddy at the prospect of going down to the surface that he even forgot his promise to chastise them. The doctor on the other hand was nowhere near as malleable as the Master Chief.

  “Thanks to the bath you two took in the sewage of the Workers you’ll be on an antibiotic regimen for the next week,” she informed them taking a long old style needle out of her med locker.

  “What the hell’s that?” Ming exclaimed his eyes filled with apprehension.

  “I’ve sent all of the med spray inoculators down to the surface for now. I’ve got five thousand people to inoculate and treat, so you’ll be receiving yours the old fashion way.”

  Farr took his in silence but Ming grumbled and made faces as she inserted the needle.

  “What happened to ‘first do no harm’?” Ming asked in a plaintive voice.

  “Don’t be such a baby. I’ve taught Faye how to do this and she’ll be giving you your shots from now on. Meanwhile I’ll be attending to the city-sized measure of patients you two delivered to me,” She wore a faintly satisfied smile on her face as she finished. Alexeyev noted the sly look that appeared in Ming’s eyes when she mentioned that Faye would be giving them their shots. She then proceeded to crush any short-lived hopes he might’ve had in that area. “And don’t try to con or threaten Faye because it won’t work. Regulations,” and she emphasized the point smiling sweetly at Farr, “put her under my purview during medical emergencies and I’ve already briefed her as to her chain of command. By the way commander, I’m declaring a medical emergency.”

  “I gathered you were,” Farr replied calmly.

  “Any questions, gentlemen?” Both were silent and Ming glared at her.

  “Very well, because you both have concussions and you have broken ribs, you will spend six hours a day in one gee environment. No exceptions!” she barked as they started to speak. “Faye has your schedule. It includes time on the sonic restoration bay for your broken ribs commander. I’m busy so off with you.” And she shooed them out of her sickbay.

  “I warned you about her,” Ming said darkly. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “Do I look stupid to you? She just declared a medical emergency,” Farr said calmly. “Not even the most rabid commanding officer would dare say boo to her after that. She just installed herself as a dictator for the next few days so deal with it. How about that drink?” Ming’s outlook brightened almost immediately.

  Sitting together in Farr’s cabin a short while later, after the doctor had left the ship of course, Farr opened a compartment under his desk that Ming had never noticed before. Ming peered in and saw about fifty squeeze bulbs, the kind used to drink liquid in a zero gee environment. Farr fished out six and floated three across to Ming. Raising the first one he proposed a toast.

  “To the first successful mission of the Resolution.”

  “I’ll drink to that,” Ming said squeezing th
e fiery brown liquid into his mouth. His eyes widened briefly. “That’s one fine scotch,” he breathed, appreciating the drink even more. “Does Ngata know about your stash?”

  “Yes he does since he’s the one who gave it to me. It’s a thirty year old Glenfiddich,” Farr told him, “compliments of the Admiral, who knows my heritage, and to only be used for medicinal purposes with deserving crewmembers.” Farr finished the last line imitating the gruff voice of Ngata. Ming grinned at the caricature.

  “Considering our current physical state,” Ming said wryly, “this definitely qualifies as medicinal.”

  “I know what you mean. Every part of my body hurts and I can’t take a breath without pain.”

  “I notice you didn’t tell any of that to Ilsa,” Ming smirked. Farr frowned.

  “Never show weakness,” he replied sagely. “By the way, you’re a deserving crewmember. Thanks for backing me up all the way. I can’t see how we could’ve accomplished what we needed to without you.”

  “That’s what friends are for,” Ming said, relishing another swallow of the Glenfiddich.

  “I know you backed me up out of friendship and that’s why I really hate what I’ve got to do now.”

  “Say what?” Ming’s face was a picture of confusion. He hadn’t seen the sandbag coming and he’d no idea what he’d done to deserve it. Farr checked the chronometer in his cabin and initiated his communications array.

  “This is Earth Service, go ahead Resolution.”

  “Patch me through to Admiral Ngata.” The Admiral appeared almost instantly. Apparently he’d been awaiting the communique.

  “Ngata here.”

  “Yes admiral, this is Commander Farr, I have a request for you. I would like to reactivate Ming, Lao Tzu to active duty, lieutenant commander rank.”

  “That wasn’t unexpected,” came the reply. “XO?”

  “Yes admiral. The situation is exactly as we discussed. The protocols in place seem to have been predicated on Resolution finding nothing but corpses. They basically set us up for a disaster. The reality is, after finding five thousand of the lunar colonists alive, the chances are on the sunny side of good that they’ll be alive in the belt as well. I need to rework the protocols and I need Ming as my right hand.”