Slow Train to Arcturus

by Eric Flint

The woman came and flopped down on the bench next to them. "It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it. And the pay's good even if it doesn't have the glamour of the force."

  "Besides you never could fight your way out of a brown paper bag," said Lani, grinning. "Hey, leave him alone. He's mine. Besides he doesn't like it, see."

  "He's yours? Entirely? Not just trial? Wow! Bid sealed, the lot?"

  Lani nodded proudly. "Paid for, too. I'm settling down."

  "I'm still playing the field," said Dee with a chuckle. "I heard about this one. I heard that the other one has a tentacle instead. They've got him up at the Vats and they're charging the girls a dollar a look, or ten a time. I reckon you could get twenty…"

  "Stop it. You're making him cringe and he's all mine. You haven't gotten any less coarse, have you, Dee? You've got a mind like a sewer."

  The repair-crew worker shook her head, cheerfully. "Nope, just as coarse. Not much else to think about on the job except fried electronics, and sex is more fun."

  "So what's up with the elevator bank?" asked Lani, more to stop Howard actually getting up and running away than out of any real interest.

  The blond repair-worker shrugged. "Search me. It's none of the electronics modules. We've tried pulling and replacing all of them in case it was something that wasn't showing up on the tell-tales. We had a job getting out the people who were stuck, I'll tell you. Took about four hours, and the car stinks like hell. It stuck just here, where the control module is too, so we have to work with the pong in the background. At least all the others came to a stop at the nearest floor."

  "Could we have a look?" asked Howard, for once pressing against Lani, as a defense, presumably to the predatory Dee. Well, you could understand that.

  "Sure," said Dee, getting up. "Lovely bouquet in there, mind you. I'll just take him in there for a little while, Lani. You have a nice rest."

  You couldn't help laughing at Dee. She hadn't changed an iota. "Holy Susan. You never give up, do you? Put another hand on him and I'll take it off at the wrist, you maneater."

  "Huh. Just selfish, that's all you are," said Dee, her lips quirking and eyes full of mischief. "Come and have a look."

  Howard's eyes took in the mechanical guts of the elevator with fascination. It was safer than looking at that scarlet woman anyway. His ears were still burning. And now she'd assumed a posture which no decent woman would put herself into, not even in private! His nose told him about other things besides distressed trapped passengers. It told him of hot metal. It reminded him of a bearing that had seized in the corn-mill.

  Surely this couldn't be as simple? The "car," as she'd called it, ran on rails. The central ratcheted rail in between the rails was obviously what provided movement. It was quite worn, he noticed. He sniffed at each of the wheels… and then realized that his nose wasn't even necessary. There were little pieces of metal-fragments of roller, on the rim of the third wheel.

  He coughed diffidently. "I think you should look at this."

  "I am, big boy," said the lewd woman.

  "I mean at this wheel. The bearing has gone."

  The scarlet woman got up and came across to where he stood. "That stuff is tough, big boy. It's the electronics that doesn't last forever. Oh."

  "Nothing actually lasts forever, except God's love," said Howard stiffly, but she was too busy looking at the wheel in the light of her helmet headlamp to notice, and giggling to herself. She turned around and punched him on the arm. "You could just be right, beefcake! Heh. And we've spent days testing the electronics! I reckon I could just get a bonus out of you two."

  "Well, I think you owe us a ride down in the cargo elevator, if that's still working," said Lani. "And keep your hands off him, Dee."

  "Tch. He's big enough for both of us, aren't you, big boy?"

  "No!" protested Howard, backing off and nearly falling down an elevator shaft.

  They got their ride down to the transport system, which took them close to Lani's home. It would appear that no one walked any distance here. If Howard was any judge, they'd have to start soon. Things were plainly beginning to break down. Anything will, eventually. Maybe that was what that scarlet woman had had in mind with his morals.

  When they got home, the part for Lani's scoot awaited them.

  He had a knife in his hand, and a look of triumph in his eyes. However, the most censorious woman in the Matriarchy might have forgiven him. Howard's knife was an old rounded buttering knife-and the reason for his triumph was finding that its tip fitted the slot on the top of the shaft. They had the part. What they didn't have was any tools. The little ring of metal the online manual had described as a circlip had been hell to remove. It had taken the near destruction of her tweezers to finally send it whizzing across the yard. Then they'd had to hunt for it.

  She'd hugged him when he spotted it. He'd gone bright red and hastily backed off.

  "What's wrong?" she asked.

  "I forget myself. I… wish you were wearing clothes," he said slowly.

  She considered him, standing there looking awkward. Looking at anything but her. "I could wear clothes if it would make things easier for you." It was perverted, she knew. And unnatural. But, if it would help to free him of his inhibitions… excite him and arouse him. .. Well, if rumor was to be believed quite a few women did it in the privacy of their own homes anyway. Was a piece of cloth really that bad? A guilty part of her subconscious said "yes."

  He looked at her face with those adoring-puppy eyes. "It would be much easier. I must be honest, your body is a temptation, and as much as I try to resist, I find my eyes drawn to it. It would help me greatly to resist the temptations of the flesh that are set in my way by the evil one. Thank you."

  It wasn't quite what she'd meant to achieve, but the very idea had somehow made him more at ease, able to hunt a makeshift tool in her kitchen with her, without him leaping like a startled child if they touched. He was very good with those big hands, she thought clinically.

  He spun the scoot's wheel, beaming with pleasure at the achievement. "I really believe," he said earnestly, "that if God hadn't meant us to do such things he would scarcely have made it such a wholesome pleasure to succeed."

  I wonder if I could stretch your mind as far thinking that about sex, thought Lani, far from clinically. But she held her tongue, and took the scoot for a brief test ride.

  It alarmed her with its sudden, easy acceleration, and the smoothness of its ride. The back wheel had always had a bit of a shake at speed. That was gone. It seemed quite obvious now that problem had been developing for a while. Well, if it was going to be this simple, maybe they should start repairing scoots. After all, there was nothing wrong with your man helping you, working as a team with you, on a job. The idea of being in the force was giving her a sour taste in the mouth, now.

  She came back to her yard, smiling. The smile didn't last long. Not when she saw two officers standing waiting, with what was obviously a writ.

  "Captain Lani LaGarda, you've been charged with neglect, improper man-care, and common assault," said the belted woman. "Accordingly, I must ask you to proceed to the station with me until your pretrial hearing. Your man will be held in protective custody until the matter is resolved."

  Howard stood stock still, waiting to see what would happen next.

  It obviously worried the arresting officer too. "It's a technicality, Captain. But it is the letter of the law. I'm sorry. I can't see why you won't be released on your own recognizance…"

  Lani scowled: "Chapter three, paragraph 7. They'd be breaking the law themselves if they tried to do otherwise, as the people who laid these charges are themselves facing charges placed by me. I assume these charges come from Captain Rodgers and her patrol, and are unsubstantiated except by their accusations?"

  "Er. Yes," admitted the officer.

  Lani shrugged. "Well, we'd be playing into their hands if we didn't cooperate. I'm sorry, Howard. First they beat you up then they want to jail you. Let's go."

/>   But they discovered that it wasn't quite so simple when they got to the police station. Lani could go, yes, and just come to her pretrial. But Howard…

  "I'm afraid he'll have to stay in, Captain. I've got a gelding-order here for him. If he is found to have been beyond your control, well, they'll cut. Of course charges of irresponsibility on your part would be diminished by that."

  " What? " she demanded.

  "He's too big," explained the desk-officer. "The attached affidavit reads that they do not want any aggressive tendencies linked to high testosterone levels and large size to enter the male population again."

  "That's ridiculous!" snapped Lani.

  "If you sign the disclaimer," said the desk-officer holding out the form, "the medical officer can do it quickly now and we can release him into your custody, while your restitution claim goes through."

  Howard listened in horror. If he hadn't been in the cage, he'd have been running. He was relieved to hear Lani say "No," firmly.

  The desk-officer shrugged. "I've heard that they're easier to manage and far less inclined to stray after they've had the chop. And they still do the housework well, even if they don't father children any more." She was talking about him as if he was a troublesome dog. "Well, then, he'll just have to stay locked up. I'm sorry."

  "But you can't do that!" said Lani, hitting the desk hard enough to make it vibrate.

  The desk-officer folded her arms. "I'm sorry, Captain. I have to. You know the rules about visiting times."

  ***

  Howard found the loneliness and fear even worse this time. Lani was a naked painted Jezebel from a Godless culture. But she had her good points too. When she'd reached through the bars and squeezed his arm, her eyes wet…

  There'd been a shift in the foundation rock of his beliefs. The edifices of the life he'd built on it, trembled.

  In the meanwhile he had to get out of here. There are some male fears, Howard discovered, that are shared beyond religion or culture. As soon as he was left alone, he began exploring his cell for a way out. The walls seemed solid. The bars too. The roof…

  They hadn't thought of anyone easily reaching that, he'd bet. The ceiling was low. With his arms straight up Howard had to bend his knees. Ideal. He pushed. Hard. Howard had done enough labor to know that human strength was principally in the legs.

  Nothing happened.

  So he tried again. He was about to try a third time when he heard voices. Two of the little local men were herded into his cell. They were tiny, Howard realized, seeing them close up for the first time. He was tall, large and muscular from farm work. These men were half his size, with little muscle tone. The two plainly found him intimidating, too, by their posture.

  Well, they could hardly help being painted and pallid; and, like him, they were in trouble. "Peace be with you, strangers," he said, smiling and holding out his hand.

  Their hands were very small in his. By the way they trembled, they were expecting him to do terrible things to them. Still, the one with scar on his head called him closer. "We are from the Men's Liberation Movement. We want you to join us. Escape and flee to wildlands near the core, to join our liberating army. Men must be free!"

  Howard had to agree with the philosophy. Men here certainly needed liberating!

  "When we march," said the other, "all the men are going to rebel. We will capture all the elevator banks, seize city hall, behead the Matriarch and declare male rule."

  It would have been even more shocking if the poor little mite had sounded more convincing. He sounded as if he were reciting timetables.

  "And these women with the belts and clubs?" asked Howard. "Won't they stop you?"

  "They'll have to be killed if they try," said the first one. "Of course, we'll keep some. Every man will have as many women as he pleases to take whenever he wants. Male rule!"

  The smaller, more miserable looking one took him by the arm, just as he was about to reply. In his hand was a small piece of paper. It read: DON'T. LISTENING. He put the piece of paper in his mouth and ate it.

  As Howard had been about to disagree-at least to ends and means-this made things easier. Men weren't supposed to read, but inevitably some would learn. "You are wrong, brothers," he said calmly. "Violence and killing will not achieve anything. We must be gentle."

  "But they beat us!" protested the first man.

  "And then we must turn the other cheek," said Howard.

  Howard actually had a very enjoyable half hour repeating sermons and scripture to the two. The smaller one, who had originally been so frightened, was now plainly hard-pressed not to laugh. Howard was shocked to notice that the two had their fingers entwined. But then perhaps men did that here.

  The two belted women who came to fetch them soon after that looked decidedly sour. It had undoubtedly been a trap. Was there such bitterness here? Or was there really a men's liberation movement to fear, to fuel this?

  21

  "Surface area, not volume, is the key to many biological processes. By layering the inside of a habitat we increase-at approximately four meters per layer-the surface area from roughly 5500 hectares to near on twenty thousand square kilometers. By using vertical surfaces too-by growing plants on the growth medium on the walls we increase that growing area-assuming tightest possible corridors-at about 3 meters to roughly double that. Now that's just not practical and you lose too much space to interstitial support and piping and so on. So the optimum corridor width is about ten meters. Of course that's optimum for materials use. For practicalities and aesthetics-which may be even more important than we realize on longer trips-we need some wider and higher areas. It's a series of trade-offs. It's going to make the inside of these structures into a maze. The biggest maze ever built. More easy to get lost in than any jungle. Capable of carrying-physically-if not sustaining, several million people."

  Transcript of Professor Lucas Teich's presentation to the Interstellar Colonization and Exploration Society, on the bioenvironmental factors in the proposed habitats for the Slowtrain Project. From: A Concise History of Human Space Colonization. P233, Chipattari, H, and Shah, G.D. (Ed)

  "He's in jail. I have heard that they want to castrate him. Neuter him," explained Amber.

  The idea didn't seem to horrify her the way it did Kretz. Sterility seemed to be more or less acceptable to these aliens. To a Miran it was social ostracism. To humans-well, to some humans-it seemed a mere fact of life. But then… the species didn't need nesting territory, either.

  They were odd, there was no getting away from it, no matter how used to them you thought you were getting. "I have to save him!"

  "You're very loyal," said Amber. "I thought they tried to kill you?"

  Kretz shook his head. "Those were the humans in the first habitat. Howard saved my life. He cared for me-and I brought him here. To face a fate worse than death." He shuddered.

  Amber smiled wryly. "A male might see it like that, I suppose. Well, we'd better spring him then. He's good at making friends. I had a call from his mistress a few minutes ago, which is why I knew where he was. She wanted me to intervene because he has unique genetic material. It's true enough. But she didn't like it when I pointed out that all I could justify was a few cc of cell-sample. Her comments on my suggestion that she collect a sperm sample and freeze it were an education to me. That girl can swear!" she said admiringly.

  Kretz doubted that he'd ever get the hang of this language. Transcomp gave him the words, and several subtext guesses as to what they might possibly mean. "I will have to try to get him out," he repeated. "And then I must try to move as fast as possible to rescue Abret and then we can return to our spacecraft and Selna. Are you still determined to accompanying me?"

  "Into a life of crime, and strange places…" she said flippantly.

  Kretz was getting used to alien expressions. She didn't look as if she objected to the idea. Well, some humans were probably insane too. By the sounds of it they'd not selected the most normal parts of their society for th
is colonial expedition, just as the Miranese expedition had required odd individuals to chase down this alien target. "We just need to go quietly, if we can just get to Howard."

  Someone pounded on the door and Amber went to open it. A disheveled looking female human stood there, bleeding slightly from a cut above one eye. "Dr. Geriant. You haven't seen Howard have you?" To Kretz's ear she sounded on the edge of panic, the words rushing out, high pitched.

  His human host tugged her chin. "You'd better come inside, Lani."

  "He's here?" The hope in Lani's voice transcended species barriers.

  "No. We were just about to go and try to see what could be done for him. But you need help right now. Come. Then let's see what can be done about him and you."

  Lani hovered on the doorstep… and then came inside, and allowed Amber to lead her to the bathroom.

  She sat there, letting Amber stitch the cut.

  "They claimed he'd escaped. I… I didn't believe them. I beat a couple of people up trying to find out where they'd taken him. I think he really has run. He's got no more sense than a child." She wrung her hands. "He'll be killed."

  Water leaked from her eyes, which Kretz gathered was a sign of extreme distress. "He's just a big fool. I've got to find him."

  "We were just planning to go and break him out of the cell. We'll try looking for him with you," said Amber crisply, "If you'll just hold still and let me finish stitching first."

  Lani looked at the head of Protein Production and Research, incredulously. " You were going to help him escape? I thought about it, but I decided that they couldn't possibly convict me. I haven't done anything wrong. Well, I hadn't, before I went in and found he was missing. I'm afraid they're looking for me too now."

  "And they will doubtless think of looking here soon," said Dr. Geriant. "Which means we'd better move out." She got up from where she'd knelt to sew up Lani's temple. "Do you still have your scoot?"

  Lani nodded. "Yes. Howard fixed it."

  "I have a small personal car. I can hide Kretz in that. I need to change your appearance, and then I think we can search in reasonable safety." She pushed Lani ahead of her to the bathroom. "If we listen in on the police channel on your communicator we may get some idea where he is, or if he's been caught or killed."