“Are you sure you’re up for this?” asked Christie.
“Marek did a good job. I’m just glad he worked on me before he called the SPF. They gave up their best bargaining chip by healing me first.”
“That’s true. John wouldn’t have risked your life by leaving before your injuries were taken care of.”
“How’s he dealing with the loss of Ari?”
“Outwardly he’s okay. I don’t know how he’s doing inside. What about you?”
“Ari was my friend. I didn’t want this to happen and I don’t hold any ill will towards Aldebaran. Only Ari was responsible for her actions.”
“She was ready to make amends for that. Instead she gave her life so that we could escape. I can’t make myself feel bad about her death because even after our time together on this ship, I still didn’t know her that well. Truthfully, watching you get shot was far worse.”
“I agree. Thank you for watching over me while I was hurt, Christie.”
“No problem. It was the least I could do.”
“No, it wasn’t. The least you could do was nothing. Your strength was my strength, and for that I thank you.”
Christie blushed. “Come on, I’ve never been brave like you or John or Richter. I just do what I have to.”
“Your pursuit of discovery has always overpowered your fears. Remember when you first saw the orb? I thought you were going to have a heart attack. Then Ari sticks her gun in your face. And yet, you still agreed to join us. You may not think so, but you have just as much courage as any of us, plus the wisdom to mete it out well. Don’t sell yourself short.”
Christie laughed. “You know what’s funny? Back on Earth, John once said you were interested in me. He was joking then, but if you keep up the compliments you’re going to make me wonder.”
“The only thing that’s funny is how long it took me to see it.”
“Yeah, right... what?”
Christie looked at Ray. She could see that behind the exhaustion in his eyes and the remnants of pain in his expression, he was quite serious. He smiled and raised an eyebrow.
“It would be a shame to die with regrets, wouldn’t it?”
“Don’t tell me you’ve gone all Florence Nightingale on me...”
The door to the bridge opened and John entered. Christie and Ray leaned back in their chairs as if a tug-of-war game had just been decided.
“Feeling any better, Ray?” John asked, pulling up a chair.
“He’s fine,” said Christie.
John looked at his old friend, who grinned.
“Good. We’ll only have a day and a half to rest before we kick this thing off again. I’d love nothing more than a week on some beach on Residere Beta but the SPF kinda blew that idea.”
“Did you ever imagine that the mission would be this difficult?” asked Christie.
“I have to admit I used to fantasize that we’d be welcomed as heroes on Umber simply for showing up, but that didn’t flush with Seth’s naked cry for help. The only thing that really surprised me was Ari joining Aldebaran. I guess I thought our affection for each other would assure a greater bond.”
“He did have the benefit of his Jedi mind trick,” said Ray.
“Even Ari wouldn’t use that as an excuse. I wonder if I’ll ever figure out what inner darkness could have driven her to let Aldebaran draw her in.”
Christie looked down. “Perhaps she was just looking for the same thing we all are. Unconditional acceptance.”
Richter entered from the lounge area, followed by the rest of the crew. Nathalier came in last and leaned against the wall. Dana crossed to the wall-mounted monitor.
“Ready to get this briefing started?” asked John.
“I’m as ready as I can be,” said Aldebaran. “I’m still a little uncertain how to act around you folks.”
“Why worry about it?” asked Dana. “If you truly are Seth, we’ll trust you.”
“Some of us still see you as someone to be feared,” said Fernwyn.
“Did I say I was sorry about trying to kill you, Rylie?” asked Aldebaran.
“Are you?”
Aldebaran was shocked. “Of course I am!”
“Then I’m not going to hold a grudge. Do I look like a Rakhar to you?”
“Hey,” said Nathalier.
“Not everything about Aldebaran the pirate was bad,” said John.
“You don’t share my memories,” Aldebaran replied.
“I mean that you had confidence, drive, and determination. I need you to be a functional member of this crew, Seth. It might be helpful if you could remember how to use some of those qualities again.”
“You’re still too forgiving.”
“Just give it a try, all right? That’s an order. Now, tell us what you know about the coordinates.”
Aldebaran motioned to Dana, who activated the monitor. A map of Umber’s surface appeared, with crosshairs covering a point.
“Dana helped me prepare these graphics,” Aldebaran began. “This is the position we triangulated from the transmission data we received during our contact with Talvan. It’s in the northern hemisphere in a hilly temperate region.”
The image zoomed in considerably, revealing elevation contour lines and several structures.
“This is the data that was preserved by your computers before I was removed from the system network. It’s ten years old, unfortunately, but it’s safe to assume that things haven’t changed much. The Zendreen are much more likely to use industry to supplement their space fleet than to build new structures on the surface, especially considering that there are plenty of existing ones. This region of Umber is famous for it’s wine, so it’s possible that one or all of these buildings are part of a commercial vineyard, or at least they used to be. To the west is a substantial forest, which should provide us a good place to land and dismount undetected. There’s a good clearing about seventeen hundred meters from the building where the transmission originated. The good news is that Talvan wouldn’t be transmitting if the Zendreen knew about the transmitter, so resistance is likely to be light.”
“Knowing our luck, I wouldn’t bet on it,” said John.
“Our weapons will be highly effective against your typical Zendra, but if we have to engage them we’d better be fast on our heels. Help won’t be far, and it will doubtlessly be more than we can handle.”
“Richter?” said John.
Richter nodded. “One thing that we’re not considering is that Talvan may have been moved. If he’s not there and we go in hot we’ll lose our only chance. I suggest we try an undercover mission and recon the area. If he’s not there we can either wait for him to come back or find out where he’s gone to.”
“Is going undercover feasible?”
“Put on a hat and you’d all pass for Umberian,” said Aldebaran, “those non-human present excepted.”
“You’d have to get awfully close to me to tell,” said Fernwyn.
“Wild wolrasi couldn’t drag me off this ship anyway,” said Nathalier.
“We have plenty of people to fill out an undercover squad,” said John. “If the shit hits the fan you two can back our retreat.”
“Are you including me in your estimate?” asked Dana.
“Of course. If we get attacked you can use the Faith to blow the ever-living fuck out of our pursuers.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“What time of day will it be at this location when we arrive?”
“I honestly don’t know,” replied Aldebaran. “I can’t do that kind of math in my head anymore, John.”
“That’s fine. We can wait until dark, it won’t make any difference. Is there anything else?”
The group was silent. John nodded, looking around the room in satisfaction.
“Quite an unusual compliment we’ve managed to assemble, eh?” said Ray.
John smiled. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
24.
It was twelve hours until the Fait
h’s return to Umber, and the mood aboard was good. The crew had just spent some time socializing in the lounge area, nursing the last of the alcohol and getting to know each other better. Despite their different backgrounds it was obvious that their civilizations were basically the same, as were their psychological constitutions. One thing they all agreed on, even Nathalier, was that the Zendreen needed to be dealt with sooner than later.
Aldebaran had refused to drink, and spent the time leaning against the bulkhead and staring out of the window. John wished that he could act more like Seth the AI, but he knew that the man needed time to sort things out. His demeanor was unsettling, even if John wasn’t actually afraid of him. Visually there was nothing to rectify Seth with the former pirate captain that stood before him.
Nathalier lightened up considerably when Friday came around, the cat at first bolting away when she saw him. Nathalier persisted after her, and before too long she’d accepted him and even seemed to favor him over John. He said she was like a “terminally skinny baby Rakhar” and John had to assure him that was normal for Earth cats.
Fernwyn and Dana were getting along well. Dana had a lot of questions about the bounty hunting business, and although she expressed reservations about the face-to-face aspect of a corral, she still persisted in her interest. Fernwyn was glad to chat, and was only slightly distracted by the fact that John was obviously checking her out every once and a while. What was less distracting was that Christie and Ray were checking each other out too, but Fernwyn seemed to be the only one who thought it odd that they excused themselves for the evening simultaneously.
Richter had been drinking in earnest and now lay passed out in an armchair. It was out of character for him, but the others figured that he’d been “switched on” for too long and deserved a break. When Aldebaran decided to rack out, he volunteered to drag Richter back to his quarters, which they’d agreed to share for the time being.
Nathalier eventually expressed his desire to sleep. John apologetically offered him the spare mattress in the cargo hold, which was barely large enough for him and certainly not particularly cozy. Nathalier shrugged and Dana offered to show him where to go, so before he realized it John was alone with Fernwyn.
“What did you call this stuff again?” she asked, holding up her glass.
“Bourbon,” replied John. “This bottle is the last of it for a hundred and sixty thousand light years.”
“I think I’d like to visit Earth someday. Things sound simpler there.”
“We’ve obviously misrepresented it, then. Our country is at peace within our borders, at least it was when we left, but that was hardly the norm. The majority of the population of our planet was still without modern plumbing or under a repressive government or both.”
“Such is the way of things on emerging worlds.”
“I think they could use a few more decades of interstellar isolation.”
“That’s up to you, isn’t it? I doubt anybody will go by that way. When you return, will you keep the ship a secret?”
“Well, our plan B is to return and build enough ships to oppose the Zendreen fleet, so that kinda requires help from the government. If we can defeat the Zendreen on our own, I guess I would keep it a secret whenever it is that we decide to return.”
There was a pause in the conversation. John sipped at his bourbon.
“I’m sorry about your friend Ari,” Fernwyn said. “I gather you two were pretty close.”
“What’s done is done.”
“It’s not easy to find someone you can be close to. I’ve spend my entire adult life wondering if I’ll ever find somewhere I can really fit in.”
“No wonder you’re so eager to help.”
“I don’t socialize nearly enough. I certainly don’t drink alcohol very often. I’ve never even been on a date. The only species I find attractive are Umberians, and they’re hard to come by these days.”
“You could always come on to Aldebaran. I’m sure all he needs to get his confidence back is a little physical attention.”
Fernwyn looked amused. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Of course.”
Fernwyn got up and sat down next to John on the couch. “I’ve never been one to hide my intentions, John. I’ve always been the first one to go after what I want. I’ve never spent any time around anyone I found physically attractive, not once in my whole life before I met you.”
John grinned. “I think you’ve had too much bourbon.”
“I don’t think I’ve had nearly enough. And I would never hide behind the excuse.”
“Put your drink down.”
Fernwyn did so. John leaned in and kissed her. She took a deep breath as John drew back.
“You’re not supposed to just sit there, you know,” he said.
“You surprised me.”
Wheeling around, Fernwyn grabbed John by the shoulders and pushed him roughly onto the couch.
“OW!” cried John. “For God’s sake, take it easy!”
“Oh, sorry. I often forget how strong I am.”
John sat back up and rubbed his arms. “That really hurt. Maybe we should call it a night. We’ve got a tough mission ahead.”
“You’re probably right.”
John got up and walked to the mouth of the hallway. “There’s just one thing I still want to know. Are humans and Residerians even compatible?”
“Apparently, at least as far as I could feel. It would be interesting to find out for sure, wouldn’t it?”
“Ask me again when I’m sober.”
Twelve hours later, the ground team had assembled in the cargo bay. The Faith’s invisibility shield had granted them easy access to the atmosphere of Umber, and they were preparing to land near the cluster of buildings identified by Aldebaran. John and Ray were performing final equipment checks, Christie and Fernwyn were filling canteens from one of the tank siphons, and Richter was practicing movements with his new rifle. Aldebaran sat in the corner, preoccupied. Christie looked over at John and noticed he’d added Ari’s Glock to his belt.
“Sixty seconds to landfall,” said Dana over the intercom.
“You sure you’re up for this, Ray?” asked John, holstering his Beretta.
Ray nodded. “That Betan doctor did a good job. I’m just a little sore.”
“Okay, then. You can carry the first aid kit from now on. Richter, any comments on the sneak?”
“Sure,” said Richter, stepping forward. “Aldebaran, you’re the only one who hasn’t gone on a combat mission with us. I heard you were once a military man?”
“That’s right,” replied Aldebaran, checking his pistol.
“Do you have any infantry training?”
Aldebaran stood up and walked over to the group. “I do. I also remember every moment of every sim you guys did like it happened an hour ago. Just tell me where you want me in file.”
“Excellent. Fantastic, actually. That’s great. Hell, that means you remember everything I taught us.”
“I just said that, didn’t I?”
“Good. You can take point, then.”
John held up his hand. “Whoa, wait a minute. No offense, Aldebaran, but I’m not sure you’re ready to take point.”
“You’re the one who told me to stop feeling sorry for myself, John,” said Aldebaran flatly.
“He’s also the only real Umberian of us,” said Richter. “He needs to be able to communicate with anyone we run into. We won’t be able to converse unless the other party is wearing one of these nifty earpieces.”
“You have Ari’s leftover unit, right?” asked John.
“Yes, but that only does us good if the person is wearing it. Until we find Talvan, Aldebaran is going to have to do all the talking.”
“Richter is right,” said Ray.
John shrugged. “As long as you’re sure.”
“Then it will be Aldebaran first,” began Richter, “followed by John, Fernwyn, Christie, and Ray. I’ll take rear security as usual. We’
ll make a bee-line for the structures in Ranger file, and avoid contact with both Zendreen and Umberians if possible. If we do get attacked, we’ll have to decide whether we’re close enough to make a search while under fire or retreat back here. The first option doesn’t sound like much fun so let’s try and keep quiet out there.”
“I’m ready to deploy the ramp,” said Dana. “Scans show nothing but small animals out there as far as the structures. No sign of Zendreen.”
“Good,” said John. “Let’s go.”
__________
The sun had just set behind Tarsus Mountain, the clouds casting a pinkish peach glow onto the bakery. Talvan and Stackpole stood outside of the main entrance to the building, along with several workers. The evening air was clear and cool, but the pleasant weather couldn’t help them forget their situation.
The road to the bakery, dormitory, and storehouse wound up the hill with two switchbacks, giving the residents plenty of warning should visitors arrive by land. It was a ground-based form of transportation that the Zendreen used for their nightly inspections, so surprise was never an issue. Stackpole finished rolling a cigarette and lit it.
“They’re late,” he said.
“It’s happened before,” Talvan replied.
“Not since the incident. This may be a good sign. I hope they’re letting their guard down again.”
“I wouldn’t bet on it. Everyone, wait inside until they show up.”
The others grumbled and filed back inside.
“Have you heard anything from the underground?” asked Stackpole.
“Not a peep, my friend, not a...”
Talvan let himself trail off. In the waning light, he could see a small group of people emerge from the woods to the east. They appeared to be wearing cloaks, and as they approached he could count six of them. Stackpole raised his eyebrows.
“Strangers?” he said. “There isn’t enough cloud cover. They’re taking quite a risk travelling on a night like this.”
“If they’re low on food they may have no choice. I hope they have something useful to trade. I don’t want word to get out that we’re in the charity business here.”
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