A. Warren Merkey

by Far Freedom

  She expressed surprise at his words and frowned with lack of comprehension. “Can you make me understand what you just said? I want to know Sammy will be alright.”

  “I can’t explain to you that which I do not myself understand.”

  “You don’t even know where he is?”

  “I know that much. Are you not interested in knowing why I brought you here?”

  ” You want to know things about me Aylis wouldn’t tell you.”

  “It is true I want to know more about you, and about a person named Zakiya.

  However, there are others who are interested in you.”

  A door opened behind Etrhnk and Sammy ran into the room. The first thing Zakiya thought was that Sammy wasn’t supposed to run so soon after being fitted with his regenerator prosthetic leg. His gait was uneven and obviously strenuous due to fear. Someone beyond the doorway uttered angry words and called Etrhnk’s name. Etrhnk grabbed Sammy as he tried to run past him. When Sammy struggled to be free, Etrhnk squeezed his shoulder and the pain made him quit struggling.

  “Kill the little bastard!” the golden alien shouted at Etrhnk, walking into the room and cutting the air with a rapier. He made straight for Zakiya and pushed the point of the sword to the gap of the collar of her uniform.

  Zakiya was astonished at the appearance of this humanoid creature. Even so, her defense system was instantly triggered, and before the sword could touch her, she pivoted and knocked the rapier from the being’s hand, sending it flying against the far wall. She then retreated from him and stared at him. He was dazzling in the bright light of the room. Wearing only shorts, his body was a surface of golden petals, almost like the feathers of an exotic bird. His head and face were covered with longer tendrils of feathers, most of which were now flattened as the alien reacted to being disarmed so quickly. The long feathers on top of his head soon stood back up, and as he smiled at her, the feathers on his cheeks did a kind of dance for a moment. “Test number one - passed.” The golden being spoke Twenglish. “Did you have a smart comment for me, Lord Commander?” the alien asked Etrhnk, keeping his eyes on her.

  “I would be careful, were I you,” Etrhnk advised in Twenglish.

  “I heard her sing. How can she be so dangerous? Or is it you I should watch?”

  Sammy tried to break free from Etrhnk and again suffered pain. Zakiya signaled to him with her hand to remain calm. The golden alien observed with dark blue eyes, too large to be human, and the feathers of his brow slanted as though they added meaning to his words: “The boy is not yet dead? Kill him! Snap his neck!”

  Etrhnk moved his hand to the child’s neck but waited to obey, knowing Laplace wasn’t the final authority.

  “What is your name?” Zakiya asked the alien, thinking to distract him from what Etrhnk was not doing. She could see the Navy Commander was not applying force to Sammy’s neck.

  “Laplace is my name.” The golden one moved toward her.

  “What are you?” Fidelity retreated.

  “You hesitate?” Laplace spoke angrily at Etrhnk, pausing to glare at him and the boy. Etrhnk reluctantly tightened his grip on the boy’s neck. He tried to measure the force to make it less than lethal but enough to make the boy struggle. The boy began to strike at his arm and tried to pry his fingers away from his neck. This satisfied Laplace for the moment. “What will you do, Fidelity Demba? Pay me compliments or save the child?”

  “I can’t save him. You are both larger and stronger than I. It’s also likely the room has hidden armaments and I’m targeted. I choose to spend my final moments wondering what you are and what your origin is. Kill the boy. Perhaps, if I’m lucky, I’ll get one of you before I lose my life.”

  “Let’s see if you’re lucky. Etrhnk! Kill him! Why do you take so long?”

  Etrhnk lifted the boy off the floor by the neck. He was strangling now.

  Constant rushed into the room. “The boy is not to be harmed! Release him to

  me!”

  Etrhnk dropped the boy and Constant caught him and pulled him out of reach. She quickly appraised his injury and forced him to resume breathing. She looked at Etrhnk and Laplace with fearful concern as she held the recovering child close to her.

  “You’re interfering, Constant!” Laplace complained. He didn’t budge from his confrontation with Demba, watching her for any sign of aggression. Etrhnk was disappointed Demba did not dispose of Laplace, as he had given her the opportunity.

  “The boy is not your concern!” Constant declared. “His future is guaranteed!”

  “His future is now linked to Fidelity Demba,” Laplace said. “And there’s no guaranty of her future.”

  “Nevertheless, she dies first,” Constant said. “Not the boy.”

  It was all madness, Etrhnk thought.

  Laplace struck with more speed than Etrhnk knew he had. Demba hardly moved, and the blow missed her. She made no counter strike. Laplace adjusted. He continued his attack. Demba retreated and dodged every blow. Etrhnk knew nothing of Laplace’s ability, but he quickly surmised that Laplace could not even hurt Admiral Demba. Unfortunately, it appeared Demba had no desire to hurt Laplace.

  Laplace stopped his attack and his golden feathers opened into fuzziness as heat dissipated from his body. “You don’t strike back,” Laplace said. “Why?”

  “What would it gain me?”

  “My death! Perhaps you could kill Etrhnk next. If he waits his turn.” Laplace spoke nonsense and Etrhnk thought she wisely ignored his words.

  “Why do you want to kill me and Sammy?”

  ” You seek to destroy the Lady in the Mirror.”

  “I’m unaware of that goal. She twice tried to kill me. Will she relent? Will she negotiate?”

  “The drive envelope has reached ninety-nine per cent on the Freedom,” Etrhnk said, interrupting. “I can’t imagine Jon Horss ordering such a dangerous tactic in dry dock.” This was starting to shift from sad fascination to hopeful excitement, Etrhnk thought. Feelings new to him, a flavor to life he might enjoy. Briefly.

  “What I find impossible to imagine,” Zakiya addressed Etrhnk, “is how such a good officer became your flagship captain.”

  “It negates any attempt to assault the ship by transmat,” Laplace said. “You have a mutiny to experience, Etrhnk.”

  “Are you finished with me?” Zakiya asked the golden being.

  “Are you finished with her?” Laplace asked Etrhnk. “Will you not kill her for me?”

  “I will not,” Etrhnk replied, somewhat surprised at himself. He did not wish to be finished with her.

  “I thought not.” Laplace drew out a long knife from a sheath at the small of his back. “This may take awhile, but I’ll be patient.”

  A man materialized in the far side of the room. Etrhnk thought this impossible. This place was shielded from any transmat traffic. He recognized the face of the man. Captain Direk, the supposed son of Aylis Mnro. The room armaments instantly responded to the intruder and instantly ceased when they were ineffective. “Black queen to white knight,” Direk said.

  “Projected image,” Etrhnk said. “He’s somewhere else in the room.”

  “There are two white knights,” Laplace said. He slashed at Demba with his blade and missed her. He moved away from her and toward the image of Direk. The image faded and reappeared in another spot. Laplace moved in the new direction. Demba paused for a moment and began walking to where Direk first appeared. Laplace stopped and watched Demba. Laplace jerked backward as though held by something around his neck. Laplace twisted against his invisible attacker, fell to the deck, rolled, stabbed at the air with his knife. A man wearing an i-field generator was holding onto Laplace and struggling with him for possession of his weapon.

  “Pawn to queen,” the image of Direk said.

  “Sammy,” Zakiya called.

  The alien female released Sammy and he ran to Zakiya as fast as he could.

  Etrhnk watched the struggle and did nothing but glance at Constant. She was sad,
whether for seeing the boy leave her or for seeing Etrhnk do nothing to stop him, he didn’t know. She should understand there was no reason for him to help Laplace, unless LaPlace might get himself killed. That might be unacceptable for human civilization, even though he personally did not care. Etrhnk wondered if he would need to stop Constant from coming to her fellow being’s aid. He knew she hated Laplace. She seemed unable to decide on her motivations. They both knew Laplace should have the advantage over any human woman where strength was needed. Perhaps Constant still expected Laplace to survive. Perhaps she knew better than Laplace what Demba could do. He gave them accurate reports of her actions in the Big Ball. Demba might kill Constant if she tried to intervene. Still, for all his sins and theirs, it would be a cataclysmic event if either of these ancient creatures died.

  Laplace strained to breathe, his neck still choked. He thrust the knife at a place close to his body. The knife slipped from side to side, then found a spot where it stuck. He worked the knife as well as he could at a difficult angle. He shoved and the blade disappeared into invisibility. His invisible attacker spasmed but remained attached to him. He could now struggle with both hands to break the constriction to his throat, but he had already been choked too long. Laplace grew frantic, then weakened. His arms dropped limply to his side. Laplace convulsed as blood and oxygen remained cut off from his head and lungs. The golden one slowly, then abruptly, fell to the floor. Bloody footprints turned toward Demba and Samson, the knife handle floating through the air above them for a brief moment until the i-field adapted it. More blood spattered on the floor as the red smudges stopped in front of Demba.

  “Pick Samson up.” The invisible Direk gasped in extreme physical duress. “Exactly on three you must jump upward at least twenty centimeters. One. Two. Three.”

  They jumped off the floor and disappeared instantly. Etrhnk was still surprised, even though he understood what made them disappear: not a transmat but a gate. He now saw how deep and powerful this conspiracy was. He was gratified to think it had a better chance to succeed than he would have thought before. He was even more intrigued to know what that conspiracy hoped to accomplish.

  It was a simple matter to help Laplace regain the use of his lungs. Etrhnk offered no other treatment. He waited for Laplace to gain consciousness. He waited for the consequences. He started as Constant placed a hand on his shoulder. “What have you done?” She sounded gravely concerned, not her usual carefree attitude. Perhaps she always did care but never wanted Etrhnk to know.

  “The wrong thing,” Etrhnk replied.

  “All because you thought I wanted to see Samson.”

  “I did as Laplace ordered. Then I called you. He is your child, isn’t he?”

  “Not any longer. I can’t keep him safe. Thank you for calling me. I could almost hope your thoughtfulness means you have feelings for me.” She forced her way into his arms. He handled her carefully, waiting for Laplace to skulk away. When they were alone Constant seemed to change, giving in to some emotion she had been containing.

  He held her gently, appreciating fully the magic of her reality. He liked the way the short round feathers of her body folded into near invisibility as his fingers touched her. It revealed skin beneath, skin of many colors, soft skin. He touched her face, brushed the longer and mobile golden plumage. He was surprised to find dampness upon her cheeks, dark streaks in the feathers.

  “You weep.”

  “I’ve seen the future - or the past. I don’t know the difference any longer. I never thought it would hurt me this much!” She hugged him as hard as she could and rubbed her face in his uniform, perhaps trying to dry it. “If only there was more time! If only I could change time.”

  Etrhnk discounted Constant’s words and what they might mean to him. He was to her but a leaf on a tree that would be shed in autumn. He took some small satisfaction in discovering that Constant could have meant a great deal to him, if he lived longer. If he could have felt sad, now would be his saddest moment. To die was one thing; it was the final insult to ego. To die ignorant, and unfulfilled, was … unacceptable.

  Section 009 Stealing Freedom

  He held her arm so tightly that he trembled. She was devastated that Sammy was again a victim of violence. She ordered him to stay at the hospital but couldn’t enforce it. He wouldn’t leave her side, wouldn’t release his grip on her. Fortunately, Aylis didn’t see his injuries, or else the situation would have been more complex, the delay much longer. Sammy needed her, not Aylis, at this moment.

  “Will you be alright?”

  “Yes.” He answered in a tiny voice.

  She looked at his neck again, frowned at the marks that would become ugly bruises. “I must go to the bridge, Sammy. I’ll take you with me. Can you breathe freely? Can you turn your head both ways?”

  He turned his head painfully. She looked at him worriedly and squeezed his shoulders. She picked him up carefully and he clung to her tightly. He was a little too big to carry - he was heavier than when he was starving in Africa - but she didn’t want him to walk. “Will Captain Direk die?” He whispered the question.

  “I don’t think so, Sammy.”

  They transmatted to a node at the bridge. They emerged into a darkened room full of patches of colored light and quiet conversations. Horss moved from station to station, touching controls and giving directions to the officers. He came to the admiral as soon as he was able.

  “Status?”

  “Admiral!” Horss greeted her with more than just military etiquette. He patted Sammy’s back. “All necessary systems active but the vision sphere. We’re blind. Evasion course plotted out to fifty parsecs. We’re blocked from exiting drydock by the carrier Honor. We caught a glimpse of them optically before we ramped up the duty cycle on the envelope.”

  “What other ships are maneuvering against us?”

  “At least one more carrier and the Eclipse. I estimate twenty minutes before the Honor has help, based on past experience with the traffic flow around this rock.”

  “Get us out of here now, Jon.”

  “We’re already moving. Blind reckoning. Admiral Khalanov has taught me a new lesson in the physics of starships. We’re about to try something I know isn’t taught at the Academy.”

  “Can we reconstruct an estimated view based on blind reckoning?” Zakiya glanced up at the featureless hemisphere of the ceiling.

  “Freddy is working on it. Excuse me, I need to help the helmsman.”

  Zakiya moved over to stand beside Iggy at an engineering console. Sammy still wrapped his arms and legs around her, but his head moved a little, as if he was looking at things behind her.

  “Sammy!” Iggy glanced behind him and returned his attention to his data. “You got him back! Where is Direk? I need him!”

  “He was seriously injured.” He shouldn’t even be alive, she thought, shuddering at the memory of the knife being shoved into his invisible body. He collapsed in the hospital as soon as the gate deposited them from their jump. It was the last of Direk’s strength. He fell against her and Sammy. It must have further disturbed the knife wound. She held both Direk and Sammy and screamed for help. She was covered in his blood, as was Sammy. When Direk became visible she was shocked at how terrible he appeared. “I don’t think you’ll have his help for many days, Iggy.”

  “I’m very distressed by this! I have a completely changed opinion of Direk! He was injured rescuing you from Etrhnk. I’m in awe of him! You realize that he knows the secret of teleportation? Did he make you jump upward?”

  “Yes.”

  “I want to know why! He wouldn’t tell me, said it would scare me!”

  “What are you doing to help us get away?”

  “I’m detuning the drive envelope. This allows random electrodynamic forces into the envelope. We’re a much larger vessel than a carrier, increasing the difference of potential. When we get close to the Honor our dirty envelope will corrupt their clean envelope. Then we’ll have electricity!”

&
nbsp; “In the old days we didn’t have such clean envelopes, and it was a possible tactic when one ship was bigger.”

  “You’re referring to Deep Space?”

  “No. Before that. Smugglers and merchant ships. My aunt and I smuggled Earth flora and fauna before I joined Deep Space. We would drain the envelope of a competitor, if we could get close enough.”

  “To what advantage?”

  ” To very little advantage, actually. My aunt was just a mean person.”

  “Look!” Sammy said hoarsely. The white hemisphere of the ceiling and much of the deck seemed to disappear, as an image of exterior reality formed. The bridge crew and their work stations seemed to float above a dark mass: the hull of the ship. Brilliant light flooded the drydock cavern of Navy Shipyards. The natural rock wall of the drydock was honeycombed with service accesses, littered with retracted construction platforms, and decorated with parked vehicles and machinery. The hull of the Freedom was an image constructed only for reference: the plain of a small moon made of dark, pitted rock. In reality, with its drive envelope active, the Freedom was a hole in space, blacker than black. Before them, in the distance, the mouth onto raw space contained the disk of another ship, covered with a smooth coating of dark passive shielding. It was the Honor , waiting to block their exit.

  “This looks too good to be a dead reckoning reconstruction, Freddy,” Horss commented.

  “I’m taking snapshots through the heading notch, Captain,” Freddy replied.

  “How are you getting enough data, when we’re dancing the heading notch so rapidly? Never mind, as long as it works! Something else to learn, after thinking I knew everything!”

  Changing its point of view, the bridge flew forward, as though it was a separate transparent spacecraft. It crossed the rough terrain of the Freedom to a vantage point at the space door opening. The image of the Honor swelled in size: a carrier containing a thousand smaller craft, a crew of two thousand. When one looked back at the Freedom, however, the carrier dwindled in comparison.