by Tony Attwood
'How long have we got?' asked Koreli.
'In eighty-seven hours twenty-three minutes the molecular structure of the ship will start to deteriorate. The structure will become unstable to the extent of not fulfilling necessary functions twenty-three hours seventeen minutes after that. '
'How... ' Korell's voice was cut off by Blake. Following Vila's instructions it always gave relevant information.
'If the ship leaves at once and heads directly for the black hole at the centre of the galaxy at maximum speed then the black hole will be reached within seventy-nine hours. ' '
'Not much time to spare, ' said Koreli.
'So we turn back, ' said Avon. 'Now!'
'You have a way of getting what you want, ' Koreli told him. 'You haven't been tampering with Blake by any chance?'
Avon looked at Koreli for a moment. 'You are a beautiful woman, ' Avon told her. 'Don't reduce your beauty by stupidity. Take the ship up, we are wasting time. '
Long journeys, as far as Vila was concerned, were becoming slightiy more acceptable. For the most part Avon and Koreli were deeply involved in computer work. Now Vila could work with KAT and talk to Blake. It helped.
The problem that Avon and Koreli each strove to solve in their separate ways was apparent even to Vila with his almost total lack of computer awareness. They had to find a way of entering the black hole, a way of getting through, and worst of all a way of ensuring that they not only emerged but actually emerged in the right time zone and the right continuum. It was a problem beyond the abilities of any individual to solve. Indeed it was beyond the abilities of most thirteenth generation computers.
However, both sets of computations were finished with several hours to spare, and fortunately for the flight deck Koreli and Avon produced analyses that agreed. What Avon would have done had Koreli actually disputed with him in the area of computer-based analysis Vila dreaded to think. As the solutions were compared Vila continued to contemplate his new awareness: in every reality another Vila exists; another version of himself with a slightly different persona making himself slightly different. How would he get on with himself - but not himself? Pretty well, he thought. But how would Avon get on with Avon? And how would Avon react if he came face to face with another Blake? Another killing? Reconciliation?Afterwards, however, Vila's tales were not of multi-person populated realities but of the pain of high-gravity pressure, of the screams from fusion engines asked to do too much, of the way the display screens and the Blake computer could only give out images of streaks of light rather than clear pictures of passing stars, crammed closely together at the galactic centre. He would speak of the looming blackness of the hole itself growing ever larger, and the essential nature of his work relaying data to Koreli as she tried to steer Revenge into the very centre of the hole itself. Then he told of the all-pervading blackness - the nothingness showing up on the screens and the long battle to turn the ship precisely so that they exited the way they had come. But, as the calculations had shown, they had to leave at a velocity just different enough to allow them to compensate for the injection of power that Revenge had picked up through the white hole. Then the build-up of pressure and noise once more as they left the black hole and re-emerged into the galaxy. Vila would conclude his story with a word about Koreli.
Throughout the whole tale he would imply that it was he, Vila, who had got them through, passing on information right and left, keeping a calm head whilst others shouted, acting as a focus for information within the ship. But he would end with a little side line, a trivial incident designed to show his modesty in praising another, and yet leaving his listeners craving more information about the black hole. 'Koreli, ' he would say, 'fascinated me. As we left the hole and came back into the real world, she calmly tapped into the communications channels and listened. And that was the whole point. ' (At this juncture he would turn from face to face as if to suggest that anyone closely following his narrative should have realised that point, but for those less well endowed intellectually, he'd spell it out anyway. ) 'We didn't know if we had come back into our galaxy or not. And she just listened for a few moments, and then calmly said, "I think this is the right place. " I find that quite remarkable. ' And then with a half smile he would sit back in his chair, take another good sip at the drink which was given him by hosts and hostesses grateful to have such a tale recounted by one actually there, and wait for the praise and the questions.
Fortunately for Vila, Koreli rarely spoke of the journey through the hole, for the simple reason that she never found a need to talk of times past, and when she did speak it was to recall some of her more glorious occasions. For her the past was mainly irrelevant, unless it was used to gain an insight into a problem of the present, or contained within itself a reason for her own present actions. To Koreli the only real interest was the future. Reminiscing was a waste of time. But she would sit and listen to others tell of the past, for that gave her a lot of good information concerning the person speaking, information that might come in handy one day. She never gave out such free hints about herself.
Avon too kept silent about the affair. What Vila failed to report, because in reality he had spent much of the journey with his eyes closed and mind very firmly shut, was that Avon had used the last few hours of time they had in the alternative galaxy doing what Vila claimed Koreli had done upon their return - listening to communications chatter. Avon had even sent out a few messages himself, trying to learn not only about the galaxy they had entered but also trying to find out the state of the Federation and whatever administration there was in that alternative reality. He also sent out three requests for information about current myths and legends, and received informative, if baffled, replies.
Once through the hole and certain that they were back in their own Galaxy in their own time zone, Koreli faced her dilemma once more. In the end she asked Avon directly for information. He looked at the woman, lifted his right hand, pointed a finger in familiar style, but then stopped himself. He turned away. 'We have time distort, we have plasma shielding, we do not have teleport. I thought that was the next move - or do you have something else in mind?'
'I have nothing in mind... 'she replied tentatively. Was there some double meaning in the use of that word?
'Then leave the planning to me. But perhaps you wish to leave the ship now?'
'Not after I took so long to find you, Avon. '
'Why did you find me? If you had just wanted Orac you would have left us long ago. ''Do you want me to leave?'
The question seemed to surprise Avon. He turned to face her squarely. 'Live on this ship alone with Vila, a wine-drinking hand computer and a main computer answering to the name Blake? You are a pilot, and you are prepared to converse with Vila. What more could I ask?'
'The question is not what could you ask, but what could you do? If I am to pilot this ship again it would be helpful to know where I am taking it and why. '
'To find the materials we need for teleport. '
'Not good enough, Avon. Try again. '
Avon's calmness disappeared. 'It does not have to be good enough, ' he said aggressively. 'As I have said, you are welcome for the moment to work on this ship. Your skills are good, you are useful. The same can be said of Vila. But make no mistake, you are not indispensable. '
'So you consider it your ship, do you? And what if I said I wanted to go somewhere else?' Her voice continued to be as sweet and gentle as ever.
'You would start to be tiresome which normally you are not. But I will put you down on the nearest planet. Remember you owe me from Skat - I don't owe you. And I'll tell you when I am collecting. '
Korell seemed to consider her position for a moment. 'Is it really a teleport you are after?' she asked. When Avon did not respond, she continued half to herself. 'And after that? When you have built up another ship to rival those you have lost before? What will you do? Track down Servalan?'
'I told you I have unfinished business. '
'Does it reall
y matter to you so much?'
'Certain things matter. We could stay forever drifting in space, watching ourselves decay. Or we could decide to look after ourselves. Revenge against Servalan on its own is meaningless. But revenge allied to a new plan can have some kind of meaning. '
'So you really are another Blake?'
'Blake wanted to kill Servalan to build a new and better Galaxy in the glorious name of the Freedom Party. But the
Party was corrupted by its own plans even before Blake started using Liberator. The Party that Blake had so much feeling for still wanted to control people, to tell them what to do. That power warped his mind. He wanted to destroy Star 1 - do you know what that meant? Star 1 maintained the environment on hundreds of planets. It made worlds that were otherwise useless into places that could be lived on. And he wanted to destroy that, causing the death of countless millions. That is the result of the mindless battle of two political ideals, two political maniacs, Blake against Servalan - each perfectly assured that what they did was for the best. '
'And you are different. '
'Well now, you have to decide for me. '
'All right, let me tell you. Blake felt that he could never be a member of the Federation's kind of society. He had to oppose the Federation, but he did so in the name of the grand new society that the Revolution would bring about, with him, presumably, as one of the great leaders. Blake would become a benevolent dictator, which is why you disliked him even more than Servalan. For Servalan, on the other hand, there was no doubt. She wanted to be supreme ruler of everything, with total power of life and death over the million billion souls in the Galaxy. You can understand that. It doesn't appeal to you but you can understand that. But you saw Blake as aiming to gain power through pretending to liberate - that was how you saw him. You saw him as a cheat. You felt all revolutionaries were phony, but Blake was the worst, because he presented himself as something different from the Federation. In Blake's new society everyone would be told how free they were and they would all really believe it. They wouldn't drug the atmosphere any more because everyone would feel for Blake without that sort of treatment. You could see through that. Avon would still be the outlaw in Blake's society just as he was in Servalan's.
'What do you have left, Avon? To be an exile? You thought of that. You thought of taking a ship that was self—
sufficient, and just driving it on your own outside society, existing, being. A hermit.
'So what does Avon do? The life within society to you is meaningless. Conforming to the wishes of the Federation of the Average Man is meaningless. The rebellion of Blake is meaningless. Exile is meaningless. You don't want to change anything, except perhaps to kill off Servalan. Everyone else is a fool except Avon. '
Koreli looked at the man she had just analysed, but he did not look back. Instead he was staring at the display screens in front of him.
'I have received a message. ' It was the voice of the Blake computer.
'I see it, ' said Avon still looking at the monitors.
'It is from Federation Space Station Sub-command at grid reference 953 002, ' persisted the computer. 'They are demanding information on our flight pattern and on authorisation for our present whereabouts. '
'Since when did the Federation demand information like that? They normally just shoot first, and then ask you to submit a reference sheet in quadruplicate, ' said Vila.
'The logical answer, ' Koreli told him, 'is that there is some authorised but unidentifiable space traffic around here. I wonder what it's up to. '
'The message is being repeated, and the demand for a reply is getting stronger, ' announced Blake.
Avon pressed the necessary key. 'We are the space freighter Revenge bound for the planet MD2551R carrying supplies of protein supplement. '
'On what authorisation?' came the disembodied voice.
'On the authorisation of the Parliament and Supreme Council of the Planet Rijks, ' said Avon.
'You will take your craft into orbit around the star lying at grid reference 993 008 so that you can be boarded and your credentials checked. '
Vila got worried. 'Where did you get that name from?' he demanded.
'From the map, ' Avon answered shortly.
'Well let's go there, or rather let's go somewhere. Anywhere. '
'No, ' said Avon. 'There is something happening here, and I would like to know what it is. There must be a good reason for the Federation to be unsure of who is on their side and who is not. Blake. '
'Yes Avon, ' replied the computer.
'Give me a run-down of all the spaceships within ten thousand spacials of here that are not openly displaying Federation signals. '
'There are only two such ships. One is a Star Cluster type freighter bearing four by seven by nine distance one thousand five hundred spacials. '
'And the other?' asked Vila.
'Is the freighter Revenge, ' said Koreli. 'Is that not right, Blake?'
'Carrying three people, Vila Restell, Kerr Avon
'Thank you Blake, I think we have the picture, ' said Vila.
'So shall we go and take a look at whoever or whatever the Federation have us mixed up with?' said Avon. 'Or shall we try to outrun them and never know what is going on?'
Put like that Vila found it easy to opt for running away. Koreli sided with Avon, however, and as always he was outvoted.
Avon continued with the instructions. 'Blake, give us a close-up of the star cluster freighter. ' A picture emerged upon the screen. The ship appeared to have undergone substantial modifications, although still bearing some of the hallmarks of the Star Cluster type. Extra sections seemed to have been grafted on the rear ramjets and many of the proper formal markings had also disappeared.
'How many people on board the ship?'
'Three people. ' Blake paused. 'And two vampires. '
'Servalan!'
'Servalan would never travel in something looking like that. She always retains a degree of style even if it slows her down, ' Vila objected.'Blake, ' commanded Avon, 'I want a complete spectral analysis of that ship, and when you have it..
'I have it Avon, '
'... I want anything that can be identified as relating directly to the people and the mutoids on the ship removed. Then remove anything relating to the legitimate normal structure of a ship of that type, and then report what you have left. Korell, start manoeuvring towards the location demanded by the Federation ship, but do it slowly and awkwardly. We need time. '
'The spectrum analysis remaining, ' said Blake, 'reveals a high degree of sygnum, much converted to crystal form - although far more than is needed to withstand a conventional plasma attack - plus some still in its purest raw form. There is also a substantial amount of RT alloy towards the rear of the ship, probably located in the hold. Finally there is a combination of alloys and crystals at the very rear of the ship which would indicate major modification to the ship's drive unit. '
Korell and Avon exchanged a long, silent knowing glance. Vila got impatient. 'I know those looks, ' he exclaimed. 'So stop playing about. What's going on?' He looked from one to the other but neither made a move to explain. 'It sounds like a description of us. So what does... ' Vila's voice trailed away as the implications began to sink in.
Avon smiled condescendingly. 'Raw sygnum is only available in one place. You have been there - you may use the ship's log to remind yourself. You may also remind yourself that that place is halfway across the galaxy. And I can't think of too many reasons why you need more sygnum, apart from withstanding an attack, unless you are going through a black hole. RT alloy is used for one thing only, and that is the production of laser infusion side arms. Finally, you don't expect freighters to carry drive modifications. So, Vila, even you may now begin to see that we have just used an exit route from a black hole which someone else is using. And that someone else is also using Skat as the entry point into the other reality. '
'But what for? When we found ourselves in the alternative univer
se we needed to get out as fast as possible. '
'Quite true, ' Korell agreed, 'but we had no plan when we went in there, and we spent a lot of time modifying the ship so we could get out again. Supposing you knew what you were up to. You went in with a plan. We know that particular version of the galaxy is underpopulated. So it makes an ideal spot for gathering raw materials, buying up armaments, modifying ships, in fact everything necessary to prepare for a friendly little war. '
'But if it is Servalan, what is she doing preparing a war?' argued Vila. 'She's never had too much trouble getting ships before. '
'When she was Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Federation of the Inner and Outer Worlds that was true. And during her short life as President even more true. But now, as a Commissioner of The Federation she has freedom to roam around the Galaxy investigating crimes, and sorting out local trouble. But that is hardly enough for Servalan, is it?'
'So you think she's preparing for a comeback?'
'I'm damn sure of it, ' Avon told him. 'And we have just stumbled on her supply route. The question is, what do we do about it?'
'I don't suppose running in the opposite direction is one of the options you are considering?' asked Vila with vain hope.
'The Federation run by Servalan is bad news, ' said Korell.
'Right, ' agreed Vila at once, 'but the Federation run by some of the Councillors who displaced her could be even worse. '
'Or better, ' Korell countered. 'At this stage we don't know. None of us has actually been at the heart of political affairs during the past six months. '
'A Federation mixed up in a civil war could be the greatest opportunity of all, ' said Avon.
'An opportunity for what? Murder, bloodshed, extermination?' said Korell.
'Isn't that what goes on anyway?' asked Avon. 'We all of ushave unfinished business with the sort of people who love power for power's sake within the Federation. '
'I'm not sure that I do, ' Koreli argued.
'You do more than anyone, ' said Avon.
Koreli smiled at Avon. 'And Vila. Do you have unfinished business with the Federation?'