Scales of Empire

by Kylie Chan

  ‘How’s she doing?’ Maxwell asked the doctor.

  ‘She’d recover faster if she’d just keep still. She keeps sneaking out of bed to go visit Commander Alto.’

  ‘I’m right here, you know,’ I said. ‘I can’t sit in bed all day! I need to get up and walk around. And Richard needs me.’

  ‘You’re staying right here until that shoulder has knitted,’ the doctor said. ‘Richard doesn’t even know you’re there, Jian. He’s unconscious most of the time. So stay put.’

  I banged the bed with my good hand.

  ‘We’ll leave you to it,’ Doctor Green said to the general. She glared at me. ‘Stay in bed!’

  ‘And if you need to use the bathroom, call me,’ Chandra added with exasperation.

  I waved my good hand at them. ‘All right.’

  They went out.

  ‘I just wanted to check up on you,’ Maxwell said.

  A man spoke into my head. Lieutenant Choumali, this is Psi Agent Tapu’o. The general is concerned that the Marque thing is watching you. Is that correct?

  Yes, I said.

  Is it telepathic?

  No. It’s never replied to my telepathic requests, even when they were urgent.

  Very well. General Maxwell will speak to you through me. She will leave you alone now, and you are to feign sleep. I will speak for her, and you reply directly to her. Understood?

  General, I said, please confirm that Tapu’o is going to speak for you.

  ‘Choumali, do you remember Psi Agent Tapu’o?’ the general said. ‘He helped with some of your psi training.’

  ‘I do, ma’am.’

  ‘He’s been promoted. He’s doing a great deal of high-security work now, with my full support.’

  ‘That’s very good news, ma’am.’

  ‘How’s the shoulder?’ she said.

  ‘Healing.’

  Her tablet pinged, and she checked it. ‘Ah, sorry. Duty calls.’ She rose. ‘If you hear from Tapu’o, listen to him. He has a great deal of excellent advice.’ She nodded to me. ‘Now rest.’

  ‘Ma’am,’ I said, closing my eyes and leaning back on the pillow.

  Please give the general time to walk out to the garden, Tapu’o said. If you are too fatigued by talking with her, tell her and she will let you rest. She will talk through me. I will relay for her; you reply to her directly. Understood?

  Understood, I said. Then to the general: I understand, ma’am. I should have warned you about Marque’s contempt for security protocols when we last spoke.

  I am speaking for her now, Tapu’o said. Not your fault – you were heavily sedated. I had your room thoroughly scanned and it came up clean. And then you talked to the AI and the damn thing appeared on the security cam. It had been there all the time. I should have known better, dammit.

  I smiled slightly. That was definitely General Maxwell.

  I came straight here after I read your report, Tapu’o continued.

  I should have told you immediately what the cat said, I replied. I drove the staff nuts yelling at them to pass it on to you.

  I know, they told me. And even though you were heavily sedated and in a lot of pain, you were right to draw it to our attention. The cat really said that? Mind control, uncontrolled reproduction and half-dragon babies? Nobody else on the colony heard it.

  All of our greatest fears right upfront, I said.

  Are they working together – good alien, bad alien? Perhaps the cats’ role is to scare us into wanting to make our own dragons.

  The cat tried to shoot both Marque and Shiumo on sight, I said.

  It must have known it would be ineffective, Tapu’o said.

  The cat didn’t have scales on its head, I said. It didn’t read as anything but antagonistic towards Shiumo – what little I could read anyway. She was right about them being narcissists. I’ve never seen such a self-absorbed mind in my entire life.

  That’s true, Tapu’o said. If the cats were working with the dragons, they’d be breeding with them as well. And if so, the cat wouldn’t warn us against the dragons; it would encourage us to have ‘relations’ with them. But breeding with dragons is the only way we’ll gain interstellar travel. We’re stuck in a corner, and the only way out has a huge ‘This is a Setup’ sign above it.

  There is another way, I said. The cat offered us a ship in exchange for our children.

  Holy shit, it wanted our children? Tapu’o said. Uh … sorry. The general said: What could it possibly want children for? The mind boggles. And it does!

  And what sort of ship? I said. How do the cats’ ships travel if they don’t have dragons to fold them?

  I asked Shiumo, Tapu’o said for the general. She said they have warp drive, and that’s why they haven’t joined the Dragon Empire. I asked her why she couldn’t give us warp ships so we can transport ourselves around the galaxy.

  I sat straighter, then winced as my shoulder twinged. I feigned sleep again. That’s a perfect solution.

  She said she will give us warp ships if we really want them, but time dilation is a serious issue. It might take ten days to travel to New Europa on a warp ship, but on Earth twenty-five years will pass. If something happened to the colony and you sent someone back to Earth for help, it might take that person two weeks to travel back on a warp ship but the colony won’t see the help for nearly fifty years. We might as well wait to breed our own dragons; we’d arrive there about the same time.

  Did she say that? I said. That we should breed our own dragons?

  No. She just pointed out the time dilation effect and let us make the connection ourselves. But if the dragons and cats are working together, the cats are seriously on the losing side. Every time they travel any distance from their home planet, they lose their entire family.

  From what I saw, that wouldn’t be an issue, I said.

  She was telling the truth when she called them assholes, Tapu’o added with humour. Earth’s oxygen level went down while you were on Wolf, and Shiumo had to boost it again. Without her around, the oxygen will be gone in a hundred years.

  We can’t talk Richard into keeping her here? I said.

  Richard is unconscious most of the time. He doesn’t have long. Oh, that’s awful, I didn’t know, Tapu’o said. Sorry, that was me. Speaking for the general now. We need this breeding program. We’ll just have to strictly control the reproduction of the resulting children.

  What about another dragon to sire a second generation? I said. Without that, the whole idea is pointless.

  Shiumo needs to agree to making the dragonscales first.

  Is that still your job? I asked her.

  Damn straight. And yours is to help me. The funeral for your fellow colonists is next week, and the King himself will preside. You have to be there – because Shiumo will be as well.

  I’d prefer to stay away from her –

  Tapu’o cut me off. We know, but she wants you back. She won’t take anyone else. We tried to insert an intelligence agent to talk to her about the breeding program, but she’ll only take you or Alto. So you’re ordered to make her agree to it.

  I hesitated.

  I know you don’t want to do this, but you’re our only chance, Tapu’o continued. We’ll extract you when the job’s done. Make the sacrifice, let her control you for a while, and I’ll ensure you never have to speak to her again.

  I grimaced, my eyes still closed. I don’t want to have her children. I never wanted children, and I only agreed to impregnation for the sake of humanity. Isn’t there another way?

  You misunderstand. We don’t want you to have her baby. We want you to talk her into impregnating at least five or, even better, ten women. We need at least ten dragons if we’re to succeed in interstellar colonisation.

  You must want a child from me if I can’t make it happen, I said.

  As a last resort, yes. We have five volunteers lined up already to have the children. If Shiumo agrees, you don’t need to participate if you don’t want to.

  Tha
t knowledge filled me with relief. I thought about it: I could probably talk Shiumo around if it was only five women.

  Just promise me you’ll ignore all my protests and extract me when the job’s done, ma’am. I felt a stab of pain. I promised the same thing to Richard and he still said no, even though it would save his life.

  I promise, Tapu’o said for the general. I hate this idea as much as you do, Choumali, but it’s necessary. You have the intelligence to succeed, I know you do.

  I understand now how Richard feels, I said. The idea that I’ll lose my free will … it’s terrifying.

  Oh lord, I didn’t realise … Sorry, Tapu’o said. The general says: we’ll protect you. Now rest.

  Ma’am, I said.

  From me, Tapu’o said. Cheers, Lieutenant, and good luck. The whole planet’s counting on you. This is an extraordinary sacrifice, and you’ll go down in history.

  Thanks, Agent Tapu’o.

  Signing off. The general says take care of yourself.

  I was jerked awake by a gurgling squeal, followed by loud whispers in the hallway.

  ‘I can hear you,’ I called. ‘Come on in.’

  Dianne and Victor entered the room, followed by my mother with David in her arms. He was five months old and holding his head up, but didn’t appear to see me. He was a small mid-brown lump with close-cropped black curls and bright intelligent eyes who was fascinated by everything in the room at once. He mouthed a plastic ring he was holding, and a vast amount of sticky saliva covered his chin and chest. He dropped the ring, and my mother caught it before it hit the floor.

  Dianne rushed to me with her arms out.

  I raised my good hand and planted it on her chest. ‘Stop, stop, wait!’

  She hesitated, confused.

  ‘My shoulder is giving me no end of grief,’ I said. ‘I can’t hug you. Please don’t sit on the bed. Any movement hurts like anything.’

  ‘Aren’t you on drugs for the pain?’ Mum said, full of compassion. ‘That sounds awful.’

  ‘I am, but it’s still agony. The cat nearly took my arm off, and it’s taking a long time to heal. Sorry, guys.’ I smiled ruefully, and waved my good hand towards the visitor chairs. ‘Sit with me and tell me what you’re up to.’ I wiped my eyes. ‘God, I missed you so much.’

  They shared a smile and sat.

  ‘You’re a hero again, sweetie,’ Mum said, shifting David so he was more comfortable in her lap.

  He wriggled and put his arms out towards Victor, and Mum passed him over. He instantly put his arms out for Dianne and made a fuss about going to her. She took him, and he put his arms around her neck and buried his face in her shoulder.

  ‘Pass the parcel with a bub,’ Victor said. ‘Tell us what happened to the colony. There isn’t much information on the news. You were attacked?’

  ‘I can’t tell you much – it’s still classified,’ I said. ‘The colony was succeeding, we were going well. Then a cat came and destroyed everything – for potatoes, of all things.’

  ‘Potatoes?’ Victor said.

  ‘Seriously?’ Dianne said.

  ‘I know. So many of my friends were killed by that asshole. It breaks my heart.’

  David wriggled, and Dianne turned him on her lap so he was facing me. He smiled at me and I smiled back, and he dropped the ring again.

  ‘Dammit,’ Dianne said. She hoisted him onto her hip and took the ring into the bathroom to wash it.

  ‘Teething,’ Mum said.

  ‘Oh, you little turd!’ Dianne said inside the bathroom. She came back out and the room filled with the smell of faeces. ‘It was a liquid one and it’s all up his back. Pass me the bag, love?’

  ‘No, I’ll do it,’ Victor said, picking up the baby bag, which was bigger than my duffel. He hoisted it over his shoulder and put his arms out for David.

  Nurse Chandra appeared in the doorway. ‘I can smell that from the nurses’ station! I’ve got one about the same age – the poo is revolting when they’re teething. Give him to me. I’ll clean him up, and every nurse on the floor will spoil him. You stay and talk to Jian.’

  ‘He may not like you,’ Victor began.

  Chandra took David off Dianne and made some ridiculous faces with matching noises. David laughed hysterically, and the sound made me smile.

  Chandra put David over his shoulder, grabbed the baby bag and went out. ‘Look what I have, Susanne!’ he shouted.

  David howled with delightful baby laughter from the end of the corridor, and we all smiled.

  ‘So what’s the plan for Lieutenant-First-Class-with-Gold-Clusters Choumali now?’ Victor said as he sat again. ‘Are you going back to the barracks in Manchester?’

  ‘We’re part of galactic society now – we need people like you out in the stars,’ Dianne called from inside the bathroom where she was washing the mess off her arms. ‘Have they talked more dragons into transporting our ships yet? I want to visit other planets and see all the aliens Shiumo talks about. Imagine the new biologies we could encounter!’

  ‘You belong out there,’ Mum said. ‘I hope they can find a way for you to return. What you were doing was so important!’

  I sat quietly, thinking.

  ‘I know that face,’ Dianne said as she came out of the bathroom and sat down. ‘It’s the “how much can I tell them?” face.’

  ‘There may be a way to get as many dragons to carry our ships as we want,’ I said, ‘but it’ll take a while. General Maxwell has me working on the program. In thirty or thirty-five years we may be able to travel as much as we please, anywhere we please, with as many dragons as we need.’

  ‘Can’t wait,’ Dianne said with enthusiasm.

  ‘Why thirty years?’ Victor said.

  I shook my head.

  ‘Is the program hard?’ Mum said. ‘Sounds hard if it’s going to take thirty years.’

  ‘I think General Maxwell can pull it off,’ I said.

  ‘Well, since Shiumo extended all our lives that’s not an unreasonable wait,’ Mum said. ‘I may even be able to travel with you myself.’

  ‘I would really love that.’ The idea lifted my heart – that my awesome courageous mother could go into space and see its wonders.

  ‘Oh, sweetie,’ she said with compassion when she saw my face.

  ‘So we need to design and build ships for these dragons to carry,’ Victor said.

  ‘And work out diplomatic protocols for when we meet the aliens,’ Dianne said.

  ‘And apply for membership of the Galactic Empire,’ Victor added with enthusiasm. ‘We can only speculate what other advantages the dragons’ technology can bring us!’

  ‘This has changed humanity, Jian,’ Mum said. ‘Two years ago we were looking extinction in the face. Now we’re longer-lived, healthier, and some of us may have the chance to go out and tour the stars.’

  ‘All because of you,’ Dianne said. ‘I can’t believe it – my Jian, the one who made the First Contact and changed everything forever. You know my colleague John, the historian at the university?’

  I nodded.

  ‘He wants to interview you – from a historical perspective – to keep a full record for future generations. Your actions are making a massive historical impact.’

  ‘One of the greatest women in history,’ Mum said with satisfaction.

  ‘I think that’s General Maxwell’s title – she’s been the driving force behind this,’ I said. ‘It’s always a team effort.’ I smiled around at them. ‘And you’re my team.’

  David howled down the hallway, and we all made faces. Chandra appeared in the doorway with the baby crying and struggling in his arms.

  ‘Time’s up. Sorry, guys,’ Chandra said. ‘The little tyrant wants his mums and dad and there’s no consoling him.’ He looked at the three of them. ‘Lieutenant Choumali should rest now anyway. She has a lot of healing to do.’

  Dianne took David and he quieted immediately, still shaking with tiny gasping sobs.

  ‘We’ll leave you to it,’ Mum s
aid to me. ‘As soon as your shoulder’s good enough to leave the hospital, come and stay with me in the village.’

  I nodded.

  They said some more stuff before they went out, but I didn’t really register it. Dr Green was right: just this short chat had been exhausting, and the drugs were making me drowsy.

  I was in a wheelchair with my arm in a sling when I attended the funeral for our colonists. There was only room for the surviving colonists and the immediate families of those who had died – and it was still nearly three thousand people. The King himself presided, and my fellow surviving colonists sat with me as we farewelled our colleagues. Shiumo and General Maxwell stood behind the King as he spoke about our bravery, and thanked Shiumo for helping us. Eight hundred and forty-six coffins went into the flames, the families of the lost colonists sharing their grief. I’d only known my colleagues for six months, but it felt like we’d been jammed into that dome forever.

  The King stepped forward to speak, snapping me out of my reverie.

  ‘Our colonists had just begun to terraform New Europa,’ he said. ‘They were working to give future generations a breathable atmosphere and food to eat. All that was taken from us by aliens with no respect for the lives of others. Commander Geoffrey Vince gave his life to protect the colony. And fifty people were saved thanks to the quick thinking of Lieutenant Choumali and the generous assistance of Princess Shiumo.’

  Everybody nodded to me. I kept my face impassive. If I’d been a better soldier I would have stopped that damn cat before it took everything away from us. If I’d grabbed Emily’s weapon and shot the cat, none of the other colonists would have died.

  The King continued to speak but I zoned out, the pain meds making me drowsy and dulling my grief. Flashes of memory of the other colonists hit me as the King named them. Every single member of my team had died: Lawrence and Alison, pregnant with their first child; Elise, who could also have been pregnant; Ronnie, Gordon and Pattie; Ben, with his bad jokes about ‘green food’ that had helped to keep us going; Marcia, who had adored the animals she’d looked after; Edwin, who I’d taken through basic training myself. All the security officers I’d worked with had been killed trying to save the other colonists. And Emily. She and I had started to build something really good together. I understood her challenges and frustrations as head of security, and she genuinely didn’t care about me being psi. They were all gone. The colony had been devastated.