“The one you sent to the Belle-Marie?”
“Yes.”
I eased down onto the sofa and smiled. “It was beautiful, Chad.”
“Are you okay?”
“Sure. Why would you think otherwise?”
“You’ve been gone a long time, Chase. Again.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“That’s pretty much what you always say.”
“Chad, why don’t we talk about it later. I’ve got my hands full at the moment.”
“As far as I can see, there’s probably not much to talk about. I’ve had a lot of time to think about us. Chase, I’ll do what I can to make everything work.”
“That sounds good. But let’s give it some time, Chad.”
“That’s not encouraging.”
“Chad, I’m seriously pressed right now.”
“I guess you just answered my question. I’m sorry to lose you, Chase. I enjoyed being with you, but it’s pretty obvious it’s not going anywhere.” He stood in the middle of the living room, fading sunlight coming through the window behind him. “Good-bye, kid.”
“No, wait, Chad—”
He was gone.
I tried to call back but his AI informed me he wasn’t available.
• • •
I spent the next half hour talking with Carmen. I needed someone to sympathize with me, to reassure me that I hadn’t really lost him, that Alex would take care of everything, that we weren’t going to destroy the lives of the Octavia families. She told me to stop worrying. She was still at it when a call came in from Alex.
“I’ve invited representatives from each of the families for the conference tomorrow,” he said. “We’ll pay any expenses.”
“When?”
“One o’clock at the Holgrove Hotel.”
“Okay.”
“By the way, the media knows we’ve got something.”
“I’m not surprised. There was no way to warn the families and keep it quiet.”
“We’ll be leaving the country house at about a quarter after.”
“Is Gabe going?”
“No. He says he’s going to watch at home.”
“He’s no dummy. Okay. See you tomorrow.”
“Chase, do you want to be part of it?”
“I’ll be there. But I’d just as soon stand off to the side and watch. Unless you need me up front.”
“Okay. By the way, Lashonda tells me that Angela Harding’s coming in. And Womack’s parents. They’ll also have Elijah McCord.”
“Who’s McCord? I remember the name, but what’s his connection?”
“He teaches at AIT. He was a close friend of Housman’s.”
“All right. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
• • •
I needed a snack. Some chocolate cake. I cut a piece and had just sat down to enjoy it when Carmen informed me of another call. “From Jill Faulkner. At the Golden Network.”
That wasn’t good. My first reaction was to have Carmen tell her I wasn’t available. But that would only be a temporary solution. “Put her through, Carmen.”
I hadn’t met Faulkner but I knew she was a producer in the news division. She blinked on, seated at a circular table in a leather chair, tapping at a keyboard. Lush velvet drapes covered a window behind her, and a crowded bookcase stood to one side. Soft music filled the background. She looked up at me, smiled, and got to her feet. The music stopped.
“Ms. Kolpath?”
“Yes.”
“I’m happy to finally meet you. My name’s Jill. We’re interested in talking to you about Octavia. I understand you and your associate Alex Benedict have acquired some new information. I have to be honest: we’ve had reports like that before, but nothing has ever come of them. You and your colleague have a pretty remarkable history, though. Do you actually have something?”
“Jill, I’m not in a position to comment on this.”
“I understand. That sounds like a yes. I’d like to invite you in tomorrow morning for the Morgan Winslow Show.”
“Thank you. But I have to decline.”
“Ms. Kolpath, Morgan has a global audience. Hers is one of the three most-watched news shows in the world.” I was still sitting behind my piece of cake when she began to approach. She was considerably taller than I am, and she radiated a sense of compassion. “I understand this is probably difficult for you.”
Carmen’s lamp began blinking. “One second, Jill,” I said. “What is it, Carmen?”
“Another call. From Harold Pasciwicz.” He was the producer for the News Guys.
“Tell him I’ll get back to him.”
“You can see what’s going to happen,” Jill said. “We have the best ratings by a wide margin, Chase. If you’re going to do this at all, do it with us.”
“Thanks for the offer. But I have nothing to say on the subject.”
She was about to respond, but I disconnected and switched back to Carmen. “Give me Pasciwicz. If anybody else calls, I’m not available.”
“You have one from Alex,” she said.
“Put him on.”
“Chase,” he said, “heads up. You’ll be getting a lot of media attention.”
“It’s already started.”
“All right. Don’t say anything, okay?”
• • •
I gave Pasciwicz a no comment. We were still fending off calls when a skimmer arrived with UNITED NEWS emblazoned on both sides. That was enough. I packed a bag and, at the first opportunity, left the cottage and checked into a nearby hotel.
XLII.
The reality is that the vast majority of people try to do the right thing, to respect the rights of others, and to do no harm. The sad truth however is that a great deal of damage is nevertheless inflicted. How can this be? Because our judgment is impaired. Examine both sides in any argument, dispute, or war. Each will believe it is in the right.
—AUGUST TEMPLETON, LAST DAYS OF AVALON, 5593 CE
When I walked into the Holgrove Hotel’s auditorium, Lashonda was at the front table, just taking her place behind a lectern. I didn’t see Alex. The media were filing in, as well as others who undoubtedly had a personal connection. Olivia Hill was among them. She was seated at a table near the front.
Lashonda waited for everyone to settle in and then looked over at an open door. “Ladies and gentlemen,” she said, “we have finally a report on what happened to the Octavia. For that, we are indebted to Alex Benedict. Alex, would you come out here, please?”
He came through the doorway and took his place at the lectern. She shook his hand and returned to her seat. The crowd grew quiet.
Alex looked out across the audience. “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Recently, we intercepted a twelve-year-old radio transmission from Octavia. It was sent by Charlotte Hill from the space station on the day of its disappearance. They were at that time blocked by the black hole from communicating with any of our bases or worlds. They were in that position for about thirty-one hours. Charlotte was concerned about what was happening on the Octavia, and consequently she informed a friend that, if something untoward happened, she would send a radio transmission to one of the surrounding stars. The message to the friend was not immediately clear, which is why it has taken so long for us to catch up with it.”
Hands went up and questions were launched. Who was the friend? What star? Did you get the transmission? What did it say?
“Yes,” he said. “We did make the reception.”
“What did it say?”
Alex held up a hand. “This will go better if you let me finish.”
The audience calmed down.
“Rick Harding had a secret for years. He had discovered a world with a civilization that, at one time, apparently had a technology well in advance of ours. But the inhabitants had died off. They were killed in a series of wars, leaving behind another species that they’d enslaved. The survivors were terrified at the prospect of being treated the same way if someone else wi
th advanced technology showed up. So they pleaded with Harding not to reveal their existence. He said nothing for a long time. For years. But life on Octavia involved a lot of solitude. People in a place like that have a hard time keeping secrets. Rick apparently revealed the story to one of his colleagues with the understanding that the information would go no further.
“Unfortunately the recipient of the information faced the same challenge about not sharing it. Assuming the others on the station would say nothing, she passed it on. The details aren’t clear. But it seemed simply unreasonable to her colleagues to remain silent about a discovery of that magnitude. They confronted Rick and apparently made it clear to him that they felt keeping that kind of discovery quiet was irrational. That they had an obligation to pass it on to others in the scientific community.
“Rick tried to dissuade them.” Alex paused for a breath. “But he was unable to do so. When that happened, he got desperate and took the shuttle out. He rarely did that, but he must have considered it his only option. The only way he could protect the people to whom he had given his word. Charlotte and the others suspected he was going to use the shuttle to destroy the station. Del tried to talk him down, while Charlotte described the situation in the transmission she sent to the star. She knew it would be easy for an interstellar to acquire it, but she hoped their fears were unfounded and that the message, as well as the conflict, would simply disappear into the void. Ultimately, Charlotte tells us that the shuttle was coming back, and it was evident that Harding was going to crash it into the station.”
Hands began waving again. And more questions were thrown toward Alex. “Is that the way it ended?”
“Didn’t they have a defense system against approaching objects?”
“He actually did this to protect aliens?”
Alex held up a hand. “That’s all we have,” he said. “It’s the way it ended.”
“Was all this information on the transmission?”
“No. There is another source, someone who visited the same world that Harding did.”
“Who’s that?”
“Sorry. That’s private information. It’s of no consequence to the investigation so it won’t be revealed.”
“Where is the alien civilization?”
“That’s also private.”
The place erupted. “So you’re saying Harding went crazy?”
“Have you confirmed the transmission is legitimate? Is it Charlotte’s voice?”
Alex had to fight to regain control. Finally: “Yes, it’s Charlotte.”
“Will you run the transmission for us?”
“At the end of the conference, yes.” He was about to continue when someone began sobbing.
“I’m sorry it’s so painful,” he said. “None of us were prepared for this. Even though we knew it couldn’t have a good ending.”
Olivia was seated on the far side of the auditorium. Somehow, in this most painful segment of the entire experience, she’d raised her head and was staring past the speakers’ platform. The tears and sadness were gone, replaced by a glow of unbroken pride.
Alex continued: “It would be helpful to keep in mind that all four of these people, Charlotte Hill, Del Housman, Rick Harding, and Archie Womack died doing what they thought was right. Rick felt an obligation to protect an entire world of terrified beings. He had to have believed he had no choice. He might also have suspected we would eventually secure the weaponry that had killed off that world’s population.
“The others would have believed that access to an advanced civilization should not be denied to us. That we couldn’t simply take a pass on it. Something else as well: there are studies that reveal spending excessive amounts of time on a remote station, cut off from the rest of society, has a destabilizing effect on everyone. I suggest we cut Rick and the others a break. They all died trying to do what they believed in their hearts was right. They gave their lives for it.” He looked out across his audience. The media people were pointing cameras and raising hands. Others were in tears.
• • •
I wasn’t able to talk to Alex until we both got back to the country house. He looked thoroughly upset. “You okay?” I asked.
“Sure.” Then, after a long minute: “That was the most gut-wrenching experience of my life.”
I told him he couldn’t have done more. And Veronica called at the end of the school day. I wasn’t present for any of the conversation, but she showed up a half hour later. I was waiting at the door.
Alex needed her.
• • •
Chad did eventually accept a call. “Chase,” he said, “you think we could give it another try?”
EPILOG
I wish I could report that Alex’s comments resulted in media coverage that showed a degree of empathy for Charlotte and her colleagues. I suppose there was no way that could have happened. But he did succeed in converting the episode into what sounded like a giant communication breakdown. Everett DeLani, the prominent psychologist, released a book a year later, The Octavia Effect, which explored the damage that could be rendered by extreme isolation, especially when one is faced with a difficult decision. DeLani supported the position that Alex had taken, that four decent human beings had been victimized by the fact they were all trying to live up to moral stands that allowed no compromise.
A week after the press conference Reggie Greene came by the country house to say thanks. “Some people still think I’m crazy,” he said, “but at least nobody’s accusing me of killing her anymore.” He looked in pain, though. “I miss her. After all this time, I still can’t get her behind me. Charlotte was an incredible woman. Always reaching out and trying to help. Which I guess is what got her killed.”
Rick’s sister informed us that, despite his brilliance, he’d always had a dark side, a tendency to see the worst in human beings. But she never would have believed he’d be involved in anything like what had happened to Octavia.
In the weeks and months that followed we heard from members of all four families. And others who had personal or professional connections. Almost everyone thanked Alex for his effort on their behalf.
A young woman from Claritz University on Dellaconda got in touch with us. She’d been a student in a physics class taught by Archie Womack. He was, she told us, one of the kindest, most sensible people she’d ever known.
Another woman claimed to have grown up with Harding. “I don’t understand it,” she said. “The Rick Harding I knew would never have hurt anyone.”
• • •
Word arrived yesterday that Gabe will be the recipient of the Otto Fleminger Award this year for his contributions to historical research. He’s pretending it’s not a big deal, but he’s already cleared space in his office for it. It will be atop one of the bookcases, just above the Winston Churchill volume.
• • •
Note from Chase (1440): I had not expected to publish this in my lifetime. But it has been almost five years since these events. During that time, the determined refusal by many of us to accept AIs as living beings has largely disappeared. In most human societies they can vote, can own property, and are endowed with the rights the rest of us have. The remaining worlds have all introduced legislation on the subject.
Consequently it no longer seems necessary to mislead anyone about the identity of the “terrified beings” Alex cited in his address at DPSAR. That’s fortunate because radio transmissions from Kaleska have leaked into the sky above the End Times Hotel. That led to the discovery of the Dyson Sphere. And, as I write this, a mission is on its way to find out what’s going on.
Recognizing what was about to happen, Gabe left for Kaleska two weeks ago with his new pilot to alert the AIs. It’s too soon to have heard back yet, but he was confident that Ark and Sayla, and the rest of their friends, would make the adjustment.
I hadn’t expected that a release of Octavia Gone would ever be possible. Originally, I’d intended to use “Blame It on the Aliens” as the title. But Alex, w
ho rarely comments on my memoirs, argued that the experience had been too dark to refer to it in such a comedic manner. He was right. As usual.
Acknowledgments
I’m indebted to Walter Cuirle, Michael Bishop, and David DeGraff for technical assistance.
More from the Author
The Long Sunset
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JACK MCDEVITT is the Nebula Award–winning author of the Academy series and the Alex Benedict series. He went to La Salle University, then joined the navy, drove a cab, became an English teacher, took a customs inspector’s job on the northern border, and didn’t write another word for a quarter century. In 1971 he received a master’s degree in literature from Wesleyan University, and in 1980 he returned to writing when his wife, Maureen, encouraged him to try his hand at it again. Along with winning the Nebula Award in 2006, he has also been nominated for a Hugo Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and the Philip K. Dick Award. In 2015 he was awarded the Robert A. Heinlein Award for lifetime achievement. He and his wife live near Brunswick, Georgia. You can visit him at jackmcdevitt.com.
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ALSO BY JACK MCDEVITT
THE ACADEMY (PRISCILLA HUTCHINS) NOVELS
The Engines of God
Deepsix
Chindi
Omega
Odyssey
Cauldron
Starhawk
The Long Sunset
THE ALEX BENEDICT NOVELS
A Talent for War
Polaris
Seeker
Octavia Gone Page 34