His little sister Fione sat down by the table, sucking down her liquid sustenance. It was because of her that his father had left five years ago. Their mother said it wasn’t, but Tristram knew.
Fione was one of the deformed ones, and had almost died as a baby. Modern medicine had saved her, for better or worse. She had no face, only a few holes in place of mouth and nose, one barely functional eye on the right, and no ears. Her head was bumpy and spotty, almost bald, growing only some random black strands of hair that their mother always cut away. Fione had some control over her environment through her robotic arms, but every attempt to install legs had failed. For some reason her brain could not fire the synapses required to move them, so she was confined to a robotic chair. Also, she had never spoken a word.
As always, Tristram walked up to Fione and bowed down to give her a hug from behind. She stopped sucking on the straw and shook just a little bit. It was her way of saying she liked it. Her small and lumpy body felt warm in his arms.
The doorbell rang.
Two cats ran in side by side through the kitchen to the patio. They were always chasing each other, the Grenovese ladies his family had had since they were just kittens.
Tristram rose and jumped up to the screen to see who was at the door. He swallowed as he saw two police officers; had they come after him?
His mother walked into the room in her green, flowery summer dress. ‘Uh, police? Wonder what business they have,’ she said, and went to let them in.
Six men burst through the door. They were the Eura planetary police; their eyes and guns fixed on Tristram.
‘Oh, blast,’ he said as they approached.
They presented the case and the evidence. It was all there. Apparently the police had confiscated the craft from Naido and the craft’s log showed Tristram as an unauthorised pilot, and that the security had been hacked with Eddie’s tools. It was grand theft, punishable by deportation. In a matter of minutes, Tristram’s fate was sealed.
The police took him right away. There was no time to pack. No time to say farewell to Fione. No time to stroke the Grenovese ladies. He had to leave everything behind.
His mother dropped to her knees, crying.
PART II
‘You know; we are all born a clean slate. The moment we start breathing, we start colouring ourselves with experiences. Others too, they paint, draw and scratch on us. Every line and patch you draw… every mark they make… they are all permanent. Some of them you cover with new colours. Some of them you can never cover. The ones you have covered; they too will always be there.’
– Ash Macabre, lying naked in a Shin-Chuong hotel bed
CHAPTER NINE
EDDIE SAT down on the bed. He had left Tredd in the cockpit and emptied his robotic luggage onto the shelves in his cabin. It was an old ship, but the cabin was quite decent.
He felt a tinge of homesickness, wondering what Cass, Luke and the twins were up to. He felt bad about leaving like that, but he had to.
‘I’m sorry. I will be back soon. I love you,’ he said in a message to her, but received no reply.
Tredd’s arrival at his doorstep was synchronicity; once he asked him to go along, there was no way Eddie was going to say no. He needed this mission as much as Tredd did.
After he had been dismissed from the navy for repeated instances of substance abuse, he had made a living as a professional gambler. That’s what most folk called it, but he did not actually gamble, he only placed bets with favourable odds. He specialised in Jester – a fast-paced combat simulation that combined skill and luck – and was able to make a decent income. It had lasted for some time, but eventually his luck had turned, or his opponents had caught up with him. He had played among some of the best professional players and eventually he had ended up suffering heavy losses. He lost everything he had won in his gambling career, everything he had ever saved, and had even resorted to taking out an expensive loan that he was still continuing to pay back.
Cassandra, of course, knew nothing about his debt, only the fact that his take-home pay from his vocation as a teacher was slim. Tredd had brought him deliverance. Completing this mission would wipe his debts. Getting even with Tommy was a neat bonus.
It was because of Tommy that he was sent to serve in the navy. It was because of Tommy that his father had committed a suicide. It was because of Tommy that he took up the bottle. After realising what Tommy had done, he had wanted payback.
He had looked for Tommy on the Dawn Network, but he was not listed, at least not at his clearance level. He hadn’t even known if he was dead or alive. Now he knew. When he was younger, he had sought revenge – as he suspected Tredd still did – but now he only wanted to see what had become of his old childhood friend and what kind of lines had appeared on his face. He wanted to have a chat, to talk about the old times, to understand why he did what he did… and then he might need the revenge after all.
The morning of the day that Tredd arrived, he had felt a certain anticipation, and the day before he had had a blackout.
It had been a while since he had experienced one. He thought the blackouts would have gone with the liquor, but now they were back, even though he was sober. Cass had been worried, and wanted Eddie to go to the doctor’s, but Eddie had brushed it off, saying he had always had them. When it happened he was usually blacked out for five to twenty minutes, but afterwards felt well recovered and rested. He told Cass it wasn’t something to worry about.
Inside, he was worried.
He had thought they were gone, but it appeared they had only been hiding. Now they were back, and they had changed. They had started happening more often. Only a few hours ago he had fallen face first on the controls in the cockpit. He had been lucky; the others had been lounging in the galley. That might not be the case next time.
He was beginning to think that perhaps Cass was right.
Then he had an idea.
They had a doctor on board, a specialist in neurology. Eddie could use his blackouts to test if she really was a doctor, and if he was lucky, perhaps she might know something about them.
Eddie knew the practice the doc had said she worked in, Doctors at Vista, because he had looked around for a family doctor when they moved into the Bella suburb. He and Cassandra chose another practice for their family then, but it could well have been the Vista.
He thought about it for a while, but hesitated. If she knew about his condition, it might compromise the mission. At the same time, he wanted to understand it, before their mission became compromised. If he collapsed in the middle of an operation…
He had to do something about it.
The doc must already be getting down to rest. Perhaps I should go later. Then again… What would Tredd do?
No question about it.
Eddie stood up and walked into to the hallway.
He entered the medical bay through an open door. In the middle stood an examining table, around it shelves with medical equipment, and on one side there was an office chair and an interactive table. It looked like a complete infirmary. He saw the doc from behind, arranging some items on the shelves. With a long white coat and her hair up in a knot, she looked the part.
‘Dr Killock,’ he said.
Bells turned around, fumbling with a vial in her hands, almost dropping it. ‘You startled me,’ she said, her hand on her chest, before she took a deep breath. Her pink lipstick had changed to sharp red. ‘I was completely lost in thought.’
‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you.’
Bells laughed it away as she inserted the vial into a holder.
Her laughter was contagious, and Eddie felt a smile growing on his own face as well. He drew it back in order to keep a professional demeanour. ‘How are you finding it?’
‘Well,’ she said, and took a few steps towards Eddie. ‘You’re an interesting pair of former military men running this motley crew on a delivery mission. There is something you’re not telling us, but as long as our trails
converge, I’m more than happy to tag along.’
Eddie blushed. ‘I was talking about the medical bay, but that was interesting too.’
‘This place is all right,’ Bells said, looking around. ‘It could be worse. How’s your cockpit?’
‘Could be worse.’
Bells put a hand over her smile like a mischievous girl. She walked up to him, so close that Eddie could see the tiniest of freckles on her high cheekbones. ‘So tell me, why did you come here?’
Eddie coughed to clear his throat. ‘Well, I just wanted to see what the medical bay looked like, and to see how you were doing.’
‘But that’s not the real reason…’ The doctor scanned him up and down with her gaze.
‘Well, it is…’ Eddie insisted. The doctor’s a mind reader, he thought. She can see something is wrong. Perhaps she’s the real deal after all.
‘OK then,’ she said, focusing her blue eyes on Eddie.
There was an awkward silence. Eddie turned his gaze away and took a breath. He walked up to the examining table and ran his fingers along the smooth blue edge.
Bells followed him silently with her gaze.
‘Actually,’ Eddie said, clearing his throat, ‘I do have something I wanted to talk about.’
‘That’s fine, darling,’ Bells said, a smile returning to her face. She drew up to him, her fingers also tracing the side of the examining table. She was somewhat taller than Eddie, and it made him feel uncomfortable standing so close to her. ‘What’s the matter?’
He took a step back and said, ‘I have these blackouts.’
‘Yes?’
‘When I was in the cockpit, setting the course, there was a period where I got cut off, fell unconscious on the seat. It’s difficult to estimate, but I don’t think it was long, perhaps ten minutes. The ship’s computer didn’t sound an alert; perhaps it didn’t classify me as being in danger. I know for sure that I passed out.’
‘You’ve had these before.’ It was not a question. She pointed him to the chairs by the interactive screen.
‘I have,’ he admitted, and sat down on a sturdy chair. ‘There was a period when I didn’t have them, but they’re coming back.’
She sat beside him. ‘I understand. There might be several causes. Do you know what triggers them?’
‘No. I haven’t been able to figure out a pattern.’ Except when I was drinking they were more common, he thought.
‘OK. When you black out, do you dream?’
Eddie noticed he was sitting stiffly, and leaned back on the chair, trying to relax. ‘It’s always the same dream. I’m in this small room with no way out.’
‘That’s good,’ she said, and touched his thigh.
Eddie straightened his back. ‘Why is that?’
The doctor lifted her hand and made a gesture of holding her head with her finger. ‘If you didn’t dream, it might be a sign of a more serious a condition. Do you have headaches before, during or after the event?’
‘No.’
‘Any other pains?’
‘No.’
Bells continued asking Eddie questions, but seemed to get no closer to a diagnosis. She looked up something from the interactive table. Everything she said made Eddie more convinced that she actually was a doctor. There was no question about it.
‘There are quite a few possibilities,’ she said, standing up. ‘I would like to run some tests.’
‘It is not a big deal,’ Eddie said. ‘I’ve had them before and they haven’t caused any trouble.’
‘But they might.’ Bells squatted down in front of him and looked at him with a grave expression. Without the wonky smile she actually looked like the doctor she said she was. ‘What if one occurs when you’re piloting this ship through a difficult situation? You could put everyone at risk.’
She had a point. Eddie knew Tredd would not let him pilot the ship if he knew about it. ‘I really don’t want to think about that.’
She stared at Eddie for a moment. ‘I want to examine you as soon as possible, but it will take a while, and I also need to set up my equipment.’
‘Perhaps tomorrow? You know, when we’re waiting to charge the quantum engines at Five Ways, before we make the jump to Yedda?’
Bells nodded. ‘It’s a deal.’
‘I’ll see you tomorrow then,’ Eddie said. He stood up and headed back to the door, but before he left, he paused. ‘One more thing: please promise not to tell anyone.’
‘Doctors are bound by confidentiality.’ She waved with her fingers and winked. ‘Good night, Eddie.’
CHAPTER TEN
EVIE SAT on the bed of her cabin, hair still wet from the shower. Her handheld terminal lay on her lap. While some folks preferred to tap in directly to the Dawn Network via a brain port, and some on a virtual air-screen, she liked the traditional slab in her hands. Also, she didn’t want to catch a virus – however unlikely it was – and with a small screen separate to herself, she felt she was in control.
Home was where the backpack was. This time it rested open against the empty industrial desk opposite her bed. Her black backpack carried around everything she needed, everything she had, including her communications terminal, two sets of light multipurpose clothing, black bracelets and jewellery, hygiene appliances, and energy bits. With her backpack she could live wherever she had a shelter with an atmosphere and some water. She had no need for any other material possessions.
On her screen was a news story about a visual band called the Bombers, whose lead singer, Ash Macabre, had recently been found dead in his hotel room after their gig in Spit City. She stared at the picture of the man, alive on stage, mouth open, screaming in fury, and in the other one, the same man in death, strangled and pale. The Bombers had been her favourite band, so she should have been devastated by the news, but she did not feel a thing.
She kept the door to her quarters slightly open, so she could hear if anyone passed by. She saw something move in the corner of her eye, and raised her head from the screen of her terminal. It was inside the room. Is that a bug? She tossed her terminal on the bed and jumped down on the floor, peering at the small crawler.
A spider. Yuck!
She stomped the little creature flat on the floor. Raising her foot, she confirmed it had spilled out its insides. It had to go, even if it was only two centimetres long. She hated spiders. Everything else was fine, even snakes, but she could not stand those creepy eight-legged creatures. She got shivers just thinking about waking up to one crawling up her skin in the dark.
Perhaps it would be better to sweep her room and keep the door closed. Just then, she heard heavy footsteps clanking down the corridor, and looked out.
Berossus stood there, just about to open the door to his room, which was opposite Evie’s.
‘Hey there,’ Evie said, with the sweetest voice she could muster.
Berossus turned around, and on sight of her, grunted and turned back to the door. He was touching the embedded interface and mumbling curses as the door stayed shut.
Evie leaned against her doorframe, trying to appear more approachable. ‘I’m sorry for calling you a big bag of meat earlier.’
‘Apology accepted,’ Berossus said without looking at her. He was pressing the screen with more intensity, so that the glass plate was bending and distorting the interface on the screen.
‘Having trouble with the door?’
Berossus grunted and mumbled as he poked the interface. The only result he got was a red tilt-screen asking him to wait for sixty seconds before trying again. He sighed like a rhino.
Evie laughed and stepped into the corridor. ‘Computer, please lock my door,’ she said, and her door slid shut. ‘Computer, please open my door,’ she said, and the door slid open. ‘See? A little politeness does wonders with these old ships.’
Berossus wiped his beard with an unimpressed look on his face. ‘I’m a mechanic, computer—’
‘Yes, that is correct,’ the computer responded in a low, masculine voice with
a weird accent.
Evie giggled.
‘Shut up.’ He clenched his fists and looked up to the roof where the speakers were. He grunted. ‘Computer, please open my door.’
The door slid open.
‘Hey, you wanna go take a look at the engine room with me?’ Evie asked with her friendly voice, nudging the big man’s elbow. ‘It’s quite a machine in there.’
Without a word, Berossus stomped into his room and shut the door behind him.
Evie shrugged. She knew she would be friends with the bag of meat before this trip was over. She looked around and found the corridors eerily quiet – everyone was resting in their quarters.
THE NEXT MORNING Evie woke up early. She wanted to make sure she was there for the quantum jump. Jindalar eyes had the highest colour definition, and she wanted to see the marvellous blast of colours the controlled distortion of space would throw at them. Running through the corridors she thought she would be the first, but when she got to the cockpit everyone else had already gathered around Eddie.
‘Did I miss anything?’
‘Good timing, babe, we are just about to go,’ Bells said, trying to sound cheerful, but clutching the headrest of Eddie’s seat, her knuckles white.
Evie touched her arm. ‘Relax, it’s just a pinch.’
‘I know, I know,’ Bells said, and softened her grip on the seat. ‘I can rationalise it, but knowing there’s even a small chance—’
‘Ready,’ Eddie said, still making gestures on the screen.
Tredd, who sat beside Eddie on a similarly worn leather seat, glanced around at everyone in the cockpit, and then fixed his eyes on Eddie. ‘Engage.’
Eddie swiped up the side of the control panel with three fingers. There was a slightly audible rumble from the quantum engine – so unnoticeable, it might have been Berossus’s stomach – but what started to happen in front of their eyes was very noticeable.
Suddenly the blackness of space turned to red, orange, yellow and white. All stars disappeared from view. Waves of colour and light bounced towards them like snowflakes, and then exploded in their slipstream. It was a surreal feeling, like being connected to a mind-altering device.
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