by David Adams
Liao folded her hands in front of her, blowing out a low sigh. “They pulled a Nuremberg defence. Said they were just following Sheng’s orders, like Cheung... Except, Cheung knew what she was doing and came around in the end.”
Saeed frowned. “I doubt that people ‘just following orders’ would beat someone so savagely... If you didn’t show up when you did, well, I doubt even my considerable skill would be able to save her.”
“In my heart I know that... and they know I know. They’re on very thin ice now. One slip and I’ll have James throw them off the ship...” Liao regarded the unconscious Toralii woman. “...When will she be able to talk again?”
Saeed beckoned to a seat, sitting down beside his Captain. “Her jaw was shattered, Captain. Six breaks... a very serious injury. We’ve surgically wired it shut, for now, and Lieutenant Yu tells us that the situation was explained to Saara; she wrote down all the help and information we could ask for...” a nod to the many security cameras, fitted with obvious microphones, “...which has all been recorded, of course.”
Liao nodded her head. “Yes, Yu is skilled. His assistance has been invaluable to our translation efforts. I’m glad he was able to help you.”
Saeed nodded, the doctor resting his hand on Liao’s shoulder. “Saara will be unconscious for another hour or two. I’m happy to contact you, however, when she’s ready to talk. For now, though, there’s nothing more you or I can do.”
Melissa nodded her head, folding her hands in her lap. “Thank you, doctor. I... I am concerned about her health. Between her surviving a nuke strike, then enduring Sheng’s almost equally destructive behaviour, I wonder if there are limits to what even the Toralii can take...”
“She’s strong,” Saeed offered, squeezing her shoulder slightly. “Her biology is amazing... I don’t think there’s any risk from what she’s been through so far. Just...” his face split in a playful grin, “...make sure she takes care of herself and eats her vegetables, okay?”
Liao laughed. “I’m not her mother, despite appearances to the contrary...” she smiled. “...But okay, sure. I’ll make sure she eats right. To be honest, though, we don’t really know her diet. She sure seems to love eating our food, but we don’t know how good it is for her. She might well be doing the equivalent of scoffing down on cheeseburgers and chips...”
“Probably, but she seems healthy, at any rate... at least, when she’s not being blown up by nukes or beaten by marines. But, again, who knows what healthy for her species looks like...”
Liao stood. Moving over to Saara’s bed, she gently cupped her much larger hand in her own and gave it a squeeze. “I’ll ask her when she wakes up.”
There was a moment of quiet contemplation as Saeed watched the two of them. When he spoke his voice was quiet.
“You like her, don’t you?”
Liao let a little smile play across her lips. “I suppose I do,” she admitted, “and I’m not sure why. I think it’s just that... well, you know. I’ve never really had many female friends – any, really – and this is... well, really, honestly, the first time I’ve ever connected with anyone of my own gender.” She laughed. “I wonder if it’s because she isn’t human...”
“It’s understandable,” Saeed offered, “people bond with the strangest things. Some people, for example, get along better with animals than with humans; my cousin is autistic and she finds that animals are, by far, easier to get along with. She doesn’t understand people at all, but when it comes to calming down a panicked mare she’s like a little horse whisperer or something. I’m not saying you’re like her, but that’s just the way it is... Such behaviours have been observed in neuro-typical people as well.”
Liao had always liked the idea of horses and other strong, large animals, but there were few opportunities to see them where she grew up. Still... Saeed’s observation of her was not far off the mark, strange though it was to admit. She stood now, offering the man a firm handshake.
“Alas, doctor, duty calls. I’ll be back later to check on her, okay? Let me know if she wakes up.”
Taking her hand, Saeed nodded. “I promise you’ll be the first to know.”
*****
Mess Hall
TFR Beijing
Sol System Asteroid Belt
Two days later
In the great battle between exhaustion and hunger, eventually hunger won out. Although she had a yeoman to serve her meals in her quarters, Melissa preferred to eat with her crew; accordingly, when eventually hunger became too strong to ignore, Liao made her way to the mess hall, still flicking through a small pile of reports, triaging those that were not critical and skim-reading those that were.
Forgetting what she even ordered, Liao pulled up a chair at the long table and rubbed her eyes. When she opened them, she was staring into two familiar faces... James and Summer.
“Evening Captain!” came Summer’s enthusiastic greeting, which drew a chuckle from James. “Mind if we sit with you?”
Melissa gave a tired smile. “I don’t see why not.”
“I was just telling Summer about how my family came to Belgium from Rwanda when I was just a small child.” He indicated towards her meal. “I didn’t know you were a vegetarian...”
Summer laughed and shook her head, picking up a fork and tucking in to her chicken strips.
Liao looked down at her plate – salad with ranch dressing and a whole heap of potatoes.
“Neither did I,” she confessed. “I thought I ordered...” her voice trailed off. “...Honestly, I don’t remember.”
Summer just laughed again, but James frowned. “When was the last time you had some rack time?”
“...Uh...”
“If you can’t remember, it’s been too long.”
Liao shrugged her shoulders, absently popping one of the almost-fresh tomatoes into her mouth. “I have a lot to do... What if the Toralii find us in the asteroid belt?”
“I have enough time to eat on another ship,” James observed, grinning just a little and pointing his fork at her. “You should at least find time to sleep.”
“Besides,” added Summer, her mouth full of fish, “the likelihood of anyone finding us here is pretty damn good if they’re looking. An asteroid belt is basically empty space... I mean, there’s only about one tenth the mass of our moon spread out over an orbit between Mars and Jupiter... and if you remove the four largest bodies in the belt, you reduce the mass by half! That’s why we’re swinging out near Vesta, hoping to use its mass to-”
Liao grated her teeth. “I know, Summer. I command a spaceship, remember? I know how space works.”
“I’m just saying, we’re not really hiding very well at-”
“I KNOW.”
James and Summer both were silenced at the sharpness of her tone, and the people near her stared before deliberately looking away. The three ate in silence for a moment, then James put down his fork.
“Bed time,” he said in a tone that booked no argument. “C’mon. I’ll walk you there.”
*****
Medical bay
TFR Beijing
Sol System Asteroid Belt
Later
The rest did her wonders. Much later in the evening, just as she was working her way through the most relaxing dream, Liao received the call she had been hoping for. Saeed had been as good as his word; the moment Saara was awake her radio crackled and his voice gave her the good news.
Pulling on her uniform as quickly as she could – and kissing James’ sleeping forehead on the way out – Liao rushed to sickbay as fast as dignity would allow. Yu was waiting for her there. Giving the man a curt nod, Liao made her way to Saara’s bed, her face brightening when she saw she was awake.
[“Captain Liao! It brings a smile to my face to see you. I didn’t think I would ever lay eyes upon you again...”]
Liao’s surprise was total. She stared at the Toralii woman, dumbfounded.
“Your jaw... Saeed said it was shattered. How can you speak?�
�
[“It was, but this recovery time is normal for my kind. Apparently, compared to humans, the Toralii heal fast, Captain Liao.”]
Liao cupped the Toralii’s hand in hers, squeezing fondly. “Some good news at least. It’s good to see you well, Saara. How are you feeling?”
[“Better than I did before, Captain.”] The Toralii woman gave a low chuckle. [“Apparently not all of your species treat their captives so well...”]
“Apparently not, no.” Liao tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice. “I’m... very sorry about what he did to you, what Sheng did to you... I didn’t know what he was planning, and I... If I had known...“
[“I know.”] There was a pause as Saara considered her next words. [“What happened to the man?”]
“I shot him. Ostensibly for mutiny, but... I have to say, what he did to you was inexcusable. Humanity doesn’t treat its prisoners this way... No civilized people should. Down that road lies inhumanity and madness.”
[“Is that all I am? Just a prisoner to you?”] Saara’s yellow eyes belied a sincere sadness at Liao’s statement, her tail drooping slightly.
“Of course not,” Liao started, giving the Toralii woman’s hand another squeeze. “I was speaking about how they saw you, not how I did. You should know by now... While technically you’re still being held here at our pleasure, well...” Liao shrugged. “We’ve come to understand a great deal about you and your people. No matter what anyone else says, you are – and shall forever be considered – my friend.”
Saara’s smile lifted Liao’s heart. ["I am glad to hear it. I feel the same way... And although I have served the Toralii enforcement fleet for some time, and in my duties encountered several other species, none have taken me quite as humanity has... You are a strange and interesting people, Captain Liao, and if it were possible I would enjoy learning more about you."]
Liao considered this, her mind ticking over. “I don’t know if that will be possible. I may consider you a friend, and on this vessel my word is law, but the command structure of my people will almost certainly see it differently. They will see you as a threat, I fear, and I’m not sure what I can do to change that.
“The species of man is a collective of good people... I believe that right down to my bones. But our history is chequered and marred by countless atrocities. Accordingly, we have evolved a kind of... suspicion of the outsider. That which is not like us is something to be distrusted, hated and feared all in equal measure.”
["You sound just like us, my friend, and your words could just as easily come from the mouths of any Toralii.... My people do not instinctively trust outsiders. Many species do not. It is a common trait... It probably evolved under similar circumstances as those you describe for humanity. As I explained earlier, our own species is not without its wars, its atrocities, its lies and its betrayals... usually conducted by those who were not part of the ‘group’."]
Liao took a breath, closing her eyes for a moment. She continued to hold Saara’s hand. Lieutenant Yu mutely watching on, observing the situation with his curious eyes. Eventually, Liao spoke again.
“The Toralii are not without their hypocrisies either. You preached to me about peace earlier, but your kind attacked humanity without any warning or without mind of the civilian deaths your actions would cause. Doesn’t that strike you as hypocritical?”
Saara regarded her with sad eyes. ["...Yes, and I wish it were not so, but the irony of our situation is not lost on me or... others of my kind.”]
Liao rested her hand over Saara’s. “Which leads me to my next point. There... was one question I was never able to get you to answer. Why did the Toralii attack Earth?”
Saara spent a moment studying the human, her expression unreadable. To Liao she seemed to be debating, internally, some great tribulation.
["...You had Voidwarp technology."]
Liao looked to Yu, nodding her head in encouragement. “Voidwarp... you spoke of this before. You said we could not possess it... but, why not?”
Saara hesitated again. ["Before I answer, Captain, I should explain something.”]
Melissa nodded encouragingly. “Go on...”
[“The Telvan... my people, they believe that if you save someone’s life, that person is indebted to you. Left in Sheng’s hands I would not have survived, so... a life is owed to you. I should give you answers at least.”]
Liao did not know what to do or say regarding Saara’s pledge, but she did have other questions that needed answering.
“Answers... answers are good. Why don’t we start with the supply depot you told Sheng about?”
Saara gave a wry grin. [“The coordinates I gave him were deep space... empty. Had he jumped there he would have just been wasting his time. The Telvan learned long ago that torture is only useful for confirming information you already know, since its victims will say anything just to end it...”]
Liao pursed her lips a moment. “Well, Sheng never was the wisest of men, was he?” Shaking her head, the woman remembered something that Saara mentioned earlier. Leaning forward, she raised a curious eyebrow to her friend. “Do other species have Voidwarp technology, or is it just the Toralii?”
[“Three others that we know of. Our reach is not unlimited, however, and the universe is vast, so... there may be others.”]
Melissa pondered that. “So at least three possess it now, but... I’m guessing that others have tried in the past, but were stopped by the Toralii.”
["...Yes, a great many have tried. Every species we’ve met who possess it give it a different name, but they all have the same underlying mechanism. And they are all equally dangerous."]
“Dangerous?”
That was a new word, only recently learned by the humans. Yu and Liao looked at each other again, a little concerned. Liao did not like the direction that this discussion was heading. The jump drive on her ship had never even been used, and if what Saara was telling them were true, she’d rather it stayed that way... at least for the moment.
“The jump drive – what you would refer to as Voidwarp technology – is dangerous? How so?”
Saara stared back at them with alien eyes that held an entirely human sadness. ["It is the most destructive power in the galaxy that our species has discovered... Regrettably, we discovered it far too late. I wish – our people wish – that we stood where you stood, Captain, that our species had made the sacrifices yours has, instead of what befell us..."]
Liao and Yu exchanged another glance. “I’m afraid I don’t follow,” offered Melissa, her voice quiet. “As far as our scientists have determined, the jump drive is very difficult to get working, but once it does it’s safe... It either works or it doesn’t. Failure just means a failed jump, nothing more.”
["We thought so as well, but... there is a third outcome."]
Exhaling and shaking her head, the Toralii female looked between the two Humans, her bright yellow eyes displaying a depth of emotion Liao was surprised to see. The more she learned about this so very alien creature, this friend of hers, the more of humanity she saw in her.
["I will do my best to explain, but I am only a pilot. The... mechanism behind a Voidwarp engine’s transportation is complex and beyond my understanding, but when they activate there is a potential for a cataclysmic event to occur. The exact circumstances of what causes this event elude me, but what is clear is that when it occurs a... ‘singularity’... is formed at the origin point."]
Pausing a moment to let the two humans digest what she had just said, Saara continued, her words slow and clear so that the two who were learning her language may absorb them.
["This singularity never closes, only grows endlessly,” she continued, “and in time devours all around it. Planets, stars, solar systems... all are eventually consumed by the raging stellar tempest. There are three in existence that we know of... We call them Uraj-tor, Khali-tor and Majev-tor. They grow every year and we have seen no sign of them ever slowing down.
["Uraj-tor was
the first of the void-tempests, and it was created by us nearly six hundred years ago. It was a golden age for our people... Our world’s various nations had allied under a single banner, coexisting in peace. War, strife, chaos... these things were gone from our people’s lives. It was a time of great scientific achievement and progress.
["Our home world of Evarel was the testing site for the first Voidwarp engine, and what a success it was... From there, we established dozens of colonies in the Hijaai system, our home, and we spread ourselves into space. Soon we were colonizing other solar systems, too, making other homes amongst the cosmos. Colonists, explorers and settlers went out into the black, and their reports told us that they had found hundreds of bountiful planets capable of sustaining life.
["We believed we were on the cusp of achieving the destiny of our species. Space travel became commonplace; every day hundreds of ships, vast and tiny, left Evarel’s warp-points, departing for any one of hundreds of destinations... trade between the colonists and the homeworlders flourished, all because of the wondrous Voidwarp technology. The words on every child’s lips were full of joy and hope.
["How far away those times seem to us now."]
Despite the vast gulf in culture and biology between the two species, the grief on Saara’s face was plain to see to the humans in the room. Her pupils were dilated, her ears lay back against her head, and her voice became high-pitched and strained. The heavy stones of the wall that guarded her emotions from the ravages of the story weakened under the effort of its retelling.
["And then the cataclysm came. A simple merchant ship, the ‘Makaani’, engaged its Voidwarp engine. When it did, a great black fire sprung forth from where it left – a spiralling trail of nothing that grew and grew, slowly forming a great rift in the sky. Evarel screamed and thrashed as the singularity pulled her ever closer... But despite the best efforts of our scientists and our military, she and her moons were all swallowed. Six billion Toralii died, including almost all of our leadership, our scientists, our artists, philosophers, and intellectuals...