The Finger of God: a Thalassia novel

by Patrick McClafferty

  Hedric thought for a moment. “I don’t believe that the four and five year olds I saw staggering off the pier could have committed that many sins, Mister Gralt.”

  “Ah.” The man frowned. “The sins of the fathers are carried to the sins of the sons unto the fourth generation.” He sounded unsure of himself.

  “That doesn’t sound very fair to me.”

  “God’s law doesn’t have to be fair.” As if he realized what he’d said, Gralt growled something about duty, then turned and left.

  “I thought he’d never go.” The voice of Thallia came from a spot just past Hedric’s left shoulder, about a foot from his ear. “Pompous windbag. He even had his facts wrong. I’ll tell you the real story some time. Right now you’re needed in your captain’s cabin. I’d advise you run.” Hedric ran.

  Captain Isenhart jerked open her cabin door just as Hedric arrived. “How did you get here so…” She shook her head. “Never mind. Get in, you’re wanted.”

  The boy frowned as he stepped in—to confront both goddesses. Lexi was sitting on the bed, looking scared.

  “Finally.” Selene let out a breath. “We need you, Alexandra, her mother and your doctor on Medin right now. There may be a way to fix this problem with the plague and save everyone to boot, but we don’t have very much time.”

  “I don’t understand.” Hedric protested.

  “You don’t have to understand at this point.” Rhiannon snapped.

  “But how will the Captain, the doctor, the navigator and the chief engineer disappear without an alarm being raised?”

  “Your captain is taking care of that as we speak.”

  The door swung open and a puffing doctor entered, followed by the Captain. The doctor looked up and his eyebrows climbed to his curly hairline. “I don’t believe I know you ladies.” His teeth flashed white in a huge smile.

  “Doctor Welter. The Goddesses Selene and Rhiannon.” Captain Isenhart muttered in an empty voice.

  “Oh you’ve got to be kidding me.” The doctor chortled. “They are just a fairy tale.”

  “Please suspend your disbelief, Doctor. Everyone, we’re coming into the town of Swansboro. We are due to unload food supplies here. I’ve spread the rumor that we four have been invited for festivities in the village and we’ve accepted. That will explain our absence. We might be able to get away with it for twenty four hours, but no more.”

  Selene and Rhiannon nodded slowly. “If that’s all the time we have, we make due.” Rhiannon’s voice was hard. “Are you ready?”

  The doctor’s face blanched with fear. “Ready for what?” In an instant they were there. “Where the…”

  “Welcome to Medin, Doctor Welter.” Hedric said dryly. “Here is another impossible thing for your list today.”

  “This can’t be…” He jerked open the conference room door, to see clusters of people moving purposefully down a long hallway. He shut the door more slowly. “I don’t understand.”

  “The results of the tests are finished, Rhiannon.” The voice of Medin was mellow, something for Hedric to cling to in an ocean of uncertainty. “If you would all sit down I will begin.” Chairs shuffled briefly. “My name is Medin, and you are all on the moon Medin. The two ladies at the end of the table are Selene and Rhiannon. The locals call them goddesses, but they are really caretakers for the planet. Rhiannon has the red hair, by the way. I am an artificial intelligence that runs this moon. Enough for the background. We are here to discuss the current crisis on the continent of Pangea. Apparently ruptured fuel lines on the starship Valley Forge spewed radioactive waste across much of the valley the ship crashed in. Those wastes, by the way, have a half-life of twenty-seven thousand years.” Hedric saw the doctor blink, but it was all beyond him. “Those wastes have begun to cause mutations in the ecosystem; both flora and fauna. The plague is the result of one such mutation. Unchecked, it will destroy all life in Pangea, ALL life I repeat, in five years. Humans, cats and D’Tril, the three intelligent and most prevalent species, will be dead long before that, I’m sad to say.” Hedric saw the doctor mouth the word “cats” with something like wonder. “With the facilities available on this moon, it wouldn’t be hard to manufacture an antivirus serum that would cure and prevent the plague in humans. Saving the rest of the lifeforms may be a little more difficult.” There was silence in the room. “If we could save humans, D’Tril and the cats, then we could simply eradicate infected plants with herbicide. The plant would die, as well as the virus, and the problem would be solved.” The voice of Medin paused and the faces of the goddesses turned to face Hedric. He felt icy fingers run up his backbone. “The only plan I could come up with, in the time we have available, is somewhat risky. It calls for one person to become infected with the plague, and then brought here, where I will cure the volunteer and create an antibody in his or her bloodstream that will treat and cure others. Simply put, I will create a vaccine to cure humans and prevent the disease. I will modify the volunteer’s blood in such a way that a simple pinprick of blood will be enough to vaccinate a cat or a D’Tril. That cat and that D’Tril can use their blood to treat other cats and other D’Tril and so on and so on. The problem is that we need to get the whole thing rolling within thirty six hours, or it will be too late.”

  Hedric shut his eyes. He knew what he had to do, but that little scared boy inside of him was screaming in terror. He opened his eyes and saw Lexi watching him intently. Her eyes were so blue… “I’ll do it.” He said quietly.

  “No!” The voices of Doctor Welter and Captain Isenhart made a strange chorus. Lexi just stared at him. “There has to be another way.” The doctor was saying loudly as the Captain nodded agreement.

  Both goddesses stood, and gave Hedric a little bow. He returned a weak smile.

  “So.” He began, looking at Selene. “What next?” Alexandra had risen and was now standing by his side, her warm hand on his shoulder.

  “We send you to an infected village where you will allow yourself to either get bit or splashed with contaminant. You will touch your medallion and Medin will transfer you back to the isolation chamber where we will isolate the plague virus and create a cure.”

  “You make it sound so easy. Medin?”

  “Yes, Hedric.” The mellow voice replied.

  “What are the chances? The truth now, not the party line.”

  “The chances are ninety percent that I can create an antivirus to cure humans. Seventy five percent that I can create a cure for the other species. Forty percent to fifty percent that we can remove the plague from your system and revive you.” The silence in the room was deafening. “As I transferred you here I spoke with your K’Dreex. She knows what to do, since you’ve already spoken of it. I will pattern your physiology and memory synapses, for future reference of course.” Rhiannon looked surprised. “Shall I give you a few minutes to consider it?”

  “No, Medin, but thank you for the consideration.” Hedric felt strange, disassociated. “What happens if it doesn’t work?” He asked at last.

  “We find another volunteer to…”

  “I’ll go.” Lexi said quietly. “Thallia already tied me into Hedric’s medallion, so I can use it if things…” She stopped to wipe her eyes. “Don’t work out.”

  “Alexandra, no!” The stricken cry came from Dolores Isenhart.

  “Would you have me do less than a lowly chief engineer?” She gave Hedric a wink.

  “I suppose not.”

  “Very good, miss. I will also pattern your physiology and synapses, if needed.” There was a chuckle. “Of course that will include your K’Dreex.”

  “Thank you, Medin.”

  “You’re very welcome, miss.”

  “You can’t, Medin.” Rhiannon hissed.

  “I’m sorry, miss, but it IS my call.”

  “We’ll have words about this later.” There was anger in the goddess’s voice now.

  “No we won’t, miss. Check Command Directive One Two Two Beta Alpha Three Omega. It IS my call.�
��

  “Oh all right.”

  “Sulky doesn’t suit you, miss.”

  “Shut up, Medin.”

  A scant hour later Hedric and Lexi stood overlooking the great park and a vast dark blue lake that sat deep inside the moon. Somewhere in the distance people were paddling a canoe.

  “It is time, sir.” Lexi’s hand clenched Hedric’s.

  “Are you sure you want to stay?”

  Her eyes were determined, but her hands trembled. “Yes.”

  He sighed. “Now what, Medin?”

  “Do you wish anything special, sir? Armor or clothes?”

  Hedric laughed aloud. “I’m trying to GET infected, Medin. Armor would be—counterproductive.”

  “I agree, sir. I just thought I’d ask.”

  “Medin, sometimes you’re so civilized you make me sick.”

  “Thank you, sir. I’m sure my programmers would be glad to hear it.”

  “Medin, are you laughing at me?”

  “Would I do that, sir?”

  Hedric walked off chuckling, despite the grim situation. “Where am I going?”

  “I have the coordinates of an old Temple of Selene, in the village of Upper Welt. It was only fifty leagues from the northern edge of the Blight, so infection there should be rampant.”

  “I’m so thrilled.” Hedric disengaged his hand from Lexi’s, and gave her a quick kiss. Any more and they both would have been crying. “I’m ready.”

  “I’ll be waiting for the signal, sir. Good luck.”

  Hedric was swarmed under the very moment he arrived by shrieking, putrid-smelling creatures tearing chunks out of his body with brown rotting teeth. The stump that he finally hit the medallion with had no fingers left. He fell into a deep dark well, from which there was no return.

  There was a conversation going on close by. Hedric couldn’t move, for some reason, but he could listen.

  “I’ve told you, Rhiannon, I chose to revive these two because they are better people than you and your sister. They are fighters, Rhiannon. The boy could have sailed off home to live a life of luxury, but he didn’t. And the girl…after she saw the boy literally torn apart and still struggle back to me, only to die before we could eliminate all the plague; still she volunteered. Just to get enough serum to save the D’Tril. The D’Tril! An alien and unknown race to her.

  “But she still died.”

  “That’s my point exactly. She died not knowing that I could revive her, as did the boy. If we had had human caretakers for this planet, it wouldn’t be in the sorry shape it’s in. Admit it.”

  “Oh all right. They could probably have done a better job.”

  “Good. Now, why don’t you go pester your sister and let me do my job?”

  “Bully.” He heard footsteps growing fainter.

  Light blazed in his eyes. For a second he wondered if he was blind as he thought of the conversation he’d heard. Then his vision cleared. He was lying on a stiff white bed, while next to him Lexi occupied its twin. He thought back. He remembered leaving the Captain’s office, bound for Medin, the green hillside above the lake, and nothing more.

  “Medin.” He croaked, coughed and tried again. “Medin, what happened? Please be specific.”

  “As you wish, sir. Your party arrived here two weeks ago. Captain Isenhart and Doctor Welter returned to the ship. You and Miss Alexandra did not. You departed on your mission to become infected with the plague and return to me so that I could create an antivirus. You returned after several minutes almost torn to shreds. I was able to make a human and feline serum from your blood, but the virus was too lethal. As you began to turn zombie, Dawn terminated your life functions. Miss Smith followed shortly thereafter, with similar results. We were able to manufacture D’Tril serum from her blood, but again the virus prevented us from recovering her. Just as you are an exact copy of the Hedric Schwendau who died of the plague, what you see next to you is an exact copy of Alexandra Smith; every memory, except the last few minutes, every emotion, every feeling.”

  He shut his eyes, suddenly very tired. “Thank you, Medin. By the way, were you arguing with Rhiannon earlier, before I awoke?”

  “Oh, you heard that too?” There was no surprise in the voice.

  “Thank you for that too, Medin.”

  “You’re welcome, sir. In another week you and Miss Smith should be able to return to your duties aboard the Fleece. Alexandra should be waking shortly. I recommend light exercise tomorrow. Swimming, perhaps?”

  Hedric never answered. He was already asleep.

  Hedric slipped the soft white robe over his head, and brushed his hair roughly into place. Looking around the small room, he found nothing else. “Medin. Did I lose my medallion?”

  “You no longer need a medallion sir. You have a permanent connection to both Thallia and I, as does Miss Smith. The two of you also no longer have a connection to Selene.”

  Hedric’s voice fell. “I was hoping on saving…”

  “The gryphon, sir?” There was a sparkling on the table, and a silver pin appeared. “I removed it from the medallion, sir.”

  Hedric touched the pin with one shaking finger. “Thank you, my friend.” There was silence in the room. “Medin? Did I say something wrong?” The boy asked, worry thick in his voice.

  “You said nothing wrong, sir. In all the millennia I have existed, not one person has ever called me friend. You are the first.”

  “Was I wrong?”

  “No, sir. You were not wrong.”

  Hedric chuckled. “Then, my friend, I’d like to make one request. Please call me Hedric. If we are ever in a formal setting, then you may call me whatever is appropriate. Your discretion.”

  “It would be a pleasure, Hedric. I believe Miss Smith is waiting for you by the lake. Shall I transport you?”

  “I’ll walk. I have to build up my muscles.” The boy flexed his thin leg. “You just create everything else whole and complete, Medin. Why is it taking us so long to develop?” People he passed glanced curiously at the young man in the white robe who was speaking to the empty air. Their gazes rested especially long on the silver gryphon on his chest.

  “I have rebuilt other humans, Hedric, but in all those cases I had a full, functioning body to start with—more or less. With you and Miss Lexi I had the pattern, and recorded memories, the soul if you will. Nothing more. Your soul is fourteen, going on fifteen years old, but your physical body is less than a week old. I accelerated growth as best I could, but I can only do so much. By the end of the week you should have recovered enough for you to go back to the Golden Fleece. Full recovery may take another six to eight months.”

  Hedric flexed his stiff arm, and a passing girl gave him a tentative smile. He smiled back. “It’s still good to be back in my old body, Medin, for all its flaws.”

  There was a deep laugh in the air by his ear. “It may look like your old body, and feel like your old body, but the similarity ends there.”

  The boy frowned. “I don’t understand.”

  “Hedric, you are no longer even human, except in your looks. Since I had to rebuild you both from scratch, I chose a better model to base you on.”

  He stopped dead, and several people stared. “You can’t mean…”

  “Yes, Hedric.” The voice said quietly. “I used Selene and Rhiannon’s species as the model.”

  For a single fat golden coin, provided by Thallia, Hedric chartered the small steamship Dolphin, and he and Lexi headed after the Fleece, now two weeks downriver from Dimsdale. The dark water of Blight Lake slipped soundlessly beneath the keel.

  Medin had informed them, before they left, that the vaccination program was progressing well. The two Siamese cats and the three D’Tril from Dimsdale had all been vaccinated with serum created from the dying bodies of Hedric and Lexi. The three D’Tril were busy at the moment, spreading the vaccine through the villages of the flying creatures. Blue and Burn sped off the boat at every stop to spread the vaccine and the word among the cats. A s
ingle nip is all it took, one drop of blood.

  Doctor Welter had his own difficulties. Gallons of human serum appeared magically in his small office, as well as cases of syringes. It was all he could do to immunize a scant dozen people in each village, and give them hurried instructions on how to inoculate the rest, before they were off again. Time was quickly running out.

  A week later Lexi’s preternaturally sharp eyes picked out the Golden Fleece long before Hedric did. Her look was smug.

  “I just don’t understand it.” She was frowning now, eyes on the distant ships. “I’ve always had good but not great eyesight. Now…” She squinted into the distance. “There are three ships there, floating in the river.”

  “Perhaps Medin just fixed you up a little bit.” Hedric swallowed nervously and turned to the vessel’s captain. “Just take us by on a quick pass. If they are pirates and if they’ve taken the Fleece they still won’t be able to catch us. If all is well, you can circle around and drop us off. Your job will be done.”

  “Aye, sir.” The captain muttered, relief clear in his voice.

  As the steamship closed on the floating boats, Lexi pointed across the water. “There! I see my mother. She’s waving to us.” Hedric let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding.

  “Ow can yer see yer bloody mother wavin’, miss?” The Captain was peering over the shoulders of the young people. “All I can make out is there’s more’n one bloody boat.”