"See? Self-control is not so difficult,” said Rajraan, his voice like coarse sandpaper. “Why then is it such a chore for you? Do you lack the proper proteins for discipline? Heh?” With a long, pale finger he poked Gojraan, hard, in the chest. “Tell me whose fault it is this time. Is it Majnu's? Is it? Tell me! Tell me!” With each demand he stabbed Gojraan in the chest with the finger.
Gojraan said huskily, “No."
"Then is it your sister's? Heh? Or your nanny long ago, whom you tormented? Is it your mother's fault? Did she lack the proper genetic makeup? Tell me! Is that it? Did I make a mistake in getting you on her? Tell me! Tell me who to blame!” He leaned closer to Gojraan. “That is a skill you inherited—finding blame."
Everyone stared at the walls. Even Kazo. She had imagined she would enjoy seeing Gojraan humiliated, but viewing the naked event she found she did not.
Apilak told them it was time to begin deployment. Rajraan did not pause but flapped a hand and continued his tirade against Gojraan. Apilak began to spin brane blisters, and one by one the group disappeared from sight. When it was Kazo's turn, the sharp prick of nausea as the blister enveloped her came as a relief. The walls of the Umialik vanished, along with the sight of the old man prodding Gojraan with his pale finger. Kazo began to fall into the sun, toward the core, a fist of dull violent flux that swam in a broad yellow-green sea.
Ahead of her were the other Samraatju siblings, a stream of faint silver bubbles each punctuated by bright beacons. Behind Kazo five more blisters ballooned into existence: Rajraan and Gojraan, the two bodyguards (Kazo hoped they had had training, or they would be more hindrance than help), and Haisho. The now invisible Umialik would be making preparations to fall across attask to a safe gravity well a few light years away. Elsewhere around the star other groups would be released by their ships, more superrich tourists in brane-shifted blisters, beginning the descent for the final pilgrimage.
As Kazo and the others fell, the burning layers of the star rose to meet and swallow them. They passed through the yellow-green veil of the hydrogen-burning layer, only to find another, brighter veil beneath. As the hours ticked by, they passed layer after layer: helium burning, carbon burning, oxygen burning, recapitulating the ontogeny of the star. Haisho spiraled around their charges, keeping them in a tight group, instructing them to brake and slow down. A few times Gojraan started to drift away, but a sharp, nasty word from the old man brought him back. It took most of a day to descend. This was the easy part.
And all the while Majnu was only a kilometer or two away, a silvery blister hiding him from Kazo.
Their speed dropped as they approached the final, tremulous violet fire that burned on the surface of the star's iron core. Here the silicon-burning layer deposited millions of tons of iron each second, adding weight to the death sentence of the star. The core was an impossibly hot, thick soup of iron, nickel, and manganese ions in a dense broth of electrons, far denser than any cold metal on the surface of a terrestrial planet. But iron cannot burn—no nuclear reaction on iron can release energy—and the weight of the layers of the star above pressed down on the core. In a short time the pressure would be so great the iron nuclei would be forced to swallow their own electrons, converting to nearly pure neutron matter. And the core would implode and fall away.
Inside her blister, Kazo was panting. It was not from the thought of the enormous densities, temperatures, and pressures a few centimeters from her fingertips. It was the pressure of the knowledge that after she left the star her memories would be edited, cut out. She would have at best a hazy recollection of this expedition, or perhaps none at all. That is, of course, if she even survived the supernova.
"Then why survive?” she whispered to herself.
Suddenly Kazo became aware of her mother's sharp voice. She looked around. But everyone was in a tight stream; no one seemed to be in trouble. Then she heard the smooth rumble of the voices of the bodyguards, and saw their blisters spread wide and rise above the rest. Kazo twisted her head around and saw, coming out of the hazy yellow glaze, the faint shadow of a blister falling rapidly after them.
A moment later the intruder bounced off one of the bodyguards, leaving his blister vibrating wildly. Assassin! the bodyguard cried.
And indeed the intruder was now heading straight for old Samraatju Rajraan.
Extinguish your beacon, sir, Haisho said swiftly, then added as the two bodyguards swarmed the assassin, Kazo, get the rest of them out of here!
Kazo called out, Follow me. We need to fall deep, and quick! When the Samraatju seemed to hesitate, Kazo barked, Kushri! Pull in your limbs! Tuck in tight. Let yourself fall at least another five hundred kilometers. To Kushri's credit, she immediately did as Kazo ordered. Majnu and Sundshri followed. But Gojraan spread wide his blister and he snapped upward, toward the skirmish, where the bodyguards banked in tight circles, battering at the ghostly intruder.
Gojraan! Kazo snapped, then regretted it. Let him get himself killed, she told herself.
But Old Samraatju's beacon snapped on. Don't try to play hero, boy, you'd only get me killed instead.
Sir, extinguish your beacon, Haisho insisted, and again it blinked out of existence. Kazo was now so deep she could no longer make out Rajraan's blister, hidden by the glare of the neutrino flux. Her mother added, Gojraan, follow Kazo. Now!
Gojraan folded up and fell swiftly, catching up with Kazo and his sibling in a few minutes. They were slowing anyway, the viscous flux impeding their descent. Kazo told them to tuck in tighter. Let's get to the edge of the iron core as soon as possible, she told them.
Gojraan pulled level with Majnu, who was less than a hundred meters from Kazo. It was you, wasn't it? Gojraan asked, his tone knifelike. You arranged for that assassin, didn't you? I always suspected you might try to kill Father, after all the times you tried to kill me—
That's stupid, Gojraan. What would I gain? I will inherit almost nothing.
Your freedom, that's what you want, freedom to go off with your kak dog bitch....
Kushri suddenly cut in. Oh, Gojraan, you think you are so smart, but you know what? You really are as thick as a fish. If Father dies, Majnu will be under the little finger of Eldest Brother Shanraan. As will you and I, and ... and it doesn't matter, we're going to die in the supernova, don't you know that yet? If you were smart you'd know that. That's the only freedom we'll have: death. When we're dead, we won't have to obey.
And with that, Kushri tilted and curved away.
Sundshri shrieked, Kushri! Come back here!
Freedom! Kushri called back. And she extinguished her beacon. In the thick flux the shadow of her blister was nearby invisible, even up close.
Kazo! Sundshri said frantically. Get her back!
Despite free fall, Kazo's body felt as thick and heavy as lead. I won't make it, she thought. I'm already exhausted. Aloud she said, Kushri's right. We will all die here. There's no need to try anymore. She pulled in her limbs and plummeted past all the others. She did not extinguish her beacon. Let them follow if they want, she thought.
She fell.
She was now very close to the silicon-burning layer. Kazo saw waves of brightness shiver across the core, like wind on wheat. The beauty, unlike anything Kazo had ever seen before, warred with her pain and her anger. Should I die clinging to my rage and my grief, she wondered, or embrace the beauty? She stilled her mind, let loose some of her emotions. Perhaps I am maturing, she thought, and then laughed at herself, laughed for Kumko who surely would have teased Kazo's self-importance. As Kazo raced over the surface of the core she thought, I shall be like this starscape, a layer of quiet calm over deadly violence. But I will not completely let go of my pain, lest I be tempted to repent and return from the supernova to an empty life.
Slowing, she came to rest on the wavering silicon-burning layer. There was no sign of any other humans in the sea of brightness that surrounded her. I'm so tired, she thought. Here I can lay my head and sleep. I can be at peace. I am at peace.
... Kazo closed her eyes, drew her legs and arms tight against her body; her blister began to sink...
Kazo. Majnu's voice.
Kazo's eyes opened. She threw out her limbs and she tacked up and out of the violet sea lapping at her blister. Far off she saw Majnu's beacon pulsing as he approached.
I was afraid I had lost you.
I'm still lost, Kazo said sourly, although she felt a tick of joy in her heart. She could not see Majnu's face, but hearing his voice she could imagine it, could imagine his fingers brushing against her skin, imagine his long dark hair tickling her face. After this they will cut you out of me. I'd rather die ... I will die instead.
Don't talk like that. I don't want you to die.
I'd rather die with you inside me than live with you cut out.
But Kazo...
Listen, said Kazo. The core will soon collapse. Let's not spend our last minutes wheedling and arguing. You must let go of me. You must. If I die, maybe your father will be appeased and he won't cut me out of you. You can remember me, if you wish, for all the centuries of your life. They were both silent as the seconds burned away. If only I could see your face one last time, she said.
If only I could kiss your lips once more, Majnu replied. I won't leave you, even if it means death.
Don't be idiots, said Kushri's voice. Kazo looked up and around. Kushri's beacon was a spark just a few kilometers above the rippled veil of the silicon-burning layer. As she spiraled toward them she said, All this drippy romantic talk of death and centuries. I don't know about centuries, but listen, you haven't heard the plan yet.
Plan? Plan? What plan? Kazo asked.
Kushri laughed. Apilak's plan. And your mother's—she's in on it too. You're supposed to ‘die'...
Um, Kushri?
Let me finish! Not really die, of course, you silly fish. You just won't come back with us. Everyone will think you died. Especially Father. After the supernova, head toward galactic south. Apilak has arranged for a friend to pick you up.
Kazo's heart beat faster. Really?
Sure, of course, what do you think? Haisho told me. Father's spies were watching the two of you, not me. And that ‘assassin?’ Just a clone drone that Apilak sent, an excuse for us to scatter. After the supernova, Father will think you two are dead and you will be free.
It might work, Kazo thought. But then a shadow passed in front of her, and the blood stopped in her veins.
Someone else is here, she said. Look!
It was just a cold spot against the purple fire of the silicon-burning layer, so faint she had to squint, but then it shot away purposefully. That was a mistake; the blister was easier to follow when in motion. Without hesitation Kazo leaned forward and sped after it, catching up in moments. She swerved in front of it, all the while thinking, In a few moments the core will collapse, in a few moments the core will collapse. When the blister with the unlit beacon refused to slow or turn, she rammed it, not hard, but enough to make her own blister shudder from the impact. The phantom slowed and began a lazy turn back toward the others.
Who are you? she demanded. When no answer was forthcoming, she charged the phantom again. It dodged, and a beacon sparked into existence.
Leave me alone, you dog bitch! came Gojraan's panicked scream. You both should die! Wait till Father hears of this! About your treachery, and the betrayal of that kak machine, and my dog of a sister...
Listen, Gojraan, Kazo said quickly, trying to keep desperation out of her voice. You could come with us. You could be out from under your father's little finger.
There was a slight pause; then Gojraan said, But I would get nothing. Nothing!
What will you inherit now? Even this loyalty won't impress him.
There was a long silence. Ahead Majnu and Kushri bobbed in the neutrino flux.
He'll find out, Gojraan said, in a small voice. Somehow, he'll find out, and he'll find out I knew and didn't tell, and he'll punish me terribly, he'll kill you, but my punishment will be worse than death.
Gojraan, no, listen, there must be a way...
He'll find out! Gojraan insisted. There's no escape! He began spiraling up and away, but before he completed his first turn, Majnu had slammed into his blister, full on.
Stupid dog! Gojraan screamed. You'll kill us both!
We were planning to die anyway, Majnu said.
Gojraan banked sharply. Go ahead and die then, the two of you. Just leave me out of your suicide. I'll piss on your graves.
Oh no, said Majnu, You'll die first. You won't tell Father anything. And his blister slammed again into Gojraan's, hard, leaving both shuddering and shaking.
You're crazy! Gojraan cried.
Majnu's blister twisted, down down, and then soared back up. Gojraan dodged to one side, just out of Majnu's path, and then immediately slammed backward, catching Majnu off guard. Kazo screamed. Majnu dropped like a stone, but Gojraan pursued him closely and wham wham wham hammered his blister against Majnu's.
Kazo's mind felt paralyzed. She was watching herself almost as much as she watched in horror as Gojraan battered Majnu's blister. The thought, I have to do something, move, just began to crawl across her mind, when suddenly she found her body and limbs moving as of their own accord. Gojraan's blister loomed large and she braced herself in the last tenth-second before they collided. The surface of her blister shook, her hands and arms trembled, and perspiration poured down her forehead as she steadied the instabilities.
Gojraan was knocked up and out of the plane of the silicon-burning layer, and Kazo expected him to turn and run again. But before Gojraan could steady his instabilities Majnu slammed into him again. Help! Help! Murder! Gojraan shouted.
The back of Kazo's head felt full of ice. Her vision flashed red, and as she dove toward Gojraan the words came out of her mouth, You murdered Kumko. You as good as murdered her. But she was thinking of Majnu.
Kazo collided with Gojraan, sent his blister tumbling. She spread her limbs as wide as she could and looped up, then tucked in tight and dove down, down, building up vee, aware that the black cold space that was her heart knew exactly what she was doing,
Kazo rammed Gojraan, driving him deep into the silicon-burning layer. The shock made her vision go black for a moment, and she was sure she would be unable to steady her own instabilities. Letme die as long as he dies with me. As from a distance she heard Gojraan screaming in frustration. She shook her head and saw, even in the soupy flux coming from the core, a dorsal instability on Gorjaan's blister balloon like a black abscess. Her stomach twisted like a wet rag, and she thought she might vomit.
A fraction of a section later the blister shredded and winked out of existence, slicing off Gojraan's final, awful noises.
* * * *
Kazo stared for an instant at the spot where Gojraan had been—not even a stain remained. Her own blister shook violently, and again she thought she was going to die. Perhaps I deserve to, she thought, as much as Gojraan deserved to.
From far off, she heard the sound of Majnu's voice. She closed her eyes, breathed deep, and damped down the instabilities. Her skin was slick with sweat, her own body shook violently, and deep inside she felt a blackness. She wondered if this blackness would come between her and Majnu. If they survived.
Majnu drifted close to her, only a few meters away. We had to, Kaz, he said.
I suppose.
Oh, it's good riddance, said Kushri. None of us will miss that little piece of trash. I doubt Father will even remember his name. Listen, there's only a few seconds, and I should try to find the others. I hope I survive.... Good luck, you two. Remember, galactic south. Maybe I'll even see you someday. Majnu, you're the only one of us I would miss.
Kushri's blister smoothly skated away across the surface of the silicon-burning layer. She's gotten quite good, Kazo thought, pleased. A few moments later the spark of Kushri's beacon was swallowed up in the dense flux, which grew thicker with each passing moment.
Uh, is it almost time? Majnu asked.
There was a long silence. What will it be like? Majnu asked.
Haisho told you: the core will fall away, and an instant later a wall of light, brighter than you can imagine, will hit you. Fortunately off the brane the acceleration will not affect our bodies as much. We will surf for about ten or twenty minutes; it will feel like forever; in that time we will be well outside the original surface of the star....
You know, it will be ironic if we die anyway.
Well, let's not do that, all right?
All right. Kazo?
Yes?
I love you.
And then the core fell away, the world changed, and their journey began.
Copyright (c) 2007 C.W. Johnson
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Science Fact: FINDING PLANEMOS by KEVIN WALSH
Planets without stars may be much commoner than we thought.
In August of 2006, a Science magazine article by Ray Jayawardhana and Valentin Ivanov reported the discovery of a two planemos orbiting each other about 400 light-years from Earth. A planemo is a generic term for an object of planetary size, one that is large enough to maintain a roughly spherical shape but small enough so that fusion processes can never occur in its atmosphere. One of the planemo twins had been found earlier, but the Science article announced the detection of a small companion, about 240 astronomical units[1] away. What is exciting about this finding is that while neither object appears to be associated with a known star, and other isolated planemos have been detected before, this is the first time that an entirely planemo system has been found: in other words, a non-stellar system with at least two members and probably more. Of course, if one such system exists, there are likely to be many others.
[FOOTNOTE 1: One astronomical unit is the distance from the Earth to the Sun, about 150 million kilometres or 93 million miles.]
The lower mass limit of a planemo occurs for objects several hundred kilometers in diameter and thus includes all of the planets in our solar system, as well as many planetary satellites like the Earth's Moon. The upper mass limit of a planemo is about 13 Jupiter masses; objects somewhat larger than this are able to fuse deuterium for at least part of their lifetimes and are known as brown dwarfs. Brown dwarfs emit much more radiation than they receive, but unlike stars the great majority of this radiation is at infrared rather than visible wavelengths. Hundreds of brown dwarfs have been detected and many more await discovery.
Analog SFF, December 2007 Page 5