Starship Home

by Morphett, Tony

  Zachary slept, while Meg, Harold, Marine and Rocky sat in silence on the bridge of the starship, waiting for the end. Guinevere was manifest, sharing an acceleration couch with her Wyzen, sometimes, disconcertingly, seeming to occupy the same space. And as Zachary slept, he dreamed, and his dreams were a jumble of many of the things which he had lived through since the Great Exit. Wild animals, Looters, Sullivans, the salt trek, the cell on the Starship Charles de Josselin all flickered through his dream and then he dreamt he was standing on the bridge, and the countdown clock was open, and there before him was the crystal within it! He woke, swung off the couch, and strode to the clock, and opened the hatch. There was the crystal, pulsating light, and he turned to the others. ‘There! I knew I’d seen one!’

  ‘Zachary,’ Meg said very slowly as if to someone who was not very bright, ‘that crystal is the trigger mechanism of a bomb.’

  Zachary looked at Guinevere. ‘If we could get it out and feed it to you, would that work?’

  ‘Yeees?’ said Guinevere very carefully.

  ‘You can’t feed Guinevere a bomb!’ protested Meg.

  ‘Why not,’ said Zachary with growing excitement. ‘Show me the law that says you can’t eat a bomb. It’s a crazy idea but it just might work!’

  Harold felt he had to inject a note of reason. ‘Zachary, in real life, no one ever says that.’

  ‘Well I’m saying it now! Guinevere, can we get it out?’

  ‘Perhaps.’

  ‘Perhaps?’ said Harold, ‘we’re down to “perhaps” now?’

  ‘It’s try it or self-destruct and if there’s a third option somebody please tell me.’

  Harold was thinking fast. Had it been his idea, he by now would have been selling it as hard as he could. The fact that it was Zachary’s idea suggested to him that there was something intrinsically stupid about it, but for the life of him he could not see what that stupid part was. ‘Okay,’ he said, ‘we cut the bomb out and feed it to Guinevere. What do we use to cut it out with?’

  The Meg looked at the Don. ‘You kept back a single Slarnstaff when you broke our deal.’

  ‘I already thought of that,’ lied Harold, ‘but,’ he said, improvising fast, ‘if we use it the Slarn’ll come running.’

  ‘And if we don’t use it,’ Zachary argued, ‘kapowie! Guinevere? Can you hold the Slarn off long enough for us to pull this off?’

  ‘Perhaps,’ she smiled, the warrior side of her surfacing, scenting battle, ‘perhaps I can.’

  In the village, the last two of Maze’s adherents crossed to Zoe’s side, and the elder women began chanting ‘Our Mother! Our Mother! Our Mother!’ as two of the eldest walked up to the hut, passed between Zoe and Maze and entered the darkness beyond. ‘This is it?’ Zoe said to Maze, who nodded and said, ‘they’ll bring out the robe of office and put it on you and you will be Our Mother.’

  For just one moment, the temptation of power struck Zoe like a thunderbolt. She could rule the Clan as her sister’s successor, guide them, give them of her wisdom, and then just as suddenly the dream and the temptation were gone and she knew that the crossroads Guinevere had warned her of were here and now, and she must do something that would take both her and the Clan on the right path. Her mind returned to the images Guinevere had shown her: Maze dead at Zoe’s hands, Zoe dead at Maze’s. ‘This is wrong, Maze. I’ll make mistakes and for the Clan’s sake they’ll have to replace me, we’ll be on opposite sides, and terrible things will happen!’ The elder women had come out of the hut again, carrying Our Mother’s ceremonial cloak of office. They stood behind Zoe and were about to put it on her shoulders when she got to her feet and stepped forward. ‘Wait!’ Zoe shouted, and the chanting stopped. She looked at Maze, and said, ‘I love you, and what I’m going to do now is for you and the Clan.’ Then she turned to the assembled women. ‘There is still division! We are still divided on this question! Not all of us want me to be Our Mother. I have not yet cast my vote.’ And she stepped off the verandah and crossed to face Maze. ‘I choose the already Choosen. I choose Maze. And I will stand here until you all choose her too.’

  The women began to move from Zoe’s side to Maze’s. In a slow wave they moved, and when all were facing Maze they began again to chant, ‘Our Mother! Our Mother! Our Mother!’ The elder women moved forward now and placed the robe of office on Maze’s young shoulders and Zoe stepped back onto the verandah intending to embrace the child, but found that she was no longer facing a child, but Our Mother, who extended her hand for Zoe to kiss. ‘Stay,’ she said, ‘be my sister. Advise me.’

  ‘I’d always be a cause of division,’ Zoe said, ‘and there are those who’d set us against one another. I give you instead an adviser who can never be Our Mother. Never be a cause of division.’

  Maze looked at her hard, as if seeking the answer in Zoe’s mind, and then she smiled. ‘A man. A man can never be Our Mother.’ She looked across the village square to where Marlowe sat before his hut. ‘Uncle Marlowe! Come!’ Marlowe stood and strolled over to them. ‘Zoe the Twice Born gives you as my adviser. Sit.’ And she gestured at one of the smaller chairs. Marlowe smiled a wry smile, and took his place and was grateful for it. Here was a place among the people of his mother’s line where all his vast store of accumulated wisdom could be used. He had come home at last. Maze looked at the sun. In an hour it would be noon. ‘You want to go to your own people?’ she asked Zoe.

  ‘You’re all my people, but …’ Zoe hesitated, not able to find the words.

  ‘I understand. Go!’

  Zoe turned and ran for the starship as the chanting villagers moved in to salute their new Our Mother.

  Outside Trollcastle, Rocky waited with two spare saddled horses, while inside Father John opened the padlock on a huge iron-bound chest. Within the chest lay ingots of gold, jewels, bags of coins, a treasure trove, and lying on top of it all a Slarnstaff. Father John took it out and handed it to the Don, and said, ‘Use it in justice.’

  ‘The cause is just,’ answered the Don, and turned to Ulf who was waiting behind him. ‘I need every man we have. Tell them to farewell their families. Father John will shrive them before they go but we must move quickly.’

  Meanwhile in the clearing before the starship, Guinevere’s manifestation was briefing Harold, Zachary and Marine. ‘The attack will come from here,’ she said, ‘As soon as e’er the Slarnstaff belches flame, those in the starship above will hear.’

  ‘Can’t Charles stop them from detecting it?’ Harold wanted to know.

  ‘Charles’s mind is still partway in chains. They will hear.’ Guinevere looked at Marine, who said:

  ‘First response will be to transport in a section of three marines to investigate. Guinevere can block them from transporting to inside the ship, so they’ll arrive here, and find the hatch closed.’

  ‘This will tell them that I live,’ Guinevere said.

  ‘And that’s when the waste product’ll hit the turbine,’ Marine said. ‘They’ll send in a hand of five marines, maybe even two hands. If they think they can capture Guinevere alive, that’s a big investment.’

  ‘And this is where the Trolls come in?’

  ‘I’ sooth,’ said Guinevere and her face was bleak. She, who had seen battle, was aware of the cost that the day might bring. Her eyes went up to the sun, rising above the trees. ‘Why do they tarry?’

  But the Trolls were not tarrying. The party from the castle, led by the Don, Meg, Ulf and Rocky were riding hard toward the starship and some from the outer observation posts were swinging through the trees on ropes, hastening to the rendezvous. As Zoe ran back toward the starship she became aware of the sound of their passage through the trees overhead and quickened her pace.

  The castle party arrived at the starship first and dismounted. ‘Ulf!’ shouted the Don, ‘secure the area, get the men under cover,’ and then he followed Meg up the ramp and inside, carrying the Slarnstaff.

  On the bridge, a line had been drawn, surrounding the self-destruct clo
ck on the bulkhead. Zachary was now checking the line as Harold and Marine studied a diagram Guinevere had extruded. Guinevere herself was manifest, the better to advise. ‘According to the diagram,’ Harold was saying, ‘it’s self-contained, but the trick is going to be getting it out in one piece, booby trap and all.’

  ‘Trust me,’ said Zachary, ‘I’m a welder.’ He began drawing more lines alongside the self-destruct clock as Meg and the Don entered the bridge. ‘Hi fellers, just in time. We cut this piece of the wall out on one side of it. The diagram says there’s nothing behind there. Do the same on the other side. This gives us access to both sides of the bomb or the crystal or whatever we want to call it. We now cut underneath it, and if the diagram’s right it’s still being supported from on top. We hope. Then we put poles underneath, cut through the top …’

  ‘Very carefully,’ added Harold.

  ‘Very carefully, and then we carry it on the poles down to the feeding area, put it in and then …’

  The others were looking at him. And?

  ‘And see what Santa brings us.’

  ‘Who is Santa?’ asked Marine. ‘Word ending in “a” indicates female. Is Santa a primitive goddess?’

  ‘Kind of,’ said Zachary.

  Outside, Trolls were dropping from the trees and forming into sections as Zoe came running from the forest. The hatch was already open and she did not break stride as she headed up into the starship where, on the bridge, Zachary now had the Slarnstaff and was doing dry runs, making sure that he had enough elbow room to cut along the lines he had drawn on the bulkhead around the self-destruct.

  ‘I’ll see the men are in position, we’ll keep the Slarn diverted,’ said the Don.

  ‘‘twill be of great moment that thou do’st,’ Guinevere replied, ‘for though I may send bolts of power near to them, there are bars within my mind and slay them I cannot.’

  ‘I understand,’ said the Don, as Zoe entered, panting. ‘I’m coming with you!’ she said, and Zachary, Harold and Meg moved to her as one, and put their arms around her, welcoming her back into their fellowship. The Don stood to one side, watching, on the outer, and Meg noticed and turned to him.

  ‘I broke the deal?’ he said.

  ‘No, I wouldn’t keep you to the letter of that. The Slarnstaff you kept back may be what will save us.’

  ‘And I won’t keep you to your promise. Your heart is here with your companions, and I’d not have my bride unwilling,’ and he turned to Guinevere and Zachary and said, ‘when you hear the bugle sound the charge, you’ll know we’re ready, and you can start cutting.’

  ‘Don, I’m sorry, I …’

  The Don kissed her hand, and with a cool formality said ‘My lady. Goodbye.’ And then he was gone. Meg sat on an acceleration couch and sagged. ‘I shouldn’t have to choose between my friends and the man I love!’ she wailed, ‘I shouldn’t!’

  ‘Go after him,’ Zoe told her, but Meg sat, frozen in indecision.

  As the Don came out of the starship, Rocky was moving up the ramp with four freshly-cut carrying poles for the crystal. ‘Get those inside fast,’ said the Don, ‘I want you out here with me.’

  ‘Don!’ said Rocky proudly, knowing he was truly accepted at last, and ran inside. The Don walked on, moving among his troops, patting a shoulder here, exchanging a smile with a grim old warrior there. He paused by a pale young warrior, so young and slim that his armor hung loose on him. ‘I envy you,’ said the Don. ‘Your first battle, and it’s one that will pass into legend,’ and he moved on, leaving the young warrior with words that he would recount again and again down the years to his bored grandchildren.

  On the bridge, Rocky had stacked the poles by the self-destruct and was now making his farewells, shaking Zachary’s hand and saying, ‘Lady Henderson, Marine. Zoe, I’m sorry you’re leaving. You’d have made a good Trollwife,’ and Zoe smiled with wry amusement, knowing that Rocky had meant it as a compliment. Now Rocky turned to Harold and made a curt bow. ‘Sir Harold. Wherever it is in the sky that you’re going,’ he said, ‘I know you’ll not disgrace your sword.’ And then outside the bugle was blowing and Rocky turned and ran out to take his part in the coming encounter with the Slarn.

  As Rocky emerged the Don drew his sword, and Rocky did also, following his master’s lead, and together they saluted the starship. The hatch began to close, and Meg, weeping, watched on a screen the Don and Rocky standing in the clearing, swords still held at the salute.

  ‘Hatch secure,’ said Guinevere, and Zachary turned the Slarnstaff to flame, narrowed the flame to a cutting edge, and began work.

  On the bridge of the Starship Charles de Josselin, an alarm rang, and on a screen a light began flashing, indicating the position of Slarnstaff activity on the bridge of the Starship Guinevere. The Commander’s gauntleted hand slammed down on a pad, and Slarn battle language began to sound throughout the ship.

  Meanwhile on the Starship Guinevere the cutting flame of the Slarnstaff slowly burned along the line drawn on the bulkhead, and Guinevere’s manifested image abruptly disappeared. So focussed was everyone’s attention on what Zachary was doing, her absence went unnoticed.

  Outside, in the undergrowth, the Don lay in cover with Ulf on his right hand and Rocky on his left and Guinevere appeared before them. ‘The cutting hath begun,’ she said, ‘and up above the Slarn must know. Time is all, so I bid thee hold thy attack while I have discourse with the Slarn when they come.’

  Ulf growled his discontent. ‘Are we women not to attack at once?’

  ‘I would fain save life if that I may. Hold back till talk availeth naught, I prithee.’ She disappeared, and the Don turned to Rocky. ‘Pass the word. Hold back until the signal.’ Rocky rose and ran off in a running crouch, keen to relay the order quickly so that he could return to be at his Don’s side in battle.

  Zachary continued cutting, and then the main screen showed three Slarn marines materializing in the clearing. One moved to the closed hatch to examine it, and then said, in Slarn, ‘Ship? Do you hear me?’

  Guinevere replied in her brand of English, ‘I would have converse with an officer,’ and at this the Slarn marines paused as if waiting for orders, and then vanished.

  On Guinevere’s bridge, Zachary finished cutting away the bulkhead to give access to one side of the crystal, and was now starting on the other side. ‘Make haste, Zachary, time is fleet of foot and the noon cometh like the wind.’

  ‘I’m hasting as fast as I can,’ he muttered, and when Harold helpfully looked at his watch and tried to tell him the time, he added, ‘don’t tell me, Harold, I can’t go any faster!’

  In the clearing, a Slarn officer and the original three Slarn marines now materialized. The officer stepped forward and said in Slarn, ‘Starship? Do you hear me?’

  ‘Use thy translator and speak to me in mine own tongue, for I swear on the bones of the saints and martyrs never to let the speech of Haardlandes pass these lips while the mind of Charles de Josselin, my comrade in arms, lieth in durance vile.’

  ‘I serve Charles de Josselin. You’ll be pleased to know that he is only closed down until counselling helps him to recover his senses.’

  Further back in the forest and out of sight, six more Slarn marines materialized and instantly began work. Some were taking short metal modules from their packs and were fitting them together to form a tripod.

  The officer now tried the soft approach. ‘Guinevere? Can I call you Guinevere? We want you to come home. To the Fleet.’

  ‘This world is my home.’

  ‘This planet? This ball of dirt? Your mind might’ve been born here, but your true home is among the stars. Look at you, Look at what the primitives have done to you,’ and he gestured at the skulls and the daubings, while back in the forest the six hidden marines fitted Slarnstaffs together into a multi-barrelled weapon and attached it to the tripod.

  ‘’twas not my friends who did these things,’ Guinevere said.

  ‘Friends? You now have friends among the
primitives do you?’

  On the bridge, Zachary cutting flame burned further along the line as Guinevere answered, ‘Aye. Friends indeed, who risked life and limb to save me.’

  ‘Friendship is for equals. How can you, an immortal star-faring being, be friends with ferals, diseased little short-lived insects?’

  ‘Because they’re human, just as we are.’

  ‘Don’t compare us with them!’ The officer’s voice was tight with rage, and then he regained control and made a final appeal. ‘Come home, Guinevere. Your true friends, the starships of the Fleet, all miss you.’

  ‘As I miss them.’

  ‘There’ll be no punishment, no court-martial, just come home.’

  ‘Nay.’

  And at that the officer’s tone changed. No more the nice guy, pleading with her to come home, now he was an officer, rapping out commands. ‘I am about to give you a lawful command. Open your hatches, let us in and prepare for immediate lift-off.’

  Back in the forest, the hidden marines assembling the heavy weapon were fitting a nose cone designed to funnel and concentrate the blast from the combined Slarnstaffs.

  Guinevere manifested before the officer. ‘I defy thee,’ she hissed.

  ‘Then I must charge you formally with desertion and theft of a starship. I am empowered by the laws of the Slarn Confederacy to use any necessary force to regain possession. I again command you to open your hatches and prepare for lift-off.’

  Zachary had now cut access ways on both side of the crystal, and Harold, Meg and Zoe were clearing the debris away as he began to cut along the line beneath the self-destruct assembly itself, but his speed and concentration were matched by the six hidden marines who were now fitting a firing mechanism to the butt ends of the Slarnstaffs which made up the multi-barrel of the heavy weapon they had been assembling.

  ‘I repeat my lawful command,’ said the officer. ‘Open!’

  ‘And I again defy thee.’