by Robin Roseau
“From what I know about Talmon, this is a good body,” she said. “If you were going to some places, I’d send you back.”
“Body like yours?”
“Yes. But Talmon is a good place.”
“Good people.”
“Yes.” Then she smiled. “With their own surprises.” She looked around. “Should we scare Maddalyn some more?”
“Maddalyn,” said Marsha, “if you want to talk about this with someone, I can talk to you.”
“Thank you, Marsha,” I said. “Maybe.”
“All right,” Turner said. “This week we will work on escape tactics. Marsha, partner with Maddalyn.”
Traveling
I remained on Tarriton for eighteen months. During that time, Aunt Anna invited me to dinner, either at her home or to a local restaurant, every two weeks or so. We always greeted warmly, engaged in a few minutes of small talk, and then she asked me how things were going. She would ask after my studies, and I didn’t realize it at first, but she was measuring my progress herself, probing what I was learning and even correcting my direction a few times. More than once she said, “I don’t agree with your instructors about that.”
She asked after my social life, and I told her about Pippa, Tranquility, Serenity, and Talitha. I assured her we were keeping things light. She seemed pleased I had made friends.
But the time approached when I was to leave. I packed my things at the university. I told my friends when I would be leaving, and that I would say goodbye to them a few days before departure. I didn’t want tears on the day I climbed the beanstalk. I had one final date with each of them, good dates, very good dates, filled with dancing and laughter and shared joy.
And then Aunt Anna collected me from my housing and took me to her home. We spent two days together. She took me shopping, ensuring I had proper clothing for a member of a diplomatic mission.
That made me stand up straighter. I was about to embark to do important work. I was part of a diplomatic mission.
We shared a final dinner in her home. “Maddalyn,” she told me. “I knew I was right to place my faith in you. You have worked so hard.”
“English is still hard sometimes,” I admitted, especially when I get excited. “And I have an accent.”
“We all have accents,” she said. “I want to talk to you about your duties on Talmon.”
“Of course.”
“I am sending you to the Imperial Governor of Talmon, a very good woman named Cecilia Grace.”
“Yes.” I’d read as much about Talmon as I could, as well as her governor.
“She doesn’t know you’re coming. I am sending a letter of introduction with you.”
“Is this normal?”
“I intentionally didn’t tell her,” Aunt Anna admitted. “I love Cecilia to pieces, but she has an independent streak two kilometers wide. I didn’t want to give her an opportunity to tell me she doesn’t need you.”
“Oh.” I tried to envision the implications.
“You are to be her personal assistant,” Aunt Anna continued. “She needs one. She needs someone to help organize events around her, someone to do all the things she currently does herself that don’t need her to do them. And she needs someone with your experience with Fran Langenberg. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Aunt Anna.”
“Good. Maddalyn, I’m going to need you to take initiative. Cecilia is very poor at delegating. Within her existing staff, they have areas of responsibility, and so Cecilia allows them to do their jobs. But she hasn’t done a thing to build a more complete staff, and I don’t want to send her more people until she learns to properly delegate. And she’s not going to do that until she has someone who shows her how by self-delegating.”
“If something needs to be done, don’t wait for her to tell me to do it.”
“That’s right. And I want reports from you on how she’s doing. Oh, that sounds wrong. I don’t want you to spy. But I want to know if she’s learning to delegate, if she’s assigning important tasks to you. She may try to give you things to just get you out of the way. Will you be able to tell the difference?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll consider that.”
“My letter of introduction will tell her she needs to learn to delegate, and to begin practicing with you. And I will also tell her you’ll be sending me reports. If she asks to read your reports, let her.”
“I understand. You don’t want her to think we have secrets.”
“As I said, I love her to pieces, and she’s an amazing woman. You’re going to love her, too, Maddalyn.” She paused, and some emotion crossed her face, but she smoothed it away. “She has so many things she can teach you, Maddalyn. And I think Talmon will be good for you.”
“Tarriton has been good for me, too,” I said. “But you need me on Talmon.”
“That’s right. I need you on Talmon. And Cecilia may not admit it, but she needs you. She needs four of you, actually, including at least two Maddalyn’s as she’s going to be twenty years from now.”
That seemed like such a long time, but it was a drop in the bucket to someone like Aunt Anna.
“I understand,” I told her.
“Good. I want to make sure you understand something else. The moment you arrive on Talmon, your main responsibility is to the planet and its people. And that is where your loyalty must lie, Maddalyn. Not to me, and not to the empire. That is something that so many imperial delegations do not understand. They feel loyalty to the empire first, foremost, and always, and believe they are there to bring the planet in line with imperial needs. Do you see the difference?”
“I do.”
“It is natural you feel loyalty to me personally, but you need to let your loyalty to Cecilia settle in and grow. She should realize this, but Cecilia and I will never be at cross purposes. You will never need to choose between what I want and what is best for Cecilia or Talmon.”
“I think I understand.”
“Good.” She patted my hand and told me a story.
Later, she helped me pack, making sure I left out the things I would wear in the morning. We talked for another couple of hours, and then she hugged me before sending me to bed.
* * * *
“It is so amazing,” I said, gesturing to the beanstalk.
“I stop here every time I come,” Aunt Anna replied. We were ten kilometers from the base of the beanstalk, having pulled into a parking area facing the structure, clearly designed for people to do just that. Ours wasn’t the only ground vehicle parked, facing the elevator into the heavens. “Maddalyn, that represents the greatest achievement of mankind. It is not space travel itself. That isn’t actually all that difficult.” She gestured. “But building that was difficult. That is why only a few planets have them, and that beanstalk is why Tarriton is the regional center for the Empire.”
“And trade, and so much more,” I added.
“Yes, exactly,” she confirmed.
We looked at the beanstalk a little longer, and then we completed the drive to the facility.
* * * *
It’s called a space elevator, and that’s exactly what it is. But it was not like a more terrestrial elevator. First, the trip was over forty thousand kilometers, straight up. Only the lowest portions were within Tarriton’s atmosphere, the first hundred kilometers, but only the first ten kilometers have air thick enough for life.
And of course, it was a ride into space and represented the most dangerous portion of the trip. There had been two disastrous failures of space elevators, discounting mishaps during construction. One of the mishaps involved an engineering failure. The elevator had been in use for three years before it began to unravel, and once it began, the entire thing failed over the course of seconds. One portion collapsed to the planet below, directly killing hundreds, maiming thousands, and then causing a monstrous tsunami that destroyed several coastal towns and untold villages. Luckily, warning systems were in place, and so the additional death count was under a t
housand. People called that “lucky”.
The upper portion of the beanstalk, no longer anchored to the planet, spun away into space. The vibrations of the disaster shook the space station at the top of the beanstalk so badly, most of those present were killed nearly immediately. Life support systems, as well as most other systems, failed.
There were two survivors, rescued two weeks later.
The other major disaster was a function of terrorism. Other than the basic cause, the results were similar, but of course, the terrorists picked an auspicious occasion for their actions, killing the entire imperial delegation and two dozen members of the planetary government. This resulted in the largest manhunt in history, an investigation lasting years. In the end, every single person present on the planet or in nearby space was questioned. Two dozen men and women were killed by angry mobs as the Imperial Marines stood by, doing nothing to quell the crowd.
No one blamed them, neither the crowds nor the marines.
Space travel was dangerous.
Travel along the beanstalk is via the climbers, short trains. One rode an elevator to one of four entrances in each cabin of the train, then proceeded along a walkway, perhaps climbing or descending an interior ladder several rows to reach one’s seat. The seats themselves were largely reclined, so one would be on one’s back for the duration of the trip, tightly strapped in.
I’ll explain the ride itself shortly.
* * * *
Aunt Anna delivered me to the diplomatic entrance to the facility. She had already ensured I had my absolute necessities. I held a new, diplomatic passport, of which I was quite proud. Even in modern times, passports were paper and had changed little over hundreds of years. The cover of my new passport was bright red with purple piping. I would proudly present it to anyone who asked.
I had my tablet, although I rarely used it, now that I had my implant. Both my tablet and implant were loaded with everything from home, so to speak: all my photos, a large library of music, and an even larger library of training materials. I also had games and puzzles to help while away the time.
In my hands was a diplomatic satchel, sealed and immune to inspection. I knew everything that was in it, and I had backup copies stored on my implant but not my tablet. I had my introduction to Governor Grace, amidst other documents.
And, of course, I had my personal possession, which weren’t considered critical, and Aunt Anna only ensured I didn’t forget my baggage. But it was the passport, tablet, and satchel she considered critical, and so she physically verified I had each, and then forbid me from seeing to my luggage.
Anna herself saw to my luggage. We entered the diplomatic section. Anna was recognized, but our passports were checked. My luggage was not, and we were not only passed through, but assigned two security guards to escort us to my train.
It was at the base of the elevator that would take me to the train that Anna turned me to her. She took the things from my hands and gave them to one of the guards, and then she pulled me into her arms.
“Ich liebe dich mein kleines Mädchen,” she said. I love you, my little girl. “I am so proud of you.”
“Thank you for everything, Aunt Anna,” I said. “I won’t let you down.”
“I know you won’t, Maddalyn,” she replied. She hugged me more tightly before slowly releasing me.
And then, together, we each wiped away a tear. She smiled and leaned forward to kiss a damp cheek. “This is not goodbye,” she assured me. “I will visit Talmon, and you will pass through here when you take your next trip home. We’ll have such a good time together.”
“We will,” I said.
We looked into each other’s eyes, smiling. I was excited and happy and sad, all at the same time. I didn’t realize I would be so emotional at parting from this woman, my aunt who wasn’t really my aunt, but who had become the most important person in my life, after my mother. “I may look different when next you see me,” she added. “I am due for rejuvenation soon, and I think I want a change. What do you think I should do?”
“You are asking the wrong one,” I said. But I reached up and brushed her hair.
She smiled again. “What are you thinking?”
“I think I will love you however you look,” I replied. “Perhaps you should grow fur.”
She laughed. “I did that once.”
“Did you? Why?”
“I was moving to a very cold planet,” she said. “I did it for warmth. I had fur everywhere.”
“Did it help?”
“No. Well, I suppose it did, but I counted the months and days until I could leave. Maybe I’ll send you some time.”
I laughed. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” she said. She caressed my cheek. “Well.”
“Well,” I agreed with a nod. Then, “Thank you.” I reached and pulled her into a crushing hug and tried not to cry. She hugged me back, and then slowly I released her and stepped back.
Anna turned to the security guard, collecting my things. She verified what she had, handing them to me. “It will seem like tomorrow when we see each other next.”
“Like tomorrow,” I said, not believing a single word. But with a gesture from Aunt Anna, I stepped into the elevator, the guards following me. Then I waved as Aunt Anna disappeared below me.
My heart was breaking. How silly. I felt worse than when I’d left Mother, but then I’d been so overwhelmed by what I’d let Berdine do to me. But I was leaving the woman who had, or so I felt, rescued me from my folly, and who had given me such an important job besides. And so, my heart was breaking.
But I rode the elevator to my level. I stepped out, and a crewmember was waiting. “Maddalyn Hershel,” I said. The crewmember looked at me and then glanced at the two security guards, then only said, “This way, Ms. Herschel.”
She led me a short distance to the door of the train. It was not like boarding a normal craft. The train, after all, was lifted vertically, the front above me. But we stepped onto a metal walkway. Then we climbed a ladder three rows before stepping off and to the left. Seating was two seats to a side on the narrow train, and mine was the window.
The seats moved. It began upright, and the crewmember helped me settle, even helping to stow my things in a compartment built into the seat. She ensured all my buckles and then said, “Beginning rotation.”
And the seat tilted backwards, and backwards further until I was lying on my back, facing straight up. It was somewhat startling, but actually entirely comfortable, considering. “Departure is in thirty minutes, Ms. Herschel. Do you want your tablet?”
“No, thank you.” I didn’t mention I would use my implant. There was no need to brag. “I’ll just close my eyes.”
“Very good. The first rest stop is in four hours. The chair will not release you until then. If you need to see to things, now is the time.”
“I’m all set,” I assured her.
“Very good,” she repeated. “If you need me, there is a call button here.” She indicated the chair’s controls. I nodded, but I wouldn’t need them.
She stepped away, descending the ladder to help her next person. I closed my eyes. “Melina.”
“Attending,” said my implant.
“Please display the Hoffmann book.”
“Of course, Maddalyn,” she replied.
“Thank you, Melina.”
“You are quite welcome, Maddalyn.”
Twenty-five minutes later, Melina interrupted me. “Incoming call from Aunt Anna.”
“Accept.”
It was only a moment, and then Aunt Anna’s face appeared. I smiled, but I knew she couldn’t see me. “Did you forget to tell me something?”
“Of course not,” she said. “I never forget anything. I thought you would like to watch your ascent to the stars.” And then the image changed from her face to one of the beanstalk, this one from somewhat closer than when we stopped.
We talked easily, and then I heard ship’s noises and a voice announcing, “Two minu
tes to departure.”
“Two minutes,” I said.
“I know,” she replied. “You are going to have such an adventure, Maddalyn.”
“Have you ever done this?”
“Yes, decades ago. I was a member of the initial delegation to a planet called New Blue. Mine was the first new face the settlers had seen in five hundred years.”
“I bet that was something.”
“It was. They spoke a form of English, but with five hundred years of drift, it was quite the challenge to be understood. For the first months, we communicated far better in writing. After that, I served as the first Imperial Governor of Farside.”
“Where is that?”
“About as far from anywhere as you can get,” she said. “Thirty seconds, Maddalyn.”
“I’m not afraid.” I figured out why she had made the call.
She laughed. “You’re a little afraid,” she said. “And to be fair, I hate watching those I love ride that thing.”
“It’s perfectly safe.”
“Right,” she said. We both knew we were lying. It was relatively safe. It wasn’t perfectly safe.
There was a small clang and some vibration, and then I both felt and saw the climber begin to lift. “We’re moving.” After a few moments, I could see the climber appear in Aunt Anna’s view. She was holding steady, watching me as we began ascending, slowly at first, the acceleration gentle. I felt myself pressed a little more firmly into the seat.
“There you go, Maddalyn,” Aunt Anna whispered. “I love you, Darling, and your mother does, too.”
I thought about it. “Aunt Anna?”
“Yes, Maddalyn.”
“The galaxy is dangerous.”
“But you are going to one of the safest planets I know.”
“Accidents happen. If anything happens to me, know that I love you, and that you’re sending me to do exactly what I want to do.”
“I know, Darling.”
“And tell my mother I was thinking about her, the last you saw me.”
“Nothing like that is going to happen, but if it does, I’ll tell her.”
“Thank you.”
I watched the dual vision for a minute, both out my window and the view Anna was giving me. Then she said, “Maddalyn, I want one more promise from you.”