Brown, Eric

by Helix [v1. 0] [epub]

  She surprised herself with her relief at coming across the caravan.

  For a minute she ran alongside the procession, concealing herself behind the trees, and only when she drew near the first animal, carrying upon its back the spokesman of the silver insects, did she step from the cover and stare up at the alien.

  It saw her and called something in its high impossible language, and the beast beneath it plodded to a halt. The being spoke to her, gesturing with a thin, stick-like arm.

  She said, “I... I’m lost. I need food...” before realising the futility of her words.

  The silver spokesman fluted something to the beings seated on the animals behind it, and they replied in kind. The spokesman blinked its huge pink eyes at her, then gestured to the place beside him high on the back of the animal.

  For some reason she could not identify, though the alien was like nothing she had ever seen before, she did not feel threatened by him as she had by the other beings.

  She accepted his invitation, and with difficulty scaled the flank of the animal and at last perched beside the spokesman.

  He instructed his mount to proceed, and then turned and addressed her.

  She gestured her incomprehension, opened her mouth to show her tongue and indicate that she intended no threat, and wondered how she might communicate to these aliens the essence of her plight.

  They processed slowly through the forest. The alien talked almost continuously to her, indicating trees and bushes with its many-fingered hands, and Sereth could only make gestures that she hoped might convey that she was listening.

  At one point, a couple of hours into the journey, the alien plucked a bunch of red berries from a shrub and offered them to Sereth. Despite her earlier caution, she took them. Her mouth watered at the very thought of eating, and though she was unaccustomed to berries—they were rare in the winter climes of Agstarn—she popped one into her mouth, and then another and another as she found their taste more than pleasing. They were sweet, like frosted-tubers, and soon she had consumed the entire bunch.

  Shortly after that she began to feel drowsy, and then a great lethargy descended over her, a sensation that was not at all unpleasant and rendered her physically unable to move a muscle. Mentally, too, she was affected, filled with a strange euphoria that made light of the fact that she was experiencing an illusion, in the company of weird alien creatures, her future uncertain.

  All she could appreciate was the languor that cushioned her, the strange beauty of the surrounding rainforest. Even the sudden thought, as she drifted into unconsciousness, that this might be another of the anti-god’s ruses to beguile her and subvert her piety, did not trouble her as she thought it might.

  Seconds later she was sleeping upon the back of the plodding beast.

  She awoke instantly, alerted by the high whistle of the alien beside her.

  She opened her eyes and stared about her. The sun was low on the horizon, where before it had been high. Had she slept for most of the day?

  They were no longer in the forest, but climbing a narrow track up the side of a mountain that thrust itself vertically from the surrounding land. As they climbed, they rose above the level of the treetops, gaining a startling view of the green ocean of foliage stretching to the horizon, with the bright blue radiance of a river coiling sinuously into the distance.

  Then all was darkness as they entered what appeared to be the mouth of a cave. Here, in the twilight gloom, the aliens descended their mounts and Sereth did the same, wondering where they might be taking her. The spokesman indicated ahead, and she made her way along a wide tunnel, which turned, eventually, into a flight of steps seemingly carved through the heart of the rock.

  Burning torches illuminated the way, casting flickering shadows across the black walls. The steps were tiny, made for feet much smaller than hers, and she had difficulty climbing. She found it best if she proceeded on all fours, gaining speed and safety this way.

  The light increased, and she looked up to see that the stairs terminated in a great dazzle of sunlight. She slitted her eyes and climbed, at last coming to the top of the carved stairway and standing.

  She looked around, her eyes adjusting to the glare, as the spokesman and the other aliens emerged from the mountain and gathered around her.

  She had had no idea what to expect when she came out into the sunlight, and at first she doubted the evidence of her eyes.

  She was standing on a level section of the mountainside, perhaps as wide as a square in Agstarn city. But this was not what caused her to stare in wonder and disbelief.

  Standing before her was the reassuringly familiar figure of Elder Velkor Cannak.

  Her heart swelled with sudden joy, and then she experienced confusion. Perhaps this was yet another illusion, sent down to plague her sanity.

  The Elder advanced, arms outstretched, and Sereth found herself rushing towards him. He held her, and she luxuriated in his familiarity, the heady scent of his fur, his reassuring words after the high warblings of the aliens.

  “I... I was taken, Elder. The great alien took me! I wanted nothing to do with their scheme.”

  Cannak worked to soothe her. “Child, child, I know. You are blameless. We are beset by evil working against all that is right and good. But, as we know, the truth will prevail.”

  She drew her head away from him and gazed at his smiling face, feeling tears welling in her eyes.

  Behind him, she made out others of her kind, Church militia in familiar uniforms—and behind them, perched upon the mountain greensward, a great, black ship.

  “Where are we, Elder? What is this place?” She indicated the mountain, and then pointed to the spectacular sweep of the helix high above. It dominated the heavens like an abomination, where by all that was right a grey pall should exist.

  “The dwelling place of evil creations, my child.” He took her shoulders. “Worry not, for the end is in sight. When we trace Ehrin and the alien interlopers, and bring them to justice, then we will return to Agstarn and all that is good.” He looked into her eyes. “Where are they, child? Do they conceal themselves in this unholy forest?”

  She shook her head. “They left this world in their ship, many hours ago.”

  Cannak snapped a command to one of the militia to power up the ship and ready it for immediate departure, then turned to Sereth. “Do you know, child, where they were bound?”

  She felt her heart swell with joy, and something else. She would be instrumental in bringing an end to Ehrin’s misguided quest; she felt the delight of revenge as she said, “They are bound for the world above this one, Elder Cannak. They intend to locate the beings they think created this evil illusion.”

  Cannak’s grip tightened on her shoulder. “Directly above this one, on the fourth tier? Are you sure of this?”

  She nodded. “They told me. One of the aliens, the one that spoke our language. It discovered where the Builders dwelt, and they set off to their world.”

  Cannak barked a laugh and reported Sereth’s words to a uniformed militiaman. Then he turned to Sereth and said. “Board the ship. Settle yourself for the journey. Soon, child, thanks to you, we will make Ehrin and his followers see the error of their ways.”

  She hurried across the grass towards the ramp of the ship, hearing Elder Cannak bark instructions to the militia. At this she stopped and turned. “Elder?”

  She looked past him at the small, silver insectile aliens who had gathered on the margin of the sward and were staring at the visitors with their innocent pink eyes.

  Cannak said, “They are an ungodly illusion, my child. Is it not written that all who oppose the one truth shall perish?”

  She turned and hurried towards the ship, and on reaching the ramp cast one glance back at the militia and the tiny aliens. Her people were drawing their rifles, and taking aim, and she saw the spokesman of the aliens step forward and address the leading militiaman.

  Elder Cannak gave the order to fire, and the militia swept their spit
ting weapons across the phalanx of twittering insects, and she saw the spokesman raise his arms in what might have been a defiant gesture, or one of joy at his ascension. The aliens fell, then, and all was silent.

  Sereth hurried into the ship, recalling the Elder’s words of justification, and wondered what punishment might in time be meted out to Ehrin and the other godless aliens.

  * * * *

  ELEVEN /// PILGRIMAGE

  1

  Hendry had oftenthought that there was no finer sight than planet Earth as seen from high orbit, the vast orb reflecting the light of the sun and the features of the planet, familiar after a hundred shuttle runs, spread out silent and serene far below. But he had to admit that the view of the fourth tier of the helix, the string of worlds demarcated by sections of glittering oceans, would take some beating.

  They had travelled for half a day through vacuum, not once entering the darkness of space. Now they approached the fourth tier, the sun just visible above the parabola of worlds before them.

  The comparison with Earth inevitably dragged Hendry’s thoughts back to the time he had returned home after a long shift, to pick Chrissie up from boarding school in France and spend precious time with her before duty dragged him away again. They had been the best times of his life; simple days spent laughing with his daughter, watching the changed child she had become in the weeks he had been away and marvelling at his fortune in having her.

  Before melancholy set in, he felt Sissy squeeze his hand and he was catapulted back to the present. She was smiling at him, her expression almost daring him to dwell on his loss.

  He recalled his conversation in the clearing with Friday Olembe, and wondered what his brother had done to make Sissy hate him with such a vengeance. If, that was, he had surmised correctly in thinking that they must have encountered each other at university in LA in ‘83.

  He would find some opportune time in the days ahead and ask her, and find some way of telling her that her vitriol was misplaced, that Friday was innocent. For the sake of the mission, as well as for their own sakes, a line had to be drawn under their hostility.

  He smiled at her and enjoyed the show through the forward viewscreen.

  A while later, just as Hendry was beginning to doze, Carrelli swore.

  Olembe glanced across at her from the co-pilot’s couch. “What?”

  “We’re being followed. The ship’s not visible, but I’m picking up its signature. I guess it’s around six hours behind us, and closing fast.”

  “How long before we reach the fourth tier?”

  “I estimate... around two hours.”

  Kaluchek leaned forward, restrained by her harness. “What do we do?”

  Carrelli shook her head grimly. “There’s very little we can do but continue onwards.”

  Olembe glanced at her. “The ship’s armed. We could make a fight of it if they get any closer.”

  Carrelli looked at him. “I’m not familiar with the operating system, Friday.”

  He grinned. “What do you think I was doing while you were enjoying your jaunt in the forest back there? I’m pretty sure I could give the bastards a shock or two.”

  Carrelli thought about it, then said, “Only as a very last resort, Friday. Only if there’s no other option. We don’t know our weapon’s capability. We might be committing suicide if we open fire.”

  Olembe nodded. “Agreed. Only as a last resort.”

  Carrelli turned to Ehrin and relayed the gist of the information to the alien, who hung in his harness and stared at her with his huge, inscrutable eyes, his mouth open in what Hendry had come to interpret as apprehension.

  Carrelli looked back at Hendry and Kaluchek and said, “As a precaution, I’m not heading for the Builder’s world. I’m sure they can look after themselves, but I’m not taking the risk.”

  “What’s the plan?” Kaluchek asked.

  “We land on the neighbouring world and hide up for a while. Only when we think the danger has passed, and the Church’s ship has given up its search, do we proceed.” She looked round the small group. “Does that make sense?”

  Hendry nodded. “Sounds fine to me.”

  Olembe agreed. Kaluchek said, “It isn’t as if we’re in any rush.”

  Carrelli told Ehrin of her plan, and he responded with a single, sharp bark.

  “That’s agreed, then,” she said, and stared at the rapidly approaching band of worlds strung out before them.

  Hendry glanced across at Sissy. She was staring through the viewscreen. He saw her as she was in the forest clearing, two days ago, naked and smiling at him with love and abandon. He closed his eyes, never fully sleeping but drifting in and out of semiconsciousness as the ship roared through the void.

  A diminuendo in the pitch of the engine brought him upright with a start. Sissy was yawning, stretching her arms. Carrelli and Olembe were muttering between themselves.

  The architectural immensity of the helix was no longer visible through the viewscreen. All that could be seen was land, over which they were flying at speed. Hendry peered through a sidescreen, down at what looked like a mass of some kind of vegetation, though like none he had ever seen before. It thrashed, as if by its own volition or as if stirred by a fierce gale; individual strands, pale tendrils without leaves or branches, whipped back and forth. All was bathed in bright sunlight, and above the spaghetti-like vegetation were what looked like... he called them spinnakers, as they resembled the bellying sails on yachts he recalled from his youth, though these were vast diaphanous membranes pushed at incredible speeds by the prevailing winds.

  Kaluchek said, “It’s... alien down there,” and laughed self-deprecatingly at the inadequacy of her description.

  Hendry looked through the far sidescreen. They were lower now, and on the horizon to the right he made out the scintillating expanse of an ocean. Beyond which, he surmised, though not visible, was the world of the Builders.

  Carrelli said, “Okay, we’ll attempt to bring the ship down on the coast, in the cover of whatever those things are down there.”

  “Is the Church ship still following?” Kaluchek asked.

  “It was until an hour ago, when we passed round the light side of the world. I cut the main drive around then. With luck, it’ll have difficulty tracing us. And if we can conceal the ship from view... Anyway, here goes. You ready, Friday? Careful now, dampen the auxiliaries by half and ease her down.”

  Hendry watched the writhing mass of etiolated tendrils dance back and forth, as if trying to grab the ship. Only now, with the vessel coming down along the coast and the tendrils waving high above them and to their left, could he fully appreciate their height. They towered over the ship by a hundred metres, each one as thick as the bole of an oak, only supple and terminating in what looked like a mass of smaller, equally agitated tendrils. This world made the forest of Calique seem positively homely.

  Carrelli reported, “Telemetry says that it’s another breathable atmosphere down there, though the gravity’s lighter.”

  “Wonder what kind of crazy aliens live on this world?” Olembe said.

  Carrelli pointed through a sidescreen. “Perhaps that’s your answer.”

  She indicated one of the spinnakers Hendry had seen earlier, a vast bellying sheet heading out to sea.

  “You think that’s sentient?” Olembe asked.

  “Who knows?” Carrelli said. “We’re on a helix containing ten thousand-plus worlds. Anything might be possible.”

  In seconds they crossed the terminator, twilight coming down almost instantly. Stars appeared in the night sky above, and for a second Hendry could imagine he was back on Earth, watching the stars from his seat outside the old Mars shuttle—until he saw the waving fronds temporarily occluding the unfamiliar constellations.

  “Hold on,” Carrelli said. “We’re coming in to land. This might be...”

  They hit the ground with an extended squeal of metal on what might have been rock, the ship slewing like a tea tray on ice. Hendry
saw a mass of pale boles rushing towards the viewscreen, and then their forward momentum was halted abruptly as they sheared through the vegetation. The ship came to a halt, while tendrils came down around them like felled trees. The ship rocked under the impact, then settled. Silence descended.

  Hendry looked out through a sidescreen. The sea was perhaps a hundred metres away, through a vista of rocking tendrils, dappled and lapping quietly in the starlight. Above the ocean, the spinnaker things drifted with the wind, eerie and majestic.

  Olembe unfastened himself from the couch, stood and stretched, peering through the screen on three sides. “We couldn’t have concealed ourselves better, Gina. We’re almost surrounded by the tendrils.”