by Mike Smith
Henry Alcubierre nodded approvingly, like a proud father whose son had just answered the question perfectly.
Alex’s expression meanwhile had turned to dismay as he thought through the consequences. “Even worse would be if only one of the High-Lords obtained such a device; for the rest would never accept it. The risk would be unimaginable. I would have insisted on a pre-emptive strike. Destroy it, before it could be used to destroy you…” He trailed off, blinking. “That’s if it was my decision, which it isn’t,” he insisted.
“I agree,” Henry nodded strenuously. “Such a device in the wrong hands could be a weapon of unimaginable destructive power, but if I can think of it, then so could another. Better that we have it, in our possession, where it could be used for good, rather than it getting into the wrong hands. Take High-Lord Lee Hyun-Woo for example…”
“Then you need to ensure that no more can be built, not ever. That it remains forever unique, the only one in existence.”
Professor Henry Alcubierre, possibly the greatest mind of his generation, peered into his glass before finishing it in a single mouthful, deep in contemplation.
Alex came awake with a jolt.
It had been a long time, many years in fact, since he’d had that particular dream. He wondered why it had suddenly resurfaced now. Yet ever since Osiris nothing seemed to be the same, his new life, and old, seemingly on an unavoidable collision course. With sleep now the furthest thing from his mind, and the glowing embers of the fire indicating that dawn couldn’t be far off, it was time to get up and start his usual morning routine.
Remembering that the most recent addition to the household was still asleep, only a few rooms distant, Alex wryly decided that the possibility of his usual morning schedule seemed most unlikely.
*****
Jessica was still awake, her legs drawn up to her chest, her gaze riveted on the door to her bedroom and, more specifically, the handle.
She’d never been so alone, or uncertain, in her life before.
After overcoming her foolish fears of the gas giant, she had returned to breakfast, where she had eaten lavishly as she had indeed been famished. She had even agreed to try a glass of the wine, pretending ignorance over its origins, even though she had been able to read the label, having benefited from a classical education, she had been taught several of the classical languages.
Lord Greystone—Alex, as he’d insisted on being called after they had finally been introduced, was still a complete enigma to her, a mass of contradictions. The house was huge, thirty-eight rooms, easily rivalling her father’s, based on the tour that Alex had given. Still it seemed tired, worn out, with dust covering many rooms, others simply abandoned. On the other hand, the wealth that he effortlessly displayed was beyond her imagination. Two bottles of wine, at least four hundred years old each and he’d opened both, to allow her to taste and discover which one she preferred. He carried a fusion pistol, of which only a few existed, the last one of which had sold for over five hundred million credits. From the gas giant, to the habitable moon, of which her own Pegasus System had neither, so knew she must have travelled by faster-than-light. Alex had hinted that they had travelled here aboard his personal ship. A faster-than-light capable ship, which only he used—only a few of the most powerful High-Lords could afford such extravagance. Even her father used his massive flagship for travel, unable to afford such a ship solely for personal use.
But where were all the servants? The maids, cooks and footmen that always travelled with such an important person. Here there were none, well except for Mary, who had prepared all their marvellous meals. Even the food was unusual. Many different fruits, breads, cakes and sometimes fish, but no meat. Perhaps he didn’t eat it, or had some sort of aversion towards meat?
She had finally concluded he must be one of those eccentric Lords, who used their wealth and power to spurn other people and society in general, instead preferring to hide away from all. For the lack of other people didn’t seem to bother him in the least. Although it unnerved her badly, having spent her whole life constantly surrounded by others, a small army of people at her beck-and-call, whilst being protected at all times.
It was because of this that she was still awake, fixated on the door. As apart from Alex the house was completely empty, Mary having retired to her own home soon after serving dinner. Thinking of dinner made her laugh, astonished at the sight of Alex clearing away the empty dishes and then informing her that he would wash up! As his guest, he had politely offered her the use of his library, while he cleaned up. Instead she’d just wordlessly followed him and watched. Before she even realised what she was doing, she found herself taking the clean, but still wet dishes for him, drying them and stacking them neatly away. After that they had spent a comfortable evening together in his library, as she perused his books, overcome with delight. Never in her whole life had she ever seen such a collection, many first editions that could only have come from Earth. Many of these Jessica thought had been lost forever and realised, much to her embarrassment, that she had a small mountain of them set aside by the time she had finished.
Still, she had achieved one noticeable success that evening. For she had managed to obtain a promise from him that she was indeed a guest, not a prisoner and if she was still intent on leaving then he wouldn’t stop her. Instead, offering to escort her to the main settlement on the planet, where there was the one and only spaceport. If she could arrange transport for herself home, then he would not impede her. The fact that he found the entire idea highly amusing and hadn’t been able to stop smirking all evening, made her highly suspicious. For she was sure there was something that she was missing and this was going to be made abundantly clear to her today, that set her on edge. As if he had planned it that very way, his small, childish way, of exacting his revenge upon her.
It was only after she retired to her room, a guest bedroom that Mary had made up, that nerves had slowly crept up upon her and why she was still awake several hours later. There were no locks on any of the doors. What if Alex or someone else entered while she was asleep? There was nobody to call for help this time. She even lacked her own fusion pistol and found its loss terrifying, like a missing appendage.
Far worse was that a part of her desperately wished that he would come. The idea that he might somehow enter during the night, looking at her with the same yearning that she had first observed when she had woken in her own bed. To touch her again, like he did the first time, to hold her as he had in the garden underneath that gas giant, to kiss her. She shook her head banishing such absurd thoughts.
The sound of footsteps outside her door caused her heart to leap into her throat. Anticipation tingling across her body, like a static charge. Her heart only restarted when, after a momentary pause, the footsteps continued onwards, further down the corridor. She was out of bed, hurriedly tying her robe around herself, before her thoughts could even catch up with her actions. Hadn’t she just spent several sleepless hours worrying about this very scenario, and now she was chasing after him?
Hurrying from her room, she was just in time to make out his dark shape disappearing around the corner, heading for the majestic spiral staircase that spanned the entire main reception hall. However, by the time she had reached the foot of the stairs her quarry had already vanished. A flickering light, from beneath one of the many doors, which branched off from the main hall drew her attention. Pushing it open she found herself in what could only be the kitchen. The source of the light came from a small cooking stove in one corner of the room. Obviously Mary had already arrived to start breakfast, as neatly laid out on the kitchen table was some kneaded bread dough. Mary however, was nowhere in sight and Jessica was about to reluctantly retreat back to her bed when she spotted a shadowy figure, staring out of the large windows into the night sky, with its back turned to her. Approaching, Jessica was dismayed to realise that the shape could only be Mary, as Alex was far taller and broad shouldered. Still, she was curious, wondering what Ma
ry was looking at as she stared, motionless, out of the window.
“Oh, my Lady, you startled me,” Mary exclaimed, as Jessica stepped forward to stand beside her. “I didn’t hear you. I was just—” she trailed off, embarrassed.
“What are you looking at?” Jessica asked curiously, looking in the direction that the older woman had been facing.
“Oh, it’s nothing. None of my business really and certainly not my place to intrude,” Mary stammered, turning away from the windows.
Yet Jessica had already noticed what first had escaped her. A man, Alex, she could only surmise, standing in the middle of the garden. Facing away from the house, immobile. “What’s he doing?” she blurted out.
“I don’t really know,” Mary admitted. “But he’s there at this time every morning, standing in exactly the same spot. He just stands there, staring, sometimes for hours upon end. I know it’s none of my business, really, but perhaps you could go talk to him? For he always seems so alone out there. I do worry about him, when he’s in these moods.”
As Mary had been nothing but kind to her since her unexpected arrival, Jessica quickly agreed, passing through the kitchen door out into the cool night air. The difference in temperature was easily noticeable, especially from the warm kitchen. Hurrying to avoid the chill she quickly reached Alex, who hadn’t seemed to notice her arrival. Waiting, impatiently at his side for him to notice her, stamping her feet to keep warm, she finally couldn’t wait any longer, breaking the still of the morning.
“My Lord—”
“Shush, it’ll be starting soon,” he interrupted her, not once glancing in her direction.
“What’ll be starting soon?” she asked a few minutes later. “I’m getting cold—” but once again she was stopped, this time by a firm jerk, pulling her closer, towards him. A moment later she felt his warm jacket being draped across her shoulders as she was pulled into his embrace. Suddenly she no longer felt cold, but the complete opposite. Again, about to ask what she was meant to be looking at, she suddenly noticed eddies of grey mist swirling around them, gradually start to lighten. The shadows continued to recede, until she could make out the dew-covered grass that they were standing on. Before long she could make out the tree line, with ribbons of colour beginning to shine through them. As the world around them was slowly revealed, it came to life, with the sounds of songbirds trilling their morning wake-up calls.
Jessica was helpless to watch, over-awed. She couldn’t ever remember seeing anything so wonderful before and unconsciously leaned into Alex’s embrace, his arms instinctively tightening around her, holding her close.
“Why do you come out here every morning?” Jessica whispered softly, sometime later. “Mary told me that you do,” she blurted out before he could deny it.
“It’s silly,” he said.
“Tell me. Please?”
“Well, sometimes I worry that if I’m not here to watch it, then one day it just won’t happen. That the sun won’t rise and push back against the night, instead all light will just fade away, forever consumed by the darkness.”
Jessica was silent for a long time, mulling over his reply. “I understand why you come and stand here, but what makes you think that the sun won’t rise. Why are you so afraid of the dark?”
Alex was quiet for a moment, before explaining hesitantly. “For a long time I was unable to see any light, always surrounded by darkness. I promised myself that if I survived, I wouldn’t miss another sunrise, that I would forever savour the feeling of the first rays of the sun touching my skin. It’s amazing what we take for granted, until it’s taken away from us.”
“I think I know what you mean,” she replied slowly. “I couldn’t sleep last night, for the first time in my life I knew what it was like to be completely alone. My entire life I’ve been surrounded by maids, cooks, footmen and servants. I always had somebody to call upon to help me. Last night I couldn’t even protect myself. I’ve had my brother’s pistol everyday with me for almost fifteen years—I suddenly feel helpless without it.”
“You mean from me?” Alex voiced her unspoken fear. Releasing her, taking a step back.
“From anyone,” Jessica clarified, trying to make him understand. “I’ve always relied upon others around, to keep me safe, or the knowledge that I could protect myself with my pistol, but now I have neither.”
“You have nothing to fear from me; I’ve never forced—” he looked away sharply, grinding his jaw in barely supressed fury. “Go back to the house and get dressed,” he snapped.
“You promised me that today we’d go into the city—”
“I haven’t forgotten,” he retorted. “I made a promise and I plan to keep it, but there is something else that I need to do first. I won’t have somebody living in fear under my own roof. Go,” he persisted, “get dressed and then meet me back here.”
*****
Jessica wordlessly followed him along a small path, threading their way between the trees, occasionally she had to reach out and push a low hanging branch out of the way, but otherwise the path seemed well trod. She had tried to engage him in conversation, trying to make him understand that it wasn’t him that she was particularly frightened of, more the thought of being alone, but aside from a curt, “Follow me,” he had refused to participate in any further conversation.
The path finally ended in a small clearing and assuming they had arrived at his intended destination, she took a step away from him, glancing around curiously. But the clearing appeared deserted, surrounded on all sides by tall trees. The path, from which they had arrived, being the only way back, which Alex was now blocking. It occurred to Jessica that if he indeed planned any harm to her, this isolated spot was ideal. That fear was magnified a hundred-fold when Alex reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a compact, but still deadly looking pistol. She took a sudden step back, as he raised the pistol, but instead of pointing it at her he turned sideways, away from her.
The blast from the shot, echoed around the clearing, a sudden squawking as a group of birds took flight, startled by the gunshot.
“You said that your brother taught you to shoot?” The question took Jessica by surprise, as she had been wondering what he was doing and could only nod in response. She was therefore totally taken aback when she found the pistol being handed to her and, unthinkingly, she took it from him.
“You need to hold it tightly; unlike a fusion pistol this will have a significant recoil. The safety is on the side,” he motioned to the small lever. “Don’t forget to disable it before shooting.” He demonstrated how to unlock it, before motioning to their side. “Now go ahead and shoot.”
Jessica stared intently at the pistol, concentrating, but nothing happened.
“The trigger, pull the trigger,” Alex sighed out loud.
“Sorry, I’m too used to my own pistol,” she replied embarrassed, before pulling the trigger. Not surprisingly the first shot went high, as she was unused to the violent recoil. However, adjusting her grip, the following shots all flew straight and true, until with a click, the gun stopped firing.
“The clip is empty,” Alex explained patiently. “Each one contains fifteen rounds. After firing it that many times, you will need to replace the clip.” He drew a spare clip from his pocket and promptly reloaded the pistol, demonstrating how to do so before returning the pistol to her. “Keep it with you and you will have nothing to fear. If somebody tries to harm you, shoot them.”
“And does that rule also apply to you, my Lord?”
“No,” Alex replied unperturbed. “If it’s me. Shoot twice.” He turned round preparing to leave, when the echo of another gunshot whistled around the clearing, but this time the round just missed his head, embedding itself in a tree a few feet away. “You know,” he stated conversationally. “That is the second time a woman has betrayed me. I’m starting to believe it’s a character flaw with me, trusting any of you at all.”
“I’m leaving.”
“Yes, you’ve made your d
esire to depart abundantly clear. I’ve promised to take you as far as the city, after that you’re on your own. I keep my promises,” he added in a reproachful tone.
“Then I want you to answer just one of my questions, truthfully.”
“You're the one pointing a gun at me, with my back turned. I can stretch to one question.”
Jessica chewed on her lip, thinking what question to ask. She had so many that they seemed to mingle together, becoming a raging maelstrom of conflicting thoughts. “How long did you go without seeing daylight?” she blurted out, wondering why that one suddenly came to the forefront of her mind.
Even Alex seemed taken aback, turning around to face her quizzically. He seemed to be mulling the question for a while, perhaps deciding whether to reply honestly, or even to reply at all. In the end he simply shrugged. “Five years.”
“Five years?” Jessica echoed appalled, the pistol momentarily wavering in her grasp.
“Locked away in a cell, four-foot-by-five, in complete darkness. I never saw nor heard another person in all that time. I still hold the record for the longest duration, the one before me only lasted three years, but he doesn’t really count, does he? He didn’t come out alive. Instead he cracked open his skull by banging it against a wall.”
“But who, why?” Jessica demanded.
Alex cocked his head to one side, eyeing her knowingly. “That’s two questions,” he said turning his back on her once again, ignoring the pistol, pointing unwaveringly at him. “Good shot by the way,” he added over his shoulder. “You just needed to aim a few more inches to the left.”