Interstellar Starpilots

by F Stephan

  “What are you doing here, Brian? Move, boy!” Loupiac’s usually frail voice had taken a commanding tone, and Brian ran to meet everyone, forgetting his worries for a little while.

  At the other end of the harbor, repairing a fishing net, a robed man watched Brian and Emily over the hill. They had escaped his trap and his master, but the inspectors hadn’t found him yet. He would lay low for a while and attack again later.

  Brian

  Alkath, 2141 AD, February

  Being invited to a session of the Federation Council on Netraz should have been a moment of awe. It wasn’t.

  After a week of class, they had left the academy. Initially, he had greatly enjoyed the trip, traveling all the way with Emily and spending an evening with her on Shaian. While Brian was dressed in his student uniform, stern and solemn, Emily had chosen to blend in and arrived dressed in a local blue-green coat and a sailor cap. Her skin and hair weren’t the right color but apart from that, she had looked just like everybody else on the morning ferry, until they had both begun to gape at the sea farms along the way.

  They arrived with the sun rising and were glad to see Ambassador Leandra waiting for them at the main wharf.

  “Come. I’ve organized a tour of the cliffs for you.” They spent the morning exploring the different floors to see shops, the learning and research centers, and manufacturing outfits. “We don’t have enough time, as they’re spread all over the place in small villages, each with its own atmosphere and history. This might be the center of the Federation, and proud of it. But it’s also a vibrant trading community. You’ll like it here.”

  The chat with Leandra and Emily about life as a pilot had lightened the wait in the antechamber of the council. Leandra had seemed deeply interested in everything Brian said, and he had enjoyed the attention. He had had few occasions to describe to someone outside the school his daily routines.

  At last, he had been invited to join the councilors, leaving his friends behind. He had expected to see the council chamber, the official seat of power, but instead, he had been ushered into a small cozy room on the top of the cliff. The sight was awesome but the room itself was insignificant. Three sets of cushions, in the manner of a spaceship lounge, three old men and women, each elected by their fellow Federation members, each representing multiple interests, each slouching on thesofas. Rugs between them, pictures of the different planets on the walls. A star chart of the galaxy in one corner rotating slowly with the Federation in red in a small corner. This didn’t look to Brian like the room where the Federation strategy was defined.

  Master Heikert was already inside waiting for him. The attaché was also present, standing discreetly to one side.

  “Welcome, young pilot. Thank you for joining us today.” The voice was melodious, well practiced. Brian didn’t know the speaker, but the authority in his voice was unmistakable. “First, I’d like to confirm the offer that has been made to you by the headmistress of the academy. Your ambassador is already aware of it.” He handed a small data pack to Brian. “Now, we’ve asked you to come here for another reason.” Dismissing my poisoning so fast. They failed, and they don’t like it. “Would you mind recounting what happened last year with the pirates while you were on board of theoldcow?”

  Brian told his story and answered many questions from the committee. They were pilots, no doubt there! They were especially interested in the path he had taken to escape, launching even into a technical discussion of hyperspace.

  Once they had finished, the lead councilor asked Master Heikert for his side of the story. Brian was surprised to learn what had happened on Lelet, of the strange culture that had taken hold of them, and of the message that he had intercepted. He had no doubt the Origin was guilty.

  Yet, the councilors seemed less convinced. “The proof is not explicit enough . . .” “Strong followers . . .” “Influence on all planets . . .” “Risk in asking too soon . . .” Master Heikert and the attaché stood silently on one side, undisturbed by the debate. Brian was stunned. The councilors faced the truth and denied it together in a concerted attempt to avoid any action that would inconvenience them.

  An hour of discussion later, he left the room, shamed by what he had seen. Sure enough, they had decided to act on Lelet. With the proof brought back by Master Heikert, they had had no choice in that. But they would do nothing against the Origin until more direct evidence could be found. That would be too uncomfortable. Brian was fuming when he left the meeting. They have been charged to manage a dream far larger than they are and they only care about their own comfort.

  Azal'am was waiting for him outside. “Welcome to our island, young pilot. My mistress would like to have a small meeting with you. Will you accept?”

  How could I not? “Yes, please. Where do we go?”

  “She’s invited you to lunch in a café two floors below.” She led him by side passages to a cozy little place, empty except for the attaché.

  The attaché rose. “I appreciate you taking the time to explain how the Federation will act on Lelet. It’s important that you understand how we operate. Federation politics are sometimes disappointing, especially to young pilots. But they have their reasons, most of them good.”

  “I’m sure of it, Lady Attaché.” Brian’s contempt was strong, but his sister had hammered into him some semblance of manners when they were growing up.

  “We’ll be sending a relief team to Lelet immediately. They’ll help with the current plague.”

  “How many ships?” His spirits rose a little, imagining the relief fleet.

  “We aren’t rich, Brian. You have to understand. We’ll send five large career ships and a few scouts, with around three hundred people. With that effort, only scout ships, like the one you used for training, will remain in Alkath, with no crews to man them. Another emergency and we’re in trouble”

  “Are we so poor?”

  “Yes, we are. Every planet, every discovery counts!” Her aging eyes were sad, so sad.

  Leandra

  Alkath, 2141 AD, February

  Leandra was thrilled by Brian’s recovery. After so many months dreading the worst for him, Earth was now in the best position it had ever been. Other ambassadors were talking to Leandra again, and she had spent the last night preparing different strategies with Dendrom Zoulvir, depending on the council’s decision. The action planned on Lelet would help the Adheek’s sector immensely, with a new planet adding its weight to the group.

  Now, the ambassador from Adheek had begun to press her again regarding her protégés and the trade routes. Although it would benefit Earth, Leandra chafed at the casual barter of humans that the ambassadors engaged in. She wouldn’t let her two pilots be ground into space fodder so easily.

  She first focused on helping Emily. She had hoped a new month on the planet, new work, new courses with her crew would cheer her up and improve her outlook. But, after an hour of small talk walking up and down the cliff, Leandra was sure nothing had changed.

  At last, they reached the level she had targeted, close to her flat. Leandra had found a small workers’ cantina, lively and fun, with an empty nest of gulzari just below. At night, the workers often called the giant birds over and talked with them, chirps against laughter, and Leandra had found it quite soothing.

  They continued to chat during lunch, looking at the sea, the fishing farms, and the trade ships over the horizon. At last, Leandra breached the topic that had been on her mind since dawn.

  “Would you say that Brian is back on track?” She knew the answer, but she had to start somewhere.

  “Yes, he is. Mind you, this hasn’t solved everything. The attack was meant to capitalize on one of his weaknesses.” Emily was eating a sweet cake very slowly, as if to savor every single bite of it. “We’ve removed the attack for a time, but the weakness remains.”

  “But, if nothing else happens, he should graduate.”

  “He will. No matter what. What’s on your mind, Leandra?”

  “I’
ve inquired here and there, and I’ve been offered an option for you.” The words of the older woman were slow and precise.

  “You don’t like this option, do you?” Emily mused under the scrutiny of the ambassador. “But you feel I need to hear about it? You’ve found an alternative, haven’t you?”

  Unfortunately, her pupil’s immediate reaction confirmed she was a perfect fit for the proposal. Leandra dived in.

  “Yes, I don’t like it. Sometimes, Internal Security needs a pilot to run inquiries, conduct special research, or help carry people about.” Emily nodded. “As a pilot, you also have special capabilities that allow you to take, in some cases, very direct actions others couldn’t.”

  “Are you talking about spies?” Emily was incredulous.

  “Not exactly. More like diplomatic fields agents.”

  “Okay, you’re talking about spies with a pretty title. Why would this be of interest to me? And why don’t you like it?” Emily had an edge to her voice. She didn’t like being pushed in any directions.

  Leandra looked her in the eyes and began. “It would give you a network with diplomats and traders. Currently, I’ve got no connections to them, and it keeps me from doing my job. I don’t have any nanites and most of them have some. That also hinders me. After ten or twenty years in that position, you could replace me far more efficiently than I could ever dream. And no one else on Earth could do that job.”

  “The target is nice and sounds interesting but that’s a long way to go to reach it. And what’s the catch?”

  “You wouldn’t be able to go back home to your family or Earth for a long time. Your work as an agent, your tenure as a diplomat. You wouldn’t see Earth for thirty years or more.”

  Suddenly, Emily bent over, scaring Leandra, and laughed so loudly most of the cantina turned over to look at her. It took her a few moments to quiet again. “Madam, isn’t it in my file? Didn’t they tell you?” No, they haven’t told me, but I’ve guessed enough of it. I’m so sorry for you. “I can’t go home. That was the deal.”

  “Emily, whatever deal you made, currently, they cannot threaten you or your family.”

  “Yes they can, Leandra. Those are deadly people.” Suddenly, in a shift of mood, she was cold as ice. “My way home is barred for now. Maybe Tasha will clear it, but it will take her many years. A good thirty at least.” She rose and walked to the rail overlooking the ocean. “If I can’t go home, I can build one elsewhere, out of this.” Her voice now had taken a strange undertone, both happy and doomed. “What’s the next step?”

  An hour later, she was informed by Even that the council’s meeting was over and they were coming to the harbor. They rushed back to pick up Brian and catch the evening ferry. Leandra watched them leave, one raging and the other beaming. While the boat turned to head out to sea, Leandra saw Emily take Brian’s hand, maybe to calm him down. Brian turned, and Emily kissed him. Leandra laughed aloud. Those two will never stop getting themselves into trouble.

  Heikert

  Alkath, 2141 AD, February

  Later that day, Master Heikert walked alone in the streets of Shaian, enjoying the late afternoon. Children filled the streets, playing ball amid the crowd, with laughter and apologies when they hit passersby. The restaurants and bars were setting up their terraces to avail their customers of the more comfortable temperatures. Some shops were still open, and he browsed their contents, remembering days long by. When he had met Nellym, his wife, she had loved Shaian, and many of their first evenings together were spent on those very streets. His eyes were a bit moist at the memories. He had chosen Adheek to get away from here. Yet, it remained part of his history.

  At last, he came on a small plaza behind the elevator, well hidden in a maze of small streets, and shaded by the shadows of many trees. Nellym had found it ages ago and had loved the old buildings, reminiscent of the Traders age, and the evening light from lanterns under the leaves. The restaurant was still here, unchanged except for its name. It had been a Filbian joint back then. But that was before Filb had gone completely wild, leaving the Federation and then crumbling on its own. Now, it was a Madoulian kitchen.

  He saw her at a table on the side under the oldest tree and walked to sit facing her. He remembered an evening long ago with Nellym and her. Even hadn’t changed a bit since that night, still discreet and powerful. At that time, she had been a high civilian-level clerk in the military administration, with a long and unknown history behind her. How old is she really? With nanite enhancement, you couldn’t really know someone’s age. Master Loupiac was at least four centuries old, and he was failing at last. Heikert had tried to question him about Even, but without success.

  “How are you, Heikert Naosan?” She rose to greet him as if their last meeting had been the day before instead of half a century ago, and friendly instead of stormy.

  “Fine, thank you. Will we be playing nice? Or are we going to talk business? You made a promise, don’t you remember?” His voice was hard, unforgiving.

  She winced. “I had hoped you’d have forgiven me by now. What Nellym did was particularly important.” She signaled a waiter, and plates were set in the middle of the table.

  “And she died for it. What’s the news, now?” No, he wouldn’t forgive.

  “Okay, I’ll get right to it. Nellym died because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’m sure the same person has now attacked Alkath, and he was in the system for that attack. Something is going on.”

  “That’s your problem, isn’t it? You’ve got a war going on. You’ve had one on your hands for a long time. But I never signed up for your war. You’ve got other people to do your work for you.”

  “Few. So few.” Her voice was sad, so low he could barely hear it. “I never recruited that many.” Then, she cleared her throat and looked him in the eyes. “Anyway. I only ask you to hear my request. Then, do what seems best.”

  He nodded, and she continued. “I believe the Origin is linked to my enemy. But more than that, I’m sure their archbishop is not what he seems.”

  “Lapren?” Hate filled his voice. He had had doubts about him and hadn’t been able to connect him to Nellym’s murder. It had been one of the reasons for his going to Adheek.

  “Until now, he’d never made a wrong move—well, I think he made one wrong turn on Lelet twenty years ago. I want you to track down the ship he used when he went close at that time.” She pushed a small data pack toward him, which he took involuntarily. Blood for blood? Do you think it will pay your debt?

  “No, it won’t,” she answered, reading his thoughts. “We tried to track it down. There were no traces left in Volpre.” She smiled a wolfish grin. “We’re consolidating all flight paths here. I’m fairly sure that he left Adheek for Fizhert before flying to Volpre.”

  “You’ve got all the information from the station there, and there was nothing in it.”

  “Yes. But when he left the jump point, he dumped his data into the satellite relay. Then, the data was edited both in Fizhert and Volpre. But the core data should still be stored in the satellite over there. I want you to fly by Fizhert on your way back and get the data from the relay. In your ship, Sunray already has the accesses he needs to get data there.”

  She had him then. At last, Lapren, I’ll make you pay for your acts. He pocketed the data pack and began to eat, suddenly starving. Even ate slowly, still sad.

  Mathias

  Dupner, 2141 AD, February

  Mathias kneeled to touch the earth. “At last. I’m back on the ground.” It was a relief for him to have safely reached his destination. It had gone faster than he had expected, with good connections between ships from Alkath. A month only had passed since his meeting with Brian and Emily in Alkath. Now, he was on a plateau a thousand yards above the sea and the jungle lands. He looked around. The shuttle had settled beside a small isolated runaway. The main spaceport building was a small wooden hangar. From what he had read, there was little trade between the agricultural world and the rest o
f the Federation. The air smelled of wood and grain.

  A few travelers hurried toward the main bus linking the spaceport to the nearby city. Some had been stuck around Baol for a full month waiting for a ship in the right direction. During the flight, Mathias has enjoyed the conversations with them, notably a cheerful and muscular trader from Calophe, an ice ball that desperately needed the various organisms from Dupner to enrich its ecosystems. He had also met a secretive woman from Ullem who had intrigued him. She had managed to be with them all the time, joking and laughing, but he had felt a coldness in her that had sent shivers through his heart. Looking up, he was happy to see her walk away.

  “Welcome to Dupner, honored sir.” A tall, sweating fat man in a gray cotton outfit loomed over Mathias, bowing to him.

  Mathias got up. He was still smaller than the other man. “Good day, sir. Who am I talking to?”

  “Sir, I am Waren Zeln, honored sir, of the Scientific Farmer Association. We’ve received your request, the one you sent from the orbital station, and I volunteered to help you in your endeavor.”

  Mathias felt immediately relieved, lost as he was on the unfamiliar planet. “Thank you, sir, I’m honored by your help. Thank you for waiting for me on the upper reaches. I know it was quite a trip.”

  “You’re welcome. Actually, I’ve been wanting to come here for a bit of fresh air.” He was smiling all he could, and he murmured with a grin, “And everything to get out of our research routine. Now, honored guest, we have to hurry to catch the train to the lower lands.” The good humor was infectious, and Mathias smiled even more broadly.

  “Delighted to follow you. Where do we go?”