by S. H. Jucha
“I must build another structure for the school, chonas,” Alex replied, “and I must build a means of quickly transporting the soma to the school and back to their new domiciles each day.”
“The soma will not live at the school?” Homsaff asked.
“A school does not work that way, Homsaff,” Alex explained. “Each day in the school, the soma will hear new things. They must return to the nest, do their customary work for the nest, and learn the new things well.”
“We keep Dassata busy on Sawa Messa,” Nyslara said, ending the discussion, and the Dischnya muzzles rippled in humor.
The Dischnya tipped their muzzles to the professors, but Homsaff and Nafalla nodded gravely to Alex, politely murmuring “Dassata,” before they backed away from the group to return home.
Nyslara hadn’t seen Alex since before her birthing, though she’d heard his voice beyond the curtain and knew he was the one who brought her soma to save the heir. She stared quietly at him, and then she echoed the other females with a simple, “Dassata.”
Alex saw the queen’s tail arc overhead. Its tip caressed the back of his head.
Nyslara chuffed and strode quickly to join the others.
* * *
Alex and company boarded the traveler, and he signaled Ellie to return to the Freedom.
On the way to the front of the main cabin, Alex’s way was blocked by white-haired Nema, who threw her arms around his waist. “It appears females the galaxy over appreciate you, Dassata,” she teased, laughed, and then plopped down in a seat next to Olawale.
Alex took a seat across from them.
“I’m sure you’re aware, Alex, that the queens are requesting two schools … ours and yours,” Olawale said. When Alex grumped in reply, Olawale added, “I take it you recognize the dilemma.” The topic of conversation brought the other professors crowding around to listen.
Recognizing a response was required, Alex said, “Yes, Olawale, you’d run a school of general technical education, but the warriors and one motivated young queen would require a military academy.”
“What do you intend to do?” Priita asked.
“Think on it,” Alex replied.”
“Are there other queens who think like Homsaff?” Yoram asked.
“It’s possible. Our arrival has caused more than one elderly and entrenched matriarch to be replaced — two of them from their treachery and one quietly passed the robe of power to her heir.”
“Strictly from a medical viewpoint, Alex, might I ask how the two matriarchs met their end?” Boris asked.
“One was staked out on the ground,” Alex replied. “And I’m sure you noticed the Dischnya’s great clawed feet.” When the professors nodded, Alex splayed his fingers like claws and pantomimed raking them swiftly across his throat.
While most of Alex’s audience was aghast, little Yoram said, “Hmm. It would appear to me that the Dischnya would make excellent warriors for Dassata. If you ever required ground or on-board close quarters fighting, it would seem that you’d have the making of extremely dangerous and aggressive troops.”
“Ever regret discovering this planet?” Olawale asked, recognizing the burden that was being placed on Alex’s shoulders.
“For the record, I was sitting on Haraken, enjoying my retirement, when the Sojourn first visited this planet,” Alex replied, pretending indignation, and his comment generated chuckles. “Okay, I was retired. Leave it at that.”
-28-
Rover
“This is Captain Hardingsgale of the Rover calling Captain Cordelia,” Bertram said into the vid pickup on his Méridien-built passenger liner.
Bertram heard a wonderful melody of silver bells over his bridge speakers, and his first mate and he shared a smile. One day, I’m going to have an implant so I can receive things like that directly, Bertram thought. “Captain, I’ve orders to assist with the distribution of personnel and supplies, to your satisfaction before I depart,” Bertram said.
“They do, Captain. I’ve 456 personnel for you crammed aboard with my crew. They’ll be thrilled to see the inside of that enormous ship of yours.”
Summarily, Cordelia received Bertram’s lists. She examined the freighters first, taking special note of the temporary quarters’ modules for personnel that could be attached to the terminal’s frame. Together they would accommodate about 110 workers, but they would give the New Terran personnel, working their shifts on the platform, a place to eat and rest before they rotated back to the Freedom.
Once the Rover’s first mate sent the lists to the Freedom, he informed his captain.
Bertram was still musing about the musical bells he’d heard. “SADEs,” he said to the first mate, “I can’t believe it was Alex Racine who had the good fortune to find the first one to enter our system.”
“I hate to deepen your depression, Captain, but, don’t forget, he also discovered Renée de Guirnon. Now, there’s a woman.”
“Thank you for reminding me. Now my jealousy factor has doubled,” Bertram shot back, and his first mate grinned.
* * *
Killian, who had tried to visit often with Vivian, the Daelon child, was pleased to be appointed to manage the completion of the terminal’s construction, but unsure how Vivian would take his extended absence. On the day he would transfer to the small modules that were already attached to the terminal and await the arrival of the New Terran freighters and liner, which were a half day out, Killian caught up with Vivian and her mother, Galania, at morning meal.
“Plaid man,” Vivian cried, leaping up from the table and running to jump into Killian’s arms. He placed her on one arm, the way he carried her when they danced, and walked over to the meal table to sit down.
“Vivian, I must work on the terminal, and I’ll be gone for many days at a time.”
“No, plaid man, you can’t go,” Vivian wailed. At nearby tables, heads turned. Vivian’s attachment to Killian was well known — so too was Killian’s assignment as terminal construction director.
Killian looked across the table at the pain evident in Galania’s eyes. Killian and she had many discussions about Vivian’s fixation on the SADE. The woman had made her opinion clear to Killian when she told him one day, “We were sent to Daelon when Vivian was three. It was a traumatic event for her. The close conditions with no view of the sky depressed her to the point I feared for her sanity. The day we were rescued, her eyes were shut and had been shut for many days. She was unwilling to open them, despite my urging. When she finally did, the first face she saw was yours, Killian. One day, she’ll grow out of her attachment to you. Until then, I would wish my daughter all the happiness she can absorb, no matter
the source.”
“Sit down, for me,” Killian urged. “I have something for you.”
Vivian had wrapped her arms around the SADE’s neck and was holding on, as if she was in danger of drowning. She snuffled, loosened her grip, and slid to the chair next to Killian. “What?” she asked, snuffling again.
Killian opened a small case and pulled out a tiny ear comm. “With this, you can speak to me anytime you want.”
“Anytime?” Vivian asked dubiously. “You promise?”
“Vivian, what did I tell you about that?” her mother interjected. “You don’t doubt someone’s words unless you know them to be false, and Killian wouldn’t lie to you.”
“Sorry,” Vivian said in a meek voice.
“Would you like to know how it works?” Killian asked gently. When Vivian nodded her head multiple times, Killian swept the curls of hair back from the side of her head and eased the ear comm into place.
“It tickles,” Vivian chirped, when the nanites snugged the comm into place.
“That’s how you wear it, but not when you sleep or in the refresher,” he admonished.
“You can hear me, and I can hear you?” Vivian asked.
“I promise,” Killian said, and smiled at Galania. “Now, you tap it lightly here,” he said, directing Vivian’s index finger to the center of the ear comm’s base, “when you want to speak to me, and, when you’re done talking, you say ‘Goodbye, Killian,’ and you tap it again.”
“I want to try it,” Vivian said in a rush.
“Excellent timing, Vivian, because I have to go now.”
Vivian stood on her chair and threw her arms around Killian’s neck, squeezing as hard as she could.
Killian carefully untangled Vivian and whispered to her, as if it was a conspiracy, “Let’s test it, shall we?” Vivian nodded her agreement, but the tears forming in her eyes threatened to throw Killian’s emotional algorithms into disarray. Unable to move, the only thing he could think to do was copy what he saw a mother once do for her child, and he leaned over to place a kiss on Vivian’s forehead. Then the SADE eased out of his chair and crossed quickly to the meal room’s doors. Before he exited, he turned back and held up an index finger, which he touched to his ear.
Vivian stood on her chair seat where her plaid man left her. She snuffled one more time and held up her index finger to her friend. The instant Killian disappeared through the doors, she touched her ear comm and heard, “Greetings, Vivian.” Slumping down in her chair, Vivian smiled crookedly at her mother, grateful tears spilling down her face. “Greetings, plaid man,” she said. For Vivian, everything was right again with the world.
* * *
Killian closed the comm. While he was imprisoned in his box, he had envisioned so many lives that he might lead. This was never one of them. As he made his way to the Freedom’s bay level, he received Cordelia’s refined list of the incoming workforce, specialties, and rotation assignments, to which he made minor adjustments based on his intimate knowledge of the terminal’s construction status. He was unaware of Cordelia’s smile and never heard her thought, which was, You’ll do fine, Killian.
Killian’s days were filled with multiple, often simultaneous, conversations. He spoke verbally to the New Terrans, over comms to Omnians, and kept conversations going with Vivian, who was a chatterbox with her ear comm. Galania was forced to lay down new rules for when Vivian could wear her ear comm, without which the child might never have pulled it out of her ear.
The SADE was enamored with the complexity and variety of his conversations with independent humans. They were a continual source of surprise, and it drove his intent to ensure the protection of humans. Unknowingly, Killian was joining a growing number of Omnian SADEs.
* * *
Alex located Mickey’s bio ID in his lab, and he dropped into the bay to see him.
Mickey postponed a test when a tech alerted him to who was coming through the airlock, and he waited, while Alex made his way through the crowded lab to his side.
“How quickly engineers fill a space,” Alex quipped.
“How quickly leaders load their engineers with monumental tasks,” Mickey riposted.
“Speaking of tasks, wizard of invention, are Tatia and you in step with her priorities for warship construction?”
“For the most part, but we’re woefully short on local transportation. We need many more travelers. If we ever move these city-ships to new locations, I’d like to see their bay’s half full of travelers.”
Well, Mickey, we can’t use the Our People to make shells for ourselves. We need the flow of credits from Haraken, and we can’t use the Freedom. These bays are reserved for your engineers and Ben’s equipment, which has doubled since we landed here. So, do you have an alternate suggestion?”
“Absolutely, Alex. Devote a terminal bay, capable of building four shells at a time, for traveler production. Get the New Terrans to complete the engines, controllers, crystals, and interior fittings. You can strike a deal to share the output with them. I’d suggest they get three out of eight, but Cordelia could probably give you a better idea what the ratio should be.”
“Okay, Mickey, I’ll talk to Cordelia and Maria. In the meantime, I have another project for you.” When Mickey narrowed his eyes at Alex, he said, “You know the ancient adage about idle hands, Mickey.”
“You mean the one that equates idle hands to the value of rest and relaxation to prevent stress from overwork,” Mickey shot back, but he was grinning as he said it. At heart, Mickey was an engineer who loved challenges and, if there was anyone who could fully engage his mind to solve monumentally difficult problems, it was Alex.
“I need a new design, Mickey. Not a warship … call it a scout ship. Minimal crew. Think engines and a stripped-down hull. It’ll be out and back within a quarter of a year.”
Mickey’s hand went to his chin, and he pretended to think as he walked over to a holo-vid, which he signaled. “You mean like this,” Mickey announced with a sly smile.
The holo-vid displayed a truly odd ship design. It looked like a slender rod with engines stuck on one end, and it was a grav design, as evidenced by the four-part clam shell that was employed to cover the intersystem engines and complete the hull’s integrity.
“And what did you design this ship to do?” Alex asked.
“First, I didn’t design this, the SADEs did.”
“For what purpose?”
“Alex, are you getting enough sleep?” Mickey asked with genuine concern. “You’re not usually so slow on the uptake. You asked me for a scout ship, and the SADEs are way ahead of you. They know you’re searching for the Nua’ll home world, and they understand better than anyone what attempting to cover that vast amount of space entails. This is their answer.”
“How many crew will it carry, Mickey? That hull looks extremely slender.”
“It carries an individual, Alex … one SADE.”
When Alex stared at Mickey, the engineer nodded and said, “I told you the SADEs created this. What I didn’t say was that they designed it for themselves. Think of it, Alex … one SADE sealed in this scout ship. It will require none of the travelers’ amenities, no food stock, no dispensers, no refresher, no cabin seating. It’s a brilliant design.”
To Mickey’s trained eye, the look on Alex’s face said he wasn’t pleased. “What’s wrong, Alex?”
Alex shook his head to clear his thoughts. “I agree, Mickey, the
ship’s a superb design. I don’t like the idea of a SADE out in the dark alone.”
“I hear you, Alex, but it was their design. They’re ready to do it.” Mickey’s heart wasn’t behind his words, because he knew the source of Alex’s reservations. Ever since his friend rescued Julien, Alex had moved worlds to ensure SADEs were never emotionally isolated or abandoned. “What you must recognize, Alex, is that you’ve given the Confederation SADEs an entirely new perspective on humans, and they want to do their part to build a community with us.”
“Understood, Mickey. Send me the specs, and let me study them. I might have some modifications for you,” Alex said, and left Mickey to his work.
* * *