“I understand, Captain.”
“And who are you, then?” he asked, as he gazed at her deep décolletage, where a huge diamond, which must have been worth a fortune, sparkled beautifully.
“I am Princess Zania, of the Tsir dynasty,” she answered, and then went on to ask who was steering the ship and why no one was sitting at the helm.
“The computers steer the entire ship on their own, so that in normal cruise we usually need to do little more than monitor the system,” he replied.
When she had left, after interestedly asking several questions about the ship’s various functions, he turned towards Esai and asked how Gail was doing.
“Just fine, I believe, because when I was in the engine room a while ago, she had just awakened and was sitting and whispering with Ixter.”
“Excellent. If my calculations are correct, there are now twenty-five persons on board, as well as a light spirit. I would like you to draw up a list, with the new passengers’ personal details, and ensure that everyone gets something to eat. Judging by how my own stomach is rumbling, they must be very hungry.”
“OK!” answered Esai, and he and Caver went off to the cargo hold with food packets and drink.
After a moment of standing to contemplate with fascination the cage containing the twinkling creature that resembled a miniature woman with shimmering wings and wearing a golden robe, Esai began his debriefings with the imperial guardsman, whose name was Neiger Elker. He then went on to Zania and the girl, Selis, whom they’d already been introduced to, and then only two women remained. One of them, Robina Mestral, told him that she was chambermaid for Princess Flores Tsirka, who hadn’t roused yet, and was lying beside her on the floor still. When he’d finished his notation, and was just about to leave, however, she opened her eyes and stared at him enquiringly. She had long, blue-black hair and eyes like forest lakes, and wore a heavy necklace of braided silver chain with inset precious stones.
“Good morning,” he said, smiling.
“Who are you?” she asked, with furrowed brow.
“Flight Navigator Esai Donovan, at your service.”
“Where am I?”
“On the ship Olina, five parsecs in space.”
“But where are we going?”
“To the planet Zodiac.”
“Zodiac?” she said, shocked. “What kind of planet is that?”
“At the moment, I don’t know.”
“I demand to be returned to the palace!” she cried, shrilly, when she began to realize that she was in the world of the living rather than in the land of the dead.
“That is impossible, unfortunately,” he answered.
“Nothing is impossible. I command you!”
“No matter how much I might want to, I cannot obey you, since the colony on Urduk has ceased to exist.”
“Do you mean that we on this ship are the only survivors?” she asked, her voice shaking.
“I’m not sure of that, but, in any case, I didn’t see any other ship leaving Urduk and, after we left, the Olegians blew up the colony.”
When she turned, crying, away from him, he decided to leave her in peace and went onwards to the rocket room to compile his notes.
CHAPTER 9
Flores was afraid and confused. Her entire life had been torn apart when they had been forced to leave Oboe, and now she’d even had to leave the relative security of Urduk, and was cast out on a journey to the unknown. She had always been a person who had striven after an orderly and organised life, so to find herself amidst total chaos was as far from being her true self as she could imagine.
“I’m sure it’s all going to work out,” said Robina, reassuringly, while she tenderly stroked her hair. “I mourned for so long for my own family, until I decided to believe that they are still alive, until proven otherwise.”
“You’re right, that’s the way it is, naturally,” said Flores, smiling, and now I’m going to go and look for that nice officer, who wanted to talk with me earlier. I probably wasn’t very nice to him.”
Esai was alone in the rocket room, when he heard someone approaching. It was a surprise, when he turned to see who it was, to see Flores standing in the doorway.
“I don’t want to disturb you, but you did wish to speak to me earlier,” she said, speaking with the same rounded vowels, in an especially sonorous voice, which, as when Zania had spoken earlier, distinguished her as a woman who had grown up in an aristocratically-affected environment.
“Oh, it was just to obtain some brief personal details, which your chambermaid was so kind to provide on your behalf.”
“Really? Then there’s nothing else you want to know, then?” she asked, in a disappointed tone.
“Well, sure,” he said, and asked her to have a seat, then asked her whether she had now accepted that fate had brought her to their ship.
“Certainly,” she said. “This is like an exciting adventure, and you also said that several other ships had left Urduk, which is why I presume that soon I will be united with my family.”
He listened to what she said, bewildered, since that wasn’t at all what he’d said, so he assumed that she was in denial, simply refusing to accept what had happened.
“So true,” he said, so that she wouldn’t become sad, “Several ships surely must have left before we did, and of course several more may have left afterwards.”
“Right,” she smiled. “The wheel of existence is spinning our fate as it likes, and life is often not what one had thought it would be, but if one takes the time to reflect on it, one eventually finds that everything has both advantages and disadvantages.”
“I think that’s a good attitude, and you are not the first whose said it. And what advantages have you found so far?”
“That it is wonderful to be alive and that the unending space outside is so beautiful.”
“Yes, it is incredibly beautiful, but nothing compared to your beauty,” he blurted, not knowing where he’d found the courage.
“You flatter me,” she replied, quickly bowing her head, both abashed and pleased at the same time.
“Not at all,” he said, clearing his throat.
“Do you think you could show me how the ship functions?” she queried, as she brushed aside a lock of hair that had fallen across her eyes.
“My pleasure. It’s pretty simple. The main principle is that the rocket fuel powers the large drives, which then convert the energy into thrust, which in turn causes the ship to travel forward. Follow?”
“Oh, I know exactly what you mean.”
As he spoke, she moved ever closer to him, until finally she was so close that he was blushing slightly, and was finding it difficult to think clearly.
“A large computer then keeps everything in place. Oh, sorry! What I mean is that a large computer coordinates all the functions.”
“I see, and what is that red lever for, that one in front of us?”
“That’s what we use to increase induction when there’s a reduction in power.”
“And that button there?” she continued asking.
When she stretched herself forward, he thought that she was so beautiful, and her red painted lips pouted so attractively, that he couldn’t resist kissing her, which she immediately returned. To succumb to desire when one’s life is in danger has always been part of the human condition and, young as they were, they were no exception. With searching hands, they explored each other’s bodies, and when, a few moments later, she lay resting, with her head against his chest, he was filled with a heavenly warmth that he’d never felt before, and felt so much in love that his entire body was flushed and pulsing.
When Shay woke from a short nap, it was dark and silent in the cabin. It felt as if it was forever since the Olegian’s attack, so he was amazed to see that the green digits of the atomic clock revealed that only four hours had passed. He’d just begun the calibration of the starboard drive, when Anderika came in and sat beside him, asking if he had a moment.
“Sure,” he answered, “What’s up?”
“I’d like to speak with you about the technical equipment.”
“Which equipment, then?” he asked, surprised.
“The boxes we were going to have with us when we were to travel to the Zolega plain, and that are standing furthest back in the cargo hold.”
“But weren’t they going to be loaded this morning?”
“I know, but to save time, I had them put on board yesterday evening.”
“You mean that we already had a pile of unnecessary cargo with us?”
“Yes, but all’s well that ends well, as the saying goes.”
“Why didn’t you say anything to me?”
“Because I was afraid you would then have ordered them thrown overboard.”
“That’s exactly what I would’ve done, yes. The overload warning system was showing already. What value does material have over human value?”
“Mechanics of materials and construction technology are also my specialties, and after a quick rough estimate of the Olina’s technical data, I was convinced that there shouldn’t be any problem. You know as well as I do that the ship is built to handle three times expected stress levels, so I knew we had a good margin.”
“Alright,” he said, somewhat less irritated, and leaned back in his seat, clasping his hands behind his head, “But the ship’s performance was affected, of course, and that increased the risk that we’d be shot down.”
“In that case, I think you must admit that the extra weight of the equipment hardly made any difference. No matter how little cargo we’d had with us, we would have been destroyed by the Olegians, if they had detected us; and, then, when we were up to full speed it didn’t matter at all.”
“OK, but do you think there’s anything that’s come along that might be useful for us?”
“Yes, since it seems that it’s the Planet of the Abyss we’re heading for, with its anticipated hostile environment, the equipment could be essential for our chances of survival.”
“In that case, I should perhaps thank you.”
“No problem, but we have to see if we survive the landing first.”
“So true,” he said, grimly, and returned to his instruments.
The Olina proceeded slowly through the quiet of space, where the notion of day and night was meaningless. The ship had only been constructed for a crew of four, which explained why the large number of passengers it was now carrying unavoidably led to a degree of discomfort. Certainly, the cargo hold was relatively large, which allowed them room for both sleeping and passing time, but as far as toilets, hygiene, eating space, and so on, things were worse. After some friction, they realized that they were forced to collaborate, and try to make the best of the prevailing circumstances, which in turn led to a somewhat satisfactory improvement in their daily routines.
Many felt that the voyage was slow and tedious, but not Esai and Flores, who without reservation expressed their love for each other. Now, though, as they approached the Planet of the Abyss, Shay called Esai to him and ordered him to tear himself away from Flores, since his help was needed in preparing for the landing.
“Do you really believe we have any chance of making it?” asked Esai. “Aren’t we just going to crash into oblivion?”
“I don’t think in such terms!” Shay said, harshly. “One always takes one’s chances, no matter how small they might seem to be.”
“I’m sorry, it was stupid of me to speak like that,” he said, ashamed. “It just feels so frustration to be left with an unknown planet that inspires so little hope.”
“We all feel that way, I’m sure, but we have to try the best we can. History is full of examples of improbable events that happened against all odds.”
As soon as they’d finished going through the list of all the preparations that needed to be made, Esai got to work, while Flores constantly came by, asking him to come to her. Shay was unmoveable, however, and said that he now had a task to perform, so he couldn’t go anywhere until he’d finished his duties.
Eventually, when there was only a half-hour left until landing, they locked the doors to the passenger area, so they could concentrate fully on their tasks. They deployed the security shield in front of the windscreen.
“Fasten yourselves and hope for the best,” said Shay, when the steering computer started and the ship, now roaring with the friction, began the approach to the planet’s surface. “If the worst happens, we can at least take some comfort in knowing that it will be fast and painless.”
“I pray to be allowed to live,” moaned Ixter, behind them, hardly aware of what was happening.
Only a few minutes later, which felt like an eternity, there was a series of explosions that shook and rattled the ship, and caused the wiring to short-circuit in a rain of sparks, after which, with a powerful jolt, it was entirely dark. After all the noise they’d been subjected to for so long, it was now completely silent and still, with the only sound that of the lightly whirring fans of the ventilation system.
“Did we make it?” asked Caver, in a weak voice.
“I don’t know,” replied Shay, “But since I can hear your question, it’s probably not entirely impossible.”
When Esai pinched his arm, even he believed that they were alive, and when the emergency lighting came on after a few moments, they were all completely convinced.
“We need to make a full inventory of the ship’s condition,” said Shay, after some concentration, which he needed to process his troubled thoughts. “I need a complete situation report. Desia and Ixter check inside; Caver, look after the passengers, who for the moment should stay in the cargo bay; and Esai, fix our position; while Anderika and I will try to see what’s lying in wait outside.”
Eventually, Desia and Ixter returned to the command centre, tense, and their faces expressing the seriousness of the situation.
“Let’s hear it,” said Shay, looking directly at Desia.
“The main reactor is out, as are the drives and steering mechanism. Reserve power is, however, in good condition, but with full energy consumption, we’ll only manage a few days before the ship goes dark.”
“How are we for radiation pistols and other arms?”
“They don’t work at all, since they ran on energy transmitted from the core transformer on Urduk, and which we of course no longer have access to.”
“Do we have any external damage?”
“No, not that we could see.”
“Excellent,” chuckled, Shay, satisfied.
“I don’t know if I can agree with you on that,” said Ixter, dismally.
“Oh, yes, it could have been much worse, and this is something you’re going to agree with me on once you’ve heard what we’ve discovered.”
After doing one more check and finding that nothing was out of order, Shay and Anderika went to inform the others, who were worriedly waiting for them in the cargo hold.
“I apologize for the delay,” said Shay. “The landing has gone satisfactorily, but we were forced to take a number of security measures before we could inform you. Cosmic planetary energy, in combination with a hard touchdown in a lake, or something similar, seems to be the reason that many of our functions have been knocked out. However, there is no cause for concern, since the ship’s upper part is above the waterline and the outer layer is intact. The computers have also managed to stabilise the hull, so that we don’t sink any further, and a quick analysis we have performed seems to show, amazingly enough, that the air here has a composition that makes it possible to breathe.”
Everyone had thought that a certain death had awaited them, but when they understood that it was at least possible for their lives to continue, in some way or another, a general sense of elation broke out, and they began laughing and hugging each other.
“It’s still night-time here,” he continued, once the expressions of joy had diminished to a level where he thought he could make himself heard, “But if no exceptional information emerges tha
t causes us to change our view, then we should be able to make an initial acquaintance with the planet once it’s light.”
There weren’t many who got any sleep that night, as they waited for the dawn, so when Shay, at first light, prepared to open the sealed roof hatch, everyone crowded around him.
The sun had just begun its climb into the sky, as he carefully stepped out of the ship and glanced around in astonishment. Even if the computer’s sampling had indicated that the air was not dangerous, he couldn’t help feeling a moment of trepidation as he took his first breath in the foreign environment. He was surrounded by luxurious foliage, the air full of mystical fragrances and glittering rays of sunshine in the early morning dew and ground-level mist. As he stood there, he became mildly aware of the sounds of insects, lapping waves, and birds singing beautifully in the distance. When he regained his senses, he shouted enthusiastically that the others should hurry out and join him.
“Oh, it’s so beautiful here!” shouted Desia, when they’d assembled around Shay on the upper side of the ship’s partially submerged hull. “What is this place?”
“It’s hard to say more than that it seems to be some kind of wetland,” answered Shay.
“So, what do we do now?” asked Zania.
“No idea, do you have any suggestions?”
“Do you think it’s OK to swim?”
“I suppose it’s alright, but since we don’t know what lifeforms there are, it’s best to be careful.”
This opinion didn’t hinder Rhus and Isla, full of youthful eagerness, from taking off their clothes and jumping into the water. It didn’t take long for the rest to join them, but they were soon hungry, so food was brought out from the ship and they ate outdoors. Towards evening, they were surprised by a downpour, which whipped the deck violently and forced them to scurry for shelter. The rain eventually ceased as quickly as it had started, so when they returned outside into the cool dusk, the swamp was engulfed in a sensuous steaminess. Once the heavy clouds had departed, thousands of stars filled the sky, and they sat long into the night, talking and marvelling at the presence of only one moon in the sky, until tiredness finally forced them to retire.
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