The Tau Ceti Diversion

by Chris McMahon

  Karic’s dark brown eyes found hers once more, the ones she had once found so warm and enticing. Now his eyes were large … strange. His essence engulfed her, wrapping around her with ghostly fingers that made the hair on her skin stand up. Her heart beat like a wild bird trapped in her chest, but she did not flinch. If this is what is took, she would do it. She was strong enough to see it through.

  Mara let her awareness flow outward. Their minds swelled like mist behind their vision and fled along the linked arms of spirit. She could feel Karic inside her, while thoughts and images from his mind flooded into hers — the Fountain’s offer, the chance to explore space that he had forgone, his dedication to get her and Andrai back to Earth. She was filled with panic. Her thoughts would also be this exposed. Karic’s mind reached for hers — eagerly searching.

  “No!” She dropped Karic’s hands and jerked back. The bond ripped away and her mind was hers again.

  “I’m sorry Mara, I … I will not touch your mind again,” said Karic. His head sank toward his chest.

  “You know now that we are over for good,” said Mara.

  He looked at her with hurt in his eyes, and she felt cruel. “Yes. I know.”

  They heard the scrape of a boot on the floor of the lander and turned to see Andrai walk through the hatch. The blond tech was watching them carefully, light gray eyes flicking between them. “I … ah, thought you would be finished.”

  “No problem,” said Karic. “We are.”

  “So, when are the Fintil going to get us back to the Starburst?” asked Andrai. His voice was uncharacteristically strained, and he seemed tense. Jumpy.

  Karic took a deep breath and massaged the back of his neck with his hand. “We probably have a few days until the Fountain emerges from his cocoon with a regenerated body. Then we should be able to leave as soon as he can organize it. I’m sure the Fintil will be eager to get us off Cru for good.”

  “Seems a shame to leave. After all, we just got here,” said Andrai with a quick smile. Mara touched him gently on the arm.

  Karic tensed, a frown creasing his face for a moment. Then it was gone.

  Mara leaned into Andrai’s body, feeling the solid warmth. She was safe with him — and in control.

  “I think we better leave as soon as we can. I wouldn’t want to outstay our welcome,” said Karic. “The old Fountain will regenerate, despite the damage to his shell, but what if something else should happen to him? Will the young Fintil honor the agreement?”

  Mara hoped so. She wanted to leave Cru behind. To return to Earth and try and recapture some sense of a normal life.

  “OK. I guess we better get back to work,” said Karic.

  Andrai and Mara began salvaging their data on the planet, which had been automatically backed up from both the pod’s and lander’s sensors onto the lander’s hard-drives. She saw Andrai relax as he grew absorbed in the task. As they worked together, side-by-side, Karic grew increasingly restless.

  “I’ll be outside,” said Karic, ducking through the twisted metal of the hatch.

  Mara sighed with relief. Thank God that’s over.

  When he was gone, she leaned over and gave Andrai a warm kiss, feeling his soft lips beneath hers.

  “So did you mind-bond?” asked Andrai. His eyes were lit with a peculiar gleam.

  Mara hesitated, unsure how to answer. She and Karic had bonded, not long enough to communicate mind-to-mind, but long enough for her to realize what an intrusion it felt like. The surging rhythms seemed to boil in the back of her mind, waiting for a chance to leap outward. “Just for a brief moment. But it’s not something I want to try again. I just don’t think human beings are ready for that sort of honesty.”

  Andrai frowned, clearly disappointed.

  “What’s wrong?” she demanded.

  “I … was just hoping you might want to try it with me?” Andrai left the question hanging.

  Mara balked, her fear cresting like a wave. “We should finish this.”

  Andrai’s face fell, but he turned back to his console without comment.

  ***

  Karic was shaken by Mara’s final refusal.

  He stalked across the campsite and deactivated the defensive shield, leaving the safety of the shielded enclosure. He needed to get some distance. Just to see them working so well together … He knew it was time to put it behind him, and yet … if only he could truly mind-bond with her! He felt sure she would finally see what he felt. Felt sure it would change everything.

  He growled deep in his throat. Despite his desires, he had to respect her wishes. He was her commander, after all. His leadership had to come first. He would not mention it again.

  The valley was silent. The endless rustling that had filled the dark was gone — the myriad creatures having fled to the shadows beyond the valley. The huge fungi, which once seemed to swell and crowd together like mysterious beings, now appeared smaller, more spread apart, like sickly cactus in a desert of black, stony soil.

  He had changed. He had abilities that gave him new strength. He could see more in the world, more within people, than ever before. It seemed natural. An extension of the same interactions that had always marked humanity. Yet there was a difference. It was harder to lie. Silence was the only deceit — the absence of truth.

  Karic walked to the prone form of the Fountain. He gingerly touched the splintered shell. The bright coloration had faded from the exoskeleton, leaving it transparent. Beneath, he glimpsed the soft gold of another form emerging. New life. It surrounded them. Karic turned and walked to the bier. The chrysalises of Utar’s two companions were darkening rapidly, hurtling toward rebirth as adult Fintil.

  Stifling his fear, Karic walked toward the Awakener’s cocoon.

  The Awakener’s huge body was now fully within the grip of the Changes. Even though the sticky green mucus had already hardened, the form continued to grow and stretch, swelling with power. It dwarfed the smaller cocoons of Utar’s acolytes. Unnerved, he turned away.

  He looked up to the dark blue sky above, thinking of the boundless mysteries of space beyond Cru. What had he given up to return Andrai and Mara to Earth? Had he truly lost his chance to explore space?

  ***

  Mara stood beside the chrysalis of the Awakener, one slender hand on the heaving bulk of the black cocoon. Her heart hammered, and she fought to control her breathing.

  It was the middle of her rest period, and she was supposed to be sleeping. Yet every time she had tried to reach for sleep, those surging, boiling rhythms would be waiting for her, filling the empty corridors of her mind with strange sensations. Visions of green jungles and hot suns. She had tried to let it loose, as though that would allow her to drift to sleep, but immediately her spirit had swept outward, locking onto the huge form of the Awakener’s cocoon. She had tried to block it out, but could not. As though in a dream, she had deactivated the defensive shield — leaving it open — and walked barefoot across the ragged earth to kneel beside the chrysalis. Her mind was alive with an energy she had never felt before. A pent force suddenly unleashed. Now it swept around the huge form, engulfing it, embracing it. And the power coming off the huge cocoon fuelled her own mind in turn.

  She could feel the spirit within the chrysalis. It was drawing the essence of life toward it like a greedy child. The presence was strong and filled with a sweet, sad longing. Mara was momentarily overwhelmed with a feeling of incompleteness. Her womb was unbearably empty, aching like these transformed Imbirri for new life. Tears fled from her face and she keened like a banshee, lost within the mind-bond.

  She longed to see the Sun. To stare through the softly swaying branches of spring at the full moon, to feel the subtle pull of her planet, and breathe the sweet air of home. To join with the spirit of Earth, taste her fruits and give birth. She had locked herself away behind steel walls. But she had not died. She had grown stronger. Mara ached for a child, and her tears would not stop.

  Realizing the essence of the Changes was ove
rwhelming her, Mara drew back into herself and opened her eyes. Yet the feeling was not to be so easily banished. Something in the essence of the Awakener had touched her, like a sister . . . yes, the spirit was definitely female. Mara drew herself away from the fallen form of the Awakener and returned to the campsite. On the verge of the defensive shield, she turned and watched the cocoon as it trembled and swelled. She felt a deep empathy with the being. What had the Awakener ever done except try to protect the Imbirri, her children?

  Mara took a deep breath and reentered the shield, shocked that she had not thought to reactivate it. Inside the enclosure, she straightened her torn uniform jacket, tightening the fit around her using the smart seams, despite the oppressive heat from the transmission node. She worked her loose hair into a series of braids, focused on the stark metal hull of the lander, forcing herself back to reality before she entered the craft, before either of the two men could see her.

  They all had their tasks cut out for them, and if working hard would bring them that much closer to Earth, then she would work like a demon. To think she may have never felt Earth’s touch again … Her feelings were overwhelming, but she could not give in. Not yet. If she did she would fly apart. Whatever Karic had done had released more than these strange gifts. She had to hold herself together.

  Especially now.

  In a little under two hours, they were going to rouse Janzen. Now that would be interesting.

  CHAPTER 21

  “You both ready?” asked Karic.

  Andrai nodded grimly, while Mara tightened her grip on the XR32, her eyes fixed on the still form of Janzen.

  “OK.”

  The suspension field surrounding Janzen had been cycling down for the last hour, and was holding at the last threshold, waiting for his command.

  Karic tapped a short coded sequence into the manual keypad and the ghostly field vanished. “OK, Andrai.”

  Andrai stepped forward with a small vial and cracked it under Janzen’s nose. The sharp smell of ammonia and a cocktail of other more exotic stimulants flooded the cabin. Karic blinked his eyes against the sting.

  A few seconds later Janzen’s eyes flew open. He looked wildly around the cabin taking in all three of them, then tried to sit up. For a few moments, he struggled furiously with his bonds. His face was as white as chalk, the plastered cuts stark against the pasty skin. His struggles ceased as recognition lit within his eyes. He sagged back and his face flushed red.

  Janzen tried to talk through the gag.

  “I’m going to remove the gag,” said Karic. “But if you try anything — any communication with the computer — it will go straight back on.”

  Janzen nodded slowly, his eyes filled with familiar assurance and calculation as he looked at each of them in turn.

  Karic loosed the gag and Janzen spat it out.

  “Your mutiny is over, Karic,” said Janzen.

  “Really?”

  “Yes. If you let me go, I will make sure they will go easy on you when we return to Earth.”

  Janzen waited for a reaction, but Karic returned his gaze with a steady resolve.

  “Now. Get me out of these ties. Mara, Andrai. Come and untie these.”

  Andrai smiled slightly. Mara’s look was icy.

  Karic clenched his jaw to contain his fury at Janzen’s blatant attempt at manipulation — after he had wanted all three of them dead and out of the way. He counted to five, then spoke in an even tone. “No, Janzen. You are not going anywhere. The only reason I’ve revived you is so you can make one more transmission back to Earth.”

  Janzen trembled. “What do you mean?”

  “You forgot to delete your message log, genius,” said Andrai.

  Janzen suddenly surged forward, using his bulk to try and snap the bonds. He was a powerful man — the Davis geneticists had seen to that. Karic grinned with a savage satisfaction as he saw the look of feral desperation in Janzen’s blue eyes. The big man’s breaths came in shallow gasps as he strained at the bonds, but his efforts were futile. Karic knew how to tie a knot.

  “That’s right, Janzen,” said Karic. “We know what you said to them.”

  Janzen looked from one to another, seeking an ally. “You need me!”

  “Why is that?” said Karic, keeping himself tightly controlled.

  “You will never get off this planet without me. Release me now, or when the rescue ship arrives you will be left here to rot!”

  Karic took a deep breath. “There will be no rescue ship. You are going to make one more transmission to Earth, telling them exactly what happened on the Starburst. The truth about the Tau Ceti Diversion and your knowledge of the X-ray source that killed the crew. You are then going to tell them about the Imbirri and the Fintil and make sure that no ships are sent. Not a single starship — and certainly no colonization fleet.”

  “But we need a rescue ship! We need it to get back to Earth.”

  “Not anymore,” said Karic. “One of the Fintil, the one you almost killed — the Fountain — is taking us back up to the Starburst.”

  “No. No. This can’t be. We have to colonize this world. Don’t you see?”

  “But this is not our frigging world!” Mara’s eyes blazed. “Don’t you get that?”

  Janzen’s classic features twisted into an ugly snarl. “It’s our world if we can take it — that’s the naked truth of history. You could share in the profits. I would see to it!” Janzen’s gaze fixed on Karic. “It’s too late anyway. You can’t stop the fleet.”

  “Rubbish. You know how long it takes to prep a ship for an interstellar voyage. And most of the ExploreCorp fleet has been mothballed for over a hundred years. You can easily stop them. And you will.”

  “Never.”

  “Oh, I think you will,” said Mara.

  “And why is that?” Janzen trembled with emotion.

  “Because if you don’t, we will. And when the Fountain takes us to Starburst, you won’t be coming with us. I’m sure the Fountain would be only too willing to let you have a bit of local justice.”

  Mara turned to Karic. “I wonder what the Fintil punishment for murder is?”

  Karic smiled grimly. “I would hate to imagine. One thing I know for sure, once all the Fintil are hatched, they will not take kindly to any alien on this planet. Not after everything that’s happened.”

  “You can’t do it.” Janzen’s voice, harsh from strain, was barely above a whisper.

  Karic sat down on the couch next to Janzen, who jerked away from the contact, his blue eyes blazing at the familiarity. “Oh, we can. How do you think the ExploreCorp executive will respond to a joint transmission from all of us? A testimonial from three officers you claimed were dead? I’m sure the Fountain would be happy to join us. How do you think they would react to some footage of the transmission nodes, or of the Fountain’s devices?”

  Janzen glared at Karic, defiant to the end. The contempt in his eyes was tangible. Here, he saw Janzen Davis stripped of pretence, stripped of the charismatic mask and the carefully contrived conviviality that concealed his cold, manipulative mind.

  “Who are you? All of you? Low-class drones! Do you know who you are dealing with? I’m a Davis!” Janzen’s eyes blazed with an unshakable conviction. They had pushed him down to the grimy bedrock of his being. “Do you have any idea what sort of damage I can do to you — to your families?”

  “You are a pile of shit strapped to a chair, you bastard!” hissed Mara. Her hand snapped forward to slap at his face with an open-handed palm, put Andrai caught her wrist.

  “He’s not worth it, Mara,” said Andrai, his voice uncharacteristically harsh.

  “Go ahead. Hit a bound man. I’d expect nothing less from platform-scum like you, Mara.”

  She shook off Andrai’s hand. “I am what I made myself. Whatever you are was given to you on a silver platter, you prick.”

  Janzen snorted. “You are what I made you. Or do you think being assigned to the mission was an accident? I needed someone I
could control.”

  Mara’s lips drew back in a snarl, ready to fight, but Karic held up his hand to stop her. God help him, he wanted to pound on the bastard himself, but he would not give Janzen the satisfaction of provoking him.

  “Enough delaying tactics, Janzen. Either send the transmission or I will leave you here on Cru,” said Karic, his heart hammering with adrenaline.

  “Do you really want me as an enemy, Karic? Help me colonize this world. The rewards would be immense. Immense!”

  Karic looked at Janzen, saw the desperation in his eyes. The colonization of this world — the restoration of the Davis fortunes — had been a dream he had lived with so long it had become a delusion.

  “Janzen. There is no colony. It’s over.”

  Janzen trembled, sagging back onto the suspension couch. “No.”

  Karic’s determination solidified like new steel emerging from the fires of revenge that forged it. “We will leave you behind if you don’t cooperate. That will be fatal for you, have no doubt. So it’s live or die, Janzen. A choice you never gave us. Decide now.”

  Janzen would not meet Karic’s eyes. He mumbled.

  Karic instinctively leant closer. “What was that?”

  “Very well.” Janzen’s voice was barely above a whisper. Strangely controlled.

  Karic felt a surge of relief.

  Janzen lifted his head, tilting his chin up to face him.

  “I’ll do it.” He looked at Andrai and Mara, his eyes assessing, calculating. His eyes flicked down to the XR32 in Mara’s holster, measuring the distance. “Now let me out of these.” His voice was soft, calm. Reasonable. He held up his bound hands.

  Karic shook his head. “Oh, no. You will stay right where you are. And after the transmission, you are going straight back into stasis.”

  Janzen surged forward in a savage headbutt. Karic jerked back in reflex, and Janzen’s forehead slammed into his lower lip and chin, rather than his nose, which had been the target.

  “Fuck you. You overblown tech. Do you think you’ve got what it takes to fight the Davis family? Do you?” Janzen raved.