by Jim Laughter
Trying to fight back his fear, Delmar turned in to a building just so he’d again have the sense of safety similar to the confining walls of the ship. He found himself in a small temple to the Unseen One. A service was in progress. He quietly sat down on the back row so he would not be conspicuous.
He vaguely remembered going to temple as a very young boy. It had seemed dull and lifeless then to an energy-filled eight-year-old boy. Now it was quietly reassuring to him and his heart slowed down from its panicked frenzy. He decided to sit for a while until he could regain his composure.
The Holy One was standing at the front with several parents and their infants. He took each child in turn and held it before the parents while they all prayed together. He spoke about the overseeing eye of the Unseen One watching each small life. After he finished with the young families, they returned to their seats and he stepped back behind the Anointed Desk.
Opening his Sacred Book, the Holy One turned to a passage and began to read. Delmar did not have a copy to follow along, so he sat still and listened. The Holy One spoke of the faithfulness of the Unseen One, how his love extended beyond the atmosphere to all those on all of the planets. He spoke personally of the loneliness of space and its inherent terrors. He finished by reminding his flock of the personal care of the Unseen One, even when least apparent.
The Holy One stepped back from the Anointed Desk and another man took his place. Everyone stood, so Delmar did too. They sang an ancient hymn about the Unseen One and keeping the faith.
The words of the song ended but the soft, soulful music continued as the Holy One’s assistant prayed the dismissal. When the prayer ended, everyone turned to go. Delmar noticed that the Holy One had disappeared. Turning to leave, he saw the man was already at the back of the temple speaking with everyone as they were leaving. Delmar could not slip out because of the press of people, so he waited his turn to exit.
When Delmar reached the door, the Holy One shook his hand and looked him in the eye. “I saw you come in during the dedication,” he said. “Please stay. We need to talk.”
Delmar didn’t know quite what to do so he stayed and waited while the Holy One finished greeting his congregation. After the last parishioner had left, the man closed the door and walked to where Delmar waited.
“Please come with me,” he said. Delmar followed the man to his office. He noticed the man had a decided limp that had not been apparent when he’d been up on the platform. He reminded Delmar of Mr. Hassel back on Erdinata.
They entered a small chamber behind the platform. The Holy One removed his robe and hung it on the back of the door. The man motioned for Delmar to sit. Taking his seat behind an old desk, he let out a sigh and put his feet up on a stool reserved for the purpose.
“That feels better,” he remarked as he removed his shoes. Delmar noticed that his left leg and foot were artificial. The Holy One reached to a table beside him and poured himself a hot cup of tea from a steaming pot. He offered a cup to Delmar. He accepted. It had been a while since he had eaten.
“So, what’s your name, young man?” the Holy One asked.
“My name is Delmar Eagleman, your Holiness,” he replied. He knew he could have lied about his identity and the priest would not have known. But there was something about this man that Delmar trusted.
“Don’t worry about titles, Delmar,” the older man replied. “My name is Jake Sender.” The man’s smile helped the boy relax, and the tea didn’t hurt either.
“I know you’re wondering why I wanted to see you,” Jake began. “We’ve never met but I knew when I saw you sitting alone at the back of the temple that we needed to talk, you and I, about you.”
Delmar was surprised at the directness of the man. In many ways, his manner reminded him of Mr. Hassel.
“I know it sounds presumptuous for me to start out so direct and all,” Jake said, “but when you’ve been out there in space and seen how short a life can be, you learn to be direct.”
“You were in space?”
“Yes, I was. For many years.” Jake answered. “I was a trooper chaplain and saw service both in ships and on planets.”
“How did you come to be here?”
“About fifteen years ago my unit was detailed to route a Red-tail incursion that had managed to establish a base on one of the marginal planets near the rim. We sent their fleet packing and were starting to do pretty well on the surface when they suddenly and viciously counter-attacked.”
Jake paused as he recalled the event. He leaned back in his creaking chair and closed his eyes.
“There were hordes of them and they were taking out our infantry with heavier fortified weapons. We were being chewed up and had regrouped to a ridge. We tried to hang on until more troopers could reinforce us. The fighting had quieted down some when the ground opened up and poured out Red-tails into our midst through a concealed tunnel. The fighting was hand-to-hand and we were hard pressed.”
“Didn’t you have blasters?”
“Blasters are no good when you’re that close,” Jake answered, leaning back toward the desk. He picked up his teacup and continued. “If you fire at one Red-tail, you’ll take out anything around him and behind. A blaster can’t tell between friend and foe.” Jake paused and took a sip of tea.
“Anyway, the fighting had become hand-to-hand and we were using our swords. After a time you just cut and slash at anything red, and there was more than enough of that. Finally, we were able to get the upper hand in the fight, and the few Red-tails left standing took to flight. That was when I found myself lying on the ground with a searing pain in my leg. I looked down and discovered ribbons of flesh where my boot had been. To this day I don’t know what got me but it sure made a mess.”
“Couldn’t they repair your leg, or maybe even clone you a new one?” Delmar asked and stared at the artificial leg and foot.
“No, they couldn’t,” Jake replied. “Whatever got me damaged the nerves and poisoned the blood. They tried to save it but finally had to amputate. They gave me this artificial contraption and I opted for release. They put me on reserve status with indefinite leave. I’d always liked Mica, even though it’s an independent planet, so I came here with my wife and we’ve been here ever since.”
Delmar did not quite know what to say, so he sipped his tea a moment while he thought furiously.
“So,” said Jake, filling the void, “that brings us to you. How did a young man like you come to be here alone on Mica?”
Delmar wanted to fabricate some story but found that he couldn’t do it. After all the time trying to avoid the subject, he had to tell someone.
“I had a bit of family trouble at home,” he said. Pausing to gather his thoughts, he suddenly pictured Mr. Hassel and the scene at the farm. He felt himself choke. Then despite his best effort, the dam holding back weeks of grief and fear broke. He sobbed uncontrollably for a while, and then as he was able, haltingly told the entire tale.
Jake sat patiently and listened as boy’s long story unfolded. When Delmar finished, Jake poured them both some more tea.
“Delmar,” he said quietly. “I have some good news for you.”
Delmar looked up from his tea while Jake fished around in his desk and pulled out a folded scrap of paper.
“I received a starmail from an old friend of mine a while back telling me about a young man he knew.” Delmar was confused and wondered what this had to do with him.
“He told me about trouble with the authorities of their planet and how the empress had sent an emissary to straighten it all out. The only sad part was that he couldn’t find his young friend to tell him the news.”
With that, Jake handed the note to Delmar. He looked at the names at the bottom. It read—Robert and Agnes Hassel.
Delmar’s jaw dropped and he looked up at Jake and then back at the paper. He then took the letter and through tear-blurred vision read it from beginning to end. When he finished, he handed it back to Jake, questions in his eyes.
&nbs
p; “You’re wondering how I know Robert and Agnes, aren’t you?” Jake asked. Delmar nodded. “We served together in the 653rd and were both wounded in the same fight with the Red-tails. Whatever they used on me also got several other troopers, including Robert. He opted out and retired to his home world, and I came here. We’ve been writing back and forth for years.”
Delmar just stared for a moment and then got up and went over to Jake and hugged him. “I wish I had understood why the troopers landed at the farm,” Delmar said. “I thought they were arresting the Hassels, or had killed them or something.”
“No, Delmar,” Jake said. “Troopers don’t work that way. I’ve never known of a trooper to be anything other than honorable and faithful, especially to another trooper like Robert.”
Lifting his leg down from the stool, Jake leaned over his desk and picked up the telephone. “Now I have to make an important call,” he said, grinning at the boy.
∞∞∞
It was two in the morning when the telephone beside their bed rang. Grumbling sleepily, Robert picked up the instrument while Agnes buried her head under her pillow.
“Hellooo?” Robert said through a yawn. The voice on the other end spoke excitedly and it took Robert a moment to comprehend what he was hearing.
“You mean Delmar is right there?”
Agnes bolted upright when she heard Delmar’s name. Looking at Robert for confirmation, she leapt out of bed and ran for the extension.
“That’s right,” they heard Jake say. “He’s safe and sound, sitting right here in my office!”
Delmar’s was the next voice they heard on the line. But Agnes was too overcome by emotions to speak. While Robert continued to talk on the upstairs phone, Agnes sank to her knees in the kitchen. With tears of joy coursing down her cheeks, she thanked the Unseen One.
Chapter Ten
It was decided that Delmar would stay with Jake and his wife, Sherry, for the time being. There were numerous legal ramifications involved concerning Dorn that Mr. Hassel would have to attend to before he and Agnes could possibly travel to Mica.
According to the law on Delmar’s home planet, he was a ward until he reached the age of twenty-one. Being on an independent planet changed things somewhat. Since Jake was an ordained minister pastoring a recognized work, the court allowed him to act as temporary legal custodian of Delmar. Acting under Mica law, Delmar was eligible for their foster care system of which the Senders were already licensed to do foster work. Before that could be established, however, the guardianship issue on Erdinata had to be resolved and jurisdiction transferred to the Mican courts.
∞∞∞
“So that’s the situation for the present,” Robert said to Agnes and Mike. All three were sitting around the kitchen table having pie and the ever-present coffee.
“Let me get this straight,” Mike said. “Although we were able to get Dorn’s financial aid revoked, because of local laws we can’t get his rights of guardianship nullified.”
“That’s right,” Robert answered.
“But why?” asked Agnes. “You’ve proven to the new judge that his brother was a threat to Delmar’s safety.”
“It doesn’t make a difference. By law, a guardianship can only be changed by the same judge who assigned it.”
“But he’s been removed from the bench!” exclaimed Agnes.
“Does the law have any exceptions?” asked Mike.
“Only two,” Robert answered. “Death of the original judge or death of the current guardian. Fitness for office or dismissal aren’t covered, and therefore excluded from consideration.”
“Well, I for one don’t like it!” snapped Agnes.
“You’re not alone,” replied her husband. “The new judge didn’t like it either.”
“Then the law should be repealed or amended,” Mike said as he shook his head.
“That takes time,” Robert said evenly. “Even if it could be changed, it wouldn’t happen in time to affect Delmar’s case.”
∞∞∞
Billions of miles away, the focus of their discussion had plans that did not concern themselves with the courts. Delmar wasn’t letting all of the legal morass surrounding his status interfere with exploring Mica.
To be on a completely different world excited him. Everything was familiar, yet different. Although the major language was the same, and both planets were under the cultural influence of Galactic Axia, there were still many subtle variations.
Today he and Jake were going to visit the Mica Science Museum. Up early to be ready, they caught the tunnel transit, which would carry them the 250 miles to the museum. Using a variation of the basic drive system that powered Axia spaceships, the transit was able to make the trip in just under twenty minutes.
Anyone observing the train would say it was just a spaceship in a tunnel and they would be essentially correct. The repulsion field that was a by-product of the drive caused the transit to float in the tunnel. Because of the limitations created by the atmosphere and the structural integrity of the tunnel itself, the transit had a top speed of only about 800 miles an hour. Although that was standing still compared to spaceships, it was fast enough to satisfy most transit patrons.
Delmar enjoyed the ride immensely. Although the Malibu had been infinitely faster, there had been no sense of motion. Although inertia was canceled by the drive of the transit, there was still the sound of air in the tunnel. Its whisper conveyed a feeling of the great speed.
Delmar and Jake disembarked the transit only a short distance from the museum entrance. Jake used his pass to borrow a levitation chair so he wouldn’t have to walk too much. Their tickets in hand, the two entered the marbled portico of the museum.
Because of the limitation on their time, they had to decide between several different wings and the categories housed in them. Since it was Delmar’s first time, Jake allowed the boy to choose.
After deliberating for a minute, the young man chose the wing housing Computer History. Jake raised an eyebrow at Delmar’s choice but said nothing. He used the decision to tell him something of Delmar’s interests.
Unaware that he was being evaluated, Delmar gave their tickets to the clerk stationed at the entrance and he and Jake entered the wing. They found themselves in a dark passageway in which the Mica royal seal was displayed. Also displayed were company and school emblems of the various institutions of the planet. A recorded voice played from hidden speakers.
Welcome to the Computer History wing of the Mica Science Museum. Computers and their history are part and parcel with Mican history. Mica has long been reputed as the dominant developmental center of computers and their application. Ships from every corner of the galaxy carry Mican exports to the outer edges of Galactic Axia. Within this wing are housed displays from the earliest mechanical computing machines to the latest developments. You will find guides stationed at various displays to answer your questions. Take your time and enjoy your visit.
Moving slowly along the hallway, Jake and Delmar came to a glassed-in display of ancient rod-and-bead computing devices. On the counter were several hands-on replicas. A small vid-unit screen played a recording of a contest between an experienced user of the device and someone using a handheld computing unit. Of the twenty calculations, the man with the rod-and-bead device won nineteen.
Several children were trying their hand with the replicas and making some progress. A museum guide was teaching them the basics. Jake couldn’t help commenting. “It basically teaches the user to think and only does the mechanical working of the numbers.”
The guide looked up. “You’re right, sir,” she said. “The user has to frame the problem in their mind and plan how to attack it. This device only crunches the numbers.”
Farther along, Delmar and Jake came to a display of early electro-mechanical machines. They watched as yet another guide input a simple long division problem into the unit. It immediately started to whirl and thump away. The rhythm it produced caused a couple of visitors to tap
their feet. To the humor of his friends, one young man performed an impromptu tap dance to the rhythm of the clack and clatter.
Delmar could see gears and cams moving as the machine worked through the problem. Laboriously, it produced one decimal place after another until it displayed the answer. A plaque stated this machine was very advanced for its day.
The next display was a large alcove almost the size of a tennis court. Occupying almost the entire room was the first known electronic computer. The museum was extremely proud of this unique artifact and had carefully restored it to full operating condition. More than half a dozen museum guides acted as technicians on the giant. Another was explaining the history of the computer to a tour group of schoolchildren. Delmar and Jake joined the group and listened to the lecture.
“The computer you see here is several thousand years old. After being stored and forgotten for much of that time, it was discovered and donated to the museum. We have spent many years researching the history of the unit and restoring it to operation.”
The guide produced a photograph of an old man with long, unkempt white hair, wrinkled face, and little round glasses perched on the end of his nose.
“First designed and built by Doctor Frustratus Murphy,” she continued, “this invention represented a major leap in technology. It took him almost fifteen years to perfect the design and make it operational. Numerous times during its development, Dr. Murphy was faced with nearly unsolvable problems, many of which were beyond explanation. His diaries document many instances where everything checked out but nothing worked. The temptation to quit was a constant companion to Doctor Murphy, but he was determined to complete the work. As he wrote in his diary—‘I’m going to finish this thing if only to inflict it upon the rest of humanity!’” A ripple of laughter swept through the crowd of listeners.
“The construction of this computer used the latest electronic components of its day. Instead of the circuit components we are all familiar with, Dr. Murphy had to use several thousand glass bulbs filled with inert gas and heated to effect the flow of electrons,” she said as she pointed to a glass panel that had been installed on the front of the computer. Through it, her audience could see dozens of the glass bulbs lighting the inside of the machine with their orange glow.