He glanced up as two more heavy-lift shuttles took off, clawing for the sky. They’d dock with Orbit Station and start bringing down the supplies, then the settlers would be removed from their stasis pods and transhipped down to the planet. Every time, according to the manager, half of them would bitch and moan about not being kept in stasis until they reached the surface. Didn't they realise that the stasis pods were firmly secured within the starships?
There was a dull click as the shuttle’s hatch opened, allowing the newcomers to exit the craft one by one. Austin found himself staring as the first of them – a girl – emerged from the craft. Didn't she know where she was going? Her outfit was striking, but completely impractical for the weather. Behind her, there was a dark-skinned boy who looked slightly better dressed, yet Austin doubted that his clothes would last long either. He wiped his astonishment off his face with an effort as the final newcomers disembarked, staring around in wonder – and not a little disgust. One of the girls seemed to have doubts about what she was standing on – and her shoes, just like the rest of her outfit, was completely impractical.
Austin hesitated, for once unsure of what to do. He’d been told that escorting them would be hard, but he hadn't really understood. Up close, they were dirty and smelly and either stupid or ignorant. And they looked faintly unhealthy. Even the strongest of them, a boy who looked like his mother had been a gorilla-analogue, looked oddly misshapen.
But his father had taught him never to give up.
He took a step forward and held out his hand. “I’m Austin,” he said, in the friendliest voice he could muster. “Welcome to Meridian.”
***
The stench had struck Darrin the moment he stepped up to the shuttle’s hatch. It was strange, a mixture of smells he simply didn't recognise – and yet there was something in it that called to him. Yates had said, he recalled dimly, that every planet had its own smell, but Darrin hadn't really believed him. Earth had no smell. But Yates had been right, Darrin realised now. Meridian stunk.
“You’ll get used to it,” Janet said, as she prodded him out the hatch. “Everyone does.”
It was hotter than hell outside the shuttle. Darrin wondered, inanely, if they were going to sweat to death. His clothes were poorly chosen for the heat - and for the sunlight beating remorselessly down from high overhead. He half-covered his eyes, glancing around to see a handful of small buildings, some made out of wood and brick, others made out of metal that shone brightly in the sun. At one edge of the spaceport, the forest began; at the other, the ocean looked blue and inviting. He could even see boats bobbling far out to sea.
Fishermen, he thought, recalling more of the lectures. The terraforming package had included a cross-section of fish and other water-life from Earth, all of which had promptly pushed the planet’s native ecology to the brink of extinction. Even if the settlers didn't manage to grow crops, they could eat fish to keep themselves alive. Absently, he wondered what fish tasted like. He'd never eaten real fish in his life.
“I’m Austin,” their greeter said. “Welcome to Meridian.”
Darrin stared at him. There was something about Austin that was strange, almost alien. The clothes he wore looked tough, the hat he wore kept his face under the shade ... and he didn't look that different, yet there was something about him that puzzled Darrin. It was impossible, no matter how much he considered it, to understand what he was seeing. And yet, it nagged at the back of his mind.
The young man was tall, what little of his hair could be seen was blond. His body was muscular, but not as muscular as Barry or Darrin ... and yet he carried himself with an easy confidence that perplexed Darrin. What was he missing? Austin shook hands with each of them, taking names and welcoming them all personally, while his companion – an older man with a rather more familiar air of harassed competence – watched sardonically. Yates stepped forward and spoke to him briefly, then turned to face his charges. Austin turned too ... and Darrin felt his mouth drop open. He was carrying a gun.
***
Austin was ... odd, Gary decided, as he shook hands with the colonial boy. Gary’s first impression of him had been another bully, but there was no power play in the handshake or challenge in Austin’s eyes. And yet there was something about him that irritated Gary, pressing at his mind ...
Austin has never been scared, Gary realised, suddenly. He’d never been subject to the all-pervading fear that ran through the CityBlock, from the highest to the lowest; he'd never been convinced that his life had no value. Gary felt a surge of envy that was so powerful that he found himself shaking in silent outrage. Austin was free of the demons that lurked in Gary’s mind, no matter how hard he exercised on the machines. He'd lived a safe life, one where there was no bullies and no bullied.
“All right, listen up,” Yates said. Gary tore his attention away from Austin with an effort, focusing on Yates. At least he knew the man. “We have to walk to the city, so we’re going to pick up hats from the spaceport and then start walking. It's only a couple of kilometres from the spaceport, which is absolutely nothing. Any questions?”
Samantha stuck up her hand. “Why didn't you tell us to wear something more suitable?”
Gary had wondered the same thing himself. Their outfits were designed for the cityblocks, not for a very different planet ... hell, the more he looked around, the stranger he felt. The locals, such as they were, wore clothes that covered without being too heavy, keeping the sun off their bare skin. Yates could have warned them; hell, he could have told them to dress properly before they left the starship. But he hadn't said a word.
He knew the answer a moment before Yates spoke. “Why didn't you read the briefing notes?”
There was a pause as everyone tried to remember what they’d said. “But that isn't fair,” Honey objected. “No one knew what they actually meant!”
She did have a point, part of Gary’s mind insisted. The temperature in the cityblocks rarely changed, unless something had gone wrong with the environment monitors. None of them had really comprehended what a planet’s weather actually meant ... but, on the other hand, the information had been right there in front of them, before they’d ever even boarded the starship. They’d just lacked the information to process it properly.
He scowled at Yates. If there was one thing he had learned about the man, while he'd been forcing Gary to exercise, it was that he preferred to let his charges learn from their own mistakes rather than correct them before it was too late. The only time he'd intervened before something went wrong had been when Gary had been on the verge of hurting himself quite badly. It was nothing like the way they’d been treated at school, but it did force them to think ...
“Then you should have asked,” Yates informed her, bluntly. “Follow me.”
Gary’s gaze slipped to Austin as Yates turned and started jogging towards one of the metal buildings ... and he gasped in shock. Austin was carrying a gun! A real gun! Guns were rare on Earth, according to their teachers, no matter how often Gary had wished for a weapon and a free shot at Barry and Moe. Even the gangsters carried makeshift swords and shields rather than actual weapons, assuming they had any at all. The one thing that Gary had heard was guaranteed to draw a reaction from the Civil Guard was the possession of genuine firearms.
And Austin was carrying one openly.
He found himself starting to hyperventilate as he stared. Guns were dangerous, everyone knew that; the thought of Barry or Moe with a gun was terrifying. Cold logic told him that the bastards were dangerous anyway, but cold logic had never helped in the past. He’d seen too many entertainment flicks were guns made their possessors all-powerful, as if they were talismans of evil. And he’d certainly never seen or touched one in real life. From what he’d read on the datanet, even a third of the soldiers who joined the military were never allowed to touch a gun.
Somehow, he forced himself to look away and stare around the spaceport as they made their way towards the building. Compared to Earth, it was v
ery lax indeed; there was no security ... although there were guns. Austin wasn't the only person with a weapon slung over his shoulder; in fact, when he looked at the older man, it was clear that he was carrying a weapon at his belt too. A long chain of men wearing hats and orange overalls, their legs shackled, appeared out of the building, escorted by a couple of men wearing green uniforms. They were marched off towards the road and rapidly faded into the distance.
Inside, it was barely cooler than the outside, despite the presence of a handful of fans attached to the wall and whirring busily. Austin ran forward, picked up a number of hats and started to pass them round. Gary took one, placed it on his head and looked around. The hats were absurd compared to Earth’s fashions, although he had a feeling that Earth’s fashions weren't very practical on Meridian. Kailee and her friends were already sweating their way out of their clothes.
Yates nodded to Austin, who stepped onto a chair and peered down at them. “There are three lanes to the road,” he announced, loudly enough for them all to hear. His voice shone with an easy confidence that made Gary feel a surge of hatred as well as envy. “We will be walking on the far left of the road; the other two lanes are for motor vehicles. Don’t wander into those lanes unless you cannot avoid it, in which case watch for oncoming vehicles. The drivers are not always as careful as they should be.
“We’ve put aside some living space for you in the city itself, so you can explore for a couple of days. You might also want to buy some better clothing for yourselves, as well as any other supplies you might be missing.”
He jumped down and headed towards the door. Yates motioned impatiently for his charges to follow him, which they did. Gary gritted his teeth and brought up the rear, trying to keep his distance from Darrin and Barry. He really didn't like the way they were muttering together. Or the glances they kept throwing at Austin’s back ...
***
Kailee had never walked so much in her life, not in the temperature-controlled CityBlock where she'd spent her entire life. Even when walking to and from school with the other girls, she had never really walked that far. But on Meridian, she found herself sweating like a pig within seconds of leaving the shuttle. Her makeup, she was sure, was running down her face as she walked, sweat pooling at the bottom of her shoes. It was a thoroughly unpleasant sensation.
And it would be impossible without Janet’s training, she thought, as she forced herself onwards. We owe her one.
The sun seemed to be growing hotter and hotter, to the point where she found herself wondering why the forest hadn't burst into flames. Her world had shrunk to her view of Abdul’s back and little else; she could barely even lift her head to look around. She swore inwardly as a pair of vehicles raced by the walkers, leaving a faint stench of ... something mechanical in the air. Surely the drivers – she could see them sitting at the front of the trucks - could have given them a lift. But they might have demanded a price for their services ...
She glanced down at her chest and winced at just how badly her sweat had soaked her shirt, leaving the shape of her breasts and nipples clearly visible. The other girls weren't any better, although it looked as through the boys were in no state to appreciate the view. Even Barry seemed to be having problems with the walk; he’d pulled on additional clothes rather than shoving them in his bag and it had cost him.
There was a dull rumble from overhead, followed rapidly by a shower of water. Kailee wondered, for a brief moment, if there was a leak in the water pipes before she realised the truth. It was raining! Rain on Earth could be dangerous, she knew; she heard the sounds of panic from the others before Yates started to laugh at them. On Meridian, the rain was safe to drink. The rain was surprisingly warm, but heavy; at first, she almost welcomed its touch as it washed the sweat from her body. But as her clothes became sodden, she realised that the water would damage everything in her bag. It wasn't meant to be waterproof!
Brilliant lightning flashed in the sky, then faded away into nothingness. The rain drizzled to a halt moments later, leaving her staring around at her companions. They were all drenched, although Gary and Abdul had had the bright idea of trying to shield their bags with their own bodies. She looked back down at herself and sighed, inwardly. Her clothes were stuck to her as firmly as before, while there was mud on her trousers and her shoes seemed on the verge of coming apart.
And ... somehow ... they were on the edge of the city.
Kailee had no inclination to look around as Austin led them to a long low building, then showed them into the female compartment. It was cooler inside than outside; this time, the air conditioning actually seemed to work. Or maybe it was the lack of windows; the only light came from a single light bulb, hanging over their heads. The female compartment wasn't lockable, she noted in some alarm, but she was too wet to care. She stripped off her clothes at Janet’s command, then hung them on a long string to enable the cloth to dry. But they definitely weren't suited for the planet’s climate.
“We’ll get you some proper clothes tomorrow,” Janet said. She’d stripped off herself at once, without a qualm, even though the other girls had been hesitant. “And I suggest that you remember this in future. You won't have a government-issue nursemaid here.”
Not that we had one before, Kailee thought, sourly.
Janet reached into a cupboard, produced a handful of towels and tossed them to the girls. “There are dressing gowns in here too,” she added. “You can wear them for dinner tonight, when you are introduced to local cooking. Wristwatches too; it's early afternoon, by local time.”
Kailee blinked. It still felt like early morning to her.
“That’s the starship lag,” Janet explained, when Kailee asked. “The starship operated on Galactic Standard Time; Meridian operates on its own 25-hour day. Right now, you’re body still thinks it’s on GST. You’ll get used to it after a good night’s sleep.”
Privately, Kailee hoped that she was right. Her mind felt ... weird.
But then she noticed that the smell was gone. She'd get used to the rest of the world in time.
Chapter Seventeen
In the meantime, the teachers continued to face problems that just wouldn't go away, no matter which fad was currently in vogue. Class sizes were huge; teachers were unable to give individual pupils the attention they needed. Kids who fell behind were left to struggle on their own; teachers simply didn't have the time to help them catch up.
- Professor Leo Caesius. Education and the Decline and Fall of the Galactic Empire.
“So,” Samantha said, once Janet had left the room, “what does everyone think of the colonial boy?”
Kailee wasn't sure what to say. She knew how colonials were portrayed on Earth, either as barbarians in need of a good thumping or desperate refugees eager for help – and true civilisation – from Earth. But Austin hadn't struck her as either. He’d been calm, polite ... and he’d carried a weapon. What did that mean?
“Handsome,” Honey said. “And strange.”
“Healthy,” Li added. “Very healthy.”
Kailee couldn't disagree. Austin was definitely healthy, healthier than any of the boys from Earth – healthier, perhaps, then the crewmen on the starship. There was something about him that the boys she’d known on Earth lacked, a sense of healthy confidence that outshone them as the sun outshone the moon. She had to admit that she did find Austin attractive, even though she had rarely allowed herself to feel attraction for anyone. And yet there was something about his willingness to carry a weapon that bothered her. In her experience, backed up by countless entertainment flicks, someone who carried a weapon willingly was almost certainly a bad guy.
She finished towelling herself off, then reached for one of the dressing gowns and pulled it on. It felt oddly scratchy against her skin – she couldn't imagine what material had been used to make it – but it covered her up nicely. She tied up the belt, then strode over to the door and peered through into the next room. There were six beds, neatly placed against the wal
l; beyond, there was a slightly smaller room containing a large tub. It looked like an oversized sink. Kailee stared at it for several moments before realising that it was actually a bathtub, one large enough to take two girls at the same time. There were baths in the CityBlock, she knew, but she’d never dared go. The only girls who went were those assured of powerful protectors.
“The guys in the spaceport looked healthy too,” Samantha said, as Kailee came back to face her. “It must be living here.”
Kailee nodded in silent agreement. To Austin, she guessed, the Earth-born must look pallid and pale. Even the dark-skinned Abdul might look ... odd in sunlight. She remembered the muscles she’d seen under Austin’s shirt and wondered, absently, just how he’d come by them. He didn't look like a bodybuilder – or someone who patronised the body-shops. It was quite possible, she decided, that muscles had been engineered into him before birth.
Janet stepped through as soon as the last of the girls had finished drying herself and donning her dressing gown. “If you will come with me,” she said, bluntly, “we will get something proper to eat.”
The girls smiled as they followed her through the curtain and into a larger chamber that seemed to be lined with wood. A large fire – a real fire – burned in a fireplace; Kailee hadn't seen one of those outside historical fantasies. A colossal wooden table dominated the centre of the room, with two wooden benches on each side. It had to be hugely expensive, she told herself, as she looked around. The entire room was largely wood. And they were even burning it in the fire!
She hadn't really cared for the rations on the starship, although they were closely related to foodstuffs she’d eaten on Earth. Algae-based products always looked and tasted of cardboard anyway; they were bland, utterly inoffensive. But the food on the table was ... strange, barely recognisable. There were meats, vegetables, breads ... Kailee’s family had never been able to afford off-world food, even on their birthdays. An entire fortune was sitting on the table, waiting for her.
The Empire's Corps: Book 07 - Reality Check Page 15