by Scott Rhine
Silent, Max sat at the head table. He hadn’t bothered with the jacket or tie. He looked exhausted but happy.
“Who’s watching Jeeves?” Roz asked Ivy, worried the church crowd might catch sight of him.
“He doesn’t like crowds, so we put him in the jungle with some party food and his own badge.”
Roz sighed. “That way we always know where he is, and if he gets frightened, we can comfort him over the radio.” The device would come in handy during the honeymoon.
She muttered a few words of encouragement over the link, but Jeeves’s only response in Bat was, “Hunt locust. Shh.”
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, Mom.
Kesh shook hands with Max and muttered something about the church converting most of their gold to something lighter for a small fee. He flashed an old-fashioned parchment scroll with some sort of deed. High members of the church could confer titles and lands as rewards for faithful service. The name of the recipient, however, had been left blank. Kesh reserved several precious-metal cubes for later “off the books transactions.”
“Where are the listener and his goons?” Roz asked.
Ivy cleared her throat. “We kicked them out for espionage. Max shut off the feed on the Bat’s camera, but our guest left a hidden microphone behind in the Magi’s quarters. Reuben took a couple minutes to block the transmission.”
“Oh, God.”
“That sounds vaguely familiar.”
“Enough,” Alyssa said, offering her daughter a glass of Sangria. Kesh had saved several bottles of excellent red wine, which Herb had extended with fruit juice so everyone could share. “Let’s toast to the union.” Everyone raised their drinks, even a newcomer in monk’s robes. “To the Ellison triad.”
After they drank, Roz asked, “The new ‘volunteer’?”
“We set him free as soon as the listener left. He knows all the dirt on the church,” Reuben explained. “We had to do something while we waited all that time.”
Her cheeks burned again. “We had to check for neurological damage.”
Ivy rolled her eyes. “I think they just prick the bottom of your foot for that test.”
Alyssa changed the subject back to the monk. “Brother Horcrasmus said the church tried to make the prison more independent near the start of the war so they could reduce the regular food shipments. About three hierarchs ago, they hired a terraformer from Cocytus to help.”
“Because he did such a great job on his first try,” Ivy said, obviously tipsy.
“They shipped in super-algae. It spread over the lake nearest the colony and choked out a lot of fish. The die-off triggered food riots and a strike at the mines. The next church administration discontinued the leniency policy. From then on, they only sent enough grain for the expected number of inmates for the next year. To prevent them from planting the grain, they irradiated each shipment before it left.”
“That’s horrible. Haven’t those poor people been through enough already?” Roz said.
“That’s exactly why Horcrasmus let a ton of cereal through each year unscathed,” Alyssa said. “He shipped the colony six tons of seed before they busted him.”
“Buy that man a drink, on me,” Roz said.
“We all have,” Herb said. “I’m surprised he can still walk.”
“That’s what Roz said,” Ivy roared, knocking over a bowl of candies. “Sorry. Maybe we should cut the cake.”
“I’m pretty full already,” Reuben said. The two looked at each other and burst out laughing.
Alyssa presented the wedding cake to the bride with several elaborate layers of icing.
“You’ve outdone yourself,” Roz said. “It’s a work of art.”
Her mother’s eyes glistened as she gazed at her. “You turned out even better.”
Roz picked up the serving knife. “Well, at least no one will doubt it’s a real marriage.”
Max stood to kiss her and hold the knife with her. “You’re both right.”
After everyone had their cake, Roz said, “In honor of our day, I think we should free Yenang to join us. He’s one of us, and I can’t stand the idea of anyone in a dungeon on such a wonderful day.”
Ivy shook her head. “It’s a mistake. If you let him get away with the first infraction, he’ll push for more.”
“Herb didn’t. Besides, freeing the technician now or a month from now won’t make much of a difference if he can’t leave.”
Being the bride, Roz won the debate. The partners agreed to seal the ship early and grant parole.
Yenang apologized for his indiscretion and wished the triad well. Nonetheless, Ivy clung to Roz’s side the entire reception.
Chapter 34 – Prejudice
After months of buildup and worry, the military outpost was almost a letdown. The listener’s letter of passage, combined with references from the other nobles, granted them access to the prison gateway. The search of Sphere of Influence, however, was more thorough than anticipated. The military commandeered the spare reactor.
Roz fumed on the bridge while Ivy guarded her. “They can’t just take things that belong to other people. The frontier planets need that power.”
“Evidently, electricity is counterproductive to piety and submission to authority.” Ivy monitored several comm channels at once. “Be glad they didn’t take your steel spinner. Grady convinced them it was necessary in case we need to deploy our solar sail.”
Panning the cameras to follow her reactor, Roz wasn’t appeased. “We don’t have a solar sail.”
“Relax, if corrupt bureaucrats always have to find something to dispute. They won’t stop until we give them something. We kept them out of the quantum tubes and away from Echo.”
“I know. Small victories. Why are the soldiers clustered at the cargo bay?”
“Kesh is negotiating for the garrison to pay the loan sharks the same price we’d get from the shipyard. There’ll be a delay, and the transfer will come from navy headquarters. That should throw the Blue Claws and Bankers off our trial.”
Roz grudgingly acknowledged the good news. “You know what would really make me happy? I’d like to get rid of the governor’s men. They’ve been poking their noses into everything. I’m afraid they’re going to try to take over our ship if things don’t go their way at the prison. Which reminds me, before this happened, I was going to install a panic button under the dash that I can hit with my foot.” She crawled onto the floor and unrolled her toolkit.
Ivy chuckled. “Maybe we can insist the governor’s men carry the reactor into the space station and then lock the doors behind them.”
“The same way you’d get rid of one-night stands who didn’t know when to leave.” Roz located an appropriate touch-activated switch in her parts stash. She had most of the lockdown subroutines written already, but the activation trigger had to be out of sight.
Surprised, Ivy said, “Look at you, joking about sex. You’re really coming out of your shell. Are you happy?”
“Max and I don’t get much time together, but yes, gloriously.”
“How do you cope with the third person in the mix?”
“That’s personal. We’re not supposed to talk about it.” Echo rode along in one of their minds and offered decades of experience on what each gender enjoyed, not that Max needed a lot of coaching. Roz attached the new switch under the main control panel. “I mean, some parts are obvious. We can’t link-bond like normal people, so Echo fills in that gap.”
“Sort of like spirit glue.”
“Yeah. She helps us share and avoid misunderstandings. The relationship is still a lot of work. I didn’t consider a lot of things when I agreed to this arrangement, like decontamination.” Roz ran a wire from the switch to an auxiliary input port. “We have to live in Echo’s quarters, although the ship had to reclassify our race as Magi to manage that. At least when Max can’t be there, she keeps his side of the bed warm.”
Struggling to broach a new topic, Ivy looked lost. “Sp
eaking of Magi. Yenang is still convinced I’m Echo.”
“Why?” Roz attached the first layer of defenses, without sirens, to the switch.
“He wasn’t there for the wedding, but I stood next to you during the whole reception.”
“You were pretty drunk, and then you disappeared for a few days.”
“I confessed to Reuben I wanted to kiss you again.”
Roz sat up so fast she smacked her head on the console. “Ow! Crap.” The switch caused an extra blast shield to seal off the elevator and the hatch from the crew floor. Red lights flashed everywhere. She staggered to her feet, holding her forehead with one hand and slapping off alerts with the other. “Well we know that works.”
“Sorry,” Ivy whispered.
Roz’s eyes didn’t refocus for a moment. “When we were living together, did you like me that way?”
Ivy blushed for the first time since the two had met. “No. Maybe I just don’t want to lose my only friend. I-I’d understand if you want me to get off the ship here.”
Laying a hand on Ivy, Roz said, “No. You haven’t lost me, but I do think we should switch shifts for a while. Not because I’m afraid of you. Echo did something to me that made me a Magi. Your alien DNA might be … attracted to my new species, as opposed to me personally.”
“I can’t stop thinking of that time we kissed outside the bar,” Ivy said.
How do I explain that to my mates? “I’ll have Max take the rest of your shift.”
Ivy took a shuddering breath. “I only want you to be happy. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
Roz asked, “Can you hold it together enough to kick out the governor’s Bats?”
“In my sleep.”
While Ivy went to take care of unwanted passengers, Roz rode the lift down to the astrogation chamber. She woke Echo and told her about the embarrassing situation.
Rather than being upset by the flirtation, Echo’s anger flared at the possible explanation. “Anodyne University stole our genetic material?” the pale Magi roared, storming toward the security console. “We must isolate the contamination.”
Roz held her back easily. “Ivy told me in confidence as a friend. I refuse to punish her trust. She has my protection.”
“Our secret must be kept. The hand of the uplifter must not be seen.” Echo’s knees buckled, and Roz dragged her to a seat.
“I haven’t told anyone, not even Max. The sample that the Sanctuary team discovered was partial mitochondrial DNA from a thousand years ago. The only witness to the original strand died alone on Labyrinth. I’m amazed Dr. Baatjies was able to make the splice Human-compatible.”
“Not so very difficult. He’s the reason your people had to take the sentience test twice.”
“An evil genius. I heard. What do you mean, ‘not difficult’?”
“Anyone could splice our people together. We were once the same race.”
Roz furrowed her brow. “Pardon?”
“I told you about our civil war. Humans were the faction who destroyed the Enigma. They wanted nothing to do with the gift of the Forerunners. Humans claimed the Enigma was controlling us and tainting our people. They wanted freedom, so we gave it to them.” Echo sighed wearily. “Stripped them of everything the Enigma had given us since the beginning, all talents, and the nature of the three.”
“So it wasn’t modesty. All this time, you’ve kept your identities secret because you’re ashamed of your backward cousins?”
“The Destroyers. The Virus-ridden.”
Roz plopped onto the floor beside Echo. She remembered the early communications with the Magi and how these terms were synonymous with the devil. “You hate us that much and you still visited us?”
“Every 512 Earth years.”
“Of course, two to the ninth power. You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting your holy number around here,” Roz complained. “I meant, why did you help Earth if we’re so heinous?”
“We have the same rules for all species. Frankly, we didn’t expect you to pass the test before you destroyed yourselves. If not for Anodyne, the destruction would have happened many times over. It may still.”
Roz poked Echo’s chest with a finger. “You’re the ones who called us space monkeys.”
“As a joke. Your people oversimplify the names of all other races. We were trying to teach you the error of your ways.”
“Right now, I want to take you over my knee,” Roz said, clenching her fist.
“Violence is not our way, child.”
“Our violence saved your asses in the last war.”
Echo held up a finger. “The only reason I allow you to speak to me thus is that you bear the office of adversary in our triad. That office is for reasoned discourse not insults.”
“We bled so the Magi could be safe in their ivory towers.”
Her voice strained, Echo said, “I am still coming to terms with what happened while I was away.”
“So why did you marry us if we’re nothing more to you than savage monkeys?”
“I decided I would suffer any indignity to solve the Enigma.” Echo put a hand against Roz’s face. “When I least expected, both of you gave me hope. Then the impossible happened. I fell in love.”
That word softened Roz’s stance but didn’t negate the anger entirely. “My question stands unanswered. Do you think Ivy is attracted to whatever you did to me?”
Echo sighed. “Perhaps. I activated a few more parts of your heritage, including the hormones I need to survive. Ivy has been without her true kind for most of her life. With her neutral genes, she’d be drawn to either of you.”
“Crap!” Roz hopped up. “I sent her down to Max!”
“That should be avoided.”
Already slapping the lift controls, Roz said, “Some things you don’t have to tell me.”
When she arrived at the loading dock, Ivy was already crouched beside the airlock. She clutched Roz’s leg. “I feel like an animal. What’s wrong with me?”
“Nothing. You promised to stay clear of my man, and you did.” Roz stroked her hair, and Ivy closed her eyes. “You’ll just have to trust me. I know what’s happening, and it’s not your fault. Until Max and I get a few things worked out, we have to keep our distance from you. No big deal.”
She called Reuben to help. He announced, “We managed to ditch all but one of the governor’s flunkies. No plan is perfect.” Reuben handed her the final passenger manifest, which skipped the mimic but listed seventeen souls for their voyage: eight Bats, a Saurian, a Goat, three Magi, and four Humans. “What next, great Captain?”
“Take Ivy to my old room. Tie her to the bed until we leave the outpost. Keep her distracted.”
The young Goat saluted. “Yes, sir.”
Roz locked in the ship’s course from the safety of the mirrored room. Working in mental concert with Echo saved a lot of time. The trick was not reaching the supergiant node. That was easier than hitting the broad side of a barn. Their goal was to avoid being crushed by tidal forces or debris on the far side while escaping the enormous sun’s pull. The algorithm from the shipyard carried them 90 percent of the way to their desired destination. Echo refined the jump parameters to several points past the decimal, and Roz guided them to the target with equal precision.
As they approached the final window, Roz broadcast shipwide, “Anyone have any last words for the sake of history?”
Max replied over the intercom, “May God have mercy on our souls?”
Several nuns and the priest said the Bat equivalent of “Amen.”
Dr. Lisheen offered, “Our lives in the hereafter don’t matter if we do nothing to improve the lot of the suffering among us. If one child among us suffers, we will be questioned at the gates of paradise.”
“That’s beautiful,” Roz said.
“From Stewart Llewellyn’s speech to the Union when he fought to build worlds to save your overpopulated Earth,” Echo said. “That’s why the council loaned Anodyne trillions of credits. Anythi
ng you want to add, Shiraz? You’re the pilot and the reason we’re on this mission.”
“Dear God, don’t let me screw up so bad I can’t fix it before we all die.”
Chapter 35 – Magi Adversary
As promised, Roz had the honeymoon she wanted, with complete access to Echo’s mysterious floor. Other than a robe, most of the clothes Max chose hugged her curves like paint. As a compromise, she would wear them under her flight suit and unzip the front to tantalize him. The Magi pheromones that caused the problem with Ivy faded when they found a way for Echo to feel treasured and satisfied in the relationship.
Even after the ship reentered normal space, the trip to the habitable zone of this huge, hot star took longer than normal. Indeed, Roz had to spin the ship constantly to keep the hull heat uniform, one benefit of a spherical design. She left their room only to gather more food and to visit Jeeves. He was getting bigger and more trusting of the Bats, especially the dedicated Dr. Lisheen, whom he called “She-sheen.”
After weeks of mutual discovery, the newlyweds decided to rejoin the rest of the partners for a status meeting in the officers’ quarters below the bridge. After Kesh provided a financial update, Roz announced the estimated time of arrival. “The question of the hour is whether we contact the guards, the inmates, or attempt to find the professor on our own.”
Kesh cleared his throat. “That not a choice. If at all possible, we should do this discretely. If anyone with weapons finds out Crakik is valuable to us, they’ll kidnap him and set his price higher than we want to pay.”
“I concur,” Max said. “Hostage situations rarely end well. We can bargain with the factions after we scout the surface and get what we need.”
Reuben propped his feet on the common-room table. “How are we going to find the professor’s needle in a planet-sized haystack?”
“You underestimate me,” Echo said, standing behind Reuben in her Gina disguise. “From our position in geosynchronous orbit, I can scour the surface out-of-body.”
Reuben snorted. “How long will that take?”
Echo pushed his feet off the table, and Reuben almost fell onto the floor in shock. He did spill a juice bulb on his shirt. “That is an eating surface. Triune knows how much bacteria your feet carry after all that fertilizing you do in the garden.” She was solid and outside her room for the first time since her emancipation.