Shanna

by Bill Nolan

  Jonu explained to Dr. Hanaway that the vessel could recycle air indefinitely, and also recycled the water from the 2000 gallons carried in tanks in the walls and floors. The limiting factor was food. Also, the vessel had no air lock, so while it could travel through space or under water, the destination had to have a livable atmosphere or the door would refuse to open. Top speed was about 5000 miles per second, and the vessel needed no fuel. To put the speed in perspective, Pluto was about nine days away, while it would take a couple of minutes to reach the moon. Dr. Hanaway asked how soon he could buy one.

  Jonu said he would have to be tested to see if he was compatible with an intelligent ship. It took only a few minutes, and he was. Jonu explained that the price was set by the value of the goods they would buy on Earth to sell elsewhere, and that it would fluctuate, but that currently it was expected to be about $20,000 US dollars. Dr. Hanaway assured Jonu that he had more than that in the bank, and Jonu said he would take a check.

  After a bit more discussion, Dr. Hanaway added on four power supplies, for his own home and his three grown children, and 14 phones, for himself and his wife, his kids and their spouses, the grandkids, his mother, and his wife’s father. At $1000 each for the power supplies, and $250 each for the phones, the total came to $27,500. There was, of course, no sales tax. Jonu spent the next hour introducing Dr. Hanaway to his new vessel. Dr. Hanaway named her Sylvia. He then used the phone built into Sylvia to call the White House, where a plan for the evening was hatched.

  That evening at 9 PM Eastern Time, the President’s face appeared on televisions all over the world, since Fox News and CNN were carrying the broadcast.

  “My fellow Americans, and also those of you watching around the world, yesterday, in Arizona, one of the most momentous events in the history of our civilization occurred. We met with people who have come here from outside our solar system. They are merchants, here to trade with the people of Earth. I want to assure you that I am serious. This is real. We have been visited by people from another planet, and, from now on, this will be a common occurrence.

  “There are some things I want to make clear. First, they have come here with no hostile intent. They are businessmen, here to buy and sell goods on Earth. Second, they are people who look just like we do, and not some little green men. Third, they are technologically more advanced than we are. That is obvious from the simple fact that they have come here, and not the other way around.

  “We have much to learn from them, and Earth has much to share as well. We expect that it will be an exciting time for everyone on the planet. Our horizons have suddenly grown much larger, and we will face different challenges and have different opportunities in the coming weeks and months.

  “My science advisor, Dr. Jacob Hanaway, has spent last night and today in the ship of the people who are called the To’Ach’an, and he is returning now in one of the vessels our new friends will be selling here on Earth. In fact, Dr. Hanaway has purchased this vessel. He will be landing in just a moment on the south lawn. We have asked the news people to place cameras there, so you can see this vessel for yourselves.

  The scene shifted to the south lawn, and Dr. Hanaway, cued by phone, had Sylvia settle gently to the ground. She didn’t actually land, but hovered about a foot above the grass. The side opened and swung down, and Dr. Hanaway walked down the steps. The press practically rushed the little vehicle. Dr. Hanaway was handed a microphone by a Secret Service woman, and said, “Alright, you need to select one of your number, and I mean one cameraman, one camera, and one news person, and I will give you a quick tour. You have one minute to choose.” About a half-minute later, a Secret Service agent picked a number from 1 to 1000, and everybody guessed.

  While Dr. Hanaway was showing the news crew around his new vessel, the President was fielding questions from reporters inside the White House. Meanwhile, at every network news headquarters, the race was on to line up as many experts as possible to fill the airwaves with talk until some real information was available. Nobody in the news business got any sleep that night.

  Unfortunately for the news people, there was very little known, and thus very little to report. It didn’t matter. Every network had continuous coverage of the story, and the fact that almost nothing was happening didn’t deter them. They interviewed anyone with any claim to expertise, no matter how farfetched. Only one reporter showed any real inventiveness.

  Marcy Stuart was still a beginner. She had been a morning reporter in the quiet town of Wausau, Wisconsin for only a few months, and the ink was hardly dry on her diploma, but her idea turned out to be a good one. She found the biggest beacon in the area, had it pointed straight up, and had men use a piece of plywood to block it. By moving the plywood, they could do Morse code with the light. The message was simple. “Please talk to me.”

  Shanna was keeping a close eye on the planet, just in case anyone decided to launch anything at them. After she saw the flashing light and determined that it was a message, she told Robert. He decided to check it out. A few minutes later, Marcy was amazed to see a space ship land next to the light. She and her cameraman ran over to the ramp that descended from the bottom, and she heard a voice say, “Come aboard now.” Without really thinking, she dashed aboard, and her cameraman followed. Before anyone else could reach the ship, the ramp had closed, and it was gone.

  Robert came down the lift from the upper deck of the skipper. “So, did you want to talk to me, or were you signaling for somebody else?”

  Marcy was still in shock, and it took her a second to answer. “I’m pretty sure that you’re someone I wanted to talk with. Are you one of the visitors that the President was talking about?”

  Robert looked at the cameraman. “Turn the camera off, son. I’ll tell you when it’s OK to tape.” The cameraman shut it off, and Robert turned back to Marcy. “I’m Robert Allen, of the To’Ach’an, and my people are here to do some business, just like your President said. So, who are you?”

  “I’m Marcy Stuart, a reporter for WRIS in Wausau, Wisconsin. We’re an independent station. This is my cameraman, Art Bloch. I had the searchlight set up because I wanted to get an interview. I never really believed it would work. Can I get an interview?”

  “Marcy,” Robert replied, “you are about to become famous. You seem fairly nice, so I’m going to let you stay on my ship for a few days. You can file reports whenever you like. I’m sure Shanna can transmit your stuff. We’re only going to allow one reporter on board right now, so you’ll be it. All the networks will have to get their feed from you. If you don’t want to, I can drop you off right now.”

  Marcy was stunned. The woman who always had something to say was speechless. She was trying to make her mouth work, but nothing would come out. Art, her cameraman, finally said, “She’ll be glad to, won’t you Marcy?” Marcy just nodded.

  Back on Shanna, Podara and Crylth were going over some test results. “Have you checked it?” Podara asked.

  “Of course I did,” Crylth replied. “I ran it three times. There’s no doubt. She’s half To’Ach’an, and what a half.”

  Podara grinned. “Well, this will be interesting. Please, Crylth, keep this quiet for a little while. How about it Shanna? Will you help us on this one?”

  “I guess so,” Shanna said. “Robert has enough on his plate right now without this, but I won’t keep it from him more than a few days. We’re going to need a plan, and he’s the best at seeing the long term. I’m surprised he doesn’t already know.”

  * * * *

  Arizona wasn’t working out as well as Jeth and Cathy had hoped. He hadn’t found work yet. Not having a car made it tough. Everything in Arizona was so far apart. Being used to the East, they hadn’t realized how BIG the western states were. Their money was almost gone, and they were living in a little shack they’d found near a range of mountains called the Dragoons. It was sure a pretty spot. There were oak trees, and a kind of pine tree a local guy had told them was a piñon. The view over the valley was spect
acular.

  They saw deer and quail every day, but if Jeth didn’t find work soon, he didn’t know what he’d do. Cathy was only a couple of months from having the baby, and they had to have a real place to live by then. Besides, he’d heard it got cold here in the winter. At least nobody was working the ranch where they were living, so they wouldn’t get kicked off. He was a little worried, though. Several people had been hiking around the place lately. Maybe they were thinking of buying it.

  * * * * * * * *

  Lord Smalic was furious. “What do you mean you don’t know where the princess is? We need to kill them both. I don’t want another fiasco like last time, when Shotana somehow slipped through our grasp. I still don’t know how she did that, a full platoon of crack men, and all dead. She wasn’t even supposed to be armed. What did she pull this time?”

  “I don’t know, my Lord. I work on her ship, but I am not in her confidence. Nobody is, except General Aranna. She and the General left the ship with her daughter. They traveled in a small ferry ship, and they were only gone a few hours. When they returned, the girl was no longer with them. Our contacts on Wotara tell me that the girl is not there. I just don’t know where she is. They must have met another ship.”

  Lord Smalic practically growled at the man. “Find her, if you value your future.” After the connection was broken, he turned to General Andeyki. “How are things going with Kaymorra? I hope that isn’t falling apart, too. We need the To’Ach’an on our side if we want to beat the Empress. Most of the Navy will still follow her. If she moves first, we will probably lose, you know.”

  “Don’t be so pessimistic, my Lord,” the General answered. Kaymorra is more than a match for this youngster. With our help he will eliminate him, and then he will be in our debt. I have sent a group of my best people to this planet where Robert is trading. Perhaps we will be able to recruit some help from the locals.”

  Changes and Surprises

  Marcy Stewart was in reporter’s heaven. This was probably the biggest news story ever, and she had an exclusive. Everybody else was scrambling to find and talk to anybody with even the slightest claim to expertise in the area of extraterrestrials, but the only person with any real information was Marcy.

  At Shanna’s suggestion, she established a regular schedule. She transmitted a set piece ½ hour long once a day, and did one additional ½ hour interview show, talking to various people on board. Nobody connected to the To’Ach’an talked to anybody but her. The rest of the news community spent their time interviewing people on Earth about what they had heard on Marcy’s broadcasts.

  She was not a tough, cynical reporter. Marcy liked the people on board, and was having the time of her life. It showed, and Earth people began to lose the fear that had settled over the planet at first. It was great. The aliens had come, and they were friendly. Everything was fine.

  * * * * * * * *

  Secretary Anderson had insisted upon a personal meeting with the President. He wasn’t looking forward to it. In the few days since the aliens had showed up, she had made her concerns quite clear, and President Fuller wasn’t sure he needed to hear it all again.

  “Mr. President,” she began, “I’m not sure you’re really looking at the big picture. Those flying saucers of theirs are a perfect example. They’re going to be selling them for about the average price of a new car.”

  “Yes,” the President answered, “most people in this country should be able to afford one.”

  “Exactly my point, President Fuller. Anybody who can afford a new car can afford one of those. What a deal. They hold a lot more than a car, and they can take you anywhere in the world in about 30 minutes. According to the claims, they don’t wear out or crash, ever, and they need no fuel. They will destroy our country. Those people couldn’t do more damage with atomic bombs.”

  “Come on Janet,” the President chuckled, “you’re going way too far. Sure, they’ll change a few things.”

  “No, Mr. President, I’m not exaggerating. Nobody but a few diehards and collectors will want a car. Oh sure, it’ll take a few years, but our auto industry is dead. They just don’t know it yet. With no auto making, we don’t need much steel. We don’t need coal to smelt the steel or miners to mine it. We don’t need tires, or paint. We don’t need highways. We don’t need repair shops. We don’t need auto insurance. We don’t need gas or gas stations. The trucking and rail industries are gone. Airlines are finished. Regulation of national borders will be impossible. There’s a lot more, and that’s just the vehicles. Those power generators they’re going to sell make our whole huge power generation and distribution industry obsolete, not to mention the entire oil industry, and their ‘phones’ are the end of the telecommunications industry.”

  “Well, you’re right that there will be some upheaval, but some of our industries are going to benefit. They’re traders, and they will be buying as well as selling. In addition, the advanced technology will benefit people. Dr. Hanaway can’t say enough about their medicine.”

  “So they’re going to put our doctors and hospitals out of business, too. Do you know how many people work in health related fields? And what are they planning to buy? Does anybody know? Sure, some people will benefit. Change always benefits some, but most people are going to get run over, and they don’t see it coming. I predict unemployment will be at 50% or more in six months.”

  * * * * * * * *

  A few days later, the ranch property had closed escrow, and the crew prepared to begin getting it ready to function as a base. The first step was to set up perimeter monitors that would detect anyone approaching, so they loaded the necessary equipment into a skipper and went down to the surface to start work.

  * * * * * * * *

  Jeth was outside setting a snare for rabbits when he heard Cathy scream. He ran back into the little shack, and found her on the floor, curled up in a ball and holding her stomach. It was almost dark, but he could still see the blood staining her skirt. He threw himself on the floor next to her. “Cathy, what’s the matter, honey? Is it the baby?”

  Cathy screamed again, and rolled to one side. “Jeth! Oh please, Jeth, it’s the baby. Somethin’s wrong. Get somebody Jeth! Hurry!”

  Jethro jumped up and ran for the door. In the dark, he didn’t see that it had swung shut, and he crashed right through it, landing in a pile of broken boards outside. When he jumped up again, a white-hot pain lanced through his left arm and shoulder, and he almost blacked out. Trying to ignore the pain, he ran through the woods toward the overgrown ranch road that led to the highway. He knew it was about five miles to the nearest phone. It seemed like he fell about every ten steps, but he kept going.

  He was almost to the old ranch house when a brilliant light stabbed out of the darkness. It blinded him, and he fell again, but he jumped back up, yelling, “Please help. Please. My wife – it’s my wife. The baby’s commin’ too early.” As Jeth stumbled toward the light, he fell again, hitting his head on a rock, and laying his scalp open. Leida was the first to reach him, and he was unconscious.

  “He was yelling about his wife. Where is she?”

  “She must be up in the woods,” Jane said. “Roughneck! Come on boy! Find her. Hunt her up. Come on Roughneck, find her!” Jane knew he could track. Robert had spent enough time training him. “Come on Roughneck, hunt her up. You can do it.”

  Roughneck knew the command “Hunt,” and started casting back and forth. He was crossing Jethro’s back trail when he heard something. He stopped, ears pricked, and then barked and took off into the woods with his head down. He was clearly on a scent. Leida and Jane followed him on floaters, trying to dodge the branches. The night vision in their jumpsuits helped them keep Roughneck in sight, and he barked now and then. Jane kept shouting encouragement.

  About 10 minutes later, they heard Roughneck start barking like he meant it, and then they saw the shack. Jane was the first one inside, and saw Cathy lying on the floor. She slapped her e-beacon and yelled, “MED, MED, MED. Woman dow
n. Lots of blood”

  Crylth’s team was up in Shanna asleep, but was scrambled and on the scene in under eight minutes. They had Cathy in a stasis bag a minute later. “She’s alive, and so is the baby, but it’s bad. We’d better run for Shanna.”

  * * * * * * *

  Jethro woke up wondering where he was. He was in a clean bed, but it didn’t look like a hospital. Then it hit him. “Cathy!” He jumped up and realized he couldn’t move his left arm. There was a kind of plastic shell around it. He started when Crylth came into the room. “Where is she? Where’s Cathy? Is she OK?”

  Crylth grinned at him. “She’s fine. It took all night, but she’s fine, and so is your daughter. They’re both still in the tanks, but you can see them in about an hour. Are you hungry?”

  “My daughter? Where are we?” Jethro realized he was naked and grabbed the blanket off the bed.

  “Settle down, Jethro. Everything’s fine. Really. Have you heard the news about the people from space?”

  “Yeah, I saw it on a paper at the store, and everybody’s talking about it.”

  “Well, Jethro, that’s us, and you’re on our ship. It’s a good thing, too. No Earth hospital could have saved your wife. How’s your arm doing?”

  “You’re the space people? This is a space ship? Are you the one who saved my wife?”

  “I helped,” Crylth said, “but you did the most. You ran almost two miles with an arm broken in three places and a collarbone in two. After you got knocked out, a dog named Roughneck led us back to Cathy. That’s where I came in. I’m a healer. It’s kind of like a doctor on Earth. Now, come on. Put this robe on. You need to eat.”

  Crylth sat with Jeth while he ate. He put away a lot of sausage and pancakes. When he was done he said, “Thank you, ma’am. That’s the best food I’ve had in a while. I’ve just been snaring rabbits and such. I don’t know how I’m going to pay you, ma’am. I don’t have any money left, and we don’t have insurance.”