by Allen Steele
“We believe you now understand.” Jane Doe had patiently listened to all this; her right foreleg moved toward the hatch. “You may return to your ship . . . and your habitat.” A short pause. “You will hear from us again.”
As suddenly as it had appeared, her holo projection vanished. A moment later, the exit hatch spiraled open. Andromeda turned to Sean and was about to say something when she apparently heard something through her earpiece. She tapped her mike and said, “We copy, Montero. Stand by.”
D’Anguilo slowly let out his breath. “I’ll be damned. I never would’ve believed it . . . Someone won an argument with a danui.”
Sean grinned. “That’s nothing,” he said, then nodded toward his mother. “Try winning an argument with her.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“THIS IS . . .”
At a loss for words, Ted Harker fell silent for a moment.
Instead, he stared at the landscape spread out below the tram-station veranda. “Incredible,” he finished, his voice little more than an awestruck whisper. “I can’t believe what I’m seeing.”
Andromeda tried not to smile. She’d witnessed the reaction a couple of times before, most recently when Anne Smith was finally able to leave the Montero to see Hex for herself. “I know,” Andromeda said. “It always gets you the first time you see it.” She looked up at the sky, with its staggering view of all the other hexagons beyond Nueva Italia’s barrel ceiling. “And the second time, too,” she added. “I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to this.”
Harker continued to gaze down upon Nueva Italia. “You say there are four more . . . um, biopods? . . . just like this one?”
“So I’ve been told. We haven’t had a chance to visit them yet, so we don’t know exactly what’s there. But if we’re to believe the hjadd, then they should look a lot like Coyote, too.”
“And the sixth biopod?”
“Closed to us. The danui have placed it off-limits. Something to do with protecting their technological secrets.” Catching the sly look on Harker’s face, she shook her head. “Don’t even think about it. They’ve made it clear to us that their rules aren’t to be broken, and I’ve crossed that line too many times already.”
“But still . . .”
“ ‘But still’ nothing. We’ve had one warning already, and I don’t think we’re going to get any more.” Andromeda turned away from the railing. “C’mon, let’s go. I think your people would like to see the rest of this place.”
The crew of the Pride of Cucamonga stood nearby, gaping at the immense vista beyond the tram station. Harker nodded to them, and they picked up their duffel bags and followed him to the escalator. The Pride had come prepared to establish the makings of a permanent human colony on Hex; several crates of items—prefab building material, survey equipment, miscellaneous items such as portable lights and farm tools; everything except weapons, which had been unpacked and left behind—had already been off-loaded from the freighter, and two more crewmen had just finished stacking them on the lift. They stood aside as their captain and crewmates stepped aboard. Andromeda walked over to the control panel and pushed the lowest button, and the lift began to descend.
“A thousand miles long and a hundred miles wide.” Harker whistled under his breath, studying the wooded slopes as the lift slowly moved down the mountainside. “You can fit a small continent in here.” He slowly shook his head. “No, I don’t think we’re going to run out of real estate anytime soon.”
Andromeda shrugged. “If we do, we can always ask the danui for more.” A startled look appeared on Harker’s face, and she smiled. “If what Jahd told me is true, then Hex is still unfinished. Many of the hexagons around us are vacant. Even if we used up all the land in this habitat . . .”
“We could move to another one?” Harker asked, and she nodded. “So what’s the catch?”
“No catch . . . except behave ourselves.” Andromeda looked him straight in the eye. “Don’t mess with the landlord, Ted. I’m serious. Remember what I told you about what happened to the morath?”
Harker’s mouth tightened. He didn’t say anything for a few seconds; when he did, it was to change the subject. “So . . . are you still bored?”
Andromeda looked at him askance. “Come again?”
“When I came to your house to talk about this mission, you complained that you were bored with your job.” A knowing smile spread across his face. “Just curious if that’s still a problem with your life.”
“No . . . no, it isn’t.” Andromeda allowed herself a small laugh, then looked away from him. “But I’ve been thinking a bit about what I’d like to do now that the job is done.”
“Whatever you want, you probably won’t have much trouble getting it. After all, you’re the captain who discovered Hex. Don’t be surprised if someone throws a parade for you when you get back home.” Harker moved a little closer to her, lowering his voice so that his crew wouldn’t overhear them. “You can pretty much write your own ticket. Any run you want, any ship . . . you name it, and I’ll see that you get it.”
Andromeda smiled. “Thanks, but I have other plans.”
Harker raised an eyebrow. “Such as?”
“Actually, I’m thinking about building a nice little cottage for my retirement.” She pointed toward the river. “Right over there, near the edge of that apple grove . . . or maybe a little farther away, just to put a little distance between me and the rest of the colony.”
“You’re retiring?” No longer bothering to keep his voice down, Harker nearly yelled in her face. His crew turned to stare, but he was oblivious to them. “I thought you said . . .”
“I’ve changed my mind.”
“But . . .”
“Soon as the Montero gets home, I’m formally tendering my resignation. Then I’m going to sell the house, pack up my stuff, and move here.” She gave him a serious look. “You’ll give me a break on the freight costs, won’t you? I’d like to take the Montero back, and Jason said he’d be willing to give me a ride next time he comes out here. If you approve my recommendation that he be made captain, that is.”
“Yeah, sure, but . . .” Harker floundered, not quite knowing what to say. “What the hell, Andi . . .”
“It’s Andromeda, Ted. I hate that nickname.” The lift had almost reached the bottom of the incline, and she looked over at the freighter crew. “Careful now. Don’t get off until we’ve come to a full stop.”
Harker held his tongue until the lift halted, then he followed Andromeda down the ramp. “But why here?” he asked. “It’s going to be a while before any settlement we put here will be selfsufficient. Not exactly a comfortable retirement spot, y’know.”
“That’s exactly why I want to move here.” Andromeda started walking toward the nearby camp. “Steady climate, no predators . . . but plenty to do to make this place a home. Won’t have any time to be lazy.” She shrugged. “I’m even thinking about running for colonial governor, once we get around to elections and so forth.”
“Colonial governor. Right.” Harker shook his head. “Andi . . . Andromeda . . . you’re a starship captain. That’s your calling . . .”
“What am I going to do for an encore? Discover another Dyson sphere?” She shook her head. “I’m done. Time to hang up my wings and call it a day. Besides, I . . . Oh, dear, what is this?”
Over the past few days, while they’d been waiting for the Pride of Cucamonga to arrive, Andromeda’s crew had reestablished the base camp. And more than that. After bringing back the tents and equipment they’d taken out of Nueva Italia, they’d made a head start on turning the camp into a permanent settlement. While several acres had been staked out to become farm fields, the area surrounding the tents was already zoned to be the town square.
This was made clear by a sign someone had fashioned from a metal rod and a couple of pieces of packing material. Standing just outside camp, it read:
WELCOME TO NUEVA ITALIA
COYOTE 214 .9 L.Y. →
&
nbsp; ← EARTH 194.6 L.Y.
Her crew was gathered around the fire pit in the camp’s center, waiting for Melpomene and Anne to finish cooking lunch. Spotting Andromeda, Zeus stood up from his seat and ambled over to her. “Like it?” he asked, grinning with pride as he looked up at his handiwork. “Kinda thought this place deserved a proper sign.”
“Not bad.” It was the last thing Andromeda had expected to see when she returned from meeting Harker’s ship at the docking node, but she had to admit that it gave the place a certain rustic class. And now that she’d announced her plans to her crew, she shouldn’t be surprised to have them do certain things without her consent. “Did you bring it up for a vote?”
“Approved by unanimous consent.” The smile faded from Zeus’s face; he hesitated a moment, then went on. “I’ve been doing some thinking, skipper, and so has Mel. If it’s all the same to you, we’d like to stay, too. Sorry to be jumping ship, but . . .”
“No objections from me.” In fact, Andromeda wasn’t surprised. She’d overheard her chief petty officer and helmsman discussing this very thing just the other day, when they thought she wasn’t in her tent. “I wouldn’t mind having neighbors.”
The grin returned to Zeus’s face, and he turned to walk back toward the others. On the other hand, Harker didn’t seem to be very pleased. “That’s two more members of your crew I’m going to have to replace,” he muttered.
“Aw, c’mon. There are plenty of unemployed spacers back home. You won’t have any problems.” Harker continued to scowl, and she tried to mollify him. “Like I said, Jason wants to continue serving aboard the Montero. So do Rolf and Anne, and Sandy LaPointe wants to go back, too, so it’s not like you’ll be losing everyone . . .”
“Don’t worry about it,” Harker said, albeit with obvious reluctance. “I’ll approve resignations for any member of your crew who wishes to remain here.” He looked up at the new sign and shrugged. “Besides, if we’re going to have a new colony here, we have to start with someone.”
“I sort of hoped you’d say that,” Andromeda said. “That’s why I’m not resigning immediately. There’s one more duty as captain I’d like to perform.” Raising a hand, she whistled between her teeth. “You two! Over here!”
From the other side of the fire pit, Sean and Kyra stood up and sauntered over to where Andromeda and Harker stood. Their hands were clasped together, and Andromeda couldn’t help but enjoy seeing the comfortable way her son and Kyra had with each other. As they came closer, she reached out to put a hand on Sean’s shoulder.
“Ted, let me introduce you to my son, Sean, and his fiancée, Kyra.” Andromeda was unable to keep from beaming with motherly pride. “Yesterday morning, they requested that I marry them as soon as we got enough people here to serve as a proper wedding party.”
Harker stared at Sean and Kyra. “Yes,” he said after a moment. “Right. Of course.”
“This won’t be a problem for you, will it?” Sean slipped his arm within the crook of his mother’s elbow. “I couldn’t ask for anyone else that I’d rather have officiate than my mother.”
Andromeda swallowed what felt like a large lump that got caught in her throat. Over the course of the past few days, while they’d waited for the Pride to show up, the two of them had spent many hours talking about things that should have been discussed long ago.
I’ve got my son back, she thought. And I’m about to have a daughter-in-law, too. With luck, maybe even a grandchild or two . . .
“Well . . . if we’re going to have a wedding, it wouldn’t be decent if we didn’t have enough liquor.” Harker shook hands with the groom and gave the bride a quick buss on the cheek, then stepped away. “There may be a few bottles of wine somewhere on my ship. I’ll ask someone to fetch them.”
Andromeda watched him go. “Poor man,” she said softly, once he was out of earshot. “I wonder how many more shocks he can take in one day before he has a heart attack.”
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Sean regarded her with an upraised eyebrow.
“Yes . . . yes, I am. Thank you.”
Kyra chuckled as Sean sighed and looked down at his feet. “C’mon,” he said to his bride-to-be. “Let’s get out of here before she pisses off someone else.”
Andromeda let them go, then turned to head over to where the new arrivals from the Pride were gathered. She was about to direct them to where they could put up their own tents when she heard a familiar voice from behind her.
“Captain Carson? A moment, please?”
She looked around to see Tom D’Anguilo walking toward her. “It’s Andromeda,” she said. “I’m not going to be captain very much longer, so you might as well drop the title.”
“Okay, then . . . Thanks.” He stopped, looked down at his feet with uncustomary shyness. “I just wanted to tell you . . . Well, I overheard a bit of what you were saying to Captain Harker, about how you and some other people were electing to stay behind, and . . .”
“You want to do the same?”
“I’m going to request that the company transfer me here, yes.” D’Anguilo smiled as he looked up at her. “I’ll do my best to stay out of your hair, but . . .”
“Don’t worry about it. I couldn’t have done this without you.” She paused. “Besides, I have a feeling the colony is going to need a resident astroethnicist.”
D’Anguilo nodded. “That’s what I think, too . . . particularly if your son meant what he said about wanting to explore more of Hex. I’d like to go with him, if he and Kyra will have me along.”
“You’ll have to work that out with them. I think they’re looking at it as a sort of honeymoon trip.” She shrugged. “But even if you don’t, it makes sense having you here. Eventually, we’re going to be meeting the neighbors.”
“Yes, you’re right. We will. But”—a reluctant pause—“there’s something more, too.”
Andromeda folded her arms together. “What do you mean?”
“Well . . . do you remember what Jane Doe said? About there being races here that even the Talus hasn’t met yet?” Andromeda nodded, and he went on. “Well, just suppose . . . What if we start exploring Hex, and come into contact with them before anyone else does?”
Andromeda opened her mouth to reply, then stopped herself. “I hadn’t thought of that,” she admitted. “That’s a possibility, isn’t it?”
“I think it is, yes . . . and even though the danui are aware that we intend to continue traveling through this place, they haven’t told us that we can’t, so long as we abide by the rules. So . . .”
His voice trailed off. “So . . . what?” Andromeda asked.
“So what did Jane Doe mean when she said, ‘You will hear from us again’?”
Because she had no answer to that question, Andromeda didn’t reply. Instead, she looked away, letting her gaze travel across Nueva Italia’s wooded green meadows as she savored the warmth of an endless summer.
“I hope Harker gets back here soon,” she said at last. “Man, I need a drink.”
EPILOGUE
ONE BY ONE, THE SHIPS CAME TO HEX.
At first, only a few made the hyperspace jump from Coyote, but before long their number increased to dozens, each traveling through an alien starbridge to arrive at a world like none other. No matter how often their crew and passengers had seen images of the Dyson sphere, nothing quite prepared them for seeing it with their own eyes, the awesome sight of its immensity as it gradually grew before them, steadily increasing in size until nothing lay before them except a vast and seemingly endless wall of hexagons.
They didn’t make the trip alone. In the days that it took the ships to travel from the starbridge to Nueva Italia’s docking node, they heard voices coming through the comlink: greetings from passing vessels, each of them belonging to one race or another. Hjadd, nord, kua’tah, soranta, arsashi . . . they were all there, making their own travels to this vast creation of the danui.
And not only were familiar voices heard, but on oc
casion there were others as well, in languages that couldn’t be interpreted from ships that no one had ever seen before. Inbound from other starbridges, they disappeared as quickly as they had appeared, leaving behind only fading electronic echoes and mystery.
Only one thing was certain. Humankind would never be alone again.
In fact, it never had been.
TIMELINE
EARTH EVENTS
July 5, 2070—URSS Alabama departs from Earth for 47 Ursae Majoris and Coyote.
April–December 2096—United Republic of America falls. Treaty of Havana cedes control of North America to the Western Hemisphere Union.
June 16, 2256—WHSS Seeking Glorious Destiny Among the Stars for the Greater Good of Social Collectivism leaves Earth for Coyote.
January 4, 2258—WHSS Traveling Forth to Spread Social Collectivism to New Frontiers leaves Earth for Coyote.
December 10, 2258—WHSS Long Journey to the Galaxy in the Spirit of Social Collectivism leaves Earth for Coyote.
August 23, 2259—WHSS Magnificent Voyage to the Stars in Search of Social Collectivism leaves Earth for Coyote.
March 4, 2260—WHSS Spirit of Social Collectivism Carried to the Stars leaves Earth for Coyote.
August 2270–July 2279—The Savant Genocide; 35,000 on Earth killed; mass extermination of Savants, with the survivors fleeing the inner solar system.
April 2288—First sighting of Spindrift by telescope array on the lunar farside.
June 1, 2288—EASS Galileo leaves Earth for rendezvous with Spindrift; contact lost with Earth soon thereafter.
January 2291—EASS Galileo reaches Spindrift. First contact.
September 18, 2291—EASS Columbus leaves for Coyote.
February 1, 2344—CFSS Robert E. Lee returns to Earth, transporting survivors of the Galileo expedition.