Arin had changed into a silver shirt and gray slacks. And when he asked in fractured English whether there was anything he could do for his guests, Ken took advantage of the moment: “There’s a problem, Arin. A big one.” He was speaking in Arin’s native tongue.
He and Kwylla looked at each other and their eyes darkened. That kind of statement from a visiting alien couldn’t be good. “What’s wrong?” asked Kwylla as they both sat down.
Ken braced himself. “There’s a dead star coming this way. It won’t be here for about sixty years. But when it arrives”—he hesitated—“it’ll destroy the world.” The Volarians stared at their guests, probably hoping it would turn out to be a sick joke. Derek looked desperate. Hutch became aware that she’d stopped breathing. “I’m sorry,” Ken continued. “I wish there were something we could do to turn it aside. But there’s nothing anyone can do.”
For a long moment, no one spoke. Then: “Please tell us,” said Kwylla, “you’re not serious.”
“I wish I could.” Ken stared through a window at the dazzling sunlight.
“A dead star?” Arin asked. “I wasn’t aware they could die.”
“Eventually, they burn out and collapse. Or explode.”
“I don’t understand.” Kwylla was on the verge of shock. “Do stars actually collapse? How can that be?”
“They’re very heavy. When it happens, they destroy anything they get near.”
“Can we see it?” Kwylla’s voice had shifted from near panic to a helpless solemnity. “We have telescopes.”
“Eventually. As it gets closer, you’ll see it. It will disrupt the light.”
“You mean,” said Arin, “everything will get dark?”
“Not in the sense you mean. You’ll see odd lights in the sky. Look, fortunately, this is all years away yet.”
“Thank you,” said Arin, “for telling us.” His eyes were focused on Ken, and there was a hint of bitterness in his voice.
“I’m sorry. It’s the reason we came here originally. To see if anyone was at risk.”
“Obviously, someone is.”
“Arin.” Ken’s face had paled. “Can you tell me how many of your people are here? What the world population is?”
“Why do you ask?”
Ken looked to Derek for support. But Derek didn’t have sufficient command of the language to respond. So, the historian continued: “We understand this comes as a major shock. And a painful one. Beyond words. We’d like to help. And we will try to. To start, we need to know the world population.”
Arin’s gaze had shifted from Ken to the floor while Kwylla, seeing him at a loss, responded. “Captain,” said Tasha, translating, “the number is at about three million.”
Hutch did the math. TransGalactic had three interstellars, each with accommodations for about fifteen hundred passengers. Other than the three ships, there wasn’t much available. If they could build a fleet of, say, twenty interstellars like those, each would have to carry a total of 150,000. That would mean a hundred flights between Volaria and Utopia. It wouldn’t be easy, but given half a century or more, it could be done. And of course, they’d need ships to help bring in the Tarkans. What were the chances of persuading Emma Proctor and the other world leaders to turn around and invest in a large fleet after all the posturing of the last few years about keeping our heads down? She caught Derek’s eye. “What about the derelict transport? You think there’s any way we could incorporate that into the general effort?”
He frowned, shook his head, thought about it some more, and finally nodded. “No reason we can’t try.”
“Arin,” said Ken, “there’s a possibility we could take you somewhere else. Take everybody. But we would need your help.”
“What do you mean, ‘somewhere else’? Where else could there be?”
“We might be able to take you to another world. But as I said, we would need your assistance.”
“Why did you wait so long to tell us?”
Ken froze for a moment. “It was not a message we wanted to deliver. Arin, if we are to help, you need to trust us.”
“What do you want us to do?”
“First, we can take you out to look at the dead star, if you wish. So you can see what’s coming. It would probably be a good idea if you and a few leaders went to look at it. Then we would try to construct enough ships to take you to a new world where you and your people would be safe.”
“What kind of world, Ken?”
“We’ve found a world like yours. It’s not predominantly oceans, like this one. But otherwise it’s similar. It has the same kind of atmosphere. The climate appears to be similar to this one. Gravity’s about the same. We may have gotten lucky.”
Arin looked at Kwylla, who was seated at his right hand, her large round eyes filled with pain. There was a brief exchange between them. “Sorry, Captain,” said Tasha, “I was unable to understand.”
Arin turned back to Ken. “Are you certain? Is there any possibility that you’ve made a miscalculation?”
Ken looked at Derek. “You’re the expert. Any chance we’re wrong?”
“I don’t see,” Derek said in English, “any way that could be possible.”
Ken caught Arin’s eyes and shook his head.
“Let me understand, then. You’re offering to take us to see this dead star that you say is coming toward us?”
“Yes. If you wish.”
“How long will this take?”
“Not long. A couple of days. But you might also want to look at the new world.”
“We can see that too?”
“Yes.”
“Am I correct that the vehicle in the sky, the one that circles the planet, is bigger than the aircraft with the six seats? That is the vehicle we’ll be traveling in?”
“Yes.” They finally got some smiles. “The ship in orbit is much larger than the lander.”
“Incredible. And I assume you have food on this ship?”
“Yes. But you should bring some of your own. Maybe fifteen days’ worth. Just to be safe.”
“You can preserve it?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.” Arin had been so happy a few minutes earlier, coming out of the temple. Now he looked exhausted. “Give us some time. We’ll put together a team and you can show us this thing. This dead star. I assume that when you say you will need my help that you are talking about something more than an inspection tour.”
“Yes. Putting together a fleet of vehicles to manage the transportation of your people to another world will require a major effort by our people. There’s a substantial chance that those who sent us will decline to help. We need you to go home with us and help persuade them.”
“And how can I possibly do that? By making all kinds of gestures? I can’t even speak your language.”
“You’re already doing pretty well, Arin. You can work on it during the ride home. We’ll have time. You can handle it.”
“Are these creatures—no, I’m sorry, I mean people—can they be persuaded?”
“I hope so. There’s one other issue: It’s possible they may not only refuse to help, but they might not allow us to return here. You could get stranded on our world. But we need you to help win them over. Our people are capable of acts of kindness, but sometimes, they just don’t understand. They will find you easy to like, and we hope that will inspire them to do whatever is necessary.”
Beth’s voice came in through the pod: “Darling,” she said, “the people they have to persuade are like us, you and me and Derek. You don’t want him thinking he will have to persuade some hard-core politicians.”
Kwylla put a hand on Arin’s knee. “Love, you don’t go unless I do.”
Beth Squires’s Notes
I would never have believed we could have so much in common with a bunch of aliens. But I watched Kwylla sign on for a flight that might take her away forever from her home, and do it for the sole purpose of staying with her mate. And it clarifies a possibility: Maybe
there really are no aliens. Maybe we are all brothers and sisters adrift in a universe that doesn’t give a rip about us.
—Friday, August 22, 2256
36.
There are occasions when there’s a stranger in the room, and one has no choice but to trust him. When that happens, close your eyes, and step forward.
—Gregory MacAllister, “Options,” Baltimore Sun, October 19, 2251
Arin surprised everyone by bringing a rifle onto the lander. The weapon was clumsy, but it could obviously cause damage. Hutch wondered if he just didn’t trust them and was sending a message. Or whether someone in the bureaucracy had insisted on it. When Derek, watching from the Eiferman, was alerted by Hutch, he grumbled but told her to let it go.
Kwylla and Korsek were also on board. On the way back to the ship, she asked how the Volarians were taking the news. “As far as I’m aware,” Korsek said, speaking through Tasha, “nothing has been released. We’ve been told not to talk about it. I don’t think they want this getting out until we’re certain what we’re dealing with.”
Hutch changed the subject by admiring the rifle. And getting within visual range of the Eiferman helped. All three were entranced by the size and design of the vehicle, and by the time they drew alongside, their attention was fixated on it. After turning them over to Derek, she returned to the temple to pick up two more Volarians. They were Rampol Tok and Droo Haka. Rampol was identified as a “stargazer.” It was unclear whether the reference was to astronomy or astrology. Droo was introduced as a science advisor to the governor. Korsek had explained that he was one of the people responsible for maintaining “reasonable living conditions across a wide area.” He was also given credit for being the driving force behind organizing the effort to recover the lander. This time, Hutch tried to stay away from mentioning the coming catastrophe, but her passengers could talk about nothing else.
Derek had waited until all five were aboard before showing off the front porch technology. If they were surprised by the appearance of the Eiferman, their level of astonishment rose to an even higher level after the cabin’s interior blinked off and was replaced by mountains, waterfalls, and coastlines.
Hutch was not aware that anyone had picked up the native terms for “impossible” or “incredible” or “magnificent.” But it was hard to miss them during those early moments. Arin stared at Ken and demanded an answer to a question that could only have been How do you make this happen?
Derek and Ken spent most of the four days returning to Volaria practicing the language with Barry. Ken asked their guests what sort of relationships the various islands maintained with one another. Were they independent political entities? How much trade was there? Were there tourists? Was there political stress? Wars?
Ken hadn’t been aware of a word for war, and consequently had to explain its meaning. They looked at one another and appeared not to know whether to frown or laugh.
“Groups of people attacking and killing each other? That sounds insane.” Arin’s eyes narrowed, and his gaze moved from Hutch to Derek. “Your people do not actually behave that way, do they?”
“Unfortunately,” said Derek, “in the past, we have done that on occasion. But I think we’ve put it behind us.”
The conversation was awkward because Barry had to translate in both directions. But it worked. Kwylla was happy to hear Derek explain what he hoped to accomplish. And she responded: “I’m glad to hear it. I guess we’re lucky that you and your friends came, and not the organized killers.”
Korsek said something that Barry could not translate. Arin explained: “He was speaking of the broken star. He finds it hard to understand how something like this could exist in a benevolent universe.”
• • •
Their guests fell in love with the virtual scenery visible from the porch. They looked out over the Great Wall of China; the Sphinx at Giza; St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow; the Golden Gate Bridge; the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro; Stonehenge; the windmills at Kinderdijk, Holland; and dozens of other spectacles from around the Earth. They were disturbed when, in the middle of it all, Hutch took the Eiferman under and the stars went away. As also did the sense of movement. “Hutch,” Arin asked, “are you sure we’re still traveling?” The Volarians had adopted the easier version of her name.
“Oh, yes,” she said. “We are moving at an extraordinary velocity.”
Droo Haka’s eyes showed disbelief. “I’m pretty sure my car goes faster.”
When later they came out of it, into the twisted sky that surrounded the black hole, the mood darkened.
Barry put it all onscreen. It threw something of a scare into the Volarians. They decided the displays weren’t working right, talking as if nothing could really look like what they were seeing. So, they crowded two at a time onto the bridge and looked through the window. “No, no, no,” said Droo, standing behind Hutch, holding onto her chair to steady himself. “That cannot be.”
Kwylla stared. “I agree.”
And Arin: “I don’t believe this.” He asked Ken to explain again what they were seeing.
Rampol produced a small telescope and peered through it. “Incredible,” he said. “What is that thing?”
Ken tried to explain as best he could, but there was no way for him to describe how light could be squeezed, or that something could be so massive that if you put a car on its surface and turned on the headlights, they wouldn’t be visible because the light would be too heavy.
“Tell me again,” said Korsek, “what that thing will do to us when it shows up.”
Nobody wanted to answer the question. Finally, Beth stepped in: “It will absorb your world, Korsek. Everything.”
“Does that even include the ocean?”
“Even the sun if it gets close enough.”
“I cannot tell you,” said Droo, “how grateful I am that you have come and offered to help.”
“If you’re willing,” Derek said, “we could go look at your new world.”
“Oh yes, please.”
• • •
They were all happy to get away from that distorted sky, to retreat again into the quiet darkness of transdimensional space. The Volarians were getting used to the notion that it was a strange and volatile universe. But they were nevertheless relieved when, not long after they’d left the black hole behind, they emerged into the light of the class-G sun that had been designated Eleven. Its habitable-zone planet, Utopia, was just one glimmer of light in a star-swept sky. “We’re getting low on fuel,” Hutch explained to Derek. “We’ll just cruise from here. It’ll take a few days. But it’ll give us time to work on the language.”
Actually, they spent more time sightseeing from the front porch. But Arin and Kwylla worked with Barry on their English, which, Derek pointed out, would be invaluable in winning over reluctant humans to make whatever investment would be necessary to mount a rescue.
Their passengers were intrigued by Barry, a voice out of nowhere. They loved floating through the cabins when Hutch shut down the artificial gravity system. But probably more than anything, they were overwhelmed not only by the scenic creations but also by the shows on the video display. The problem was, of course, that they were available in human languages only. And the attempt to translate just didn’t work, because drama and comedy both required pacing. Hutch, watching Chuck Causley doing his classic standup, had always understood that comedy was all about timing. Now that was confirmed beyond any doubt.
• • •
During those few days, Hutch learned a good deal more about the lives of the Volarians. Many were farmers. Some specialized in fish farms, most grew vegetables. Hutch got the impression there was no meat in their diets.
Others owned shops in the towns, selling clothing, electronic equipment, furniture, and whatever else might be needed. The cars, and presumably ships, were manufactured elsewhere, on several large islands scattered around the planet. When the governor visited Arin’s island, she needed about a w
eek to get there.
They also picked up the source for the world’s name. Volaria, according to Kwylla, was derived from an ancient language. “It means salvation,” she said.
The humans never mentioned their prime concern, the probable resistance back home that all this would generate. But among themselves, it dominated the conversation. And, as they got closer to Utopia, Korsek brought up another issue. “Nobody’s going to believe this,” he said. “They’re going to have to see it. And I don’t think pictures are going to be persuasive enough.”
Hutch asked Rampol, the stargazer whom she now thought of as an astronomer, whether there were any observatories on Volaria.
“What,” he asked, “is an observatory?”
“You put a building with an opening on the roof on top of a mountain, and then put a large version of that”—she indicated his telescope—“inside. You’d be amazed at what you can see.”
“Oh, yes, of course. We have a couple of them. But I don’t think anybody’s seen that thing. If they have, they certainly haven’t said anything.”
• • •
The planet floated in soft sunlight. White clouds drifted over wide oceans and lush green continents and vast mountain chains. Two of the three moons were visible.
“Are there tigers here?” Korsek asked.
Barry explained he had substituted a term. “I assume the reference was to a predator.”
Derek responded that there probably were. “Every world has predators,” he said. “Compared to a black hole, though, a tiger’s not much to worry about.” Arin understood and nodded agreement.
The Volarians, when talking among themselves, tended to speak quickly, and often used words and constructions with which none of the humans, nor Barry, was familiar. “I’m getting some of it, though,” Barry told Hutch, speaking through her pod. “The prime issue for them, as far as I can determine, is whether they can convince their people to accept an idea that’s so wild from their perspective. Black holes make no sense to them. Not even to the ones who are here looking at it.”
The Long Sunset Page 30
