On the fifth day, a cry of alarm from the navigation operator broke the routine. "Director Nore! The transit drive is shutting down!"
As she stood and turned toward the navigation station, an overwhelming blast of heat and light struck her through the overhead dome, filling her lungs with fire. Ull's feral must have been right, she thought. The navigation computer was damaged after all.
Chapter Twelve: A Surprise
For perhaps the hundredth time, Tommy wished Ull wouldn’t loom over him. She had ordered that he complete whatever remained to make the new navigation computer functional, then insisted that she must escort him to and from the bridge sub-deck. The only explanation she gave was an abrupt "Council politics." He didn't mind the escort, but the trapdoor she closed behind them held the heavy musky odor of her dry body in the stale air of the sub-deck.
The closed trapdoor saved their lives.
He had just completed what he hoped was a final test. Ull sat silent and motionless, watching him. That was how they had spent the week, with him working and her watching. She seemed to be pondering something, but he couldn't fathom what and his thoughts about her looming always ended with him remembering that he was closed in with a carnivore.
A massive jolt and a bright, almost unbearable light shining around the trapdoor’s edge drove that image from his mind and knocked him out of his chair. Before he could cover his eyes, he heard screams from above, quickly cut off, then a mechanical sound that made the floor under them vibrate. A shrill wailing keened. The air from the ventilators became furnace hot and smelled of burnt hair. He heard a faint thud, and the intense glare ended, leaving him with eyes too overexposed to see in the sub-deck's normal light.
"Wait," Ull said. "We must wait. Can you see?"
"No."
"Nor can I. We can do nothing until we can see."
Tommy rubbed his eyes. He hoped he wasn't permanently blinded. That would be the end of trying to get home. A washed-out ghost of Ull slowly emerged, then solidified. "I can see you now," he said.
Ull nodded and started up the stairs. A new blast of hot air washed over him as Ull cautiously opened the trapdoor. The aroma of cooked meat joined an even stronger smell of burnt hair.
His computers could be overheating! He hurried to the keyboard to start the shutdown process. When he looked up the stairs again, Ull had disappeared.
The situation he found on the deck above was surreal. Visually, everything seemed the same, but the smells and heat made a lie of that. Lights glowed throughout the room at various consoles. The dome overhead was black, as it had been when he started work that morning. Nesu were in chairs in front of their consoles, though, when he looked closely, he saw that all were slumped over as if asleep. Beyond the navigation console, a Nesu also seemed to be sleeping, except she had chosen the floor beside the command podium.
"They are dead." Ull's voice came from behind him. "I have circled the center column. All are apparently dead from intense heat, perhaps from breathing overheated air."
"I thought nothing could touch the ship when it is in transit."
"We are no longer in transit, as you can see." She pointed at the navigation console, and then pointed up. "The dome shield closed automatically."
"Are we under attack?"
"A more likely explanation is the ship has emerged close to a star. Most of the outside sensors have been burned away."
"How close? Can we get away?"
"I am unable to answer that question. We may be close to death ourselves. I have called an off-shift bridge crew. Perhaps we have time to do something. First we must know our location."
The elevators began discharging Nesu and warriors. The Nesu gave loud cries when they saw the dead. The warriors began removing bodies. Crews of human artisans arrived soon after to work on damaged consoles. The crews' lungs hadn't been the only things seared by the heat.
In all the activity, no one noticed Tommy standing near the podium, where Ull now sat, listening to reports from the stations on the bridge. The ship was not falling into a star. The radiation, chiefly on one side of ship, continued unabated, but wasn't increasing. The observation windows were the most vulnerable in spite of the shutters having closed on all of them. The ship was under continuous bombardment by high-energy particles on the same side as the highest radiation levels. That bombardment and radiation were eroding the ship's hull at an alarming rate.
Ull turned to someone sitting at a console nearby. "Spin the ship." She spoke into a microphone extending from the arm of her chair. "Anyone having a theory about what is happening come to the command chair."
The member of the crew who came forward had to introduce herself when Ull did not recognize her. "I am a member of the science section, Director Ull. I believe we have emerged from transit behind a nova wave front. That is the only theory fitting the facts. If I am right, the situation will not improve. We must return to transit."
The discussion that followed among Ull, the science officer, and the navigation officer went nowhere. Too many sensors had been seared from the hull to establish the ship's location. The navigation officer wasn't willing to commit to anything other than the ship should have been continued in transit for another week. When pressed, she agreed that might mean the navigation computer had malfunctioned again, but she had no way to be sure.
The navigation console might still have the computation results, Tommy thought. It did, and a moment later he hurried down the stairs to the sub-deck to boot his computers. With results in hand he returned to the bridge and interrupted the discussion still in progress. "Lord Ull, here is our location," he said, handing her the sheet of paper.
Ull handed the sheet to the navigation officer. "Interpret this for me."
She referenced the coordinates in a star chart. "If this is correct, we exited approximately a half light year from the star system called Dima on our charts, a white dwarf and its binary companion."
"Which direction is the radiation and particle wind coming from?" Ull asked.
The navigation officer turned to his console and returned with the answer. "From Dima. But that is impossible! Dima is one of our navigation beacons. Dima is not a nova."
"You show your ignorance," the science officer said. "Dima has always been a candidate to nova. That it picked now is our misfortune, but does not make it less the truth."
Another of The People joined the group. "Lord Ull, one of the observation windows and its shutters on deck eighty-six has collapsed. The automatic doors leading to that chamber have sealed, but we do not know what is happening in those sections."
"Return to your duties," ordered Ull. She turned to Tommy. "You have been working for many weeks on your replacement computer. You say its results are correct. I am placing our future in your hands."
No more simulations, thought Tommy. "The same destination as before? The last transit took us out of the way, and we have farther to go."
"I understand. Yes, the same destination, and hurry." Ull replied.
First, he had to plug his connections into the cables leading to the central column. That was the scary part. He hadn't removed the subroutine that printed the intermediate results. The printer began printing as the execute button appeared on his monitor.
He hurried up the stairs until his head was exposed. This won't do. I've got to create a replacement bridge console.
"Lord Ull, I am ready."
"Initiate the transit."
Tommy almost dived down the stairs. A click of the mouse sent his results to the transit drive.
The wailing sound stopped, and with it all of the conversations on the bridge. He again raised his head above the bridge floor in time to see the dome shield peal back like a flower, revealing the familiar blackness of transit.
Ull left the bridge for a council meeting without saying more to Tommy. Three hours later, a warrior found him, still working on the sub-deck, to summon him to Ull's quarters.
He found her treading water by the rock shelf, wa
iting for him. In the crystal clear water he could see her tail moving under her. "How confident are you we will arrive at the predicted place?" she asked.
"I checked and rechecked everything. You were with me much of the time. I am as confident as it is possible to be."
"The People's Hand sustained much damage," she said. "Until we emerge from transit, the injury to the hull cannot be assessed or repaired, but we have much to do inside as well. Before we were able to get away, seven observation windows were eroded away and blown inward. If only those chambers were open to vacuum, we would leave them until the hull repairs can be made, but for three of them, the implosion destroyed connecting doors into adjoining passageways. For one, the force of the nova's wind blew out emergency doors all the way to the central column. While it existed, the wind was a two-meter wide torch eating the column wall. Many of The People were killed on that deck.
"I have the complete attention of the remainder of the council now. They no longer believe my warnings are without foundation. You and your artisans have access to all parts of the ship except the Sanctuary. Begin with the high priority list I gave you. The failure of any of the three computers remaining could cause the death of all on board. Be prepared to change each of them to one of your computers as soon as possible. After you do that, you are free to examine and replace any of the old computers you find."
"We will be in transit for fifteen days. I should be able to accomplish some of that."
"Make as much progress as you can. Continue until you have given us what I bargained for, a better The People's Hand than we had before."
# # #
After getting the list from his quarters and eating a late lunch, Tommy went to the bridge. All of the events that day had happened in less than five hours. If he could contain his exhaustion, he still could get some work done.
The three remaining computers on the list controlled insystem drive, ship's attitude, and gravity. The list gave their locations as the sub-deck under the bridge. A single console on the bridge, close by the navigation console and the commander's podium, served the insystem drive and attitude computers. The gravity console was out of the way, against one wall and covered with a thin layer of dust. All of the computers were accessible through the same trapdoor, so, as he had many times before, he walked toward the trapdoor from the elevator.
The soft murmur of Nesu voices preceded him. Snouts below gleaming black eyes turned toward him as he came near. Individuals in his path moved to the side. Before, except when he was with Ull, they had refused to even acknowledge his existence, forcing him to use a circuitous route to the trapdoor.
When he arrived, the trapdoor was already up; its opening surrounded by three of The People who watched him approach. They must be waiting for me. What's going on? He lowered his gaze as he came closer.
The one on the left spoke first, then indicated the others standing beside her. "Hello, Master Tommy. I am Cauth. This is Ulsu. This is San."
Master Tommy? No lord except Ull has ever called me by any name!
"We are the console operators for the three computers you will be replacing,” she said. “Director Ull has instructed us to give you any assistance you require."
Any assistance I require? I thought Nesu wouldn't work with humans. What's happening? Aloud he said, "Perhaps later you could show me the controls on your consoles and what results you expect?"
"I would be honored to do so, Master Tommy," Cauth said.
"As would I," San said.
"And I," echoed Ulsu.
Honored? This is insane. I must be lying on the sub-deck floor, dreaming all this while the ship is being destroyed!
The murmur of voices swelled. He raised his eyes to find the entire bridge crew gathered in a circle with him as the center. This must be what it's like to be a referee in a professional basketball game. Late in the second half when the sweat’s pouring off the players and the smell on the court is rank. Except the players wouldn’t rip the referee apart if he looked into their eyes!
Cauth spoke again. "Master Tommy, we all thank you for our lives and our families' lives. You defeated our enemies. You have returned our lakes and pools to us. For those, we should have been grateful, but instead took it as our due." Those surrounding Cauth whistled in harmony. "Then you again saved not only our lives, but our ship and the wealth and traditions of a hundred generations of The People by your deeds today. This can no longer be ignored." The tuneful whistle became louder.
"I am Las, a member of the ship's council." Tommy turned toward the new speaker. "Today, we listened to the voice of The People and our own honor." Las reached out with her left hand and took Tommy's right hand. Her claws pricked the back of his wrist as she placed a small cylinder in his palm. "By decree of the council this day, you are one of The People. As you have shared in our efforts, you will share in our wealth, lakes, and streams, both you and all of your descendants. What any of The People may do, you may do. Where any of The People may go, you may go. We give our word, and our word is our contract." The crowd's whistling reached a crescendo and cut off.
Tommy's knees shook as he went down the stairs onto the sub-deck. As soon as the whistling ended, the crowd dispersed back to their duties. Not much of a ceremony, A touch on each shoulder with a sword would have been better. Maybe a medal hung around his neck by a beautiful woman. Of course, by Earth standards, The People had no beautiful women and little ceremony. They are a practical species. They trade, swim in their lakes, and go where they will. I wonder what their home planet is like? He looked at the metal cylinder Las had given to him. Maybe this was their equivalent of a metal.
Ull was waiting for him at the bottom of the stair. She indicated the cylinder in Tommy's hand. "Be careful with that."
Tommy lowered his gaze. "Lord Ull," he said.
Ull warbled. "Were you not listening? That is no longer necessary. You are one of The People. We do not lower our eyes to each other or call each other Lord." His eyes met hers. "I must admit, your direct glance still makes me want to tear out your throat. Perhaps, until all know you better, you should be careful when you meet one of us. You could look in the general direction of her face to see her reaction before gazing directly into her eyes.
"Enough. I have come here to congratulate you, and to make sure you understand we still have a contract. The honor you have been given makes the contract stronger for me and for you."
"You should not worry. I will continue to repair your ship,"
"Your ship now," Ull responded.
"I said I would continue to repair the ship, but not because I am one of The People, but because I want to receive my part of the bargain. I want to leave this ship the next time it goes to Earth."
"I sense you do not consider this the honor the council members may have believed it to be."
"May I speak freely with you? Without your tearing out my throat, I mean?”
"Do you mean to deliberately provoke me?"
"No, not deliberately, but you do have a temper. I might say something you do not like."
Her whistle trilled. "I will try to control myself."
"All right, I will say it. If I were truly one of The People, I would go swim in my pond and find a human to do the work."
"You were right to warn me. You think we do not work?"
"Maybe you do. You seem to be a politician. Or maybe 'manager' would be a better word. The bridge crew works. Those are all I have seen."
"The People are merchants. Our work is to trade. Each shares in the wealth in this ship and in the ship's accounts that have been accumulating for hundreds of years. The bridge crew performs their service as part of the life contract made with The People on this ship when each person becomes an adult. The council exists because someone must guide the ship in its journey, but we too have a contract with The People on this ship limiting our powers and duties." She made a gesture Tommy hadn't seen before. "Would the wealthy people of your world repair its own houses, clean its own toilets, or gua
rd its own banks?"
Tommy muttered in English, "On Earth, we don't pack millionaires a hundred to a mansion the way the Nesu were packed in their lakes before I started fixing them. What's wrong with this picture? Why don't at least a few of them take their wealth and go home?" Louder he said to Ull in the lords' language, "I suppose not, but will you admit having slaves do the work has had some unintended consequences? Would you be in this mess if you knew more of what is being done, or trusted those who are doing the work?"
"There is something to what you say," she agreed, "but if you suggest we free our slaves, even one of The People by birth could not make that happen. You should enjoy the privileges you have been given and not worry about the other humans on this ship. You are not of their kind, anyway. You are a feral human and as different from our slaves as it is possible to be and still be of the same species. Enjoy the wealth that comes with your new status. You cannot help them.
"Repair the ship. Your contract with me is now with The People on this ship. If you want to return to Earth, I will make it so. Meanwhile, a healthy ship makes for better trading. Better trading means more wealth for all of us."
"Since I am one of The People, is one of those privileges that I can bring my cat up here?"
"You can when I am ship's commander. The others may not like an Earth animal underfoot. Besides you, of course." Her whistle echoed off the low roof.
As Ull turned to go up the stairs, Tommy held up the cylinder. "Wait! Why should I be careful with this?"
"That is how we control the warriors."
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