Nebula Nights: Love Among The Stars

by Melisse Aires

  A trooper removed his helmet and jacket, revealing coveralls identical to those worn by the operators. The trooper pulled the dead man out of his chair and took his place.

  "Okay, ready to go," he said. "Outside."

  The other troopers left the room.

  The bogus operator delivered his message, a panic stricken man, hair disheveled. "Anybody… this is Brjyl control… we’re under attack!" His voice was a rapid staccato. "Confederacy troops, firing at will… it’s a massacre… please…. Help…" The speaker’s head turned to the door. A trooper appeared and fired his weapon into the air. The operator clutched at his chest and fell to the ground. The trooper turned and reached a gloved hand to the camera.

  Allysha, watching the watchers as the drama unfolded, saw Tesso flinch, just for a moment, as the trooper put on his act. Marratrax was startled but intrigued; Daizhen was guarded. Next to her, Saahren smiled, very slightly.

  "That went pretty well.’ The trooper who had put on the act wore a satisfied smirk as he stood and brushed his coveralls down with his hands. "Come on, Erascu," he said to one man. "Make me look like the operator. And don’t forget the special effects when I’m shot."

  Erascu had taken off his helmet. He smirked and attached an InfoDroid to the main computer. After a few moments, he turned to the leader and said, "How’s that?"

  They all gathered around the console, watched for a moment then slapped Erascu on the back.

  "Great job, Erascu. I could have sworn it was me. Seems it wasn’t. Okay, let’s get this out to space."

  Butcher paused the image.

  "This is not very clear," Saahren explained. "The InfoDroid has been instructed to edit the broadcast message. The features of the man making the distress call were changed to match those of the operator who was killed. The man’s likeness was, of course, held in the settlement’s personnel system."

  "Set to widest channel," one of the uniformed men said. "We want the biggest possible audience."

  "As long as it gets to Carnessa," the leader said.

  Erascu sent the message, then the leader clapped his hands together. "Time to ruin the evidence."

  Allysha clamped her mouth shut as each of the human bodies was shot again, in the head. Another trooper took out a knife and did something to the Ptorix victims. A wave of gunfire destroyed the computer systems. She wasn’t the only one affected by the violence. Singel looked green and McKinley’s throat worked.

  "Well done, boys. Let’s go and have some fun," said the leader as he finished putting his armor back on over the coveralls. He led the others out into the street.

  "As you can see," Saahren said, "the distress signal was actually sent by the attackers."

  Tesso shrugged and answered without reference to Daizhen. "So? This proves nothing. The attack could still have been made by Confederacy troops." The interpreter looked calm enough except for the tightness around his eyes.

  Saahren chuckled. "A complicated double play, Mister Tesso? Hardly. The man performing as the operator is Gresh Glatchorn. He left the Fleet three years ago. The man Erascu has never been in Fleet. He is an expert in human information systems."

  "Why have we not seen this before?" Daizhen said in Ptorix. His eyes flicked across the humans in the room. Saahren, Galbraith and McKinley; no one else mattered.

  "Lord Daizhen asks why we should believe this evidence." Tesso scowled, belligerent, aggressive. "Why was it not shown before?"

  "We didn’t have it before." Saahren held Tesso’s gaze until the man’s eyes dropped. "It was retrieved from Brjyl quite recently."

  "By you? That would be an invasion of Qerran space." Tesso blustered, covering up uncertainty.

  "We have no record of Confederacy Fleet vessels in Qerran territory," Marratrax said.

  "Well, where did you get it from?" demanded Tesso, his forehead shiny and his nostrils slightly flared.

  "I don’t know how the machine was obtained and I don’t care." Saahren was completely calm, his voice soft and reasonable. He must be driving Tesso crazy. "It was offered to us, probably because we pay more."

  "Ah. So you admit you bought this information? Paid credits for it to bolster your own story?" Tesso hardly bothered to pretend to translate for Daizhen now. Allysha watched the ambassador’s eyes. She was quite sure he understood more Standard than he admitted.

  Marratrax sat quietly watching the show, eyes yellow-green. More and more, Allysha thought Marratrax hoped that Saahren would win this argument.

  "How was it authenticated?" Tesso leaned across the desk and pointed at the HV. "How can we know this really came from Brjyl? How can we know this has not been manufactured to absolve your people?" His voice was becoming shrill.

  "We are quite happy for you to match whatever images you have of the control room before this incident, against these. Obviously, the later pictures match these images. I accept it may have been possible to contrive the events. As to how it was authenticated…" Saahren looked at Allysha. "Miss Marten actually set up the information systems on Brjyl."

  Allysha gazed steadily at the two Ptorix. Any nervousness had disappeared; adrenalin filled her veins. It was time to perform for Qerra.

  "I returned from Brjyl only a few days before the attack. The data you see here was recorded on this machine." Allysha pulled out the device and placed it in front of her on the table. "You will have noticed, my Lords, that the second version of the message, the bogus one, was recorded from a different angle. You cannot see the operator’s face and the trooper is seen from the front as he enters. This device was set up in secret on the opposite wall, facing the door."

  "Who is this woman?" Daizhen hissed at Tesso.

  Before Tesso could answer, Allysha spoke in Ptorix. "I am a Qerran, Lord Daizhen, Lord Marratrax. I can work on Ptorix and human information systems. I was contracted to install this system as a precaution against industrial espionage and, as it proves, against murderers."

  "You speak Ptorix." Daizhen’s eyes swirled blue.

  "I do."

  "You are Qerran," hissed Tesso. "How can you weave your fingers with these murdering Confederacy humans?"

  Murdering Confederacy humans, huh? She’d seen all the evidence. "I want Qerra to remain independent and free, a place where humans and Ptorix tolerate each other and live in harmony. I don’t want another Belvista, or another Jossur."

  Tesso glared at her. Marratrax’s speaking mouth quirked. His eyes swirled green. He was amused. "I have heard of you. You are Professor Marten’s daughter, are you not?"

  "That is correct, Lord Marratrax." How would a senior Qerran diplomat know her name? She’d address that later.

  Tesso scowled. "This proves nothing," he said, snapping his arm across in a cutting gesture. "The body of a Confederacy Fleet trooper was found on the scene. Do you dispute that?" He spoke to Saahren, dismissing Allysha with a venomous glance.

  "Not at all," Saahren said. "The Qerran authorities were informed at the time of the incident that Trooper Baker was declared missing in action several weeks before the incident at Brjyl. How he got to Brjyl…" Saahren shrugged. "But… I believe we have done enough to prove that the Confederacy Fleet was not responsible for these murders. Lord Marratrax, what is your position?"

  "I agree that what you have shown provides evidence that your military did not carry out a deliberate attack. And I hasten to add that my Government has always believed it was so. But it is clear humans did this."

  Daizhen made a remark. Allysha translated for Saahren, leaning toward him. "He says their warship stays in Carnessa orbit until he’s comfortable ‘law abiding Ptorix citizens’ are safe from human murderers."

  "Let me show you something else, Lord Marratrax, Lord Daizhen." Saahren’s voice was soft. "One thing we always found curious about Brjyl was that there was no sign of any real fight from the locals. Yet small colonies have learnt the lessons from the past and are normally prepared to defend themselves. One of the main things they do is protect the control room;
raise armored barriers to stop intruders from getting in. In fact, the colony records, which are lodged monthly in Ullnish, were examined. The miners had a well thought out defense plan that they rehearsed regularly. Is that not so, Lord Marratrax?"

  Marratrax gestured agreement. "Indeed, all such new settlements must set up an emergency plan as matter of course, before they will be given permission to proceed."

  "Now the fact that the armored barriers were not raised would seem to indicate that the operators were not expecting an attack," Saahren said. "And indeed, they were not. They were contacted from orbit. Listen."

  He activated the HV again. In the Brjyl control room, a human comms officer was seen contacting a ship in orbit.

  "Unidentified ship, please state your identity and business."

  "This is Qerran ship Ghentasaic. We’re here to inspect your facility for compliance," a human voice said.

  Marratrax suddenly became more alert, his eyes taking on a violet tinge, his tentacles weaving together on the table in front of him. Daizhen, to his credit, did not flinch.

  "Compliance?" a puzzled human in the control room said. "Did you know about this, Esstez?"

  "I wasn’t expecting it," a Ptorix replied, tentacles twitching, "but it happens. Let them go ahead. The sooner they land, the sooner they leave."

  "True enough. Better check they’re genuine, though." The human turned back to his equipment. A moment later, he replied to the orbiting ship. "Your identity is confirmed, Ghentasaic. Please transmit Qerran clearances."

  "The clearances were confirmed," Saahren said. "The settlers expected a small party of inspectors, not armored troopers."

  Tesso’s lip curled in contempt. "This is all just an elaborate hoax." He waved a hand at Allysha, venting his irritation on her. "This… this woman has contrived it to cover up your complicity."

  Tesso was frightened, shifting attention to her. She opened her mouth to speak, but Saahren put a placatory hand on her arm.

  "Please proceed, Lord Admiral," Marratrax said.

  "This is the voice analysis of the man on the Ghentasaic," Saahren said. An oscillating wave pattern appeared on the flatscreen. "This is a comparison with Mister Tesso’s voice."

  The two lines matched perfectly. Tesso swallowed and Daizhen’s eyes turned the violet of fury.

  "This is contrived." Tesso tried to cover his fear with derision but he moistened dry lips. A vein pulsed in his forehead. White knuckles clutched the table top.

  "Yes, it is contrived." Marratrax drew himself up, arms at his sides, and his eyes glowed indigo. "It seems you have contrived to bring conflict between the Qerran Suldanate and the Confederacy, Mister Tesso."

  He continued to speak with Daizhen in Ptorix. Tesso wilted, seeming to collapse into his elaborate costume. A trickle of perspiration ran down his face past his ear and dripped onto his neck, almost as if he was melting.

  "He’s telling Daizhen to get that ship out of Qerran orbit," translated Allysha, soto voce. She grinned. "They’re going to complain to the Khophir and to Anxhou. He’s very, very angry."

  Marratrax’s eyes positively sparked ultra violet and his tentacles threshed.

  Saahren leaned over her and nodded. "Yes, I can see that. This will finish Daizhen."

  Marratrax stopped speaking. For a moment no one spoke. Daizhen turned his fury on Tesso. "We go. Lord Anxhou will not take this lightly. Neither will I, human."

  The translator had sat staring at the desk, eyes downcast, listless. Now he jerked upright. "No," he hissed. "No. If I go down so will you."

  Without warning, he pulled a small cylinder from somewhere in the recesses of his robe and fired it at Daizhen. The Ptorix squealed and collapsed, writhing, to the floor. Tesso lurched away from Marratrax’s outstretched tentacles and turned hate-filled eyes on Saahren.

  "It’s you. It’s always you," he snarled, lips drawn back from his teeth. "Well, not this time."

  Time slowed. The weapon in Tesso’s hand turned toward Saahren, who stood at the table next to her. With all the time in the world, Allysha flung herself across in front of Saahren. For a moment she saw his eyes, filled with horror, before she hit his chest. Pain exploded in her left shoulder. She sagged into his arms, her whole body in spasm. Eyes squeezed shut, muscles convulsing, she still heard the uproar behind her. Tesso yelled abuse. Boots thudded. Somebody shouted for a doctor. Fingers tore away the material of her blouse.

  She felt a cool pad on the back of her neck and then nothing more.

  Allysha. Saahren scooped her up in his arms, holding her close, tight as he could while her whole body spasmed. Her teeth were locked together, her eyes squeezed shut. If she died… if she died…

  "Admiral? Is she all right?"

  He stared at the faces. Galbraith, Vetch. Behind them Tesso shouted obscenities, Marratrax bent over Daizhen’s body, guards clattered into the room. No, of course she isn’t all right. The words lined up at his lips. "Butcher, get a medic."

  "Already on the way, Sir."

  He forced himself to breathe, calm down. "She should recover. Ptorix disrupters aren’t designed to kill humans." But they hurt, they jangled nerves. She arched against him, white-faced, moaning in pain. All he could do was hold her close, close to his heart. I love you, Allysha.

  He laid her on the stretcher himself, watched as they strapped her down, still twitching, tossing her head from side to side. Galbraith hovered, dithered next to him, wanting his attention. Damn it, he couldn’t leave her; not now.

  "President Galbraith, I’m going with her."

  Galbraith frowned. "Admiral, we have some matters to—"

  "Senior Commander Butcher should be able to answer any further questions. If not, he can contact me. I’ll return as soon as I can."

  He followed the stretcher out to a waiting ambulance and climbed into the back beside the attendant. The woman shot him a glance, thought better of whatever she was going to say and busied herself with the equipment instead. Saahren held Allysha’s twitching hand while the medic fitted an oxygen mask over her face and attached diagnostic patches.

  "Heart rate’s erratic. That’s the biggest factor. We need to relax her, stop those spasms."

  At Malmos General Hospital she was installed into a private room. He watched their every move as she was transferred to the bed. Her breathing had steadied but the heart monitor was attached to assist her if needed. She shivered but not from cold. He could feel the tiny convulsions against his fingers where he held her hand in his.

  "She’ll be okay, Admiral. Just a day or two and she should be fine." The senior doctor stood beside him. "Disrupters aren’t—"

  "I know. I’ll stay for a little while, if I may."

  The man shrugged. "Sure. Let the nurse know if you need anything."

  The door soughed closed behind him, leaving him alone with her. Colored lines traced across the screen, too jagged, too uneven, too many peaks and troughs. He couldn’t even hear her breathe, just see the slight, rhythmic rise and fall of the sheet over her breast, feel the jump of her pulse at her wrist.

  Her face was almost as white as the sheet. If he looked closely, he could see the muscles twitching under the skin of her face. God, after all she’d been through to have this happen at the last hurdle. And for him. His heart aching he pushed a strand of hair back from her cheek. She’d taken a shot for him, protected him. She loved him; she had to, even if she wouldn’t admit it.

  Her eyes opened so suddenly it startled him. The green looked different; not new leaves, more that livid green you saw sometimes on ponds. Fear stabbed into his soul. Maybe something had gone wrong. "Allysha? Are you all right? I’ll call for a nurse—"

  "Brad? Admiral?" Her voice was a whisper. Her fingers tightened on his hand with surprising strength. She looked up at him, into his face, into his eyes. "You’re all right. I’m so glad. I… he was going to kill you. I’m so glad."

  Her face blurred. "It’ll be okay," he said, blinking away the moisture. "The doctors say you�
�ll make a full recovery."

  Her eyes closed. On the monitor, the lines smoothed, settled. Smiling, he placed her hand carefully on the sheet beside her, bent over her and kissed her on the lips.

  "I’ll, be back when I can, darling. I love you."

  ***

  Sitting up in bed, head against a pile of pillows, Allysha chewed thoughtfully on a piece of toast. She had a room to herself in what she’d learnt was Malmos General Hospital. She’d watched the news. The Confederacy military was absolved from direct involvement in the Brjyl incident and the press was baying for an apology from Governor Anxhou. A few other things, too, that she hadn’t understood. Like the fact that Tesso’s attack wasn’t mentioned.

  She put the breakfast tray on the table next to the bed and held out an arm, fingers stiff. Steady, not even a tremor. The doctor had said if the tremors were gone, she should be able to check out of the hospital this afternoon. She did most sincerely hope so, if only to get out of this dreadful, shapeless, sexless hospital gown. Sunlight streamed in through the window. It would be good to get some sun on her face again, instead of wind, rain and spaceship air; feel the grass under bare feet.

  The door slid aside. A visitor. The doctor?

  Saahren. She shoved down the momentary flush of pleasure. She didn’t want to see him; she didn’t. She wished with all her heart that he really was Sergeant Stone. But he wasn’t and she must never, never forget that. Besides, he’d certainly taken his time coming to see her.