“I can’t think of any other option than to turn the ship around and make a new attempt to capture the planet’s coordinates,” said Shay.
Hug, who was standing close to the navigation room’s entrance, listening to their discussion, understood exactly what they were talking about, at the same time as he couldn’t figure out how to solve the problem without revealing his identity. To modify the oscillator so that it could search for targets would take both time as well as components that, in the current circumstances, were scarce.
When the straits are direst, help is often available close at hand, which even now was the case, since, just as he was most preoccupied with how he was going to manage, Lidia suddenly exclaimed that she wasn’t feeling well. He therefore asked Shay for permission to enter the rocket room so that she would be able to rest in privacy. As soon as he had given her a couple of sleeping tablets, which put her to sleep as good as immediately, he got quickly to work. In a metal cabinet, he found the tools he needed, and behind the rocket firing panel were the necessary electrical components. When he had done the last soldering, and had just finished cleaning up, Esai stuck in his head to ask what the smell was. He quickly found his equilibrium and answered as calmly as he could that it was probably some minor overloading of the ventilation system, which he had caused by pressing the wrong buttons, which was nothing to worry about. Luckily, Esai bought his explanation, so that once he had left, he hid the oscillator under his jacket and walked over to stand close to the ship’s computer to await the results of his efforts. The reward came when, some five minutes later, Shay and the others, who had been standing and staring downheartedly at the instruments, suddenly saw the large display light up, and a long corridor, marked by green light buoys, revealed itself in the dark.
CHAPTER 6
The weather on Urduk was usually erratic, with violent winds that disappeared as quickly as they arose, and temperatures that swung between –40 at night and +50 during the day. Here, in a valley between two mountain ranges, Sidian, forty years earlier and in collaboration with the country of Frestraic, had established a colony. Under huge Plexiglas domes was a city with agriculture, parks, and a minor lake. Dry ice, which was found hard-packed under the planet’s poles, supplied the inhabitants with life-giving water, and from the dry, yellow, desert sand, oxygen was extracted for use as liquid rocket fuel. During the day, the colour of the smoke-tinted domes blended so well into the surrounding pale-ochre landscape that they were barely visible, while at night they glowed like glittering diamonds.
The flight controller at Urduk’s airport peered enquiringly out through the windows of the control tower and reflected over recent events, which were as unreal as if in a dream. Sidian was evacuated, and the imperials, who had lived in the forbidden city and never mixed with ordinary people, were to arrive here and live among them. With every uneventful day that had passed, she began to feel ever more sceptical about the information, until one day she suddenly had reason to change her opinion, when a cluster of black points had appeared on her monitor.
“So it was actually true,” she mumbled, and pressed the alarm button, which activated feverish activity among the colony’s inhabitants, who began to run around like dizzy chickens, quickly trying to put in order everything that needed to be done before the prominent guests arrived.
The ground shook and large clouds of dust were raised when the imperial armada’s ships landed at the airport a few hours later. Twenty-two passenger ships were first to arrive, then twenty-eight battleships, and, last, 14 cargo ships, all of which the ground crews managed to find room for, without blocking the landing and take-off pads. When the airport director, tired but satisfied, was leaving the control tower that evening, he was stopped by the air traffic controller, who said that yet another Sidian ship was visible on the monitor and was requesting permission to land.
“I haven’t received any information about that,” he muttered. “Ask them to identify themselves.” After the controller had called them and found out that the ship was from the city guard, with the number S-14, and was on its way in for landing, the airport director almost fell over in surprise.
“That’s weird. Are they deserters? Give them landing approval. It’ll be crowded, but it should still be OK, if we back a few of the cargo ships out of the way a bit. Then issue an order to intern the crew as soon as they they’ve landed.”
Several minutes later the order had been forwarded to one of the security officers, who assembled a patrol and immediately left for the airbase to complete his mission.
Shay read off the green digits that continuously appeared on the instrument panel and, as soon as he had made contact with the traffic control tower, he started the ship’s automatic retardation programme.
“Relay your position,” ordered the air traffic controller when they entered Urduk’s atmosphere.
“Altitude 4 distans, latitude 10 mistral,” he reported.
“Good. We have you on radar. Continue on the same descent path, but swing 2 positions towards spectral centre.”
“Understood,” replied Shay, and adjusted his cap.
The air traffic controller maintained radio contact with them during the entire approach, continually reading out altitude and instructions that Shay repeated with the corresponding reference information. It had already become dark when the minimal airfield finally revealed itself and he drew on the brake levers to begin a steep descent. Their speed was fast in relation to the limited space available on the airfield, and when they finally were able to come to a stop, the entire ship bobbing from the dramatic braking, they were only about ten metres from another ship parked on the tarmac.
It wasn’t long before a shuttle vehicle arrived and quickly drove them to the air terminal, where the new arrivals stood in a crowd. Word of what was going to happen to them was quite a long time coming, until a stern Urdukian major finally appeared and ordered them to follow him. Once they had registered, and been supplied with ID cards, they were escorted by a guard patrol to an air bus that brought them further into the colony. When the doors opened once again, they were immediately assailed by a stale odour, since Urduk’s fresh air system hadn’t been built to handle the large number of people who, as fate would have it, had ended up here. Outside the terminal was a large square, enclosed by tall pine trees that had been planted there when the colony had been founded some fifty years before, now overfilled with people standing or lying everywhere, and surrounded by their personal effects. A few blocks later, they entered a street lined with simple white building, eventually coming to a halt before a two-story house with Zelotic arched windows.
“So, we’ve arrived,” said the major. “Please, go on inside.”
Once everyone had entered the building, they were informed that they were in house arrest, until an enquiry could determine whether any violations had occurred in connection with their escape. He refused to answer any of their questions, and once he’d gone through a number of safety instructions and general regulations, he stationed several soldiers around the building and departed with the rest of the patrol.
It wasn’t without curiosity that they checked out the new home that fate had so improbably led them to. The hall, which was broad and welcoming, was ringed by several bathrooms and a laundry, while at the farthest end of the house were several sparingly furnished bedrooms painted in a warm yellow tone. The upper floor housed a living room, with comfortable furnishings, as well as a large dining room, with attached kitchen. Behind the house was a small garden, lined with flowering bushes, and some lawn chairs and other outdoor furniture.
“I’m hungry as a wolf,” said Kark, when they had finished their tour of the house.
“As an Urdukian, I thought you’d say,” laughed Ixter.
“I wonder if there’s any food here?”
“Success comes to those who dare, so let’s see what we can find.”
In the kitchen cupboards they found more than what they were looking for. Concentrated tablets
prepared in a Uvax oven were quickly transformed into fine meals, fresh vegetables, bread, juice, and a variety of delicacies that, because of the war, they had long been without.
“Ham with potatoes and puréed peas,” read Allur from one of the packages.
“And here’s roast beef with stewed vegetables,” said Lidia. “The population doesn’t seem to be suffering any food shortage.”
Famished, they dug in to the food and took time to enjoy it, laughing and talking all the while. Their high spirits eventually allowed them to relax, which soon made their deep fatigue more obvious, so there was nothing left but to find their way to their beds, while chaos continued in the rest of the colony.
Early the next morning, they were awakened by a sharp alarm signal that sounded throughout the entire building; they were hungry and cold. Despite the fact that the colony was protected by a smart modulator system, it was nevertheless unavoidable that the planet’s drastic temperature differences also affected the indoor climate, at least to some extent. There was no shortage of food and drink, of course, they had soon sated their hunger. They sat with satisfyingly full stomachs, wondering what the day had in store for them, when the major arrived, in the company of an officer from Urduk’s national guard, and informed them that he had been given the task of escorting Shay to a hearing.
Shay realized there wasn’t much he could do but go along, so, after a quick walk they arrived at the military headquarters, which, with its red stucco facade, was in marked contrast to the surrounding buildings. After ascending a broad staircase, they stopped before a high cardor door, with an engraved kilvin name plate, which the major knocked on, and announced their arrival.
“Good! Tell the captain to come in and then leave us,” said a dark, commanding voice.
As Shay entered, he saw that the room was large and expensively furnished, with splendid furniture, handmade Taurian carpets, and gilded paintings. The commander himself was a powerfully-built man, about forty-five, with steel-grey eyes and a short military haircut. As he arranged his papers, his jawbones worked constantly under the skin, which indicated that he was an energetic person, used to getting his own way.
“Please, have a seat,” he said, waving with his hand. “My name is Lovarez, and I’m the military commander here on Urduk, and you must be Captain Shay, commander of the only city guard ship that managed to escape?”
“That’s correct,” replied Shay.
“Hmm,” the commander reflected, scratching his chin, when Shay had briefed him about the final battle against the Olegians, and the ensuing escape. “You say that the air force commander, after the Olegian’s final attack against Oboe, ordered you to travel to Urduk.”
“Yes, that’s correct. I have only followed orders, and to try to continue fighting without weapons would have been meaningless.”
“Unfortunately, we have no possibilities for checking this information, since all contact with the airport in Oboe has been cut, but a quick examination of your ship appears to confirm your story, however. It is also reasonable that you could have arrived so soon after the imperial armada, since they were delayed by a powerful stratic storm. We have therefore decided not to have you face court-martial.”
“Thank you,” replied Shay.
“But you have taken a number of passengers with you, which is hardly in accordance with military regulations.”
“No, but it isn’t clearly forbidden, either. And since my conscience tells me that one should try to do what one can to save one’s fellow human beings in distress, then I am ready to take full responsibility for this issue.”
“Fine, captain, to be honest, I appreciate your initiative and do not intend to take any disciplinary measures.”
“Thank you!” said Shay, somewhat surprised by this unexpected expression of humanity, which he hadn’t anticipated from a person in such a powerful position.
“It’s nothing to say thank you for, and don’t think I lack empathy. However, slim the odds were, I went through the passenger manifest in the hope of perhaps finding a familiar name, but sadly without any success.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Oh, well. You are all in any case released from house arrest and free to walk about as you like, for as long as that remains possible. Our country is not so big, as you have surely already seen, and since such a big part of the population is now going to consist of the imperial family, maybe we should change our name to the imperial colony.”
After leaning back in his chair, laughing loudly at his own silliness, he then proposed that they should have a refreshment before carrying on with the discussion. “Your ship,” he continued, once they had quenched their thirst with a glass of bozo, “Will be one of the smallest at the colony’s disposal, and in battle, without laser weapons, you won’t be able to do anything useful.”
“Isn’t it possible to repair them?”
“No, since the commander-in-chief never planned for your class of ship on Urduk, there aren’t any spare parts, either. Instead, I’ve been thinking your ship could be best used in service of scientific research.”
“Research?” Shay blurted out, surprised.
“Yes, at the moment, that’s the best solution, as long as you don’t imagine that you can manage to fight with only the use of telepathy?”
“No, that won’t certainly involve certain problems.”
“Do we agree, then?
Shay recalled his father’s saying that sometimes it’s time to speak and, other times, to remain silent, and that the present time was an example of the latter, so he nodded in agreement.
“Good, then that’s settled, then,” said the commander, and paused for a moment as he considered a file open before him. “Hmm, let’s see. The big airfield is full, so it’d be best if you are parked at lock C, north of the colony, where we have our other two research ships.”
That said, he pushed a buzzer, which called in a tall, lanky sergeant in his twenties, and a member of the Urdukian security department. When they’d been introduced, the commander explained that the man, whose name was Gus Verber, would serve as the point of contact between them, and asked if there was anything else on his mind before they adjourned.
“Yes, as captain, I feel I also have a responsibility for my passengers, so I’d simply like to know what’s going to happen to them.”
“Time will no doubt tell, regarding that matter as well. First, move the ship, which we’ve already agreed to, and then await further orders,” he said, curtly, then indicated that the discussion was concluded by slapping his notebook shut.
Once returned, and he had told them that they were cleared of all suspicion and allowed to circulate freely within the colony, Shay was greeted with happiness and a standing ovation. Although they had proceeded the entire time on the basis that they didn’t have anything to fear, they still hadn’t been able to relax, since nothing is over, as the saying goes, until it’s over.
After lunch, Shay, along with Gus and the crew, went to the airfield to move the Olina. Everything went according to plan, and once they had reached the new parking spot, beside a biomedical laboratory nestled below an imposing mountain ridge, they performed a thorough check of all the ship’s functions. When they had concluded that all was in order, they returned to their new home for a late dinner in the blossom-filled garden.
They awoke the next morning to a clear and beautiful morning, with a rising sun that turned the sky in various shades of pink. After a hearty breakfast, they spent the day thoroughly investigating every corner of the settlement. As they walked around, they were fascinated by all of the technical achievements that had made it possible for the Lorians to live in that hostile environment. Water and oxygen circulated continuously through the colony’s recycling system and, in large tanks that received their energy from the mineral-rich soil, every kind of vegetable was grown. Animal-based food, such as fish, meat, and eggs, was centred in large production facilities. With the help of concentrated sunlight, metals could be smelte
d in special solar ovens, and transformed into useful products. From sand, containing soda and calcium, glass was produced, which was in turn moulded into building components, a domestically-available raw material for continued construction of the colony. The hope was that when the technology had become fully available, buildings and infrastructure would be used in a rational manner for major expansion of the settlement, which even included satellite communities elsewhere on the planet.
“I don’t understand how anyone can stand living in this god-forsaken place,” said Isla, when later that afternoon they were back sitting in the garden and drinking lazzo.
“Me neither,” muttered Caver, with a big yawn. “Maybe it would’ve been better to have died in an honourable fight against the Olegians, instead of sitting here and shrinking up.”
“Try not to paint everything so darkly,” said Shay. “Remember that there’s something positive in everything that happens, if one just reflects on it for a while.”
“You think so?” said Caver, doubtfully.
“Of course, it is,” said Gail, “And actually we should be pretty pleased just to be alive. I felt it was a miracle to have escaped the Olegians and that Ixter and I have been given the chance to continue in our lives together.”
“Yes, that’s the case, certainly,” said Isla, “But what will the future be like?”
“That’s something that’s usually hidden from us,” said Shay, “So, for the time being, one should just try to be pleased with the way it is.”
The third day after their arrival, Gus came for a visit, accompanied by a female staff officer.
“If I’ve understood everything correctly, you represent the group and speak for them?” the officer asked, inspecting Shay with a quick glance.
“Yes, until further notice,” he answered, adjusting his cap.
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