Exiles (The Progenitor Trilogy, Book One)

by Dan Worth

  Rekkid couldn’t take his eyes off the sphere. Its surface was mesmerising and quite beautiful.

  ‘How much do you weigh?’ he asked.

  ‘More than this ship, more than that terminal building over there I suspect,’ came the reply.

  ‘What are you? What are you made of?’

  ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘You don’t know?’

  ‘Do you know what you’re made of Rekkid?’

  ‘Well yes, flesh, bone, keratin etcetera.’

  ‘And how do you know this?’

  ‘Well come on I mean I’ve… ah, I see. Since you are unique - as far you know - there are no other examples of your kind to examine. Ormintu seemed to know though didn’t he?’

  ‘I’m not sure how much he knew. The Esacir revived me via a bit of general tinkering, largely by giving me access to a power source and regenerating my crystalline surface. I doubt very much that even they actually understood my deepest inner workings. It was I who learnt to interface with their electronics, not the other way around.’

  ‘All that stuff about quantum neural thing-a-ma-jigs?’

  ‘Informed speculation, probably.’

  ‘Hmm, but don’t my species have AIs?’

  ‘Yes they do. But the difference between myself and them is akin to the difference between yourself and a domestic pet. My processing power far outmatches the fastest military ship AI’s yet produced by your people.’

  ‘You kept that a secret too didn’t you? Ormintu thought you were on about the same level as an average human.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Well don’t get big ideas Quickchild, I think this planet has enough gods in its religion without another one turning up. Actually I’d like you to do something for me. I might as well ask you now that I’m here.’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Katherine and I will begin our journey to Marantis later today. We’d like to be able to contact the survey vessel Darwin when it arrives. Therefore, would it be possible for you to sit in orbit and act as a relay station between us so that they can talk to us wherever they are in the system? I know it’s not much of an exciting task but it would be an immense help. Besides, it’d keep you away from prying eyes.’

  ‘Yes, I shall do that for you Rekkid. As you say, it will keep me out of the way. A number of the natives have already taken far too much of an interest in this exotic vessel.’

  ‘You know, you could fly us to Marantis.’

  ‘I think not. Dust storms aside, I would attract far too much attention.’

  ‘You could be right. Well, thank you Quickchild for sharing your secret with me,’ said Rekkid and levered himself wearily out of the couch. ‘Now, if you don’t mind I’d like to get some sleep, oh and let me know if that hunch of yours leads you to remember anything.’

  ‘Certainly. I shall set off for orbit at once.’

  Rekkid exited the small craft and returned to his buggy. He looked up as the small silver ovoid lifted off almost silently and sped into the brilliant blue sky. Sleep, he thought. He needed sleep. He started the buggy and headed back to the mansion.

  Rekkid slept for rather longer than he had planned. He washed and dressed and then went downstairs. Katherine and Steven were already awake: they were sitting on the veranda with Ambassador Croft and eating breakfast. All of them wore rather grim expressions.

  ‘Morning everyone, assuming that has any meaning here,’ said Rekkid before noticing their glum faces. ‘Is something the matter?’

  ‘You’d better have a read of this. It came over the hypercom an hour ago,’ said Steven handing him a data pad displaying a diplomatic dispatch. Rekkid took it from him and started to read.

  From: Commonwealth Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Paris, Earth, Solar System.

  To: Ambassador Alastair Croft, Erais, Maranos, Fulan System. Ambassador Marcus Gallagher, Emerald Habitat Dome, Corsfir, Vrint System. Ambassador Celine Dubois, Deep Field Station, Inner Belt, Cy-Rounil System.

  Ambassadors, we must inform you and your staff of the current situation between the Commonwealth and the K’Soth Empire. As you are aware, relations have deteriorated within recent months. However, events have taken a turn for the worse in the past few days. The destroyer CNV Mark Antony apprehended a convoy of ships in the Ross 145 system who were in the process of attempting to smuggle anti-matter weapons to the rebels on Urranakar. These weapons have since been identified as originating from the K’Soth Empire. This incident has been widely reported within the Commonwealth, however as you are somewhat off the beaten track we felt it prudent to inform you personally (news report files attached).

  As I am sure you are fully aware, this blatant arming of terrorists with banned weapons of mass destruction by the K’Soth has resulted in the severe deterioration of our relations with them. They are guilty of a heinous criminal act against our nation and we cannot stand idly by.

  Since you are resident in systems close to the border it may be prudent to evacuate yourself and any other Commonwealth personnel from Maranos should this situation become any more volatile.

  Rekkid looked up at the sullen trio.

  ‘Shit!’

  ‘You said it Rekkid,’ muttered Steven.

  ‘What do you think Ambassador? What sort of danger are we in?’ said Rekkid to Croft, who today was more conventionally dressed in neatly pressed khaki shorts and shirt.

  ‘Well, I shouldn’t worry too much about yourselves,’ Croft replied. ‘We should get ample warning of any possible hostilities and we could always risk sending a shuttle to pick you up from Marantis, weather permitting, and get you out of the system. It’s the poor sods who live here I’m more concerned about.’

  ‘You think there’s any chance of one side or another attacking the sensor arrays in the system?’

  ‘I’m not sure to be honest, old man. The arrays are as much use to the K’Soth as they are to the Commonwealth. It’s not beyond the bounds of possibility though. Hah! You know I also received another message telling me not to communicate with Brightclaw and Keeneye? If they think I’m shutting them out they can go to hell. We need more talk between our two sides, not less. Idiots!’

  ‘You should see those news reports,’ said Steven. ‘That bloody woman looks like the cat who’s just got the cream. The Navy can’t sing Chen’s praises enough now and I bet she loves this; exoneration and a chance for revenge all in one.’

  ‘Steven, you sound like you know her,’ said Katherine.

  ‘Let’s just say we have a history,’ he replied darkly and stared at his coffee. ‘Chen is dangerous, mark my words,’ he added quietly. ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s actually looking forward to a war.’

  ‘Are they sure that those weapons came from the Empire?’ said Katherine. ‘It just seems a little odd that humans should be willing to work with them, that’s all.’

  ‘Well, I doubt the crews of those ships really knew what they were carrying and they may not have dealt with the K’Soth directly,’ said Rekkid. ‘Besides, if you’d spent the last twenty years of your life hauling groceries around the arse end of the galaxy for peanuts, then someone offers you a tonne of cash for carrying a few cargo crates with no questions asked, you’d jump at the chance wouldn’t you?’

  ‘Probably. It’s a sad comment on our species though isn’t it?’

  ‘So what’s new?’ added Steven. ‘We’ve always been our own worst enemy after all.’

  ‘Jesus, I can’t believe anyone is seriously contemplating another war, not after last time,’ said Katherine.

  ‘You know, wars only happen when at least one side thinks that they can win outright,’ said Croft. ‘My guess is that both sides think that at the moment.’

  There was a sullen silence for a few moments before Croft continued.

  ‘If I were you chaps I’d continue to Marantis as planned until we hear anything different,’ he said. ‘I’ll try to let you know if anything changes.’

  ‘Speaking of whic
h, the train arrives in just over an hour,’ said Steven. ‘Are you both packed and ready?’

  ‘We certainly are,’ said Rekkid. ‘Though we don’t have any local money to speak of.’

  ‘Oh, that’s no problem. I’ll make sure we have enough, since waving that card of yours around won’t get us very far outside of Erais.’ Steven replied

  ‘Well that had occurred to me. Tell me Steven, what are the trains like? We’re not going to be cooped up in a cramped carriage full of peasants and livestock for the next few days are we?’

  ‘No. We’re travelling in first class, you’ll be relieved to hear. Prepare to be impressed.’

  ‘I will.’

  Erais’s station was a large Commonwealth built structure with a grand ornate frontage concealing a large terminus roofed by a graceful single span, and it was incredibly busy. Croft drove the three of them to the station in one of the residence’s buggies. After much use of the horn and bad language he managed to park it amid the throng of Dendratha milling about the station forecourt, a number of whom approached and tried, unsuccessfully, to sell them things.

  Katherine, Rekkid and Steven kept a firm grip and a close eye on their baggage as they pushed through the crowd towards the platforms. The arrival of a train was an infrequent occurrence despite Erais being the capital. Generally no more than one long distance passenger express would arrive in any given standard day. It seemed to be an excuse for the local populace to hold an unofficial market in and around the station, selling to both passengers and each other and also to collect or dispatch shipments arriving or departing on the trains themselves.

  The interior of the station was dark, crowded and stiflingly hot. The ticket office was a mass of snaking queues and bored looking Dendratha. Since their tickets had been pre-booked by Croft they were spared this ordeal and gladly followed the Ambassador into the cavernous shed of the station proper, squeezing through the packed alien bodies.

  The single span of the station roof arched across half a dozen platforms - a number which seemed excessive, given the infrequency of the trains. There was only one train in the station at the moment, their own, but it was a monster. Streamlined carriages four decks high squatted over four metre gauge, quadruple railed track for almost half a kilometre down the platform. It would be quite a walk to their compartments in the front coach were it not for the teams of Dendratha-hauled rickshaws that worked the platform, ferrying passengers to their required coach for a small fee and also allowing them to avoid the swarms of hawkers and food sellers that plied their trades along the length of the train. The foursome made use of a couple of the vehicles and sat back in relative comfort as their well-muscled owners hauled them down to the front of the train.

  It gave Katherine a chance to inspect the mechanical behemoth. The rear half dozen coaches were actually streamlined goods wagons which were being loaded with all manner of produce; fish, vegetables, water, bales of cloth, even livestock were being herded into suitably ventilated compartments.

  The next half dozen or so coaches were given over to the cheapest seats on the train. For a few coins one could spend the next few days huddled on a barely padded wooden bench surrounded by dozens of other economy travellers, and possibly their livestock as well. Though there was a dining car of sorts attached to these carriages, the economy section was surrounded by a throng of food vendors. Food and money changed hands between the sellers on the platform and the passengers leaning out of the open carriage windows. Katherine wondered whether this said anything about the quality or the availability of the food sold in the dining car, or merely its price.

  The next ten carriages housed the standard class ticket holders. They were more spacious and luxurious and contained comfortable seating and a few private compartments. The platform vendors were doing a less brisk trade here. These middle class passengers seemed less interested in the wares they had to offer them. Some even seemed mildly irritated at being constantly pestered by them. There was a buffet car in the middle of these carriages too, and this one actually had tables, cutlery and a waiter service. Beyond this section lay the first class accommodation - two carriages of private compartments separated by a luxurious buffet car. Aside from a well dressed Dendratha who nodded stiffly at them, they seemed to be the only passengers heading for this section.

  The engine caught Katherine’s eye. It was mechanical beast of epic proportions. A bullet-nosed contraption twice the length of any of the carriages, it squatted atop four sets of six driving axles driven via external steam cylinders, with sets of bogies at either end. The front of the train was fitted with a vicious looking sand plough and a cycloptic headlamp whilst its crew of four sat in a double-decker cab perched precariously atop the rear of the engine.

  The thing hissed ominously. The train was a barely tamed creature of steel and titanium. Strangely there seemed to be no exhaust of any kind. From what Katherine had seen of steam trains on Earth from history books she seemed to recall that they had possessed funnels and were generally surrounded by clouds of smoke and vapour.

  ‘Told you it was impressive,’ said Steven.

  ‘Little boys with their obsessions eh?’ said Katherine. ‘But yes, it is quite something. How come there’s no chimney?’

  ‘It’s powered by a fusion reactor, star ship grade. Anything electrical isn’t practical for travelling through the deep desert. The dust sticks to things, especially electric motors and components and they don’t have the technical know-how to repair maglev vehicles here. Also, there isn’t much in the way of coal or oil to burn here and we’d rather that they didn’t start deforesting the planet. This was a simpler solution. The reactor heats water into steam which drives the pistons and it’s then recycled and reheated again. The only complex part that they can’t fix themselves is the reactor, and they’re guaranteed for a hundred years and are simple enough for us to replace anyway. The rest works pretty much like an antique steam engine, it’s just much larger.’

  ‘What if it crashes, what about the reactor?’ said Rekkid.

  ‘Like I said it’s a star ship grade one. It can take a fair amount of punishment and there’s an automatic cut off too that reacts to shock or if the engine rolls over.’

  ‘You want to write down its number for your collection?’ said Katherine and winked at him.

  ‘Oh very funny, and I suppose you don’t have any weird habits?’

  ‘Well, I dig up stuff and play with dirt for a living.’

  ‘Exactly. Come on, let’s get on board. Ambassador, I’ll see you in a couple of weeks or so,’ he said and turned to shake Croft’s proffered hand.

  ‘Take care Steven, and look after our guests will you?’ said Croft. ‘Keep them out of trouble.’

  ‘I will.’

  ‘Professor, Doctor, it was lovely having you stay. Let me know if you find anything interesting won’t you? I’ll ah… I’ll try and let you know if, you know, we need to come and get you out of there.’

  ‘Thank you Ambassador,’ said Rekkid. ‘I hope it won’t come to that though.’

  ‘Yes me too. Well cheerio then,’ said Croft and waved, before heading off back down the platform and disappearing into the crowd. The trio clambered aboard.

  The interior of the carriage was fairly luxurious by local standards. The floors were carpeted in deep red and the walls were panelled with a dark local wood polished to an almost mirror-like finish. It reflected the illumination of the wall mounted fan lights that were delicately shaded with coloured glass.

  The compartments were small, but not inconveniently so; they had comfortable if narrow beds and they even had hot and cold running water. Katherine left her bags in her assigned quarters and then went to join the other two in the observation lounge on the top deck. A cautious climb up a vertiginous set of stairs brought her to it; an open space two thirds the length of the carriage that was roofed with a single plexi-glass bubble and scattered with seats to suit both Dendratha and humanoids. Rekkid was sprawled in a small armchair
whilst Steven was leaning on the brass rail that ran around the circumference of the space. Looking forward over the engine Katherine could see the mass of complicated points and signals at the station throat, rearwards the roofs of the other carriages snaked away into the twilight of the station.

  ‘Well this is fun isn’t it?’ said Rekkid. ‘All this to ourselves,’ he said and stretched in the chair.

  ‘Almost to ourselves,’ said Steven. ‘I saw one other passenger in our section.’

  ‘Hmm, well it’s hardly crowded though is it?’ Rekkid replied. ‘Anyway, how does one get a drink around here?’

  ‘Already?’ said Katherine incredulously. ‘Isn’t it a little early for that?

  ‘I meant a drink of fruit juice or something. Still, if this is all going on the residence’s tab…’

  There was a deafening blast from the engine’s horn, followed shortly by a jolt and a crescendo of rhythmic, pounding noise. They began to pull out of the station, slowly and steadily as the engine sought purchase on the creaking metal rails beneath it. They crossed the points outside the station, carriage wheels squealing in protest, and began to accelerate with surprising rapidity for such a massive vehicle. Katherine looked back at the snaking carriages, the dark cavern of the station and the haphazard rooftops of the city sprawl that they were leaving behind them.

  Chapter 8

  The Mark Antony floated in dry dock inside Tiberius Port around the planet Elysium in the Eta Cassiopeia system, its captain in triumph and its talons, temporarily, removed. The ports around Elysium were rivalled only by those of Earth and they shared a similar design. The Mark Antony was berthed in one of the sections given over exclusively to the military and she was undergoing a weapons upgrade and a general service.

  The docking bay had been sealed and filled with air but the gravity had not been turned on, thus allowing the maintenance crews to work with ease on the gigantic vessel. The ship’s turrets had been removed for the time being, leaving gaping circular holes in her decks. Hundreds of cables and umbilicals snaked from the dockside into open service hatches whilst engineering gangs flew or walked about the exterior of the warship under the harsh white glare of the bay lighting.