by Musser, Dale
“I agree, Kerabac. Were you able to monitor where the ship went?”
“I was able to track it until it dropped below the horizon west of here,” replied Kerabac. “It seemed to be heading pretty much in a straight line, stopping periodically to circle lakes in the region before continuing on.”
“Well, I would recommend we move about 50 kilometers south of here and see what we can find,” I said.
The flight lasted only a few minutes and brought us to the shore of one of the larger lakes on the planet. It, too, seemed to have gravel beaches around its edge and I’aban trees growing in groves along its perimeter. Once again, Kerabac was able to find us a place to slip in among the trees. We were able to get deeper into the tree line than before, as there was a natural corridor formed by the trees that gently curved away and inland from the lake, allowing us to retreat to a location where we were not directly visible from the shore.
Once the ALI set down, we wasted no time in getting out of the ship to begin hunting for ruguian eggs. Hotyona suggested that we would have a better chance of finding flower-bearing plants near the edge of the I’aban groves, where there was more light passing through the canopy; so we headed off in that direction. As we came nearer to the edge of the grove, we began to see flowering bushes and other plants scattered about the jungle floor. We hadn’t traveled far before we encountered the first ruguian and another about 10 meters away, this time chomping on some blossoms. However, we didn’t see any eggs, so we spread out, trying to keep in sight of each other while we searched. We came upon a few more ruguians; but as it neared time for sunset, we knew we had to stop searching and head back to the ALI, knowing that it was important to be inside before the rapidly approaching darkness left us vulnerable. We were nearing the point where the flowers ended at the thick of the I’aban canopy, when Hotyona found our second cluster of eggs – this one weighing in at 70 grams. It was obvious that finding the eggs was not going to be an easy or fast project.
We no sooner collected the eggs than one of the rainfalls so common on the planet broke loose in a torrent. At first, the large leaves of the canopy above us deflected most of the rain; but as leaves began to sag under the weight of the water, we found ourselves quickly soaked as large drops and streams of water descended on us from the heights of the canopy. We arrived back at the ship totally soaked and uncomfortable in our protective gear just as it was becoming almost too dark to see. I was rather glad to see the ship, as I didn’t like the idea of trying to find the ALI in the dark, especially in the heavy rain. Hotyona placed the eggs in the stasis container with the other eggs; and then we took turns showering and getting into dry outfits before gathering in the small crew area for a meal.
“Kerabac, you said you picked up a bit of the language used by the many of the tribes here. Is any of that available through the learning headbands?”
“I don’t know, Tibby, that’s a good question. Fifteen years ago is wasn’t in the computers, but it may have been added since then. There are hundreds of different languages among the natives here from what I can tell. What I mainly learned is a sort of broken language that is universal to most of the tribes from what I understood; but whether it’s been cataloged and added into the computer system I don’t really know.”
“Is it possible for you to check?” I asked.
“I can check the ship’s computer; but ships the size of the ALI generally have only an abbreviated database that is nowhere near as comprehensive as, for instance, the one on the NEW ORLEANS or on a star ship. It is possible, though, because great efforts are made to have as many languages available as possible, in case of a crash or a situation that leaves travelers stranded on a planet for an indefinite period.”
“The ALI isn’t just any ship; it was designed to serve as Galetils’ personal ship and I can’t imagine him putting anything less than the most advanced and sophisticated computer in his personal craft.”
“You have a point there, Tibby. Let me check.” Kerabac got up from the table and headed into the control room.
I turned to Hotyona and asked, “What do you think our chances are of finding all the eggs we need in the next four days? We need five times what we have now to make the anti-toxin.”
“Honestly, Tibby, I have no idea; but if the numbers of ruguians we’ve encountered at this site are any indication, I would think our odds have increased substantially. As long as we keep the eggs in stasis, they will remain viable; and as long as Kalana is in stasis, she will be alright.”
“I know, but I don’t like it. What if something should go wrong and the stasis containment should fail?” I could hear myself choking on my words and I began to feel ill.
“Tibby, that’s not going to happen. Even if the ship’s power failed for some inexplicable reason, there is a built in backup power system in the stasis container that would maintain the stasis conditions for up to five years.” Everything he was telling me was something I had been told before. A’Lappe had thoroughly explained the functions and backup systems on Kala’s stasis chamber before we left, but I still wasn’t comfortable with it.
“There’s got to be some way we can expedite things.”
“Tibby, I’m sorry, but you’re just going to have to bear with the situation until we find the eggs, no matter how long it takes. We will find them.”
“Tibby,” said Kerabac as he came back from the control room, “I have good news. You were right. Galetils did indeed have an advanced and enhanced memory cube installed in the ship’s computer. Practically every tidbit of knowledge in the galaxy is stored in that cube, including a learning module for Bammaspeak, which is what the scientists dubbed the universal language used by the various tribes when they encounter each other. It’s not a complete language, but most of the tribes apparently share certain words and word roots; so with Bammaspeak we will be able to understand them and get our intentions across to most of the natives.”
“Great. Before we go out there tomorrow, I want each of us to complete a session with the learning device so we’re able to communicate with the locals, if we encounter them.”
“There’s even more than the planet’s language in the learning database, Tibby,” continued Kerabac. “There are also catalogs of Alle Bamma’s plants and animals, at least those that have been studied. Even though the information is incomplete, it should certainly prove useful or at least help us to know what to avoid out there. The database also includes a comprehensive module on the geography of the planet.”
“Well, what are we waiting for?” I said. “Let’s get this over with. I’ll go first.”
Hotyona hooked me up to the learning band and Kerabac loaded the modules into the computer. I had been introduced to the learning headbands when I discovered the TRITYTE back on Earth, though not until after I was already in space. I discovered then that it gave me a bad headache when in the teaching mode – an effect it didn’t seem to have on most others in the Federation. This time was no different than any other, except that the headache seemed to be worse, more like a severe migraine – nausea included. While Kerabac and Hotyona assisted each other, I excused myself and went to my bunk, where I promptly fell into a deep sleep.
I had never been one to believe in psychic abilities, ghosts or the paranormal; but the dream I had that night and the events over the next several days were to change my mind about such things. During the night I dreamed that I was tied to a tree next to Kerabac and Hotyona. Near us on a platform sat several bowls that held burning oil, the flames of which provided light to the immediate surroundings. Around us on the platform stood the small figures of native Allebammian natives, who carried spears and small daggers that appeared to be made from giant thorns. One small native woman in a headdress made out of woven grasses and leaves approached me with a ruguian in one hand and a long thorn in the other. She stuck the thorn into the skin on the side of the ruguian, which squirmed in her hand as she slid the thorn along the body just under the surface of the skin. Then she withdr
ew the thorn and stuck it into my arm. As she did so, a tall figure suddenly appeared who looked similar to the natives despite the fact that this individual was at least a full head taller than I am. This figure also wore a headdress; but this one appeared to be a live and growing organism, rather than one fashioned by human hands, as live plants began to bloom within the headdress as the eyes beneath it gazed at me. When the figure appeared, all of the natives dropped to their knees and pressed their heads to the wooden platform, chanting “Thumumba, Thumumba, Thumumba,” as thunder rumbled in the background. The tall figure I assumed to be Thumumba walked up to me, looked me up and down, and then leaned forward to whisper in my ear, “Aye ucombey nortelia Thumumba. Telalle aye eugoray seballe.” Then I woke up trembling and drenched in sweat. I got out of bed feeling ill and stumbled to the shower. Afterwards I felt better, but I was still rather shaky.
“Are you okay?” Kerabac’s voice came from the direction of the doorway and I turned to see him standing there.
“I’m not sure,” I said. “I just had the strangest dream.”
“About Thumumba?” he asked.
“Yes! How did you know?”
“When I was here before it happened to some of the people on our team,” he said.
“Did you all have the same dream?”
“No, everyone who had the experience reported different dreams and most of the team didn’t have any. In some dreams Thumumba was angry and in others kind. What happened in your dream?” he asked.
I related my dream to him; and when I got to the part where Thumumba said Aye ucombey nortelia Thumumba. Telalle aye eugoray seballe (which, oddly, I remembered verbatim), Kerabac raised an eyebrow and said “I speak for Thumumba. See I do not die”… interesting. Was there anything else?”
“No, that was it,” I decided to reply. “What dream did you have when you were here last?”
“On the last day of the excursion I dreamed that Thumumba came to me and said, “When come next to Sweet Home you will help to save my people.”
As he told me this, I realized he was translating the native language and that “Alle Bamma” means “Sweet Home.” I began to laugh.
Kerabac gave me a puzzled look and asked, “What’s funny about that?”
“Back on Earth there is a popular song called Sweet Home Alabama; and here I am now on a planet named Alle Bamma which, in the native language, means Sweet Home.”
As I was talking, Kerabac moved over to the synthesizer and prepared a cup of foccee and handed it to me. “Here, drink this. It’s nearly dawn and I know you will want to get an early start today. Tibby, I’m not a superstitious man; but I will tell you that things here on Alle Bamma can get a bit strange at times.”
“Thanks,” I said as I took the cup from him. “Is it this way for everyone that comes here?”
“I don’t think so. Only a few of us on the team had dreams that I know of.
“What’s the weather like outside?” I asked, changing the subject.
Kerabac laughed. “It’s raining so hard that you can’t see two meters; but it will most likely be over in a few minutes. Rains here are frequent, but not usually long.”
It was still raining when we left the ALI, but it was no longer pouring. Even so, it was only a few minutes until the slow, steady rain left us soaked to the skin. We went directly to the region where we had been the evening before; and we were rewarded with another mass of ruguian eggs, which Hotyona placed in the container and stored in his back pack. We had barely resumed our search when we heard numerous voices and scurrying sounds in the jungle. Kerabac motioned us to crouch down to avoid being seen by whomever or whatever was coming; but the effort was hardly necessary, because what we saw next was not on the ground but in the air. We stood again, gazing in amazement at dozens of natives swinging and leaping high up in the canopy of the trees about 150 meters away from us as they hurried deeper into the jungle away from the direction of the ALI.
“What the–!” I started to say, when this strange sight was followed by the sounds of heavy machinery coming through the jungle in the direction that the Allebammians were fleeing. We immediately crouched back down in time to see several armed all-terrain vehicles crashing along behind the fleeing natives. Not far behind the vehicles came about thirty armed troopers on foot, some dragging natives on leashes attached to collars fastened around their necks. Captives who resisted or didn’t move quickly enough were disciplined with electrical shocks that seemed to be transmitted through the collars in an effort to control them and prod them forward. We ducked even farther into the dense tangle of the jungle and watched as the nearest trooper passed within 10 meters of us. Fortunately, we were not seen and they were moving in a direction away from the ALI. We remained hidden and quiet until the noise receded into the distance several minutes later.
“What do you think that was all about?” I asked.
“I’m not sure,” said Kerabac, “but I noted Brotherhood emblems on the uniforms of the troopers.”
“Why do you think they were after the natives? Why were they restraining them with those collars and leashes?”
“I’m just guessing, but I think the Brotherhood is taking them as slaves. When I was still in the military, we were deployed to a police action on Gorvan. The planet had recently been accepted into the Federation, under the condition that they give up slavery. In spite of the agreement with the Federation and the actions taken by the planetary government, there were entire colonies on the planet that refused to give up their slaves. Hence, the Federation was called upon to provide troops and enforce abolition in all colonies and settlements. I saw those same collars on the Gorvan slaves.
“There are still many non-aligned worlds where slavery is practiced. Since this is a non-aligned world, it’s not too likely that anyone will come to the aid of the Allebammians.”
“Well, if that’s what the Brotherhood thinks, they’re totally wrong,” I said, rising to my feet.
“What are you thinking, Tibby?” asked Kerabac.
“I’m thinking that I’m going to try to save those natives,” I said.
“Tibby, if you go out there and up against those troops, you’re not going to be able to get your eggs as soon as you want!”
“I know, but I can’t sit by and watch these natives being killed and enslaved by the Brotherhood either. I don’t believe Kala would be pleased with me if I didn’t do something.”
Kerabac smiled, “That’s what I like about you, Tibby! You have an unwavering sense of justice and you’re not afraid to examine your priorities. I’m with you!”
“I’m not sure what I can do to help,” said Hotyona. “I’m not a trooper or trained for combat, but I will do what I can.”
“Well, the first thing I think we need to do is to find their base. I would suggest we follow their rather obvious trail and see where it leads. Then, once we size things up, we can decide on our next course of action. The NEW ORLEANS should be arriving in three to four days. With our own security forces and the Mirage Fighters, I think we can handle pretty much anything the Brotherhood has for defense resources here. Let’s just hope that A’Lappe and Cantolla have managed to get that new communication system up and operating, so we can contact the fleet once the NEW ORLEANS arrives.”
Before we began to follow the trail of the Brotherhood, we returned to the ALI to put the ruguian eggs into the stasis capsule and to get into full body armor. We also needed to arm ourselves with more weapons, as we carried only the small flat guns while collecting eggs. The flat gun was a small hand weapon that looked much like the television remote controls used on Earth. While it served as a convenient and easily concealed personal protection weapon, it was not easy to aim and certainly not designed to use in a combat situation. I also made sure that each of us was equipped with one of the personal cloaking units that A’Lappe was so fond of using as he moved about the ship. Even though this latest revision only had a useful time limit of about an hour and a half, it was still so
mething that could prove to be useful. We had not worn them earlier, because we believed that we were not likely to encounter anyone while we hunted for eggs; but now it was clear that our safety may depend on it.
Before leaving the ALI we activated the ship’s cloaking device. Even though we knew it would only cloak the ship for a short time and that the ship would be visible again by the time we returned, it was still better than nothing at all. The door locks were sealed and keyed to only open only to the handprints of the three of us; so even if the ship were discovered, no one other than the three of us were going to get in.
The Brotherhood’s trail was easy to follow, as the large wheels on the vehicles had left deep impressions in the loam of the jungle floor and the smaller plants and bushes also lay crushed and broken in their paths. In a few places we found the corpses of Allebammians that appeared to have fallen from the high canopy of trees after being shot.
“I don’t understand it,” said Hotyona. “If they want slaves, why are they killing them?”
“My guess is they’re trying to intimidate them into surrendering. By killing those that flee and showing that the captured remain alive, they’re sending a clear message to surrender or die,” explained Kerabac.
“What do you think they want the Allebammians for?” Hotyona asked.
“Like any slaveholder, they want the natives to do some sort of work that they don’t want to do themselves,” Kerabac answered with a great deal of disdain in his voice. Earlier generations of Kerabac’s people practiced slavery; and though his planet had since joined the Federation and abolished the practice, many still held the old views and prejudices. Some even continued to keep slaves, though they had to do so away from their home planet. Kerabac’s personal experience made him very knowledgeable about the topic, including the motives behind the slaveholders’ actions; but he never spoke of it without showing visible discomfort, repugnance, and perhaps a bit of shame on behalf of his people.
