by Patty Jansen
There was the sliding sound of a door being opened. Light went on underneath him and shone up through the grate below. Cory looked down into what appeared to be a store room on the level below him. A man asked, 'What was that?'
'No idea. Where did it come from?' Another man.
'It sounded like it was in here somewhere.'
Cory barely dared breathe.
A man in blue Midway overalls walked underneath him. Light from the room's ceiling gleamed in his long black hair. Thick brown-skinned arms protruded from rolled-up sleeves, adorned with tattoos. The thug who had threatened Rocky!
'Can't see anything here,' said the man who had so far remained out of sight.
'If it's that stupid rabbittooh again, I swear I will cook it alive. Just check both rooms, will ya, including the cupboards. We can't have any trouble now we're so close. Some of those kids upstairs have been really snoopy lately.'
'Kids are always snoopy. Nothing to worry about.'
'I hope you're right, I hope to God you're right, because I have a bad feeling about this. I always said it was a bad idea to involve someone whose heart isn't in it.'
'Sylvester knows nothing.'
'He knows enough.'
'I'll be glad when we're out of here.'
'Me too. I'm liking the sound of New Taurus more and more. A new colony to settle, without interfering do-gooders saying we have to make peace with the Union scum. By the way, how did the engine tests go?'
'Fine. She'll pilot that thing beautifully. Very useful, that wife-to-be of yours.' The voices faded. The light in the room was turned off.
Trembling, Cory shifted his stiff limbs, continuing his shuffle backwards. Had he heard that right? Were the Terran League people planning to fly to New Taurus? But how would they . . . He brought his hand to his mouth. The Aurelian. A ship that could land on the surface of a planet had heat shields, wings, landing gear and special engines. The long-haul ships like the Venture and the Bounty didn't have any of those things; they flew only to launch platforms circling Earth and Taurus. From there shuttles took passengers to the ground. The Aurelian was the only ship that could land by itself. That was why the Terran League had triggered the 'accident'. Not to test their explosives, but to bring the ship back so it would be here for when the Terran League people needed it—to get away after they had sabotaged the Union meeting.
He stared into the dark, feeling dizzy.
He needed to tell his father.
Dusty, smudged and scratched, Cory emerged from the tunnel, Flopsy nestled in the crook of his arm. He eyed the door to the classroom. If he didn't return, Miss Rosier would be suspicious, but warning his father was far more important. He shouldered his bag, still clutching the rabbittooh, and ran down the corridor, into the stairwell.
'Hey, boy!'
Cory froze.
Two men stood on the landing above him, blocking his way. The tattooed man and another. Cory's heart hammered in his throat. 'Uhm . . .'
'Aren't you supposed to be in school?' The tattooed man walked slowly down the stairs.
'Uhm, yes, but . . .'
'Give that to me.' He held his hand out for Flopsy.
'No, it's Joseph's. I'm going to give it back to him.'
The man snorted, flicking his eyebrows. 'The school is that way.' He pointed down.
'Uhm—yes.' Cory could do nothing except walk to the classroom. The two men watched him all the way.
Chapter 22
Fifteen faces turned to Cory when he slid the door open.
Joseph's eyes went wide. 'Flopsy! Oh Flopsy!'
Cory crossed the classroom, and dumped his furry companion on Joseph's desk.
Joseph picked up the rabbittooh and clutched it to his chest. Moisture gleamed in his eyes. Bianca rose from the next bench to stroke the animal. 'Oh, it's so cute.'
'Children!' Miss Rosier's voice sounded sharp.
Everyone fell silent.
'Bianca, go back to your seat. Cory, you took a long time coming back.'
'I'm sorry Miss Rosier.'
'Sorry? School is about promises. A promise to be here and not let your school mates wait for you. You finished with your father almost half an hour ago.'
'I had a promise to Joseph to return his pet.'
Miss Rosier glared.
Joseph, meanwhile, had put the animal back under his jumper. Miss Rosier looked like she might say something, but didn't.
Cory took his seat next to Pia. Alma frowned at him. Cory wished he could tell her what had happened.
In his absence, the class had been doing English. Cory brought his screen to life with the touch of a button. Lesson 14, Reading and recounting: The little shepherd. It was a story about a boy somewhere in Africa who looked after the family's goats. Cory read it once, skimming over sentences. Now his father had admitted that he was right about the Terran League, he saw the signs everywhere, even in the lessons used at school. Everything he had read at school had been about old Earth a few hundred years ago, before the first Union people made themselves known. Even in his old school in New Zealand, which people said was old-fashioned, they had discussed the different peoples of the Union and how they could have come about. There was no such discussion at Midway. There was no discussion about anything at Midway. Rabbittoohs were only for eating. Ethies were not people.
Leon turned in his seat, and whispered, 'Is it true you spoke to President Gonzales?'
Cory put his finger to his lips. He didn't want any trouble.
'What did he say?' Marnix had turned in his seat as well.
Miss Rosier rang her bell. 'Boys, be quiet.'
They returned to work. Cory just stared at the screen, or at the clock in the corner. Still three quarters of an hour before the end of school.
Marnix again turned in his seat. 'Hey Cory, are Gonzales' handlebars as big as in the pictures?'
Cory stared at the screen, willing the boys to be quiet.
'Come on Cory, tell us.'
'He thinks he's better than us,' Pia said, her nose in the air.
Miss Rosier rang the bell again. 'Boys!' Slowly, she rose from the desk, her glare on Leon and Marnix. Then she looked at Cory. She grinned; her expression softened. 'Yes, boys, I understand you're curious. Cory had a brush with celebrity today. Seeing you're so keen to find out what happened, let us talk about it.'
Cory didn't want to talk. He wanted to sit here quietly until the end of the lesson.
'Cory, since you know so much about it, what is happening this afternoon?'
'The Union delegation is arriving at Midway.' He had to force himself to look into her eyes.
'And what are they coming to do here?'
'They are coming for the Union - Nations of Earth talks.'
'What are the talks about?'
'Earth joining the Union.'
'Earth joining the Union?' Her voice held a distinct chill.
Cory cringed, realising his mistake.
'Who says Earth should join the Union? Who says Earth would want to join the Union?' Her voice sounded friendly, but he wasn't fooled.
Cory said nothing. He desperately didn't want to be drawn into this discussion.
'Answer my question.'
'I . . . uhm . . . I don't know much about it.'
'Ah.' She sat down on the edge of her desk and brushed a strand of blond hair out of her face. 'You live in the same house as one of them and you do not know much about it.' She paused for laughter which didn't come. Most of his classmates stared at him.
Cory shifted in his seat. 'I . . . uhm . . . Can I finish my English?'
She gave a fake laugh. 'That must be the first time ever you volunteer class work. How so, Cory? I thought you wanted to talk about this?'
Yes, he had wanted to talk about the Union, but not like this. He wanted to learn about different worlds and peoples. He wanted Theariki to come to school.
'Well, can you talk? Can you give me a reason why Earth should join the Union?'
Cory search
ed hard and found some words his father had said. 'Because we are all human. The Union now believes there once was an ancient race of humans who went all over the universe, so if you look back long far enough, we're all related. Anyway, you can't really turn back the clock, can you? Pretend the Union people never came.' He swallowed, the eyes of all kids on him. 'And I think that those talks are going to take a long time because there are a lot of differences. We will all be old enough to vote for or against when the talks have finished. But whatever is decided, the Union people won't go away. What is the harm in learning about them?'
Was that admiration he saw in Alma's face?
Miss Rosier smiled, uncomfortably. 'I see. A true diplomat like your father.'
Whatever that might mean. Cory turned back to his English without really seeing the text on the screen.
Miss Rosier, however, didn't shift from her position. 'Cory, you were concerned about Joseph's pet. You strike me as a compassionate and sensitive boy. You must have felt terrible when your father remarried. I'm sure you felt anger; you felt betrayed that your father was going to give away the love he had for his family to someone not even human. And I bet that you're angry at the alien-ness that has seeped through your house since she came.'
Cory had to jam his hands under his legs and stare at the desk. She was just doing this to make him angry, to find another reason to punish him. He had to stay calm.
'For humanity in general, joining the Union will be like living in your house. There may not be much change at first, but gradually, more alien things will seep into society. Their technology, their teaching, mixed marriages. Before we know it, large Earth companies are owned by aliens. You know, it is in the human nature to always think better of things that are new and exciting, until, in this case, it is too late. Just like your family life has been corrupted, so will society fall. Humans will lose jobs, aliens will be everywhere, in offices, in schools—'
'They're not really aliens.'
Cory had spoken only softly, but his voice sounded loud in that ominous silence.
'Not aliens? I thought you, of all people, would understand. You live with one; you must know how different they are. Your father's wife is—what—Damarcian? What sort of supplements does she need to take to be able to eat our food—'
Sunil said, 'I have an uncle who has diabetes. He takes supplements, too.'
Miss Rosier continued, as if he had said nothing. 'Their social structure is different. They allow men and women to marry several times.'
They were called contracts, and not all Union worlds used them; Erith's people didn't.
'They have no regard for our customs. They call us primitive, but it is they who are primitive. What is a society where there is no respect for the family, for—'
'They do have respect for the family. I don't know why you keep saying that.' The words You are breaking school rule number five were on his tongue. There it was in big black letters on the wall: You shall not speak ill of your family or families of your classmates.
'Family is the cornerstone of faith. They want to banish faith from the Earth because it is primitive. That is what divides us. With your home infiltrated by their opinions, I don't expect you to understand, Cory. You are already lost. You are just as mindless and rude and arrogant as they are.'
'I am not!' Cory shouted before he could stop himself. 'And they don't think we're primitive. And they don't eat raw meat. And many of them marry and raise families, just like we do—'
'Cory! Be quiet!' Miss Rosier's mouth curved in a smile. 'You can stay after school.'
At that moment, the bell rang, and not a second later, the phone.
A rumble went through the classroom as everyone got up and made for the door. Miss Rosier went to answer the phone.
Leon and Marnix turned in their seats. 'Oh wow, Cory, you really got to talk to Gonzales?'
Cory nodded, feeling miserable. He looked past the twins, his heart beating in his throat as he tried to pick out Miss Rosier's voice on the phone. Was she talking to his father? He listened, but her words drowned in scuffles and talk of the students leaving the room.
'Anyway,' Leon said. 'Come and see us if you have another copy of that game.'
Marnix had already gone through the door. Miss Rosier took her stylus and wrote something on the pad of her reader.
What if he . . . Cory grabbed his chance and walked to the door with his classmates, but Miss Rosier jumped in his path, her mouth set in a thin line. She held the phone to her chest. 'I told you to stay here.'
Cory tried to push his way between two benches, but she grabbed the back of his shirt.
He yelled into the corridor, 'Leon, please help! Go and get my father, anyone, please!'
Miss Rosier was still pulling his shirt. Cory lunged for the phone, but she kept it out of reach. He screamed in the direction of the receiver, 'Dad! Dad, help me! The Terran League is going to fly the Aurelian to New Taurus.'
'You dreadful boy.' Miss Rosier brought the phone down on his head.
'Ow!'
Miss Rosier slammed the door shut in Leon and Marnix's astonished faces. 'Arrogant little boy. That wasn't your father at all.'
Cory rubbed his head. 'You . . . hit me.'
'Yes.' Her smile widened. 'It gives me great pleasure. You, little creep, have been a thorn in my side ever since you came. Having Union scum in my classroom—how dare you even suggest it? But now I have to go.' She slid the door open. 'Sorry to leave you here, Cory.' She stepped through.
'Hey!' Cory lunged after her. He grabbed hold of the handle and pushed, but she was too strong for him. His shoes slipped on the floor and he slid onto his bottom. The door clicked shut; the lock turned.
'Hey!' He scrambled to his feet, and banged on the door. 'Let me out. Let me out! I'll tell my father.'
Miss Rosier's voice sounded muffled from the other side. 'I'm sure someone will let you out after the conference is over. Goodbye, Cory, and have fun trying to calm down your alien friends. I'll think about that tonight when I'm on the way to New Taurus. Top marks for having worked that out. You're a clever boy, too clever for your own good.' She laughed. Her footsteps faded in the corridor.
Panting, Cory looked around the classroom. The phone.
He ran across the room, picked up the receiver and punched his father's number. It rang twice before the line clicked and went silent. He tried the control room number, but the phone wouldn't ring anymore.
The station network.
He ran to his desk and turned on the screen. With trembling hands, he brought up the school system, then the internal news channel—so far so good. He selected command centre and waited... and waited.
Finally, text scrolled across the screen. Unable to connect. That click he heard had been someone disconnecting the school from the rest of the network.
Cory wiped sweat from his upper lip. One way or another, he had to get out of here, warn his father, warn the Union delegates who would be arriving very soon.
Chapter 23
Twisting the hem of his shirt into knots, Cory leant in Miss Rosier's chair, watching the screen of the internal news channel on her desk. It was only a one-way channel and worked fine. His hands ached. Purple bruises from pounding the door grew on his knuckles, and crescents of blood marked his nails, where he had tried to force open the lock.
All in vain.
It was too late. A bit over half an hour ago, the Union ship had appeared on the screen, as recorded by outside cameras. A small speck of light that had grown into silver ship, an elegant delta-shape, with clearly identifiable wings. It came closer and closer, until it had matched speed with the rotation of the station's inner ring and used a temporary anchor to attach to the rails which took ships into the docks. The usual mechanisms wouldn't fit of course. Now the ship had gone in through the air lock.
Cory couldn't believe how small it was compared to the Aurelian. Union ships were like planes. Unlike Earth ships, they didn't carry lots of equipment to travel throug
h space to reach the jump points; their Exchange system created the jump points where necessary.
Light glimmered along the ship's streamlined flanks; the darkened windows allowed no one to see inside. Its engine ran whisper-quiet and just before it touched down narrow beams of light licked the surroundings. Think of the huge distance it had come using Union-based technology, most of which was a mystery to Earth scientists. Why should anyone refuse to learn about it? How could anyone be so short-sighted?
On the audio channel, the reporter drivelled on about how they were witnessing an important event, history in the making. Indeed. Cory felt sick. When that ship left, some damage would have been done, either to the ship or its passengers and his father would have to fix up the consequences.
The voice of the reporter continued, '. . . and this is the most commonly-used type of ship we have seen from Union worlds. It appears it uses some kind of solar-based power source . . .'
Blah, blah, blah. Cory pushed the earphones around his neck; he couldn't stand listening to this nonsense anymore.
A light went on behind the darkened windows of the ship's cabin. The door opened and a walkway extended from the door to the ground, the segments folding out from one another like a telescope.
The camera showed the backs of four figures approaching the ship from within the Midway receiving dock. Cory's father, the stiff form of Sullivan, Harvey MacIntosh with his thick mop of blond hair and beside him, much smaller, with vivid red hair and clad in dark blue, Theariki's father.
What a strange group of people. His father, thinking everything was fine. Sullivan, planning an attack on the Union ship, Harvey MacIntosh, ignorant, and Theariki's father, the subject of the aggression. Erith stood at the very edge of the screen, dressed in imposing black.
A man stepped into the opening of the Union ship. Like Theariki's father, he wore the cobalt blue shirt of a Union representative. Cory's heart beat in his throat.
The man walked down to the floor, hands outstretched. Cory's father came forward. Under the translation of Theariki's father, the two shared a double-handed handshake. While the first delegate was greeting Sullivan and Harvey MacIntosh, another man, and then two women, walked down into the hall, followed by two more people, a man and a woman. They didn't greet the Earth delegates, but lined up on both sides of the ramp, arms by their sides, faces stern, as if they were waiting.
