Humble Beginnings

by Greg Alldredge

  “I am glad to see you are awake. Do not rub your eyes too much, or you will cause damage.” The deep voice spoke gently to her from the blur of the room.

  R.O. struggled to the back side of the bedding she lay on until stopped by the wall. “Who are you? I can’t see you,” she croaked in a weak voice, trying it out for the first time. She observed as the dark shape across the room moved. It was huge, filling half the small space they were in.

  “I was afraid of that. You will be suffering some blindness, possibly memory loss, and hearing problems for an indefinite period or until we can get you some proper medical treatment,” the dark hulking mass said.

  “You didn’t answer my question. Who are you?” she asked with a stronger voice.

  “Not that it makes any difference, but people around here call me Tomm. I think they mean it as a joke. I ignore it.” The bass voice had a hint of sadness in it.

  For the first time, R.O. realized she wasn’t picking up his voice translated into her brain. Her ears were listening. “You speak Human. Are you Human?” she asked.

  “I would say in my heart I am. But what is in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. If you are asking what race I was born, I am Strobertzy. One of the walking giants, I think is one of the less-offensive slang terms for us,” Tomm said.

  Not all the races of Far Reach Station were interstellar travelers. Many came into space as vagabonds, hitchhikers, or laborers to the primary races. Some became so prolific in the cosmos, they developed into minor space traveling races, if still not capable of building their own ships. They would purchase them as they could. Some would outright steal them if the chance arose.

  Unlike the Nof-Tro, which came from a light gravity world and came to space as low gravity workers, the Strobertzy came from a harsh, high gravity world. Their strength made them perfect for robust and cheap labor. Their size and strength earned them a reputation for being slow and dimwitted. On the other hand, the Nof-Tro were considered agile, fleet, and at times, downright sneaky.

  R.O. had never taken the time to meet a Strobertzy. They didn’t travel in the same circles. His previous statement sank in. “Why will I be blind… What did you do?”

  “I told you before, I found a Yeu Tinh removing your implants. I had to chase it off you. I think it would have left you for dead if it had not decided to kill you outright. It, no doubt, presumed you would not survive the poison. Had I not found you, you probably would have died on that distillation plant.”

  “They took my implants? What of Phanboi? I was with my friend. Did you find a Nof-Tro near me?”

  “There was no sign of another but you. I am sorry, your friend must have abandoned you.”

  “No, you must be mistaken! I don’t think you looked hard enough. He must still be there hurt. We’ve got to go look for him.” Frantic, she tried to get up, but her body would not obey her commands, so she collapsed onto her back.

  Tomm let her try to raise herself to a sitting position before commenting on her condition. “You are much too weak. If you insist, I will go search the area again, but I assure you no one else was there.”

  R.O. thought a moment before answering, “You’ve done so much for me. Could you please go search for Phanboi one more time? He helped me find so much of the information against the Saravipians. If they wanted me dead, they surely wanted him dead as well.”

  “I will do as you ask, but please, for your safety, do not try to move. It was only five cycles ago someone cut into your brain.”

  She scrutinized the dark mass as he padded out of the room. On her side, she inventoried what she made out with her blurry vision and the few senses available to her. The space had an echo to it, metal walls for sure, but the floor had some sort of covering, deadening footfalls. She found herself sure the room was located on the fifth deck. She felt the vibrations of machinery even though she lay on some sort of soft sleeping pallet. Warmth, she felt a heat source in the space, the heat radiating from the glow made the room almost cozy. Through her blurred vision, she made out various colors across the room, though she wasn’t sure what was there. She drifted off to sleep waiting for Tomm’s return.

  “I am sorry, I searched the entire area. I found no signs of anyone in the area I found you in. Your blood had been removed, the cleaning mechs had come through the area.” The deep voice spoke calmly, a matter of fact in its tone. It still startled her awake.

  “You said your name is Tomm, right? I need you to call…” She stopped, not sure who she should trust to call. The powers that be might employ any number of informants in the peacekeepers, if not bought and paid for officers. She might make a massive mistake if anyone was looking for her.

  Tomm regarded her as R.O. contemplated the choices, giving her time to come to her own conclusions. Patiently, he stood for some moments, waiting for her to plan, before he stepped closer. “While you think, these might help you see a little better.” He handed her a bent metal frame containing two glass lenses, homemade eyeglasses.

  Unsure what to do with them, R.O. held them in her hand before Tomm finished the gesture.

  “Allow me.” He took them from her hand. Opening them, he placed them over her ears, the bridge of the glasses sitting on her nose. She could see better. Not flawlessly like she did with her implants, but well enough to make out the giant’s face.

  “Ummm, thank you.” More embarrassed by her helplessness than shocked by the size of Tomm’s head, which measured about twice that of a Human’s head. He had his own pair of glasses perched on his nose.

  He stepped back, the stride took him to his rocking chair, where he sat. Placing his hand on the book by his side, he began thrumming his fingers, waiting. “Who would you like me to call?” he asked, letting her continue her line of thinking.

  She developed an uneasy feeling, unsure who she should or could trust. “I am not sure what I should do.”

  “It seems someone wanted you gone, or at least your memories. Gone enough to hire a goblin.” Tomm said.

  “A what?” R.O. asked with puzzlement on her face.

  “Sorry, a term from an old-earth novel. If you read the description, you would see that it fits perfectly. It is what I call the Yeu Tinh. I do wish one day it would catch on, it is so much more memorable.”

  “You read these novels?” R.O. pointed to the antiques lining the shelf of the wall at his side.

  “Yes, of course. I find much pleasure in them.”

  “Why not just download them? So much more efficient.”

  “My body rejects all implants.”

  R.O. recoiled to hear such a horrible thing. She observed instant sympathy for the creature. “I am so sorry. I’ve heard of that in extremely rare cases.”

  “Do not be sorry for me. At times I feel sorry for everyone with the implants. There is so much more to life when you read the words for yourself. ‘You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture, just get people to stop reading them.’”

  “But I can download any book I want.”

  “Can you, or do you merely download the approved synopsis of the book? What people want you to know about it? Most people believe they are too busy to take hours to read a book, much simpler and quicker to download it.”

  “I… I never thought about it before.”

  “It is neither here nor there. Do you want me to get a message to someone? I don’t think you are ready to move.”

  “No. I’ve no idea who to contact.”

  “Are you hungry?”

  “No, I don’t think I could keep anything down right now. Could you… Could you read to me while I think?”

  Tomm lifted the pages of the book his hand rested on. “I was about to start a new book I just received. I can read aloud if you like.” He picked up the thick paperback book, waiting for her to reply.

  “Please do.”

  Tomm cleared his throat and began in his clear bass voice, “Call me Ishmael.”

  <=OO=>

  R.O. knew she was
a terrible friend. If Phanboi were still alive, he would be out there searching for her. If he was dead, she should be tracking down his killers. Torn, no matter how hard she tried, or how guilty she felt, she could not pull herself from the comfort the meager little hovel offered. Only eight cycles had passed, which seemed like an eternity.

  R.O. regained her strength, with Tomm playing nursemaid. He would even go out and find fresh protein, carbohydrates, and water for her once a cycle. She knew he was probably stealing everything they used, but watching him and his simple ways, she began to feel more for him and his way of life.

  After one of his foraging trips, Tomm returned to the room flustered as he rushed to a small locker under the bookcase.

  “What is wrong?” R.O. asked.

  “I think we have been down here too long. I let myself be carried away by the company, and life has gone on above us.” Tomm pulled out an archaic tablet computer.

  “I thought you couldn’t use technology?”

  “No, I said I couldn’t use implants. I have this for when I really need to access the world outside. I think your friend has gone public.”

  “What?”

  Tomm turned the tablet onto a broadcast showing the Nof-Tro which she knew as Phanboi hanging behind a podium with what looked like a Prod lawyer. Phanboi was holding up R.O.’s hologram as he spoke. “This was my friend. I witnessed the Saravipian thugs attack her, murdering her in cold blood, just because she wanted to expose their treachery. We all know the common people can’t trust the Saravipians!” This was met with cheering, which Phanboi waited on to die down before continuing. “R.O. Smith found out the Saravipians were stealing from us, stealing our water, and for that they killed her! They are only out for themselves. We can’t let them stay in power any longer!”

  “We need to head up, he is going to start a war if we don’t show them I am alive.” R.O. struggled to get dressed.

  “Wait a moment.”

  “We can’t wait. This could tear the station apart.”

  “Do you remember any Saravipians attacking you? I did not see one in the area before or after I found you.”

  “It had to be them behind it, they threatened me after I told them what I had found.”

  “What did they say exactly?” Tomm asked.

  “They reminded me of my nondisclosure agreement.”

  “That doesn’t sound threatening. Perhaps they wanted to keep the information quiet until they could do a thorough investigation? Maybe they wanted to keep hysteria to a minimum?”

  R.O. paused for a moment, thinking of the implications. “What are you saying?”

  “I am just asking you to take a moment and consider the possibility your friend might not be telling the truth. He claims to have witnessed your death at Saravipian assassins’ hands, one thing is a falsehood. You are still alive.”

  “Maybe he wanted to bring the Saravipians down for hurting me?”

  “Perhaps, but why wait over twelve cycles? If he was concerned for your safety, should he have not come forward immediately and rallied a search for you?”

  “I don’t want to believe what you are saying. I can’t believe what you are saying. That would mean I’ve been a dupe.”

  “Before we begin calling names, we should head up and see what is going on. However, if people are making claims you are dead, there is even more motivation to carry the act out. I would counsel caution.”

  “Then what would you suggest?”

  “Wait here, I have some clothes more suited to sneaking you into the upper areas, but think about the best place for your resurrection to take place.”

  R.O. tried to work around all the possibilities. She knew the answer should be simple, but her recent brain injury was keeping her from thinking clearly. With shaky legs she stood, letting her uniform fall from her bare golden tanned shoulders. Never a prude, she didn’t cover her nudity when Tomm walked back in. She was surprised when he flashed just a little flush of color into his already ruddy cheeks. She wasn’t sure if her nude body was causing him embarrassment or excitement.

  Tomm cleared his throat before speaking. “Take these, they should help hide your body well enough. The hood should help cover that distinctive hair of yours.” He handed her the rags that would serve as clothes with his back turned.

  She dressed as quickly as she could. “I never thought of it as that distinctive,” she said as she worked her frizzy black hair into the hood, poofing it out like her head was twice its size.

  Tomm chuckled a moment before answering. “You have never met a female Strobertzy, have you?”

  “No, I haven’t, why?”

  “They are bald, just like me. Except for the mammaries, it is tough to tell male and female Strobertzy apart. Humans have such a… differing look about you. So many colors, shapes, and sizes. Some would say Strobertzy all look alike.”

  “I must admit, you are the first of your kind I’ve met. Are they all… like you?

  Tomm turned to begin the journey out of the lower levels. “Do you mean a hermit?”

  “No, I meant so educated. You must admit they typically do not hold the most… intellectual jobs.”

  “You are correct. Mostly we are known for our strength, but that is a factor of our home world’s heavy gravity. I must admit, because of my allergy to implants, I read more than most. I guess some of my kind might consider me intelligent if a little odd.”

  “We are all odd, in some way. What section are we in, anyway?” R.O. did the best she could to recognize the unfamiliar surrounds with the hand-fashioned glasses.

  “You are familiar with level five. Technically we are between it and the outer skin.”

  “Are you crazy? In the ballast voids? We could be flooded at any second!” Fear flashed across her face as she looked for the nearest exit.

  “No worries, these tanks have been dry for some time. Besides, these are the access tunnels between the tanks.”

  “What do you mean the tanks are dry? There should be some water to help balance out the live load from the station.”

  “Oh no, these tanks have been dry for weeks. I find I have to travel farther and farther to find water every time I go scavenging.”

  “That means the station is becoming dangerously out of balance, trying to compensate for some unknown weight. We might experience a catastrophic failure at any time now. We need to get to Section Zero and warn the Rankins. I wish we had a commlink. I so miss my implants.”

  “All you need is a commlink?”

  “Yes.”

  Tomm stopped for a moment before changing directions. “Going here will put you at great risk. Those that harmed you might still be looking for you, and the commlink I am thinking of is unsecured. You might cause a panic.”

  “If we don’t do something and the spokes fail, it will be worse than anything we can cause.”

  They arrived at a massive conduit containing a substantial airtight door. “This leads up. We will be near the food growers, not far from where I found you. If they still search for you, they would more than likely be in this area.”

  “Why would they’ve not come down here to look for us?”

  “I would assume any number of reasons. The large warning signs detailing the many ways to die down here might be one, the doors are heavy and hard to move in this heavy gravity for two, and the fact the control room door is normally locked would be a good third.”

  “Smart ass.”

  He chuckled a little as he threw his weight and strength into opening the manual door.

  “I can understand why no Yeu Tinh came down here. They could never move that door.”

  “I doubt the goblins would worry about it. They would blow the door off with explosives.”

  “And the locked control room door?”

  “You can assume it would share the same fate.” Finished opening the door, he looked at her and made an explosive gesture with his ham hands. “Boom.”

  “You said there would be some risks.”
r />   “Let me go first. I still have to close this door and open the next.”

  After closing the door, he took two Tomm-sized steps up the vertical ladder.

  R.O. scrutinized the rungs skeptically. “I don’t think I can do that right now.”

  “You are correct. It was rude of me.” Tomm jumped down to the deck with a deafening boom as he landed.

  “Damn it, Tomm, careful.” R.O. held her head as the sound of Tomm’s landing reverberated up the long tube, making her damaged head throb.

  He held his arms out for her to climb onto his shoulders.

  “Oh, hell no, I am not being rescued like some princess.”

  “Not to point out the obvious, but I did rescue you once already. You are very easy to carry up these ladders.”

  “Shut up…” R.O. considered her options; she hated all of them. “If we are going to do this, we will do it my way.”

  Tomm stood, arms outstretched as best he could in the small-for-him space. “Do with me as you will then, but we need to climb this ladder to reach the closest commlink.”

  R.O. eyeballed him up and down, trying to decide the best way to hold onto his massive body while he climbed, the last resort piggyback or being thrown over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “Look, maybe I can make it. If you follow under me, I can rest when I need to.”

  “I will do as you wish, but I was under the impression we were in a rush to save the station.”

  R.O. growled lightly under her breath before speaking through clenched teeth. “Fine, carry me the quickest way.”

  Without a further word, Tomm scooped her up onto his broad muscle-bound shoulder and started taking the rungs two at a time. He climbed the forty meters in less than two minutes. He set her down gently on the landing. “Please don’t comment on my small shoulders. I am considered small for a Strobertzy,” Tomm said.

  That was when R.O. realized the event had made Tomm as uncomfortable as it made her, both doing what they needed to do for the good of the station. “Ready to check out the control room?” R.O. asked.

  Tomm nodded his agreement before putting his bulk towards opening the door. After spinning the large locking wheel, he pulled open the door a crack to check inside. The room was empty. “All clear,” he said as he pulled the door wider so they could both enter. “The commlink is on that panel over by the observation window.”