by Ian Miller
Gaius stared at the back, then shrugged. It was, after all, not his planet.
Lucilla had been standing to one side, but she was close enough to hear this. She felt like spitting tacks, and was about to advance towards the Ulsian Admiral when Gaius took her hand.
"Please, no!" he said.
She stood fuming for a moment, then nodded acknowledgment. While she could be thrown out of the Ulsian military and feel no regret, she recognized that the military might be Gaius' only home on this planet, and the only possible way home was through this military. Deferring to her brother was not one of her strong points, but this time she realized Gaius must be permitted to have his way. In any case, the insult was primarily to Gaius. If he wished to accept it, so be it. But that did not mean she had to put up with any more of this. If she could not respond to Gerenthe, then she should be elsewhere.
She turned and left the building. She stormed down the front steps, then suddenly realised that if it became known that she had run away to sulk, Gerenthe would have won. She needed a reason to go somewhere. Then she suddenly realised her new ship would provide just that excuse.
The Romulus had developed a minor fault in its cloaking system, and as the fault had been declared as being repaired, it was reasonable for Lucilla to board the ship and check whether it was truly repaired. She took a capsule to the spaceport, then suddenly realised that she did not know whether she was authorised to request a shuttle.
It turned out she was not able to board a shuttle since none were available, but she could communicate directly with her companion Antonia, who would send one down from the Romulus. The shuttle duly turned up and Lucilla boarded.
"Surprised to see me?" Lucilla asked, with an attempt at smiling. She was still inwardly fuming.
"I could not be surprised," Antonia replied with a broad smile. "If I were, you'd think I'd been up to something!"
"Could you be?" Lucilla asked in surprise.
"Not in the sense you mean," Antonia replied. She looked at Lucilla as the shuttle took off. "I was trying to raise your spirits. You look troubled."
"You could look where we're going," Lucilla frowned.
"This shuttle is under complete control," Antonia assured her. "My input comes from the shuttle's sensors, and from the Romulus' sensors. I thought you knew that?"
"I'm sorry," Lucilla said. "You're right. I'm upset."
"There, your ship," Antonia said brightly. "Now, we just dock here, then board."
It was only when Lucilla was boarding that a thought crossed her mind. She had paid no attention whatsoever to flying or docking. She really should have tried to remember more from this flight. She followed Antonia along a corridor to the rather plain room known as the bridge. A chair was produced, and Lucilla slumped into it.
"I can sense you are really upset," Antonia said softly. "Do you want to talk? Or have me look into your mind? I may be able to help, you know."
"And pass it on to other Ulsians," Lucilla muttered.
"Lucilla!" Antonia said, and took her hand softly. "I am your companion. Unless I could not prevent your committing a terrible crime in any other way, anything you say or think is totally private between us. You may trust me more than anyone else you have ever known. I cannot betray you."
Lucilla thought for a moment, then said, "Go ahead." This was likely to end up badly, but she had to find out whether she could really trust Antonia. It was just as she was thinking that thought when she realised Antonia would know she had thought that and . . .
'You really can trust me,' came the thought, then 'Oh!'
'Oh?' Lucilla sent her thought.
'Yes. I see your problem. I think you are doing the correct thing, getting away from there.'
'I can't stay away for ever, though.'
'So, what do you want to do?'
'I thought I should test the camouflage system,' Lucilla thought. 'If nothing else, it's a legitimate reason to get me away from that . . that . . .'
'Of course. Now, I must request a protocol. If you want the ship to do something, I suggest you make a verbal order. That way I can readily distinguish orders from ideas floating through your mind.'
'I'm that bad?'
'Those few privileged to have this ability, and they are very few, invariably agree to this, otherwise it's just too confusing.'
'Then what can I do?'
'Why not cloak up and make a close investigation of Gerenthe's ships. They have all their detectors on, but this ship should be capable of evading those, under certain circumstances.'
'They'll get suspicious when this ship simply disappears, though.'
'Not at all. The ship is capable of creating an illusory copy of itself, which will remain and give out the expected responses to observation.'
Lucilla stared, then said, "Do it!" Then suddenly she said, "Won't this get you into trouble if we're caught?"
"No more than you!" Antonia smiled.
"But I thought a companion would have to be, well . . ."
"A goody-goody?"
"Well, I wouldn't put it quite like that, but −"
"I think you would put it just like that," Antonia challenged.
"All right! Perhaps I would. But back to you. Why are you suggesting this?"
"Because I'm made like you," Antonia smiled. "I have to be, to support the sort of things you're likely to get up to."
"But isn't there a danger that −"
"You cannot be blamed for anything a companion agrees to," Antonia said, "because we are your legal filters. This manoeuvre isn't illegal, but it would be annoying for Gerenthe if he found out. I can't shelter you from his bad moods. Do you still wish to proceed?"
"I said, 'do it'," Lucilla said. "I see no reason to change my mind." She paused, and added, "As I suspect, you knew."
"I only guessed," Antonia said. "I know how you think, but you're not totally predictable, which, I hasten to add, is very desirable."
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it. Now, look over there. There's your ship!"
Lucilla looked at the screen, and there, slightly behind and below the Actium and the Livia was an identical image of the Romulus .
"That's amazing!" Lucilla muttered. "We're going rather slowly aren't we?"
"Yes," Antonia replied. "We've got to come up to Gerenthe's ships more or less on an orbital path. We can cloak the shape of the ship, but we also need to hide exhausts."
The next two hours were quite boring for Lucilla. The ship drifted and the view of the planet below changed, however half of the planet was dark, and Antonia had sent the ship around that way so that, once behind the planet, orbital correction could be made through the motors.
Eventually Gerenthe's ships drew into sight. Lucilla had to admit it was a beautiful looking ship, glistening in the sunlight, a shuttle drifting lazily away. They drifted past so closely that Lucilla could hardly believe that they would not collide. For a short period she could see virtually every square meter of that side of the ship, and as they drifted slowly away Lucilla had a quick look at the remaining side, shaded but still clearly visible under the light of the inner moon.
"That's odd?" Lucilla frowned.
"What's odd?"
"Gerenthe's ship."
"What's odd about that? It's a very well designed ship, in my opinion," Antonia replied, almost in a huff, Lucilla noted, that Ulsian design should be thought of as merely 'odd'.
"He claims he's been in a major battle in which he was heavily outnumbered and he was about a planet without starship repair factories, and the ship is undamaged."
"You're right," Antonia replied, then added, "None of the other ships are damaged either."
"How could they be repaired so quickly?"
"I'll interrogate one," Antonia said. "We can't ask Gerenthe's ship, because he's senior, but we could try a junior ship. Your decoration is sufficient for me to order it not to report the interrogation, and it won't unless Space Marshall Gerenthe directly over-rides the order. H
e is senior to you," Antonia added.
"Do it," Lucilla said, as she watched the ships slowly drift abeam.
"That is more than odd," Antonia reported at last. "There have been no repairs because there was never any damage."
"How could he get away with no damage?" Lucilla frowned.
"I don't know," Antonia said, "and we never will know for sure. The ship reports a heated battle in which the enemy appeared not to manoeuvre, and while they were firing furiously, nothing hit."
"That doesn't make sense!"
"From what the Space HQ interrogation indicated, the computer memories have been deliberately altered to conceal Gerenthe's strategy. It appears he claims to have found a secret methodology for defeating them. He refuses to disclose it, because he claims he has evidence of espionage on Ulse itself."
"That's . . ." She paused, then said, "I was going to say that's nonsense, but I suppose I can't prove it."
"Perhaps I'm made too much like you," Antonia replied, "but I think it's nonsense also. However, from a strategic point of view, you must not do anything with this information."
"Why not? What's wrong with questioning? Or are you saying we shouldn't have got it this way?"
"The way you got the information is not the problem," Antonia said. "The problem is, you're questioning the integrity of one of the highest ranking officers on Ulse, and an Ulsian hero as well. Nobody would want to believe you, everyone would want to demolish your career, and you have no real facts. What would you accuse him of, exactly? You simply have no case to make, assuming that you wish to make a case."
"I've got some pretty strong feelings about this!" Lucilla said firmly.
"Including a strong personal dislike for Gerenthe."
"Is that a crime?"
"No," Antonia said, "but it doesn't exactly strengthen your position. Look at it this way. What exactly would you do?"
"Ask him how he'd manage this miracle!" Lucilla said simply.
"And he tells you to go mind your own business."
"Then I accuse . . ."
"You see the problem," Antonia said. "Accuse him of what? Of being exceptionally lucky? Or of fraud? You'd never get anywhere. Your opponents would simply say you have demonstrated that you don't like the Admiral, and you are simply being spiteful."
"I'm not," Lucilla protested, then added, "but I can see what others might think."
"Look at the facts," Antonia said. "Admiral Gerenthe took a task force to the planet, defeated the enemy and recaptured the planet without sustaining damage to himself, and then appears to be hiding the means of exactly how he did it. His only demonstrable fault is that he made out the action was more furious than it was, that he was braver rather than more intelligent."
"And he refuses to disclose his methods, so that other Ulsians can learn from him," Lucilla said. "I'd say that's pretty bad!"
"He hasn't refused," Antonia pointed out. "Nobody else knows about the existence of this 'secret method'."
"But that's awful. Something has to be done!"
"Not by you, at least not with this ammunition," Antonia cautioned. "You'll only lose."
That evening Gaius agreed with Antonia. He had listened with interest, he agreed with Lucilla that something was wrong, but he recalled for Lucilla's benefit the advice of his old teacher, the General, 'Don't initiate a battle you don't have to unless you know how to win it.'
* * *
The ceremony, when it eventuated, felt quite bizarre to Lucilla. In the first place, everybody wore trefunes, hence, as she remarked to Vipsania, anybody could be under those hoods.
This was perfectly true, but also totally irrelevant. The identification of all officers was by DNA, and that was all registered. Anybody could be under a trefune, but only the true officer had the authority. In fact it had been known in the past for some officers to have substitutes for such ceremonies, while they were off elsewhere drinking.
And so, after four hours of tedium, Admiral Gerenthe was given the supreme rank of Space Marshall, and so was permitted to command multiple fleets and army groups.
The subsequent celebration was even more tedious. As Gaius remarked later, there was not even any wine, or food or drink of any type, which was partly understandable since one could not consume food while wearing a trefune. Everyone stood around meditating, or listening to music that Gaius found to be totally lacking in interest. The Terrans were quite pleased to finally leave, return to their apartment, and have their own celebration.
The question was, what next?
Chapter 36.
What next was soon answered. The Terrans were settling down to breakfast, and Lucilla was just beginning to answer the question of what they should do that day with her usual, "The same as yesterday. Nothing changes on this planet," which was partly true, and had been designed that way for millions of years, when their communicator flashed. They were requested to attend an emergency briefing, immediately, and a shuttle would be at their node in the next minute. There was no time to finish breakfast.
Lucilla was partly irritated, but she was also curious. Something was going to happen! They gulped what they could of their food, then quickly went to their capsule, which, as Vipsania remarked, was typically on time when the outcome was to be less than desirable from their point of view. Nevertheless they entered the capsule, pressed 'Go!' with no idea where they were going, and the capsule set off towards its pre-determined destination. When they arrived they found an escort, who led them into yet another of those plain, non-decorated rooms. There they were addressed by a senior and very pedantic and serious-looking Ulsian delegate from the Principal Ulsian Military Committee.
"We have a problem," he said slowly.
"Which is?" Gaius asked politely.
"You."
"Excuse me?" Gaius asked slightly less politely.
"I mean, 'you' in the plural, as Terrans, and not you personally. It is a situation that is very difficult."
"Perhaps you should explain?" Vipsania suggested.
"That was my intention," the Ulsian said, with an irritated tone. "It involves several million years of history, and it involves the present. It is very involved, so please listen and in particular, don't interrupt. I apologise for interrupting your breakfast so please, make yourselves comfortable, request whatever food or drink you wish, and we have available whatever you want, then please let me explain without interruptions, if you can manage that. Ask questions at the end, when you are aware of the basic facts."
The Ulsian then proceeded to tonelessly explain the following historical facts. Several million years previously, Ulsian ships had made contact with another civilization originating from a planet they call Ranh, which had by then independently attained the technology to make interstellar travel possible. They had explored a number of planets near them, and had settled on two. They had also found, by means of observing some of the inevitable traces of technology, that there was another technically capable planet that was expanding in their direction. Accordingly, they set out on a furious expansion in that direction, and eventually ran into the Krothians.
Some minor warfare had erupted, and the Krothians intended to exact revenge on this upstart civilization, although their initial efforts led merely to frustration as it turned out that this new species was strangely war-like, and unlike those of their own history did not merely sue for peace when they had a serious reverse, but rather worked harder to exact revenge.
When the first Ulsian ship appeared, this new civilization almost started a war with Ulse. Fortunately, the Ulsians managed to demonstrate that they were powerful, but not aggressive, and were more interested in negotiation. Thus after several years during which the parties attempted to learn how to communicate with each other, the Ulsians explained the basis of the Ulsian Federation, and pointed out that either the Ranhynn, which is what they call themselves in the plural, would either make peace with the Krothians or Ulse would exterminate them. Ulse pointed out the size of the Ulsian Federation, and ho
w they could not have any possible hope of survival, but Ulse also explained their laws on preserving and protecting emerging species. Ulse wanted the Ranhynn and the Krothians to live together in peace, and it invited Ranh into the Federation.
The Ranhynn agreed, and signed a treaty, and held to it for several million years. There was, as often happens with emerging civilizations who tend to think it is really smart to put one over the older civilization, a catch. The Ulsian proposition was that the Ranhynn take responsibility and settle on a star system near Ulse, while the Ulsians did the same on a star system near Ranh. This was a standard means of ensuring the two species kept in some sort of contact with each other.
Accordingly the Ranhynn settled on a planet that they call Plotk, which is some distance from Ulse, as Ulse had already settled the closest systems to it. They nominated the star that you call Sol for Ulsian use.
"You mean," Vipsania interrupted, "they gave you our planet?"
"Yes," the Ulsian replied.
"But . . . but . . ." Vipsania spluttered. "It's not theirs to give!"
"Let me explain," the Ulsian shook his head. "You may lodge protests later."
The situation then became more confused when close examination by an Ulsian party assessed that an intelligent life form could possibly develop on Earth. The Ranhynn were quite amused when the Ulsians informed them that Ulse could not make use of this star system. However, they were less amused when it was pointed out to them that by giving them this star system, they put this system under Ulsian law, and Ulse therefor had been given by the Ranhynn the obligation to protect this emerging civilization. That meant that the Ranhynn had to leave this system strictly alone, and furthermore, Ulse was required to reserve planets for it should it eventually wish to go into space. Accordingly the Ranhynn were effectively prevented from settling in one direction. Of course they had well over a hundred light years before reaching the Krothian zone, and there were other directions.
The Ranhynn accepted the situation, although they had from time to time visited your Earth to check up on what is going on, and as you suspected, they have transported animals, and so on, back to their own planet, and possibly people. They certainly took Quintus when he was offered, so we can assume they have probably done the same on other occasions.
