by Gary Weston
'Max. You'd better get in here. Wake up, Max. Hurry.'
It took a couple of minutes for a sleepy Max Morgan, dressed in his one piece underwear, to join him.
'Problem?'
'You could say that,' said Rocky with a nod towards the big screen.
'Oh, shit,' said Max.
'My words exactly,' said Rocky, staring at the ship that was flying in front of them, matching their speed precisely. 'That is not one of ours.'
The black ship was huge compared to a freighter, but was much smaller than Big Bird and it bristled with assorted weapons.
'What's our speed?'
'Four fifths. We have a little left in the tank, but I suspect that's irrelevant.'
'That ship isn't a Varlindran ship. This one's bigger and black.'
Rocky said, 'Why not? We've only seen one of theirs. They might have a few different types and colours.'
'Thanks I was really trying to convince myself it wasn't Varlindran. Anyway. Don't forget the Varlindrans had their own enemies to contend with. Maybe this is one of their enemy's ships.'
'Maybe,' said Rocky. 'That doesn't exactly cheer me up. Maybe we should try to make contact.'
Which was when a single laser cannon discharge made them instinctively flinch and prepare for the impact.
'Jeez,' gasped Max. 'That was close.'
Rocky said, 'It was meant to be. Impossible to miss a ship this damn big. That was a warning shot.'
'Well, it warned the hell out of me.'
Helpless, they stared at the ship, aware that at any second, it could end their lives in a blink of an eye. It was all over, with the blue flash as the black ship's blue plasma exhaust flashed once and in a heartbeat, it was a speck in the distance and then it vanished.
'Is...is it ok to breathe now?' asked Max.
'I'll give it a go if you will.'
Max said, 'I'll call home.'
'That'll go down well.'
'Max Morgan calling from Big Bird. Morgan on Big Bird, calling Mars.'
It was Anna Graham who took the call, delighted in the way the satellite was performing. 'Mars calling Big Bird. Max? Everything ok?'
'Anna. We urgently need a one on one with one of the commanders. Either of them.'
Sensing the anxiety in his voice, Anna said, 'I'll arrange it. Be back in a few minutes.'
All Ramshorn and Morgan could do was to sit it out and wait for the time delayed call from Mars which was down to just under three minutes.
It was Forbes who returned their call. 'Max? Rocky? Commander Forbes here. Talk to me.'
Rocky said. 'Sir. Ramshorn here. We have just encountered a ship. It just appeared. It may be Varlindran. It wasn't like the Varlindran ship we have, though. It is bigger, black, well armed and took one single shot at us, deliberately missing us, then it took off. And at one hell of a speed.'
Forbes said, 'Could it be one of the other lot? The ones fighting the Varlindrans?'
'Possible, Sir. All we can be sure of, is it isn't one of ours.'
Forbes had little to offer in the way of advice, other than to be watchful and get home as fast as possible.
'Yes, Sir,' said Rocky. 'Well, you heard the man, Max. Let's see if we can squeeze this thing until she pops.'
Chapter 56
Forbes and Potts discussed the latest events in sombre tones in Potts' office.
Forbes said, 'We're as ready for the Varlindrans as we possibly can be.'
'I guess,' said Potts. 'I've already spoken to Anna Graham. She'll make sure all communications officers including radar are fully aware and to be extra vigilant. Any sign of trouble, all security sirens will be activated to run continuously until the attack is over.'
'Something else bothering you, Pottsy?'
'Why didn't that other ship fire? I mean to kill. Not so much a Big Bird, more a sitting duck.'
Potts said, 'Rocky seemed to think it was a warning shot.'
'For what?' said Forbes. 'Have we strayed into the wrong end of the playground and the school bully wants to teach us a lesson? Well, anyway. It got us back on our toes. At least Ivor Potful is excited about the new pumps arriving.'
'Whatever turns him on. How's that rash of his?'
Forbes said, 'All cleared up. I hope they're bringing some useful medicine.'
'They took everything that wasn't nailed down, according to Max Morgan. They couldn't have done any better. We'll have a damn big knees up when they get here. Good for all of us. Commander Dillow said he'll keep The Eye in orbit, looking out for attackers while we unwind down here.'
'Good. Who's his pilot? Breezy?'
Potts laughed. 'Hell, no. She won't go anywhere if she can be here partying. One of the regular freighter pilots, Dan something. Dan Carter. He's trying to get in Lance's good books for a move to security. Can you imagine actually wanting to work for Armour Dillow?'
'Must be keen, to miss a good shindig. Still. I'm glad we'll have somebody on look out on the day.'
Eight others were keen to party. The crew and passengers of the Big Bird were counting the hours. Their relatives back home had had a long anxious time of things, waiting for their loved ones to return. Amethyst Ramshorn and her daughters Poppy and Dusty were excited, too.
She had never intended to start a family so young when she and Rocky had first got together. But after the big migration from Moon, and all the rebuilding of everything was winding down, and the dust had finally literally settled, things had seemed so much different and their love so much stronger. They had decided to have her NonPreg insert removed and let nature take its course. That the course had chosen twins was something she hadn't banked on, but she wouldn't change a single moment of it. But she'd insisted a new NonPreg was inserted, the day after she had given birth.
For days the twins, now three in Earth years, were asking continuously when Daddy was coming home. And finally, that time had arrived. Amethyst had them trying on the dresses that Marcia Potts had sewn by hand out of some scrounged gingham material. Not that either Dusty or Poppy appreciated the effort. They were both Tomboys, and they didn't like dresses.
'Daddy will love you in these,' Amethyst assured them.
'Won't he love us if we don't wear them, Mommy?' asked Poppy. Amethyst knew it was Poppy, because of the small scar above her right eye, from an accident when the twins had been playing too boisterously.
'Your Daddy loves you so much. All he's been thinking about while he's been away, are his special girls, and I'm including me in that list. Now, give me a twirl like a fairy princess. Come on, both of you. Beautiful. Now off with those dresses so we can keep them clean.'
Amethyst helped them out of their dresses, into their jeans. At least what was left of them. They were no different from all the other children; never enough clothes for the growing population. Shoes were a nightmare. Whatever she was going to find for them in a few months would be a challenge.
'I should have asked your Daddy to look for some clothes for you while he was on Earth.'
'What's Earth,' asked Dusty. If a little girl lived up to her name, Dusty did. If there was a way to get messy, she'd find it.
There had been so little any good to talk about when it came to Earth, few people even mentioned it. A map of the solar system always hung in their school and it was usually a potted history lesson combined with where they were, and where they all came from. Like Rocky, Amethyst had been born on Moon, and she had often looked at Earth, thinking how things couldn't possibly be as bad as everyone said it was. But they had been proved right, sadly.
'Miss Molly has told you all this.'
'But what is it, Mommy?' Poppy asked.
She sat with them in the big chair, one daughter in each arm. 'Ok. Earth is a planet, like Mars is a planet. Now, I was born on Moon. Like you were born here, on Mars. But my mommy and daddy came from Earth.'
Dusty asked, 'Where is your mommy and daddy?'
Amethyst sighed. 'I didn't know them. They died on Earth when I was a baby. Same as y
our daddy's mommy and daddy.'
Poppy asked, 'Why did they die?'
'There was a war going on. They died in the war.'
Dusty said, 'What's a war?'
Amethyst always answered their questions as honestly as she could. 'War is when one lot of people fight another lot of people. On Earth, they were always fighting each other. I never went to Earth.'
Dusty asked, 'Why were they always fighting, Mommy?'
Amethyst gently brushed away the unruly lock of blonde hair; the exact same shade as Rocky's hair. Everybody said they had their mother's eyes, though. 'They'd fight over anything and everything.'
'But that's so silly.' Poppy said,
'Yes it is. Fighting is silly.'
The twins looked at each other thinking the same thing. Dusty said, 'But I heard we were going to be fighting people from space.'
Amethyst said, 'We might be fighting them, yes. But we don't want to fight with them. We will have to fight them off if they attack us.'
'Will they kill you and Daddy?' Dusty asked. This was her own personality shining through. It was all black and white with Dusty.
'Where did that come from? No. They won't kill me or Daddy.' As Amethyst said it, she had the strangest feeling of lying to her children. The same conversation with an adult would have had her adding, 'If they don't come here, they won't.'
'Will you be fighting, Mommy?' asked Poppy.
'I will be fighting, but only if they come here attacking us. Daddy, too. We will have to, to keep you safe.'
Poppy suddenly threw her arms around her Mommy. 'Please don't die like your mommy and daddy.'
'Oh, come here, now. I need a big hug. I'm not going to die. Not until I'm really, really old.' It was there again, that weird feeling of not telling the whole truth. She didn't understand it herself and she certainly couldn't explain it.
'Promise, Mommy?'
'Yes. I promise.' She kissed away the tear running down her daughter's cheek.
Chapter 57
It was a strange welcome home for Rocky, Max and the others.
'Come out wearing suits.'
Eight suited and booted men walked down the ramp, to find the area outside had been screened off from the public. They had expected this. A man appeared, also fully suited, holding a high-pressure hose. They raised their arms and turned around, letting the foaming water clean off the suits to then be hosed off with plain water. That done, Dr Jill Hill, wearing a suit she wouldn't need outside normally, walked up to them, everyone else keeping a safe distance.
'One glove off, please. All of you.'
Each removed a glove.
Hill said. 'I'm taking a blood test. This gizzmo gives an all clear in thirty seconds. It's just a little prick.'
John Mantle laughed. 'She means you, Richie.'
Everyone laughed, but it was just the sheer relief to be home, even after a rough foam bath. Dr Jill, as everyone called her, took a drop of blood from each of them, waiting for the results before moving on to the next. 'Ok. Off with your suits and helmets.'
'And I thought you didn't care,' said a laughing Mantle, taking his suit and helmet off, handing it over to the nurse whom the doctor had called over. The nurse gathered the suits up and piled them out of the way. He came back with a pump action spray unit, filled with disinfectant. Mantle was halfway through taking off his one piece undies.
'No need, Mr Mantle. The spray will soak through,' said Dr Jill.
Satisfied the men were not hazards, she called for warm clothing and towels which were provided. Five minutes later, the screens were cast aside and the charge for hugs and kisses began.
'Daddy. Daddy.' The twins ran to Rocky, who picked them up in his arms and kissed them.
'I swear you've doubled in weight. And look at the posh frocks. You two look amazing.'
'How about this old lady?' Amethyst walked her sexiest walk, her hair piled high, her clothes hugging her body. She went over to Rocky and the twins and hugged the three of them.
'You look very wonderful in my eyes. It's been hell missing you three.'
He put the twins down so he could embrace his wife properly.
Amethyst said, 'These two are spending the next two hours visiting Uncle Craggy and Aunty Misty. And then Daddy will tell you all about his trip.'
'Maybe not all of it,' said Rocky.
'Uncle Craggy.'
'Hello, Poppy.'
'I'm Poppy. She's Dusty.'
Cragg said, 'She looks nice and clean to me.'
'Aunty Misty. We're coming to visit you.'
Misty winked at Amethyst and Rocky. 'And we've been so looking forward to it. Come on. Uncle Craggy can tell you a story.'
With a little smile and a wave at the young couple, Misty and Cragg led the twins away.
'I was hoping you'd planned something like this,' said Rocky.
'Home you. Come and make yourself useful for a change.'
They walked hand in hand to their home, over something that resembled grass. They poured their love into that two hours, shutting out the world, forgetting everything but each other. And all too soon, their stolen time together was at an end, just a few minutes before the bedlam otherwise known as the twins descended on them. Amethyst showered and dressed first.
Amethyst asked her husband, 'Was it that bad? Earth?'
'The planet itself, well. Mars is more green then Earth, now. And when we finally got inside Westmont...It was so cold, dark. Lifeless. We all thought the same thing. Where are the people? We'd found one. Horrible. Max and I were gathering the medical stuff, the others getting the pumps. We found...There was a body. A man. Covered in...But he was the only one we had seen. Then one of the others checked on the floor below. There was a...tunnel. Dug to make more space; no idea. There was sickness. They daren't go outside, bombs going off all over the place, so they had to put the bodies somewhere. One by one...just thrown into the tunnel, until the last one died.'
'Rocky. I can't imagine.'
'I wouldn't want you to imagine anything like that.'
'And what about that ship?'
Rocky admitted, 'Max and I nearly crapped ourselves when that damn black ship fired that laser at us. I was kinda surprised to still be alive afterwards. They could have wiped us out, no problem.'
She studied his eyes as she asked the next question. 'Are they coming here?'
He shook his head. 'I've no more idea what it's all about than you have. I keep thinking why didn't they kill us?'
'Toying with you. Messing with your heads. Rocky. The twins. We were talking earlier. We need to...'
The front door burst open and the girls charged in, Misty and Cragg behind them. The twins ran to Daddy, wrapped up in a sheet, diving on the bed to kiss him. It was hugs and kisses, then Rocky shooed them out so he too could shower and dress.
'Thanks for looking after them, Misty,' said Rocky, still towelling his hair dry.
'We thought you two could do with some you time,' said Misty.
'You take a few days off with your family,' said Cragg. 'I just had a quick look at the ship. Jaye Moore and her team are unpacking Big Bird and decontaminating everything you brought back and the whole ship, inside and out. Ivor Potful and Screwy Driver are sorting out the pumps as a priority, and Friar has the technicians checking out the satellites. I caught a glimpse of the medical stuff. Impressive. Dr Jill thought it was her birthday. You and the others gave this planet a better chance. Well done.'
'Thanks,' said Rocky, Amethyst hugging him, proudly.
Misty said, 'You need more you time, you let us know. See you later.'
Chapter 58
The next day found a lot of happier people.
'I now declare this pump, well and truly open. You all might want to stand back.'
Ivor Potful turned on the pump that engineering had tested and fitted. It was a much bigger pump than the old one, and much gruntier. Not only that, they had a spare. There was a groaning and moaning, and the clogged up pipe work did an alarmin
g shake and for a moment, it looked as if it would fracture under the pressure. Then, out of the outlet pipe came the most evil, disgusting mess anyone had ever seen and Potful couldn't have been more delighted. A jet of excrement shot out and was so powerful, it almost sailed over the huge collection crater to shower Screwy Driver and his engineers. They were already making a sharp exit to get clear of the stench. The citizens of Mars could now use their toilets without wearing oxygen masks.
Dr Jill Hill and her nurse had the opposite problem from what they had before. Not a shortage of items, but a shortage of storage space for the new stuff. There was a mountain of instruments and equipment on the cot, the desk and the operating table. Nurse Lemming had over twenty year's experience after qualifying on Earth, transferring to Moon and finally ending up on Mars. He knew what most things were, but where he was going to put it all, he had no idea. 'I'll see Marcia Potts. See if she knows of any spare shelving and cupboards.'
'Good idea.' Hill had hardly heard what her nurse had said, as she sorted and catalogued every medicine and drug that was piled up in front of her. Stuff seriously out of date she put to one side, not to be disposed of, but either used up first or as a last resort. Sorting out the haul was a chore she was happy to do.
Keith Taylor, Anna Graham and Vince Friar had the two satellites in a hanger. They need a serious clean and maintenance work, but both were in good working order.
Friar said, 'Keith. Put a team together and get both units top notch and then store them well, ready to go when we need them.'
'With pleasure,' said Taylor, happy to do so.
Anna said, 'You're not going to strip one for spares?'
'Not much point in stripping two working units. What we'll do is use our existing satellite until it packs up for good, replace it with one of these, and we'll still have a working back up. Then as the one breaks down, we'll strip that for any usable spares.'
'Looks like I'll have a job for years,' said Anna, happily.
In Commander Forbes' office, Max Morgan and Rocky Ramshorn were filling in any gaps about their mission.
