Starfall: A Starstruck Novel

by Hiatt, Brenda

  Finally, after reading back over the very short list I’d made of those who might be marginally acceptable, I gave up and went to bed. Though I was tempted to chat with my Archived ancestors for a bit first, I resisted, since Mr. O had messaged that our meeting with the acting Minister of Space Travel was scheduled for nine a.m. I’d get back to my interminable queue of videos after that.

  Ambrose, the acting Minister of Space Travel, turned out to be one of the few non-Royal acting ministers—an Engineer who also headed up the Space Transportation facility in Arregaith.

  As he went over his report, two things became obvious: first, that he was far better prepared than any of the Royal acting ministers I’d met with. Second, that Mr. O had intentionally put off this particular meeting until after the Luminosity left Mars.

  “Please note, Excellency, that while we prefer to wait until a ship is booked to at least eighty percent capacity, occasionally one will launch with fewer aboard.” He pointed to a detailed holographic chart showing the manifests and schedules of all four ships for the rest of the current launch window.

  Sure enough, there was the Luminosity, due to arrive in Bailerealta, Ireland shortly before dawn tomorrow morning. The Horizon, currently en route to Mars from Dun Cloch, Montana, would land here the next day. Now that we were near the middle of the launch window, trips each way only took three days instead of the four our Quintessence journey had taken last month.

  “There seem to be more people traveling in this direction than to Earth,” I commented with a glance at Mr. O. “Shouldn’t it be the other way around? We’ve known for a while now that Nuath’s power is starting to run out.”

  Acting Minister Ambrose’s eyebrows rose. “In fact, that is something I’ve suggested myself, Excellency. However, the interim legislature has so far been unwilling to mandate such a thing.”

  “Hm. If we do manage to persuade the legislature—and the people—to go along with an accelerated emigration plan, just how quickly could we transport Nuathans to Earth?”

  He immediately pulled up a different set of holographic charts but unfortunately his figures were even more discouraging than Mr. O’s estimate had been.

  “As you can see, though a ship can theoretically complete a round trip journey in ten days during the middle month of a launch window, in practice our ships have waited at least a week at each end before returning. This is to allow for thorough systems checks, any necessary recalibrations and occasional reconfigurations.”

  “Reconfigurations?”

  “Of living and common areas, to better accommodate specific bookings, such as when you traveled here aboard the Quintessence. To refit all four ships for maximum capacity would require much more extensive changes and would likely take a month or more.”

  After raising his eyebrows at me in an “I told you so” way, Mr. O brought up Faxon’s preparations and asked if they might help at all.

  The minister frowned. “During Nels Murdoch’s tenure, most of those additional resources were redirected to general colony maintenance, as so much of our infrastructure was allowed to deteriorate under Faxon. I’m afraid the ships Faxon commissioned were never completed.”

  “Maybe you should have a few Engineers take a look at the ones that were started. See if they can be tweaked for transport instead of attack,” I suggested. “Anything that might speed up the process would be a good thing, unless there’s some kind of breakthrough on extending Nuath’s power supply.”

  Earlier this week, the acting Minister of Energy—an obviously incompetent Royal—assured me that they’d resumed research on that nearly as soon as Faxon was out. But though that was the solution the vast majority of Nuathans still hoped for, he’d admitted there’d been no real progress beyond additional conservation measures.

  “Of course, Excellency. I’ll also look into ways to shorten the turnaround time for our existing ships. The more quickly we can reduce Nuath’s population, the longer our remaining power will last.”

  As soon as we left the conference room, Mr. O’Gara turned to me. “I feared this would be the case, but perhaps if those ships of Faxon’s can be put to good use, we may still be able to do what’s necessary in the decades ahead. Of course, there is also the chance our Scientists will discover either a new power source or a way of extending what we have.”

  Since Nuath’s power was nearly all derived from a series of fuel cells developed and left here by the Grentl, using at least two elements not found on Earth or Mars, that seemed pretty unlikely to me.

  “The trick will be convincing enough Nuathans to emigrate,” I said. “We need to get as many people as possible on the ships still heading to Earth during this launch window, and as few as possible on the ones coming here.”

  Mr. O nodded, his expression grim. “I called up those databases last night and…I’m afraid you’re right. We can’t afford to gamble Nuath’s continued existence on a breakthrough that is still, at this point, theoretical. If you would allow me, and perhaps Devyn, to pay a visit to the legislative building to speak on your behalf—”

  “Like you did with Healer Adara? Thanks, but I’d rather speak on my own behalf.”

  He stopped walking and turned to face me fully. “Excellency, I…I’ve had time now to think about what you said yesterday. You were right. I had no right to ignore both Nuathan law and the basic principles of justice and decency, no matter my motives. By doing so, I did indeed lower myself to Faxon’s level. I want you to know that I am sincerely sorry for what I did—what I convinced others to do—and for the pain my actions caused you.”

  “And for possibly ruining Rigel’s life?”

  “That, too. In any case, you have my word I will never again attempt to undermine your leadership in any way. Nor your relationship with young Stuart, should it ever become possible for you to resume it, unlikely as that seems now.”

  I pinned him with my gaze for a long moment, probing his emotions. He seemed completely sincere—right now, anyway. Finally, I nodded.

  “I appreciate that. And with any luck, I’ll get to hold you to the second half of that promise sooner than you expect.”

  Leaving him to frown after me, I headed back to my apartment to return to the arduous task of finding a Regent—something I had to do if I didn’t want to leave Nuath’s fate in the hands of the very men who’d betrayed me.

  * * *

  Except for one longish meeting with the acting Ministers of Energy, Technological Development, and Planetary Resources—which only reinforced my belief that most of the Royals plugged into those roles were incompetent—I spent the next two days wrestling with the Regent dilemma. I’d thought the hardest of my two promises would be dealing with the Grentl but this one was turning out way worse.

  After finally winnowing my list of “marginally acceptables” to twenty, I invited input from Sean, Molly and Cormac—the only people in Nuath I really trusted now.

  “Maybe not Hogan Kelly or Tara McBride,” Sean commented, scanning down my short list. “Back on Earth, Mum mentioned both of them as Royals who’d tried to stir up sentiment against you.”

  “And Phelan,” Molly added. “She was the one on the ship, right? I heard her saying stuff about Rigel, after, you know, what Gordon did, that you definitely wouldn’t have liked.”

  I scratched those three off my list. “What about you, Cormac? Any thoughts?”

  My Bodyguard was frowning. “I did encounter nearly all of these people during my tenures with your father and grandfather. I hate to say so, Excellency, but I’m not certain any of them are either influential or strong-willed enough to resist manipulation by Quinn O’Gara or Devyn Kane, should they attempt such a thing.”

  Which they totally would. Neither would be content to sit passively on the sidelines for long, no matter how sorry Mr. O might be right now. In fact all three men had already tried several times to get around the security protocols I’d set up, according to private alerts I’d received. The last thing I wanted was a Regent who�
�d end up as their puppet.

  “Gah. Will I have to personally interview every single candidate on the planet and evaluate them face to face? That will take ages and I want to get back to Earth now!” I huffed out a frustrated breath. “Sorry. And thanks, you guys. I really do appreciate your help, even if I don’t sound like it.”

  A few minutes later, Molly and Sean went off to have dinner with some friends who’d just arrived that day aboard the Horizon and Cormac returned to whatever he’d been reading before I’d asked for his input.

  Temporarily setting the irritating Regent matter aside, I started scanning my other messages. Since I was no longer having them routed through Mr. O, I had to deal with them myself, at least until I found a proper secretary. Or a Regent…

  Among the mountain of requests for audiences and invitations to events all over Nuath, I discovered the files Healer Adara had promised me on memory restoration. Eagerly, I downloaded them and started reading, only to find them hopelessly technical, using all sorts of jargon—much of it in Nuathan. What little I did understand was pretty discouraging.

  I was highlighting the few things that looked like they might be remotely useful in Rigel’s case when my vidscreen pinged to show an incoming call. Glancing up, I was startled to see Shim Stuart’s name displayed on the screen. I’d been checking the channel for interplanetary messages frequently, hoping for a reply from Rigel’s grandfather. But…this wasn’t an interplanetary call. It was from right here in Nuath!

  Fumbling a little, I opened the connection. “Shim?”

  Sure enough, Shim’s wise, familiar face appeared on the screen. “Excellency. I am delighted to see you in good health. Let me extend my congratulations on your Acclamation, in addition to those already sent on behalf of the Echtran Council. From which I have resigned, by the way. Is it at all possible for us to meet sometime in the next day or two? There are a few matters I would very much like to discuss with you personally.”

  “Of course! Are you here in Thiaraway? Can you come to the Palace right now? Have you had dinner yet?”

  His smile let me know I was babbling. “To answer your questions in order, Excellency, yes, yes, and no. May I consider that an invitation?”

  “Yes! If…if you don’t mind, sir?” Becoming Sovereign hadn’t changed my instinctive deference to Shim. I trusted and respected him more than anyone I could think of. “I would be very, very pleased if you would join me for dinner in my apartment as soon as you can conveniently get here.”

  “Thank you, Excellency. I will be there shortly.”

  I quickly let Palace security know that Shim was to be shown directly to my quarters, then went to the food recombinator to order up a dinner worthy of such a distinguished guest. Not until I was selecting the chocolate mousse for dessert did it hit me that if Shim was in Nuath now, he couldn’t possibly have been on Earth when I’d sent him my message about Rigel.

  Just then, the door chime sounded and Cormac showed Shim into the apartment.

  “Excellency.” He swept me a deep bow and it was all I could do to just incline my head instead of bowing back. Shim was as imposing as ever with his thick shock of white hair and lined, aristocratic face. When he straightened, his clear gray eyes glinted down at me with the same almost superhuman intelligence I remembered.

  “I’m so glad you’re here! But…I guess you didn’t get my message? About Rigel?” He looked tired, so I motioned to one of the plush chairs and we both sat down.

  “I did, Excellency, but not until arriving in Nuath this afternoon, when it was forwarded to me from Earth. I had no idea they meant to send Rigel back so soon.”

  “You mean…you already knew what they planned to do to him? Before you left Earth? Before my message?”

  Shim nodded gravely. “Indeed. It is why I resigned from the Council. Quinn messaged his wife, who shared it with the rest of us. Most of the others felt the course he proposed was necessary, no matter how unorthodox and, may I say, unethical it was. I did not agree and moved that the Council insist Quinn do nothing so extreme until other options had been thoroughly explored. Unfortunately, I was outvoted.”

  “So the whole Echtran Council was in on this?” My instincts had clearly been right to cross those Royals off my Regent list, even if I knew them—thought I knew them—better than any of the others.

  “Nearly. Nara also resigned in protest. Unfortunately, that leaves Kyna the only non-Royal currently on the Council, which I fear may lead to further unwise decisions—or, at least, decisions informed far more by politics than by science.”

  And make the Council even less likely to listen to me. “What made you decide to come to Mars? Don’t you still have your research job in D.C.?”

  Shim shook his head. “I tendered my resignation there, as well. My intention in coming was to do whatever was necessary to forestall Quinn’s plans for Rigel and, of course, to support you in any way I can. After we received word of Eric Eagan’s demise, as well as that of his colleagues in the know, I realized I was perhaps the only Scientist left who might be able to help you with the Grentl device, should you need to deal further with it. Weighing all factors, I felt I could serve the Nuathan people, and yourself, more effectively here than on Earth. I only regret I was unable to arrive sooner.”

  “I wish you could have gotten here in time to stop what they did to Rigel, but that’s not your fault. Mostly…it’s mine. If I’d kept my promise to you and never told him about the Grentl, none of this would have happened.” My insides squirmed with guilt. “Then they’d have had no reason to erase his memory or send him away or…or anything. In fact, I probably would have been Acclaimed the very day we got to Mars.”

  “I seriously doubt that, Excellency. From the news that filtered back to Earth, your, ah, indiscretion during your first hours aboard the Quintessence would have been enough to delay your Acclamation. And I strongly suspect Quinn—and the Council—would have found another pretext to separate you permanently from Rigel, had you not provided them with one. As for your promise, I forgive you. Given your bond with my grandson, it was an unreasonable thing to ask, however much the Council insisted upon it.”

  Shim’s understanding smile comforted me even more than his words, bringing tears to my eyes. “Thanks. That makes me feel a little better. But there’s so, so much I need to tell you! I know Mr. O’Gara sent reports, and I sent a couple myself, but—”

  “Perhaps over dinner?” Shim’s eyes twinkled slightly with something that might have been amusement. “I find that the older I get, the more I appreciate my creature comforts.”

  I jumped up. “Of course! Cormac, since Molly is out, would you mind setting out our food? Everything’s already programmed into the recombinator.”

  Cormac bowed and within moments had the table set and our first course arranged on plates. When he went to stand behind me, I waved him to a chair, as usual.

  “Ah, I’d prefer to eat later instead, if you don’t mind, Excellency?”

  Since he was clearly uncomfortable sitting at the table in front of Shim, I suggested he eat in his room rather than wait, since I had a feeling this might be a really long meal.

  “There are things you wish to tell me?” Shim prompted, picking up his salad fork.

  That was all the invitation I needed. Practically ignoring the gourmet feast I’d arranged, I talked almost nonstop, pouring out everything that had happened since leaving for Mars a month ago. Since Cormac was out of earshot, I even told him about my Scepter and the two Archives, realizing when I mentioned Leontine that Shim reminded me of him a little. I also described in detail my three interactions with the Grentl device. The only thing I left out were the confusing images I’d received when I’d tried to “eavesdrop,” since by now I wasn’t positive I hadn’t imagined them.

  Shim himself retrieved our entrees and desserts from the recombinator, refusing to let me do it, though I countered by asking him to please call me “M” instead of “Excellency” in private.

  �
�Anyway, since you didn’t get my message before leaving, I’m extra glad I also sent one to Rigel’s parents,” I said, finally winding down after nearly two hours. “But will they be able to keep him safe without you there?”

  He looked thoughtful. “Given the security protocols you were foresighted enough to put in place, he should be well enough for the time being, as it is doubtful anyone on Earth yet knows that the deception practiced upon you was discovered. However, I will send a few discreet messages of my own to ensure further safeguards for my grandson, at least until—”

  “Until I can get there myself,” I said eagerly. “You’ll help me do that, won’t you?” I was suddenly seized by an idea so obvious, I couldn’t believe it hadn’t occurred to me an hour ago.

  “That, my dear, is a separate discussion, and one that should probably wait for tomorrow, when I will doubtless feel rather sharper than I do right now. Though I hate to say so, I don’t adjust to time changes as quickly as I used to in my younger days.”

  “I’m sorry! I totally forgot you’d be jet-lagged, coming from Montana. Of course we can wait till tomorrow to talk more. Will you stay here at the Palace tonight? That way you’ll get to bed sooner and it will be that much easier to meet in the morning.”

  “That is very gracious of you, Ex— er, M. I accept your kind offer and thank you also for the most enjoyable meal I’ve had in some time.”

  I messaged the housekeeping staff to have a room ready for him as quickly as possible, then turned back to Shim, nervously clasping my hands in front of me.

  “Sir, I know it’s not what you came to Nuath for and I don’t know how long you’d planned to stay but…would you consider becoming my Regent? I can’t imagine anyone else who’d be even a fraction as good at it.”

  He blinked at me in obvious surprise—the only time I could remember ever seeing Shim surprised. “I’m exceedingly flattered, of course, but you must realize how unprecedented such an appointment would be? There has not been a non-Royal Regent in—”