The Girls From Alcyone

by Cary Caffrey

  "Pack your things, Ms. Novak. You will accompany us to Aquarii, immediately."

  * * *

  February 23, 2348

  "You're going!" Suko cried. "Now?" She was clinging to the back of Sigrid's uniform, clutching at the fabric. Sigrid was doing her best to pack her duffel—trying her best not to look Suko in the face. She couldn't bear it.

  She leaned down to pick up her meager belongings; a picture of her parents, the stacks of letters from her mother, and the small, stuffed rabbit she'd managed to keep with her all these years.

  "You can't go! Not after…" Suko wrapped her arms around her from behind and pulled her away from the duffel and her packing.

  Sigrid hugged Suko's arms even tighter around her. "It's not like I want to."

  Suko's eyes were raw and red with emotion. "Tell them to take me!"

  "I did—I asked. He's only taking me."

  "It doesn't make any sense—just because you killed one of his men…?"

  "I know!"

  Suko's eyes darkened and her body tensed. "Tell them I'll meet with them—I'll kill the other guy. I'll kill him."

  "I wish you could."

  Suko sniffed. "What's going to happen to the rest of us?"

  "He said…Mr. Kimura just said I'm to go to Aquarii. He said they're going to present me to the Board of Directors for evaluation. Then…they'll decide what happens with the rest of you." Sigrid groaned. "Of all the girls, why pick me?"

  Sigrid felt dizzy and sick. She leaned heavily against Suko, who stroked her hair and shoulders. Everything was happening so fast. If only she could stay. But it was already time to go.

  They were waiting for her.

  It took all her force of will to free herself from Suko's embrace. She didn't look back. She couldn't. Sigrid grabbed her duffel and strode toward the door.

  Suko darted past her and backed up against the door, blocking Sigrid's way. "You're not walking out on me like that." Suko was crying. "You can't."

  Sigrid threw her bag to the ground. "It's not like I have a choice, Suko. Don't make this harder than it is."

  "Well, I'm not going to make it easy. I'm not letting them take you. I won't." Suko grabbed Sigrid by the shoulders, her eyes were wide and desperate. "Sigrid, let's get out of here. Let's leave."

  "Leave? Suko…?" What Suko was saying—it was impossible. "But, Kimura…they'll never allow…"

  "We can try. Sigrid—don't go. Come with me."

  Sigrid's heart beat faster. Could they really run away? For a brief moment she allowed herself to contemplate Suko's outlandish proposal. But her heart sank just as quickly. It was impossible.

  "Suko, it's crazy. Kimura would track us. We'd never get off the planet."

  "You don't know that!"

  "Suko…" Sigrid slumped on her bunk, holding her head in her hands. "You're just making things worse." How could she leave? The answer was simple: she couldn't. They wouldn't let her. Even if she did, even if by some miracle she and Suko managed to escape, her family would be ruined.

  Sigrid rubbed hard at her temples. Her head throbbed as a wave of nausea washed over her. Suko sat next to her. She sobbed as she leaned her head against Sigrid's shoulder and pulled her close. Sigrid wanted to stay more than anything, but how could she? The decision had already been made long ago. Kimura owned her and her family. They would take her away and there was nothing she could do.

  "I'm—I'm sorry, Suko."

  For a moment, Suko just stared back, her face a mixture of hurt and confusion. Suko wiped her nose with her arm. "Then, you're…you're really going?"

  "What choice do I have?"

  Suko looked down, staring at her feet. "I would never leave you."

  "That's not fair! What you're asking me…it would destroy my family."

  "The family that sent you here."

  Sigrid heard the anger in Suko's voice—anger at her, or Suko's own family, she wasn't sure. She put her hand on Suko's arm. "Suko, I know how you feel about your family—"

  "And I know how you feel about yours." Suko pulled away from her hand so abruptly that Sigrid gasped. Suko's eyes were redder still, and her nose was running freely. "But I guess you don't know how I feel about you."

  The words stabbed at Sigrid, but this time it was Suko who couldn't look at her. Sigrid reached for her, crying, but Suko turned away, shrugged off her touch and ran for the door.

  "Suko…!"

  Suko darted out into the hall, bumping into two Mercenary soldiers coming the other way.

  "Suko! Wait!" Sigrid was up and running after her, but the two Marines at the door blocked her way.

  "Time to go, Ms. Novak," one of them said, holding up his hand.

  Sigrid staggered back and fell onto her bunk. It was too late. Sigrid knew she'd never see Suko again. She lay back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, unable to move. Moving would mean leaving, and leaving would mean that this was real, and not just some terrible nightmare.

  Finally one of the soldiers cleared his throat. Sigrid looked up. They were both staring down at her as she lay on the bed.

  "What," Sigrid said. It was not even a question. She didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore. Suko was gone.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Agatsuma

  February 23, 2348

  The journey to the waiting transport ship felt like the walk of death to Sigrid. None of the girls in the halls looked up at her as she passed by them, shadowed by her mercenary escort. There was no one to meet Sigrid or see her off as she boarded the Agatsuma. The two mercenaries deposited her at the bottom of the staircase that reached up into the belly of the ship. As Sigrid entered, the stairs retracted behind her, sealing her in; sealing her fate, she reflected.

  She was vaguely aware of the ship's thrusters firing as the Corvette lifted off. The inertial-dampers shielded the crew from the crushing g-forces as the ship blasted its way skyward. By the time a single crewman arrived to escort her down the narrow corridors to her quarters, the Agatsuma had already cleared the atmosphere and broken orbit. Sigrid was instructed to wait until called for. She hardly heard the crewman—so lost was she in her own bleak thoughts.

  She'd held herself together so far, but as the door to her quarters closed behind her, the despair cascaded over her. More alone than she'd ever felt in her life, she collapsed on the bunk, buried her face in the pillow, and wept. She still couldn't believe Suko was gone. How could she face the rest of her life without her?

  And Suko's words still stung her. "You don't know how I feel about you," she'd said.

  Didn't she? Without Suko, Sigrid felt she would have perished long ago. Suko had always been there for her. Suko had protected and cared for her. When they were together, she felt whole and complete. Without her, all she felt was deep despair.

  The realization hit her like a brick. She loved Suko. More than that. She was in love with her. And I never told her, Sigrid thought, horrified. She groaned and held her head in her hands. Sigrid felt sick. What had she done…

  Sigrid couldn't decide what was worse; the thought of Suko hating her, or the thought of never seeing her again. If only she could apologize, if only she could tell Suko she loved her. But she couldn't turn back time. With every second, the Agatsuma was accelerating away from Alcyone and away from Suko.

  Suddenly angry, furious at herself and at Kimura, Sigrid grabbed the small clock from the little bedside table and hurled it at the door. Only then did she see the young woman standing there; the ensign ducked and squealed as the clock sailed past her and smashed into the bulkhead behind.

  Cautiously, the ensign poked her head back in the doorway. She held her hand to her chest. "Oh my—are you all right?"

  Sigrid tried to answer, but was overcome by tears again.

  "Oh, my poor dear," the girl said, rushing to Sigrid's side. She gathered Sigrid into her arms, holding her close and rocking her. "Whatever's the matter?"

  Sigrid's body shook as she succumbed to her grief. She had no idea who the girl w
as, yet she clung to her, pressing her face to her chest. The ensign stroked her hair, hushing her gently.

  In time, Sigrid's trembling subsided. She frowned, suddenly embarrassed at her emotional outburst. "I'm sorry." She wiped at her eyes with the heels of her hands.

  "That's quite all right."

  Sigrid saw her clearly for the first time. She looked about twenty. Her long, curly black hair was tied in an elaborate series of knots and braids, tucked neatly behind her head—not a strand out of place. The smooth, dark brown skin of her face framed a pair of large brown eyes and a pronounced, dimpled chin. Her full lips were painted red, her cheeks artificially flushed; even her eyes were enhanced by the elaborate colors and lines of her makeup.

  Sigrid noted the girl was an ensign in Kimura's naval forces. Her finely tailored uniform looked sharp enough to cut paper. Sigrid released herself from the embrace almost apologetically. She'd left a smear on the girl's lapel.

  "Are you…all right?"

  What could Sigrid say? I've just left the woman I'm in love with… Did people say such things to people they'd just met?

  "I'm fine," Sigrid said. She wiped her nose and gave a big sniff.

  The young ensign handed Sigrid a tissue and shifted herself on the bunk, facing Sigrid. She held out her hand. "I'm Ensign McTeer, and I'll be your Orientations Officer. Are you…sure you're all right?"

  She wasn't, but Sigrid nodded and wiped at her eyes again. "Sorry. Call me Sigrid." Sigrid said, emphasizing the seeg—everyone got her name wrong at first.

  "Very well. Then you must call me Karen," the girl said in such a friendly fashion that Sigrid felt some of her tension ease; she even managed a small smile. "You're not technically in my chain of command," Karen continued, "so I suppose there's no need for us to use titles—although, I would advise you to address most of the officers by their rank until they say otherwise. I'm not sure if the Captain would appreciate you calling him Steve just yet." Karen winked.

  Sigrid heard herself laugh. "No, I don't suppose he would."

  Karen rose and retrieved the two bags she'd dropped: a small, square case and a long garment bag, which she hung on a hook behind Sigrid's door. "I suppose you're probably wondering about all this…"

  Sigrid nodded again.

  "Well, to start, I guess I'm here to help prepare you for arrival and for your…presentation to Kimura."

  "Presentation?"

  Karen smiled. "Mr. Kimura—the man you met, was concerned that your years at the Academy might have left you a little…rough around the edges—his words, not mine. He's asked me to…" Karen looked a little embarrassed,"…smooth things out, I suppose."

  Karen stood and held out her hands to Sigrid, prompting her to stand. Sigrid did so, a little uncertainly. There was a full length mirror on the back of the closet door. Karen positioned Sigrid in front of it and stood behind her.

  "Now, this outfit—" she said, examining Sigrid's coverall somewhat distastefully, "—might be fine for skulking around in the dark on some clandestine task. You might even wear it around the ship if you like, but for most functions I'd normally recommend something more formal. Unfortunately, we don't have a tailor or quartermaster on board. I brought a few things of my own. I hope that's all right?"

  Ensign McTeer unzipped the garment bag and took out two outfits still on their hangers. The first was a formal ship's uniform; Karen held it in front of herself and studied Sigrid with a frown. "No—this won't do. I'm afraid it will be quite big on you." Karen was, indeed, several inches taller than Sigrid, but then, so was everyone, Sigrid reasoned. Karen put the uniform back in the bag and held out a dress this time; it was made of a deep, shimmering blue fabric, with patterns of color that shifted in the differing aspects of light. "I think something like this might be more appropriate for dining with the Captain tonight."

  Sigrid regarded it a little skeptically. She'd never seen such an elaborate garment. All the clothes she'd worn at the Academy were more of the utilitarian sort, function over form.

  Karen nudged her, offering the dress. "Here—I know you'll be a knockout in it."

  Sigrid knew forty-eight ways to knock someone out, but none of them involved wearing a dress. She stripped off her jumpsuit and stepped almost cautiously into the dress; she wasn't even sure which was the front or back, but Karen helped her by guiding it on.

  "I was worried it might be a bit long, but I think it's okay," Karen said.

  Long? The thing barely came halfway down her thigh! On Karen, it must have been daringly short. She began to pull her combat boots back on.

  Karen stopped her. "I think these'll work better," she suggested, pulling several different pairs of shoes from the bag. "I wasn't sure of your size so I had some of the girls lend me their favorites. Hopefully, we can find something that fits."

  Karen dropped several pairs of slippers and high-heeled shoes in front of Sigrid, but her small feet swam in most of them. The only pair that fitted properly were platform soled boots that zipped up just past her ankle. The heels were preposterously high. They looked ridiculous and impractical, but when Sigrid stood up she found herself looking down at Karen.

  After a few careful steps, she discovered she could move around in the boots more easily than she'd first imagined.

  "I love them!"

  Karen chuckled. "Lieutenant Meres will be happy to hear that." With a hand on each shoulder, Karen guided Sigrid to the chair at the table. "Now, for the rest," she declared as she opened a case on the table, revealing an assortment of makeup, lipsticks and brushes.

  The makeup kit held a small mirror which Karen placed in front of her. When Sigrid looked in the mirror, she covered her mouth, horrified. Her face was puffy, with eyes bloodshot and red from crying. She looked terrible! Fortunately, Karen was a master-artist. A cool, soothing cream reduced the puffiness and a touch of rouge brought color back to her cheeks. When the ensign was done, a completely different Sigrid stared back from the looking-glass.

  "Goodness…" Sigrid said, admiring Karen's masterful work. She wished Suko were there now; she couldn't help but wonder what she'd think if she saw her like this. Would she laugh? Would she like it? Lost in thought, she barely noticed as Karen brushed out her hair and completed her outfit with a series of sparkling bracelets.

  Karen examined her creation. She seemed quite satisfied with her work and gave Sigrid a wink. "There. Totally sexy."

  Sexy? Sigrid thought. Me?

  Leta was sexy. The girl was all long legs and breasts, and with that mane of flaming red hair, Leta oozed sex-appeal. Suko was exotic and beautiful, long and slender. But Sigrid, on the other hand…her own face had always seemed rather plain, her nose too big, her blond hair limp and dull. But when she looked at herself now—she had changed so much in the past year.

  Was it the clothes? The shoes? Was she really sexy too?

  "All done," Karen said. "Now, I think there's just enough time for a tour of the ship before dinner."

  Sigrid didn't think she could eat, though the idea of getting out of her tiny quarters suited her just fine. The distraction from her misery would be welcome. But she didn't feel quite dressed yet. She rifled through her duffel to complete her outfit in the way she knew best. A pair of throwing knives slipped easily into each of her boots, with one down the front of her bra for good measure, and she never went anywhere without the twin Markov's strapped to her hips.

  Karen groaned as Sigrid fastened the heavy holster around the dress. She reached out a hand to stop her. "That's…not quite the look I think we're going for." Karen reached into the case she'd brought and handed Sigrid a small pistol in a tiny holster with a single leg-strap. "They told me you girls never go unarmed, so I brought this."

  Sigrid pulled the weapon out. It was nothing more than a small hideout pistol; the power-pack only held enough charge for a few shots, but it seemed lethal enough.

  "Thanks," Sigrid said; she still wasn't sure where to put it.

  "Pardon the reach," Karen said
as she fastened the small holster to Sigrid's thigh, high enough to be concealed by the hem of her dress.

  Sigrid let the ensign lead her through the narrow corridors. The craft she'd traveled on as a child had been one of the large commercial ships. The Agatsuma was a sleek Corvette—a predator in comparison. This was a military vessel. The crew compliment of forty-two belied the lethality of the small ship, which bristled from stem to stern with armaments.

  The few crew members she passed wore the sharp, black and red naval uniforms of Kimura; all looked immaculately groomed and professional, very different from the rough-looking Marines she'd grown used to at the school. Sigrid took note of the mess-areas and the small gymnasium where a handful of crew were working out, but of special interest to her was the Tactical Operations Center. The Weapons Control room led out into a long corridor that spanned the length of the ship, giving access to Torpedo Control and a bank of weapons pods. All the pods were manned and ready; Sigrid sensed that all the crew were intent on something. There was a great deal of chatter.

  "What's going on?" Sigrid asked.

  "Don't worry," Karen said, "it's just a drill. Lately—with all the nonsense going on—Captain Maalouf has been drilling the crew around the clock. I suppose he feels it's best to be prepared."

  Prepared for what? Sigrid wondered. She wasn't sure what Karen meant by 'nonsense' either, but she made a note of inquiry. Right now she was far more interested in watching the crew in the nearest weapons pod. The pod controlled one of the four quad-mounted rail guns mounted on the exterior of the ship. Sigrid knew from her lessons that the combination of mass and inertia was far more effective against targets in space than laser weapons, or even torpedoes, which could be defeated easily with countermeasures. Hurling a handful of pebbles across space at .65 c could rip apart a starship just as easily as a nuclear detonation. Of course, they didn't really use pebbles. The gunnery officers could select from a number of lethal projectiles. The preferred ordnance were the tiny shredder-rounds. Equipped with proximity fuses, the rounds would break into thousands of tiny fragments as they closed to within striking distance of their target. Any rounds not passing through the target would detonate, causing further carnage. The only drawback of the weapon was that it had to be manually aimed and fired.