Warp Point

by Darrell Bain

  “Our sentiments exactly. We have no love for them, nor they for us. It sounds as if you might possibly consider us?"

  Stacey nudged Dan to keep him from answering. She had some questions herself. “Cedrick, I don't see any women in your delegation. What is the status of females in your society?"

  He smiled. “Right to the heart of matters, just like your husband.” Then the smile faded. “Stacey, I must confess that our historical treatment of the distaff side of our society has not been pretty in many instances, and in many periods during our industrial development.” He paused, as if trying to think how to put his next words in the best light.

  Stacey didn't wait on him. “Cedrick, we're not particularly concerned with history just yet. What we want to know is how women are treated now. Do they have equal rights with men? Can they own property, serve in government, dress as they please, decide themselves on whether to carry a conception to term or discontinue it, have sexual relations with whom they please while unmarried, have ... well, you get the point, I'm sure."

  “Indeed I do, Stacey. Let me put it this way: no, women in our society are not equal in every possible sense. Some of it is biological limitations or restrictions. I hesitate to get into all the ramifications of your question off the top of my hat. To answer one of your concerns, though, we have no women present right now because we didn't know whether you would allow it. I shall remedy that quickly, though. I can't introduce you to my wife immediately since she isn't with me, but at our next meeting we will bring the female part of our delegation. Will that suit you?"

  “Only partly. Perhaps you could provide us with your version of a history book and an encyclopedia when we meet again. In return, we've prepared booklets which explain our world's and our nation's history and culture in abbreviated form. We'll leave it with you."

  “Excellent. Now, President Birmingham is very anxious for you to see our land and people in order to give you an idea of how we live. Could we escort groups from your vessel on some excursions around the country?"

  Stacey turned to her husband. “Dan?"

  He rubbed his chin. “That's a very nice offer, Cedrick. Could you perhaps allow us to defer an answer for a couple of days?"

  “Considering your reception in the Braken Confederacy, I can well understand your reluctance, Dan. Certainly you can wait to make a decision."

  The talk went on for another hour, then after a break for a meal and refreshments, started again. This time Dan had sent for various flavors of alcoholic beverages after learning their hosts not only had no objections, but would be glad to participate.

  Dan sent Craddick and his cohorts back to the ship after telling him the afternoon talk would be devoted to a more informal arrangement with no need for diplomats. In reality, he was simply tired of the frowns and other inimical facial expressions the man continually displayed when he disagreed with something others said. He thought that if Craddick was the best diplomatic representative the country could produce, it was no wonder the United States always had trouble with foreign policy.

  The afternoon was a relaxing change from the morning formalities where each side had been feeling the other out. Dan became even calmer when he got the report that Pioneer could find no signs of nearby or impending hostile activity, either directly or from the observation satellite left in orbit after the last disaster.

  Two middle aged, attractive women in the mode of polished functionaries joined them. Stacey made sure she had a chance to get them off to the side occasionally for banter without any men nearby. She found them to be friendly and very knowledgeable of world affairs. She even learned things about the other two powers on the globe which had been overlooked or concealed while in the Braken Confederacy.

  One of the women, Mercy Franklings, told Stacey she had been married, then legally widowed, their term for divorce. “It's not an easy state to achieve, especially for the lower classes,” she said. “The state prefers that families stay together, but if the Shire decides the state would be better served by a woman becoming legally widowed, then it's done—after the fee is paid."

  “Pardon me, Mercy, there's a couple of terms I didn't get. What is a ‘Shire'?"

  “That's...” she appeared to be running comparisons or terms through her mind. “Oh. It's like one of your judges, except they apparently have more power in our society than yours."

  “And ‘Lower Classes?’”

  “That's more complicated. Many of our societal functions are dependent on money, or access to it. For instance, for anyone to hold a paying position over and above the stipend for basic affairs, a fee is required. It's all rather complicated, but I understand Cedricks's provided you with a historical synopsis of how the commonwealth evolved, as opposed to the Brakens or Allah Land."

  Stacey nodded, trying to sort it all out but came up short. She told herself to be certain to read a copy of the history before going to sleep that night.

  In the meantime, Dan and Hawkins were beginning to get a grasp on how the Commonwealth functioned from Cedrick and his assistant, but they were more interested in military and political structure. Matt, like Stacey, was concentrating on the culture.

  Jack Soffrom, who turned out to be their equivalent of a high ranking general, filled them in on some of the military aspects. “We have no choice but to maintain a strong military, much as we deplore the waste of money. Should we fail to keep a strong army, the Brakens or L.A. would quickly take over. Likely, they'd simply split our lands between them."

  “I take it L.A. stands for ‘Land of Allah'?” Dan queried.

  “Right. There's some who say the constant research necessary to uphold our technical superiority contributes to the economy and scientific atmosphere of the Commonwealth. Others say the expenditures would serve much better for infrastructure, education and so on. There's something to be said for both arguments, in my opinion."

  Hawkins had to agree. “It's much the same back home. Doubtless we wouldn't have space travel and many other innovations had it not been for military competition."

  Jack looked back at the bulk of Pioneer with profound admiration. “I'd say that ship alone pays for all the money spent on your military. With interstellar travel, you're obviously far ahead of us in technology.” He frowned briefly. “Although, I do notice some incongruities between a spaceship of such magnitude and capability and other hardware, such as your sidearm, that's more or less on a par with our own.” He raised a brow in query, not really expecting an honest answer but unable to keep from speaking his mind."

  Dan and Hawkins exchanged glances. “Go ahead, Chet. I see no advantage in keeping it secret."

  Hawkins agreed. “We didn't build the ship, Jack. Another race did it. We're simply the recipients of their largess, in a roundabout way."

  “God's Wife, how lucky for you!"

  “Not really,” Dan admitted. “We've lost our way home."

  “Oh. Yes, I recall now. Sorry."

  “No need to be sorry. The universe plays no favorites."

  “Indeed not. Well, we've been authorized by our president to offer you the whole of one of our largest off-shore Islands, the one you call The Isle of Wright, to settle on should you desire. I'll freely admit it would be to our advantage, having you and that great spaceship on our side. L.A. and the Braken are pressing us rather hard these last few revs."

  Dan had to think a moment before understanding a rev meant the same as a year. The language was similar to their own but many terms were unfamiliar. Nevertheless, he and his advisors got along pretty well with the alien tongue after spending part of the time before the first landing becoming familiar with it from broadcasts. “We'd really prefer neutrality, although I suppose if we did settle here we'd be obligated to help defend our hosts. I hope you understand that the whole question of whether we go or stay leaves us in a quandary."

  “Certainly.” Jack checked his watch unobtrusively, causing Dan to do the same. He was surprised by how much time had passed and at how much he
had been enjoying the social intercourse.

  A short time later, the two delegations separated in an aura of mutual good will, enhanced considerably by the lower level of spirits in several bottles.

  * * *

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  With nothing dangerous in sight and suffused with the friendly atmosphere, Dan consulted with Stacey about the idea of guided tours. They decided it was pointless to wait, and the excursions began the next day. Only he, Stacey, Matt and Hawkins were excluded.

  Dan limited his and Stacey's presence at the continuing talks to an hour or two in the mornings. After that they retired to their stateroom, where they gradually began to relax. He put the backup crew on duty and simply stayed inside to receive reports of the tours. They made love, talked about the culture they were exploring, and from the feedback the ones taking the guided tours gave them, began thinking they might have found a place to settle.

  If it wasn't for the prospect of being sandwiched between two antagonistic empires and the thought that sooner or later warfare would ensue, they might have been more enthusiastic.

  One afternoon as they lay stretched out on the big stateroom bed, the intercom chimed in its softly muted tone.

  “Is that the last one?” Dan asked as they glanced toward their screen. It showed a throng of crewmates disembarking from the buses and waving happily to some of their fellows who were outside the ship and enjoying a day of bright sunshine.

  “I think so,” Stacey replied as she watched the arriving passengers mingle with their fellows, chatting happily over having at last been freed from the ship. It was a new world they had been exploring, even though it had the same physical features of their old home. She had been keeping up with the cultural studies more than Dan had.

  “Good. Now that everyone's had a chance to leave the ship for a while and seen how they live here, it's getting about time to decide what we do next."

  “Is there that much of a hurry?"

  “No ... other than I'm afraid that staying here in the Commonwealth might be enough in itself to precipitate a war, with the Bracken and L.A. ganging up on the Commonwealth. Sweetheart, I don't want us involved in a war. I've already seen more death on this trip than I did while I was in the Army."

  Stacey moved closer and lay her head on his chest. “I've seen about all I can stand, too. But what do we do? If we leave here, we'll have to start hunting for a planet of our own."

  “I know. I always thought I'd love to explore the galaxy, but being responsible for five thousand other people puts a new perspective on it.” He stroked Stacey's back. “And we have no assurance of finding another Earth-like world. All we have to go on is Termen. It was compatible according to our instruments, but we really don't know what we'd have found had we landed on it."

  “Surely there's other planets we can live on."

  “If we leave here, we'd better hope so!” He sighed and continued stroking, moving his hand gently along her spine, drawing little murmurs of appreciative assent. “Well, at least we know most solar systems have multiple warp points now, and we know how to find them. It'd be flying blind in a way, but it wouldn't be hopeless by any means."

  “Some will want to stay here."

  “I know. In fact, I approve of it."

  Stacey moved her lips on his chest. “You do? Why?"

  “So we can even out the ratio between men and women on the ship. Shucks, we could even ask for volunteers to go with us from here."

  “Would they allow it?"

  “I'll make them an offer they can't refuse."

  “Why don't you do that for me?"

  “Okay. You make it so easy I can't refuse."

  * * * *

  The next day, in the midst of a contented and cheerful sense of well being throughout the ship, Dan was forced to call an emergency meeting. As soon as the inner circle was present, he waved his hand toward the bar. He already had a snifter of brandy in his hand. He was sitting next to Stacey on the little love seat, leaving the larger lounger and the two easy chairs for the others.

  Once they were settled, he had to break the bad news. “Folks, I know most of the crew is wanting to settle down here, even though there's a risk of war in the future, and even though the culture of the Commonwealth is quite different from anything we're used to."

  “Women aren't equal here,” Stacey said bluntly. “It's not nearly as bad as it has been in the past, but it's not all that good, either. Women have a long way to go here before they'll be equal in all respects, especially those not in the moneyed class. Still, a lot of crew, male and female alike, want to stay rather than risk further exploration. They haven't heard what we have, though."

  “Yeah,” Hawkins said. “Braken and L.A. both are threatening an immediate war if we remain on this Earth. They've given us three days to leave. I know hardly any of us are interested in either of those empires, so if we stay, we cast our lot with the Commonwealth, the best of the three—and risk starting a war."

  “Damn it, we can't seem to get a break anywhere,” Matt said. He gripped Tara's hand as if she were his only contact with all things sane.

  Tara was dressed in a bright green sarong and short sleeved jacket over a reddish colored shirt, a local fashion she had received as a gift from one of the guides on a tour she had taken. “I'm almost tempted to say let's settle here, despite the limitations for women. Our presence would speed up changes for the better that're already under way."

  Stacey wasn't quite so optimistic. “I don't know, Tara. It's such a class-oriented society. Those're the hardest to change. However, I know some women on the ship would rather accept a subordinate status than go looking for a new planet."

  “You're forgetting, we'd start out in the upper class,” Tara responded.

  “Most of us; not all."

  “We have to decide,” Dan reminded them. “Less than three days now. That's how long they gave us to leave the planet."

  “We could put a stop to that threat easily enough,” Hawkins said. “Just set off an A-bomb and let them know we have more of them. I don't figure they'd risk annihilation just to stick to a deadline."

  “It might come to that,” Dan said, surprising everyone. He looked at the startled faces, then explained. “Three days isn't long enough for everyone to make up their minds."

  “About what?” Matt asked.

  “About staying or leaving."

  “So what are you proposing, then?"

  Dan felt Stacey's hand slide into his own. He laced fingers with her and told them. “I'd like to let everyone off the ship who wants to go. In return, I want to ask the Baron if he'll allow volunteers to leave the Commonwealth and come with us, women mostly, to bring our disparity of females up so the numbers of both sexes aboard are about equal. In short, Stacey and I have talked it over. We don't want to stay here. And before anyone accuses me of being a dictator, I'm going to order Chet to have one of his pilots take a cutter and set off a low-yield weapon on an uninhabited island, after inviting the Braken and L.A. to watch. That'll give us more time."

  “Gosh, Captain,’ Susan said, “It seems like the way Pioneer is armed, we could stay here forever and no one would bother us or the country we settle in."

  Dan was gentle with her. “It doesn't work like that in the long run, Susan. Terrorists, guerilla warfare, special ops teams, financial wars, withholding of industrial supplies ... oh shucks, the list is as long as your arm. Sure, we could level our antagonists down to bedrock with Pioneer and stop it, but who's going to take the responsibility for something like that?"

  “There's another thing to think about,” Hawkins said. “Whatever we do here, this is only one Earth out of an infinity of others. Some better, some worse. We could kill everyone on the planet and it wouldn't matter when put against the infinite number of Earths where we didn't do that.” Hawkins gazed around the room before continuing. “I couldn't do it and live with myself, but maybe others could."

  “No. I won't have anything even approac
hing that on my conscience. How about we ask for an extension of the time first, then if we don't get it, demonstrate an atomic bomb for them. That'll get their attention long enough for us to finish our business here and leave."

  “And go looking for a new world. There has to be another somewhere in the galaxy we can find while we're still young,” Stacy said.

  Dan had some thoughts on that subject he hadn't shared with anyone yet, even Stacey, but it wasn't the time to bring it up yet. “Is everyone here agreed on the course of action I suggested? If not I want to hear it now."

  Susan was reluctant, but the rest agreed. She looked over at Hawkins, still sitting in his wheel chair. A tiny smile tilted the corners of her lips and she joined the rest of them. “I'll make it unanimous,” she said.

  After that, Dan expressed his other thought. “Everyone give me an opinion on this one. We've discovered the Commonwealth is somewhat ahead of us in the biological sciences. Suppose we trade them some engineering data in exchange for all their knowledge of biology."

  “It's okay with me,” Matt said. “But why? We'll have enough to do as is."

  “Dan shrugged. “We'll probably be able to use it on new planets, don't you think?"

  It seemed a logical enough answer and the rest agreed.

  * * *

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Dan was in Central Control when the bomb went off, a small twenty kiloton device dropped by one of Pioneer's cutters. After the unbearably bright flash of light, the familiar mushroom cloud rose into a cloudless sky, appearing ugly and vile when compared to the pristine coast of the island below. He hated to see such a place defiled but it had turned out to be the only way to convince the empires of their intentions to stay longer than three days. Afterward, they agreed readily enough to allow Pioneer to linger another two weeks.

  Much of the time was spent exchanging personnel. Hawkins lost almost half the battalion of soldiers, who were replaced with mostly female volunteers from the Commonwealth. The only contretemps came when Dan's inner circle insisted on a wide selection of women, lower class as well as upper, and all of child-bearing age. Before they spoke up, the Commonwealth had been sending only volunteers from the upper classes. A smattering of scientists wanted to be put off, mostly older men and women who had lost the taste for exploration. They were replaced with a younger group representing approximately the same specialties from the Commonwealth. Father Gomez decided to stay. Several Muslims asked to be transferred to the Land of Allah and Dan complied without argument.