T'aafhal Legacy 1: Ghosts of Orion

by Doug L. Hoffman

“Aye, Chief,” Matt replied from outside the ship. In less than a minute another escape pod appeared, as though it was being extruded through the solid cargo bay door. As with the first pod it stopped halfway in. The inspection sequence and door opening was repeated, only this time the passengers did not tumble out onto the deck. From inside the spherical pod a voice called out.

  “Permission to come aboard, Sir?”

  “Permission granted. You may come aboard.” the Chief replied with a crooked smile.

  Leon ushered his two charges out the hatch and lined them up facing the Chief before joining them in line himself. He saluted the Chief and spoke.

  “Petty Officer Second Class Leon Delaney, late of the ESS Fortune, reporting with a party of two ex-colonists,” then, catching the rank insignia on the Chief's armor, added, “Chief.”

  The Chief returned his salute before addressing the man.

  “I ain't really the OOD, but then this ain't a normal way to come aboard. I do appreciate yer upholding Navy tradition though. Welcome aboard, Mr. Delaney.”

  “Thank you, Chief.”

  “And who are these two?”

  “Malachi and Hezekiah, two colonists from the late Brother Abraham's congregation.”

  The parties mentioned smiled meekly at the Chief but did not speak.

  “Just what I need, a couple of Bible thumpers who don't know a sheet from a halyard. Well, take 'em forward for showers and a change of clothes, this one looks like he pissed himself. The Captain will sort them all out.”

  “Aye, aye, thank you Chief.”

  Outside the ship, Matt Jacobs gave the second pod a final push, setting it drifting away from the ship. His partner Steve Hitch had already disposed of the first pod in a similar fashion. Pulling close enough to Matt's tug to talk on suit-to-suit, Hitch spoke.

  “What was the Chief talking about? To my knowledge we ain't never had a sheet or a halyard on the Peggy Sue.”

  “I believe the Chief was speaking metaphorically, Stevie. We need to talk to this Leon guy, it sounds like he may know his ass from a hole in the ground.”

  “Right.”

  Pinnace Two

  Frank finished putting Shuttle B on a course that would eventually spiral into the red star at the center of the system. He hated to see the end of the shuttle, she had been a good ship. But the Peggy Sue's Captain wanted nothing left floating around this star system that might harbor remnants of the black contagion.

  “Adios, old girl,” he said, locking the controls and moving aft to the airlock.

  Depressurizing the compartment between the flight deck and the cargo hold, the pilot peered out the small transparent porthole on the crew entrance door. There, hanging in space next to his soon to be former command was another, much smaller shuttle.

  The smaller craft was Peggy Sue's second pinnace, a small boat used to transfer crew between ships in space or to and from a planet's surface. A side hatch was open and a figure in a space suit could be seen waving. Frank stepped back and opened the door.

  The pilot was at ease flying a shuttle, landing on a planet or docking with a starship, but stepping out into inky black nothingness gave him the willies. He took a deep breath and carefully launched himself in the direction of the pinnace.

  The float over seem to take forever, though less than a minute elapsed between leap and arrival. His aim was good, coming close enough for the man in the side hatch to lean out and clasp hands. Pulling the last refugee from the Fortune inside, the crewman secured the hatch and started repressurizing the small shuttle.

  The man spoke to him over suit-to-suit comm.

  “All right, mate. You're safe and sound now.” The man's accent was Australian. He called out to the pilot. “Mr. Lewis. It's grouse, the bloke is on board.”

  “Roger that, Jay. We're headed for home.”

  Outside the pinnace's panoramic windows the stars pinwheeled as the small shuttle changed course for its mother ship. Frank looked around the well appointed interior of the craft and wondered.

  Now what? At least I'm alive and not stuck inside a shuttle eating rat bars for a month, hoping that black crud doesn't find a way in. I hope the Peggy Sue's Captain doesn't hold a grudge, old Chakrabarti must have pissed him off pretty good. These guys seem OK though, and the merchant ship can't be more messed up than the Fortune. That's it, think positive thoughts, Frank, positive thoughts.

  Main Lounge, Peggy Sue

  The Captain had Mizuki fetch the two female survivors from sick bay and bring them to the main lounge while he oversaw the recovery of the survivors from the Fortune. The sisters looked around the lounge with great interest—there was nothing this opulent on board the Fortune. In fact, they had seen nothing to compare with the rich wood and polished metal surfaces of the lounge since they had been rescued from Earth years ago.

  Their lives had been spent in utilitarian refugee apartments on the Moon, seldom getting to venture out to the enclosed base. In over a year living at Farside they never saw the lunar surface or the Moon's stricken but still beautiful mother planet. The journey to Paradise was no better, traveling in the hold of the Colonization Board transport.

  Paradise had been a welcome change, right up until they were told they had to marry men they did not know. Of course, they got out of the forced nuptials when the planet decided to kill everyone in all three settlements. Given past events, Shadi and Dorri could not be blamed for being a bit leery regarding their new circumstances.

  “Please, sit down,” said Mizuki, motioning to a table near the large eye-shaped viewport on the starboard side of the lounge. “What would you like to drink?”

  Dorri looked shyly at the oriental woman and asked, “do you have Parsi or Zam Zam?”

  “I'm not sure I know what those are,” said Mizuki with a quizzical look on her face.

  “Sorry,” added Shadi, “they are both cola flavored soft drinks, like Pepsi or Coca-cola. Either of those would do fine. We haven't had a soda in years.”

  “I'm sure that Jimmy has something like that behind the bar.” Mizuki turned and signaled to the Jamaican bartender, motioning him over to the table.

  “Ah, you be bringin' I new customers,” he said with a white toothy smile and thick Jamaican accent. “What is your pleasure, ladies?”

  “Jimmy, this is Shadi and Dorri, both new to the Peggy Sue. Ladies, this is Jimmy Tosh, our head chef and bartender.”

  The girls mumbled polite hellos, still a bit self-conscience being without headscarfs in the presence of men. Mizuki ordered for the party.

  “The young ladies will have a cola if you please, and I will have mineral water.”

  “No problem, mon, comin' right up. Will you be having someting to eat? I have a very nice curried conch salad with saffron rice today.”

  “That sounds wonderful, Jimmy. Girls, what would you like?”

  After a moment's hesitation Shadi asked, “Could we have cheese burgers? And fries?”

  “For you beautiful ladies, anyting.”

  Humming a happy tune, Jimmy went back to the kitchen behind the bar. From the kitchen, he could be heard singing and banging pots around. Of all the people on board the Peggy Sue, Jimmy was the most consistently upbeat. Some said it was his Rastafarian beliefs, others the plants he had growing in a back corner of one of the hydroponic gardens on deck three.

  “Where is he from?” asked Shadi. “I've never heard anyone talk like he talks.”

  “He is from Jamaica, an island in the Caribbean Sea. He was the bartender at a restaurant back on the Moon—its owner is a friend of the Captain's. Jimmy got into a bit of trouble and needed to disappear for a while, so we brought him along on the voyage.”

  “Really, why?”

  “You will find that most of us on board the Peggy Sue are old friends, almost like a big family. We help each other out when we can. When you meet Billy Ray—Captain Vincent—you will see what I mean.”

  “What do you do on the ship?” asked Dorri.

  “I am
the Science Officer. I am in charge of the other scientists who are on the expedition. That and I also have a station on the bridge where I operate the ship's telescopes if we are exploring a new system, or get into a fight.”

  “You are also a scientist?”

  “Yes, I am an astrophysicist. And since we do not have an astronomer aboard I also help navigate the ship.”

  “There seem to be so many women in important positions on this ship,” Shadi observed. “Is this normal?”

  “Yes, Shadi. On this ship and many others men and women are equals, judged only by their ability. Women even fight beside the men when we go into battle. We practice martial arts together in the cargo hold when we are underway. Once you feel more at home you might want to join us, it is a very good way to stay in shape.”

  While they were waiting on their food, a flock of small flying creatures emerged from a companionway at the rear of the lounge. They swarmed out of the opening and up to the ceiling, tumbling across the open space to swirl around the table the women were sitting at.

  “Butterflies!” squealed Dorri, clapping her hands together. The fluttering insects flashed blue and green and turquoise as they surrounded the diners.

  “You keep butterflies on your ship, Dr. Ogawa?” asked Shadi.

  Mizuki said something in Japanese to the flying creatures, which seemed to quiet them down. She smiled at the girls and explained.

  “They are not really butterflies. They are an alien species I found on a distant space station. Actually they found me.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, they seem to share a single consciousness, and to act at times as a single being. You can tell their mood by the colors they display—right now they are happy because they have found me.”

  “Do they just fly loose around the ship?” Dorri asked, holding out a finger for one of the flying creatures to alight on.

  “No, usually they stay in our quarters. My partner, Bobby, must have let them out. Sometimes they get out by accident, and sometimes on purpose. Bobby, the sailing master, was flying the shuttle that picked you up from the surface.”

  “We did not get to meet him yet, or the Marines,” said Shadi.

  “They were all enclosed in their armor, but we would like to thank them all,” added her sister.

  “Yes, especially the Marine who threw me onto the ship, do you know him?”

  Mizuki hesitated.

  “That Marine was a she, Shadi. Gunnery Sergeant Rosey Acuna.”

  The butterflies became less animated, clustering around the table. Their colors changed to indigo and dark purples, some landed on Mizuki's hair and shoulders.”

  “What's wrong? Why did the butterflies change?”

  “I think we should wait for the Captain to answer that question.”

  The sisters looked at each other, obviously brimming over with a million more questions. Before they could continue cross examining the lady scientist Jimmy arrived with the food. With squeals of delight the girls attacked their meals—delicacies they never thought to taste again.

  As quickly as they had changed to dark somber colors the butterflies regained their happier coloration. Reflecting the girls' excitement the butterflies added yellow to their palate.

  * * * * *

  The sisters were finishing up their french fries and sipping at refilled drinks when a tall man in a black and navy blue jumpsuit entered the lounge. Tall and trim, with piercing eyes and dark curly hair, he could only be the Captain. He approached the table and introduced himself.

  “Good afternoon, ladies. I am Captain Vincent, master and commander of the Peggy Sue. I trust that Dr. Ogawa has been taking good care of you?”

  “Yes, Sir,” Shadi and Dorri replied together.

  “I want to talk with you about your future. Specifically your near term future.”

  The sisters nodded in response.

  “Though I would like to take you, and the other survivors of this debacle, back to Farside right now that is not my mission. Ours is a commercial venture and we have creditors to pay off back home.”

  “Sir,” interrupted Shadi. “We have no one to return to. On the Moon, Earth or anywhere.”

  “Hmm,” Billy Ray said, as he searched for the proper words to say. “I am very sorry for your loss, but the fact that there is no one back home waiting for your return actually simplifies things a bit.”

  “How so, Captain?” asked Mizuki.

  “It means these young ladies are now the captains of their own destinies, so to speak. By that I mean, if they decide to pursue a future while on this voyage the decision will not be rescinded when they get back home.”

  “Oh?” said Shadi cautiously.

  “Yes, Shadi. We are scheduled to visit several other star systems before returning to Earth. We will be in space for at least a year. It is not my policy to carry supernumerary passengers, who contribute nothing to the mission or the running of the ship. What this means is that you and your sister will have to work for your passage back home. The Chief will assign you to assist various members of the crew in their normal duties, until we can find out what you are best at.”

  The sisters looked at each other, concern on their faces.

  “It's not that bad, ladies. I think you will like most of the things you'll learn. After all, how many young women get to help sail a starship?”

  “We'd be part of the crew?” asked Dorri.

  The Captain nodded.

  “What about their education, Captain?” Mizuki asked, slipping into an advocate's role for the two girls.

  “Thank you for mentioning that, Dr. Ogawa. We will need to ascertain where you are in your basic schooling. Then Dr. Ogawa and her staff will create courses of study for each of you.”

  “I know that they are both fluent in English, Arabic, and Farsi. I do not know about science or general literacy,” Mizuki replied.

  “We both can read quite well, Sir.” said Dorri, who was staying uncharacteristically quiet.

  “But we don't have a lot of schooling in science or mathematics.” Shadi looked embarrassed.

  “Well, your language skills speak well of your capacity to learn. I'm sure that you will pick up math and science skills quickly. You will have the personal attention of a number of scientific experts, right Dr. Ogawa?”

  “That is correct, Captain. In fact, the problem will be keeping my scientists from trying to turn Shadi and Dorri into full-time lab assistants.” Mizuki smiled to show that her statement was in jest, mostly.

  “So there you have it, ladies. You will be given a cabin together in the Goat Locker—I'm sorry, the senior enlisted quarters—and take your meals here in the main mess. I'll have one of the female crewmembers come and get you settled.

  “If you have any questions just ask anyone, or the ship's computer. Just say 'Peggy Sue' out loud and the ship will answer, right Peggy Sue?”

  “That is correct, Captain. I have already been introduced to Shadi and Dorri.”

  “Captain, can I ask a question?” said Shadi.

  “Of course.”

  “Dr. Ogawa told me that the Marine who saved my life was a woman, named Gunnery Sergeant Rosey Acuna. Could I meet her? I would like to thank her for what she did.”

  The Captain glanced in Mizuki's direction and then back at the young girl. His face grew serious.

  “I'm afraid that is not possible, Shadi. You see, Rosey didn't make it back off the planet.”

  “She got taken by the blackness? She died?”

  “We don't know for sure—she was wearing heavy armor—but it is probable.”

  “Oh!” Shadi held her hands over her mouth and tears welled in her eyes. “Why would she do that, she didn't even know me?”

  “It's what Marine's do, protect the innocent. Now that we have all the survivors from the Fortune on board we will return to orbit and scan for her, but the chances of her surviving are not good. I'm sorry.”

  Dorri took her sister's hand and gave it a squeeze. Sen
sing their sadness the butterflies turned nearly black, fluttering down to land on the girls. A few even landed on the Captain's wide shoulders.

  “Thank you,” said Shadi, in a quiet voice, “for not lying to us.”

  “I try not to lie to my crew. It tends only to make things worse in the long run.”

  After an awkward silence, Billy Ray spoke again.

  “If you have any problems or you think someone is trying to take advantage of you tell Chief Zackly or the First Officer. The First Officer is the woman who brought you on board from the shuttle.”

  “The tall African woman?” asked Shadi.

  “British actually, but yes.”

  “Is she really your wife?” asked Dorri.

  “Yes indeed. She is most definitely my wife, Dorri.” Billy Ray smiled as he said that, but his thoughts were more serious. Now I need to go and talk to my wife about the loss of the Gunny. “Anything else?”

  Receiving no further questions, the Captain nodded and left, headed for the lower deck and a rendezvous with his wife.

  Chapter 29

  Captain's Quarters, Peggy Sue

  Billy Ray found Beth sitting on the edge of their bed, head down, her hands clasped before her. She did not look up as he approached.

  “You OK, hon?”

  Beth shook her head no. Billy Ray eased himself onto the bed next to her.

  “You want to tell me what's eatin' at you?”

  Again she shook her head no.

  “I can guess. Yer tore up about losing the Gunny.”

  “Is it that obvious?” Beth looked up and turned her head to face him.

  “To me. Honey, we've lived together for more than a couple of years. I'd be a poor husband if I couldn't tell when something was on yer mind.”

  “I lost her, Billy Ray. It was my mission. I was responsible and I lost her.”

  “This is a dangerous business we're in, Beth. We've lost people every time we've left Earth. We lost people on the Space Mushroom...” Billy Ray hesitated for an instant, as emotional pain griped his heart. He remembered a woman with honey blond hair and cornflower blue eyes; the first woman he ever loved; the woman the ship he now captained was named after. Forcing his renegade emotions into the background he continued. “...we lost people in the Bug Queen's Palace. Several people were horribly wounded on Ring Station, and we lost whole ships full of people during the battle for the solar system.”