He turned back to the transporter controls and thought of the gravitational shields. A series of actions came to his mind. He touched instrument after instrument with his free hand, no longer worrying about the laser or the officers in the room. Finally, another light came on, this one indicating that the shields were off, with a warning not to activate the transporter. Daniel’s heart pounded as he waited for the station to get even closer. He was surprised that he had made it this far. Even though it looked like he would succeed, he expected the rug to be pulled from beneath him at any moment.
At last they were so close to the transporter that proximity warning lights were flashing. Daniel slowed their forward momentum but did not stop the space station. He activated the transporter, but the safety features kept the mechanism from working. Daniel pushed the thought “manual override” at the console and a series of actions filled his mind.
As he touched the various instruments, he wondered if this would be his last act, if he would die, snuffed like a candle between wet fingers, with only the memory of a few people as any lasting consequence of his life. He pushed the thoughts away and activated the transporter. Nothing happened for a moment, and then, without warning, they were sucked through and everything went black.
Chapter 43
Daniel opened his eyes. He was on the floor of the command deck, the gravity still weighing him down like the lead aprons used to shield a person from X-rays. He slowly climbed to his feet. His wounded leg was numb, and sent a tingling sensation up his thigh when he put weight on it. He picked up the neuro amplifier, his joints popping in protest. He put it on his eye and looked at the officers still on the floor in front of them. They were alive but unconscious. He then focused his mind on finding a communications console and learned that they were in small rooms one level down. The lift seemed to groan under the added weight of increased gravity but had no real trouble moving him down to the next level. The hallway he stepped out into was lined with doors, and he entered the first he came to. There was a large screen built into one wall, with metal brackets on either side, much like phone booths.
He touched the screen, which glowed to life and, still using the neuro amplifier, thought of Coolique, pushing the alien’s name out of his mind and into the screen of the communications console. After a moment, Coolique’s furry countenance appeared.
“Back so soon,” the alien’s voice sounded in Daniel’s head.
“Yeah, I work fast. Is there any chance you could get me out of here?”
“Let me check. How did you incapacitate the crew of an entire space station?”
“A little gravity goes a long way. How did you know they were out?”
“I’m reading them, like a nest of Bromlie cubs,” the alien said. “Oh, I have a brother near you. He saw the whole thing and reported it to the Tolligark orbital control. They’re on their way out of the system. If you can get to an escape pod, he should be able to pick you up.”
“Excellent, I’m on my way. Thanks for all your help.”
“Good luck, brother,” the alien’s voice echoed in Daniel’s mind as he focused on escape pods.
The neuro amplifier led him to a side corridor and a door with alien script on it in bright colors. Once again the translation poured into his mind, and Daniel touched the door to open the escape hatch. Inside was a small chamber with a bench-like seat that wrapped around the circular pod. The walls and ceiling were padded, and Daniel had to stoop low to get inside the pod. Once inside, he used his mind to close and seal the door. He felt the pod escape the gravity of the space station, and for the first time, Daniel floated freely in zero gravity. It was an odd, slightly nauseating experience, but the relief from the strain on his body was welcome. The pain in his wounded leg eased considerably and he examined the wound. The laser had pierced his leg at the calf muscle, but also seemed to have cauterized the wound. It hurt, but the pain was nominal.
It took almost half an hour to get picked up. There was no opening to see what was happening outside. When he felt the pod enter another ship’s gravitational pull, he felt a stab of fear. Anyone could have picked him up, including the Tolligarkian authorities. But he was greeted through the neuro amplifier almost immediately.
“Earth man,” said a voice inside his head. “My crew will open your pod shortly, but I am scheduled to travel through the transporter momentarily and we will have to wait until we are through.”
“I understand,” said Daniel.
After a few moments, he felt the tell-tale feeling of being pressed upon from every side. And not long after the feeling was over, the escape pod hatch opened with a hiss of pressurized air. Daniel’s ears popped, but otherwise he was fine. There was a group of furry aliens all looking at him with surprise. They were hunched back creatures, with powerful legs and short arms. Daniel realized he had only seen Coolique’s face. They were shorter than he was; their round mouths always gave Daniel the impression that they were surprised.
“My name is Daniel Brickman,” he said.
The aliens made strange hooting sounds, and Daniel heard clearly in his mind the voice of one of the aliens, which he took to be the captain of the vessel.
“We are in the Tridar system. Brother Coolique informed us of your valiant actions. Come, we are still several hours from Q4. We will see that you are made comfortable.”
Daniel looked around the cabin, it was filled with crates and metal bins. The large, open central area was now filled with the ship’s crew and the escape pod, which looked like a giant tin can that had been opened and emptied. The hatch lying open looked like the end of the can that had been opened and pulled back.
The furry aliens started moving toward another part of the ship. Daniel followed slowly, limping, but keeping the neuro amplifier up to his eye. He was brought to a room with what looked like a large pillow on a small platform on the floor. The platform and pillow were round, like a pet bed, only larger. There was a booth that Daniel took for bathroom facilities, but he couldn’t imagine how they operated. The alien nature of his environment was so shocking that he had trouble believing what he was seeing was real. The alien captain was the only other person to enter the room.
The captain’s voice broke into Daniel’s mind again, “I’m sorry this room is not standard, I’m afraid we only use Tridarian crew.”
“I’m fine,” Daniel said. “Thank you for your hospitality.”
“It is a great honor, Daniel Brickman. We are not fighters, but we are honored to play a small part in your rebellion.”
Daniel smiled, but it was forced, and even as he did it he realized the alien might not recognize it as a friendly gesture. He pushed the thoughts out of his head, “Can you read my mind?”
“If I wanted to,” the captain said. “We do not force ourselves into the thoughts of others unless we are compelled. The Federation forces my people into service for that purpose, but we find the practice abominable.”
“Well, that is good to know,” said Daniel. “My race has much to learn, and I’m afraid I’ve only delayed the inevitable.”
“May I ask why you chose to return with the transporter and station?”
“I had to,” Daniel said. “We had to override the fail-safes in order to move the station into the flux field. It could only be done by someone on the space station.”
“But why not someone else? Surely a great leader like yourself could have found a willing volunteer for such a dangerous mission.”
“Perhaps, but I had my reasons. And there really wasn’t a way to get back to the space station, so it was either me or my friend. He had people to go back to, I didn’t, so I stayed.”
“And will you stay here, hidden among my people?” the captain asked.
Daniel didn’t know what to think of the question. Was the alien offering for Daniel to stay, or was he hoping that he wouldn’t have to be responsible for a wanted fugitive?
“I’m not sure what my options are. I don’t want to endanger your people.”
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br /> “The Federation enslaves and uses my people, Daniel Brickman. We are not fighters, we cannot change the fact that our world is lost. Our physiology makes galactic travel impossible without the use of Federation transporters. But we support those who can make a difference. Q4 is a large station, built primarily to contain my people, but we could hide you there. If you would like, you can stay here with us, we will not turn you over to the Tolligarks.”
“That is generous of you,” Daniel said. “But like I said, I can’t endanger your people.”
“It would be no danger, but it would not be a good life for you, either. Coolique suggested that we send you back to Earth. Would that be your preference?”
“You mean put me to sleep and take a 400 year nap?” Daniel thought, trying not to sound too cynical. He hadn’t really thought much beyond what needed to be done to ensure that Earth was safe. Now he had to decide what to do with the rest of his life. Truth be told, he hadn’t expected to survive. He didn’t know if moving through the transporter would kill him, but he felt certain the Tolligarkian authorities would find him sooner or later. He needed time to process how he felt and what he needed to do.
“Did you say we have some time?” Daniel pushed the thoughts toward his host. “I know this is a big decision, but I hadn’t given it enough thought.”
“Of course, you will have privacy here. I will explore our options and return when you call. I hope you will be comfortable here, Daniel Brickman.”
“You didn’t give me your name,” Daniel thought.
“I am Valtrix,” and the alien bent low in what looked a lot like a bow.
“Thank you, Valtrix, and please extend my thanks to your brave crew.”
The alien hooted in laughter before saying, “Brave crew, that is very humorous, Daniel Brickman, very humorous.”
Valtrix left the room and the door clanged shut, the sound echoing in the room and reminding Daniel of a prison cell. He suddenly longed for fresh air, for a bright blue sky, green grass, and tall, strong trees swaying in a breeze. And he thought of Lana, he would never see her again. The thought felt like a boulder sitting on his chest, slowly crushing him. He sat on the round cushion bed. It was covered with hair; apparently the Tridarians shed, he thought. It was the one thing that could keep him alive, distraction.
As the weight of his grief began to bear down on him again, he looked around the room and tried to think of what things were. There was a table that folded out from the wall, but no chairs, and Daniel decided that the aliens were probably most comfortable leaning back on their strong legs rather than sitting.
Could he stay here, among these people, if they could even be considered people? Daniel simply felt lost, his friends and family would all be long gone if he went back. Would anything be the same, he wondered? Would the sky still be blue? Would people still speak English? 400 years was more than a lifetime, it was longer than the United States had even existed as a nation. How could he return to a place that would not be home? But how could he stay? This place didn’t sound appealing either, this Q4. Hadn’t Coolique basically said it was an orbital slum, that his people were dying? Perhaps if he stayed he could help them, somehow inspire them, maybe even lead them to freedom. But how? He couldn’t even get a few thousand humans to agree, how could he lead millions of aliens he couldn’t even communicate with without using Tolligarkian technology?
He felt tired and lay back on the hairy bed. It had a strange odor to it, not quite the way a pet smelled, but still very animal. The Tridarians had helped him so much, they were intelligent and peaceful, in fact very admirable, and he had no wish to insult them, but they would never be his people. It would have been easier if he had died, he thought. If the transporter and space station had been destroyed, he wouldn’t have to make such insane decisions. He wondered briefly what happened after a person died? Was there a heaven, or just nothing? The thought of simply ceasing to exist terrified him, although he knew deep down that if he simply vanished from existence that he wouldn’t know it. But the thought was terrifying all the same, and he wondered briefly why he hadn’t asked what the Tolligarkians believed about God. It didn’t matter, he told himself; all that mattered was whether he was staying here or going home. He didn’t have a home, he decided. He was an intergalactic orphan, with no home, no planet, no people, only time. He had to live, death just wasn’t an option.
He had never thought that success could leave him so bitter and disappointed. His whole life he had longed for success, to be someone that others looked at and admired. He had always been mediocre in sports, in school, certainly in his career. He had potential, everyone had said so, and he had been voted president by the people in New Washington, but only to lose his eye and have everyone question his leadership. And now, here he was in an alien spaceship so far from anyone or anything that he cared about that he might as well be dead.
Somewhere deep inside him a little voice was telling him to stop whining. He knew he needed to stop feeling sorry for himself, but the grief and loss were too fresh, too painful to ignore. He had time, maybe just an hour, but he had it and he wouldn’t try to be brave or strong or optimistic. He would just let the pain wash over him, let himself sink into it and feel it with every fiber of his being because he was alive. Pain was part of life and even though it was horrible, it was also familiar. It was the one thing he could now identify with, so he held the pain and indecision close. He closed his eyes as the tears spilled out. For a long time he lay still, pain was his only companion, until his mind slowly slipped into welcome oblivion.
Chapter 44
There was a soft knock at the door. Daniel despised it. It had woken him up, bringing him back to the reality of pain, of loss. His leg was hurting, the wound burning and aching, the pain radiating up past his knee and into his thigh. He sat up on the round bed and held the neuro amplifier to his eye.
“Come in,” he thought.
“We have arrived, Daniel Brickman,” said the alien. There was a subtle difference to this creature, a softness that took Daniel a moment to recognize. It was female.
“Thank you,” Daniel replied, feeling bad for having been so grumpy. He wondered if she had picked up on his aggravation with her powerful telepathic abilities.
“I will take you to the airlock,” she said, motioning with her small arms. “Valtrix is waiting. We have summoned a healer to see about your leg.”
Daniel nodded as he stood up, but the forced smile he was trying to give the alien was quickly replaced by a grimace of pain. His leg was stiff and the flesh around the wound felt hot. Daniel wondered if it was becoming infected and for a moment thought that death might not be out of the picture. But he pushed the thought from his mind and hobbled forward. He had to lean heavily on the doorframe and catch his breath.
“I’m sorry,” he thought to his escort. “It seems that my leg has gotten painfully stiff.”
“Lean your weight on me,” the alien said.
Daniel was overcome by affection for the alien. He couldn’t say why, she was too alien to be attractive in any sense. He guessed she reminded him of Lana, somehow, in the way she spoke or the tenderness of her words, maybe just the attitude of concern for his well being. It felt like he was loved, even though he wondered if he was just swooning under the emotions of the moment.
He draped his arms around the alien’s narrow shoulders. She had a thick neck that felt solid and strong. Her kangaroo-like legs had no problem supporting his weight as he leaned on her. The fur under his hand was soft. She had one arm on his back, and he realized it had been a long time since he had felt the touch of another person. He had spent much of his time with Jason and Scott, both of whom Daniel felt cared for him, but they were guys. He couldn’t remember touching either of them. So Lana had been the last, and now this Tridarian.
“What’s your name?” he thought, but she did not respond. He realized that he wasn’t holding the neuro amplifier up to his eye, and so he raised it and repeated his question.
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“I am Tran ‘aki,” she said, her round mouth opening in what Daniel thought of as a smile.
“Thank you for your help,” Daniel said.
“It is a great honor. I asked specifically to be allowed to escort you to the airlock.”
“Aren’t your crewmates leaving the ship?” Daniel asked.
“No, this ship is our home. We must make preparations to leave again as soon as possible.”
“That doesn’t seem right,” Daniel said.
“It is necessary to keep you safe. The Tolligarkians will be searching for you. We must give them enough reason to give up the search. Over forty ships will leave moments after we arrive, each traveling to different destinations. The authorities will have trouble reaching them all.”
“So you’re leaving?” Daniel asked. He was strangely disappointed. He felt like a school boy with a crush on a substitute teacher. He felt tears stinging his eyes and couldn’t understand why. He looked at Tran ‘aki again, but there was no physical attraction. And then it hit him, it must be some sort of chemical reaction. He felt drawn to her the way male animals knew when the females were ovulating. It was the only explanation he could think of. And even though his rational mind argued that his feelings were induced, and almost certainly unknowingly induced, he still felt a desire to hold her.
Luckily, they arrived at the airlock while Daniel was still in control of his actions. He waved at Valtrix and wondered what awaited him on the other side of the airlock.
“We’ve reached Q4,” said the furry alien captain. “We’ll dock in a moment. Have you made a decision?”
“I don’t know,” Daniel said.
“We have prepared a shuttle that will travel to the Earth System. If you choose to stay, you may still send a message on board.”
The thought of sending a message while he stayed here among the Tridarian was both appealing and distasteful. He could choose to simply send a message and be free of the responsibility of his fellow humans. Lana would urge him to finally just take care of himself, but he couldn’t quite get past the thought of abandoning people while he hid out 400 hundred light years away.
The New World Page 38
