Battle Cruiser (26 page)

I proceeded at length to discuss Alphas, rogues and what I knew of Beta society.

“Sparhawk, we have a special mission for you,” Cunningham said at last.

“What mission, Admiral?” I asked.

“We want you to stick close to Zye. We’re sending you down to Earth. Show her around. Be her escort. She trusts you, and she should learn about our culture. If the Betas do show up, we’ll need her to talk for us.”

Already, I could see a critical flaw in their plan. They didn’t understand Beta culture, or at least they hadn’t quite grasped the absolute nature of it. I’d described her as a rogue, an outcast, but they didn’t seem to understand what that meant.

With an effort of will, I decided to omit my objections. Zye deserved to be treated like some kind of ambassador. Without her, the battle cruiser might have been destroyed, or fallen into the hands of the rock rats.

“What about the miners?” I asked.

Cunningham made a dismissive gesture. “They’re no threat,” she said. “If they’d captured the battle cruiser—well then, we’d be in danger. But as it is, they’ve been neutralized. In fact, Admiral Hedon’s flotilla is heading out there even now to crush their ridiculous rebellion.”

I tried not to frown, but failed. Frowning and nodding at the same time, I accepted her pronouncement, even though I disagreed with it. I’d told them the miners had plans, that they clearly had allies somewhere on Earth. But no one took my warning seriously.

Admiral Cunningham stood up suddenly. The two other Admirals and I did the same, taken by surprise.

“There will be celebrations in your honor—a lot of them. You’ll be required to attend. Take Zye with you. See that nothing happens to her—nothing unpleasant, that is.”

“Uh…I’m confused, sir. Have I not been depicted as some sort of demon in the press.”

Her face was haunted by a smile, but only briefly.

“What you say is partially true. We couldn’t hide the ship’s existence from the public—not entirely. But we did manage to hide our worst fears. We chose to portray you as a hero as you approached. The miner’s league was depicted as the primary villain. You’re going to have to continue to play your part now, Sparhawk. Do you think you can do it?”

This development surprised me, but after thinking it over, I understood. “So, in the official version of events, I was never attacked by Star Guard ships?”

“No. Can you imagine the embarrassment?”

I frowned. “It’s a lie. That troubles me.”

She folded her hands together in front of her. “Let’s think about the goals you stated earlier, such as the rebuilding of the fleet. Do you think the political class will be more or less inclined to help a military structure that spent the last week attacking its own members?”

“Hmm, I see your point.”

“Good. Follow the fiction. Keep it simple, and don’t embellish. All you really have to do is omit certain unfortunate events. No lying will be required.”

“I’ll do my best to support you, Admiral.”

“Good. We’re ready to adjourn. Do you have any questions for us?”

I looked from one of them to the next. The two officers flanking Cunningham were as silent as ever.

“There’s one thing that puzzles me: why did Singh do it?”

“He was sympathetic with the Miner’s League. He was born out in the rocks, you know.”

“Yes, many spacers have the same background. That doesn’t automatically turn them all into rebels.”

She awarded me an indulgent smile. “Maybe it was a matter of discovering an opportunity. When he found the ship, or his rat friends did, he formulated a plan. He was an egomaniac. The evidence is quite clear in that regard. Now, will that be all?”

I thought about mentioning my suspicion that Singh had allies here on Earth, but I could tell she didn’t want to hear about that. It was my job to play the part of the hero, and all she wanted from me was a commitment to the role.

“Very well, Admiral,” I said. “I’m committed to serve Earth. Thank you.”

The briefing ended, and I left the chamber.

That is when I remembered a critical detail. I raced after the Admiral. “Admiral, one last thing.”

“Yes, Commander?”

“Zye mentioned another race of colonists. One that’s clearly more powerful than the Betas. They nearly destroyed the Beta ship. She called them the Stroj—they’re out there. That’s who we really need to worry about.”

The Admiral gave me a grim look.

“That’s all, sir. I just thought you needed to know. And I am sorry for the bad news.”

Within a remarkably short time I was ordered to exit the station itself. A flood of scientists and technicians were boarding
Defiant
even as I went in the opposite direction. They were eager, with a light almost akin to greed in their eyes. I could have told them they weren’t going to be disappointed. The ship was just as miraculous as they hoped it would be.

But I didn’t talk to them at all. Instead, I carried my duffle to the sky-lift.

There, I met up with Zye. She was standing alongside two marines who looked uncomfortable with their duty. She was at least a head taller than either of them.

We took the next lift down into the thick atmosphere of Earth. Above us, in the dark, was Araminta Station. Docked to her was the magnificent axe-head shape of
Defiant
.

“She’s so big,” I said, “so stark and powerful-looking. With all the ice melted away, the ship looks like a shark among minnows.”

Zye stared up into the heavens with me.

“I hate that ship,” she said flatly. “But I also feel a pang of regret to leave her. She’s all I have left of my world here on Earth.”

“Don’t worry,” I said, “you’ll like it here. We have countless conveniences and amenities that your world lacks. We’re a luxury-minded folk. Enjoy yourself for a time, Zye. You’ve earned it.”

She looked uncomfortable at the mere thought.

“I will follow you,” she said ambiguously.

-37-

Following the tradition of returning sailors for countless centuries past, when I returned home, my first thought was of romance. I’m not sure why that was, but it definitely applied to me. I supposed that after a long journey through space, a man’s thoughts inevitably focused on those he’d left behind.

Before I could contact Chloe Astra, however, there were my parents to contend with. My implants began singing with a flood of input, a great deal of which came from my father and mother. The messages had apparently been buffered over the preceding weeks while I was in deep space and jammed by Admiral Hedon’s destroyers.

Even after I’d reached Araminta Station, Star Guard had seen fit to block all personal incoming traffic until after my briefing. Presumably, this was to keep me from revealing the truth about my journey home to anyone in the public.

I fended off my parents with assurances I would visit them soon. I repeatedly claimed I was uninjured and healthy. All of my responses were partially true. I was merely hiding critical details.

When it came to transmitting my own messages, there was only one person I was interested in contacting. As the sky-lift reached ground, I sought to open a channel with Chloe. When we exited the massive doors and stepped out into the crowded concourse, the channel finally opened.

“Commander Sparhawk?” she asked in surprise. “Is it really you?”

“Yes,” I said.

I wasn’t sure why I was unable to see her this time, but I could hear her voice perfectly. The technology of our implants was quite amazing at times. I noticed the power of this modern miracle most clearly when making contact with someone who had an emotional impact upon me. Lady Astra the Younger was just such a person.

It was as if she were present and speaking into my ear. Her words weren’t a reproduction of sound, created crudely via vibrating bits of paper and magnets. Speakers could never capture the real feel of another human voice.

Instead, my auditory nerves were treated to a perfect simulation of her presence, an effect so close to that of the real thing as to be indistinguishable from reality. The sound of her voice was so pleasant to me…it caused a wave of happiness to surge into my mind without warning. I stopped walking on the concourse, closed my eyes and allowed myself to enjoy the experience.

It was a silly thing, I cautioned myself. I had only met this woman briefly. To be so taken with her, to have been thinking of her for months—it wasn’t my normal mode of operation.

Trying to pull myself together, I made an effort to sound breezy and in control.

“Lady Astra!” I said. “It’s so good to hear your voice, but why can’t I see you? My eyes are getting no input at all.”

“I’m not dressed at the moment.”

“Oh…never mind then,” I said, feeling slightly embarrassed. “I didn’t mean—”

“It’s quite all right. Just a second—there.”

I could see her now, her visual presence was overlaid upon my optical nerves. She was effectively superimposed upon the carpeted floor of the concourse lift in front of me. She stood wrapped in a mauve towel. Her hair was soaked, and it hung lank and dark down her bare back.

Physically, I froze. Zye stood next to me and stared at me in concern. She looked around, as if suspecting I’d spotted some kind of threat. I waved my hand at her, and we stepped out of the way of the flowing crowds to a wall. There, I was able to lean back and take in Lady Astra in all her glory.

“Can you see me?” she asked.

“Yes, I can see you now. Can you see me?”

“Of course. Is that the sky-port?”

“I’ve just come down on the lift.”

“Who’s that person next to you? She’s so tall! Can that be—is that the Beta girl?”

“Yes, this is Zye.”

Zye looked around as if expecting to see the person I was introducing her to. If she’d had an implant of her own, that would have been possible. But I was glad, in this case, that she couldn’t see Chloe. I didn’t need Zye to make unwarranted assumptions based on Chloe’s state of undress.

“Who are you talking to?” Zye finally demanded.

“A friend,” I said. “Here, surf the grid while you wait.”

I gave her a handheld scroll, which she took and tapped at with only the vaguest interest. The grid didn’t hold her attention the way it did most Earth people. She was a physical being who took the greatest interest in those who were immediately present.

Turning back to Chloe, I smiled involuntarily. “When can we meet?” I blurted.

Chloe blinked in surprise. “You want to see me?”

“That’s why I called.”

“Yes…well, my mother…” she said.

“Are there any social events you’ve got on your schedule?”

“Always,” she said. “I’m booked solid this week.

“What are you doing tonight?”

“Another dinner. At the Commerce Ministry this time. The Capital can be so boring. Mother loves to parade me at such affairs. Sometimes she doesn’t even show up herself.”

“I’ll meet you there,” I said.

She looked startled. “How? Do you have an invitation?”

“No, but I’ll get one.”

She smiled, and she suddenly appeared shy. “I’m closing the channel. I have a lot of work to do to get ready.”

“Don’t worry, if you showed up in nothing but that towel you’d be sure to dazzle them all.”

She laughed and disconnected.

Shortly thereafter I noticed Zye was staring at me. There was a deeply suspicious frown on her face.

In my time with this single Beta, I’d learned her kind didn’t often express emotions. But when they did, there was no way to mistake them.

“What’s wrong?” I asked her.

“Who were you talking to?”

“A woman. Lady Chloe of Astra. Her mother is a Servant, as is my father.”

“I see. Your parents are both Alphas on this planet?”

I thought about it, then nodded. “Yes. That’s a fair assessment. Public Servants are the servants of the people. They make our laws and policy decisions.”

“They rule you. Like Alphas.”

“That’s one way of looking at it.”

She eyed me as we continued to walk through the concourse.

“The female you were speaking to—you said something about a towel?”

“I might have.”

“Are you intimate with this woman?”

I stopped and sighed. “Zye, we need to get some things straight. Asking probing personal questions is considered rude on Earth. Don’t you have protocols regarding privacy on Beta Cygnus?”

“There is no privacy on Beta Cygnus.”

“Hmm. What about sexual contact, mating rituals, that sort of thing? Don’t you keep such behavior confidential?”

“These things you describe don’t exist for Betas. Only Alphas are allowed to mate, upon rare occasions. Males are extremely rare.”

“Well, on Earth we have a balance of men and women. For the most part, we procreate the old-fashioned way.”

She stared at me disapprovingly.

“You have excellent cloning technology,” she said. “I know you do. Why would you—?”

“Look, Zye,” I said. “There are going to be a lot of things you’ll find surprising here. Try to keep an open mind and learn as we go along. Now and then I’ll explain things we encounter, I promise.”

Once I had Zye’s odd mixture of suspicion, curiosity, jealousy and incomprehension under control, I devoted myself to getting invited to the event at the Commerce Ministry.

The task proved to be more difficult than I’d anticipated. I started off with a series of calls, talking to my parents—who weren’t very helpful. They had no intention of going to the Commerce Ministry, where other Houses held sway.

Worse, they wasted a considerable amount of my time by requesting me to attend a long list of events that supported
their
causes and political allies. Now that I was ostensibly a hero, I was in demand, and therefore, I represented a commodity my father wanted to exploit.

Finally, after I escaped Tannish and my parents, I called House Astra directly. Perhaps Chloe knew how I could gain an invitation.

Having selected Chloe’s home ID, I fully expected to gain access to her directly. I was rudely surprised.

“William Sparhawk?” a voice said.

I knew the voice. It was that of Servant Astra, Chloe’s ancient mother.

“Servant?” I asked. “Is that you? I’m so sorry to disturb.”

“Why are you contacting my daughter, Sparhawk?”

I hesitated. My reasons were beyond obvious, but I was nevertheless reluctant to admit to them.

“There’s an event tonight at the Commerce Ministry. I was seeking an invitation.”

Whatever she’d expected me to say, this wasn’t it. She appeared suddenly, occluding my vision.

Lady Astra the Elder had once been a beauty, but those days were countless decades past. Now, she resembled a caricature of living flesh rather than the real thing. She was wrapped in the best of intelligent garments, but she’d done little to repair her face. As I understood it, cosmetic injections interfered with certain longevity treatments. Many people could only tolerate one or the other.

Lady Astra had clearly chosen long life over beauty.

“You…” she said incredulously. “Our newly hatched hero from space…
you
wish to attend an event at the Commerce Ministry? Why?”

“Well, madam, I—”

“No, don’t bother to utter your lies. I understand implicitly. The answer to most inexplicable behavior is easy to see in retrospect. You’re a Sparhawk, and you’ve managed to gain newfound fame. Therefore, you’re looking for a way to capitalize on your gain.”

Barely knowing what to say, I stammered. “Madam, I assure you—”

“I see it all now!” she pronounced suddenly. “You’re invading new territory. Well, forget it, Sparhawk. I can guarantee you won’t find any political converts at the Commerce Ministry!”

“Your suppositions couldn’t be further from my goals.”

“Save it, Sparhawk,” she said bitterly. “Your family lacks all sense of decorum or subtlety. Regardless, you can come. I want to watch you as you attempt to pry away my supporters. I welcome the challenge.”

“Uh…thank you, madam. I accept your invitation, but I think there’s a misunderstanding—”

“We’ll see. But one more thing, hero, about my daughter. I would urge you toward caution. I don’t take personal intrusions lightly. Chloe is inexperienced, but she’s closely watched. You won’t gain the kind of information you’re looking for through seduction. I won’t have that.”

I flushed in embarrassment. It was a horrible misunderstanding, indeed. For the thousandth time in my life, I wished my parents had been laborers, known only for their punctuality, rather than for duplicity and manipulation.

“I assure you again, madam, that my intentions—”

The words died away in my throat. The vision of Lady Astra the Elder, with all her finery wrapped around mummified flesh, had vanished. She’d hung up on me.

“What a woman,” I muttered.

“You’re displeased with your mate?” Zye asked.

“She’s not my mate—and anyway, I was talking to her mother. She’s quite determined to keep us apart.”

Zye thought that over for a time.

“Good,” she pronounced at last.