Exiled to the Stars (22 page)

"In the meantime, though," he continued, "I'll need you to step outside. The terminal won't accept input unless I'm alone."

Sun nodded without comment, and stepped back through the hatch. Cesar hurried to the small terminal, nearly concealed by assorted lethality.

Suddenly he realized he had no idea how to proceed. "Uh, computer?" he asked uncertainly.

"Please step forward for retinal scan," came a soft feminine voice. Cesar stepped forward and put his eye to the scanner mounted on a stalk protruding from the terminal.

"Authority accepted. Welcome, Captain. It will be necessary to complete a retinal scan each time you desire to enter input through this terminal," the voice continued. "Awaiting input."

Cesar frowned. Computers already intimidated him, and these kinds of irritating formalities only emphasized that intimidation. He cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"I wish to authorize access to this compartment for certain personnel," he said finally.

"Please identify the personnel. You may identify them by name or by number."

Cesar nodded. "Sun Myung Lu, Doctor Vladimir Renko, Boyet Mamerto, and Tara Connor-Creding."

"Access granted," said the somehow wooden voice. "Retinal scans for all named personnel are on file and will be accepted for access. For security reasons, the following procedure will be required: the authorized personnel must enter the compartment alone, and request access through this terminal for anyone accompanying them."

They left the compartment and returned to Dorm 7. Without conscious decision, they returned to the Dorm 7 classroom. Robert Franks was still occupied at the Teacher's station, but the room was otherwise empty.

"You know, Cesar," said Sun, "A high-powered dictator like you needs a headquarters where he can conduct the business of state. Why not take over this classroom? It gives you access to the computer, it holds fifty people, and it's convenient. You can even have someone bring your meals from the mess room, if you wish."

Cesar looked around the room. "You may be right, Sun. But then how would Robert ever visit his girlfriend?" He smiled to take the sting from his words as Robert looked up with a shy smile.

Sun shook his head. "Not a problem. He, and the people who want to take classes, can use the classroom next door, in Dorm 8." He sobered. "But you do need somewhere private to conduct colony business."

Cesar
had
been uncomfortably aware that Robert Franks knew everything that had gone on since the crash. Oh, it wasn't that he didn't
trust
Robert, exactly. Still, he was uncomfortably aware that the little man knew, for example, that the Captain had given him complete authority over the computer. And Franks was a physical coward. Anything he knew, he could be coerced to tell.

"I think you're right," he replied. He turned to Robert. "Robert, are you doing anything that couldn't be done from Dorm 8's terminal?"

Robert reddened. "No, sir, I guess not."

Cesar nodded. "Does this terminal have full functionality?" Franks nodded. "Then," Cesar continued, "I would appreciate it if you would move to the Dorm 8 classroom. I believe Messer Sun is right; I will need privacy for some of the things I must do."

Robert's lips tightened. "Yes, sir," he said stiffly. He began gathering his equipment and tools, while the lengthening silence became more and more oppressive. Finally he slipped from behind the teacher's station, and strode stiffly from the room, back straight and shoulders rigid, resentment in every movement.

Cesar sighed. "I was sorry to have to do that, but you were correct. I knew I couldn't tell Tara what I needed to if Robert was there."

Sun grinned. "He'll get over it. Besides, that's why I wanted to make sure he heard it was
my
idea. Maybe he'll just resent me, instead of you. He's a very useful man, and you can't afford to antagonize him unnecessarily. But at the same time, you can't afford to have him hearing
everything
.

An hour passed, and Vlad and Susan returned, carrying a hot meal for Cesar. Sun smelled the food and hurried off for his own.

"Welcome to the new Colony Headquarters," Cesar said. "Or, as Sun calls it, the 'Dictator's Sanctuary'. He shook his head and sighed. "I really wish he'd stop using that term. Oh well. To business. Susan, as I recall, your lab was on Deck 4. I guess that means it no longer exists."

She nodded. "I'm afraid so, Cesar. On the bright side, though, I did some research on the computer, and learned that there is a fairly complete bio lab among the prefabs down below. I gather it is designed more to be an agricultural research station, but it should serve." She shrugged. "I guess it will have to."

Cesar frowned. "Susan, our most immediate and most threatening challenge is that we have crashed on a planet about which we know nothing. I suspect we've already been exposed to the air, though the computer assures me that the atmospheric pressure is slightly lower outside, and it is possible that prevented local atmosphere from entering the ship.

"The point is that we need to know whether we can survive on this planet, and what plants or animals or even bacteria can kill us, and what we can do about it. I know that your bio lab was destroyed, but what can you do to analyze the atmosphere and things? Obviously, it's really urgent."

Susan nodded thoughtfully. "I may be able to analyze the atmosphere at least, using the med lab on Deck 7. I'll need samples in sealed containers. And then, if you'll have people bring me samples of plants and even small animal and insect tissue in sealed containers, I'll do my best." She shrugged. "You understand that the med lab equipment is much less precise than my bio lab stuff, and I can't guarantee I won't miss something."

Cesar shook his head. "All we can do is what we can do."

They chatted some more while Cesar ate. Finally Sun returned, and Susan realized that her presence was inhibiting important conversation.

"Well," she said, gathering Cesar's dishes, "I think I'll go see if I can steal Dr. Koumanides' med lab." She waved Vlad, who had started to rise, back into his seat. "You guys get back to settling the future of the human race."

"If you see Boyet, would you tell him I'd like to see him, please?" Cesar shouted at her retreating back. She acknowledged the request with a wave as she passed through the door.

Cesar and Sun briefed Vlad on the establishment of the "headquarters" and their discovery of the Armory. Vlad shook his head. "I don't think I'd advertise that, if I were you."

Cesar chuckled. "I don't plan to. The only people authorized entry are me, you, Sun, here, Boyet, and Tara."

Vlad's eyebrows rose. "Tara? Why Tara? Really, Cesar, I think you place too much importance on that woman."

Cesar shrugged. "Perhaps. But I expect her access to be temporary. Once we have a scout corps established and equipped, I'm hoping to find someone more qualified to command it."

He took a deep breath. "But now, gentlemen, I must undertake a most important and difficult duty."

He turned back to the computer terminal. "Can I be connected to all PA systems, viewscreens and tablets simultaneously?"

"Your thumbprint will be required to assume administrator status, but this unit possesses that capability."

Cesar rolled his eyes and mashed his thumb onto the pad. "Please connect me…now." He said, and then he straightened as a small red indicator lit up.

"May I have your attention, please?" He began. "My name is Cesar Montero, and for the moment, at least, I am Chairman of the Governing Council and, at the Captain's dying wish, in command of the ship.

"As you know, we have crashed on the planet. By now, all of you know about the horrible loss of life caused by the crash, and many of you have been serving on search parties and body retrieval parties.

"Thanks to the courage of the Captain and crew, most of us survived, though nearly all the crew died in their heroic sacrifice of landing the ship upside down. For the moment, we appear to be doing as well as possible. The ship seems stable, and almost level. Most of you already know that food service has been restored, and most supplies are once again available from the computer. The computer itself appears largely unharmed, except for loss of the VR function, and loss of many of its sensors.

"Decks above Deck 6 are destroyed or uninhabitable, and we plan to seal them off for our protection.

"Thanks to the courageous sacrifice of the Captain and crew, the decks containing the equipment and supplies that we will need to establish our colony are largely unharmed.

"So, given the circumstances, we are not badly off. We are still capable of building our new world. But there is much to be done, and much of it must be done soon.

"First, bodies should be sealed into emptied storage rooms and voids. They will be disposed of as soon as possible. I regret that traditional funerals will be impossible, given the numbers involved.

"Next, all dorm militias are hereby placed under the authority of Boyet Mamerto, our interim security officer, who will be responsible for the clean-up efforts and maintaining order.

"Next, all remaining dorms are requested to hold elections among their surviving residents to elect a representative to the Governing Council. Those representatives should contact me by computer, or at the Dorm 7 classroom, so we can begin planning our new colony.

"Next, all residents from rural areas, or those with military, hunting, fishing or other outdoor experience are asked to volunteer for a scout corps that will explore our surroundings and protect us from native threats.

"Next, representatives to the Governing Council are requested to complete a census of their dorms, by name and ID number, if possible. Patients in the med bays are already being identified, so those patients need not be reported by the dorm representative." Cesar sighed and shook his head. "Nor will it be necessary to identify the dead. We must focus on the living. We must know how many survivors we have, and what skills they have to help the colony survive.

"Finally, and most important, You all know that we were not scheduled to ground for another month, to permit study of the planet. That study had barely begun when the emergency occurred. As a result, we find ourselves grounded on a nearly unknown planet. We are fortunate that the famous microbiologist Dr. Susan James survived the crash, and is even now analyzing information about the planet.

"But we have no information about the dangers of the planet itself. It may be that there are deadly viruses, microbes, plants, or even animals outside this ship. So please,
do not try to leave the ship, yet
! Until we know more, one person venturing onto the planet could kill us all.

"All of us will have much to do in the coming weeks. Much of it will require quick and decisive action, and I ask your patience and your help. If you are asked to do something, please understand that it is for the survival of all of us, including yourself. Please be patient and understanding, and if you have any skills you think might be useful, please contact your dorm representative. Thank you." He signaled, and the computer cut the connection.

Vlad and Sun exchanged glances and grins. "He's trying to get out from under again," Vlad said.

Sun shook his head. "Won't work."

"Nope."

Cesar tried to put on a thunderous expression, but failed miserably. "With the deck 5 dorms gone, except for 25, there will be 13 on the Council," he said. "
They
are the ones that will appoint a Chairman, or a Colony Administrator, or President, or Fuehrer, or Emperor, or whatever they decide to call him."

Vlad shook his head again, white teeth gleaming in his mahogany face. "They'll decide to call him 'Cesar', if they have any brains."

Cesar rolled his eyes, just as there was a knock. At Cesar's "Come in," Boyet Mamerto came in.

"Nice speech," he said. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to make me head cop?"

Cesar shrugged. "There was not exactly a wide selection of candidates." Then his grin flared. "I trust you, Boyet, and I know you will get the job done." He told him about the armory.

"Great!" Boyet said. "I won't need it yet, everybody's still pretty much in shock. But it won't take long for the grifters and creeps to start showing up.

"Oh," he continued, "What I came to tell you. You won't be hearing from the Dorm 10 rep."

Cesar frowned. "Dorm 10…Arheed? What's the problem?"

Boyet shrugged. "He's taken all the survivors from his dorm outside."

Cesar snapped to attention. "
Outside
? Is he insane? He could kill us all!" There was a gabble as Vlad and Sun also reacted to the news.

So it was that less than half an hour later, the residents of Dorm 10, scattered about the dirt of the large gouge scraped into the soil by the huge starship's passage, watched with growing nervousness the approach of over a dozen armed men in space suits.

They watched uneasily as the men spread out and encircled the people lounging in the sun for the first time in years. A small, rather pudgy man strutted importantly up to the leader of the suited men.

"Here! Here," he bellowed, "What is the meaning of this? I am Abdul Arheed, leader of this dorm. Who are you, and what do you want?"

"Ah, yes," Boyet smiled from behind his faceplate. "Messer Arheed. You and these people are to return to the ship immediately under quarantine. You will be quarantined in your dorm until it can be established that you present no danger to the lives of the rest of the colony."

Arheed stared. "Have you lost your mind? You want to take us back into that
wreck
, in danger of collapse or falling debris? Read the reports! Look around you! This planet is
Earthlike
! The fools that stayed aboard are the ones in danger, not
us
!"

Boyet shook his head. "Man has lived on Earth for thousands of years, and there are still bacteria, plants and animals that kill us. For all you know, the air you're breathing, the soil those people are sitting and lying on, the plants those fools are examining, could be deadly to us.

"You and your people will not be permitted to infect the rest of the colonists," he continued. "You will either return with us to the ship peacefully, or we will stun you and carry you. Your choice."