Prophet and the Blood March (Prophet of ConFree) (27 page)

The
Mary
, of course, was the re-named phantom
Ruthie.
The sweet little blonde displayed on the ship's nose was now Bird's own Mary, and his old girl friend Ruthie was nowhere in sight.

"I made the decision to have Blackie accompany us on this mission," the Prof said, "with official approval, for the first time – as a kind of animal ambassador of good will. The Brights were fascinated by him the last time we checked, and anything that spreads good will is what we need."

Blackie barked. He appeared to be aware that he was under discussion. He was one smart wolf.

"It's hard to tell exactly what form our contact with the Brights will take. We will attempt to meet with them peacefully and formally. Our probes are racing us to the target vicinity and should arrive there before we do and hopefully will zero and ID the target planet and give us some warning about what the place is like. Assuming we won't need pressurized suits, we will not be wearing armor – just A-vests and comtops initially. Our A-vests and uniforms will be emblazoned with the white hand and the Legion cross and the Delta Research seal. That white hand kept us alive the last time so here's hoping it will again. It has struck me from how the Brights acted last time that their thought processes are similar to how Legion troopers think. And that's good.

"It's very important that we act in a peaceful manner. We are ambassadors from humanity. Do not raise the subject of the asteroid unless they do. Of course, they can see right into our minds so they will become aware of whatever we know – but there's no reason to raise this subject yet. They do not appear to have constructed anything on the asteroid that Saka identified – or at least not yet, so let's let it lie. I don't want to accuse them of doing something they haven't done yet. Such a subject can be raised at an appropriate time in the future."

An appropriate time, I thought. When will be an appropriate time? When we spot them building the damned thing? When they set it on course to Terra? And what can we do, if they are determined to do it? Nothing, probably. But we'll try. And fail. And I'll probably die, for Terra, for those disgusting PJ parasites. Well, what's the loss if they wipe out a billion Earthers? A sober, clear-thinking future historian might even record it as a plus for the evolution of mankind. All those loser genes gone, forever. Humanity would certainly be better off, in the long run. I thought all that, and more, and I was not ashamed of my thoughts. I hated Earthers but it sure looked like I was going to die for them. And I'd certainly never hesitate to follow my orders. And I understood that the long-term mission was not over until I was killed in action. After all, I was a soldier of the Legion.

"All right, we'll be doing another briefing after we receive reports from our probes. There's just one more thing," the Prof said. "We need a second in command, in case anything unexpected happens to me. I thought a great deal about this. I concluded the second should be one of you four telepaths. I have complete confidence in you, Prophet. It's you."

I was stunned. Me! Why me? Bees and Ice were better telepaths, and Saka was a born leader. Why me? I didn't say anything. But the others all clapped. I'd been working closely with the Prof for a long time. I guess that was it. He certainly knew me well. And what had I just concluded, in my mind? I'd die for the mission. Yeah – maybe he was right. A suicidal fanatic – yeah. That was me. And that’s just what we needed, for this mission. Or any Legion mission. Right?

Δ

"This one looks good," the Professor said. We were gathered around the briefing screen again, only this time it was live. "Of course we cannot ascertain the exact planet with the data we have, but it is definitely in this vicinity and there will be only so many habitable planets."

"How do we know they'll choose a habitable planet?" I asked.

"Well, we don't – they could conceivably set up shop on an airless moon, but it would be so much easier to pick a nice place with a breathable atmosphere and non-hostile surroundings. Remember although Hab-1 planets are extremely rare, the galaxy is so large that there are an estimated ten billion Hab-1 terrestrial planets orbiting in habitable zones of stars in our galaxy alone. Ten billion! So our probes are examining every planet in the hab zones of suitable stars in this sector. If it's there, we'll find it."

"It's really beautiful," Bees said quietly. The screen showed a ruddy planet orbited by sparkling multi-colored rings of glittery dust, presumably the remnants of former moonlets that were torn apart by the planet's tidal forces.

"Yes, looks good," Prof said. "It's a terrestrial planet. And a water world – just what we need – with several large, rocky continents where life has developed – vegetation. That's good! Density is acceptable. It's within the hab zone of the star, a white prime. All that is good. Let's see what else." The probes were spewing forth data via Q-links; we were still in stardrive.

"Look at the surface temperature. Warm – what does that mean?"

"See the figures. Day average twenty-two degrees. Night eight. It's mild. Not bad at all."

"Let's see…orbital period…rotation period. Ha! The stellar day is a bit over Quaba standard, about four Quaba days to rotate, so long warm days and long cold nights. But the axial tilt is fine, they will have seasons and that helps even things out. And the planet rotates counter-clockwise, that's nice of it, so we won't get confused with the sun rising and setting at unusual places."

"Don't bet on it," Arie said. "I'm easily confused. Quaba drove me nuts."

"Well, this one has got only one star. So you should be all right. Here's the atmosphere! N2, O2 – oxygen! Wonderful! It's almost all nitrogen and oxygen, plenty of oxygen," the Prof exclaimed.

"How about gravity?" Doggie asked.

"There it is. One point three g, only slightly heavier than Quaba's. This planet appears to be ideal! I really hope this is our place. They'd be crazy to pass this one by."

Δ

Hurtling into the dark, into the out and out to the in, I tried to remain calm. This was some mission. It was even further away than Dragon Shoals, and that had been far enough for me. Nobody had ever been this far out. At least it was still in our universe, but it was one distant nebula, not yet visited by humans. We were going to be the first. I would have passed on the honor, but I had no choice.

When we exited stardrive we were uncloaked and were broadcasting DX neural transmissions with our message of greetings and peaceful intentions. A giant white hand was lasered into the skin of the
Vampire
, to reinforce that we were the good guys. Since we were all experts at breaking things and killing people, I felt strange in our new role as touchy-feely diplomats. But if the Brights had any suspicions about our intrusion, we wanted to reassure them as soon as possible. Travelling uncloaked in unexplored vac was against Fleetcom regs as well as common sense, but this was a pretty unusual situation. There might have been all sorts of hostile life forms out here hungrily looking for something to attack, but we suspected the Brights were here, and we needed to reassure them.

If things worked out as expected, we'd be going in unarmed. Now that was scary. However, we had worked with the B's before and trusted them as much as you could trust any alien beings that probably had nothing in common with you at all.

I had to keep reminding myself that the Brights had brought back Ice and Saka from the dead, and saved Bees' life, and given us all the power of prophesy. They were good guys if anyone was.

"There it is!" Now the target planet had appeared on our d-screens, a lovely vision, a cloudy red orb girdled with that icy glittering ring.

"Any signs of higher life?"

"Not so far."

"We've come a long way, haven't we, Prophet?" It was Arie, right beside me, gazing at the images on the screen.

"Yeah, I guess," I said. "Fifteen thousand, four hundred light years."

"That's not what I meant. I meant – you and me. Since we first met after walking through the Legion gate on Eugarat. A long way."

"It's almost unbelievable."

"I knew you'd become an officer. And I was hoping I could become your squire or something, and you'd say things like 'Boy, fetch me my sword,' and I'd run and do it."

"You've got quite an imagination, Arie."

"You're the one with the imagination. You were always peering into a dark future and wondering what we'd do and where we'd end up. That's why we called you 'Prophet'. But did you ever imagine all the things we've done and all the places we've been? Man! What a ride. And look at us now."

"I'm not an officer, Arie."

"That will be happening shortly – after all you've done. You and Ice and Saka and Bees. You four are a national treasure. They'll for sure make you officers, at the very least. And you deserve it. All four of you. Man! What a ride!"

"You take care, Arie. Take good care of yourself. I sure don't want to have to explain to Blondie that you're not coming home."

"Take care? Oh sure. If I believed in taking care, I'd never have walked through the Legion gate. Right?"

"That's it, boys and girls. That's it!" It was the Prof, and he sounded excited. "We've got artificial structures. Bees, you can stop worrying. That's an order." Bees cried out in delight. The big wall screen showed a view from an eyemote rushing through rainy clouds and the clouds cleared here and there to show glimpses of a huge installation below, white building mods all linked together, forming an amazing geometric pattern with wide roads or walkways between the buildings. The clouds flashed past, then revealed what looked like part of a starport, two delta starcraft parked close together. What a spectacular, lovely view!

A warbling, whooping shriek alarm suddenly ripped into my brain and set my teeth on edge, accompanied by an insane berserk chirping insect-like beep beep beep beep beep.

"GENERAL QUARTERS! GENERAL QUARTERS! ALL HANDS MAN YOUR BATTLE STATIONS!"

Arie took off like a shot, headed for the arms lockers, accompanied by Doggie, Scout, Smiley and our wolf Blackie. They were our security element and had shipboard duties for general quarters. As a member of the contact team I was already at my assigned battle station, before the big d-screen in the phantom boarding station, and all set in my A-vest with my comtop at my waist.

"PROFESSOR REPORT TO THE BRIDGE!"

The Prof took off, shouting back over his shoulder, "Prophet, follow me!"

We were at the bridge after a short run along a corridor. It seemed perfectly calm with officers and techs strapped into their chairs before banks of glowing instruments but the entire bridge was illuminated in a bloody red light to enhance night vision. Outside, the panoramic simport revealed an icy, mind-numbing splendor, God's canvas, the Milky Way, mankind's own heaven, if you had the soul to appreciate it. Billions of cold stars softly burnt in eternity, swirling in spirals of cosmic wonder. God's brush strokes, painted in silver. It was heart-stoppingly beautiful. Those tiny stars were like dust mote sparks, cutting into my flesh. My blood was running cold in my veins and a chill trickled over my skin.

"Captain?" The Prof was standing by the captain's command chair. I joined him. The captain looked up at the Prof. I could tell at a glance that this captain was exactly who we wanted in command of our ship. Pale short hair, dark eyes, and the character carved right into his face: aggressive, clearly in charge, resolute, determined, smart, experienced, and all set to make ConFree's enemies die for their cause. I noted the combat cross and blood badge on his black blouse.

"Bright interceptors," the captain said, pointing out a D-screen that revealed two sleek ships, both closing fast according to the rapidly changing figures on the screens.

"Stay uncloaked," the Prof said. "If they attack us, all bets are off but I don't think they will attack us."

"Our shielding will stay up," the captain said. It didn't sound like a request.

"Yes, of course. They will understand that. But the lack of cloaking says volumes about our intentions."

As we neared the target planet in normal vac, the two Bright interceptors slipped into place behind us, taking their time. They were in perfect position to blast us out of existence at any time, and I had no doubt they could do it easily. But they didn't. They just followed us silently.

Δ

The Prof and I returned to the boarding station. The big D-screen focused on the two Bright interceptors.

"Beautiful, aren’t they?" Ice commented. We had an excellent view by then. They were indeed lovely ships, a dark silver, fully sealed, reflecting only the light of distant stars. The Bright white hand insignia glowed on the fuselage up front, but not a single viewport or entry hatch could be seen.

"Fleetcom would give a lot for the plans for those ships," I replied.

"We can start the spying later," the Prof said. "Our initial plan is to stay alive long enough to give them our 'we come in peace' pitch, and then wing it."

"We are in the hands of God," Bees said. "This is the right thing to do. I believe we have divine protection. I feel so good about this. It's a mission from God."

"You may be right, Bees," the Prof said. "But it's also a mission from ConFree. Either way, it's the right thing to do. And if we fail, the consequences may be fatal to millions of innocents."

"That's what it's all about," Nan said. "Don’t forget that."

"They're not going to shoot at us," Saka said. "Why should they do that? They're all-powerful. They can shoot us any time they want. They must be curious to see what kind of crazies found them, all the way out here, and what it is we want."

"Yes, Saka, it's clear they chose this place because they did not wish to be disturbed. And here we are. Their choices are to shoot us or listen to us, you're right."

"Listen first, then shoot if they don't like what they hear," I suggested.

"Have faith, Prophet," Bees said. "We are going to learn all about these wonderful beings, and their civilization."

Δ

The planet came into view on the D-screen. This time the view was from the
Vampire,
not from an eyemote. A sparkling rosy gem, girt with diamond dust. A haven, a welcome stop on the eternal cosmic highway.