The Stars Came Back (67 page)

Lag: There’s going to be a lot more ships and people than
you can haul.

Quiritis: (
Quietly, in wonderment)
Taj
. At Tau Piper… We can build
new Armadillos
as well as TFPs. You talked of walking the other side of civilization’s path. You
can
.

Helton: Right. You can make your
own
children,
Taj
, and start building new worlds. Teach ‘em right, crew ‘em properly. Only fight if we have to, get others to just leave us the hell alone, so we can make new habitable planets and do what works. How’s that sound? Partners?

An avatar appears on a wall screen. The monk in the garden, looking very surprised and happy.

Ship AI: I… I don’t know what to say… That is the best idea I’ve heard in… centuries. Allonia and Quinn will like it, too. Thank you. I hope I am worthy of your trust…
Liberos transfero qui terras liberas faciant
.

Quiritis: Excuse me?

Ship AI: New life, new motto.
I carry free people to create free worlds
.

Helton: I like that.
But let’s keep the old one on tap for emergencies, shall we?

Lag: Outstanding.

The avatar morphs into the powerfully built, short haired, cigar-smoking man in armor.

Ship AI: Now, then. ‘Bout that kick-ass plan a’ yours…

FADE TO BLACK

Bishop

FADE IN

EXT - NIGHT - Space, not far from a large, an
gry, dimly lit orange gas giant

In the far distance, the sun of the New Medina system glows, shedding what little light reaches out to this distant orbit. In the near distance, space glows and
Tajemnica
pops into existence. The hull is covered with the same tanks, turrets, and missile pods as before. From an internal magazine, a launch tube pops up and a missile is launched, glowing slightly rather than using conventional rocket motor. It heads for the massive planet, rapidly disappearing into the distance.

CUT TO

INT - NIGHT -
Tajemnica
bridge

Helton stands at command, Quiritis, Allonia, Bipasha at normal spots. The Compliance Monitor
(a youngish man, skinny, sallow, bald, dressed in a close-fitting suit) stands near the door.

CM: What are you doing?

Helton: Launching a missile.

CM: At
what
?

Helton: (
Flippantly) That big orange thing out there. Called a planet.
Almost
a star, but failed.

The compliance monitor gives his sarcasm a dark look.

CM: Why?

Helton: Never really liked gas giants, and this system has too many… Thought I’d kick it, just ‘cause we were in the area. Got a problem with that?

The CM looks skeptical, as though he doesn’t like being played with, but isn’t seeing anything obviously in violation, so he shakes his head, a sour look on his face.

Allonia: (
To CM) Everything OK?

CM: No violations have been found. But we still have a
long time before we get there, even with the current planetary arrangement. I may find something yet.

Helton: Maybe, but w
e aren’t waiting when the time comes. Do you have a heart condition?

The CM looks at his suspiciously.

CM: Why do you ask?

Allonia: Things sometimes get a little exciting around here.

CM: I’ve heard rumors.

Bipasha: Hope your life insurance policy is paid up.

CM: That’s a standard part of a monitor contract. Is
yours
?

Helton: Nope. No one willing touch us. Why don’t you go poke around, see if you find any problems with the armor or weapons?

The CM looks at him, and the others on the bridge, distastefully. He stands up, and heads out the door. The others watch him go.

Helton: OK, let’s go get a look-see at what the final count is.

Quiritis works the controls, the tone of the drives ramps up.

CUT TO

EXT - NIGHT - Space, not far from a large, an
gry, dimly lit orange gas giant

Space glows around
Tajemnica
, intensifies, and she disappears.

CUT TO

EXT - DAY -
Space, a bit more than an AU from the New Medina sun

M
illions of kilometers from the shiny half circle of a planet. Space glows slightly, then more, and
Tajemnica
pops into this universe. The glow fades a little, then picks up again as she disappears, and the glow fades completely. The black of space is remains unperturbed by her popping in for a peek.

CUT TO

INT - DAY - Bridge of the HMS
Hussein

A sensor tech looks at his screens, a frown on his face, and he adjusts the controls, fiddling things a bit this way and that. An officer comes up behind him as he looks at the screen.

Bridge Lt: Something to report?

Sensor Tech: Not sure, sir
; something showed, for just a second, well inside the transition zone to spinward, then-

Bridge Lt: Run a systems check. Things don’t just appear or disappear that close, as you well know. Make a report when you are done.

Sensor tech: Aye-aye, sir.

CUT TO

INT - DAY -
Tajemnica
Bridge

Data populates
the screens, making a diagram of the planet and the surrounding region. There are many icons surrounding the planet, dots and pictograms of various sizes, shapes, colors, and small text designations. Most are roughly grouped into three areas: one in a loose hemispherical formation on the spinward side of the planet, one formation covering most of the other half the planet, and a much wider, larger, looser formation further out, past the moons on the outside of the planet. There are also many “clutter” craft, not obviously part of any formation, and are colored differently. Quiritis whistles softly.

Helton: Well
. Isn’t
that
just shiny. Three carrier fleets. Pols must be nervous.

Ship AI: (OC)
The outside fleet formation has more than a dozen capital ships. Only Earth Fleet Colonial Powers makes fifteen cruiser carriers. The other two carriers are standard six-cruiser models with a mix of interceptors and support craft.

Helton:
I see a lot more than twenty eight cruisers.

Quiritis: Other systems have star cruisers here, not just carrier cruisers. Some independent frigates, too.

Bipasha: What are all the brown dots?

Ship AI: Civilian and other non-combat craft. Media, politicians, independent salvage ops, war groupies, liners that have offloaded and are awaiting instructions. We can mostly ignore them.

Allonia: We don’t want to shoot them on accident!

Helton: They can leave if they don’t like the risks. We can’t.

Lag leans in the door, wearing partial armor.

Lag: What’s the layout?

Helton: Three carrier fleets, one Colonial Powers, another thirty non-carrier cruisers and larger. A gazillion little guys.

Lag: Seems we woke a few people up. Plan?

Helton: Anyone got a six-pack of divine intervention handy?

He
is rewarded by a collection of wry smiles and chuckles.

Helton: Talk our way past the Earth fleet on a pair of Sokolovs, draw everyone to the dark side,
lunar L1 transition, sneak down behind them. Drop you at dawn. Tell ‘em to clear out or die, then punt.

Allonia: So, basically wing it until you need to make something up?

Helton: Pretty much.

Bipasha: Planned chaos.

Helton: (To Bipasha) Hey,
you’re
the one to hire on for the excitement.

Lag: Should we transfer guys now, or later?

Helton: Once we’re moving things will go fast. We have the oh-two capacity built out. Now, I think. We can lower grav to Earth normal to make standing around waiting more comfy. All the supplies aboard, ready to drop? Middeck expansion?

Allonia: Yes.
Glucose water, resupply pod, caltrops on the aft ramp, everything.

Lag: Caltrops?

Helton: Yeah, last minute idea from a few weeks ago. Got cases of them. You can drop them to make a line they can’t cross fast.

Lag: Know what they are, not sure if we’ll have time to do more than run the shield wall.

Helton: Well, we got ‘em.

Ship AI: (OC) Time’s a’wast
in’. No point in keeping everyone in suspense.

CUT TO

EXT - DAY - Space

Tajemnica
and the
Borealis
fly, attached to each other, glowing, heading in-system.

CUT TO

INT - DAY -
Tajemnica
Bridge

Helton, Allonia, Bipasha, Kwon, Quiritis, Compliance Monitor are at stations. The CM looks nervous.

CM: Why are they all coming aboard here? You don’t have anywhere near enough room. Can the air system handle them all?

Helton: Not your problem. Put on your space suit if you’re worried.

The CM looks at him with an even more concerned look.

Helton: (
Seriously) You
did
bring a suit, right?

The CM
glares at him and stomps off the bridge. They watch him go.

Allonia: Got a signal. Earth Fleet Flagship hailing.

Helton: On screen.

On the main screen is the Earth Fleet Colonial Powers
logo. Then it changes to a man wearing fancy Church robes (Fettig, a jowly, heavy-set, greasy-looking man, wearing the condescending smile of one accustomed to power and authority), looking like a Bishop. He is sitting in a fancy private room, judging from the décor behind him. There is no one else in camera view.

Helton: Not
exactly
the divine intervention I had in mind.

Fettig: So. The abominations arrive at last.

Helton: ‘Scuse me?

Fettig: Will you be throwing yourself on the mercy of the church and the law, or do you wish to die in fire and brimstone? I’m quite satisfied either way.

Helton: Not following you. What abominations?

Fettig: Don’t play ignorant with
me
. Your ship was judged a war criminal, and you have reactivated the AI. You
must
know its homicidal potential. You are harboring Jezebel, that foul seductress who lured, used, and brutally murdered the councilor’s innocent son. She is an artificially engineered killing machine that you married to protect! You, too, are in her sway. A worse Satanic alliance can scarcely be imagined. If you hand them over, and throw all the soldiers you have misled on our mercy in order to avoid starting a religious war, we will give serious consideration to clemency. But if not… one word from me to the admiral, and you will face far more firepower than you can comprehend.

Helton: Your offer is
most generous, but you seem to have your facts wrong. And you have
no idea
how much firepower I can imagine.

Fettig’s smile falters then returns, and he looks hard out of the screen, eyes narrowing.

Fettig: You face a terrible choice, my son. Surrender your devil-spawn wife and evil ship, to save thousands of innocent men, or all will die, as criminals. So you will refuse to surrender?

Helton: Allonia defended herself from an attempted rape by a far-from-innocent Darch, so she has
committed
no crime. The ship’s hull is from long ago, but the AI is not the same as it was. And, just in case you haven’t kept up on the news, the man we are going to fight has already declared war
on us
! They have been murdering hundreds every year for a decade; you’re just not fighting back. We’re not starting anything here. But we aim to
finish it,
because we are fresh out of cheeks to turn.

Tajemnica’s
avatar suddenly appears on the screen, the partially armored woman. From Fettig’s reaction it’s clear she’s showing up on his screen, too. She is intense and talks quietly, with barely controlled anger.

Ship AI: You know
nothing
of hard choices. NOTHING!

Fettig’s face hardens.

Fettig: I was given to understand Jezebel was a younger woman.