To The Stars

  "I'd bet the larger, sunken area is an airlock. The markings are written signs, probably saying something like "airlock," or "danger." The other places are storage places, lockers like we've got in our hanger bay. There's no equipment I can see other than the rails set into the floor. Those have got to be guides for some kind of shuttle they have. Since it's missing, I would also assume at least a portion of the crew is on the planet's surface."

  "It's what I don't see that's bothering me," said Bonner.

  "What's that?"

  "Hanger bay doors..."

  "They must be hidden in the walls."

  "Nope," replied Bonner, "They aren't in the walls because there aren't any doors. See the circles lined up along the outside edges of the bay opening? I wonder if those aren't field generators?"

  "Force fields?"

  "Could be," said Doris. "That kind of technology is still science fiction for us. What do you make of the drive system from the design of the nozzles?"

  "It's not a fusion drive. It's not big enough for that. If they have force-field technology, I would guess it's propelled by accelerated photons."

  "Light-drive?"

  "It's a handful of light years to the next closest system. If they didn't come through the wormhole, then that's the only way they could've gotten here."

  Nadine looked at Bonner. "If that's right, then this is big. I'm going to be famous! First thing I'm gonna do is get one of those big condos on New Detroit. Then I'm gonna..."

  "Control yourself, Nadine," interrupted Doris, "there's a lot to do before you retire."

  "What would you estimate the dimensions to be around the indention in the hanger bay?" Fagen asked.

  "Let's see." Bonner checked his instrument readings and consulted the small computer he always carried. "Two and half meters."

  "Pretty big," said Doris.

  "Not necessarily," said Harry. "The main hatch in our hanger bay is considerably larger, around eight feet square. And then there are the auxiliary hatches -- they're considerably smaller."

  "I wonder what they look like." Nadine mused.

  "No telling."

  Harry's monitor flickered once, then twice.

  "Where's my display?" Fagen suddenly asked.

  Harry looked and saw that Fagen's terminal showed a maelstrom of changing colors.

  "What's going on here, Nadine?"

  "I don't know, I've got the same problem."

  "Interference of some kind?"

  Nadine's fingers played over the keys of her terminal. Watching the rapidly changing readouts, she shook her head. "No, this is internal. Blane's hacked his way in."

  Fagen turned to Doris. "Take Bonner and remove Blane from his hookup. Have Parker give him another dose." He turned back to Nadine. "Re-route through my password, MATRIX."

  She tapped on the keys. "Done," she said, "he's off-line. I'll bet he's one pissed-off wirehead about now."

  "Check data integrity."

  "That'll take a little time."

  "Okay, park it. Let's remember where we are, folks. We're going to be without sensors and navigation for how long?"

  "Twenty minutes."

  Fagen ran a hand over his face. "Twenty minutes," he repeated. To no one in particular, he added, "I've waited this long, what's another twenty minutes or so?" He turned to Harry. "Anything going with that message?"

  Harry shook his head. "I've gone as far as I can without more data."

  "That's what I figured." Fagen stared out a port.

  "What'll we do when the systems come back up?"

  "Gather data, Harry, that's the name of the game."

  "Any chance we might take another trip down to the surface?" Harry searched Fagen's unyielding face.

  "We'll just have to see how things turn out. Get your mind off it, Harry, I may need you to assist in an EVA operation."

  Gathering the thought slowly, Harry blinked. "EVA? You mean across to the alien ship?"

  Uncharacteristically, Fagen cracked a smile. "Wouldn't that be a kick?"

  Chapter 18

  Arai was tired. They'd traveled all day, stopping at intervals only long enough to let their captive catch up. It had been hours since Arai had offered water, and the thing had refused to take any then. He stopped at a place where rain water gathered in the crook of a tree. With a cup fashioned from a gourd, he scooped out the water and drank.

  He could tell the tall creature was wary by the way it approached. It hesitated, but then saw the water and came a step closer. Arai motioned for the thing to take the gourd. It hesitated, then grabbed it, making sure to avoid touching Arai. He giggled as he watched his captive drink. He turned to his older brother.

  "It is very thirsty."

  "And very large," Kretin added. "I will wager it gets hungry as well, and from the size of it, it has a large appetite. Let us go, we are almost home."

  They wound their way through the branches occasionally dropping to the ground to take a short cut. It was cool on the forest floor and the spongy forest carpet was easier on the feet. Along the way, they saw more animals, but they were all shy and ran away. Twice, Arai led Kathleen around holes in the ground that were large enough to fall into. He pointed at them with his spear and motioned for Kathleen to step carefully around the edges.

  Kathleen wondered what sort of creature made the holes.

  Just when she thought she couldn't take another step, the forest opened up to expose a jumbled cliff of rocks. Shouts and voices came from above. Kathleen looked up and saw a handful of furry faces staring wide-eyed down at her. None seemed threatening. Rather, they appeared to be amazed and not a little curious.

  Kretin made her climb the rocks up to the first outcropping. Once she stepped upon the flat ledge, she saw that it stretched back to reveal a hidden cave situated away from weather. Standing around the ledge and in the mouth of the cave, more of the natives stood and ogled the young Earth woman.

  Kathleen was frightened, but far from terrified. She towered over all of them and, at first, they kept their distance. An old female approached and rattled off something in an incomprehensible tongue. When Kathleen failed to answer, the old lady turned to Kretin.

  "Is it without hearing? Can it not speak?"

  "No, mother. It speaks, but in a strange tongue. Likewise, it does not understand us."

  The old female turned back to Kathleen and felt the young woman's arms. "It is big and strong. Where did it get these clothes? What kind of skins are they made from?"

  Kretin shrugged.

  Now the other women circled around Kathleen. They marveled over Kathleen's silky hair and the lack of it on her face and hands. One woman looked behind Kathleen and clicked in confusion.

  "Where is its tail?"

  This observation brought laughter and disbelief from the smaller children who shyly edged out from the mouth of the cave.

  The old woman again turned to Kretin. "Is it male or female?"

  Kretin shrugged.

  The old woman approached Kathleen and placed paws or hands, Kathleen couldn't decide which, on Kathleen's chest. "Ah," the old woman remarked, "it is a female."

  Grandfather had said nothing. He sat on a rock and watched as the others crowded around Kathleen and felt her clothes, her hair, her skin. Upon hearing that the creature was female, he commented to Kretin that they now had another mouth to feed.

  Arai overheard. "She may be a hunter, Grandfather. She killed one of the night creatures and saved me from certain death."

  The old man's tail jerked. "Ah, well, that's something else. Perhaps she can earn her way. We must decide soon. A creature her size will eat much -- that means less for the rest of us if she cannot find food by herself."

  "Should she not be allowed to choose between the forest and the tribe, Grandfather?"

  The old one rubbed the boy's furry head with his bent and battered tail. "Yes, she will get the opportunity through the proper ritual, but first we must prepare. You and your brother have been far and have accomp
lished great things. I am proud of you both."

  He looked at the darkening sky. "I think that first, you must rest. The captive female needs rest as well. If she is not dangerous, then untie her, give her food and drink. Tomorrow we will discuss the ritual."

  The old man rose from his seat and walked to Kathleen's side. She looked at the old man.

  "She has no manners," he said. "She has much to learn, perhaps too much." At that, he turned and walked into the cave, leaving the others to amuse themselves with the hairless female.

  After untying her, they took her inside and showed her where to rest. She sat down heavily, grateful for the chance to rest. Under the amazed stares of the watching natives, she removed her shoes and looked at her feet. Both had numerous blisters. One of the women brought a bowl of water.

  Kathleen thanked her and washed her feet with the water. Another one brought food. She looked at the offered fruit with doubt. She could eat and risk contracting a fatal microbe, or she could starve to death. It was as simple as that. She gingerly took a bite. The fruit was sweet and juicy. It looked like a small melon with a hard shell and tasted something like cantaloupe. Maybe it was just because she was so hungry, or maybe it was because she was just too tired to care. Whichever it was, she ate the fruit and finished it off with a long drink of water. Her stomach accepted the offering and after five minutes, she knew she wasn't going to die.

  Arai situated himself beside Kathleen and watched her eat. She was so strange. Her hair was the color of the sun and her eyes and nose were so small compared to the Bedorans'. Arai wondered how she could see and smell from such small organs. Her hands and feet were large but delicate. She moved with grace and, Arai noted with not a little embarrassment, somehow her strange features were attractive. The one truly alarming thing about her was that she had no tail. Perhaps it had been amputated in an accident, Arai thought.

  The small children ran unrestrained through the confines of the cave. They climbed rocks, tumbled down, chased one another, and peeked at the newcomer. They stared wide-eyed and, becoming bolder, they inched closer. Using their long tails, they reached out and stroked the hair on Kathleen's head and felt the strange cloth she wore. One tyke, no larger than a human one-year-old, and knowing no better, finally climbed into Kathleen's lap and promptly went to sleep.

  Kathleen wrapped her arms around the child and soon was fast asleep herself. The adults nodded to one another with satisfaction.

  "The little ones like her," one woman commented to another.

  "Yes, but we must make certain she does not eat them during the night."

  Outside, Kretin watched the night sky. Arai joined him. "Seen any of the strange lights?"

  "Not yet, but I am afraid they are still out there. I can feel them." He sniffed the air. "Do you not smell an odd scent?"

  Arai raised his nose. "Yes, there is something, but it is far away."

  "Not far enough if we can smell it." Kretin picked up the spear that lay at his feet and began to sharpen the tip against a rock.

  "Do we hunt tomorrow?"

  "No. Tomorrow Grandfather will ask that the ritual be performed for the thing we found."

  "Why do you call it a 'thing'?"

  "What would you have me call it?"

  "Well, mother said it is female."

  "But it is not Bedoran."

  "Perhaps we can give it a Bedoran name."

  "That will be decided tomorrow. It must prove its worth first."

  Arai reluctantly agreed. He understood that life in the forest was good because the Bedoran people had strict rules. Before those who had killed his father came, there was no threat to which the Bedoran people were not accustomed and could not overcome. They had been the undisputed rulers of the land. Now, they had to walk carefully at certain times of the year. Many had become lost in the forests. Sometimes their bodies were found, horribly mutilated by something other than the creatures that lived among the trees. If the strange female was to remain with the tribe, she had to prove she would be an asset. There was no room for those who would not or could not manage for themselves.

  Kretin pointed to one of the stars in the sky. "That was not there yesterday."

  Arai followed his older brother's pointing finger. He didn't know the

  stars as well as Kretin, but he could easily make out the new point of light. It was larger than the others and was nearly directly overhead.

  "What is it?"

  "I have no idea," answered Kretin, "but it is always a good idea to keep one's spear sharpened."

  It was an old Bedoran saying and it was good, practical advice. Arai began sharpening the point of his own spear. The boys' Grandfather joined them on the rocky ledge. At once, the old man saw the new star in the sky.

  "Not a good sign," he said. He turned to Kretin and asked if the young man still had the magic crystal.

  "Yes, Grandfather." Kretin took the small leather pouch from his belt and tried to hand it to the old man.

  The old man refused to take it. "Keep it. It is something a young warrior should have. Guard it well, it may save your life one day."

  Kretin replaced the pouch and faced his grandfather. "Did we do right in bringing the female animal back with us?"

  The old man looked at the sky. "Only time will tell, son. Only time will tell."

  In the cave, Kathleen slept soundly. All the small children had crowded around her and were also fast asleep.

  *

  Unknown to Kretin, Arai, or the old man, and possibly beyond their understanding, the light in the sky was a spacecraft that held others similar to the one they had captured. Aboard the Magellan, Blane was wrestled to the floor of his cabin and given a large dose of tranquilizers. In his fear of being unplugged from his devices, he had inadequately soldered two of the terminal leads to input jacks on the back of his head. In the struggle, they were both knocked loose. Blane screamed and struck out, knocking Doris against the side of the head.

  She reacted by rolling with the blow and grabbing Blane by both arms. Bonner wrapped his arms around Blane's legs and effectively pinned him against the bulkhead. That was when Parker stepped in and gave Blane the shot.

  "That'll hold him," said Parker. "I gave him a bigger dose this time."

  "How long?" Doris asked.

  The doctor shrugged. "Can't say for sure. I thought the last dose would put him to sleep."

  "Well, we've got to control him. In the state he's in, he's a danger to all of us. Got any ideas?"

  Parker looked thoughtful. "Maybe. Give me a minute, I'll get something from the lab." He left the compartment. By the time he returned, Doris and Bonner had re-situated Blane onto his bunk.

  "Let's pull him up into a sitting position and I'll slip him into this." Parker held up a canvas and leather straitjacket.

  "Where'd you get that?"

  "Standard Corporation medical issue," replied Parker.

  "No shit?"

  They fit Blane into the jacket and set him back on the bed. Bonner straightened up. "Well," he said, brushing off his hands, "I guess that's it. Let me know if you need more help."

  "Thanks, Bill," Said Doris. Turning back to Parker, she asked him to check in on Blane every so often to make sure he wasn't awake.

  "Oh, he's awake now. He's just anesthetized. As long as he's got hook-ups to his devices, part of his mind is conscious."

  Doris pursed her lips and thought. With a decisive motion, she leaned across the prone wirehead and pulled out the wire leads. "I want him out."

  A spasm passed through Blane's body and, for a moment, his eyes flickered open. It startled both Doris and the doctor. Blane again lay still.

  "Is he all right?" Doris asked.

  Parker looked into Blane's eyes and felt his pulse. "Mild shock. That's all. Nothing to worry about. Probably the best thing for him."

  *

  It took the computers something less than the twenty minutes Nadine estimated. They were in luck. All the databases were intact. Blane had
only diverted the processor power, he hadn't done any damage. The sensor systems went through their initializations and in moments the sight of the alien spaceship once again filled the monitors.

  "Recorders on," ordered Fagen.

  "Already rollin'," replied Nadine.

  Bonner floated back onto the bridge. He sat at his station next to Nadine, clapped his hands and rubbed his palms together. Leaning forward, he read his displays. "Status quo here. Everything looks good."

  For a long minute, they all stared at the alien craft as if to make sure what they had seen before was not an illusion. Nothing had changed. It was still there, some thousand odd meters away.

  Fagen zoomed the telescope into the hanger bay.

  "I have an idea," offered Harry. "Focus on what we thought was an airlock. Yes, that's it. Now, look around the edges for more markings or..."

  Sure enough, Harry's hunch paid off. To the left of the rounded indention were a series of bumps arranged in a manner that could only indicate a control panel of some sort. Above and below the "panel" were markings similar to those in the intercepted message.

  "Can I get a datashot of that?"

  "Right," said Fagen. He typed a command into his terminal. "Done."

  "And shots of any other markings?"

  "No problem."

  It didn't take long to get enough pictures of the markings to help Harry guess what some meant. He knew the glyphs around the airlock panels were most likely warnings and instructions. The first word he actually deciphered was 'step'. The alien symbol was printed underneath the airlock. 'Warning' or 'danger' Harry also picked out. That was the easiest. Unfortunately, although the symbols were similar, none matched those within the intercepted message.

  After taking a good look, Fagen moved the Magellan to a position where he and Bonner could inspect the alien star drive. They couldn't see the power plant, but they could see nozzles which they guessed were used for propulsion. As Bonner had previously commented, the nozzles were too small for a conventional fusion drive.

  The prospect was exciting. Braithwaite's research facilities were still years away, maybe even decades, from constructing a light-drive prototype. Discovering a ship that used a light drive would have a dramatic effect on space exploration, not to mention a boon to the Braithwaite Foundation stockholders.

  The big payoff was in the discovery of an advanced race. Since the opening of the wormhole and the exploration of the galaxy, plenty of life forms had been discovered, but none were deemed to be intelligent by human standards. None made artifacts. None traveled among the stars. For the first time in human history, representatives of the human race were poised to contact a higher intelligence. The prospect was exhilarating.