'Get out from behind me, Chen,' I said.

  'We shouldn't fire on our hosts,' he said.

  'Don't fail me, now,' I said. 'Get the hell out.'

  He moved away, clutching his arm.

  I pulled the trigger. The rifle fired. The muzzle jerked upward and the recoil threw me back into the bulkhead, spinning me like a spindle in a blender.

  Chen said, 'You blew half her head off.'

  I struggled in the air until I was upright again and facing down the passageway. At the far end, Barbara Eden was floating, immobile. There were pieces of the helmet suspended around her, and a flap of flesh her head should have been.

  'Shouldn't have done it,' Chen said. 'Now you've shot a woman too, and one of our hosts. This won't turn out well.'

  'Wait here,' I croaked, my throat crushed from Barbara Eden's fingers.

  I pushed myself down the passageway, my nose stinging and swelling. I poked my head into the cockpit and checked out the screens. One screen showed the mothership in the distance. The other screen showed the battle still raging in the great hall. By the number of shaggy bodies strewn across the deck, the Goths were losing, yet again.

  At the far end of the passageway, the Barbara Eden lookalike floated lifelessly among the detritus of her helmet and her own flesh. Her head had been blown open. But strangely there was no blood.

  Thank goodness for small mercies.

  'What now?' called Chen. 'She's dead, right? Look at her.'

  'She might be,' I said, 'but who can tell?'

  'Oh, this is bad,' said Chen. 'We're in deep trouble. Trouble with the aliens, trouble with the Accord. This is going to be bad for everyone.'

  'Who is to say it wasn't always going to be bad?' I said. 'Didn't you hear me when I said the aliens are going to invade us? Why should we just let them without fighting back?'

  'Yes, I heard,' said Chen, 'But it's not for us to decide what to do. We don't speak for the whole planet. The Accord,' said Chen. 'It's for them to say what's right and wrong. They would never authorize an attack on our new allies. And we've gone ahead and shot their crew and stolen a ship, and started who knows what?'

  I ignored him, and swam up to Barbara Eden, keeping the rifle aimed at her. When I was sure she wasn't moving, I grabbed her arm and pushed her downwards, then followed behind, swimming, pushing off the bulkheads, shoving her down in front of me until I could get her all the way to the deck. Chen followed behind, propelling himself one-armed, trailing blood.

  At deck level, I pushed Barbara Eden out into the void of the hold, shoving her along until I reached the thick, wide machinery straps on the starboard side.

  'What are you doing?' said Chen.

  'I don't think she can be killed,' I said, 'or even stopped for long. So, we've got to tie her up before she wakes up and comes at us again.'

  'You don't think she can be killed?'

  'No, I don't. Does that make you feel better?'

  'Not really. I still shot her. That's the same as killing someone.'

  'Let's just tie her up and lock her in here. We might need her as hostage for the flight back.'

  'Right,' said Chen, but without conviction.

  I found a small chain and used it to tie Barbara Eden's hands behind her back. Then I pressed her against the wall, and ran two of the big flat straps across her chest and her legs. Then, I used the winches to tighten them until she was strapped in hard.

  'Think that'll hold her?' Chen was beside me. I turned and looked at him. He was clutching his right shoulder.

  'I don't know,' I said. 'But we've got to get going. They'll be coming for us--and they won't be friendly.'

  'No,' said Chen. 'They wont be friendly. Why would they be?'

  I looked around. 'Where's the rifle?'

  'Don't you have it?'

  As Chen said this, the limp figure that had been Barbara Eden came alive. The flap of her head flipped back into place and sealed itself as if nothing had happened. Her face was back to normal, as was her flawless skin, her fair hair, her beautiful smile and perfect teeth.

  'Too late, guys,' she said. 'You are guys, right? I mean, you are males, aren't you? From our study of Earth the whole gender thing is not what it used to be, like it was back in the old days. You two could be anything.'

  'Why is it too late?' I said.

  'Look at the screen, handsome,' she said. 'Go on. Turn around and look. I'm not going anywhere. That's it. Hey, how tall are you anyway?'

  I looked at the screens above the door. One of them displayed the great hall on the mothership. Goth bodies still lay all over the deck in various states of ruin. Roman troops were reassembling in front of a single figure, whom I guessed was Drusilla.

  I looked back at Barbara Eden. Now she had changed again. It was now another face that looked at us.

  'It's Le Seaux!' said Chen. 'She's OK.'

  'The correct pronouns is ze,' said the Le Seaux figure in the same accented English. 'Ze! Got it?'

  'It's not Le Seaux,' I said.

  'Give it up, Lieutenant Burns,' she said. 'Octavia's already sending one of the fighters after you. It'll be full of troops angry about what you did to Barbara Eden. Better to surrender now and get what mercy you can. Our friends, the galactic visitors told me they'll be understanding if you give yourselves up. They won't retaliate...much.'

  'What the hell?' said Chen.

  'Ignore her,' I said. 'Let's get up to the bridge and get out of here...if we can.'

  'She's changed again,' said Chen.

  'I'll sign that consent form now Alex,' said the womanly voice of Octavia. 'Come closer, so I can reach you.'

  'What's she talking about?' said Chen.

  'Come on,' I said. 'We don't have time.'

  We swam across the expanse of the hold, back to the passageway, checking out the screens as we floated by. Barbara Eden had been right about the fighter. The screen displayed a small craft leaving the mothership. It was one of the black tear drops.

  'I don't like the look of that,' said Chen.

  As we were about to go through the door, a voice called after us.

  'Alex,' it called. 'Alex, how can you do this to me? How can you do this?'

  'Who is it this time?' said Chen.

  'Just keep going.'

  'But who's voice is it doing?'

  'That's my mother,' I said.

  'Your what?'

  'Don't ask.'

  We swam back into the passageway and upwards to the panel leading to the cockpit.

  A monstrous, prolonged snarl followed us. A deep, angry, howl that filled the void and rattled the bulkheads.

  'What was that?' said Chen.

  'I don't know. Don't look. Don't go back.'

  'Forty-eight hours until the Establishment Day celebrations, Alex,' snarled the voice. 'All those commissioners in one place. All your military commanders too. Millions of people watching around the world. It's going to be a real party.'

  And then she laughed long and hard.

  'Do you know the word to close this door?' I said, meaning the entrance to the hold.

  'No idea,' Chen said. 'Fermero!' he said. 'Close!'

  'Let's just get moving,' I said. 'We'll work it out later.'

  'You're invited to the celebrations too, Alex!' snarled the voice. 'Make sure to wear your Service Dress Blue uniform. You look so good in it.'

  'Don't listen. Keep going.'

  As we swam up to the opening onto the bridge, a long terrible wail pursued us from below.

  'We're going to have to do something about that,' he said.

  'What? Flush it into space?'

  'I was thinking of helping her,' said Chen.

  'No,' I said. 'Don't backslide on me now. We don't have time to help her, and anyway, I think she can heal herself. You saw what I saw, right?'

  'So what do we do?'

  I was beginning to lose patience with him.

  'Let's just get to work on the controls.'

  We collected the rifle and then swam into the cockpit. Then we settled ourselves into the seats and looked at the controls and the two screens. There wasn't a helm, a wheel, or even a joystick. One screen showed Drusilla ordering the Marines. The other showed the tear drop-shaped ship slowly approaching.

  'Well?' said Chen. 'You're the pilot. What now?'

  35

  CHEN AND I sat looking at the controls.

  He was silent, still stunned by the act of firing the weapon. He had lost his swagger. All the talk of making movies and his powerful friends in the Accord had vanished, replaced by a panicked silence.

  He could see the terrible reality of our situation.

  I left him to it, and tried to focus on the next step: to get the shuttle moving.

  'Well?' said Chen, after two minutes of watching me stare at the panels. 'Why aren't we moving?'

  'We're still standing off from the mothership.'

  'So?' said Chen.

  'So, that means our friend down there was piloting this ship herself. It wasn't controlled by someone on the mothership.'

  'That doesn't help.'

  'Yes, it does,' I said.

  'How?'

  'If she can do it, we can do it.'

  'Then what? We go for drive around the moon?'

  'No, we can give the shuttle another heading.'

  'As simple as that?'

  'I don't know yet.'

  'What about Le Seaux?' Chen said. I noticed he was cradling his arm. The guy had a ripped chest and now a dislocated limb.

  'We have to get this thing moving first.'

  'And when we do, shouldn't we rescue her? We can't leave her back there, injured or captured.'

  I knew this question would come. Should we try to rescue Le Seaux or continue the escape? It was the big decision of the minute, the one that would have the greatest impact, the one that could decide the fates of everyone involved--ours, Le Seaux's, and maybe those of the Accord and the Earth.

  I put a hand to my forehead.

  I went over the situation again.

  Le Seaux was dead or captured.

  If we returned to the ship, we would be killed or captured too.

  No question.

  On the other hand, if we could find a way to get back to Earth, we could raise the alarm. We could try to convince the Accord about the threat posed by Octavia.

  Which would be virtually impossible.

  And would probably mean imprisonment.

  No, not probably. It was certain.

  We were damned either way.

  But what else could be done?

  The tear drop ship was still there on the screen.

  The Roman Marines were marching from the state room.

  Decision time.

  I drew a deep breath, exhaled. Repeated. Then I turned to Chen and said, 'What's the Latin word for Earth?'

  'Earth?' said Chen. 'We're just going to leave? We're just going to leave Le Seaux?'

  'Yes,' I said. 'Le Seaux is either dead or captured. We can't help her now.'

  'You're not serious.'

  'What's the Latin name for Earth? We saw it somewhere.'

  'What's the matter with you?' said Chen. 'You've changed. I've only known you a day and you've gone from being a loyal Accord Navy guy to a deserter, and a traitor.'

  He nursed his wounded arm.

  'Listen, Chen, we don't have time. Le Seaux is dead. Got it? You saw the blast. And if we try to go back to that ship, we'll soon be in chains again with orders to beat each other's brains out. You see that don't you? We can help everyone more by getting back to Earth and telling the Accord what we know.'

  'The Romans said we'd be shown mercy.'

  'Just think up the damn word for Earth,' I shouted.

  Chen said no more about Le Seaux. I think he was glad someone had made the terrible decision.

  'Earth-o?' he said. 'Terra?' His voice was lackluster.

  'No,' I said. 'That's not it.'

  'Then, I've got no idea,' he said.

  'I saw the name in that Latin book when we first arrived,' I said. 'There was a page in that book in the library. Remember?'

  'I didn't see it,' said Chen. 'Too busy looking at the books of women from pre-Accord TV.'

  'Think! What was it?'

  'What's that thing doing on the screen?' said Chen, nodding at the tear drop fighter.

  'Ignore it,' I said. 'What was the word written in the margin in the book?'

  'I don't know.'

  'Look over there,' I said nodding at the view of Earth from the window. 'Look at it. Maybe it will jog your memory. Look at the white clouds, the blue sea, the whole thing looking like a blue marble.'

  'We're never going to get there,' said Chen.

  'It was mentioned in the briefing as well, way back in the Affinity Room.'

  'I don't know anything about it,' said Chen.

  Then, I had a memory flash of the Commissioner from the Accord Space Agency.

  'It's hyacinth,' I said. 'Like the flower. Hyacinth! I yelled at the screen. 'Hyacinth.'

  'It fired something,' said Chen, looking at the screen on which the tear drop shaped fighter loomed. A streak of blue raced in front of us. They had fired a shot across our bows. It was something my ancestor might have done.

  My ancestor! Captain Alexander Burns of HMS Vengeance. Brave, stoic and capable. The thought of him cheered me up. And 'Deiseil a-riamh,' too, whatever it meant. I'd ask my ancestor when I saw him again--if I saw him again.

  'Hyacinth!' I yelled. 'Hyacinth!'

  'That's not it,' came a deep, menacing voice from down below. 'That's not it, Alex. You're wrong again.'

  But the great shuttle moved anyway, rotating until the blue and white of Earth came up into the window, directly ahead.

  'Maybe Hyacinth is it after all,' said Chen.

  'Not maybe,' I said.

  Then we were thrown back into our seats.

  36

  THE SHUTTLE ACCELERATED towards the distant blue of Earth.

  On the screens, the image of mothership slowly receded. Its separated hulls looked like a swarm of black beetles hovering behind the moon.

  Ten minutes later, we had passed the moon itself.

  Time for some housekeeping.

  'Hold out your arm,' I said to Chen.

  'What are you doing?' said Chen drawing back.

  'I'm going to put it back into place.'

  'No, you'r not,' said Chen. 'I'll wait till we can see a doctor.'

  'You might have to swim first,' I said. 'Or climb out of this thing, or fire the weapon. It's better if it's back in,' I said. 'Now hold it out.'

  Chen stayed withdrawn in his seat, guarding his arm.

  'Have you ever done it before?' he asked.

  'No,' I said, 'but I've had it done to me. My shoulder popped during hand-to-hand combat training. The instructor put it back.'

  He shook his head. 'No thanks. I'll take my chances.'

  'I'm not doing it for you,' I said. 'I'm doing it for us both. Now hold out your arm.'

  He blinked a few times and then slowly, and wincing, extended his arm. I took hold of it with one hand and placed the other beneath his armpit, like an archer drawing a bow. I kept one finger pressed into shoulder socket.

  'There will be a lot of pain,' I said, 'then no pain.'

  Then, I gently, but forcefully pulled on his arm.

  'There's plenty of pain now,' Chen said, his face screwed up. 'I can feel the damn thing moving in the socket. Let it go.'

  But I kept up the force. Chen's shoulders swiveled to avoid the pain.

  'Wait!' he yelled. 'Please. Stop!' He pushed at me with his left hand.

  But I kept on pulling.

  And then, I felt the bone slide completely over and back again on the other side of what I hoped was the socket.

  Chen unscrewed his eyes and blinked at me.

  'Pain and then no pain, right?' I said.

  He bent and unbent his elbow. Then he did it again. Like he was discovering it for the first time.

  'Right,' he said. 'You bastard.'

  'I wouldn't go hurling any javelins yet,' I said. 'The ligaments will be torn or stretched. Takes months to heal.'

  'What about your nose?' he said. 'It's bent to the side.'

  'I'll cope till we land,' I said.

  'Octavia won't fancy you any more.'

  Maybe Chen's humor was returning.

  'I'll live,' I said.

  On the screens, the Earth grew, and the alien ship, the Excidium, receded further. The fighter stayed in pursuit but was unable to close the gap. Or chose not to.

  'How long?' said Chen.

  'How long did it take us to get to the alien ship in the first place?' I said.

  'About an hour. But even if we make it,' said Chen. 'How are you going to slow us down? How will you stop us crashing into a mountain? Or a city of people?'

  'One step at a time,' I said.

  'That's it? One step at a time? That's your plan?'

  'The ship docked itself on the way out. It'll land itself on the way back.'

  'You're trusting this great flying cigar?'

  'Do you have a better plan?'

  'Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.' came a deep voiced laugh from down in the hold. 'You guys are gonna die.'

  Both Chen and I sat silent for a moment.

  The voice spoke again. 'But if you like, I can help you. Let me go. Untie me. I can pilot the ship safely down to Hyacinth for you. If you don't, you're going to die.'

  Ten minutes passed, then twenty. The fighter still followed us, but kept its distance. Now the moon loomed in the rear view screen, growing smaller, the gray craters and mountains less distinct.

  Meanwhile, the Earth grew larger, spinning in the sun. We saw the green tropics near the equator, the deserts of AONT Africa, the mountains in AONT Asia, the white polar caps, and the deep blue of the oceans and seas.

  'The Himalayas look very sharp.'

  'The what?' I said.

  'It's what AONMR Derrida was called in the pre-Accord days.'

  'How come you know so much about the pre-Accord era?' I said. 'How do you know so many commissioners?'

  Chen shook his head over and over, as if to answer this question was dangerous, or forbidden, possibly both.

  'If we make it back' he said, 'I'll tell you.'

  Five minutes later, when the Earth filled the view from the cockpit, the shuttle changed course. It flattened its approach, turning its nose from the dusty yellow of AONT Sahara, and pointing east towards southern bulge of AONT Asia. It looked as if we would be returning to the same general area from which we had left off the coast of AONT China.

 

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