Aynsefian

By now we have arrived at 84U’s bridge.

“Thanks for the chat,” I say. “I enjoyed talking to you.”

“Likewise,” he replies, as I step into the bridge. Weirdly, I can hear his voice also conversing with Anathusa before I walk through the door with Arlyss and Cindlyss.

“You want me to head towards Farrister? Direct from here?” asks 84U.

“Yes please, 84U,” replies Anathusa.

“No sense in putting this off. I am at your service in this with absolute devotion and delight,” he says. If his AI voice was not machine generated, I sense it would be shaking with emotion.

“Then let’s go, right now,” says Zarasena.

Her voice draws my attention. As if I’d want to look anywhere else. She’s noticed our arrival and is motioning to me to come over and sit with her in the centre of the bridge. I’m bemused by its size. It’s so small. For such a large ship, I would have expected a bigger bridge. It’s no bigger than Nikse’s. I suppose all it needs is the same navigation and diagnostic screens, so it makes sense in a way.

The bridge’s walls are blue, grey and white, as they are everywhere else. There are central windows as in Nikse, with viewing chairs in front of them. The chairs are a warm, gentle blue, with white trim around the sides. Lanemu is sitting here by himself, and as I’m looking at him, Arlyss and Cindlyss walk over and join him. They sit quietly on either side of him, which I find curious.

I wonder what sort of preparation he’s doing for the momentous task that he’s about to perform. Like 84U, I really have no concept at all as to how he’s going to actually do it.

Anathusa is sitting on the left side of Zarasena, Jinekali on the other side of her. Over to my right is a smallish android, about three times the size of Salvation. His name appears to be Sinteneen69, judging by the letters engraved on one of his top panels. Apparently he is one of four androids on board, judging by the names on one of 84Us screens. The other three are Pintene03, Neventeen70 and Furtien50. Strange names. I can’t recall seeing them anywhere since I’ve been on board.

On closer reading of the android screen I now see the word “Military” next to Sinteneen69’s name. I get it. He will help defend us if Nikse gets overrun and is boarded.

Things are getting drastic.

Zarasena and I catch each other’s eyes for a moment. She looks grave but manages a forced smile for me. I know she’s about to lose her beloved ship and leave her galaxy, never to return.

Or, she’s going to die.

In which case I will die also. That is a promise I make to myself, silently.

I look back at Lanemu again, in between Arlyss and Cindlyss. I will thank him profusely if he pulls this off but really, if he doesn’t, he dies too. He has to make it work.

Are you ready? asks Zarasena. Mental communication is probably best at this time.

I am. Where are we going? I ask. I’m really not ready, but I’m trying to pretend that I am.

To a planet called Farrister. It’s the place where I lied in my Captain’s Log and said I dropped you guys. We have to crash there and eject the old Nikse onto the surface. Lanemu says he can put the three of us here, in the minds of the MGC personnel, while we’re physically actually bloody well in Nikse and outside of 84U. I have no freakin’ idea how he’ll do that. He hasn’t described his method. He just says that I must trust him.

And you don’t? I ask.

Oh yes, but he’s never done this before. I’m not even sure he has much of a clue what to do. But of course I can’t say that.

Can’t he hear you saying this? I ask.

I don’t think so because I’m focussing on only you and not projecting outwards. Even if he can hear us, it doesn’t matter. He knows that I’m not fully convinced of his ability to pull this off.

Is it… I pause for a moment. Is it possible we’ll get caught before we crash?

No. We’ll make it to Farrister before then. Zarasena glances over at Anathusa. It seems she’s trusting her too. Anathusa is talking quietly with Jinekali.

Is there any other option that anyone has thought of?

No. We have to do this. It’s the only way. Her mouth is drawn down again. Seeing her sad like this breaks my heart. She doesn’t look anywhere near as lovely when she’s sad.

If we fail, we all fail together, I say. That’s the way I want it. I’m not afraid of dying. I’m afraid of living without you. We’ll make it happen. If we die, then I get to find out what all the fuss is about. You know, with the afterlife and such. But Lanemu will succeed. I’ve only met two Aroventians, and they’re both amazing. He’ll do it.

She doesn’t reply. That worries me.

Before I can think any further thoughts, I feel the familiar fuzziness of quantum travel beginning. Sound blurs, and the room around me is difficult to clearly make out. All I can do, as always, is to sit quietly and wait for it to be over.

In what seems like a matter of seconds, we are through and into another star system. I’m thinking this is probably where Farrister is.

The quantum trip is over. We’ve left the surrounds of Aynsefian behind us and now we’re in the familiar blackness of space. The usual mix of distant stars present themselves to our vision through the front windows.

I take Zarasena’s hand in mine. I’m about to wonder if we can have that quiet, peaceful time now, and then if we die later, somehow –

“Alert! Alert!” It’s 84U’s voice, almost panicking and sounding like a frightened child.

“The Retrieval ship is already here!!” he screams.

Anathusa is the first to respond. “Head straight for Farrister now, 84U! Now!”

A rush of acceleration. I’m pinned back against my seat by the force of it, as are all of us.

How is this possible? How did they know? They are smarter than we anticipated. Or we’re just desperately unlucky.

I’m glancing frantically between the surveillance screen and the front window. I can’t see anything on either. The screens are different to Nikse’s and I’m not familiar with them. I want to ask Zarasena what is happening, but I know I need to leave her alone.

We are in a crisis, once again.

As far as I can tell, 84U is going at maximum speed, without going quantum.

“They’re gaining, 84U!” Zarasena almost shrieks.

I can’t read the screens. The terminology is too foreign. There’s some codes and some numbers plus a picture of this planetary system, but I can’t figure out where we are because we’re in Melcheisa, and I’ve never been here before, except briefly before we got banished the first time.

84U’s screens look nothing like any of Nikse’s screens. The old Nikse. I never really looked at the screens on the bridge in the new one or asked any questions. My lack of knowledge means that I’m at the mercy of what’s going on around me.

“Zarasena!” yells Anathusa, startling me. “We need to get to Nikse, quick smart!”

I immediately look to Zarasena. She’s not answering Anathusa, nor moving at all. She seems almost catatonic. Why, I do not know.

“To Nikse! Right now!” I yell, at her. She still looks far away. Suddenly, she jolts into life and looks at me with surprise as if she wasn’t expecting me to be there.

We are all up and moving. For some reason I glance over at Sinteneen69, wondering if he’s coming with us. I think we’ll need him. Is it a he? He’s not moving. He’ll die with 84U.

Or maybe not. I see him wheeling around.

“Follow us!” yells Anathusa. I look for the Purlinians. They won’t be enjoying this any more than I am. I can’t find them. Did they go on ahead already? They must have. While I was momentarily distracted by the android, they all must have left. It feels like I lost some time somewhere, somehow. It’s disturbing, but I have to ignore it. Sometimes quantum travel leaves weird after effects. I’ll assume it’s that.

Zarasena doesn’t even look back for me. I’m a little miffed at that. Then I admonish myself. Now is not the time for that emotion. She knows I’m not dumb and I’ll be able to keep up with her. We ran together on the surface of Aynsefian. She knows how fast I can run.

84U has turned the red lights on for us again. The sound of pounding footsteps on the soft padded floor of the corridor, along with heavy breathing, accompany us as we race to Nikse. The oceanic colours of 84U’s walls are now no more than a distraction from the urgency of our flight.

Lanemu and the Purlinians are nowhere in sight. I’m worried now.

“Zarasena!” I yell. Zarasena! I repeat, mentally.

What? she replies, spinning around partially to look at me while she’s still running, some fifteen or twenty metres ahead of me.

I can’t see Lanemu or the Purlinians! Did they go on ahead, do you know?

Must have. They weren’t in the bridge when we left. Come on! We have to get to Nikse! She’s Captain Fen now.

Should we go back and look for them? I ask, not able to keep the emotion out of my mental voice any more so than I could my physical one.

No time! We must save ourselves and trust that they are okay. We have no choice! She’s right. I hate it, but she’s right. We have no choice.