Wormbender's Circus

“…Protonoids…protonoids…hmmm…” Casey mused. “Shouldn’t be too hard to pick up a couple of protonoids.”

“That’s good,” Sebastian smiled. “I’m going to bed now. I’ll see you later.”

“Sure thing,” said Casey. “I’m going to bed myself as soon as Igor finishes working on my saucer.”

Sebastian lay down on his bed and mechanically strapped himself in. Soon he was sleeping contentedly.

He was awoken violently as the ship lurched suddenly sideways. He was flung against the bulkhead as she rolled, then tossed the other way against the straps as she righted herself again. Dizzily he released the straps and ran to the control room.

“Automatic evasive manoeuvre,” said Casey, answering Sebastian’s question before it was asked.

The next moment, something flashed past the Semiramis from behind. The two men saw a ship race ahead, white sparks flickering from her hull. In moments Casey had the Semiramis flying in hot pursuit. The wake of the other ship was littered with fragments of wreckage, and they had to swerve repeatedly to avoid some of the larger, more hazardous pieces.

“She’s in big trouble,” said Casey. “She’s breaking up fast. Igor, any communication channel open?”

“Most of her systems are dead, boss.”

“Well, at least we can keep her on visual. Hey, look.” Casey pointed. There was a brief orange flash, and a small object fell away from the speeding ship. Then as their paths diverged, the smaller object gained speed.

“She’s launched a lifeboat,” Casey declared. “Let’s stay on it.”

As the Semiramis altered her course to pursue the lifeboat, there was a brilliant flash and the mother ship was no more. The shock wave speeding outwards from the point of explosion sent the heavy cargo vessel lurching and bucking as Casey struggled to maintain control. The two men could hear small fragments of debris pinging off the Semiramis’ outer skin.

“Those guys didn’t get out a moment too soon,” said Sebastian. “I’ve got a fix on the lifeboat,” said Casey. “She’s heading into the system of that star, ah…”

“Dominex Beta 3,” Igor chimed in helpfully.

“…Dominex Beta 3, exactly. Looks like they’re aiming to make planetfall.”

Small fragments of wreckage continued to rattle against the hull of the Semiramis for a few moments, then all was silent again. Both men watched intently the tiny blip of light on their screens. Presently a planet appeared against the black background.

“That’s where they’re headed,” said Casey.

The planet was in its mother star’s biosphere, the region around the star where it was neither too hot nor too cold, the region where life might be expected to develop, as it had done on Earth.

“What have we got on that world?” Sebastian asked.

“Looks as good a place as any to put down,” said Casey. “Atmosphere near enough Earth-normal, and plenty of it. As far as I can see, plenty of vegetation, but nothing in the higher scheme of things.”

The planet grew in size until it filled the screen. The speck that was the lifeboat appeared more and more insignificant. Then it was gone.

“She’s gone into the atmosphere,” Casey muttered. “I sure hope someone’s in control down there, to stop her just burning up.”

“Will we be able to find her when we get down there?” said Sebastian.

“There’s something seriously wrong with our gear if we can’t,” said Casey.

When the time came, Casey put the Semiramis into orbit around the planet.

“No volcanoes this time, huh?” said Sebastian hopefully.

Casey smiled. “You just never know your luck.” Sebastian was not impressed with his sense of humour.

The Semiramis plunged through the dense clouds and dipped below them. There were no volcanoes to be seen, but once again it was raining, raining, it seemed, over most of the planet.

“We don’t seem to have a lot of luck with the weather,” Casey observed.

Below them was spread a patchwork of oceans and continents. The land seemed to consist very much of lush tropical jungle in the mountainous areas and swamps on the coasts.

“Not a lot of choice for an emergency landing,” said Casey. “Sea, forest or swamp.”

As the ship cruised over the planet, her sensors scanned in all directions for traces of the lifeboat. All that could be seen was dense rainforest and pounding waves. They had almost completed an entire circuit of the globe, and Sebastian was beginning to wonder how they could hope to find the lifeboat if it was at the bottom of an ocean, when Casey gave a triumphant cry.

“Got it! Ahead, and a little to the north of us… if that is north.”

The Semiramis dropped low over an area of marshland and homed in on the lifeboat. It was just visible, three quarters submerged in an unappealing swamp. It was still raining heavily. Casey put the ship down on some slightly higher ground three hundred metres from the lifeboat. As she settled into thick, glutinous mud, a hatch on top of the lifeboat opened, and a figure in overalls and helmet emerged, waving, then plunged into the water.

“Just the one?” Sebastian queried, after waiting for others to appear.

“So it seems,” said Casey. “Let’s go and meet him.”

The elevator tube dropped down to just above the level of the ground. Sebastian and Casey stood watching, lashed by the driving rain that swept into the shelter of the tube, as the solitary figure swam towards them. When the person reached the shallows and stood up, both men gave a little gasp of surprise. The dull green overalls the figure wore were clinging to the unmistakable contours of breasts and hips.

“A woman,” Casey murmured superfluously.

Trembling with cold, she undid the straps of her helmet and took it off. Glancing round, she hurled it into the water behind her. She then made as if to step forward, but her legs did not move, and she fell forward with a splash.

“Help me,” she gasped, floundering in the water. “My boots are stuck in the mud, and I need help to get them off.”

Casey and Sebastian exchanged glances.

“Off you go, Sir Galahad,” Casey beamed.

Sebastian, still barefoot from being roused from his bed, snorted, and stepped out of the shelter of the elevator tube into the rain and the mud. He sank immediately to his knees. Every step required him to physically pull his leg out of the mud and plant it anew. Thus he waded out laboriously to where the woman was waiting, now on her hands and knees in the water.

She looked up at him, and he found himself gazing into the most startlingly beautiful green eyes he had ever seen. She looked utterly miserable, with rats’ tails of dark brown hair plastered to her face.

“Thanks,” she said softly.

“Don’t mention it,” Sebastian replied, suddenly coming over bashful. “I’m going to lift you back on your feet, then I’ll undo your boots.”

He put his arms around her, feeling how slight her body was under the overalls. The bodily contact produced a sudden strange stirring in him, the like of which he had not known in a while. He pulled her arms out of the sucking mud, drawing her upright. She was shaking uncontrollably, and for a moment Sebastian was afraid she would fall over backwards. He hesitated to let go of her.

She smiled. “I’m okay.”

Sebastian plunged his arms into the water and fumbled with the release catches on her boots.

“Okay,” he said. “Let’s go.”

She lifted one foot out of her boot and stumbled awkwardly forward against Sebastian, pushing him over.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she moaned.

Sebastian smiled bravely. “Don’t worry about it. We’re both soaked anyway.”

He struggled to his feet, and helped the woman to hers. She put a muddy arm around his neck and he a muddy arm around her waist, and step by squelching step they made their way back to the elevator tube, half deafened by the relentless crash of the downpour in their ears.

For an instant, Sebastian caught a strange look in Casey’s eyes, but then Casey was helping the two of them into the elevator tube.

Back in the control room, Casey made the introductions.

“Welcome aboard the Semiramis, ma’am. This is Mr. Sebastian Wormbender of Wormbender’s Galactic Circus, and my name’s Casey MacArthur.”

The woman gave a little bow. “Zoe Pinkerton at your service. Haven’t I heard about you two someplace? You and your circus?”