Amethyst
thought about the tiny Nonpreg in her thigh. One day, she thought,
she would have it removed so she could have a baby. She remembered
what Craggy had said about life-long love. He had said loving the
same partner for perhaps one hundred and thirty years was a big
ask. She looked at Rocky, lost in the ambiance of the freighter.
Still only nineteen and a freighter Captain first class with his
own ship. He had already checked the records. He was the youngest
to be where he was that moment.
Both their
parents had been killed in one of the many skirmishes on Earth.
They had spent the last few years being taken care of in the
orphanage, Rocky noticing the young Amethyst, who seemed to relish
teasing him into a confused wreck by ignoring him most of the time.
His dreams had never been wild enough to include one about sharing
a ship with a beautiful girlfriend, but here was a dream turned
reality.
'Back to my
place,' Rocky said. 'I am desperate to kiss you.'
Twenty year old
Max Morgan was a strange one. He had a very Welsh accent, even
though born on Moon. His mother had been determined the Welsh
accent and language would not be lost. Max had become proud of his
heritage as embellished by his mother, in fantastic stories of
dragons and castles. In his heart, he was a Welshman.
Morgan was a
medium in every way. Height and build with regular features. His
close cropped hair made his sharp nose and grey eyes give a
studious appearance to his face. Thin lips and shallow cheeks made
smiling a challenge for him.
Cragg wondered
what it was about these young people that made smiling such a chore
for them. He hoped he could get used to the accent. He also sensed
a bit of an attitude.
'Never?' Cragg
asked.
Max shook his
head. 'I've been trained on the new sensors. I heard these sorts of
controls were museum pieces.'
'Is that
right?' said Cragg, bristling a little. 'I'll have you know, these
instruments and controls were specially selected for an experienced
pilot like me.'
'Yeah? You look
nothing like your pictures.'
'I don't?'
'I didn't
realise you are really, really old.'
'Again. Only
really old. I could fly circles around you. And I expect a
reasonable amount of respect. Just remember. Being a freighter
captain means not just being a top pilot, but somebody who can
interact with others, and treating everyone as an equal. Not only
that, if you want your tickets I have to sign them off. Get the
picture?'
'Yes, Sir.'
'Okay. Just
relax. Just chill out a little, we'll get along just fine. Off you
go, Morgan.'
'Goodnight,
Sir.'
'Goodnight,
Morgan.' He waited for the airlock hiss. Counted ten for the air to
come right, and removed his helmet. Getting a cold beer, he sat at
the controls. He looked at the switches, knobs and slides made by
craftsmen who took pride in their work. As much art as engineering
marvels.
'Museum pieces.
Hmm. Kids today.'
He just hoped
he could get along with the young man. Time would tell.
It was in Moon
Commander Forbes' boardroom. Forbes had the floor to wind up the
final meeting. He had insisted, 'Time is not of the essence on
these trips. Getting there safely and intact, is the priority with
fairly inexperienced pilots. Not you, Craggy, before you say
anything. The freighters have a lower top speed of the ships. So,
Captain Dillow, you take the lead, but keep to the freighters speed
until you feel confident in your ship, then use Big Bird's speed.
It won't be a picnic for you cooped up alone. You'll know that if
you run into trouble, you already have help on its way with two
freighters on your tail. Look out for and be there for each other
at all times.
Captain Cragg.
Your ship is on her maiden flight. I want you second in case there
are teething problems. Captain Ramshorn. Take up the rear position,
and keep Captain Cragg's freighter in visual range. We feel this is
an auspicious and pivotal time in the history of the human race.
The first stage of us truly colonising Mars. Everyone on Moon will
be there to send you off. I'm proud of all of you. Get some sleep.
You have a very big day ahead of you. Goodnight.'
* * *
It actually
looked bizarre and a little surreal. Close to two thousand suited
people, helmets shining in the sun. Cragg's freighter had been
loaded with pods first, and they would be away because Rocky's
freighter would only be the time it took to be loaded up with pods
behind Cragg. Dillow was on the ramp, ready to be hurled into
space. She would be away first.
Forbes took to
the stage. 'Citizens of Moon. This is an exciting time for all of
us. The colonisation of Mars. It is time, no matter how painful it
is, to cut ourselves free from Earth. Today, we are sending the
very first loads to Mars that will be the beginning of new lives
for all of us. The brave pilots charged with taking this first load
epitomise all that is good about this epic adventure. I have Max
Morgan's proud parents right here by my side. Pilots. We all wish
you a safe journey. Good luck. Take her away, Captain Dillow.'
All eyes were
on the huge ramp. There were two thousand gasps as the thrusters
started, the locks were released and the monster ship hurtled down
the ramp, up the off-ramp and blasted into orbit. This was followed
by Cragg's freighter, taking off with ten pods. It was soon
tracking Dillow. The two thousand waited the hour for Rocky's
freighter to be loaded.
'Good luck, you
two,' said Forbes.
The freighter
took off to join the convoy. A strange hush descended. They could
see Earth looking battered, alone and unloved. As they watched,
somewhere in the West they thought, a mushroom suddenly appeared.
Forbes had seen it. He felt a solitary tear trickle down his cheek.
That would be the last tear he would shed for that planet.
'I don't know
about you guys, but I have things to do.' Forbes looked away from
the sight of Earth and walked away.
'These new
freighters are a third faster than my old bus used to be,' said
Cragg.
'What's a bus?'
Max Morgan asked, innocently.
'Didn't they
teach you much about history?'
Morgan
shrugged. 'Boring. Mom taught me all about Wales. How it was in the
old days. Even before she was born. They had dragons.'
'They did?'
'Big, like
monsters. Totally fizzing. I saw pictures. In a children's
book.'
Cragg smiled.
'Can't argue with pictures. What do you plan to do on Mars?'
'Be a pilot, of
course.'
Cragg said,
'We're flavour of the month at the moment. Once we got all of Moon
to Mars, we might not be needed quite so much.'
'We have a
couple of years to think about it. What about you?'
'I'm settling
down with a lovely lady. So, I have to get you trained up to be
flying one of these to finish off the big move. I need you to take
this seriously and become the best pilot you can be. Right. Fancy a
beer?'
'We have
beer?'
'Never had
beer?'
'Never. Isn't
it illegal?'
Cragg laughed,
got a beer each and passed one to Max who sniffed it cautiously.
'You are in for a big surprise on Mars. Right. Did I ever tell you
about the time I was taking Captain Dillow for her tickets and we
had a jolt from somewhere? Turned out to be a misaligned pod about
to come loose. Well. Only one thing to do. Get in my suit and get
out there. Anyway, I had a welding gun and a hammer. The trouble
was...'
Max Morgan was
a little in awe. Here was a man who had been a captain for ever. He
was not only a captain, he was the one who trained other captains.
He listened to Craggy's spirited rendition of the misaligned pods,
but had a little doubt about Cragg accidentally drifting off into
space, then making a lasso with his line and had managed to hook a
pod to haul himself to safety. The old man spoke with such passion,
the infectious storytelling reeling him in. He could see the action
in his minds eye, this ordinary looking old man who had achieved so
much. It would be an honour to learn from the best.
Cragg was
finishing off his story. 'And when Dillow landed the final pods, I
made her a captain, first class.'
'Fizzing,' said
Morgan. He had no idea where it had gone, but an hour had vanished
as fast as a Martian storm.
Dillow was
beginning to question the wisdom in volunteering to fly Big Bird.
Words were haunting her. “This is the future of space travel.”
'Yeah, funny
ain't it? Forbes wouldn't let you go to Mars all on your lonesome,
Big Bird. You can do the boring bits. I'll find us a parking
slot.'
She had a vast
selection of music hooked up to the ship's computer, but it didn't
stop her having conversations with the ship, becoming longer and
stranger. The ship wasn't listening. It was busy flying the ship in
the boring bits. But suddenly the ship wobbled. There came a
peculiar, long shudder, and a bump. Then nothing.
'Shit. Full
systems check.'
'Running Full
Systems Check,' said the computer. It had a voice that grated and
it took seventy three seconds to run a full systems check. 'All
Systems Within Normal And Acceptable Parameters.'
'Yeah? And what
was all that racket back there?'
The ship didn't
do rhetorical. Dillow got up, holding onto the back of the seat in
case the ship wobbled again. Everything seemed calm. She did a
Craggy with her hands and face pressed up against the rear wall.
She closed her eyes, waiting for the ship to talk to her. This was
an exercise she'd repeated every hour or so. Bonding. Becoming one
with the ship. She was familiar with the happy ship vibrations.
What she was experiencing was not a happy ship.
* * *
'Craggy?
Craggy? It's Dillow. Craggy?'
'Err. Hang on.
Damn stupid switches. It's me. Err. Morgan.'
'Where's
Captain Cragg?'
'Err. Asleep. I
think it might be the beer.'
'Beer? Is
Craggy drunk?'
'I've lived on
Moon all my life. I don't know what drunk looks like.'
Dillow said,
'Boy, have you lived a sheltered life.'
'He did look
sort of tired.'
'Well, go wake
him up.'
The idea of
waking the captain terrified Morgan. 'Me? Go wake him up?'
'Yes. And take
a sharp stick with you.'
'I'll need a
sharp stick?'
'Don't make me
come over there. Get bloody Craggy. Tell him my ship's not
happy.'
Morgan scurried
to the door and hesitated outside Cragg's room. He'd been ordered
to do this by a captain. He had to do it. He knocked. 'Captain
Cragg? Sir.'
'Go away,' said
Cragg, or something very like that.
'Sir. Captain
Dillow wants you. She says her ship isn't happy.'
'She said
what?'
'Her ship. It
isn't happy.'
There came an
assortment of clambering about sounds and bad language. Then an
untidy looking Cragg emerged, wrapped up in a robe. He pushed
unsteadily past Morgan to his seat on the deck. 'Dillow. Damn. Who
the hell messed with these switches? Morgan. You mess with my
switches? Never mind. Go get me syncoff. In a bucket. Dillow?
Dillow?'
'Here Craggy.
Are you drunk?'
'On Mars beer?
They don't brew enough to get me drunk. Your ship isn't happy?'
'I had a really
scary wobble and a bang.'
'Full systems
check?'
'Everything
normal and acceptable, according to the computer. I tried that
trick of yours with my hands on the walls. Something not like
before.'
'Describe
it.'
She struggled
for the words. 'From the back. There was an odd rumbling followed
by the slightest feeling of movement.'
'Check it
again.'
'Hang on.' She
concentrated. 'Craggy. It's kind of a persistent rattle, not
massive, but steady.'
'Is that what
you felt before?'
'Not quite the
same. Something is going on back there.'
Morgan arrived
with the syncoff and Cragg downed half the beaker. 'Jeez. You make
crap syncoff. Dillow. Slow down to one tenth. We'll catch up and
take a look and see if we can see anything. If it bangs and bumps
again, consider stopping altogether.'
'Right. Slowing
to one tenth. You should be with me in half an hour.'
'Okay. Stay
calm and focussed. We're on your tail. Carlos? Are you awake?'
'This is Mario,
the good looking one. What's the beef, Craggy?'
'Captain Dillow
has experienced some unusual noises and vibrations on her ship. She
reported it a few minutes ago. We are catching her up so we can
look over the ship. Can you send us a copy of the loading plan? I
want to know what has been loaded and where.'
'That will be
with you in about five minutes. Shall I inform Commander
Forbes?'
'Not if he's
asleep, otherwise, yes. We'll keep you updated.'
'Will do.'
'Craggy. This
is Rocky. Is Dillow okay?'
'Yes. something
is rattling around in that tin can of hers. We have to do something
about it.'
'We'll put on
some speed and catch up with you.'
'More the
merrier,' said Cragg.
Something told
him this was serious.
Cragg put the
schematics of the big ship and the loading plans on the screen.
Most of the load was building sections. One quarter of the domestic
buildings had been taken apart and the occupants happy to share
accommodation with others. The ship was divided into pressure
sealed compartments, each one twenty metres long and the full
diameter of the ship. Each had its own hatch, one third the length
of the section, so precisely constructed, it fitted almost
seamlessly into the body of the ship. It was an engineering
marvel.