In one femtosecond BattleMind lifted
Mata Hari
straight up on Repulsor power, with her bottom Alcubierre field clearing the incoming Bethe Inducer beams by two meters. Its move upward was invisible to any eye or sensor.
In one millisecond
each beam impacted on the directly opposite Nova battleglobe.
In what seemed like long minutes but was much less, each twelve kilometer-wide engine of destruction began to shrink, then rapidly dropped down to a mass concentration equal to a sand grain of condensed neutron matter.
“Battle completed,” growled BattleMind through the Mata Hari mind-link with Matt. “Organic Matthew Dragoneaux, your sneaky tactic of arriving between two opponents in a way that allowed the opposing Bethe beams to destroy the other opponent, was effective. It seems we of the 94
th
Imperial Dynast of the T’Chak Imperium have a few . . . minor battle lessons to learn from organics such as yourself.”
In his mind, the mind-flow from BattleMind shut off, leaving Matt to sag in his Pit chair. Mata Hari’s buffering disappeared as she did the AI version of wiping sweat from her Victorian brow. He left
ocean-time
before he passed out.
“Matthew,
” called Eliana, “it’s been just four minutes since everything started exploding on the screen, then the front Alcubierre field disappeared and I thought we—”
“Eliana, I love you.”
The cocooning of her accel-couch receded to normal transit mode for the couch. In his Pit chair the inertial fields eased off as starship
Mata Hari
resumed course for the Zeta Serpentis heliopause, its Alcubierre fields absorbing impacts from remnant tachBeads and Remotes of the Anarchate starships, even as he blinked a command to Mata Hari to eject a locator beacon for future Anarchate retrieval. On the other side of the star system, the last two of the 23 escaping starships vanished as they reached the heliopause. Their work here was done. But the future was only beginning.
Eliana stood up, walked over to where he sat below deck in the Interlock Pit, bent down to her knees, and kissed his forehead. “I love you too, Matthew. Thank you for saving us. Again.”
He blinked, glad that his human instinct has caused him to warn BattleMind about the chance of Alcubierre field failure, and that his reading of Sun Tzu the Chinese general had given him the center-and-out tactical idea. While BattleMind could probably have saved the ship and defeated both Novas using its own T’Chak battle experience, he had achieved his primary objective. That of turning an alien AI into an appreciator of human battle tactics.
“Mata Hari,” he spoke aloud to the holosphere of his AI partner. “We need to rest. Let me know when we near the
heliopause and Eliana and I will discuss with the refugees where we should go next.”
“To another battle, of course,” rumbled the yellow and purple-scaled figure of the twelve foot tall dragon that was BattleMind. Its red eyes fixed on Matt. “Just because you were useful does not mean I will ignore my Task. You promised useful tactical lessons before we depart for the
Small Magellanic Cloud. You have provided three so far. Produce more such lessons, Matthew organic.”
CHAPTER
SIX
Eliana awoke to pale darkness in the roomsuite she shared with Matthew, who lay asleep beside her. Across the room glowed the infrared warmness of the Navajo pattern weaving that partly filled his loom. An aquarium with puffer-fish loomed pale green in a corner. Elsewhere on one of the room’s optical matter walls hung various hand weapons gathered during his years of solo Vigilante work. Smiling to herself, she sat up on one elbow and looked aside at his sleeping form. He lay on his back, one arm uplifted to rest behind his head cushion. In the pale red glow of the light strip that decorated each wall-ceiling junction, she could see Matt’s thick patch of chest hair and the darker chin bristles that reflected three days of not using depilatory cream. His broad forehead was smooth, not showing the wrinkles of intense focus and inner concern she saw just after the two Anarchate battleglobes were destroyed, when he got out of the Interlock Pit, stood up with shakiness showing in his fingers, then looped his arm into her arm as they left the Bridge and headed down the Spine hallway for their suite.
Despite his obvious exhaustion, Matt had initiated loveplay almost as soon as the slidedoor closed behind them. His arms gripped her waist so tightly she wondered if he thought she might fall over. Or that he would fall. They had kissed long and loving
ly, then fell onto the bed platform. They had enjoyed making a mess of the sheets and pillows as each gave to the other the deep pleasure and innermost connection that Eliana had learned was hers and Matt’s aim in making love. Yes, there was mutual reassurance there. But it was the deep inner linkage that she felt from their lovemaking of the last few months that had further cemented her love for him. And his for her, she felt.
“Mistress Eliana,” whispered the voice of Mata Hari from the room’s ceiling. “
Leader Sarah of the refugees has asked to speak with you as soon as possible. She says many of her companions are deeply frightened by the recent combat, especially those with children.”
“Coming.” With a sigh
Eliana sat upright, then slowly slipped off the bed platform, trying to allow Matt the sleep he needed until being awakened for Translation departure once they reached the Zeta Serpentis heliopause.
“I heard that,” came Matt’s tired sounding voice. He sat up and reached out to clasp her right hand, his cyborg senses giving him perfect infrared vision so he never missed any action even if there was no normal light. “Let’s dress and I will go with you. There are decisions that need to be made, and information I need to share with all the refugees.”
Eliana smiled to herself. Matt’s sense of duty was paramount. That was something she had seen during their Translation from Hagonar Station to her home world of Halcyon. And in his caution when approaching her home star system even though she was impatient to hand him off to her brother Ioannis. Then. Now, she had left behind her two brothers and her niece Calyce in order to be companion, lover, counselor and, hopefully, genetic healer as she and Mata Hari conducted analysis of his 21 chromosomes to combat the slow virus infection, and . . . perhaps . . . perhaps be the mother of their future children. Or so she hoped.
“As you wish, Matthew.” She slipped into a
red t-shirt and purple jumpsuit similar to the blue one worn by Leader Sarah Vasiliades. Her prehensile tail poked through the hole she had made in the outfit months ago, when she no longer had to “pass” as Pure Breed human.
Matt reached
down to the bed, grabbed the black and white checkered
yukata
robe that he liked to wear when not walking nude down the Spine hallway, and tied it around his waist. His reddish-brown face smiled at her with a look of encouragement. She smiled back, appreciating how patient Matt was with her and her adjustment to thinking AIs. Then, barefoot, they headed for the slidedoor and the short walk to the commissary room where she expected to find Sarah. And the frightened humans. She bit her lip. Maybe there would be a few children to lighten the oh-so-serious mood she expected to find.
The commissary slidedoor whooshed open for them and she and Matt entered to find clusters of loud voices, a few children crying, some children playing hopscotch games, and a group of twenty mixed adults engaged in animated talk with Leader Sarah. The sound of their entry drew the attention of Sarah and her crowd, while more distant conversations and activities gradually died down as people saw their entry and knew important things would be discussed. Eliana
drew her attention away from a ten-year old girl doing circle spins over by the Food Alcove and turned with Matt to smile welcome at Sarah Vasiliades as they stopped in Sarah’s part of the commissary.
“Thank you for coming, Eliana,” Sarah said with a tense look to Matt, then a half-smile
at Eliana. “It is clear we are no longer in danger from Anarchate battleglobes. But many of our people are worried at being involved in . . . in an insurrection and wish only to find a colony world that might have jobs for them and their spouses.”
“Yeah,” rumbled a heavyset man with a full black beard, the shoulders of a wrestler and red flushed cheeks. “I had a good job, even if I was locked into this
bondServant thing. Why did you destroy our homes and workplace?”
Matt squeezed Eliana’s arm to let her know he would take the lead in the conversations. “To free you and everyone else from slavery,” Matt said matter-of-factly. “
That is what bonded indebtedness is, in truth. They charge you for food and housing, you work to pay off the accumulated charges, and you hope to make enough from tips and the base pay so you can eventually buy a share in a new colony venture. Right?”
“Yeah, but it was a
job
. Better than working stevedore. Like you’ve done, I see,” the heavyset man said with a nod at the zigzag lines tattoo that showed on Matt’s chest, just below his chin.
Matt nodded to Sarah, then looked the man in the eyes. “I like to share names with people
who speak to me. I’m Matt. You are?”
The olive-skinned man grimaced, as if he thought Matt was dodging his issue, then sighed. “George
O’Hussey. Irish heritage. Family line is from South Boston, on old Earth. You?”
“Matthew Raven’s-Wing Dragoneaux, from colony world
Thuringia, a Second Wave colony. My parents worked a soybean and potato farm. They, and my four sisters, were kidnapped by genome harvesters fifteen Earth years ago. Been a Vigilante with this starship for the last seven years. It’s a
job
I like.” He paused. “Beside me is Eliana Antigone Themistocles, from the Derindl-Greek colony world of Halcyon. She’s a crossbreed, as you can see from the tail. And my lifepartner.” He paused, gaze still fixed on George O’Hussey. “ And yes, before my Vigilante work I labored as a stevedore at an alien Trade port. Later I did Protector work.” Matt tapped a circle-within-a-circle tattoo on his left shoulder. “As perhaps you can read from this tattoo. So I know what it is like to
need
a job. And to feel good about your work.” Matt turned to Sarah. “Leader, can you invite everyone to gather around us? I have information to pass on, some choices to present to your people, and information you all need to know about why I am at war with the Anarchate.”
Eliana noticed t
he crowd of men and women who had been talking to Leader Sarah showed a mix of expressions at that last statement by her Matt. Many looked surprised, a few looked guarded, and three nodded in apparent support. Even the heavyset George looked thoughtful. Leader Sarah nodded, turned and called out.
“Everyone! Gather over to this side of the room. Sit on the floor or the
extruded couches, or tables or whatever pleases you,” Sarah said in a clear mezzo-soprano voice. “Send a kid or a friend to bring anyone sleeping in your roomsuite to the commissary. It will save repeating things and reduce the confusion from retellings.” Sarah smiled briefly at Eliana, then nodded professionally at Matt. “Good enough?”
“Very good. I thank you.”
Matt turned to Eliana, his brown eyes showing love. “While we wait the arrival of those not already here, were there any life and living issues, Eliana, that you could help these folks with?”
“Yeah,” called a red-haired, middle-aged woman dressed in an embroidered peasant dress that looked vaguely Mediterranean in style.
The tall woman was one of the twenty who had gathered around Sarah. “I’m Rebecca. My husband and I have four kids. They now sleep two to a bedroom, off the main room. They would be . . . less scared if they could see us in the living room or next door in our bedroom chamber. Mistress Eliana, any way for these grey walls to have videyes installed so their wallscreen would let them see us?”
Eliana smiled at the simple need. But one which she fully understood as a person who had felt isolated from her parents at their shop in town
, after her older brothers had left for trade school. “No need for videyes.” She backed up and stepped to the wall that separated them from the hallway. “Anyone in any roomsuite can make the optical matter of the room walls become transparent. This way.” Knowing that Mata Hari monitored her every move through ship sensors, she tapped twice on the cold wall. It turned transparent, showing the Spine hallway that provided access to the people-friendly parts of the starship. “Tap once.” She did so. “And the wall turns opaque. Where a room wall is distinct from a neighbor wall, only the wall you tap goes transparent. So the kids will see you in your bedroom and you will see them in their rooms, but the separate bathroom areas will stay opaque. Unless you make them clear.” She smiled.
Several women in the crowd smiled and nodded appreciation of an option that was simple and which neither she, Mata Hari nor Matt had had time to explain. She turned to the side as the hallway slidedoor opened and the two meter metal ball of Gatekeeper
the AI floated in on Nullgrav plates. With a twinkle of several status lights near the top of the giant ball, it moved towards her, Matt, Sarah and the mixed crowd of adults.
“
Hello Matthew, Eliana, Leader Sarah and fellow lifeforms of the human species.” It paused, spinning a bit as scores of other refugees walked closer to them, or sat down on a bench, chair, couch or floor as Sarah had invited. “While my work has been that of taking care of arrivals and departures of organic sapients, I find that I too lack a job. Perhaps, Leader Sarah, I could assist your people in whatever future course they choose?”
“That is generous, Gatekeeper,” Sarah said. “You are known to all of us, and a familiar voice will help us deal with the new . . . conditions we now face.”
Eliana smiled, liking the AI’s friendliness and its effort to help the group of stranded people. Beside her, Matt chuckled, clearly liking the AI. Behind the floating AI the slidedoor opened again and fifteen sleepy-looking humans of all ages walked in and joined the gathered crowd. She had not counted everyone, but it looked to be close to the 152 human bondServants they had freed from the Omega casino.
“Matthew, it looks pretty full here,” Eliana said to her rescuer and her lover.
“Sure does.” Matt let go of her hand and took a few steps forward, his attention focused on the people beyond, but including Leader Sarah with a nod.
“People, most of you should have heard by now that I and my starship destroyed the Omega casino because one of its Owners refused to allow the buyout of my
former love, Helen Sayinga Trinh, whom I think was known to some of you.” Several dozen people nodded their heads at what was clearly a familiar name. “She died as we fled on a freighter to a Sixth Wave colony in Perseus Arm. Due to resource pirates. I barely survived in a lifepod.” Eliana saw Matt blink several times as his inheld memory emotions came close to overwhelming him. “The AI of this starship rescued me. She goes by the name Mata Hari. She usually appears as a slim, black-haired and amber-skinned woman dressed in a frilly white dress with a pearl choker necklace.” Eliana saw that most of the women in the gathered crowd nodded understanding, as did some of the more perceptive men. But one bald-headed man at the rear of the crowd yelled.
“That’s your story. We’re in this mess because of you. Why!”
Matt grimaced. “Patience and you will have your answers. Anyway, Mata Hari rescued me, asked if I was willing to partner with her in being a Vigilante for hire, I said yes, and we spent seven years doing that.” He paused, licked his lips and sighed. “But our last job at the planet Halcyon, which circles the star Sigma Puppis B, drew in a battleglobe that tried to access this starship. That was when I, Eliana and Mata Hari found out that another AI, called BattleMind, really runs this ship as part of a Task given it by the T’Chak aliens of the Small Magellanic Cloud.” Matt smiled patiently. “I know. No one here has ever heard of them and they are not listed on the Anarchate’s Compendium of Species that records 12,231 intelligent, star-traveling species of various morphoforms. Well, they existed around 207,000 years ago. And it seems they plan to . . . fight with the Anarchate for control of home galaxy.” Most of the crowd gasped at an idea that anyone would consider preposterous. Matt no doubt would have thought it crazy too, before encountering Mata Hari the AI. As Eliana herself had thought it a wild idea until the Sigma Puppis battle.
“That’s crazy,” said the redhead Rebecca. “No one can beat the Anarchate at space fighting. They’ve killed every opponent and
have been in charge for millions of years.”
Leader Sarah raised her hand. “Rebecca, everyone else, I know this is all hard to understand, or believe, but we are
here
. We are refugees and we have been treated like . . . paid passengers since the shuttles delivered us. Please listen to our host.”