The Voyages Of The Seven (The Star Agency Chronicles Book 2) Page 6

‘I am certain,’ said Orientator stonily, ‘that a person with your resourcefulness will be able to ascertain the device’s worth.’

  ‘Hmmm,’ said Theo as he stared at the suit. ‘I’ll take your word for it. Anything else?’

  ‘Yes, you can now override the default behaviour of your field nano-medic drones, which is to automatically repair the most heavily damaged tissue. Should you feel that a more, shall we say, appropriate use for the drones can be found, you will be able to direct them as required. This behaviour modification was in response to your own field testing.’

  Theo grinned at the thought that his primitive human brain had been able to suggest an improvement that none of the other so-called advanced species in the Affinity had come up with. Field nano-medic drones – microscopic machines used to repair damaged body tissue – were injected into tiny packets throughout the bodies of all Star Agency operatives. Then if the body sustained injury, the drones would automatically move to the parts of the body deemed most critical to its survival, and temporarily repair or at least preserve the tissue until further medical attention could be sought.

  However, as Theo had pointed out, what was deemed important to the survival of an individual might not be the most important in a given situation. The example Theo had given was that of a hand. To an individual, a hand was not as critical a part of the body as the heart. However, if an armed attacker were about to kill a group of innocent bystanders, being able to operate a weapon with an injured hand would be more important in the immediate term than stabilising a damaged heart, at least to the group as a whole. And although the specifics of Theo’s example had been somewhat ridiculed by Orientator, the essence of his logic – that a companion could not analyse any given situation as a whole – had not gone unnoticed. Therefore, his suggested enhancement had been approved and incorporated into all operative companions.

  ‘Additionally,’ continued Orientator, ‘the new field nano-medic drones operate with a seventeen percent increase in energy efficiency.’

  ‘Right, so I’m not only a super hero, but an environmentally friendly super hero,’ grinned Theo.

  Orientator turned to look Theo in the eye. ‘Why would your relationship with the environment concern me?’ he replied.

  Theo smiled back at Orientator, who returned his stare. For a moment, the corner of Orientator’s mouth seemed to twitch. Had he been about to smile? Had Orientator just attempted a joke?

  ‘Unless you have any further questions, this briefing is concluded.’

  Theo stared at Orientator as a memory of a joke he’d told Ruby popped into his mind.

  ‘Did you hear the one about the Polisian stand-up comedian?’

  ‘No, I haven’t. Was he any good?’

  ‘No, the audience only started laughing when the Protah unplugged the microphone.’

  ‘Why did that make them laugh?’

  ‘Well the Polisian had told him off for being ‘heavy handed’.’

  Smiling to himself, Theo turned and headed back to his quarters.

  ‘Get it, Rubes, heavy handed?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Well it was a Protah – you know, a creature from a high gravity planet… heavy handed’

  ‘Your sense of humour is unique, Theo.’

  *

  Ruby sat in silence on her bed, staring at the clip-on rucksack she had spent the day packing. The flash of anger she had felt the day before had faded from her mind, yet the decision she had made in the wake of the conference had not. For many weeks, the events in her life had been pushing her closer to the decision she had now made, and her failure at the conference – at least in the eyes of Tan Shah – had been the final straw. All she could do now was to leave it all behind. She had to get away from the station, which had begun to feel like a prison, and breathe in the freedom of the Universe. And she had found the perfect excuse. It had been a tradition for Polisians to undertake centuries ago, and it had been written into Affinity law as the right of any being to undertake, even though few now took the opportunity. Yet it was perfect for Ruby. She could go where she wanted, and she could do it alone.

  Rising from her bed, she slung the rucksack over her shoulder and clipped it onto her back. Then she turned and stared at the door in front of her.

  Had she thought of everything? Did she have enough clothes? Did she have the permits she needed to get to where she wanted to go? Were her emergency food supplies enough? And finally, had it been wise to tell only First Mentor where she was going? What would the rest of her friends think? What would Theo think? Then she sighed. That boy and his childish behaviour had helped drive her to this. He didn’t deserve an explanation. And in any case, he was no doubt too busy with his ‘new friend’ to even notice.

  Ruby took a deep, long breath and let it out slowly. Then she headed through the doorway and off down the corridor without looking back. She had no idea when she would return.

  *

  Back in his quarters after the briefing, Theo sat on his bed and stared at the wall, his mind mulling over his new assignment. Although the exact itinerary had yet to be decided, he knew one thing for certain: he would be working out in the field for the next few weeks, venturing back to Polisium Prime scarcely if ever. And while that thought held a degree of excitement for him, being away and out of touch with his friends didn’t. While he had, in the past, spent several days away from them, this was something new. He would be travelling alone for quite some time, with only his training and his wits to rely on for guidance. And although his training had been extensive, this was certain to be his toughest test yet.

  Even though details of his past assignments had been kept secret from his friends, the thought of not being able to share his thoughts with them – particularly Ruby – made him feel nervous, not to mention a little sad. But this was the way it had to be. Abs had been right when they had last met. The way things had been during the past year could not continue. Their lives were becoming busier, and their roles were taking them in different directions – exciting new directions for certain, but diverging from each other more and more. Until now, seven members of the human race had seemed enough. But now, the thought of meeting and interacting with other members of his own race less and less made him feel alone and isolated. He was going to miss human contact on his travels.

  Suddenly desperate to talk to somebody, Theo took a deep breath and called Ruby on his companion. But after receiving no reply, all he could do was leave a message.

  ‘Hi, Rubes, it’s me. Just wondered what you were up to as I haven’t heard from you today. I guess you’re busy, so call me back when you get a moment. T’

  That was all he needed – Ruby to start ignoring him. Quickly, he checked her public diary, but it was blank, which was a little strange. There was usually something listed, even if the details were vague. He tried using the locate function, but even that came up empty. Was she not even on Polisium Prime? He knew it was common for Ruby to be on the planet’s surface, perhaps in a closed conference, so it wasn’t unheard of for her to be off the radar as it were. But to find nothing at all in her diary was not normal.

  Angrily, Theo thumped the bed in frustration. Then he sighed. He was being a spoilt brat. Ruby’s life didn’t revolve around him and why should it? Her job was just as important as his – indeed, in some respects, perhaps more important.

  Grumbling to himself, he undressed, climbed into bed and turned down the lights. Knowing that his mind was still active and that he wouldn’t be able to sleep naturally for some time, he selected the sleep inducer function of his companion to give him a gentle nudge into unconsciousness. Then he lay back, closed his eyes and waited for the darkness to roll in.

  6 – The Ascent

  With a feeling like he had been thumped hard in the chest, Theo awoke with a massive jolt and sat bolt upright, his heart racing and sweat dripping from his forehead. It had been more than a little stupid to induce sleep in the way he had done the previous night. As First Mentor had ofte
n warned him, inducing sleep on an overactive mind could result in powerful and sometimes disturbingly vivid dream states. And the dream had been disturbing – very disturbing. He had been sinking into the depths of a deep, dark ocean, his arms desperately flailing around as he tried to make for the surface. But try as he might, he’d been unable to swim because dozens of spindly, bony arms had risen from the depths, grabbed him by his ankles and begun to drag him down towards the planet’s fiery molten core to burn him alive, or so he’d felt. And just before he’d woken, he’d looked at the sunlight shimmering on the ocean’s surface above him to see a symbol forming out of the light – a symbol which he knew all too well, even in his dream.

  As his watery eyes opened and the glowing symbol faded from his vision, the shock of its familiarity became clear to him. And for the second time in his life, the symbol of the Metah Dah had burned itself into the forefront of his mind. His heart still beating hard, he turned on the lights in his quarters, stood up and checked himself to make sure the symbol had not appeared on his body once more. But he was relieved to discover that it hadn’t. He had, it seemed, become obsessed with the Metah Dah. What was happening to him? Dreams were just dreams, weren’t they?

  Angry that his first rest day for ten standard days had begun so abruptly, Theo rose, showered and dressed himself, before downing a breakfast of toasted herby bread and warm, calming raja tea. Then he made his way towards the observation deck, taking the time to ponder how he might make use of his day off and free himself from the visions that had so disturbed him that morning.

  *

  ‘Hi, Rubes, it’s just me again. Call me when you’re back. Haven’t heard from you for a while now. Beginning to wonder if you’re avoiding me. Let me know if you’re OK. Later, mate.’

  Theo closed the conversation and then stared out of the observation deck window at Polisium spinning slowly beneath him. While he knew he had absolutely no right to expect Ruby to drop whatever she was doing, whenever he decided to call her, he had begun to worry about her lack of response. He’d become used to hearing from Ruby, in one form or another, at least twice a day, usually every morning and evening. Yet the last time they had spoken had been almost two days ago. And then there was her empty public diary. It was as if she had disappeared into thin air.

  As he stared into space, he felt a faint whoosh of air followed by a subtle scent of roses, and immediately his mood lifted. He turned to see Larissa striding confidently towards him, smiling.

  ‘How you doin?’ she said in a heavy, fake New York accent.

  Theo smiled back at her momentarily. Then his face dropped again.

  ‘Can’t get hold of Ruby,’ he said solemnly.

  Larissa walked up beside him and put her hand gently on his shoulder.

  ‘That’s not like her, is it? You two are normally, how do you say it, as thick as thieves?’

  ‘Well we were. But these days, I’m not so sure. I’ve tried the locator, but she doesn’t even register. It’s like she doesn’t exist.’

  ‘Perhaps she wants a bit of time to herself, you know, some time out.’

  ‘Suppose,’ said Theo staring at the planet below.

  ‘Have you tried First Mentor? It might know where she is.’

  ‘Not yet. I mean, I don’t want to intrude or anything. It’s just strange, that’s all.’

  ‘Do you think it has anything to do with me?’

  Theo turned to look at Larissa.

  ‘You?’ he said, surprised. ‘Why, what have you done? She’s always seemed OK with you.’

  ‘Has she?’ said Larissa with raised eyebrows, her tone of voice suggesting that she didn’t necessarily agree with him.

  Theo mulled the thought for a moment. Had his friendship with Larissa coincided with Ruby becoming more distant?

  ‘Why wouldn’t she like you? You’re great.’

  ‘You mean, you really don’t know?’

  Theo stood in silence for a moment, before turning back to Larissa.

  ‘Are you saying she’s jealous of us – I mean, our friendship?’

  Larissa looked back at Theo and smiled – an expression that lit up her face and sent ripples of nervous excitement through him.

  ‘I can’t believe it never occurred to you. You boys are so dense, sometimes.’

  ‘Well I’d never thought about it until now. But yeah, I suppose it’s possible.’

  ‘Do you want me to leave you alone for a bit – you know, to sort your head out and find Ruby?’

  ‘Yeah, if you don’t mind. Then we can meet later.’

  ‘That’d be great, Theo. Call me when you’re free. Até mais.’

  ‘Até mais,’ replied Theo as Larissa breezed through the exit and out of sight.

  Turning away from the doorway, Theo gazed out of the window towards the planet’s horizon. Then he opened a companion conversation with First Mentor.

  ‘Hello, Theo. How are you today?’

  ‘I’m… well I’m OK, I guess. But I’m a bit worried about Ruby. I haven’t heard from her for a couple of days.’

  ‘I assume that you have attempted to contact her without success?’

  ‘You don’t sound surprised. Do you know where she is?’

  ‘Not at this precise moment, no.’

  ‘But you know something, don’t you?’

  ‘Theo, are you aware of Ruby’s recent change of circumstances?’

  ‘No. Why, what’s happened?’

  ‘All I am permitted to say is that Ruby has taken a leave of absence from her role.’

  ‘A leave of absence? You mean, she’s left her job?’

  ‘Temporarily, yes.’

  Theo stared at the distant suns now rising over the brilliant blue/white arc of the planet.

  ‘I didn’t know. I mean, she never said.’

  ‘That, of course, is her choice.’

  ‘Yeah, I know, but I mean, where is she? She tells me everything – well pretty much everything, anyway. She never goes off without leaving some sort of message. I’ve been worried about her.’

  ‘Theo, let me re-assure you that Ruby is safe and well.’

  Theo let out a sigh of relief. ‘So you don’t know where she is?’

  ‘As I said, not at this…’

  ‘Yeah, I know,’ interrupted Theo impatiently. ‘But you know something. She’s told you something. She’s told you what she’s doing, hasn’t she?’

  ‘Theo, I am not permitted to divulge the details of any private conversations with Ruby. However…’

  ‘But I…’

  ‘Theo, if you would permit me to finish.’

  ‘Oh, sorry,’ said Theo.

  ‘However…’ continued First Mentor, ‘what I am permitted to tell you is that Ruby is safe and well and that she will return to Polisium Prime when she feels ready. She has chosen to take part in the Ascent.’

  ‘The Ascent?’ said Theo, his eyes wide in surprise. ‘What on Earth is the Ascent?’

  *

  Alone in the empty, darkened corridor, Commander Nalhas Mah strode slowly, yet purposefully, towards the rear of the ship, his head flicking subtly from side to side as if searching for an invisible marker on the walls. As he reached the rear bulkhead, he stopped and turned to face an empty patch of wall to his right. Then he took a few steps backwards and waited.

  Moments later, there was a succession of dull thuds followed by a heavy clang as if something large had clamped itself onto the outer hull of the vessel. Then a glowing rectangular doorframe appeared in the wall, accompanied by a loud hissing noise, and an overwhelming acrid burning smell hit his nostrils, causing him to flinch. Seconds later, the hissing ceased and a door shaped chunk of metal fell out of the wall, hitting the floor with a deafening bang. The commander waited until the red hot doorframe had cooled at little. Then he stepped through into the darkness.

  In a matter of minutes, the commander re-appeared through the doorway, carrying a helmet with a slot at the back – a helmet clearly designed to fit over
the head and crest of a Polisian. Carefully, he put the helmet on, adjusting it until it fitted snugly. Then he straightened himself up, rolled his eyes and began taking rapid, shallow breaths, almost as if he were stealing himself to jump from a great height to his certain death.

  *

  As the transport pod raced towards the Star Agency command centre for a new and hastily arranged briefing, Theo scarcely noticed the short journey as he mulled over his conversation with First Mentor from the previous day – a conversation which had revealed a disturbing insight into Ruby’s state of mind.

  The Ascent, he had discovered, had been a tradition initiated almost three thousand years before, which had seen adolescent Polisians undertake what could best be described as a rite-of-passage or coming-of-age ritual. Each individual would be stripped of all but the most basic essentials of life and then be sent into the wilderness alone for three months, to explore and learn about the world around them.

  Depending on which tribe they were from, they would be given various tasks to complete such as collect artefacts from distant regions, learn to forage and survive off the land, or discover how to defend themselves from the many predators that roamed the wilderness. Then they would be required to demonstrate those skills upon their return. It was common for such adolescents not to return, some because they had been killed, others because they had been adopted – or kidnapped – by other tribes. However, the ones that did return and prove their skills to the satisfaction of the village elders were allowed to celebrate during an elaborate, three day long ceremony of ascent, during which they could select a mate. The ritual bore a similarity to the tradition of walkabout in the Aboriginal races of Australia.

  Throughout the centuries, the Ascent had evolved in many ways, and when Polisium had become a spacefaring civilisation, it had expanded to include journeying to other worlds. But as contact with other species became the norm during the formation of the Affinity, the tradition had begun to lose its potency – after all, what was the risk to the individual if all the civilisations they came into contact with were allies? That, combined with the advancement of technology to such a point that personal risk had become almost non-existent, had led to the Ascent becoming a relic of history.