Earth Flight (26 page)

Eleven children! I’d been vaguely aware that Amalie had several brothers and sisters, but …

‘Things are exactly the opposite for Dalmora,’ continued Amalie. ‘On her world, you don’t start having relationships until you’ve graduated from university. Dalmora’s been having a very hard time on this course. If she was studying with University Danae, all the girls would be in the same situation, giggling in corners about which boys they’d like to be formally introduced to one day, but here … Dalmora’s not just in a class where couples are pairing off, she’s got you two legendary star-crossed lovers right in front of her nose.’

‘I hadn’t known about …’ I broke off my sentence. ‘Anyway, if Dalmora and Raven did decide they liked each other, I think it would be nardle to let anything stop them from being happy together.’

Amalie gave a despairing shake of her head. ‘If you think it’s nardle to let cultural values interfere with a relationship, why did we just put a wall back?’

She didn’t wait for me to try to think of a good answer to that, just headed out of the room.

I sighed, changed back into my sleep suit, and sat down on my single bed feeling deeply depressed. I tried to focus on the good things. I’d joined my clan, the grandson of Lucius Augustus Gordianus would join the wealthy, powerful, and prestigious clan August, and Lolette would join a disreputable plebeian clan cluster that made sex vids. Other Handicapped kids would have the chance to join their Betan clans in future, and Beta sector would probably request a specialist planet for the Handicapped.

Those were all utterly zan things, but they didn’t change the fact I was sitting in a room alone. What should have been our first night as a betrothed couple had ended up with Fian and me on opposite sides of a flexiplas wall.

I wondered what Petra would do now, and if there was any hope of Raven and Dalmora ever getting together. The more I learned about Alphans, the more they confused me. In different ways, Dalmora and Raven both fitted the dignified aristocratic Alphan stereotype, but then there was Rono. He was from Cassandra in Alpha sector, but he’d laugh if anyone described him as either dignified or aristocratic.

My lookup chimed softly for an incoming call. I answered it, and Fian’s face appeared.

‘I was thinking,’ he said. ‘We can’t share a room, but would a holo be all right?’

‘I’m not sure what you …’

‘Like this.’ The image juddered wildly as he lay back on his bed, and then stabilized showing him lying on his side and smiling at me.

‘Oh.’ I lay back on my bed and set my lookup to project Fian’s holo image next to me.

‘I thought we could leave the channel open during the night,’ he said. ‘I know you’ll say it’s silly and sentimental, but I’m finding this difficult. I’d had other plans for tonight.’

‘No, it’s … It’s a good idea. Very good.’

I turned out the glows and lay watching the holo image of Fian until I fell asleep.

23

It was oddly embarrassing meeting the real Fian at breakfast after spending the night with his holo image. I hoped Fian wouldn’t mention the holo image thing because it had meant a lot to me. Dalmora and Amalie wouldn’t say anything tactless, but Krath …

When Raven and the rest of team 1 had joined us at the table, Krath spoke. ‘I apologize for my shockingly disrespectful comments. My regrettable conduct won’t be repeated.’

‘How long did Playdon spend training you to recite that?’ asked Fian.

‘It felt like twenty years,’ said Krath.

Both my lookup and Fian’s chimed to signal incoming mail. Over at the next table, two more lookups chimed, and Lolia and Lolmack stood up.

I read my message. ‘Our clan is making a statement.’

Fian turned on the wall vid at the end of the hall and set it to Beta Sector Daily. It showed an image of a massive crowd gathered in front of the steps of the Parthenon.

‘Look at the banners at the top of the steps!’ Lolmack hurried forward and pointed at them. ‘Unbelievable! The Military alliance and August alliance banners haven’t been united since … They’re coming out!’

The image on the screen zoomed in as two toga-clad figures came out of the huge doors and stood in front of the twin banners.

‘That’s General Dragon Tell Dramis and Lucius Augustus Gordianus,’ I said.

Lucius Augustus Gordianus spoke in the ringing tones of a practised public speaker. ‘I am not here to tell anyone of the events yesterday, because you know them. I am not here to explain the offence, for you understand it. I am not here to ask what you feel, because I share your outrage. The banners of Beta sector have been challenged by outlanders!’

He paused before speaking in a quieter voice. ‘Remember the years after Exodus. Remember how close civilization came to total collapse. Fidelis, our mutual loyalty and sacrifice, saved Beta sector and all humanity. Fidelis remains the united heart of Beta sector.’

His voice started rising in volume again. ‘We would not abandon Fidelis when the revisionists demanded conformity with other sectors. We declared the Second Roman Empire and stood alone. When that empire ended with the reunification treaty of Artemis, other sectors swore to respect our customs and honour our betrothal and marriage contracts, but now they have broken the treaty of Artemis, insulted our banners, and challenged Fidelis!’

He raised both arms above his head. ‘I call the clans to remember their oaths as Betans. Loyalty to those we love.’

‘Fidelis!’ The crowd shouted the word.

‘Loyalty to family and clan.’

‘Fidelis!’ The crowd answered him, and I heard Lolmack and Lolia shouting the word along with them.

‘Loyalty to Zeus and Beta sector.’

I found myself joining in the massed shout of the crowd. ‘Fidelis!’

Raven’s voice murmured from beside me. ‘Deity aid us!’

After that emotional crescendo, Lucius Augustus Gordianus abruptly changed to a perfectly normal conversational voice. ‘I summon the Senate to meet in emergency session. To demonstrate respect for the Fifty, we must draft a reciprocal agreement on relationship contracts between Beta sector and Earth, which will recognize not just future contracts but also apply retrospectively.’

It was a weird anti-climax to such a passionate speech. Beta Sector Daily went back to its studio, where two people started babbling away in incomprehensibly strong Betan dialect, openly defying all the rules about newzie channels only using standard Language. Playdon turned down the sound, and Lolia and Lolmack went off into a corner to keep listening to it on their lookups.

Fian shook his head. ‘What’s the point of that? Jarra will be 18 and Military again long before Beta sector finishes passing their legislation.’

‘This isn’t about your betrothal any longer,’ said Raven, grimly. ‘This is about whether Beta sector declares the Third Roman Empire.’

‘What?’ I stared at him. ‘You can’t be serious.’

‘I’m perfectly serious,’ said Raven. ‘Adonis Knights start learning politics in their cradle. The recognition of Betan betrothal contracts and triad marriages was a key clause in the reunification treaty of Artemis. Lucius Augustus Gordianus just pointed out yesterday’s court order broke that clause, and demonstrated he only had to say the word to be proclaimed emperor. Then he spelt out exactly what other sectors had to do to stop that happening. Make the same legislation changes as Beta sector, not just to uphold the treaty of Artemis, but as a declaration of support for Betan culture and respect for the Fifty. If they don’t …’

Raven grimaced. ‘If they don’t do it, then humanity is divided again, which could mean the sort of full-scale war we haven’t had since the days of pre-history when everyone lived on Earth. The united banners of the Military and August alliances send a terrifying message. I’ve been part of a planetary peacekeeping force keeping two factions of arguing civilians apart, but the idea of war between the sectors … Going into combat against the Betan Military clans. My own friends!’

I shared Raven’s nightmare for a moment, picturing Fian and myself caught in the middle of cross-sector war. We were Military officers, raised on one side of the divide and members of a clan on the other. I couldn’t leave Earth, and that would surely have to remain neutral territory for the sake of the Handicapped babies born on either side, but Fian …

‘How could something as simple as joining my clan cause so much trouble?’ I wailed.

‘It didn’t,’ said Raven. ‘When the Second Roman Empire ended, the reunification treaty of Artemis was supposed to be a new beginning, but the divisions between Beta and the other sectors never healed. Tension and mutual suspicion have been building for over a century. If the Tell clan ceremony hadn’t triggered this, something else would.’

I thought of Playdon’s lectures about the early twentieth century. The First World War hadn’t really been caused by the assassination of one man, but by the explosive political situation.

‘The other sectors don’t even try to understand Betans,’ said Lolmack. ‘When we came to Earth with our baby, the Hospital Earth staff didn’t believe we really wanted to keep Lolette. We were Betan, and we’d been part of a triad marriage, so they thought we just wanted an excuse to try and seduce them.’

‘We didn’t help things though,’ said Lolia. ‘We got angry, so we acted like the caricature Betans they expected. We did the same when we first joined this class, to make everyone stay away from us and help keep Lolette’s existence a secret.’

‘It wasn’t our fault,’ said Lolmack. ‘If the outlanders hadn’t judged Beta sector purely by its sex vids, then we’d never have done it.’

‘It was partly our fault,’ said Lolia. ‘They judged Beta sector by its sex vids, which show nothing of the real Betan culture, but our clan
makes
those vids!’

Lolmack frowned. ‘You have a point.’

‘The newzie channels in every sector have been discussing the Tell clan ceremony for days now,’ said Playdon. ‘People in other sectors are finally starting to understand the Betan clan system and the importance of the Fifty. The politicians will surely do what Beta sector want.’

He paused. ‘I’m not sure if we should go and excavate some pre-history ruins, or stay here watching modern history happen on the wall vid. This year has been the most …’

He broke off as a couple of chimes from lookups were followed by a yell of protest, and gave a slight shake of his head. ‘Now what?’

Sudi and Akram were on their feet, facing each other. ‘How could you do this to me?’ demanded Akram.

‘Read the full message,’ said Sudi. ‘I didn’t cancel our contract. Earth Registry did!’

She turned to face Playdon. ‘Earth Registry says that court order doesn’t just mean Jarra and Fian’s Twoing and betrothal contracts are illegal, but every relationship contract involving someone who isn’t a citizen of Earth. They’re cancelling all of them!’

‘Something like this must be on …’ Playdon set the wall vid to show Earth Rolling News.

‘Contracts taken out on Earth between two citizens of Earth remain valid,’ said a presenter. ‘We repeat: Earth Registry regrets yesterday’s court order invalidates every Twoing contract or marriage involving a sector citizen that was registered on Earth.’

Four couples in our class had been Twoing, including Fian and me, and all those contracts had been registered on Earth. Twin chimes from behind me meant another couple were getting their bad news. Lolia and Lolmack had been married on Artemis in Beta sector, so they were safe.

‘I’m so sorry,’ I said.

‘It’s not your fault. It’s the fault of that nuking Deltan law firm!’ said Akram in a savage voice. ‘I know that word isn’t allowed under the Gamma sector moral code, but right now …’

‘I accept this is an extremely distressing situation,’ said Playdon. ‘I’m definitely not risking taking people in a state of high emotion to work on the dig site. We’ll …’

He broke off as his lookup chimed. He glanced at it, his face twisted in pain, and he changed the wall vid to Delta Sector Vision.

‘… ironically, what was intended as an attack on betrothals between norm and Handicapped is mostly affecting norm couples. Contracts between norm and Handicapped usually involve a norm with Earth citizenship. Either a norm child born on Earth to Handicapped parents, or a norm parent who has accompanied a Handicapped child to Earth and been given automatic citizenship under the Hospital Earth assisted relocation plan.’

Coverage swapped from the studio setting to a presenter standing in some sort of public building. ‘The number of people affected by this is far higher than you might expect. Large numbers of history and medical students have spent time on Earth, and a Twoing contract taken out years ago can have huge implications right now.’

The image panned out to show two women standing next to him. ‘Perhaps you could explain your situation for our viewers.’

‘We’re both citizens of Delta sector,’ said one woman. ‘We met when we were medical students and we registered our first Twoing contract on Earth.’

‘We’ve been married for twenty-three years,’ said the other. ‘Now we get a mail message saying our first Twoing contract was invalid. That means we don’t have the prior Twoing contracts legally required to marry in Delta sector, so our marriage is invalid. If I get my hands on those lawyers …’

‘What are you doing about this?’ asked the presenter.

‘We’ve petitioned our planetary representatives of course,’ said the first woman. ‘Beta sector is working on legislation to fix this situation, and Delta sector needs it too, but we aren’t waiting around months for the politicians to act. Epsilon sector allows instant marriages without prior Twoing contracts, so we’re going there to get married again.’

The couple headed off past big red information signs about off-world portal charges.

‘I hope they don’t have problems in Epsilon sector,’ said Amalie. ‘Some people there are prejudiced against two women marrying.’

‘They are?’ asked Krath. ‘Why?’

‘Think about it, nardle. Epsilon has far more single men than women. Marriages between two men, or triad marriages between two men and one woman are encouraged, but …’

The presenter started talking again. ‘This couple have the chance to go to Epsilon and marry again. Many don’t. Widows, widowers, and even the heirs of deceased couples are receiving mail messages. An act of hatred against one couple’s mixed relationship is …’