Heirs of the New Earth (14 page)

"Not here,” said Eva, shaking her head. “The President and her staff can trace my travel. We need to find someplace private."

Kirsten wanted to ask what was wrong with the President knowing where they were. Fire and Mark looked at each other. “Home,” they said simultaneously.

"We'll go to Nantucket,” announced Mark. “My home is there. If we go in the launch, it'll throw them off if they come looking."

"Lead the way,” said Eva, indicating the door. Mark nodded and led the way out of the building, looking forward to going home.

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"I've never experienced anything like Doomsday,” explained Eva Cooper once the
Nicholas Sanson's
launch lifted from the Shikoku Spaceport in Japan. “It just seems like everyone I knew had grown hopeless—had no more reason to live."

"What about you?” asked Fire Ellis, who sat next to the Surgeon General. “How did you feel?"

"Helpless,” said Cooper with a shrug. “Most people in the President's cabinet have known one another for years. Like most Surgeons General over the last few centuries, I'm not an insider. Even so, I've been working closely with Dick Richards, President Walker and a number of their aides for the last two years. There have been tough times and crises but I was always amazed how spirited President Walker was and how Richards maintained such an outward sense of calm.” She took a deep breath. “However, on Doomsday, both Richards and Walker just seemed sad. So did just about everyone else on the cabinet."

Kirsten Smart, sitting next to Captain Ellis at the front of the craft turned in her seat and faced Dr. Cooper. “I take it you weren't sad ... at least not in the same way."

Cooper's brow furrowed. “Now that you mention it, no,” she said. “I was down, but only because my friends and colleagues were down."

"So,” said Raton from the back of the launch. “What made you different?"

"I wish I knew,” said Cooper. “The thing is, I also seem to be the only one of the President's cabinet that's not spoken to the Cluster."

John Mark Ellis looked over his shoulder. “People have been speaking to the Cluster?” He remembered his own experiences. First, at the planet Sufiro right after the great war, he'd been convinced that the Cluster had attempted to communicate with him. Since then, he'd talked to the Cluster twice. The first time was while he was in command of the Destroyer
Barbara Firebrandt
and he tried to rescue the freighter
Martha's Vineyard.
The second time was while the
Sanson
had been in the home system of the Clusters.

"I can't quite explain it,” said Cooper. “They tell me they've been speaking to the Cluster, but I've heard and seen nothing except for those people that drop into a kind of absent state, like your friend Ms. Meiji that we saw back in Japan."

Ellis nodded and looked forward. “The Cluster seems to be able to tap directly into people's emotions. The one time I ‘spoke’ to the Cluster, I passed out on the command deck of my own ship."

Smart looked out the window and noticed that the launch had entered near-Earth orbit and was dropping around the planet so quickly that trees, ground and water blurred together. “It sounds like the Cluster can talk to anyone at any time.” She looked worriedly over at Ellis. “What's to prevent the Cluster from contacting you right now?"

Ellis chewed his lower lip. “Nothing, I suppose,” he answered at last.

Kirsten nodded slowly and faced forward. She touched several buttons, activating the launch's backup controls. “I don't know that I'm any more immune to the Cluster than you are,” she said. “But, the Cluster does seem particularly fond of you. I figure we'd better be ready, just in case."

"Good thinking,” called Manuel from the back of the launch.

Fire looked at Eva. “So, what happened after Doomsday? It almost seems like everyone is in denial about the event."

"That's true,” said Eva. “The President has been frightening since Doomsday. She talks about it like it was the best thing that ever happened to the planet. She called the people that died the ‘weeds’ and she referred to herself as a ‘gardener’ tending those of us that were left."

"I suspect the Cluster is the real gardener,” mused Mark. He checked the controls and pushed the launch's joystick forward. “Slowing for final descent."

"Shall I call for clearance at Boston?” asked Kirsten.

"Might as well try for Nantucket itself.” The captain shrugged. “Given our experience at Japan."

Kirsten nodded and made the call. The launch was cleared to land at the tiny Nantucket spaceport. Mark guided the launch downward, through a bank of clouds. The island of Nantucket was spread out below them. Even from their height, the captain could make out familiar sites: the old mill that sat alone on a hillside, the rounded steeple of the Unitarian Church that stood above the other buildings of the village of Nantucket, the green rolling terrain that covered the island like a carpet. He took a deep breath and reached out, taking Kirsten's hand. He was home at last.

"I'm glad to be here,” said Kirsten. “I just wish the circumstances could be better.

Mark nodded, then guided the shuttle toward the small spaceport—mostly used by cargo shuttles and the private spacecraft of the very wealthy—and landed at the bay directed. Once down, they undid their harnesses and stepped from the craft. Manuel frowned as he emerged from the launch. “Back in the land of fog and rain,” he grumbled.

Fire took his hand and squeezed it. She looked into his eyes and smiled reassuringly. “We'll get back to Sufiro before long, I promise."

Mark shot a glance back at his mother, then turned forward. “Let's see if we can find a ride at the terminal.” He led the way toward a squat, gray-shingled building that looked far too quaint to be a spaceport terminal. As they walked across the tarmac of the strangely deserted spaceport, Ellis’ eyes fell on one craft in particular. It was silver and shaped like an egg—a Rd'dyggian star vessel. His brow furrowed, but he continued toward the terminal. He opened a white, wooden door mounted on hinges and stepped inside.

"John Mark Ellis!” exclaimed the man behind the counter as the group entered. He was short, but wiry with thin, white hair. “Why you're a sight for sore eyes.” Then he examined the entire group and his eyes fell on Fire. “And Dr. Ellis, too. We've missed you here on the island."

Mark reached out and shook the man's hand. “I can't tell you how much I've missed the island, Charlie.” The captain turned and introduced the group to Charlie Rogers, who'd run the Nantucket spaceport for as long as he remembered. “Charlie, is there anyway we can get a car to get into the village? We're in kind of a hurry."

"No problem,” said Charlie. “I can take you into town myself."

"What about other ships landing?” asked Kirsten, aghast.

"No need to worry about that, young lady. You're the only one that's landed in the last two days,” he said. “Even if a lot of traffic suddenly shows up, I'll only be gone a few minutes.” He stepped from behind the counter and led the way through the glass doors to the only hover car parked in the lot outside. The small group clambered in and Charlie closed the doors. Getting in the driver's door, he started the car and slowly left the parking lot.

"I saw that some Rd'dyggians are here at the island,” said Mark as Charlie mindlessly thumbed the network receiver, trying to find music.

"Ayup. I'm sure you'll find out about him soon enough.” Charlie's brow crinkled as the speakers remained silent.

"Him?” asked Mark. “You mean there's only one?"

"Ayup,” said Charlie. He shook his head and gave up finding any music.

The hover car wound its way through the narrow streets of Nantucket. Kirsten found herself fascinated by the ancient buildings, covered in gray shingles as they had been since the 17th century. Many of the streets were plascrete, but they crossed a street paved with worn cobblestones. At last, Charlie set the hover car down in front of a gray house with white shutters that looked much like its neighbors. Atop the house was a whitewashed widow's walk—a platform where women used to look out at the sea and wait for their sailor husbands to return. Fire looked up at it and frowned. She remembered being up there the night her husband, Jerome Ellis, had died.

"Thanks much, Charlie,” said Mark as one after the other, the group extracted themselves from the hover car.

"You're welcome,” said the ancient spaceport attendant. “Let me know if you need anything.” With that he closed the doors, lifted the hover car and disappeared down the street.

Captain Ellis led the way up the path to the front door. He reached out to take the knob when the door opened, seemingly of its own accord. Ellis looked up and found himself face-to-chest with an eight-foot tall Rd'dyggian warrior. “I knew you would return,” said G'Liat.

"What are you doing here?” asked Kirsten, hands on her hips.

"I thought you were on your way back to Rd'dyggia,” said Mark, pushing his way past the warrior that more than filled his doorway.

"I presume you know this man,” said Manuel, head tilted to the side.

"Damn right I know him,” spat Kirsten. “He killed Clyde McClintlock in cold blood."

"Is that a reason to despise him, or to go up and shake his hand?” asked Manuel, the corner of his mustache twitched as his mouth threatened to break into a grin.

Both Kirsten and Fire shot Manuel a withering look. He put his hands in his pockets and looked down at the ground. G'Liat, stooped over because the ceilings were only eight feet tall, turned and followed Mark. The captain stood in front of an antique chronometer, turned it and wound it, then reset his wrist chronometer to match. “Why are you here?” asked Mark, looking up.

"I am here to study the Cluster,” said G'Liat in a practiced terro-generic accent with no trace of the natural Rd'dyggian singsong.

"That tells us why you're on Earth,” interjected Kirsten who had followed the warrior inside. She dropped herself onto the couch. “That doesn't tell us what you're doing in this house."

"I knew you would return here.” G'Liat's glistening black eyes never left the captain. “I have been on Earth for several days now. There are reports of people all over the planet that have fallen under the influence of the Cluster. I even suspect the President of your Gaean Alliance is under the Cluster's influence."

"What do you know about the President?” Eva Cooper pushed a few strands of blond hair behind her shoulder.

"All I know is what I see on the news, Dr. Cooper,” G'Liat turned away from Ellis and moved toward the staircase. Cooper couldn't help but notice that even hunched-over the ungainly warrior was frighteningly graceful. “Not only have there been rather odd announcements from the President in light of the circumstances, there have been reports that the Surgeon General of the Gaean Alliance has gone missing."

"You still haven't answered Kirsten's question,” said Fire, pointedly stepping in front of G'Liat and meeting his fierce, glass-like gaze with her own deep brown eyes. “Why have you invaded my home?"

"Your son has demonstrated that he is particularly ... ‘in tune’ with the Cluster. He is also able to control his contacts with the Cluster well. I hope to find answers to the Cluster's motives,” explained G'Liat.

"I have to admit,” said Eva with a shrug, “that's why I'm here. I want to know what's going on as well."

"The difference, Dr. Cooper, is that your motive is to help humans,” said Kirsten. She turned and narrowed her eyes, evaluating the giant warrior carefully. “I'm not quite sure what his motive is, but it's not to help humans."

G'Liat turned on his heel, causing Kirsten to gasp in spite of her forced calm. “You are absolutely correct,” he said. “I am not here to serve humans. I am here to serve Rd'dyggians. However, if humans are destroyed, what's to stop the Cluster from moving on to my planet. It's in my interest to see that humans are not destroyed."

Fire gritted her teeth and took a step toward the warrior. “I accept your motives, but that still doesn't give you the right to sleep under our roof."

"I have not been sleeping here,” said G'Liat. “I have been sleeping on my chartered ship. Perhaps you saw it at the spaceport?"

"All right,” said Ellis putting his hands up. “I'm tired of the games. What were you doing here when we arrived?"

"Monitoring.” G'Liat stepped past Ellis toward the stairs and gestured for him to follow. “You may find this of interest. Perhaps even concern."

Ellis followed G'Liat up the stairs. Fire and Dr. Cooper followed close behind. G'Liat opened the door to the guest bedroom. “Coffin,” said Ellis and Fire simultaneously. There, lying on the bed was Samuel Coffin. Several days’ stubble grew on his chin. His wispy, silver hair, though wind-blown was not matted. He'd not been tossing and turning in the bed.

Cooper stepped past the others and checked the old man's pulse and put her ear to his chest. “He's like the others,” she announced.

"Just like Ms. Meiji,” breathed Ellis.

"His mind is not here,” said G'Liat. The Rd'dyggian warrior pointed to a table where a device made of a lustrous, translucent substance like mother-of-pearl lay. Ellis recognized it as a Rd'dyggian brain interface unit. G'Liat could use the device to see the thoughts of others.

Ellis ground his teeth, at once incensed that the device was used on his friend without consent, but also confused by the exact meaning of the warrior's words. “What do you mean his mind is not here?"

"His brain lives, but there is no activity,” explained G'Liat.

Cooper shook her head. “That's not consistent with the other cases I've studied. Brain wave activity doesn't discontinue while a person is in the Cluster trance."

G'Liat inclined his head in a studied imitation of human behavior. “Yes, but I imagine that the President and members of her cabinet speak to Clusters that are in orbit. Two Clusters were gone when I arrived. One has returned."

"And you didn't examine Ms. Meiji's brainwaves,” Ellis pointed out. Cooper chewed her lower lip and nodded agreement.

Fire stepped to the bed and sat on it, next to Samuel Coffin. She picked up his hand and patted it, an instinct to comfort, even though his brain was apparently elsewhere. “What you are suggesting is almost inconceivable,” said Fire. “The mind can't simply be transplanted. Not even Rd'dyggians can do brain transplants."