Scaevola's Triumph (Gaius Claudius Scaevola trilogy Book 3) (48 page)

"Do we have to do the same thing?" Lucilla asked.

"Of course not!" the droid replied. "On the other hand, it pays to start together, to help remind each other of what should and could be there."

So the party began interior design. To Gaius' surprise, Vipsania designed what could be part of the interior of a Roman villa, including stone pillars and mosaic floors. As she said, she felt that it was really important for her to have something that reminded her of home. Lucilla went in the opposite direction; she was determined to have as little as possible to remind her of Quintus, and what she had lost. Gaius opted for something in between: a classical triclinium but where the diners faced a huge entertainment screen, and elsewhere Ulsian smooth walls with images from Earth as recalled by computerized 'memories' on the walls.

Their lives were also being organized. Public relations began to become a very important aspect of their lives. As a droid informed them, droids could understand very well what was happening, but the average Ulsian probably could not. Accordingly, it was desirable that they attend numerous committee meetings where they could explain their roles, and how Ulse had previously benefited from them. In particular, explanations of the battles for the Ligra system were very popular. Gaius would explain the strategic considerations and the space battles, Lucilla would explain the rather bizarre taking of Ligra 3, and Vipsania would explain the issues from the points of view of the lower level pilots, as well as the ground battles, as well as she understood them, for Ligra 2.0. Each of them tried to show how well the Ulsians had fought, and they also tried to emphasise the effects of the liberation on the Ulsian population that had been ruled by the enemy for so long, and at last had their freedom. As Vipsania pointed out, while they had had no contact with these Ulsians, if they were to ever need favours from the Ulsians it did no harm to make them feel better about themselves. One never knew when popular support could come in handy.

* * *

Finally they were informed their ships were ready for preliminary inspection. Each would go to their own ship, and, they were warned, would meet their new companions, their own equivalent of their 'Tin Man'.

Gaius was unsure what to expect as he was transported to the ship. In the event he saw nothing. There was nothing there, then his shuttle stopped, there was a clunk, and he was told to board. He climbed through the hatch, to find a corridor.

The ship was huge. He wandered down the corridor, looking for a door.

"Impressed?"

Gaius spun around, and gasped. Standing before him was a young, athletic man. "Who are you? Where . . ."

"I am your companion," the 'man' said. "I am mechanical, but I will try to behave like another human. I have all of Timothy's memories, but of course that does not make me human, and for some length of time I shall probably do things you don't want me to do. If I ever do anything you don't like, say so, and I won't do that sort of thing again. I shall learn to please you, however, a word of caution. You could make me a fawning idiot, but if you do, that's what you'll have to live with."

"This's really going to take getting used to," Gaius muttered. "What if something irritates me, but just then. I don't want . . ."

"Don't worry! I already know a lot about you. Now, this you have to get used to. I am more than simply sentient and self-aware. I have my emotions, my pride, the same sort of faults you have. Now, you must give me a name, and please, something better than 'Tin Man', which I would find outright insulting!"

Gaius thought for a moment, then said, "I shall call you Marcellus."

"I am Marcellus." There was a pause, then, "Any particular reason?"

"It's a common Roman name," Gaius said, "but I don't have any particular friends or enemies called Marcellus, so it doesn't mean anything special to me. Is that a problem?"

"Not at all. It sounds like a good name. Now, let me show you around the parts of your ship that are yours. Anything you want rearranged, let me know."

"The parts that aren't mine?"

"Motors, fuel, weapons, computers," Marcellus said. "If I were you, I'd also put food and storage off limits too. That puts it under the control of machines, which, I might add, are far better at handling these things."

"And so modest about it, too," Gaius grinned.

"You wish me to be more modest?"

"Not yet," Gaius said, "as long as you don't get upset if I say things like that."

"I can't get upset as long as you don't say that sort of thing angrily," Marcellus replied. "Now, let's go see the ship, and if you want to change anything, say so. Of course you will realize not everything can be changed. The overall size of anything must fit into the ship, and you cannot change that, and −"

"I understand," Gaius nodded.

Gaius was truly surprised by the amount of room, so much so, he wanted more furniture, and even plants to fill space. Marcellus simply remembered the instructions, although occasionally made suggestions, including that space be put aside for simulating images.

"If you have to plan a campaign," he pointed out, "you may prefer to have a space where you can create the situation you're likely to run into, to help give you ideas."

A number of areas, including the triclinium, were tried out for functionality. The aim was to ensure that eating could be carried out leisurely while watching the screen, and more food or drink could be delivered without interfering with either activity. Washing and toiletry facilities were remarkably luxurious.

Eventually the tour was completed, and Gaius returned down a lift and was escorted back to the hatch.

"Satisfied?" Marcellus asked.

"It's an incredible ship," Gaius said. "We never discussed weapons. Is it . . ?"

"It's as powerful a ship as Ulse has ever built," Marcellus replied, "and it also requires a name. I suggest you make it a Roman name, because that would be distinctive."

"How about
Actium
? That was the site of one of Rome's greatest naval battles."

"The ship is the
Actium
. Now, your shuttle for your return to the surface."

When Gaius met the women again, he started to suspect who was the primary feminist. Vipsania had named her ship the
Livia
, while Lucilla had chosen the
Romulus
. Both were as surprised as Gaius had been at what they had been given to command. The question was, what would be done with these ships?

* * *

The Terrans had now acquired freedom of movement, and yet at the same time it was removed from them. Their problem now was that wherever they went, they were pointed out. Younger Ulsians would pursue them for autographs, which was fine up to a point, but sometimes it became difficult to get anything done. Then journalists would pursue them for interviews, and this was more difficult. The problem was that for most Ulsians, getting noticed and getting interviewed meant progressing up the social ladder so most Ulsians would make journalist's lives miserable with their pesterings and incredibly weak excuses to get noticed. But for the Terrans, the position was different. There was an obvious impediment to their participating in Ulsian Polite Society, even if they had a desire. They were already well known, and they were alien. They realised only too well that misinterpreted comments could do them irreparable damage, while it was highly unlikely that any comment could do them any good. Accordingly they declined all opportunities to comment, other than in regular formal interviews, when they would be advised on the issues in advance.

It soon became desirable that they select a few cafés and restaurants. The proprietors, keen to keep illustrious guests, helped keep the undesirables at bay, and with the knowledge that the Terrans would frequent the establishment, they could afford to hold stocks of food suitable for them. That the Terrans visited certainly enhanced the reputation of the café, so each party benefited.

The ability to move around, however, allowed them to see all the features of these cities that could be seen, features so beyond the comprehension of a simple Roman that, as Vipsania put it one night, it was all now starting to seem ordinary.

"The fact is," Lucilla agreed, "most of Rome was incredibly depressing, dark, filthy, squalid. We lived in clean houses because we had slaves to clean them. Here, everyone has machines. Going home could be an unpleasant surprise."

"It is a better place," Vipsania agreed. "Did you ever get to see a dye factory back in Rome?"

"No," Lucilla said, "but I've heard how they did it. It must have been terribly unpleasant." She paused, then said, "All the same, it was home, and . . ."

"There were other people there," Vipsania added wistfully.

"All the same, we are here," Gaius said, "so let's make the best of it."

"What happens to us next?" Lucilla asked. "Surely they haven't fitted up these splendid warships just for us to sit around in?"

"I am sure they haven't," Gaius agreed. "From what I can make out, they are assembling a force. The decision as to what to do with it will have to wait until everything is in place, ready to use."

Chapter 35

Ulse was excited, almost beyond itself with joy. In the space of a few months a second victory was announced. Admiral Gerenthe had returned victorious. A fleet had left to another planet seventy years before Slaben's expedition, before the enemy's strategy had been properly perceived, and this expedition had the objective of securing the flank on the enemy's more direct line, and possibly to initiate a flanking attack on the enemy's supply lines. From an economic point of view, this star system was not particularly important. It contained scattered settlements of Ulsians, but it had been declared the last planet in that direction that was 'safe'. The flanking value lay in the fact that to continue further out from the flank would take the explorer uncomfortably close to a giant that had begun the pulsations suggestive of the beginnings of collapse towards a small supernova. While the explosion was predicted to be only moderate, at least in terms of supernovae, there would be a zone around it where life would most likely be extinguished in the blast, and further out there was a region where prospects progressively improved. There were a number of star systems in this questionable zone, and some did support life. One planet had life sufficiently well evolved that it was possible that sentient life could evolve, apart from the problems of the supernova. Severable millennia before, debates had raged over whether the presence of such relatively advanced life required intervention, perhaps in the form of moving representative life to a safer planet. However, the war had put an end to these discussions.

In the overall M'starn strategy, however, this planet was not of great importance. The M'starn were attacking down the centre, and their whole strategy depended on striking the decisive blow before attrition on the flanks could become critical.

While the planet Gerenthe had attacked was not particularly important, it had been felt that it would be a useful target for a first counter-attack. Because of its isolation, the defenders would be weak, hence prospects for success were improved. While even an inconsequential victory would be useful, it might also be an opportunity to gain access to the enemy equipment, to assess whether they had developed any weapons of special interest, and also to determine their recent tactics.

It was, Gaius noted, in the nature of such warfare that seventy years later Ulse perceived the enemy strategy, the main strike had been deflected, and the state of the war had changed fundamentally. Meanwhile, Gerenthe would be charging off on this expedition, totally unaware of what had happened, and now, when he had returned, he would learn that what he believed to be the first great victory would now be seen more or less as an irrelevancy. Gerenthe would only learn of this as he returned with what he supposed was the first encouraging news.

On the other hand, since the M'starn had failed in their initial main strike, and Slaben's expedition had been such a success, all news of further success would always lift the Ulsian spirits. The Ulsian population was very happy to have two victories to celebrate.

The formal welcome for the conquering hero was spectacular. A huge crowd had gathered at the spaceport, and when the Admiral appeared in splendid uniform, the crowd cheered madly. Gerenthe waved back, the crowd became even more excited, and Gerenthe stood there, waving, clearly enjoying every moment.

"Nobody did that for us," Lucilla muttered. The three of them were watching proceedings on their wall screen. They would watch this, then the street parade, then they were invited to the civic centre for the formal welcome home.

"Don't be too surprised," Gaius said. "Remember, he is the home-town hero, he's one of them, so they can feel a bit as if it's their victory too. With us, there'd always be the partial embarrassment that the mighty Ulse depended on aliens."

Gerenthe was invited onto a podium, where he was asked a number of questions. He triumphantly answered everything about his expedition, but suddenly his whole demeanour collapsed when he was asked how he put his victory in terms of the other. It was plainly obvious that he had not been informed of Slaben's expedition, and he seemed almost concerned, but then he quickly recovered. All the same, the bubble had been pricked.

"He doesn't like to be upstaged," Lucilla scowled.

"He's not going to be any friend of ours," Vipsania added, more pointedly. Gaius said nothing.

Gerenthe was placed on the back of a strange vehicle, and for almost five hours was paraded victoriously through the streets of the city. Finally the procession came to an end, and the Admiral was permitted to enter the building for the civic welcome. By now the Terrans had taken seats in a small cubicle to one side.

As Vipsania remarked later, she was not entirely disappointed that they had not received a similar ceremony. It seemed to go on and on, with a strange sequence of protocols that seemed to lift Gerenthe to even greater heights, but, as she mentioned, would have bored her silly. Gaius did not disagree.