Planetbound by DM Arnold (best contemporary novels TXT) 📕

“Maybe that's not what it is. Shouldn't we examine them?”

“If you must -- I'll let you look at them. I don't want to see them.”

Andra sat at a vidisplay and he sat across from her. “Let's start with KKGR.” She slipped the cel into the display and shook her head. “Nothing -- the cel is unreadable.”

“Do you see Roman characters?”

“I see a message saying, cel unreadable. I'm going to try the other one.” She slipped it into the display. “The date on the cel is 6602 APF.”

“Three years before I was born.”

“It must be in Esperanto,” Andra said. “I can't understand most of the words.” She squinted at the display. “I wish you'd take a look, Nyk... 'GE - NEA - LOG - IA'...”

“STOP! I don't want to know more!”

“But, Nyk -- aren't you curious? Look! Here's Sukiko's name!”

“Andra! Please take that thing out. NOW!”

“It's out. Why wouldn't you want to know?”

“Did you ever hear of Quinn's Postulate?”

She shook her head. “No -- what's that?”

“They didn't teach you temporal theory at Vebinad?”

“I guess they didn't expect an ax'amfin witch to need it.

“Andra, that document must contain dates -- the dates people die -- people I love.” He looked up at her. “Who do you love most in the universe?”

“Why -- you, Nyk.”

“Suppose you were delivered a document from the future -- my death certificate -- and you learned I was to die within two years. What would you do as the day approached?”

“I'd try to save you.”

“You can't. If you could, there would be no death certificate -- thus, no way for you to know I needed saving. Quinn's Postulate states it is impossible to alter the future based on precognizance.”

“Has this been proven?”

“No -- or else it would be Quinn's Law. However, given our experience with temporal phenomena -- nothing has disproved it. So -- there's nothing you can do but watch as the day of my death approaches. You're helpless to alter it. What would you do?”

“I ... I don't know... The best I could do would be to ... to live every moment with you to its fullest -- to show you my love.”

“Why not do that anyway? Is threat of loss the only way we appreciate what it is we have? Don't you see?” He picked up the cel. “This is precognizance of the day Suki dies. I don't want to know -- because there's nothing I could do to change it. Nothing to do but love her until... until the dreaded day.”

Nyk dropped the capsule and datacels into the box.

“This information does no one any good,” he said. Get these out of my sight -- take them to Korlo. All the Floran crew genealogies are classified -- to prevent someone making temporal mischief. He'll lock it away for two hundred years. Let those alive then deal with it. I'm going to forget it exists.”

The doctor opened a panel on the device covering Nyk's arm. “There. I've switched off the neural block.”

“I have fingers again.”

“Try wiggling them... good.” Vonn unsnapped the sleeve and slipped it off. “Step over here -- I want to image your bones -- it looks very good. We have one last thing to deal with.”

“What's that?”

“Your injury destroyed your personal ID chip. I have a replacement.” He held up a clear cylinder containing what looked like a grain of rice. “Give me a moment and we'll implant it.”

“You're going to implant it in bone?”

“Oh, no -- we can in an infant, because the bone is still growing. In an adult, we must implant them subcutaneously.” He loaded the chip into an injector. “This may sting for a moment -- it's coated with healing salve, so any discomfort will be brief.” Nyk winced as Vonn drove the needle under his skin at the base of his palm. “There.”

Nyk stroked his wrist. “I can feel it.”

“Yes -- you'll have a bump there for the rest of your life, but you'll get used to it. This happens more frequently than you might imagine.”

“Really?”

Vonn stroked his own wrist. “I have a replacement ID. My original one was damaged by an electric discharge. Deliberate tampering with personal IDs is severely frowned upon. I had no trouble convincing Central Admin yours was an accident.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. No one in their right mind would intentionally inflict such an injury when the chips are so easy to kill through simpler means.” Vonn looked at Nyk's wrist. “Good as new -- not even a scar.”

“Thanks.” Nyk headed for the waiting area. Andra took his hand and walked with him to the groundcars.

Nyk stood on the second floor of the Residence. He saw a skimmer approaching from the west. The craft settled onto the ground outside the building. Nyk strained to read the insignia emblazoned on its side. It was neither the Food Service emblem nor the one for Internal Affairs. “Andra,” he called. “Were you expecting a skimmer?”

Andra rushed down the stairs and outside. Nyk saw the skimmer door open and a tall woman with oat-straw white hair emerged. Andra threw her arms around her and they kissed. A teen-aged girl descended the stairs holding hands with a young boy. The skimmer lifted off and headed toward Sudal as the entourage entered the house and climbed the stairs. “Nyk,” Andra said. “Look who's here!”

Nyk regarded their guest. She was wearing a Floran tunic and a light blue lifxarpa. Her white hair was down and reached past her shoulder blades. She had the same pale-blue eyes and fine features as Andra. His gaze fell upon the deep purple tattoo on her right deltoid. At the center was the Wygann family crest, incorporated into the larger design he had seen on the side of the skimmer -- the Lexal colonial emblem.

“We meet again,” she said.

“Princess...”

“Please, Nyk -- it's Janna.” She opened her arms and embraced him.

“Janna -- How are things on Lexal?”

“Things ... are returning to normal,” Janna replied.

“What brings you to Sudal?”

“Mykko and I are onworld for a High Legislature session on colonial security. My business is done, so I accepted Andra's invitation. Mykko must remain for more sessions. If he's involved they will be contentious ones.” She looked around the Residence. “This is such a lovely house. I enjoyed my stay here during Andra's convalescence.”

“How long will you be staying this time?” Nyk asked.

“Just the one night.”

“You're welcome any time you'd like.”

“Oh, I'm being so impolite.” Janna turned. “This is Sonita -- Mykkoin's nanny.” Sonita nudged the boy to step forward. “And you remember Mykkoin, don't you?”

Nyk knelt down. “I certainly do. Mykkoin -- would you like to take a walk on the beach with me? Maybe we'll find some sea shells.” The boy ducked behind his nanny.

Nyk climbed the rocks leading to the bluff with Mykkoin on his shoulders. Upon reaching the top he set the boy down and ran with him to the house. Janna met him at the door. “What did you find?” Mykkoin showed her some trivalve shells.

“He's a delightful child,” Nyk replied.

“You certainly look like a natural with him,” Andra said. Sonita took Mykkoin and led him to a low table for his dinner. “Nyk, would you mind it terribly if you and I didn't sleep together tonight?”

“Not at all. If you'd like to renew your friendship with Janna, please do.”

The Floran midnight sky dazzled overhead as Nyk lay stretched out on the sand in the bowl-shaped depression down the slope from the bluff. His eyes were fixed on the bright white star and its four dimmer companions. A meteor streaked overhead. He closed his eyes.

Someone's nudge awakened him. “Nykkyo ... Nykkyo...” He looked up.

“Andra?”

“It's Janna,” she said. “Come, it's time to go.”

“Go where?”

“To Earth. This is the real reason I've come to Sudal -- to take you to Earth in our diplomatic transport.”

Nyk sat up. “Of course.” In starlight he could see Janna was wearing a long, sleeveless gown. She was wearing her hair up, in a twist and a tiara sparkled on her head.

She handed him his Earth clothing. “Slip into these and come to the skimmer.”

“I must say goodbye to Andra.”

“No. You mustn't disturb her. I'll explain why -- once we're under way. We can drop you off outside Earth's heliopause. Andra thought you might have a way to the surface.”

“Well ... the shuttlecar! I have a shuttlecar parked by the sea research facility on the coast. I don't suppose your diplomatic vessel can accommodate it.”

“Our vessel is a converted tender shuttle,” she replied. “We bring our own skimmer. I'm sure we can make room in our cargo bay for your shuttlecar. Here, get dressed and we'll take you to fetch your craft. You can follow us to the Sudal shuttleport.”

Nyk slipped into jeans and shirt. He followed Janna to the skimmer. The pilot nodded to her as she climbed aboard. Sonita was seated and holding Mykkoin, asleep in her lap. The pilot shut the door, startling the boy. He reached for his mother and Janna took him. “Sit by the pilot,” she said. “You can direct us to the research facility.”

“Head south,” Nyk said. “Follow the access road.” The skimmer lifted off and hovered above the road surface. “Turn here and set down.”

He popped open the door and dashed to the shed. The shuttlecar came to life and he backed it onto the roadway. The skimmer lifted off and traveled a straight line toward the shuttleport. Nyk set the Z vector for lift and followed. A low power advisory flashed on the shuttlecar's control panel.

The skimmer banked and circled around the rear of the spaceport and Nyk saw the Lexalese craft parked on a corner of the polymer concrete apron. The clamshell door swung open and the skimmer slipped inside. Nyk set the shuttlecar down.

The pilot waved him in. He touched the unistick and the shuttle rolled forward, up an incline and into the cargo bay.

Janna approached him. “Come, sit with me in the cabin. Our pilot must make a preflight check. It'll be a short while before we can lift off.”

Nyk sank into an overstuffed seat, upholstered in blue velvet. He ran his hand along the fabric. Janna sat in a similar one, reached under to release a catch and swung to face him. “Why couldn't I say goodbye to Andra?” he asked.

“Andra has spent the entire evening in deep meditation. She's driving knowledge of what we're doing into the far corners of her mind.”

“Why?”

“For your protection -- and for hers. Knowledge is a dangerous commodity. If she's interrogated about your disappearance -- and she fully expects to be -- her memory of this event will be locked away where even truth drug can't reach it.”

“She can do that?”

“Anyone can do it -- who knows how. Few do. If she's questioned, she'll cooperate fully. She'll even volunteer for truth drug. If she receives the truth agent, she will relinquish her mind to it readily.”

“And, she'll truthfully say she doesn't know.” He looked into her eyes. “Is this something you're taught at the academy?”

“Yes -- although the academy will deny it. When you find yourself in a position to contact her, tell her you're safe. Don't tell her how you got there. She is even erasing her knowledge of my visit today.” Janna handed him a green polycard. “This is my personal locator code. The day may come to uncover the secrets she's burying. When it does, call me -- and I'll unlock her memory.”

“Won't you tell me how?”

Janna smiled. “That, Nyk, is a secret academy sisters share with no one.”

“I hope you or your husband won't feel consequences for what you're about to do.”

“You are now on Lexalese soil. Should Floran authorities insist on bringing charges -- they would need to extradite you first.”

“Can't they trace your flight ... or Andra's calls?”

“This is the advantage of being on