Темное, кривое зеркало. Том 3 : След на песке

Susan Ivanova began to stir from her torpor, the instructions in her mind becoming clear again.

'The Shadows are coming. The Shadows are coming.'

A part of her that had been lost for so long began to return. She knew what must be done, and what part she would play in it.

'The Shadows are coming.'

Chapter 6

There were times, he knew, when every soldier thought about death. How it would come, where, when, what would he have done just before? Would he have remembered to say goodbye, or would the thought simply have slipped his mind?

Captain Dexter Smith found himself wondering who there was he could have said goodbye to. Other than his crew there was no one, and his crew was here with him. They knew the situation as well as he did. They knew how his haste and foolishness had betrayed them all and brought them to this. Brought them to their deaths.

He had managed to save the other ships though. That was something. The Morningstar and the Marten had gone, the energy from their jump points just fading. Smith stood alone, staring out at the ranks of his enemies — the Parmenion and the Starkiller, the Drazi ships, the station itself, and whoever now ruled supreme on the planet below.

He wanted to say that he was sorry, but the words would not come, and he was not sure if anyone would listen. He found himself thinking, almost absurdly, of Lieutenant Stoner. He had always believed he would see her again one day. An absurd notion. She had betrayed him after all, him and every one on board this ship. Still, he had wanted to see her.

'What's their status?' he asked Franklin. Franklin had been on this ship longer than Smith himself had. He had been here in the days of Sheridan, whose ghost hovered even nearer than it had before.

'They're not attacking. The Parmenion is approaching slowly with gun ports open, but they do not seem to be powering up. The other ships are holding back. There's no sign of any further activity from the planet.'

Smith nodded, sitting back. Sheridan then. Fitting enough that he'd want to end this.

'A message is coming through, Captain,' said Franklin. 'It's…. it's from Captain Sheridan.'

Smith's mouth felt very dry. 'Put…. put him on.' He closed his eyes, and pressed his hands together as if in prayer.

'This is Captain Sheridan of the EAS Parmenion, to the Babylon and its captain. You are alone and outnumbered. Surrender now, and we will spare you.'

'This is Captain Dexter Smith of the Babylon. I demand an amnesty for my crew.' It seemed so easy to say it now. It was simply what had to be done. He had got his crew into this, and now he would have to get them out. 'A complete amnesty and the right to return to Proxima Three unharmed.'

'You're in no position to make any demands at all, Captain.'

'Nevertheless, those are my conditions. Such an amnesty would not extend to myself of course. I…. I will agree to stand trial and submit to whatever fate you see fit so long as my crew are permitted to leave.'

'Captain!' breathed Franklin, but Smith silenced him. There really was no other option.

'I see,' said Sheridan. 'Well then, Captain, I cannot promise to accept your offer, but I will speak on your behalf to others. You have my word on that.'

'Well then. It seems that is all I can ask for. The Babylon stands down.'

'Prepare to be boarded, and we will escort you to Babylon Four.'

Smith nodded and began to give the necessary orders. His bridge crew carried them out in stunned silence. He did not look at them as they did so. He could not bear to see their faces, knowing his fate to come.

* * *

Some words, once spoken, can never be taken back. Some offers, once made, can never be withdrawn. Michael Garibaldi, staring at the scenes of carnage before him, knew that he had made just such an offer.

'You want someone to go in that thing? I'll do it.'

There was silence as he looked at the few people still alive and conscious in the room. G'Kar, the Narn who had previously occupied the Heart of the Great Machine, was leaning heavily against his servant Ta'Lon, who was himself covered with blood. The mass of torn tissue around Ta'Lon's eye seemed a mark of his inner strength. Dr. Kirkish, her face pale, was swallowing harshly, trying to speak perhaps, but unable to do so.

The first to speak was in fact none of those, but a strange, clicking voice just out of sight. 'Yes. Good good. Enter. Hurry. We be having very little of time. Well, what Zathras mean to say is that time is, infinite of course. Hah yes, infinite. Everyone knows that. Zathras knows that. But…. ah…. Zathras forget what he be saying. Ah, cannot have been important.'

'Zathras,' G'Kar breathed. 'I thought that she…. We…. thought….' He coughed.

'You be thinking Zathras being dead. Ah no. Zathras not as easy to kill as some think. Zathras is hiding. Zathras be hiding himself when nasty telepath woman was distracted, yes. Zathras very smart. Yes. Well, no. Ah, does not matter. Zathras know just what to do.'

'Where are you?' G'Kar asked.

There was a motion from within the cryogenic storage box that had brought Susan Ivanova down to the planet. The box was shaking a little, and there was a sound of banging from within. Finally the lid slid back and a small, rodent-like alien scurried free. Garibaldi had met Zathras before, several times, always assuming this was the same Zathras of course.

'See. Zathras know when hide. Is why Zathras still alive.' He looked up at the empty Heart, and then at the body on the floor next to it. 'Yes. Is not good to leave Machine empty for too long. Bad things happen then. Very bad things. Much badness. Great deal of badness will happen.'

'Yeah, yeah,' Garibaldi said. 'We get the idea. Look, G'Kar, you can't get in there at the moment, right.'

The Narn tried to rise, but was quite unable to get to his feet. 'No, he cannot,' said Ta'Lon. 'The Machine requires…. great strength, which unfortunately neither the Ha'Cormar'ah nor I can manage at the moment.'

'So let me do it. Look, someone's got to take over that thing, and we've no idea what things are like up on the station.'

'But…. Michael,' Mary said at last. 'What about Lianna? What would she say if she were here?'

'Oh, look, it's not going to be forever. I'll…. do what I have to for the moment, wait for G'Kar to get better, and then I'll hand it back to him. No problem. Besides…. sometimes, I've just…. got to do what's right. I hope my son understands that one day. You've got to do what's right.

'Anyway, there's nothing to worry about. I won't need to be in there forever. You'll be able to take it back later, won't you, G'Kar?'

The Narn bowed his head. 'Yes,' he said softly.

'Good. Is decided. Hurry hurry.'

Garibaldi nodded and stepped forward, looking down at Donne's body uncomfortably. 'Uh…. it won't do to me what it did to her, will it?'

'No no,' Zathras said. 'She…. very bad person. Use Machine wrongly. Machine not like that. You use Machine well, Machine like you.'

'Okay…. what do I do?'

'Step…. inside,' G'Kar coughed. 'Open your mind to it…. let it…. instruct you.'

'Uh…. all right.' He stepped inside and felt a great warmth embrace him. He reached up with his arms and tried to open his mind, as G'Kar had instructed. As he did so, he caught Mary's eyes. They were angry and accusing, but above all, resigned.

'Are you sure it's working? Nothing seems to be….' His mind filled with light.

'Whoa!'

* * *