I quickly sealed up my gear in the lockers and headed up toward the control decks. As Brian Thorne I would have been invited to the bridge during takeoff, but as Braddock the best I could wangle was permission to be in a pressurized observation blister as we set sail for the planet of the God of War.
Earth was below, all blue and white and beautiful, as familiar an unfamiliar sight as anyone on Earth has seen. A thousand films, ten thousand newscasts, have shown us ourselves, Spaceship Earth, in orbit around a minor star. The diminishing crescent of the Home Planet was as often seen as any vidstar. I remembered seeing it “live and direct” from the torchship
The intercom announced the impending firing of the torch and I checked my safety belt, although I knew the ship’s movement would be barely discernible at first. We would gradually increase speed until Turnover, then “back down” to Mars orbit.
There was the faintest of tremors and then, very slowly, the crescent of Earth slid to one side of the port, and we were starting into the long curve to the fourth planet.
I stayed in the blister until they called dinner and with a sigh I unbuckled myself and cycled through the lock. I grabbed the guideline and arrowed down to the ship’s lock.
I was smiling and I couldn’t help feeling the repetitive thrill of the threshold of adventure. I was going to Mars! I was a kid skipping school, an AWOL soldier, a felon out of prison. I felt much younger, an adventurer on his way!
Brian Thorne on Mars.
Brian Thorne versus the Queen of Deneb.
Brian Thorne and the Space Pirates of Medusa IV.
I entered the mess hall with a smile on my face. I started automatically toward the Captain’s table before I saw Pelf’s wave. Then I remembered that the pecking order was quickly established on a ship, whether in space or on the water. The Important Ones, relatively speaking, were at the Captain’s table the first night out. Everyone, or almost everyone, would make it sometime, but that first night or two would set the social order in cement. Diego Braddock was not invited tonight.
As I slid into my seat I was brought up to date by Our Genial Host, Franklin R. Pelf. He introduced me to the two Marines, to Quam Lem, an administrator going to the People’s Republic base at Polecanal, to a biologist and to an ecologist destined for the new colony at Northaxe.
But my eyes were on the Captain’s table. The Marine commander, an Ares Center politico, the owner of the Enyo and Eris mines near Northaxe, and the two doctors were just background, just spear carriers as far as I was concerned.
All I saw was the woman.
“Who’s that?” I interrupted Pelf’s calculatedly charming approach to the placid Quam Lem. He turned to me with irritation, quickly disguised. He followed my eyes to the only possible target. He smiled. It was a lizard’s smile. “Nice, huh?”
“Never mind the editorial. Who is she?”
“Nova Sunstrum.”
I tore my eyes away and looked at him. “But she looks oriental, or some sort of mixture.”
“She is. Her father practically owns Bradbury, and her mother was one of the first colonists the People’s Republic sent out to Polecanal.” His lizard’s grin grew intimate. “Would you like an introduction?”
I closed the armored leaves of my ego around me once again. The
“It’s a long voyage,” I said, digging into my salad. “I imagine I’ll run into her.”
Pelf grinned at me and murmured, “I’m certain you will,” and returned to his conversation with Quam Lem.
I didn’t look over at her again. Our eyes had met as I entered and she had been calmly expressionless, apparently listening to the politician next to her, the one with the polished charm. The contact had broken as I sat down.
Beautiful women, I’m happy to say, are not that novel in my life. Keeping them
