The Dark Between The Stars

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE
ORLI COVITZ

After Tom Rom’s ship flew away, DD went back outside to finish his work on the Proud Mary’s damaged engines. The little compy was determined to accomplish his task and fly away from the asteroid field before Orli died.

She curled up in her bunk with the intercom on because DD kept up a polite and friendly conversation, chatting about which components he was replacing and how many more hours he thought it would take. She could barely respond, drifting in and out of sleep, but it was a comfort just to hear his voice and know he was there.

Even before her symptoms began, Orli had studied the records of the Onthos disease. She knew exactly how her body would break down, and now she followed each stage like a grim blueprint. But she didn’t need those records to tell her when she was in the final phase—she could figure that much from the crushing weight of pain throughout her nerves, her head, her thoughts.

Her memories became tinged with delirious echoes, but she tried to hold on. Orli Covitz did not give up.

The vibration of the ship and the rumble of engines penetrated her dream, and she felt the Proud Mary lurch away from the crater floor and up into space. She fought her way to consciousness to see DD at the piloting controls. He looked very small sitting in the worn cockpit seat designed for Mary Coven. He could barely reach the controls.

Seeing her awake, he said, “I’m sorry I disturbed you, Orli.”

She eased herself into a sitting position on the bunk, then struggled to her feet. “That’s all right, DD.” When she reached the cockpit, she grasped the back of the pilot chair to keep her balance. “You fixed everything by yourself.”

“I was aware of your wishes. I wasn’t able to restore the Proud Mary to its full pristine capabilities, but it should be sufficient to take us to a place where we can transmit our data.”

“Where is the closest inhabited settlement?” Orli asked. And will we make it there before I die?

“I am not precisely certain. I set course for a nearby star system, even though our records don’t indicate any human or Ildiran colonies there.” He paused. “But it is the only place we can reach within the appropriate time frame.”

“All right, let’s have a look then.”

The compy swiveled out of the pilot chair so that Orli could take his place. “If we don’t find a settlement there, you know what to do.”

“Yes, Orli, I know what to do.”

Even if she died, DD would fly the Proud Mary to a known human outpost, transmit the priceless records, and then like the brave compies that had disrupted the reactors of the Onthos city, DD would detonate the ship to erase any last sign of the virus.

“I’m glad you’re here, DD,” she said.

“My duty has always been to serve, to provide companionship and guidance when possible. I have had several extremely kind masters, but I think you were the best.”

Orli’s eyes filled with tears.

As the Proud Mary flew on, she tried to decide whether she regretted where she was. She could have stayed on Relleker, tended the orphan compies that came in… or she could have traveled to the Ikbir colony with LU, MO, and her other compies. Matthew could have been with Orli in her last days, out of some sort of guilt or obligation, but that would not have been more comforting to her. She could have had a long uneventful life if she hadn’t bothered to do anything. She had wanted more adventures… but this one had a tragic ending.

They reached the next solar system with a bright white star and no interesting planets, according to the star atlas. As they cruised in, DD studied the sensor readings for any sign of habitation or activity, scanned the territory around the sun—and was surprised to spot energy readings. “Orli, there appears to be an industrial outpost on the outskirts of the system. It’s far outside any planetary orbit, but is moving down toward the star.”

Orli shook her head and had to think about what he said. “A human outpost?”

“It appears so. I picked up communications transmissions, and they are speaking trade standard.”

“That’ll have to do. Adjust course. Let’s fly close enough to introduce ourselves.”

The Proud Mary arrived among ships, habitation modules, storage tanks, pumping stations—and a cluster of strange inflated sacks that drifted through space.

“From markings on the structures, this appears to be an outpost of Iswander Industries,” DD said.

“As long as they’re willing to receive our information, I don’t care who they are.” She adjusted course, shut down the engines, and used reverse thrusters to slow the ship as she drifted to the perimeter of the industrial operations.

“Three ships are approaching us, Orli. We have been detected. They are asking us to identify ourselves.”

They didn’t look like military ships. Orli couldn’t tell if they even had weapons. Her fingers shook as she remembered how Tom Rom had stalked and attacked her. She fumbled with the comm controls before finally managing to activate the system. “This is Proud Mary, under quarantine. We are a plague ship, and I’m dying from an alien disease. Please do not approach.”

The security ships hesitated, circling her vessel. “We have limited medical facilities, Proud Mary. We certainly don’t have the capability for full quarantine.”

“Not asking for that.” She hardened her voice. “But if you don’t back off, I’m prepared to destroy my ship rather than let you come aboard.”

She glanced at the little compy. DD gave a silent nod. This time, they had prepared for an easy initiation of the self-destruct sequence.

The pause was long enough that she guessed there must have been an intense discussion on secure channels, and no small amount of consternation. The three Iswander Security ships backed off and held their position. “What is your intention, Proud Mary? What do you need?”

Orli took a deep breath. “I need to transmit a database of vital information—scientific, archaeological, anthropological, and medical data. I also have final messages for a few friends.” Her voice hitched. “I need your promise that they’ll be delivered.”

She stared at the screen and knew she must look haggard, her eyes red, her skin covered with dark blotches. “And then I just need to be left alone so I can die in peace.”