Echo

FORTY-FOUR

Salyeva’s link remained silent. Turam put together a diving team, but they reported that the lander’s hatch couldn’t be opened and that they could find no way into the vehicle. As far as I know, she and her Viper are still at the bottom of the river.

We never found Rikki. There was a memorial tribute to her the following evening. It was odd: I’d known her only a very short time, but when they said that they’d asked her to go with Alex because she was so much like me, I wanted to believe it was true.

I don’t think they blamed us. Nevertheless, a distance opened between us and our hosts. For the first time since we’d arrived at the compound, I felt like an outsider. An alien. “They lost one of their own,” Alex said later. “And I think the technology scared them, as well. They didn’t realize the kind of weaponry we have.”

“We told them—”

“Hearing about it is not like seeing it. And seeing what kind of trouble it can bring.”

The night after the memorial, Viscenda called a meeting in the dining hall. “For everybody.”

When we got there, the place was already overflowing into the passageways. We picked out a spot where we could probably hear, if not see, what was going on. We sat down, Viscenda and Turam entered from a side door, and she walked over to the lectern. She had to rap for quiet. When she got it, she said hello, looked around, and asked whether we were there somewhere.

People looked our way. A few stood so she could see us, and she asked us to come forward and take seats at the head table.

When we’d gotten to our places, she welcomed everyone. “I think we can be proud of how we came through that experience yesterday,” she said. “Nobody comes here and threatens us or our friends.” That got the entire audience on their feet. “I’d especially like to offer my appreciation to Turam and his team, to Alex and Chase, and especially to Rikki Brant, who sacrificed everything for us.”

She invited Turam to say a few words. He advanced to the lectern, said how proud he was of his people, and turned the floor back to Viscenda.

“We think,” she said, “that the issue is settled. But as a precaution, we’ve posted an enhanced security detail to ensure we don’t get taken by surprise.

“Also, I’m pleased to report that there were no other casualties, which is remarkable considering the nature of the threat we were facing. If I’ve missed anyone, if anyone else was injured, please see Aleska or Dr. Seepah. Both will be in my office when we finish here.

“By now, we’re all familiar with the talking jewelry belonging to Chase and Alex. Chase, I wonder if you’d be good enough to bring your bracelet up here so I can show everyone what it looks like? In case they haven’t seen it.”

I was surprised. I took the bracelet up and handed it to Viscenda. “Thanks, Chase,” she said. She held it up. A few people applauded.

“We’ve discovered,” she continued, “that not everyone is as friendly in that other world, wherever it is, as Chase and Alex. And it occurred to us last night that it might be dangerous to let them know where we live. Without this”—she looked at me and lifted the link higher—“people from your world would have no easy way to find us. In fact, it seems we’d all be safer if this one piece of jewelry simply got lost.” Her voice became quietly menacing. Her fingers closed over the link. She was gazing at me, and she couldn’t have missed the look on my face. Then she broke into a smile. “Just kidding.” She opened her hand and gave it back.

The audience, after a moment’s uncomfortable silence, broke into laughter. I didn’t think it was funny, but I smiled politely and sat back down.

“You all know Alex Benedict, who, with Chase, has been with us through this ordeal. He’s asked if he could speak with us about yesterday’s events. Alex?”

They applauded as he made his way to the lectern. When the room quieted, he thanked them. “I won’t keep you long,” he said. He paid tribute to Rikki. Then: “I just wanted you to know that Chase and I appreciate everything you’ve done for us. Viscenda could have pushed us out the front door, offered us as a sacrifice to the woman in the lander, who wanted only to kill us. It would have been the safest thing for her to do. Instead, she, and you, risked everything for us. I wanted to say thanks. And I want you to know we will never forget.”

He invited me back to the lectern, and I simply repeated the sentiments. When someone asked why “that woman” wanted us dead, Alex replied with the truth. “Might as well tell you,” he said. “You’re going to find out eventually.”

In a somber, pained tone, he laid it out, explaining that he might be wrong on some of the details, but here is what we think: You may already have heard a rumor that we are connected to the Dark Times. There may be some truth to it. If so, it was through a misjudgment, and certainly with no intent to cause harm. I have no detailed explanation because I simply don’t know precisely what happened, but we were here, in this planetary system, when the catastrophe occurred.

“I know,” he said, “that if it’s true that we, in any way, allowed the event to happen, or possibly even caused it, there is nothing I can say that will excuse that. The critical thing for the moment is to be aware that we will do all in our power to assist you as you have assisted us.”

A few went up and shook his hand. A few, probably unsure what he’d implied, remained in their seats. Most simply filed out of the hall.

When it was finally over, he embraced me. “How you doing?” he said.

“Okay.” I don’t know if I’d ever had more respect for the guy. “You didn’t have to say anything.”

“They were going to find out eventually. Best for it to happen now. I didn’t want them to remember us later as having lied to them.”

“You did good.”

A middle-aged couple told us that Rikki was their daughter and how proud they were of her.

Other people came our way, staring at us. “Were you saying you killed everybody?” a woman asked. “An entire world?”

And an old man with tears in his eyes: “What were you trying to do tonight? Just say you’re sorry and walk away?”

And a young woman, probably no more than twenty: “You two,” she said, “are pathetic.”

Then Viscenda was there. “Keep in mind,” she said, “that Alex and Chase didn’t do it. No more than you did.”

Although it was just after noon, Alex and I were both asleep when the call came in. “Belle-Marie, this is StarCorps. Please respond.” Belle, of course, wasn’t functioning.

I used the link to open a channel. “StarCorps, this is Chase Kolpath. Do you read me?”

Static.

Then: “Belle-Marie, are you there?”

They were too far out. We needed Belle to relay the signal.

As things turned out, Audree and Robin, riding a leased vehicle with a rented pilot and a friend of Robin’s who happened to be an MD, got there first. They were, they said, glad to see us.

That night, Viscenda threw a party for everybody.