Starship Fall

Nine

We reached Dar just after midday. If the Ashentay were surprised at the appearance of a second set of humans within a week, they gave no sign. A posse of tiny children crowded the bison as I braked on the outskirts of the village. We climbed down and approached the few adults who had bothered to emerge from their huts at the sound of the vehicle’s engine.

The emaciated elder, Jyrik, faced us and spoke in his language. I was about to gesture, helplessly, that I could not understand.

Then, to my astonishment, Carlotta stepped froward and spoke in halting Ashentay.

I stared at her when she’d finished. She smiled. “Not just a pretty face, David. I’ve been teaching myself the language for months.”

The elder replied, and seconds later the slim, lithe guide called Qah appeared at his side.

Carlotta inclined her head and spoke her thanks.

We returned to the bison and I gunned the engine, heading away from the village towards the flattened jungle where the first bison had broadened the path. Qah sat behind us, leaning through the gap in the front seats and speaking to Carlotta. When Carlotta failed to reply, or spoke only the occasional monosyllable, Qah gave up.

I glanced at Carlotta. She seemed withdrawn now that we were so close to the sacred cavern, almost nervous. She leaned forward, staring ahead at the tangled undergrowth, and I wondered if she were thinking back to the time her lover Ed Grainger had found himself in the jungle of Chalcedony… Jealousy burned in my gut like bile.

I said, to provoke a response from her, “We drove the bison for a couple of hours last time, Carlotta. When we couldn’t go any further, we walked the rest of the way. That took about another two hours.”

I glanced at her, but she only nodded minimally.

“I must say it was hard going, in the humidity and all…”

“Yes,” she said abstractedly, “I guess it must have been.”

I turned my attention to forcing the bison over the uneven terrain. The fact that we were following the track originally laid down by the first bison made the job a little easier, but I was no expert at off-road driving. We stalled often and once, stupidly, I even found I’d taken a wrong turning. Qah soon put me right, calling out in her breathy language and pointing out the correct way.

Three hours later the bison stalled again, butting up against the fallen tree trunk that had impeded the first bison. Qah said something to Carlotta.

“This is the end of the road. We walk from here.”

We climbed from the cab and I shouldered my rucksack, which contained food and water. In Carlotta’s was the religious relic, well packed. Qah skipped off like a gazelle and we did our best to follow. Thankfully, Carlotta was dressed for the occasion in slacks, blouse and sturdy boots. If anything, the casual, androgynous apparel emphasised her glamour. She looked like the female lead in some low-budget jungle adventure holo.

I found the trek just as hard going this time around. To my surprise◦– call it overweening male pride, if you will◦– Carlotta forged ahead in Qah’s wake, and they had to stop from time to time and wait for me to catch them up. I was relieved to see that Carlotta didn’t resent the delay I was causing; she had her water canister awaiting me, and even kissed my forehead with a tolerant smile.

A couple of hours later we came to the clearing before the waterfall, and Carlotta stopped and stood, legs planted astride, fists on hips: against the silver fall of water she cut a magnificent figure.

“I never thought I’d see the day…” she began, clearly overcome.

She turned to Qah and spoke Ashentay.

The girl replied.

“What?” I asked.

Carlotta said, “I told her I had something, a gift for the elder in the sacred cavern.” So saying, she unshouldered her rucksack and carefully eased out the wrapped statuette. She pulled off the foam packing, and Qah just stared with massive eyes. She said something, and reached out to touch the figure.

Then she looked at Carlotta, made a quick hand gesture and hurried off across the clearing. Seconds later she vanished behind the sheer waterfall.

Carlotta returned the relic to her rucksack, then strode off a little way, staring into the distance. I sensed that she wanted some time alone to contemplate the past, and the immediate future.

Selfishly, I looked ahead to when she had accomplished what she had come here to do, when she could close the book on this chapter of her life and look ahead.

I sat beside my rucksack, took out the water and drank while admiring the spectacular view, the jungle-cloaked mountains and the Ring of Tharssos arcing overhead. The scene was so exquisitely alien that my human emotions◦– my feelings for Carlotta, and my jealousy◦– seemed puny by comparison, insignificant and unworthy of the setting.

When I next glanced at Carlotta, I saw that she had removed herself even further from me and was smoking a cigarette. I found this surprising, as she’d never smoked before in my presence. The fool in me ascribed it to nerves◦– and then I caught of whiff of the smoke on the warm breeze.

In retrospect, I think she wanted me to learn the truth so that I might find more acceptable what she had to tell me.

She turned to me and stared.

I stood. “Carlotta…?”

I approached her, warily. I gestured, lamely, at the half-smoked cigarette. “The drug,” I murmured.

She smiled, almost sadly, and nodded.

I could only say, “But I thought…” I began. “I thought Grainger used up all his supply.”

“I took a little more than I originally told you, David. Not much, but now–”

My heart fluttered. “I don’t understand,” I said, and I meant it. I was confused, and a little frightened. I recalled her avowal that she had used the drug but twice: she had lied to me, and if she had lied once…

How much of our relationship, I asked myself, was founded on lies?

“Carlotta?” I almost pleaded.

“David,” she said in a reasonable tone, “you must understand what it’s like, to see the future, or what might be the future, to be granted a glimpse… It◦– it becomes addictive, not biologically, but psychologically. Just one more hit, you say, hoping that the next time the visions will be that much clearer, easier to interpret. So you do it again, and again, and again… and by that time you’re habituated, and you can’t stop.”

“You could have told me,” I said.

She shook her head. “I… I didn’t want you to think that my attraction to you might have been my merely following some predestination laid down in a vision.”

That rocked me. I felt a strange heat rise up my chest and engulf my head. “And was it?” I managed.

“I… I don’t think so, David. I looked into the future, and I saw us together, but what I felt when I met you… what I feel for you now… that can’t be denied, David.”

I said, “The drug. The relic. All this is about getting at the real drug, isn’t it?”

She hesitated, looking at me. I thought I saw calculation on her massive Indian eyes, and I understood only later what she was in fact calculating. She said, “I want to see the future even more clearly,” she murmured.

I wanted to ask her, “And then? When will it stop?” but I resisted the impulse. I thought back to my very first meeting with Carlotta Chakravorti-Luna, and I realised that she’d artfully arranged it, set up the tableau outside the Mantis as carefully as any pre-scripted holo-movie…

And I felt sick.

Before I might react, break down and yell at her, accuse her of lies and deceit, Qah emerged from behind the waterfall and ran across to us. She spoke to Carlotta, who turned to me.

“I’m going, David. You can stay here if you want, or if you’d rather come with me…”

I wanted to be strong enough to turn away and walk off, but the truth was that I cared for Carlotta too much to leave her to her fate.

She turned and followed Qah into the caverns, and I hurried after them.

We descended, Carlotta and Qah moving swiftly ahead of me while I, exhausted from the trek so far, failed to keep up. By the time I arrived at the cavern, Carlotta had reached the long-house and paused, something in her poise almost reminiscent of a worshipper at the altar of a cathedral. The tall elder, hidden behind his ornate face-mask, stood in the entrance of the long-house and stared down at her.

Slowly, Carlotta unwrapped the relic and held it up to the elder in both hands. He nodded, once, gravely, and she spoke to him.

I arrived behind her, and stopped. Qah was staring at Carlotta, her eyes wide, and beside her were the four Ashentay bearers, staring also.

Slowly Carlotta turned to me. A look of infinite pity filled her eyes as she said, “David, I must do this. I hope you understand. I… I must learn where my destiny lies…”

“Carlotta,” I said. “We could be so…” but I could say no more.

She smiled and said, “Thank you, David,” and turned and walked up the ramp towards the elder. She paused before him, and they looked at each other for what seemed like an age, and then he inclined his masked head and she passed into the shadow of the long-house. The elder gazed down at me, then turned and followed.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. Qah. She gestured to a seat◦– a shelf recessed into the wall of the cavern and padded with grass◦– and I crossed to the wall and slumped down.

I must have slept. I was startled a while later by the chime of my wrist-com. I sat up, fumbled with the device and stared at the tiny screen.

Maddie frowned out at me. “David, I thought you’d never answer! Are you in the cavern?” The picture sizzled, broke up. The reception was bad, this far underground.

“Yes,” I answered, confused. “What’s wrong?”

“We’re on our way–” She went on, but static masked her words.

“Maddie?”

“Kee contacted us… explained what was happening. She was distraught. Apparently Hawk overheard her talking to you. When he found out that Carlotta was going to the cavern with you… he told Kee that he had to follow her. He told her that he suspected something–”

“Suspected?” I said.

“Kee didn’t say what.”

I shook my head. “I don’t see…” I began, befuddled by the surreal exchange.

“I don’t understand either,” Maddie said. “Anyway, Hawk’s heading your way in a bison. We’re following with Kee.” She stared out at me. “Where’s Carlotta?”

I told her.

“Oh, Christ, David. Listen, we’ll soon be with you–” The picture broke up and Maddie vanished. I tried to return the call, but to no avail.

I lay down, staring at the roof of the cavern, at the dancing shadows cast by the bonfires. I thought through what had happened so far, what was happening now◦– and the fact that Hawk was making his way here. I considered what Kee had told me, and my rationality reeled.

Later, perhaps an hour later, a combination of exhaustion and the heat down there conspired to send me to sleep, and I have no idea how long I was out… Hours, at least, for I awoke to see Hawk striding into the sacred cavern followed by a host of concerned Ashentay, like children milling at the legs of a giant.

He stood just inside the threshold and stared at the long-house.

I stumbled to my feet and waved at him.

He glanced across the chamber at me, then back to the long-house. His expression was an odd combination of fear and awe, and only later did I come to understand why.

I rubbed my eyes and stumbled towards him; he strode past me, intent on the long-house. He was muttering something under his breath, like a man deranged, and I thought I caught, “Surely… surely not, after so long?”

He stopped at the foot of the ramp, staring up, and called out, “Is it really you in there?”

Blood pounded in my head, misting my vision. I stared at the long-house and saw the tall figure of the elder emerge. He stood at the top of the ramp, staring down at Hawk.

“Hawksworth,” said the being behind the mask.

“You were always one for the grand gesture,” Hawk said, “the theatrics. Well, you’ve had your time–”

The elder reached up and removed the ornate face-mask that covered his head, and I saw that he was not an Ashentay at all, but a human, a balding, long-faced man in his late fifties.

He stared down at Hawk with bright blue eyes and said, “I’ve found my place at last, Hawksworth. I know where I belong.”

Hawk sneered. “A bolt hole, a hiding place.”

“No, Hawksworth,” Grainger said with what seemed like infinite patience, “my rightful place in the universe, providing a service to a wise race.”

“That’s all over, Grainger, You’ve had your period of reprieve. I’ve come for you…”

Grainger laughed. “Hawksworth, listen to me. You fail. You don’t leave here with me. I know. You see, I’ve seen how things work out, I’ve looked upon my destiny.”

“Your destiny,” Hawk said, “is that you’re going to pay for what you did to me back then…” He stopped as Grainger stepped forward and came down the ramp. I thought at first that, despite his fine words, Grainger was about to give himself up. I should have known, though; I should have recalled what Kee had said she had seen in her vision, but the truth was that Kee’s warning was the last thing on my mind as I watched the drama unfold.

Grainger came to the foot of the ramp and faced Hawk, two big men confronting each other as everyone else, the stretcher-bearers and the other Ashentay and myself, looked on. Then Hawk moved, as if to reach out and take Grainger’s arm◦– and Grainger’s reaction was lightning fast. In a swift underarm gesture he stabbed his ceremonial spear up and into Hawk’s midriff. Even across the cavern I heard the bloody squelch as the blade tore through muscle. Hawk stared down as if in disbelief at the shaft protruding from his diaphragm, then fell to his knees.

The Ashentay moved; they surrounded Grainger and bundled him away, unprotesting, to whatever justice the aliens meted out for such crimes, and I ran to Hawk and held him. The spear had lanced through his stomach and ripped through his back; I judged that it had missed his spine by a fraction, and this was confirmed when Hawk gasped, “David, help me to my feet…”

I held him, eased him up, and took his weight. Blood spread across the front of his jacket, which acted as a sponge. I looped an arm around his back and attempted to half-carry him from the cavern. I felt the thick syrupy ooze of it across my forearm. His breath came in spasms, and from time to time he cried out in pain.

We stumbled through the narrow tunnel, just wide enough to allow me to remain by Hawk’s side, holding him and urging him on. I was exhausted, and Hawk had lost God knows how much blood, and I could only imagine the pain he was obviously suffering◦– but he was a strong man and he dragged himself up the chiselled steps with a fierce determination, as if to defy Grainger’s best attempts to kill him, and Kee’s terrible foretelling of the future.

I was too taken up by the events of the moment to consider Kee’s vision and what this might mean. Only later, in the long days back in Magenta Bay, could I reflect on all that had happened and ponder the philosophical implications of Hawk’s succumbing to his lover’s prophecy.

Ten minutes later we emerged from behind the waterfall into blazing sunlight. Delta Pavonis was lifting itself over the mountains, and I realised that I had spent all night and much of the morning deep underground.

My plan was to take Hawk back through the jungle to the bison, which was equipped with emergency medical supplies◦– but in the event, thankfully, I was saved that gruelling journey.

I heard a sudden scream, and looked up to see Kee sprinting across the clearing, closely followed by Matt and Maddie. Kee was carrying something◦– a medi-kit, I realised: forewarned by her vision◦– and her face as she stared at Hawk, at the monstrous weapon that skewered him, was a mask of anguish.

Hawk fell to his knees. Matt was already tearing open the medi-case and withdrawing a hypoject of painkiller. He pumped it into Hawk’s thigh, followed by an coagulant, then eased Hawk onto his side on the grass.

Maddie was a few metres away, speaking urgently into her wrist-com. She returned to us. “I’ve alerted the air-medics in MacIntyre. They’ll be here within the hour.”

Kee sat beside Hawk and gripped his hand and sobbed as he lapsed in an out of consciousness. “I’m sorry, Hawk,” she murmured. “I’m so sorry!”

At least, I saw, the wound had ceased bleeding. I looked enquiringly at Matt, who said, “I don’t know. Touch and go. Hawk’s a tough old bastard. If anyone can make it…”

Maddie said, “Carlotta…?”

I shook my head. “She… she entered the long-house,” was all I could bring myself to say.

Maddie held my hand. “David, there’s nothing you can do here. Go back to her, be there when she comes out, okay?”

“Are you sure?”

I was torn between waiting until the medics had assessed Hawk, and being there when Carlotta emerged from the long-house so that I could question her… I had so much I wanted to ask.

I nodded. “I’ll go.” I glanced at Hawk. He was unconscious, which eased my guilt at fleeing.

I hurried back to the waterfall and made the long descent. Here and there I saw slicks of Hawk’s spilled blood, black in the pale fungal light.

I came to the sacred cavern; only the stretcher-bearers were apparent, sitting off to one side of the long-house. A part of me expected to see Carlotta there, dazed after her session with the alien drug. I wondered, then, at how I might receive her, and her me.

The future was uncertain. I knew what I felt for the woman, but I feared learning that she felt nothing at all for me. More than anything I wanted to know if she had used me as no more than a puppet on the strings of pre-destination, if her apparent love for me had been no more than an act.

I sat cross-legged at the foot of the ramp, hung my head and waited. An age seemed to elapse. I drifted, catching myself with a start again and again as I almost fell asleep. I looked ahead, and saw Carlotta and myself together and happy in Magenta Bay, and I looked ahead and saw myself alone… I told myself that some residual smoke of the burning bones was seeping from the long-house, imbuing me with diluted visions of possible futures, but the fact was my fevered mind was producing these scenarios without the aid of any alien stimulant.

I looked up. There was movement in the entrance of the long-house. An elder, Grainger’s replacement, a slight figure upon whom the face-mask seemed disproportionately large, appeared on the threshold, then stood to one side and thumped his spear.

From nowhere Qah appeared at my side, and touched my shoulder. I tried to read the expression in her big eyes, but could not. She gestured towards the entrance to the long-house, and I looked up. The stretcher-bearers emerged, moving with circumspection as they carried the laden stretcher down the ramp. I glimpsed a fall of midnight hair.

And I knew then that all my questions, all my doubts, would never be answered.