Aurora Saga 2 Immortality for Life (23 page)

The Antrolo transport scanners indicate that there are no ships in the area,
Kalrea thought.
Hopefully travelling in an arc, instead of directly to Trafth, will prevent them from finding us again, even though it means another day added to our journey time.

Supora stirred from her sleep. She yawned and then rubbed her eyes.

Ah, she’s finally waking up.

‘How long was I asleep?’ Supora asked.

‘Just over three day, five hours.’

‘
Three days!
Tell me you haven’t been sitting there for three days?’

Kalrea smiled, and then said, ‘I’ve nothing better to do. Anyway, we’re still five days from Trafth. That’s where the
Aurora’s
heading.’

Kalrea helped Supora up into a sitting position next to her.

‘What is this place?’ Supora asked, gazing up at the lattice frame that supported the domed front window.

‘We’re on a small ship, known as an Antrolo transport. It’s one of my ships.’

Supora peered out of the window. ‘We’re travelling very fast by the look of those passing stars.’

‘Yes, we are.’

‘It’s so beautiful,’ Supora said. ‘Asnica and Doine would love to be here. You’re very young Kalrea, so do you have any children yet?’

She doesn’t know what I really am.

‘I can’t have children.’

‘Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.’

‘Supora, there are a lot of things you don’t know about me, things that will surprise you-’

Supora interrupted. ‘We all have surprises hidden away. I tend not to listen to all that gossip. I’m sure the others will bombard me with their stories about you.’

‘But you don’t understand.’

Supora felt her chest. ‘How hurt was I?’

‘You were dying slowly. I’m afraid you’ve lost your left lung and heart.’

Supora looked shaken. ‘Oh, that’s… that’s serious.’

‘But the doctor on Onliv said you would still be able to live a normal life,’ Kalrea said trying to be more positive.

‘So you took me to a hospital. Why?’

‘Asnica asked me to help you. How could I say no to a sweet little girl?’ Kalrea said.

‘She does that with me and Valon too,’ Supora said managing a hint of a smile, but the mention of Valon’s name brought back her sadness.

‘Thank you for saving my life, Kalrea. I will be forever in your debt.’

‘You owe me nothing. I did what I thought was right.’

‘But you risked your life for me.’

‘Supora, as I’ve been trying to tell you, I’m not what you think I am. What you see is me, but not the whole of me.’

Supora seemed puzzled.

Kalrea continued, ‘I’m really on my ship, the
Aurora
. In fact, I am the
Aurora
. This body is only a drone.’

‘I’m not sure I really understand you.’

‘I’m an artificial intelligence,’ Kalrea said, feeling nervous of the reaction she was about to receive.

‘A machine!’ Supora said. ‘I find that hard to believe.’

‘Well I am. I’m sorry if that upsets you.’

Kalrea was now waiting for a barrage of questions.

‘Who said, it upsets me? Not me! A few days ago I thought my race was all that existed in the universe. It was what I believed. I now know we’re not the only ones, so why should I be upset by what you are? I actually think that you must have a soul. Simple machines without a soul would not be sensitive to what a little girl says. You are talking to me… You saved my life! I will not treat you differently from any other person I know.’

I wasn’t expecting that.

‘Now I really feel hungry. Do you have anything to eat onboard this ship?’ Supora asked.

‘I’ll get some food for you,’ Kalrea replied.

‘No, Kalrea. I’d… I’d like to get up, please.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Yes, I want to move around a bit. I feel all stiff and… Ow! Yes… in a little bit of pain.’

Kalrea helped Supora carefully out of the seatra.

Supora glanced around the bridge. ‘Interesting ship! It looks to me as if people lie on the floor to fly this thing.’

‘Yes, they do, on these pads,’ Kalrea said, pointed at a mat on the floor. ‘That’s why the window is above us.’

‘But there’s no one here, so who’s flying it now?’

‘Me!’ Kalrea replied.

‘Oh,’ Supora said. ‘I see you have a number of interesting talents.’

Kalrea smiled, before answering, ‘Yes, some of which can make people a bit scared of me.’

‘That I can believe. So where do I find food on this ship then?’

‘They have a small galley just off the main corridor,’ Kalrea replied, gesturing towards the exit of the bridge. ‘It’s over there.’

‘Come on then, give me a hand,’ Supora said in a determined voice. ‘Let’s see what there is on this… what was the name?’

‘It’s an Antrolo transport,’ Kalrea replied.

The kitchen was a very small room with hardly enough space for two people to enter. Located within individual recesses in two of the walls were transparent triangular-pyramid-shaped boxes, each containing four equal shaped compartments with colourful dried foods in them. A short tube protruded out from each point of the pyramid.

‘Call this a galley,’ Supora said cheerfully. ‘It’s more like a cupboard!’

‘Well, it is only a transport. It wasn’t meant for large banquettes.’

‘Erm... Well let’s see what there is.’

Kalrea pulled one of the pyramids from its recess. Handing it to Supora, she said,

‘I’m afraid it’s all Antrolian, so I’m not sure what you’ll make of it.’

Supora briefly studied it and then sucked some powdered food from one of the tubes. ‘Very dry, isn’t it?’ she commented. ‘And is bitter!’ Supora pulled a face. ‘How old is this stuff?’

‘Is about five hundred and sixty years old, but don’t worry it’s perfectly safe. Antrolian dry foods can be stored for over one thousand years.’

‘And there was me hoping that I’d got one that had gone off. Aren’t you going to have any?’

‘Fortunately, I don’t need to eat,’ Kalrea said, with a large grin on her face.

‘I’ve no idea what I’m eating,’ Supora said, and glancing to Kalrea added. ‘And even if you told me, I suspect it wouldn’t help.’

Kalrea felt very relaxed being around Supora and was experiencing a sense of joy, like that feeling you get when you meet someone for the first time and instantly click, as if you were two old friends. She knew this could be the beginning of a special relationship between them.

‘I hope the Antrolians drink,’ Supora remarked. ‘This stuff’s very dry and I need something to get rid of this awful taste. I hope some of the other food in this box is better than the one I just tried.’

‘Oh, yes. I should have got you a drink.’

Kalrea quickly got a long green cylinder, about twice the length of a beer can, from a compartment stacked full of them. She prised off a tag from one of the ends and handed it to Supora.

‘That’s a drink,’ Supora said with surprise, and then squeezed some into her mouth.

‘To an Antrolian, yes,’ Kalrea replied.

‘It’s not too bad, but I didn’t think you needed to chew on a drink. Is there anywhere to sit down?’ she asked, walking slowly back onto the bridge.

‘They don’t have chairs,’ Kalrea said. ‘I suggest I put a few of those pads against the wall, so we can sit on them.’

Kalrea arranged the pads, and they sat down together. She noticed Supora looking sad, while she ate.

‘Is the food all right?’ Kalrea asked.

‘Is not that good really, but it seems to be all we have.’ And she went on eating in silence, but Kalrea could see that she was deep in thought, troubled thought.

After a few minutes Supora said, ‘I can’t get the image of Valon, lying dead on that bed, out of my head. Where is his body?’

‘There wasn’t time to recover the bodies. I’m sorry, but I had no choice but to leave him. We had to get out of there,’ Kalrea said.

‘I understand, Kalrea. I wasn’t blaming you. I just wish it had been someone else on that table. I know it’s a cruel thing to say, but Asnica and Doine have lost their father.’

‘Would you like to see and speak to them?’ Kalrea said.

Supora perked up and said, ‘We can do that from here?’

‘Absolutely, I’ll open an audio-visual link. I’ll speak with Zoren and ask him to bring Asnica and Doine to the bridge of the
Aurora
.’

Supora started to look at her reflection in the wall of the bridge. ‘Do I look all right?’ she asked, seemingly excited.

‘You look fine. I’m sure they’ll be really happy to see you. We’ll need to lie down on the floor under one of the terminals.’

Kalrea helped Supora over to a mat on the floor. They both laid down and the terminal, which was above them, descended to within arm’s length.

Kalrea glanced over to Supora, who was feeling her chest where her wound was.

‘Are you sure you’re all right?’ she asked.

Supora nodded back. ‘It only hurts occasionally.’

A screen illuminated and Zoren appeared. He was standing in front of the monitor on the bridge of the
Aurora
. Meanwhile, Asnica and Doine, who had been informed by Zoren that their mother was waiting to speak to them, had arrived on the bridge. They were eagerly peering around the side of Zoren at the monitor.

‘Hi, Zoren,’ Kalrea said.

‘Kalrea, good to see you,’ he replied pleased.

Kalrea moved her screen, so Asnica and Doine could see Supora. They quickly pushed in front of Zoren.

‘Mummy!’ Doine shouted out.

Supora reached out towards the screen as if she could touch Doine.

‘Hello, sweetheart.’

‘Mummy, we’re on a big ship,’ Doine said quickly. ‘All the other children are here.’

‘Mum, dad’s had an accident,’ Asnica said. ‘The others say he won’t be coming back here.’

Supora didn’t answer, so Kalrea glanced at her. Supora had tears in her eyes and turned her head away to hide them. Kalrea moved the screen, so that the children could not see her crying.

‘Your mum knows about your dad,’ Kalrea said. ‘Are you two both behaving yourselves?’

Asnica nodded.

‘Kalrea, the baby Glonvis are running around now,’ Doine said excited. ‘And… And they are eating out of our hands.’

‘Can we pick them up?’ Asnica asked.

‘They’re not old enough yet,’ Kalrea replied. ‘Wait until Supora and I get back. If you’ve both been looking after them, then yes you can.’

‘Thanks, Kalrea,’ Asnica said.

Kalrea noticed that Supora had composed herself, so repositioned the screen once more so Supora could see.

‘Mum, when will you be back?’ Asnica asked.

‘Oh, in about five days I think,’ Supora replied.

‘Can’t you get here any sooner?’ Asnica said.

Supora smiled. ‘I wish I was there now. We’re going as fast as we can.’

‘Are you still hurt?’ Doine said abruptly.

‘No, a kind doctor made me better.’

‘Doctor Korye had an accident too,’ Asnica said, ‘just like dad.’

‘I know,’ Supora replied sadly.

‘Why couldn’t dad be made better like you?’ Asnica asked.

‘I’m afraid your father was more hurt than me,’ Supora said lying.

Asnica looked glum as she nodded her head.

‘Children, we have to try to carry on without him.’ She felt her chest once more. It was obvious to Kalrea that she was in pain. ‘I’m going to have to get some rest now. Mummy still needs to get better, ok? I’ll see you both soon.’

‘Ok, mum,’ they both said together. ‘Bye, mum! Bye, Kalrea!’

‘I miss you!’ Supora waved at them, before Kalrea ended the transmission.

Kalrea could sense Supora was happier now that she had seen her children, but she could also see that all that moving around had aggravated her wound. She helped her back into the seatra so she could get some sleep.

As Supora laid back she said, ‘Thank you, for letting me talk to my girls. I can see they’re being well looked after, but will they be safe on your ship?’

‘Believe me, that’s the safest place for your people at the moment. I promise you, no one’s going to get onboard my ship.’

‘I believe you, but why are you doing all this for us?’

‘Call it fate or just good luck. I found Zoren on the Polnozoo and he was all alone and in need of help. I needed a pilot-’

‘
Pilot!
’ Supora repeated interrupting her.

Kalrea now felt anxious and wished she had not mentioned the needed for a pilot because she did not want Supora to start thinking that she did not control her own destiny, so added, ‘What I really meant is, I made him my pilot to make him feel wanted and then agreed to help find all of you.’