Helix Wars (43 page)

“Sir!”

“And until only very recently my dreams remained just that – hopeless dreams, without hope of realisation.”

“But sir, our advance through D’rayni proceeds well.”

“Be quiet, Commander, and listen. We might succeed in taking a few worlds, maybe a dozen... But my ambitions are greater than dominion over a few unsophisticated worlds on this circuit. I look further afield, at the mighty Mahkan themselves.”

Ellis listened, aware of the thudding of his heart, and wondered what Kranda was making of this.

The president went on, “Ten years ago, Commander, there came into my hands the wherewithal to achieve my aims. You recall the discovery of the unmarked ship in the northern canton of Krell?”

“Yes, sir.”

“What we found when we recovered the crashed ship...” He stopped suddenly, then said, “Commander Yehn, now is not the time to discuss this. Tomorrow, you and your men will escort me to the spacefield. There, I will apprise you of the glory that awaits.”

The commander sat very still, his expression stunned. “Yes, sir,” he murmured.

Horrescu gestured to Calla. “Enough. Take me to my room. Commander, until tomorrow...”

Commander Yehn sprang to his feet and snapped off a quick salute, a chopping motion at his shoulder. He turned and strode from the room. Calla, with a quick glance in Ellis’s direction, stood and propelled the president away from the picture window and through a sliding door.

As the door closed behind her, Ellis felt a hand on his arm.

“Well,” Kranda whispered, “the president was right on a couple of points.”

“And they were?”

“That the Mahkan are mighty and the human race feeble and ineffective.”

“Very funny.” Ellis moved to the window. In the night sky, legends boasting of the president’s invincible power were alternating with vast images of his younger, healthier self.

The view might have been more spectacular had the city itself been less ugly, but even the elevated sight of so vast and homogenous a metropolis – all hard angles and shades of grey – failed to stir any appreciation in him. Perhaps President Horrescu, knowing no better, found the vista invigorating. His city, his people, sprawling at his feet...

He considered what he’d heard, then turned to Kranda. It was a few seconds before his enhanced vision made out the Mahkan’s outline.

“This changes things,” Kranda said.

“What Horrescu said about his ambitions?”

“The ship discovered in Krell, and how it makes those ambitions that much more realistic. I can’t begin to work out why. I’d like to know where the ship came from.” She paused. “I know the plan was to get away with Calla, but we need to know why Horrescu thinks his plans are more realisable now.”

For the next fifteen minutes they spoke in lowered tones, then stopped at a sound from across the room. The sliding door to the president’s chamber sighed open and Calla slipped out. She paused, looking around the room uncertainly. She tipped her head to one side, concentrating, then redirected her gaze towards the picture window. Her line of sight was out of kilter, like a blind person ‘looking’ past the intended object.

Ellis wanted to deactivate his varnika’s shield so that she could see him. Instead of taking the risk he moved across the room, whispered her name, and reached out. He touched her shoulders and drew her towards him, feeling her elfin slightness against the spars of the exo-skeleton.

He led her to the loungers and they sat down.

“I can sense that you are tired, Jeff. The life of adventure does not suit you.”

He smiled. “I think perhaps you’re right.”

“We’ll make a warrior of the human yet,” said Kranda. “Are we safe here? The room isn’t under surveillance?”

“Many other parts of the tower are,” Calla replied, “but not the president’s suite. If we keep our voices low, so as not to disturb the president.”

“How have they treated you?” Ellis asked.

“Far better than they have treated many of my people,” she said. “But then I was chosen for my healing skills, and brought here expressly to extend the president’s life.”

“He’s dying?” Kranda said.

Calla inclined her head. “There is only so much I can do. His condition is terminal. A viral disease which is attacking his internal organs. I ease his pain, make his life liveable.”

Ellis said, “Earlier, the president said that he needed your proximity...”

“I exert a certain calmative influence on his nervous system. It works best when I am near him. When the president sleeps, I can withdraw.”

“We came here to take you away, Calla,” Ellis began.

She looked towards him, alarmed. “That would be... rash, Jeff. And not at all because it would mean the president’s premature demise. I know the man is... bad, and though I revere life, I can see that some good might come from his death.” She shook her head. “But we need to know why he thinks he can carry out his scheme to invade more worlds of the Helix.”

Ellis stared at her. “You can’t divine his thoughts?”

“He is... strange. Even your emotions and moods were difficult enough for me to fathom, at first. But the president’s mind is a confusing turmoil. He might even be psychotic. I can sense his overweening desire for power, to rule the many peoples of the Helix... but also his fear of death. And I know this is linked in some way to what he discovered in Krell.”

“But you don’t know what that was?” Kranda asked.

Calla shook her head. “Tomorrow he leaves for the spacefield north of here. You heard what he told his commander. I will be with him for the duration of the journey, when he tells Yehn of his plans.”

“Do you know why he needs to go to the spacefield?” Ellis asked.

“I’m sorry, no.”

Kranda said, “Might he be taking a ship from there, making a triumphal visit to his invading troops on D’rayni?”

Ellis stared from Calla to the Mahkan’s blurred outline. “Or perhaps further afield, Kranda? You saw the Sporelli interworld ship. Maybe that’s what he got from the unmarked ship at Krell – the technological wherewithal to develop an interworld ship. This is what will give him the advantage, and tomorrow he leads an invasion to...”

He stopped, thinking: New Earth... Mahkan?

Kranda gave a short, frustrated grunt. “That doesn’t make sense, Jeff. He was going to apprise Commander Yehn of why his schemes were more realisable now. But Yehn already
knew
about the interworld ship...”

“Okay – how about this,” Ellis said, hoping that he was wrong. “He did discover the wherewithal to develop interworld ships from the ship at Krell, but he also came across something else.”

“Like?”

“Like a weapon or weapons system that he hasn’t, so far, felt the need to use against the Phandrans or the D’rayni.”

“But against humans or Mahkan...?” Kranda said.

They sat in silence for a while, considering the possibility.

At last Kranda said, “We will be with you, Calla. Or close by.” The Mahkan glanced across at Ellis. “We should follow the president to the spacefield, even perhaps attempt to thwart whatever it is he’s planning.”

Ellis gave a hesitant nod, wondering if the Mahkan could detect his uncertainty. The thought of following Kranda’s suggestion filled him with dread.

He said, “We should beam a report of what’s happening here to our respective governments.”

“As soon as I have time, Jeff, I fully intend to have my varnika do that. Not that they, my people or yours, will move themselves to act with any alacrity...”

Ellis turned to Calla, “Do you know when they’re leaving here?”

“An hour after dawn. The spacefield is fifty kilometres north of Kharmand. The president usually travels in convoy, and is always well guarded. Please, be careful, Jeff.”

“They will be especially vigilant on the journey to the spacefield,” Kranda said. “They suspect, going by the heat-seekers they’ve deployed, that we are in the city.” She fell silent, then said, “We must follow them, with extreme caution.”

Ellis reached out and took Calla’s hand. “And you,” he began, and hesitated. “Take care, too. We’ll do all we can to be there for you.”

The diminutive Phandran smiled at him. “I survive this, Jeff, and so do you. I told you that we would be reunited, didn’t I?”

Kranda said, “If this room is secure, then we will spend the night here and follow you from the tower in the morning.”

“The door is locked. The president has no visitors during the night, other than an occasional doctor. However, since I have arrived, he has dispensed with his regular medical team.”

“Where do you sleep?” Ellis asked.

She indicated a door next to the president’s chamber. “I have a communicating door to his room, should I need to attend to him.” She stood. “Will you be comfortable here? What about food, water?”

Kranda said, “We have provisions.”

“In that case...” She smiled, moved across the room to the sliding door and slipped through.

He said to Kranda, “I’m surprised you haven’t suggested killing the president here and now.”

She grunted. “The thought did occur, but I dismissed it. What if Horrescu has confided his plans to others, his ministers, in case of his early demise? What if they are privy to his secrets, and would carry through his plans after his death? No... the president is more valuable to us alive, at present.”

She broke out the rations and they ate in silence before attempting to sleep.

T
WENTY-
O
NE
/// T
HE
I
NTERWORLD
S
HIP

1

“J
EFF
!”

He felt Kranda’s hand on his shoulder, shaking him awake.

He sat up with a start, suddenly realising where he was. Images of Maria fled, and he felt irritation that she was still invading his dreams.

Kranda was a vague, crouched shape before him. She whispered, “Dawn. The president is awake. Calla came out to tell us that they will be leaving in thirty minutes. He will take the elevator to a bunker in the bowels of the building, where a car awaits him. Here, eat this.”

She passed Ellis a concentrated energy bar and a canister of water. He glanced through the window. A dull dawn showed pale on the horizon. If the previous day was anything to go by, the sun would lose its battle against the cloud cover and the leaden skies would once again mirror the brutalist architecture of the capital city.

He looked in Kranda’s direction. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

She gave a harsh laugh. “I am a young girl again, hunting coyti. I feel empowered, and I know we are doing the right thing. You?”

He smiled. “I think we’re doing the right thing, but I don’t mind admitting that I’m...” He hesitated. “Scared, to be honest.”

He felt a hand on his arm. “Don’t be. Have confidence in me. I will protect you, human.”

Ellis laughed. “Okay, okay... I’m that much of a makeweight, hm? And who has saved your life, twice over now?”

“And for that, Jeff, I am truly grateful.”

They looked up at a sound from across the room.

The sliding door opened and the president’s invalid carriage appeared, steered by Calla. She was wearing one of the grey, lagged coats of Sporelli design, obviously intended for a child; even so, it was a little too big for her. Ellis could not help but smile at the sight of her, bundled up for the harsh cold with only her small face showing through the upturned collar.

She looked in their direction, smiled, and manoeuvred the president from the room.

Beyond the open door, Ellis made out the security team in the corridor, along with Commander Yehn. With Horrescu and Calla, they proceeded towards the elevator.

Ellis followed Kranda from the room. They emerged into the corridor as the president and the others were entering the elevator. Kranda hurried towards the spiral staircase and they descended at speed. Ellis steadied his breathing, listened to the pounding of his heart, and tried to quell the fear growing insidiously within him.

They came to the ground floor and Kranda paused, leaning out into the corridor. A minute later the lift doors parted and Commander Yehn, followed by the young security officer and his aides exited. Calla and the president remained in the lift, presumably continuing down to the basement.

The Sporelli moved along the corridor towards the entrance.

Kranda moved along the corridor after them, Ellis close behind.

The task of following the Sporelli from the building was much easier than gaining admittance the evening before: they simply fell into step behind the last of the departing security men and emerged into the icy dawn.

In the courtyard, the convoy was powered up and ready to go.

Ellis paused beside Kranda beneath the portico. Only the guards with the heat-seekers remained stationed against the wall of the tower, ceaselessly scanning the devices back and forth across the tower grounds.