SWEET HOME ALLE BAMMA (SOLBIDYUM WARS SAGA) (32 page)

“Honestly, Tibby, I have no idea; but if the numbers of
ruguians we’ve encountered at this site are any indication, I would think our odds have increased substantially.  As long as we keep the eggs in stasis, they will remain viable; and as long as Kalana is in stasis, she will be alright.”

“I know, but I don’t like it.  What if something should go wrong and the stasis containment should fail?”  I could hear myself choking on my word
s and I began to feel ill.

“Tibby, that’s not going to happen.  Even if the ship’s power failed for some inexplicable reason, there is a built in backup power system in the stasis container that would maintain the stasis conditions for up to five years.”  Everything he was telling me was something I had been told before.  A’Lappe had thoroughly explained the functions and backup systems on Kala’s stasis chamber before we left, but I still wasn’t comfortable with it.

“There’s got to be some way we can expedite things.”

“Tibby, I’m sorry, but you’re just going to have to bear with the situation until we find the eggs, no matter how long it takes.  We
will
find them.”

“Tibby,” said Kerabac as he came back from the control room, “I have good news.  You were right.  Galetils did indeed have an advanced and enhanced memory cube installed in the ship’s computer.  Practically every tidbit of knowledge in the galaxy is stored in that cube
, including a learning module for
Bammaspeak
, which is what the scientists dubbed the universal language used by the various tribes when they encounter each other.  It’s not a complete language, but most of the tribes apparently share certain words and word roots; so with Bammaspeak we will be able to understand them and get our intentions across to most of the natives.”

“Great.  Before we go out there tomorrow, I want each of us to complete a session with the learning device so we’re able to communicate with the locals, if we
encounter them.”

“There’s even more than the planet’s language in the learning database, Tibby,” continued Kerabac.  “There are also catalogs of Alle Bamma’s plants and animals, at least those that have been studied.  Even though the information is incomplete, it should certainly prove useful or at least help us to know what to avoid out there.  The database also includes a comprehensive module on the geography of the planet.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” I said.  “Let’s get this over with.  I’ll go first.”

Hotyona hooked me up to the learning band and Kerabac loaded the modules into the computer.  I had been introduced to the learning headbands when I discovered the
TRITYTE
back on Earth, though not until after I was already in space.  I discovered then that it gave me a bad headache when in the teaching mode – an effect it didn’t seem to have on most others in the Federation.  This time was no different than any other, except that the headache seemed to be worse, more like a severe migraine – nausea included.  While Kerabac and Hotyona assisted each other, I excused myself and went to my bunk, where I promptly fell into a deep sleep.

I had never been one to believe in psychic abilities, ghosts or the paranormal; but the dream I had that night and the events over the next several days were to change my mind about such things.  During the night I dreamed that I was tied to a tree next to Kerabac and Hotyona.  Near us on a platform sat several bowls that held burning oil, the flames of which provided light to the immediate surroundings.  Around us on the platform stood the small figures of native Allebammian natives, who carried spears and small daggers that appeared to be made from giant thorns.  One small native woman in a headdress made out of woven grasses and leaves approached me with a
ruguian in one hand and a long thorn in the other.  She stuck the thorn into the skin on the side of the ruguian, which squirmed in her hand as she slid the thorn along the body just under the surface of the skin.  Then she withdrew the thorn and stuck it into my arm.  As she did so, a tall figure suddenly appeared who looked similar to the natives despite the fact that this individual was at least a full head taller than I am.  This figure also wore a headdress; but this one appeared to be a live and growing organism, rather than one fashioned by human hands, as live plants began to bloom within the headdress as the eyes beneath it gazed at me.  When the figure appeared, all of the natives dropped to their knees and pressed their heads to the wooden platform, chanting “Thumumba, Thumumba, Thumumba,” as thunder rumbled in the background.  The tall figure I assumed to be Thumumba walked up to me, looked me up and down, and then leaned forward to whisper in my ear, “
Aye ucombey nortelia Thumumba.  Telalle aye eugoray seballe
.”  Then I woke up trembling and drenched in sweat.  I got out of bed feeling ill and stumbled to the shower.  Afterwards I felt better, but I was still rather shaky.

“Are you okay?”  Kerabac’s voice came from the direction of the doorway and I turned to see him standing there.

“I’m not sure,” I said.  “I just had the strangest dream.”

“About Thumumba?” he asked.

“Yes!  How did you know?”

“When I was here before it happened to some of the people on our team,” he said.

“Did you all have the same dream?”

“No, everyone who had the experience reported different dreams and most of the team didn’t have any.  In some dreams Thumumba was angry and in others kind.  What happened in your dream?” he asked.

I related my dream to him; and when I got to the part where Thumumba said
Aye ucombey nortelia Thumumba.  Telalle aye eugoray seballe
(which, oddly, I remembered verbatim), Kerabac raised an eyebrow and said “
I speak for Thumumba.  See I do not die
”… interesting.  Was there anything else?”

“No, that was it,” I decided to reply.  “What dream did you have when you were here last?”

“On the last day of the excursion I dreamed that Thumumba came to me and said, “
When come next to Sweet Home you will help to save my people
.”

As he told me this, I realized he was translating the native language and that “Alle Bamma” means “Sweet Home.”  I began to laugh.

Kerabac gave me a puzzled look and asked, “What’s funny about that?”

“Back on Earth there is a popular song called
Sweet Home Alabama
; and here I am now on a planet named
Alle Bamma
which, in the native language, means
Sweet Home
.”

As I was talking, Kerabac moved over to the synthesizer and prepared a cup of foccee and handed it to me.  “Here, drink this.  It’s nearly dawn and I know you will want to get an early start today.  Tibby, I’m not a superstitious man; but I will tell you that things here on Alle Bamma can get a bit strange at times.”

“Thanks,” I said as I took the cup from him.  “Is it this way for everyone that comes here?”

“I don’t think so.  Only a few of us on the team had dreams that I know of.

“What’s the weather like outside?” I asked, changing the subject.

Kerabac laughed.  “It’s raining so hard that you can’t see two meters; but it will most likely be over in a few minutes.  Rains here are frequent, but not usually long.”

It was still raining when we left the
ALI
, but it was no longer pouring.  Even so, it was only a few minutes until the slow, steady rain left us soaked to the skin.  We went directly to the region where we had been the evening before; and we were rewarded with another mass of ruguian eggs, which Hotyona placed in the container and stored in his back pack.  We had barely resumed our search when we heard numerous voices and scurrying sounds in the jungle.  Kerabac motioned us to crouch down to avoid being seen by whomever or whatever was coming; but the effort was hardly necessary, because what we saw next was not on the ground but in the air.  We stood again, gazing in amazement at dozens of natives swinging and leaping high up in the canopy of the trees about 150 meters away from us as they hurried deeper into the jungle away from the direction of the
ALI
.

“What the–!” I started to say, when this strange sight was followed by the sounds of heavy machinery coming through the jungle in the direction that the Allebammians were fleeing.  We immediately crouched back down in time to see several armed all-terrain vehicles crashing along behind the fleeing natives.  Not far behind the vehicles came about thirty armed troopers on foot, some dragging natives on leashes attached to collars fastened around their necks.  Captives who resisted or didn’t move quickly enough were disciplined with electrical shocks that seemed to be transmitted through the collars in an effort to control them and prod them forward.  We ducked even farther into the dense tangle of the jungle and watched as the nearest trooper passed within 10 meters of us.  Fortunately, we were not seen and they were moving in a direction away from the
ALI. 
We remained hidden and quiet until the noise receded into the distance several minutes later.

“What do you think that was all about?” I asked.

“I’m not sure,” said Kerabac, “but I noted Brotherhood emblems on the uniforms of the troopers.”

“Why do you think they were after the natives?  Why were they restraining them with those collars and leashes?”

“I’m just guessing, but I think the Brotherhood is taking them as slaves.  When I was still in the military, we were deployed to a police action on Gorvan.  The planet had recently been accepted into the Federation, under the condition that they give up slavery.  In spite of the agreement with the Federation and the actions taken by the planetary government, there were entire colonies on the planet that refused to give up their slaves.  Hence, the Federation was called upon to provide troops and enforce abolition in all colonies and settlements.  I saw those same collars on the Gorvan slaves.

“There are still many non-aligned worlds where slavery is practiced.  Since this is a non-aligned world, it
’s not too likely that anyone will come to the aid of the Allebammians.”

“Well, if that’s what the Brotherhood thinks, they’re totally wrong,” I said, rising to my feet.

“What are you thinking, Tibby?” asked Kerabac.

“I’m thinking that I’m going to try to save those natives,” I said.

“Tibby, if you go out there and up against those troops, you’re not going to be able to get your eggs as soon as you want!”

“I know, but I can’t sit by and watch these natives being killed and enslaved by the Brotherhood either.  I don’t believe Kala would be pleased with me if I didn’t do
something
.”

Kerabac smiled, “That’s what I like about you, Tibby!  You have an unwavering sense of justice and you’re not afraid to examine your priorities.  I’m with you!”

“I’m not sure what I can do to help,” said Hotyona.  “I’m not a trooper or trained for combat, but I will do what I can.”

“Well, the first thing I think we need to do is to find their base.  I would suggest we follow their rather obvious trail and see where it leads.  Then, once we size things up, we can decide on our next course of action.  The
NEW ORLEANS
should be arriving in three to four days.  With our own security forces and the Mirage Fighters, I think we can handle pretty much anything the Brotherhood has for defense resources here.  Let’s just hope that A’Lappe and Cantolla have managed to get that new communication system up and operating, so we can contact the fleet once the
NEW ORLEANS
arrives.”

Before we began
to follow the trail of the Brotherhood, we returned to the
ALI
to put the ruguian eggs into the stasis capsule and to get into full body armor.  We also needed to arm ourselves with more weapons, as we carried only the small flat guns while collecting eggs.  The flat gun was a small hand weapon that looked much like the television remote controls used on Earth.  While it served as a convenient and easily concealed personal protection weapon, it was not easy to aim and certainly not designed to use in a combat situation.  I also made sure that each of us was equipped with one of the personal cloaking units that A’Lappe was so fond of using as he moved about the ship.  Even though this latest revision only had a useful time limit of about an hour and a half, it was still something that could prove to be useful.  We had not worn them earlier, because we believed that we were not likely to encounter anyone while we hunted for eggs; but now it was clear that our safety may depend on it.

Before leaving the
ALI
we activated the ship’s cloaking device.  Even though we knew it would only cloak the ship for a short time and that the ship would be visible again by the time we returned, it was still better than nothing at all.  The door locks were sealed and keyed to only open only to the handprints of the three of us; so even if the ship were discovered, no one other than the three of us were going to get in.

The Brotherhood’s trail was easy to follow, as the large wheels on the vehicles had left deep impressions in the loam of the jungle floor and the smaller plants and bushes also lay crushed and broken in their paths.  In a few places we found the corpses of Allebammians that appeared to have fallen from the high canopy of trees after being shot.