STOWAWAY TO THE STARS

When the mini-phone rang right in her ear, Karen was confused for a few moments. Then she remembered how Ket had shown her to accept the call.

“Hi, this is Karen. Is that you, Ket?”

“Of course. Are you still in the museum?”

“Yes. It has been fascinating.”

“Good. Well I’ve finally heard the results of the Council deliberations over Larry’s information. I’ll tell you both all about it when I see you, but the important thing is that Larry’s been given a temporary pardon. I’m sure it will be ratified as soon as his case is considered properly. So he’s in the clear and I’m coming get you both. I’ll see you outside in about ten minutes.”

“That is fantastic. Okay, see you soon.” The phone went dead.

She looked at Larry with a big smile, the awkwardness of a few moments earlier forgotten, and passed on the news.

They had a short wait outside for Ket to appear, in one of the two-wheeled cars that Karen was getting used to. As soon as it stopped they climbed in. It was a large car, so they both fitted in the front alongside Ket. It did mean that Karen was squeezed up close to Larry. It felt good to have his body pressed against her without the need to feel embarrassed.

As Ket set off he glanced at Larry. “It’s great to see you again, you crazy son of a bitch. Though when they first called me from the spaceport I was ready to see you in hell.”

“And I’m pleased to see you too, even if you are as grumpy as ever. I don’t think I need to introduce Karen, do I?”

“Scarcely. I don’t know how you did it, but you seem to have found someone even crazier than you are, though she is much better looking.”

“So what’s the news from the Council?”

“They believe your story now. On top of the trouble there’s already been over the Ziloni attacking the spaceliner, your data pin really stirred them up. They’ve agreed to make a pre-emptive strike tomorrow against the Ziloni base in the Trajia system. They’re sending in a planet-buster squad to take out the satellite planet.

“It’s most important to get this right, and the pardon is on condition that you go with the squad. Not to take part in the attack, obviously, but in a scout ship to make sure they get the right planet. I seem to remember you pointed out to me once before that it’s difficult to be sure which is which with one at each of the two Lagrangian points. Well, that seems to be what they are worried about.”

“That’s right. Unless you have the means of checking which way the planets are rotating, which takes time, you’ve got to look at where the other planets are and know where they should be in relation to the direction of rotation. I can do that, no problem.”

Karen felt a shiver of apprehension. They had just reached the safety of Central and a pardon for Larry, but now he had to go off on a military battle. He seemed confident, but it was often the straightforward operations that went wrong.

Ket continued, “This raid is vital, because there was the usual political maneuvering. If the strike fails, the doves on the Council want to negotiate. And you know what that’ll mean. The Ziloni will run rings round the Council and I shudder to think how things will end up. So this strike has to succeed.”

“Don’t worry, Ket, I share your doubts about the Council, but the military are all right. You can be sure that they’ll get the job done. It’s great news.”

“Meanwhile, you’re both coming back to our place for the night. I’ve given all the news to Gen and she can’t wait to meet Karen.”

At the thought of meeting Larry’s sister, Karen shook off her silly worries.

The car pulled up outside a large, white house, set back from the road behind a garden filled with colorful plants and shrubs. It had huge windows that as usual you couldn’t see into, but no apparent door until a small section of wall slid to one side to reveal Gen. She was short, little over a meter and a half, a round face with short cropped, fair, almost blonde hair and a buxom figure. She could almost be a shorter version of her own dear sister Rachel. The immediate impression she gave Karen could only be described as bouncy and bubbly. Karen instinctively liked her.

She greeted Larry with a huge kiss, and burst out, “Larry, it’s wonderful to have you back. I’ve hated knowing you were in trouble. And this must be the poor little primitive girl that you kidnapped.”

She looked up at Karen, who towered over her. “But hey, honey, you’re not little at all, are you?”

Ket laughed. “Gen, to you everyone else is tall.”

Gen ignored him and continued, “How did you let Larry kidnap you? I would have thought a big girl like you could have fought him off.”

“She did fight,” said Larry, “I’ve got the scratches to prove it.”

Gen dragged them inside. “Never mind, it seems as if it all worked out well. Come on in. I want to hear all about it once I’ve programmed a meal. Karen, that’s a pretty name. How come you can speak Universal, though? Surely that’s not your language.”

“Oh no, I speak English. But Larry used a language translator to teach me Universal. And made me practice for ages.”

“I’d love to hear a primitive language spoken. Say something in English, Karen.”

Karen thought for a moment. “Gen, my dear, I may be a primitive but if I’m rude to you in English you’ll never know.”

Larry gave a loud snicker at that. Gen turned to him indignantly. “I suppose you understood that, you smug brother. What did she say?”

Larry laughed and shook his head. “No more than you asked for, Gen. Karen may be a primitive, but she’s a match for any Union girl I’ve ever met.”

****

Next morning they were all awake early. As Larry got up to leave with Ket, who was giving him a ride to the military spaceport, Karen’s apprehension about the mission returned.

“Larry, do be careful. It would be awful if something happened now, after all we’ve survived already.”

Damn, she didn’t mean it to come out like that. She sounded like a worrying girlfriend.

Larry didn’t appear to notice. “Don’t worry, this is just a milk run. All I’ve got to do is identify the planet, then I can come home and leave the serious work to the military.”

That certainly sounded simple enough, or was he being over-confident? But Ket and Gen didn’t seem concerned. She was just getting paranoid after all the problems they’d had.

Gen and Karen were left together in the house. Gen said, “Well, Karen, we have lots of time to spare before Larry gets back. Would you like to see something of Greti? I don’t suppose you’ve had much chance so far.”

“Only briefly. Every time I thought that things were getting better and I might get a chance to see places properly, something else went wrong. I would love to explore without looking over my shoulder for Ziloni or police.”

They spent over an hour looking around Greti. Eventually Gen said, “Enough with sight-seeing. Karen, you need more clothes, let’s buy you some. Larry told me to spend anything we wanted.”

“I would love to do that, but it would be such a waste. I could never wear any of these clothes back on Earth. The fabric is so obviously alien.”

“So what? If nothing else you can wear them when you come to visit us.”

“How will I ever visit you again? Once I am home on Earth I don’t see how I shall ever be able to come back to see you.”

Gen looked shocked. “Karen, I thought we were becoming friends. Are you saying you never want to see us any more?”

“Oh Gen, how can you think that? I would love to see you again, but how can it be possible? No one is allowed to have contact with primitive planets. Larry explained the rules to me.”

“Karen, you are so funny sometimes. Have you noticed Larry abiding by the rules all the time? He can come and get you any time you want. Surely you don’t want to go back to Earth to live permanently. Wouldn’t you find it so frustrating, knowing what was out here, but not being able to tell a soul? Because that’s the thing you really wouldn’t be allowed to do. Karen, you’re one of us now. Why do you think Larry got you an authentic ID?”

“Oh, he explained that. He said he needed to be sure that I would get through to Ket in case he was caught.”

“He told you that, did he? And you believed him?”

“Well, yes. Anyway, I could not expect Larry to come all that way to get me. He has done so much for me already.”

“So what do you think you’ll do with yourself from now on?”

“I suppose I will go back to work at the Sports Foundation. That is if I don’t get the sack for disappearing like I have.”

“Is that what you want?”

No, it wasn’t what she wanted. What she wanted was just a beautiful dream. Since when did anyone get something because they wanted it?

“What else can I do? I could not live here even if Larry did bring me back. I don’t know anyone except you three, I’ve no money and I have no idea how things are done in the Union, so no one would give me a job.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure. Karen honey, Ket has his own thoughts on this, but I’m certain that no matter what else happens, Larry has in mind to persuade you to join the IEP.”

Oh God, if only that were true. “Why would they want to have me?”

“Are you kidding? You’re a natural for the IEP. You’re a primitive, so you know what it’s like on primitive planets. You’re a woman, and they get very few female candidates. And they’re always keen to recruit crazies like you.”

“What do you mean, crazies like me?”

“Oh, come on Karen, you know what I mean. I don’t know any other woman, and precious few men, who could have been persuaded to invade Zilon with Larry, much less insisted on it.”

“I explained that last night. I was so miserable I did not care about the risk, and I did not want to stay in his horrible hideaway.”

“And what did you do when you got there? Firing missiles, throwing mini-grenades. Blazing away with a laser rifle. Seducing truck drivers. And afterward rescuing Larry from the Ziloni agents on Drazen. Trust me, you are made for the IEP, don’t bury yourself back in your stuffy old administrative job. And of course, you would see Larry around quite often,” Gen added.

Did Gen know something? She was painting such a wonderful picture. Maybe she could come back, if what Gen was saying was right. She had nothing back on Earth that she had to stay for, least of all her job. Her face lit up at the prospect.

“Larry did say something once about me and the IEP, but I thought he was being kind. Oh God, Gen, I would love that so much. Do you really think it is possible? You think Larry would take me home and bring me back again, because I have to go home as soon as I can. My parents will be frantic with worry.”

“If he doesn’t, I’ll never speak to him again. But don’t worry, he will.”

Karen gave Gen a huge hug. “In that case, come and help me choose some clothes.”

****

The two girls were back at home, admiring their purchases from the morning’s shopping, especially the new outfit that Karen was wearing, when Ket arrived home. His face looked drawn and grim. He burst out his news without preamble.

“Gen, Karen, something has gone terribly wrong with Larry’s mission.”