Transformation Space - Marianne de Pierres [74]
BALBAO
They were taken to a cabin high in the ship’s structure. Despite the residual head and body ache from imperfect shift, Balbao took in as much of the surroundings as he could. This was a battleship, fully serviceable and worn from recent business, not something dragged from retirement because of the invasion. He noticed little signs – the well-lubed hatches and the working shelf locks.
Because of his observations, he had less of a surprise than the tyros when the captain turned out to be Lasper Farr, Commander of the Stain Wars.
Not all the tyros. He amended that thought. Ra of Lostol showed little reaction, and Labile Connit looked unhappy rather than shocked.
Lasper Farr, like all infamous ’esques, was less impressive in person than in myth. Balbao took in the lean, almost gaunt figure. Though he looked unimposing, something about him made Balbao entirely uncomfortable. It would be wrong, he thought, to underestimate him.
Farr looked along the line of them and offered Miranda a seat. His greeting cabin was sparse and functional: a table and attached seats. He did not ask the rest of them to sit.
‘Let me guess,’ he said. ‘Dicter Seeward and Lawmon Jise. But who are you?’
Balbao shifted under the penetrating gaze. ‘Belle-Monde’s Chief Astronomien. Balbao.’
‘Ahh, of course. So pleased you didn’t disintegrate with your world, Balbao. Would be a shame to lose such an excellent scientist.’
The Balol didn’t believe for a moment that he meant what he said. Commander Farr, he’d already decided, cared little for strangers.
But Balbao would not be intimidated. ‘This is Ra of Lostol and Labile—’
‘Connit,’ finished Farr quietly. ‘I know my own son, Chief Balbao. And Ra and I … have worked together on projects before.’
Many glances were exchanged in the shocked silence that followed his statement – two revelations that almost made Balbao wish that he’d perished on Belle-Monde. Had he been harbouring a member of Consilience? What mischief had Labile wrought? And Ra? Why had he been conspiring with Farr? His thoughts swirled in a way that made it difficult to extract answers.
Ra spoke first. ‘Where is the device, Lasper? We must locate Sole.’
Farr’s face grew pinched with irritation. ‘No thank you, Ra? No heartfelt gratitude for the risk taken by me and my ship to keep you alive?’
Ra stared at him steadily, his multicoloured insect eyes shining in the cabin light. ‘It was not me you came to save, Lasper. It was your son.’
‘Don’t underestimate your value to me,’ replied Farr, letting his lips curl into a small unreadable smile.
Ra relaxed a little.
Labile Connit, on the other hand, looked as Balbao felt: sick and tense, but not about to be trodden on. ‘You are not my father,’ he insisted.
Farr regarded him steadily. ‘You may not like it, Labile, but it’s the truth.’
‘Good Sole!’ exclaimed Miranda. ‘What a pretty state of affairs. I’m sure there is much to be caught up on, but firstly … thank you, Commander Farr. Can you tell us, are we quite safe now? Where are we?’
Her brash interruption diverted Farr’s attention.
‘We managed to evade the Post-Species by using imperfect shift. We have taken casualties because of it. Not all the buffers withstood the untested vibration.’
‘A bold but necessary move, Commander,’ said Ra.
Farr was unimpressed by Ra’s declaration. ‘Our only choice. The Post-Species have obliterated the systems they have reached. Those who heeded the alarms have closed their spheres. But I must thank you, Dicter Seeward. The virus you created was quite a success on Scolar, I believe. And because of that, their shift sphere is still open. We are on our way there now.’
Every exposed piece of Miranda’s flesh turned pink. ‘We are going to Scolar?’
All heads turned to her.
‘Miranda?’ said Jise. ‘What does the Commander mean?’
Grim satisfaction settled on Lasper Farr’s face. What did he know about Miranda Seeward, Balbao wondered, that even her colleague and lover Lawmon Jise