Transformation Space Read online

  ‘Who to?’ asked Ra.

  ‘The Entity,’ said Miranda. ‘Surely if we concentrate our thoughts, it will hear us.’

  ‘And you truly think it would care?’ Ra again.

  Miranda rebuked him with a stare. ‘You, of all of us, should be the closest to Sole. You could at least try.’

  Ra sucked his thin lips inside his mouth and nodded. He removed the pilot interface, loosed the safety web around him and twisted around so that he could reach the others’ hands.

  Balbao watched them with despair. What nonsense were they on about in the face of their own demise? He bared his teeth and let loose a small growl. His frill stiffened in agitation. If only they would use their supposed intellects for something helpful.

  Alarms dragged his attention back to the ship information flow. The scanners told him that they were heavily mired in the fallout from both Belle-Monde and Min Minor now; data was escalating; stress limits approaching. Among the confusing accretion of information, he nearly missed the response to their SOS.

  Breath on hold, he sent a pingback before alerting the others. When it confirmed itself as an OLOSS ship, sweat oozed out from under Balbao’s scaly skinplates. He sent their coordinates immediately, and was rewarded with an estimated rendezvous of less than an hour.

  Balbao opened his mouth to share the joyous news with the others, then promptly shut it again. The four tyros were still communing silently.

  He leaned back in his seat and took a deep relieved breath. Let them keep working for it. Let the annoying bastards work for it.

  TRIN

  ‘Do you see them, Principe?’

  ‘Si.’ Trin struggled to keep irritation from his reply. Of course he did; the night sky was filled with them, yet Joe Scali had still deemed it necessary to ask, like a child repeating unnecessary things to a parent.

  Trin’s patience with his friend had been short since he had seen him standing so close – so intimately close – to Djeserit on the darkened beach.

  ‘What do you think, Principe?’ asked Juno Genarro. ‘OLOSS, perhaps?’

  Trin stared at the hundreds of lights floating across the night sky, high enough, it seemed, to be in outer orbit. ‘I would like to say they are our salvation, but something tells me not.’

  The three men stood on the peak of the mountain. From the same vantage point he and Djes had seen the circular-shaped ship descend several days before. He had not told his people about it, but the appearance of thousands of satellites changed things.

  Now a deeply troubled feeling beset him. ‘Juno, go down and call everyone together. I will follow soon.’

  As he had since the early days of the invasion, Juno complied without argument or question. In many ways, aside from Djeserit, he had been Trin’s best ally and aide. Trin felt Juno’s respect and their common desire to keep the old ways alive.

  ‘What concerns you, Trinder?’ asked Joe Scali, when Juno had left.

  Trin meant to dismiss the question. Instead, he found other words coming out of his mouth. ‘You have developed strong feelings for Djes.’

  Under the glow of the thousands of satellites he saw Joe shrink a little, as if punched. The man had never really regained his equanimity since the Saqr had killed Rantha and her unborn child. Nowadays, Scali wore his emotions openly, and with less control than a young girl. Trin saw him weeping often.

  ‘I … we all … have great regard for her.’ He stumbled over his reply. ‘Djeserit has saved us. Kept us fed. Brought us here.’

  ‘That is true,’ Trin allowed. ‘But it would be foolish to mistake your feelings of gratitude for anything else. Wouldn’t it?’

  Joe Scali bowed his head. He shifted away from Trinder in obvious discomfort.

  ‘I am clear, signor?’ asked Trin softly.

  ‘Si, Principe.’

  Trin had expected meekness and embarrassment, but Scali’s tone held a trickle of stubbornness.

  Should he say more?

  No. He would speak with Djes. At the moment there were more important things to address. ‘We should join the others.’

  He turned his back on his friend and made his way back down the shoulder of the peak to the caves.

  The group was assembled outside. Over the previous days the women had swept and moved rocks to make a space that would accommodate them all, while the men had begun fashioning beds and tables from the small bushes that cloaked the mountainside.

  Trin had instructed them to take the brush selectively, so as not to plainly show their presence. Djeserit had returned to the sea, taking Tivi Scali to wait on the beach and help her carry her catch. For several meals now they’d dined on white fish and roots that Cass Mulravey had identified as safe to eat. The food was still raw, but their bellies were almost full, and many of them had brush cots to sleep upon. Given time, they could make themselves even more comfortable.

  Trin glanced into the night sky. But would they have that time? He stepped into the circle of bodies and crouched in the middle. The division between Mulravey’s women and the rest had lessened since their encounter with the giant ligs – as though Trin’s warnings of imminent danger had finally brought real acknowledgement of his authority to lead their group.

  The women sat interspersed among his men, and already he could see pairings beginning to develop. Juno Genarro and his cousin Josefia, Tivi Scali and Tina Galiotto. Cass Mulravey’s brother Innis kept close to his sister and the tall outspoken woman Liesl. His surly expression rarely changed, and of all of the survivors Innis Mulravey made Trin the most uneasy.

  They quietened as one, waiting for him to speak, but their excitement was unmistakable. He wanted to reach out and take Djeserit’s hand for reassurance, but she was next to the korm, and now wasn’t the time for a physical display of need.

  He took a breath. ‘You would all be hoping that the lights that we can see are the precursor to an OLOSS rescue.’ He glanced up. ‘I would too … but you must know that it’s not so.’

  Everyone spoke at once, a clamour of questions and protests.

  ‘Quiet!’ he cut across them sharply. ‘On the day of our arrival at the caves, Djeserit and I climbed to the peak. From there, while you rested, we saw a craft enter the atmosphere and land. It was alien in shape to anything in OLOSS.’

  ‘Could it be an ally still, Principe?’ asked Tivi Scali.

  Trin regarded Joe’s younger cousin. He had a quick resourceful mind, and had not been affected – disturbed – by the Saqr invasion in the way that Joe had. ‘It is possible, Tivi. But unlikely. The look of the craft – it was round like a disc, but deep as well.’

  ‘How would we know what’s out there, stuck on this backwater planet? Could be OLOSS has a whole fleet of ships shaped like that. What makes you so sure it’s not them? I say we start a fire on the beach. Let ’em know we’re here,’ said Innis Mulravey.

  Trin shot him a quelling look, but its impact was lost in the moonlight.

  ‘I saw the ship as well,’ said Djeserit. ‘And I agree with the Principe.’

  ‘Yeah, but you would.’ Innis’s laugh was deprecating, almost dirty.

  ‘Innis!’ Cass Mulravey placed a warning hand on her brother’s shoulder.

  ‘There will be no fires lit. It is more imperative than before that our presence goes unnoticed,’ said Trin. ‘If the ship that landed is part of the Saqr invasion, then it is only logical that the lights we can see in the sky are more of the same.’

  Innis pushed Cass away and stood up. ‘You just wanna keep us here, so you can play lord. Well, I’m sick of takin’ orders from Your Highness of Nuthin’ and your half-breed missus.’

  Trin’s body went rigid at the insult, his mind narrowing to a single point of fury. He stood up slowly and took a step towards Innis.

  Tivi, Juno and Joe all jumped to their feet as well, but Kristo, Mulravey’s man, beat them all. He threw a quick hard punch at Innis, which sent him sprawling backwards.

  ‘Shut yer stupid mouth,’ said Kristo. ‘If i
t hadn’t been fer the both of them, you’d be dead. Like as much, we’d all be. I don’t hold to their royalty, or whatever it is, but like it or not he’s made good decisions. I’d listen to him and quit yer mouthin’.’ He kicked Innis in the thigh for good measure. ‘And don’t badmouth women. Last time you treated a woman bad, you nearly got yourself killed. That merc was gonna rip yer guts out. Woulda thought you’d learned from that.’

  After his long and vehement speech, Kristo turned and stalked back into the mouth of the closest cave. He stood there staring at the sky, arms folded and legs apart.

  Innis climbed groggily to his feet and backed away into the darkness.

  Cass Mulravey didn’t move from where she sat, nursing Mira Fedor’s adopted baby Vito. Trin couldn’t see her expression clearly, but her inaction was enough for him. She did not support her brother. And what did Kristo mean by ‘last time’? What had Innis done to a woman? He would tell Juno Genarro to find out. His trusted carabinere had become friendlier with Kristo over the last few days.

  Trin shifted back to the centre of the circle and executed a slow turn. ‘We must take great care to be sure nothing of our presence can be seen from the air. Hide the entrance of the caves and keep water and food supplies inside. We need be able to survive several days without leaving the caves, in case the island is searched.’

  ‘How do we hide the caves? That’s impossible!’ said one of the miners.

  ‘Then we must make it possible,’ said Josefia Genarro. She sat at Juno’s side, her hand resting on his leg. They were a good couple, Trin thought, resilient and clever and not easily defeated. It didn’t matter that they were cousins, not now that their numbers were so few.

  ‘We could hide the openings with boulders,’ suggested Cass Mulravey. ‘Make it look as though there’s been a rockfall. We’ll need to stop treading the same route outside, though. Our feet are flattening the ground and making a path.’

  ‘It would be cumbersome, but we could make a rope entry from the rocks above,’ suggested Juno.

  ‘Not all of us would be able to negotiate such a thing.’ This came from Jilda Pellegrini. Trin’s mother had spoken little at group gatherings so far, her energies spent on keeping up with the others and watching her son. It seemed hardly believable that his fragile madre had survived the Saqr invasion when his powerful vigorous padre had not. It was true that her servant Tina Galiotto had cared for her, yet even so Jilda had showed an ability to endure.

  Trin had always thought of her as weak, in mind and in deed. Perhaps he’d been wrong. Or perhaps her suffering had made her stronger in some way. It had done that to many of them.

  ‘The principessa is right,’ said Djeserit. ‘Not all of us could do that. It would be better if we scatter small rocks around the boulders to hide the entrance, and simply climb over them.’

  ‘We need weapons,’ said Kristo from behind them. ‘Hidin’ won’t be enough. And what if there’re other things on the island – like them giant lig? We got to be able to protect ourselves.’

  A murmur of agreement went up from most.

  The enormous ligs that had attacked them down on the flat of the island had been chasing the nectar of the night flowers. They had not ventured further up the mountain. But Kristo was right – hiding wasn’t enough. They had stopped running, and now they must secure their position.

  ‘Juno, pick a group to find the strongest branches, to sharpen and make into spears. Joe Scali will take the rest and begin placing the rocks around the entrance to hide our footprints. Those that aren’t strong enough for either will see to the food.’ Trin turned to where Djes sat, near the korm. ‘Tivi and the korm will carry your catch from the beach to the caves. Make sure some fish is dried, for storage.’

  ‘Anything else?’ said Cass Mulravey.

  ‘Collect more roots. And we need more receptacles. Some for drinking water and others to store the energy pods. They are more potent when they are kept wet.’

  ‘That means more trips back to the spring,’ said Juno.

  Trin nodded. ‘It’s the only place we’ve seen fresh water. Once you’ve made some spears or clubs, take two others down there with you. Bring as much water as you can carry.’

  ‘There’s a rock hollow in the back of our cave,’ said Cass. ‘We can store water there while we’re making more containers.’

  ‘Buono,’ said Trin. Semantic had risen, casting more light on the faces watching him. ‘I will look for another spring, closer. Now, let’s eat and work.’

  Trin ate his share of the remaining xoc and chewed a small piece of seaweed. Although salty and unpalatable, Djes assured him it was high in nutrients. When his hunger had eased enough for him to move, he got up and left the circle, walking to the large flat rock that served as the group’s evening table.

  Juno hastened after him.

  ‘Principe, is it wise to go searching for water alone?’ he said quietly. ‘In the dark you might trip and fall.’

  Trin put a reassuring hand on his lieutenant’s arm. ‘As we all might, Juno. Everyone is needed for a task. I will walk around the summit at approximately this level, returning from the west side. I would estimate only a few hours. If I am not back by early light, do not attempt to come for me until the next night. I’ll take pods and roots.’ He reached across the slab and took a collection of edibles, including several pods, slipping them into the pockets of his ragged fellalo. He filled the robe’s water-sleeve and checked the drinking tube. Its end was damaged, allowing precious water to leak out if he did not hold it upright. He pinched the valve between his fingertips.

  ‘You need both hands to climb,’ said Juno.

  Trin tied the tube in a knot to make his carabinere happy. ‘I will see you before light.’

  Djeserit walked with him until they were out of sight of the caves.

  ‘Take care, love,’ she said. It was the first time she had used an endearment.

  He peered into her face. Her tight skin, a tribute to her mixed heritage, had aged in the harsh environment. She looked more mature than the girl he had first lain with, in the dry-gardens of Villa Fedor. He touched her hair. Despite spending less time in the water, it still felt stiff, as though the sea didn’t want to relinquish its effect on her.

  At least she was cleaner than the rest of them. How long since he’d washed with a cleanser? How long until he would? ‘And you, Djes. Let the korm and Tivi carry what you catch. Don’t tire yourself by doing too much. Or overuse the pods.’

  Her thin lips parted in a smile. ‘You, also.’ She slipped her hand into his pocket and shook the pods.

  Her touch near his groin sent a shot of pleasure through his body. Though they lay together every day when she returned from fishing, neither had the energy for more than the comfort of being close. In addition, Trin found the proximity of the others inhibiting in a way that did not seem to bother some of the other men.

  He took her hand from his pocket and drew her further away from the caves. Above them was the sheer rock of the summit; below, the line of brush clinging to the dirt.

  ‘Trinder?’ she whispered.

  Without answering, her steered her to a spot among the bushes and then pulled her close. His lips tasted of her briny skin and his hands felt the taut lean warmth of her muscled body.

  She responded by pulling away and slipping her robe off, to stand naked before him. She pointed at the ground, but he shook his head and turned her from him, bending her over. The ground was too rough for her bare skin. He would not risk injuring her, so he pressed himself inside her this way.

  She stiffened at first but he stroked her back and murmured gentle reassurances. Her body began to soften in his grip. Instinctively, she started to move in rhythm, arriving at her climax before him.

  His success in pleasuring her quickly fuelled his own fervour, and he reached release almost straight away. He stood, hugging her to him, his hands cupping her narrow waist.

  ‘Trinder, there is—’

  ‘Hush,’
he said. ‘Do you hear something?’ A crackling sound, at odds with the island’s night noises.

  Djes slipped from his embrace and pulled her robe on. ‘No. But I must go and fish now.’

  ‘Si,’ he agreed.

  They pressed their lips together, and then she cupped his face. ‘I’ll think of you.’

  He smiled, turning his lips to the palm of her hand, feeling the webbing between her fingers scraping his cheek. Perhaps he had not lost her to the sea yet.

  They climbed up from the brush to the rock line, where she left him to return to the caves. Trin stood for a moment, savouring the solitude and the physical release from their moment of intimacy. He and Djeserit had paired under the worst of circumstances, yet their regard for each other sustained itself. And now the passion had returned. For a moment he felt content, a ridiculously impossible feeling under their circumstances but real enough.

  Another noise in the brush behind him shattered his moment of peace. He scanned the shadows but could see nothing other than the shapes of stunted trees. Perhaps there was an animal in there.

  A sense of uneasiness crawled into his stomach.

  Keep moving.

  MIRA

  Mira stared at Linnea. ‘It’s a girl. It must be. There is no—’

  ‘Not according to this thing.’ Linnea had placed the baby in a bubble crib by the bed and was watching the diagnostic display.

  Another cramping pain struck Mira before she could reply. Not as intense as the birthing contractions, but deep even so.

  ‘Afterbirth,’ pronounced Linnea. She left the crib and slid more absorbent film underneath Mira’s thighs. ‘One more push now,’ she said, as she pushed down on Mira’s stomach.

  With the final effort, the pain left her.

  ‘Good ’n’ healthy one, far as I can see, but small. Mine was all threaded. Too long in the womb.’

  Mira heard the door open.

  Linnea deftly wrapped the baby leftovers up and transferred them to a large receptacle. Then she pulled a sheet up over Mira’s lower body.

  Dolin was first to enter the room, hurrying to the crib. He pored over the readouts before, finally, lifting his gaze to Mira.