Sideshow Alley Read online

  Early the next morning the Alpha couple took a cab to the quay and boarded the ship. It was an old wooden sailing vessel that now catered for the tourist trade and made several stops on its way to the next city along the coast where it stayed overnight before returning the next day. The trip was a whole new experience for Kyla. She marvelled at the way they were borne over the water by wind power alone to predetermined locations. She had heard of the ancient practice many times, but never thought she would experience it.

  The two spent an hour above deck watching the shoreline disappear, Kyla keeping an eye on the sails and the Mate as he steered the ship. Afterwards they mingled with the other passengers in the mess when refreshments were served. They were mostly locals—a similar race to the earthmen with black eyes and hair, their skin weathered and tanned from the sun. The rest were off-planet tourists—a varied and colourful lot who were thankfully versed in the common language of the Legion’s Recreational Resorts. They enjoyed the company of both and stayed in the mess for another hour before going below.

  On entering their cabin they found it was diametrically opposed to the gadgetry of the Cosmopolitan and in keeping with the rest of the ship. The bedding arrangement consisted of two single bunks reminiscent of the Carrier, while the water for washing was drawn by a hand pump into a basin below.

  Shouts from above signalled their arrival at their first destination, so they hurried back up on deck to find they had entered into a small protected bay. The ship went closer inshore and Kyla watched as the sails and anchor was dropped. The Master of the vessel informed the passengers that a boat would be lowered to take them ashore for a few hours and that lunch would be served on their return.

  The passengers hurried below to change into swimwear and grab towels before being helped aboard the lifeboat for the journey to shore. Once there Kyla spread a towel on the pure white sand and walked down to the shoreline to test the water. It was a warm day despite the breeze and reminded her of the time spent on Verdi. A shock of cold water hit her to end her reverie, and then another. She squealed and looked around as Colin splashed her again. She chased him, but he kept going further out so she returned to the shallows and swam instead, both frolicking some more before going ashore to dry off and laze on the beach awhile.

  On entering the water again Kyla splashed Colin first and dove under the water to escape any reprisal. They just had time to dry off before the Mate called the passengers to the lifeboat for the trip back. Once onboard they dined in the mess while the ship got underway and then disappeared below deck to spend the remainder of the trip in their cabin. They resurfaced again on reaching port and watched as the ship was tied up. Afterwards the Captain informed the passengers that the evening meal would be had ashore at one of the local eateries, before returning to sleep back onboard for an early departure the next morning.

  The two legionnaires stepped ashore along with the other passengers, but chose to take-in the sights of the Port City before joining them at the inn.

  As it was late, most of the shops had already closed, but they came upon one that was still in the process. It was a jeweller’s shop and Colin noticed the owner still inside as they looked at the display. He tapped on the window and pointed to Kyla and then at the display. The owner hesitated a moment and looked about to see if there was anyone else in the vicinity before unlocking the door.

  ‘How may I help you?’

  ‘Do you have a coin in two parts?’ Colin asked.

  The jeweller disappeared for a moment before returning with a tray of them to choose from. Colin chose a small gold one, with each half attached to a fine chain. He paid for it and thanked the owner for his patience. Afterwards they made their way to the inn and seated themselves at a table for two in the dining room.

  Kyla’s curiosity was brimming over, ‘What is the significance of the coin?’

  Colin took the two halves from the box and placed them on the table in front of her. Then he took hold of her hand and said, ‘I would marry you today, but it’s much too soon in our relationship and an engagement ring would equally be out of place. A friendship ring would be a slap in the face, but this coin says all of those things.’

  He put one half of the coin in her hand and explained the rationale behind it. ‘It’s a lover’s coin and only has any value when the two halves come together.’

  ‘That is beautiful,’ Kyla said, as he slipped the chain over her head.

  ‘I feel the same way, but if we manage to make it through this hitch I will expect something a little more enduring.’

  ‘That’s a promise,’ Colin said.

  The two ate their meal when it was served and washed it down with a bottle of red wine before making their way back onboard. By the time they woke the next day they were already underway, heading back for the final night together before joining the Carrier and the inevitable deployment.

  On reaching the Cosmopolitan again, it wasn’t the same. There were Prathkos everywhere and when they reached the seventh floor they found their room didn’t exist anymore. It had been reduced to rubble by an explosion and the area taped off, with Prathkos guarding the area as well.

  Karl was there. He rushed over on seeing them and herded them out of sight into a nearby room.

  ‘Where have you two been? We thought you were dead,’ he said, before speaking into a communicator.

  Minutes later the Colonel arrived on the scene.

  ‘Where the hell have you been, you’ve missed out on all the fun!’

  ‘Some fun,’ Colin said, ‘that was our room. What happened?’

  ‘It seems our friends the Lizards have been working overtime. They couldn’t get you in battle, so they sent some bounty hunters in to take care of you.’

  ‘So did you get them?’ Colin asked.

  ‘You betcha! Once we knew what had happened we waited for them to lift-off and then blasted them before they could jump, but there’ll be others once they know you’re still alive. I’m afraid a female Zylon and an Earthman are going to stick out like a sore thumb. Where were you anyhow?’

  ‘We went on an overnight cruise,’ Kyla told him.

  ‘Okay, we’d better think about how to get you out of here, there maybe others about and you’ll be safer back on the ship. Karl, round up five other fighters and bring them here, then try to find a Sandman’s robe to disguise Kyla,’ the Colonel ordered.

  Ten minutes later the Prathkos escorted Kyla to the endpoint flanked by six earthmen, Colin amongst them, and the two were teleported back up to the Carrier.

  The Colonel followed.

  ‘What are we supposed to do now? The place is deserted and we’ve still got a day to go,’ Colin complained.

  ‘That’s not my problem. You’ll think of something.’

  Kyla took Colin’s hand and led him off in the direction of her cabin. Once there, he made himself comfortable on her bunk and pulled her down to kiss. She didn’t resist, but when finished her mood had changed somewhat.

  ‘What’s up?’ he asked. Kyla sat next to him and held his hand while searching for the words to say.

  Finally she turned to address him, ‘When a Zylon joins the Legion they leave DNA behind, so that if by chance they get dusted the lineage of both parents can still be perpetuated.’

  Colin could see that she was concerned about the Lizard’s relentless pursuit of them in space and now on land.

  He nodded at the wisdom of the Zylon practice.

  ‘How do they go about it?’

  ‘What, the perpetuation?’ Kyla asked, before explaining, ‘a donor is found and the DNA is used to create another descendant of direct lineage.’

  Colin tried to pick up the threads of her thinking, ‘So you’ve done this also?’

  ‘Naturally—I’m an only child.’

  ‘So what’s the problem?’

  ‘Well now that we’re a couple, I think we should harvest your DNA as well. Otherwise if something did happen, my offspring would be fathered by a donor and not
by you. What do you think?’

  The idea surprised him. He put his arms around her and kissed her again.

  ‘What would your parents think of such a union?’

  ‘It doesn’t really matter what they think. I will have honoured them while being true to myself and you.’

  ‘Then of course I’ll do it. You tell me when and maybe help out a little.’

  Kyla was heartened by his response, ‘By the way, would you like to speak to them?’

  Colin looked at her, puzzled, ‘Speak to whom?’

  ‘Why, to my parents of course.’

  ‘You’ve talked to them already?’ he said, surprised, ‘but how?’

  ‘Of course I have. I like to keep them up to date with the things in my life.’

  ‘But how do you keep in touch from here?’

  Kyla moved off her bed and retrieved a memory-stick with the latest message from home.

  ‘On joining a Legion ship each person’s name, plus the name of the ship, becomes an e-address. We access and send mail via the library,’ she informed him.

  ‘How come I haven’t heard of it before?’

  ‘Probably because the fighters have no one to correspond with—it’s only the older ones who might use the service as they make friends on different ships and planets,’ Kyla explained. She inserted the stick into a VDU and an image appeared on the wall opposite. Kyla sat beside him, ready to answer any other questions that might arise.

  Colin watched as the image of Kyla’s parents become clearer. They were in what appeared to be the lounge room of their apartment, seated on an ivory modular couch setting with matching fabric cushions. The surrounding walls were metallic grey, with a drop table hinged to the wall at one side.

  There was a look of concern on the face of both parents.

  ‘I can see where you got your good looks from,’ he said, as her mother started to speak.

  ‘Kyla as you know, your father follows the exploits of the Redemption on the Legion’s site and he is very proud of you, while I on the other hand like to hear from you in person. When you trained as a pilot we used to hear a lot about your friends at flight school, especially Eric. Whatever has become of him? Now all we hear about is this Earthman. What does it all mean? We look forward to when you come home again and then perhaps you can tell us about it.’

  The message went on about friends and relatives before it ended.

  ‘Well, what do you think?’

  ‘It’s nice to finally see and hear your parents—it gives me that much more insight about you.’

  ‘So do wish to speak to them?’

  ‘Sure, you set it up.’

  Kyla sat Colin on a chair in front of the VDU and smoothed down the sheets on her bunk before setting the unit to capture.

  ‘Are you ready?’ Colin nodded and turned to face the VDU.

  ‘Hello. My name is Colin, and I’m the other half of Alpha One aboard the Redemption. I want to say from the outset that unlike your daughter Kyla, I never trained or wanted to be here. But now that I am, I find that I like it and want to stay. I’ve also fallen in love with your daughter although initially she was a hard girl to get to know, and now I couldn’t imagine life without her.’

  He reached out and pulled Kyla onto his lap, ‘It’s nice to finally get to see and talk with you this way and hope that I meet with your approval.’

  He kissed Kyla as she pointed the remote to end the capture.

  ‘They’re going to love that one.’

  ‘They won’t be offended will they?’ Colin asked, concerned.

  ‘Well… it’s just that we are a more sedate race.’

  ‘They might be, but you’re not,’ he assured her, as he kissed her again.

  Tace

  The crews drifted back to the Carrier the next day, some looking as if they’d just left a party. Long hot showers helped clear the fogginess from their heads and afterwards a few sought the comfort of their bunk to help catch up on some long needed sleep.

  Eight new crews were ferried in and sat together in the mess at lunchtime. The old crews eyed them dubiously and chose to ignore them, preferring to swap stories with their friends about leave below instead.

  The replacements were seasoned crews and yet the younger Redemption fighters had been through that much they were hardened already. They only relented after the meal was over and gravitated towards the newcomers who bore their wing-patch to welcome them. An interesting revelation was that the Redemption was a sought after draft these days, due to the drop in casualties, and film clips of their battles were now pored over by Carriers throughout the legion.

  The Colonel addressed the mess at 1300 hours to welcome the new crews aboard. He also informed them that the Lizards hadn’t returned to Verdi—whether it was due to the replacement craft above or the fact that they were still in the vicinity. Another development was the blowing-up of the Alpha Weapon Officers’ hotel room by bounty hunters, which only confirmed the scuttlebutt that had been doing the rounds on the planet below.

  ‘It’s a thing they try as a last resort and has only ever been done once or twice before,’ the Colonel explained, ‘so you see the crew of Redemption, ably led by your Alpha Team, have really got the Lizards rattled—especially after downing one of their Carriers like that. Keep up the good work. We have a day or two to get back into shape and after that I wouldn’t be surprised if we were sent in to Hell itself, so be prepared.’

  ‘He is joking, isn’t he?’ one of the newcomers asked. The Redemption crew-member next to him shook his head.

  ‘Is there anything you wish to say at this time?’ the Colonel asked Colin.

  ‘Only that the first hour in the mess tonight will be a compulsory wing get-together to integrate the newcomers, also could the new Weapon Officers stay behind after this, I’d like to speak to them and the Squadron Leaders as well.’

  ‘Very good, I guess I’ll see you all later,’ the Colonel said, before departing.

  The mess emptied, leaving only the nominated personnel behind. Colin addressed the new Weapon Officers and explained that the Carrier’s record of late had been due to salvos and more importantly, how they had been laid down. He explained why they were so effective before going over what was expected of each wing member. The alpha leader knew that prior preparation was essential and told the newcomers to make themselves available at 0800 hours the next day when they would run through the sequence again.

  ‘Sorry to have you sit through that,’ he told the Squadron Leaders afterwards, ‘but you will be doing it yourselves one day, so hopefully you can learn something also. Now are there any problems or things that need attention?’

  The Leaders looked around before shaking their heads.

  ‘What about fitness levels after two weeks of leave? Perhaps if each wing carries out an exercise program each morning it might kick-start the fighters again and up their response times,’ he suggested. The Leaders concurred and were dismissed to initiate the program, although some stayed on to talk about Almeta.

  Eric was distressed on learning of the attempt on Kyla’s life while on leave.

  ‘How come they missed you?’ Tiddles asked.

  ‘Obviously we weren’t there at the time,’ Colin replied.

  ‘We went on a cruise and when we came back the place had already been blown. What about you fellows, where did you get to?’

  ‘We all did the Subterranean. It’s totally cool, like up in the opal fields back home.’

  ‘How did Pee Wee go?’

  ‘I’m afraid Jimmy and Barry led him astray. He’s not the same sweet fellow that he used to be,’ Tiddles said, laughing.

  Kyla and the others around laughed also.

  It was rowdier than usual in the mess that night as the new wing members compared the leave complex below to recreational facilities on other planets. The Redemption’s fighters crowded around them as they lifted their shirts to reveal the names of the different Carriers and list of battles they’d fought—along w
ith a record of the hostesses they’d known. Although for some strange reason, the one on all of their lips now was Phoebe. When the hour was over both Sami and the hostesses were swamped with work.

  In the morning the new fighters were quizzed on their roles once again and then told to report back again at 1300 hours. To the Red Leaders gathered it seemed like overkill—but they could only gain from their training. The new fighters filled gaps in their own squadrons and time was ticking away, with a new deployment and battle due any time.

  ‘What are your thoughts on the next clash, Eric?’ Colin asked.

  ‘How do you mean?’

  ‘I can’t help but feel they will try new tactics this time. For one thing it will be a different Carrier and they know we are coming back from rotation—plus they’ve had all that time to plot and plan.’

  ‘I wouldn’t worry excessively about it,’ Eric replied, ‘their best plan has just failed, so anything else would be second rate.’

  The other leaders agreed with his assumption.

  ‘Thanks for putting it in perspective. Hopefully you’re right. We’ll just have to play it by ear and watch the nav screens, I guess,’ Colin said, before dismissing them.

  He took particular notice of Pee Wee in the mess at midday. The young legionnaire seemed a little more self-assured and joined in the conversations that Barry and Jimmy had, rather than cringing on the sidelines. No doubt he was already counting the days until his next leave.

  At 1300 hours Colin drilled the new Weapon Officers again until he was satisfied once more and then during the evening meal the Colonel’s voice came over the P.A. with the news they had been dreading.

  ‘Eat, drink and make merry, Gentlemen. Tonight while you sleep we will be hurtling towards Tace and the Lizards who await us there.’

  To the younger fighters the name didn’t mean all that much, although a few had seen it inked on some of the older replacements. However the newcomers sucked in their breath on hearing the news and cursed their bad joss for being drafted to the Redemption.