Heirs of the New Earth Read Free Page B

life forms. However, the Titans had broken the symbiosis and were in hiding. Ellis finished the message with a word about his romantic feelings for the ship's corporate officer, Kirsten Smart.
    The letter home done, Ellis rapped his fingers on the tabletop and looked out the window over his bunk. Finally, with some resolve, he decided to visit the ship's prisoner, a warrior from the planet Rd'dyggia. The warrior, G'Liat, was nearly eight feet tall with a hairless head and orange skin. A cluster of prehensile, purple appendages wriggled in front of the warrior's mouth, like a grotesque, living mustache.
    The captain found the warrior sitting alone in his cabin. African drums played and pungent incense burned, filling the room with potent vapors. The captain sat down opposite the warrior, remembering their first meeting in the lush swamps of Rd'dyggia. Shortly before, the Cluster had seemingly spoken to Ellis in a vision. Ellis had sought G'Liat out to help interpret that vision. “How are you doing?” asked Ellis, at last.
    "I am caged,” said the warrior. “I want out."
    "There's no guard on the door,” admitted the captain. “I haven't decided if I'm going to press charges."
    "My sense of honor prevents me from leaving,” said G'Liat, simply.
    "Why did you kill McClintlock?” asked Ellis. Clyde McClintlock, a one-time colonel and an evangelist, had been posing as the ship's cook. As it had with Ellis, the Cluster had spoken to McClintlock in emotional symbolism. At the time, Ellis had interpreted the communication as evidence that the Cluster was a powerful life form. Clyde McClintlock had interpreted the visions as a message from God incarnate. “You could have subdued him. It would have been very simple for you."
    "We are all specist, Captain. Have you ever longed to hunt whales as your ancestors did? Be honest.” G'Liat leaned forward.
    Ellis swallowed hard. “I've thought about it."
    "When you sort out your feelings on this matter, you will be a better warrior,” explained G'Liat. “Once you've done that, you are welcome to return to Rd'dyggia. I will teach you more."
    "I'm not sure I want to learn what you have to teach,” said Ellis, looking at the floor.
    "This is not the Captain Ellis speaking who sought me out.” G'Liat leaned back revealing a deep cut left by McClintlock when they had struggled.
    "No,” said Ellis, simply. “The universe seems to have changed for me."
    "That is as it should be. The offer still stands,” said G'Liat. The warrior stood and looked out the window over his bunk. “I saw you with the Clusters. Did you succeed in talking to them?"
    Ellis remained silent for several minutes. “I succeeded in hearing what they had to say."
    G'Liat turned, his hands folded. “Nine tenths of communication is listening. May I look into your mind? I would like to see what they had to say.” The warrior referred to electronic technology that the Rd'dyggians had developed that allowed direct brain-to-brain communication between beings.
    Ellis shook his head slowly. “No, not this time. My thoughts are my own. They always have been. I realize now that's why you couldn't see the second Cluster vision. It's personal and I didn't want you to see."
    "Indeed, your ability to block me is strong, perhaps unique.” G'Liat looked toward the floor. “You hadn't known me long at that time. You certainly had no reason to trust me. Does our friendship mean nothing? I helped you learn the origin of the Cluster. Can't you let me see what you learned?"
    Ellis looked into the warrior's large, black eyes. After a moment, the captain held his hand open toward the chair opposite. “Sit, and I'll tell you the tale."
    * * * *
    After a long day of work, Timothy Gibbs trudged home. As he pondered what he would have for dinner, he looked to the sky. The sight made him pause. Usually, there was so much pollution that city lights just reflected back and the night sky was a deep rusty orange. On this night, Gibbs