Part 6 (1/2)
Geban noticed the Pakhar visibly relax. Things were going to be all right for all parties concerned. Geban had not been chancellor all his life, but he could recognize diplomacy when he saw it. And this Keri exuded it with total professionalism.
'Tell me more about this hologram system you have brought to Peladon for the festivities. It is not a technology we possess yet. I would like to understand it better.' The king indicated for Keri to sit on a stool beside him.
She sat. Geban turned to leave, but Tarrol requested that he stayed.
Keri outlined her business. She evidently enjoyed her work for all her moans and bl.u.s.ter, and seemed immensely pleased at her successes.
'. . . and so you see, Your Majesty, it converts the images to electrical impulses and beams them back on a subs.p.a.ce carrier wave to Io. There they are re-sent and spread amongst the Federation worlds. Your whole restatement vows can be witnessed by anyone who wants to see them.'
'But if they don't want to see? I should hate the Federation to feel that they had to watch something that they did not want to watch.' The king still seemed perplexed.
Keri smiled. 'Please do not take offence, Your Majesty. Should they not want to watch, they simply turn their image of you off.'
There was a pause as the king digested this information. Then he smiled.
'You are indeed fortunate. I only wish certain people on Peladon could beturned off' when I do not wish to see or hear them.'
Geban nodded.
Ker'a'nol looked at the two men and smiled. 'Ah,' she understood. 'You don't mean High Priestess Atissa by any chance?'
None of them saw Atissa standing at the back of the throne room. She had entered by the right-hand pa.s.sage, that led directly to the living quarters - a route only she and Geban were allowed to use. As she stood and listened to herself being ridiculed, she felt anger welling up inside. And a deep shame. Her king considered her a joke. The Pakhar, Ker'a'nol had encouraged this, she had placed the idea in Tarrol's mind.
Atissa swept out as silently as she had entered. Keri did not realize it, but she had just made herself a very, very bad enemy.
2: In a Gla.s.shouse
's.p.a.ce. Vast, dark and cold. Tiny pinp.r.i.c.ks of light reveal planets and stars.
Across the interminable distances between each pinp.r.i.c.k, minute specks float. These specks are s.p.a.cecraft. From many different worlds, many float. These specks are s.p.a.cecraft. From many different worlds, many different races, but all with one common aim: to be somewhere else. different races, but all with one common aim: to be somewhere else.
The foremost craft of the Galactic Federation, the Deep s.p.a.ce Cruiser Bruk, owned and piloted by the Martian Star Fleet, is one of the largest and Bruk, owned and piloted by the Martian Star Fleet, is one of the largest and sleekest vessels ever constructed. To those fascinated by interstellar sleekest vessels ever constructed. To those fascinated by interstellar travel, it is the sort of s.h.i.+p that they will go anywhere just to catch a glimpse travel, it is the sort of s.h.i.+p that they will go anywhere just to catch a glimpse of. of.
s.h.i.+p spotters queue for hours on end at s.p.a.ce ports to see it arrive or depart. To admire its craftsmans.h.i.+p, wallow in its splendour, note its depart. To admire its craftsmans.h.i.+p, wallow in its splendour, note its registration number and discuss for hours the many trips it might have registration number and discuss for hours the many trips it might have made, the things it might have witnessed and the miracles it might have made, the things it might have witnessed and the miracles it might have performed. performed.
For some, however, it is just a mode of conveyance, something to take you from A to B and, hopefully, back again. from A to B and, hopefully, back again.
s.h.i.+p spotters call such people soulless - less pa.s.sionate people call them pa.s.sengers.' pa.s.sengers.'
The s.h.i.+p Spotters' Almanac (53rd Edition) Ed. J. V Way.
AD 3908 Bowketts Universal Publications The first thing Bernice noticed as she followed the Doctor out of the TARDIS was the smell, like fresh, slightly damp roses. Sniffing at the overwhelming scent, she followed the Doctor down a long Perspex corridor, deserted apart from an automated service robot which appeared to be was.h.i.+ng the walls. Outside, the unlikely combination of bright green gra.s.s, palm trees and a few multicoloured shrubs which she knew instinctively were not from Earth bathed in the light reflected from the spires.
'You've missed a bit.' The Doctor patted the service robot and pointed to a smear on the perspex wall with his umbrella.
Apologies,' squeaked the robot and hurriedly set about resquirting, rewas.h.i.+ng and repolis.h.i.+ng the offending mark.
Nodding to himself, the Doctor continued his amble, leaving Bernice to commend the robot on its speedy rectification.
'Doctor,' she called, 'far be it from me to pry, but where exactly are we headed?'
The Doctor said nothing but pointed forward with his umbrella.
'Thanks. That's a great help,' Bernice muttered and decided to keep up with the Time Lord. Familiarity, in her case, bred further familiarity and she knew from experience that if she lost sight of the Doctor, she might spend years on Io without finding him. Somehow, that didn't really appeal.
They continued their walk for the most part in silence. Occasionally the Doctor would point out a particular bush, fruit or animal outside and reel off its origin, but apart from this small talk, Bernice realized she would get no answers to her questions just yet.
After about a twenty-minute walk, by which time the TARDIS was a speck on the horizon behind them, Bernice could hear the soft burble of voices.
As they continued it got louder and she realized that their route was going to meet at a T -junction with another, an apparently busy, noisy one. A few minutes later they stopped at the end of their corridor and Bernice was impressed.
In front of her, for the most part ignoring her, what seemed like hundreds of people walked or ran along the connecting corridor. She stared hard: very few humans, she thought, but many humanoids, although some were of colours she'd never seen. Come to think of it, they were colours she couldn't have even imagined! As they mingled amongst them, the lights far above seemed to reflect on the faces of some of them, although she noted that it tended to be on the more exotic species rather than what she could only think of as bog-standard humans.
After another ten minutes of walking the Doctor stopped and looked around and above them. Then he looked left, right and back the way they had come.
'You don't know where we are, d'you?' Bernice tapped her foot against the pavement.
He touched her foot with the tip of his umbrella to stop the tapping and looked up at her with a sheepish smile. I wouldn't say that.'
'Well, what would you say, then?'
The Doctor coughed slightly, swung his umbrella up and started counting sections off along it. He then slung it over his shoulder and started counting and pointing in various directions. While all this was going on, Bernice raised her eyes heavenwards. She smiled politely at the pa.s.sers-by who looked intrigued or bemused by the strange-looking man who muttered and pointed to himself. She shrugged her shoulders at one tall blue woman who looked as if she were about to ask whether the Doctor required some kind of medical attention but then seemed to change her mind at the last moment.
After a few minutes, a dark-clad militaristic human wandered over. 'Can I help you?' he asked, his soft voice a startling contrast to his severe uniform.
I hope so,' muttered Bernice. 'Where's the nearest bar, I need-'
'Directions as we're rather lost,' finished the Doctor, dropping the point of his umbrella to the metallic floor rather heavily to attract Bernice's attention.
As usual,' she added, determined to be right for a change, and giving the Doctor an I told you so' look.
The security guard smiled warmly. 'Don't worry, Doctor, you're not too far off the right track.' Both he and the Doctor ignored Bernice's astonished gape and the guard started giving directions. When he'd finished, he gave the fuming Bernice a winning smile and sauntered off.
'Do I get an explanation, or do I a.s.sume the entire universe will recognize you wherever we go?' In reply the Doctor placed his arm around Bernice's waist and said, I knew I was on the right track. This way.'
Bernice was pleased to see that Federation hospitality was exactly as she had expected it to be. Lots of drinks on offer, lots of friendly faces and a majority of their hosts had two arms, two legs, one head and smiled a lot.
Of course, a smile to them could be the equivalent of a snarl to her, but as neither of her ankles had been bitten off, she a.s.sumed they were friendly aliens.
On arriving at what appeared to be their main destination they had been whisked up seventy-seven floors to the suite of the Cantryan commissioner, whom it now appeared was not only the current chair of the Federation Council but also an old friend of the Doctor's. Then again, she thought, so was everybody she ever met. Christmas cards must be a nightmare!
Although in her time there had been much co-operation between the various species that inhabited the galaxy, wars and bickering were still constant thorns, p.r.i.c.king away at the good relations. Bernice was glad to see that things had apparently changed for the better. From what she could see and had briefly noted from the TARDIS databank, the Galactic Federation was a ma.s.sively successful inter-species exchange programme. As new planets applied for - and usually received - members.h.i.+p, so a cultural cross-pollination occurred as each new planet brought something new to the Federation while receiving the combined wisdom and services of every other planet.
The Cantryan commissioner was overwhelmingly charming, and his suite of offices positively radiated welcome, the decor, furniture and plants all serving to reinforce a relaxed atmosphere.
The only change to this occurred at the point the Doctor asked the commissioner about his family. As far as Bernice could gather from listening in, the commissioner's eldest daughter had died recently in an accident on a distant frontier world. Once the Doctor had offered the relevant condolences, the topics of conversation grew more pleasant and cheerful.