Angelika Queen Of Mars

Chapter 39

Chapter 39 The Magical Mystery Tour

Well, here we all were, heading for earth, but I'll be damned if I know how we did it. The Giuffrida was a decent sized ship, but with the exception of Moreck's parents, the rest of us were crammed like sardines in her tiny staterooms. We also had installed two portable cabins in the hold area, one for my guys who weren't complaining, but were making jokes about traveling in an alien "troopship" the vanguard of an invading force. Dori, Mokora Draaka, Premick Karym, and Sharla Danth had the other, while Robarik Draaka and I shared one cabin, and Moreck and Rek the other. Since Kha'Mak and his lady friend Na'Kal were droids, they stayed on the bridge all the time, needless to say, it was an interesting voyage.

The Tajvana, captain Neshok's recovery tug was following as well several shon's behind us. He was carrying captain Yemock's smaller recovery craft with my saucer inside. At a brief pre-flight meeting on the landing field near Cluria, I was introduced to Neshok's engineer Naldar Mirsek,his co-pilot Nolick Yuren, although Neshok's wife Narsa would also be acting co-pilot. There was a crewman named Raynarg Sarmak and of course the comedic team of captain Yemock, Sarmak, and Owlsek. Dori swears she saw what appeared to be a female Amulian as well, although I didn't see her…Whatever.

Because of Moreck's parents, along with our other guests I read the riot act to my guys to be on their best behavior, impressions were everything and I was eager to show the Gormeth's we Kagorians were educated and "civilized." In the end, there wasn't much to do except talk, and play cards. Jeff and Ethan got a game of Texas hold-em going which seemed to last the whole voyage with just about everyone playing at one point. From time to time, Jeff would offer a tutorial on how to play, Na'Kal learning the quickest because she was droid. In the end though, she was banned because Jeff and Ethan swore she was counting cards, and maybe she was, they were in a sense playing against a super computer. We also thought that because the Falthians were telepathic, there would be a tendency to read minds, but all swore they wouldn't, and their win/loss record seemed to bear that out

Gerry and Sharla spent a lot of time together, apparently re-sparking their previous relationship, and when she wasn't with Gerry, she was chatting with Dori, Mrs. Gormeth, Mokora Draaka, and Premick Karym. As for me, I spent a lot of time talking to Moreck, his father Robarik, and Premick. When I wasn't doing that, I was up on the bridge talking with Kha'Mak, his girlfriend, and Rek. Once Kha'Mak explained his relationship with Na'Kal, I apologized all over.

"Think nothing of it Jake," he replied, "But think about it, both Na'Kal and I are top of the line androids. We think, we feel, I've read all the books you've given me, and have come to understand what it is your writers were trying to explore. Concepts of the soul and the ability to formulate original thought are a reality, it's a same I couldn't sit down with them and present myself, I think they would realize the ultimate being had been achieved." I wasn't so sure about that, but said nothing. I suppose the fact that I didn't treat Kha'Mak or even Na'Kal any differently than any of the rest of us spoke volumes.

I found Na'Kal quite unusual, she wasn't a knock-out beauty, but strongly reminded me of an actress I lay awake half the "night," trying to remember without any luck. She had grey eyes and dark brown hair. I tell you, back on earth the news is filled with stories about how "lifelike" they're making robots, people would freak if they could see how "lifelike" droids like these two were. Unlike Kha'Mak, Na'Kal was quite witty, but very quick to correct. I could only imagine how a politician would react were they to debate Na'Kal, she remembered everything, and would call them on every lie or false statement. Kha'Mak had gotten her "hooked" on all the sci-fi books I had given him and like her benefactor could recite whole chapters verbatim. Upon arriving on earth, they planned on holing up in Moreck's old study and pouring over every book down there.

Once I happened to be talking to Gerry about her and Kha'Mak with Gerry remarking,

"My God! Could you imagine those two at one of those sci-fi conventions, you know, where geeks run around looking like Spock or Darth Vader, they'd have those people their slaves in no time." He was right, Kha'Mak and Na'Kal could literally write their own tickets, but unfortunately the whole thing would come to a bad end like so much on earth. I asked her about flying for the Thenta Makur, the professionals who catered to both male and female training for years to become the best prostitutes in the universe.

"Because of the nature of their work, I'm not at liberty to divulge stories, however she corrected a lot of misconceptions I had had of this organization. According to her, most of the Thenta Makur's clients were business people who were basically "workaholics" who never had time to marry or raise a family. Corporations and large firms on Falth all had strict vacation policies, they didn't care where you spent your month of vacation, but you weren't working it away. Surprisingly, many actually picked up the tab for any unmarried employee to take off somewhere with their "temporary" wife or husband.

"Many males stick with the same female dorn in and dorn out," explained Na'Kal.

"Not so much with female employees, but all are thoroughly checked unless they are a returning customer. You've got to understand that these employees who spend an alyt with the companion of their choice, have no wife or husband to spend their credits on so most Thenta Makur are quite wealthy in their own right." Just out of curiosity, I tossed a name at her,

"Robarik's ancestor wrote a book about her experiences both on Falth and Kagor where she was born. In it she mentions a good friend of her best friend by the name of Zarka Acarra, name ring a bell?" Na'Kal smiled,

"Oh yes, she eventually wed, and her son eventually became head of the Shai Alyt, she also had a daughter who became a well known professor at the University specializing in Amulian studies."

"How interesting," I thought, the Shai Alyt was the big pharmaceutical company that sponsored the contractors who first came to earth to harvest St. John's wort, and walnuts.

"It wasn't all that long ago that Zarka passed," added Na'Kal. "I believe she has another descendant who joined the order; perhaps I could arrange a meeting?" I immediately nixed that one. While Dori was very open minded over matters of s*x, meeting with a member of the Thenta Makur would raise too many questions along with a lot of headaches I didn't need.

"Feel free to let them know you know, and spoke with someone who's ancestor dates back to that time when Zarka visited Kagor," I said.

"Oh I most certainly will beamed Na'Kal.

Since we shared a cabin, Robarik and I spent a lot of time discussing the kids who would be returning with us to begin their studies on Falth. So far, on my side of the family there was Kaitlan who could count the "queen of Mars" as one of her friends. She was one level headed girl who was very motivated. Then there was Torry, and her cousin Mike of the Beckford's, the two Robarik was most interested in. And while they were not direct decedents, they were still Beckford's and related. Then there was Robert Blessing, a direct descendent of Colin whose family my great great grandfather had been adopted into. Robarik was very excited about these four kids who would be coming to Falth, as were other decedents of the women who long ago married those Falthian contractors and raised families on Falth.

On a previous visit to earth Torry Bickford had read Holly's book, inspiring her to follow in her ancestors footsteps. She had expressed an interest in possibly joining the Falthian navy so she could learn to fly starships, Robarik's daughter Mokora was along to assess her potential abilities. I kidded her about her last visit in which we had to bail from the spacecraft and land on earth in an escape pod. For the most part, she didn't think too much of her last visit, but accepted it as just bad luck. When she wasn't playing cards she could be found with the rest of the women gossiping, however she was quite intrigued by Na'Kal, and spent time talking to her.

Premick Karym was a descendent of Nargra and Hanna Halidar, Morkai Draaka's partner. Having lived the last twenty dorns teaching on a small mining planet, she and her father had just heard about me, and while having no direct decedents on earth, as an educator, she was very interested in the kids.

"I taught primary education on Tharmek 4, a small mining planet for a little over ten dorns. I had around twelve students in my class. Taught them from the time their families arrived until my students were ready to move on to the university, I'm the only teacher they ever knew, we became like a family. After I returned to Falth, my father told me about Mr. Draaka's efforts to bring interested Kagorian children here to study. At the last moment, he was forced to drop out due to an unexpected death at his firm, but fortunately I am able to be here."

She then told us fascinating stories concerning the mining planet and the people who worked there.

"The whole planet was practically solid Kelumin, a substance that produces a substance called "Oxygapic powder, when introduced into the smelting process, makes morperion extremely flexible." I always winced whenever the talk turned to exotic metals, the names of which make this kind of spaceflight possible. According to Premick, she did it all; making sure her charges received educations equal to any back on Falth.

"I'm at a crossroads in my life," explained Premick, "life on Tharmek 4 is practically all I know, I went there right out of the university, and devoted my life to my students. After my father told me of my ancestors, and Robarik's project, I thought that perhaps I could be of some help." I could see a lot of potential in this woman, but then I said,

"I don't know how much you know about Kagor, but technically we are considered a backward planet. Although our scientists know a great deal about the universe, it's no doubt miniscule compared to Falthian knowledge. It's my understanding that this effort is somewhat of an experiment, gauging just how smart we really are."

"I also understand that there a lot of influential people on Falth who seek official recognition of my world. Now personally, I don't think that going to happen, and it might surprise you to know that I hope it doesn't. You have always worked with small groups of students, so maybe we could set something up where you could conduct a sort of "prep" school to screen these kids."

Premick said nothing for a moment, then sadness appeared on her face,

"Oh if you only knew how much I would love that Jake. I've been off-planet most of my life and have no experience with you Kagorians, however I want to change all that, I've been doing a lot of study on not only my ancestor who came from Kagor, but you and the others as well."

"Is there any time limit on your stay?" I asked. Premick smiled,

"No, my father must have the same thing in mind, as he told me, to take my time get to know this strange world, get to know where Hanna came from."

We engaged in several more conversations during the voyage, coming up with a tentative plan whereby she could stay at my house along with Carman and whoever else happened to be staying at the time. I kept thinking about Clifford Simak's book "Way station," and even spoke to Kha'Mak about it, receiving a number of flawless recitation's of practically the whole book, no doubt about it, my great, great grandfather's home near Deadwood South Dakota had become an "unofficial" embassy of the planet earth.

Shortly before we were due to go into orbit over Mars, we all listened while Robarik told us of Morkai, and Nargra, and how they came to Kagor and fell in love with two earth women, as well as their friends who did the same. His story held us spellbound, for I hand not read nor heard many of the details and incidents he described. I'm not sure it was for my benefit, but he detailed many things Moreck had never mentioned about that night when Moreck's father had landed near the house and tried to kill him and his wife.

I was also glad that my guys really got to hear the whole background of how I came to be, as well as the whole basis for why the Falthians had come to earth in the first place. You know you live your whole life in the shadow of someone you never quite understood, or were in just a little bit of awe over, I had always known the story from Moreck's point of view, but after listening to Robarik, all the loose ends just fell into place, and I came away with a completely different understanding, not only of this alien race, but my place in the whole scheme of things.

Being the kind of ship that she was, the Giuffrida could land on the Martian surface. After clearing with Falthian control, and waiting for the Tajvana to arrive, we selected a nice spot for the photo shoot. Captain Neshok alerted us when he was overhead, and that captain Yemock would be arriving momentarily. Kha'Mak and I then conversed with captain Yemock suggesting a place where he could deposit the saucer allowing for proper shading, and not much glare. He didn't respond, but soon the smaller tug came down, hovered off the ground while lowering my saucer with a tractor beam. It then rose up into the atmosphere, allowing us to take pictures of the diminutive craft. When we finished, Yemock came down again, picked up the saucer, then left to join the Tajvana. I think the whole thing was over and done in little over a shon. While we were waiting for captain Neshok to get ready, Kha'mak talked with the people manning the Mars base, who told us that everything was on track over on Europa or New Uromath as it was soon to be called. They also told us that they had just announced to Kagor in Angelika's name the forthcoming present she was sending them. As yet no response had been received, but I could only imagine what it would be.