Wishing On A Star

Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Flying this vessel wasn't a whole lot different than flying the Na'Vas. The bridge was laid out a bit differently, but the scanner screens, read-out monitors as well as the instrumentation lay-out were all the same. Most of my duties involved actually flying, monitoring Weeko (who really didn't need watching) or explaining things to the students. Professor Narkoa conducted "classes'" in a small classroom located where the cargo hold would normally be. Once in awhile he would sit next to Hanna and I and chat about things. It occurred to me that the man was just nervous, never having been to earth and not really knowing what to expect. Oftentimes, Zarka would sit and chat with Hanna and Emily when she wasn't with her "girls." She also let it slip that she had planned to run her brothel for at least two years and possibly as long a five. Hanna expressed her skepticism at this idea and warned Zarka,

"Five dorn is a long time, in the life of a whorehouse, even longer for the girls. I hope you aren't planning on making these women work that long, I think you'll see the light once you're set up and running. Bribes, don't forget the bribes and payoffs."

Zarka remained steadfast, and was sure she wouldn't have as much trouble as Hanna implied. This situation was clearly weighing on Hanna's mind as later on she told me.

"Even though I've tried to warn her and explain how things are done in the states, I don't think she is taking it seriously enough. I'm afraid she has this picture in her mind of companions, government sanctioned prostitution, civil and educated customers. I really think there could be trouble Holly, everyone keeps harping on this prime directive thing, I can't help thinking something's going to happen…Something bad."

"I sure hope your wrong Hanna, we may have to take steps if things look bad," I cautiously replied." In speaking with our own little group, we all agreed that we were in "charge" of a group that had no idea of what they were getting into, Sara made the suggestion that perhaps we didn't either. About halfway to earth, Andy took me aside,

With a grim look, he stated, "It seems that I've been tasked with locating a proper dwelling for Zarka's brothel."

"What?" I replied in disbelief. "Since when did this happen?"

Shaking his head, Andy replied,

"Apparently it was just assumed that since I'm the agent for the Shai Alyt on earth, it's my responsibility. Zarka won't know who to talk to or the proper procedures required to actually purchase real estate. Good Lord Holly she doesn't even have any idea of where she wants to locate one."

"What's Emily think about this?"

"She doesn't know, and I want to keep it that way for as long as I can." Andy was now projecting worry and stress in his voice.

"I briefly spoke with Hanna, but all she could offer was that a large established city would be better, better clientele, but easier to run afoul of the law. Someplace like Deadwood or that area would be easier as far as actually locating a suitable location, but the clientele would be rougher and not very intelligent.

"Don't ask me how I know," I replied, but I heard Penn avenue in downtown Pittsburgh is the "official" red light district." Andy gave me a sly smile

"I had heard that too…Though I've never been there."

Snickering, I replied Perhaps you'll have to now, then a thought occurred to me,

"Well Andy, you could always pay one of these places a visit, talk to the madam tell her that your client wants to go into competition with her and you'd like some advice as to setting up a whorehouse."

Andy gave me a disgusted look,

"What do you think Emily would say, she's not happy about this anyway, and she doesn't even have all the facts as I do."

Patting Andy on the shoulder, I sighed,

"Perhaps something a little out of town might be in order?"

Andy grimaced, and just shook his head.

It was Sara that came to our rescue, she was filling in for Hanna, who didn't feel well as my co-pilot. It was late and Andy , still troubled by his "burden" came up to the bridge to talk, Sara offered her advice.

"Why not have Zarka set up her "business" in Jackson?"

"Jackson?" said Andy with a puzzled look on his face.

"Yes," replied Sara, "Jackson Michigan, it's a farming and manufacturing community, it's established, not as dangerous as someplace out west like Deadwood, not large like Pittsburgh, the state prison is there, and I'm pretty sure there's a couple houses of ill repute tucked in there somewhere."

"I've only been through the train station when I gone to visit your parents, and that's been only once."

"Don't worry Andy," replied Sara, I think I know someone who might be able to help, you, Zarka and myself will do a little investigating, perhaps we can come up with something."

On another occasion, after Weeko came on duty, I sat with her for a little while as an observer, Gitel was right, she knew her craft. I asked her,

"Is the professor still pestering you about visiting your people?" Weeko gave me a dirty look, shaking her head.

"Uffff, That man! I don't mind talking about my people, I'm happy they are interested, but after visiting my brother…It simply is not practical, or even wise."

"Do you think there could be problems?" I asked.

"Oh absolutely," she replied. "there is always the potential for violence, bluecoats could stumble on us, people running in fear, reporting us. This Prime Directive they prattle on about, I could see real danger here violations of it to be sure." Weeko sighed, then added.

"My brother was terrified of our ship, he thought Gitel a spirit or something akin to one. He wouldn't come out and say it, but I'm sure he thinks I'm in thrall to "himi n" a wolf spirit. I fear I've been playing the professor along with talk of meeting my people, he's so sweet, and I sort of got talked into it, now I don't know what I'm going to do."

How about this Weeko," I replied.

"We find a semi-isolated area somewhere on the reservation, someplace we can conceal the ship and simply wait for someone to come by and go from there."

Weeko laughed, "Hey, I like it and if no one comes by we leave. Ah, but what if bluecoats should come?" "Then we'll just have to be careful, and keep a close eye on the scanner," I said.

We continued to chat about the possibility of trouble should Professor Narkoa insist on meeting some Nez Perce, when I asked Weeko.

"I can't remember if you told me or not, but how exactly did you and Gitel first meet?"

"I was starving and sick, I must have passed out and fallen off my horse near a large meadow. When I woke, I thought I had gone to the spirit world, I was lying on some sort of bed, I now know it was the bed in our second cabin. I would pass in and out of coconsciousness, strange images, voices, I thought I was dead. Gitel later told me I was delirious, apparently he met up with Morkai and Nargra somewhere, and Hanna's husband treated me. Of course this was a good dorn before you and Hanna stumbled on them."

"You must have been absolutely terrified of him when you came around, I know I certainly was when I first met Morkai."

Weeko shook her head, "Actually I wasn't, I thought I was dead and in the spirit world. When we're alive, we constantly talk of what life's like in the spirit world, I felt calm, at peace now I realize it was the medications Nargra gave me, he must have given me Transnano's as well, because I remember waking, and just lying there in the bed, Gitel came in sat down on the bed and just started talking . We must have talked for shon's. I thought I was actually talking to "himi n" the wolf spirit because of his eyes."

I chuckled, "I think we all fell for those "eyes" when Morkai first talked to me he had such a reassuring tone in his voice, I wasn't afraid anymore."

"I know," continued Weeko. "It's strange isn't it. Anyway he told me I wasn't dead, and that he saved my life. He told me he was from another planet, well, that did it for me, telling me that just convinced me he was a spirit."

"When did you realize he wasn't a spirit?" I asked.

"Not until much later, I talked to Dr. Metana once and he told me that my mind was so overloaded with information and images part of it simply shut down. I began to see Gitel in a new light, we talked some more, eventually he asked me to come with him. By this time I think I realized he wasn't a white man or even a black white man, he was kind, he saved my life, I certainly had nothing to go back to so I said to myself, "why not?"

"Sounds a lot like Hanna and I," I replied, "How long was it before you realized you were in love with him?" Weeko grinned,

"I'm not sure, all I know is that one una we were at Drolugi's he was just sitting there by himself, he…He just had this look about him, I went up to him and kissed him, well you know how it is? Ever since then we've been madly in love, he is my life Holly"

I knew just what she meant.

"You know Holly, I can't prove it Gitel doubts it but I'm convinced These Nuelians came to earth a long long time ago, a lot of our legends and lore speak of stars, star spirits, I don't think it's a coincidence , but that's just my own belief."

Sometime later, when Hanna and I were on duty and preparing to "jump" out of hyperspace, it was late and we were keeping ourselves awake by talking about everything in general when one of the female students spoke up, asking if she could talk to us. It was only after Hanna grimaced, that I realized the girl was one of Zarka's "girls."

"My name is Helika Nourm, I'm part of Zarka's group…"

"Look Helika," replied Hanna sharply,

"I've told you girls all I can tell you about…"

"Oh please, it's not about that!" said Helika plaintively . "I'm scared."

"About what?" I asked.

"I've changed my mind about working for Zarka in a brothel."

With a snort of disgust, Hanna replied,

"Don't you think it's a little late for that?"

I realized Hanna was put out by Zarka's constant badgering but I thought she didn't need to be short with this girl.

"Why are you having second thoughts now?" I asked.

"I don't know," replied Helika, "It seemed like fun at first, my friends talked me into it now I'm having second thoughts, but I don't want to upset Zarka, she went out of her way to get me listed for this trip."

"So you've just now realized that being a w***e doesn't sound so fun after all?" Replied Hanna in a mocking tone.

"Please," cried Helika, "I'm sorry, I was confused, now I'm scared and don't know what to do."

Afraid that Hanna was going to upset her even more, I stepped in,

"I might have an idea, but let me talk to my cousin Andy first, so just stay calm and come see me in private before we reach earth orbit, don't worry, everything will be all right, we'll figure something out."

After Helika left, I turned to Hanna,

"Poor girl got caught up in something she didn't understand, Zarka wont be very happy."

"Oh I know I shouldn't have been sharp with her," replied Hanna, but this whole business of Zarka making these girls w***e just rubs me the wrong way, I mean I like Zarka and all I really do, but I just can't make her realize the problems she's going to face. Well at least this girl has some sense anyway."

After she left, I said to Hanna,

"I suppose it's time…Initiating sequence."

"All systems look good," responded Hanna.

"Leaving hyperspace…Now!"

I felt a slight shudder then the power suddenly went out. The red emergency lights came on,

"What the…?"

"I'm showing a big power drop here," blurted Hanna.

"Life support's showing a big drop as well."

Then the lights all came back on but both of us knew something wasn't right.

Weeko's voice came over the comm asking if there was a problem.

"Power just went out Weeko," I replied, "Could you check the engine room?"

"Power levels aren't returning to normal," said Hanna in an alarmed voice, "life support isn't returning either." She started going through her checklist and the troubleshooting program on the ships computer.

"Something smells fried back here," came Weeko's voice over the comm. "

I see traces of smoke, Sara is checking the main buss …" Sara's voice then spoke up

"All the hyper drive circuit breakers and fuses have kicked out, I smell burned wiring here as well."

I then told her,

"Sara, get Emily's son out of the chamber, and bring him to the bridge, I'm alerting everybody right now."

"We are continuing to loose power," said Hanna, especially life support, although not at a fast rate."

The earpiece and mic I wore allowed me to cut into the ships comm system, so I made a shipboard announcement.

"Everybody please report to the bridge, please get dressed and bring only your essentials."

Hanna had a grim expression on her face as she said,

"This doesn't look good does it?"

Shaking my head, I replied,

"No Hanna this is not good, release a signal buoy and make sure we're transmitting our coordinates to it."

As she began the process, I added,

"I just hope we've got enough power to make it to earth, we're close to Mars right now, but if our life support fails completely we're dead, I'm closing off the rest of the ship leaving just the bridge area for us, it won't be very comfortable, but we can extend life support power that way."

People started trickling into the flight deck, Andy and Emily who was carrying her son, along with Sara, then Zarka and her girls, followed by professors Narkoa and Jenjovig, as well as their students .

There were only enough jump seats for Andy and his wife Weeko and Sara, as well as Zarka and the two professors. Sara and Weeko made sure they were properly buckled in, then I announced.

"I won't lie to you folks, the engines have suffered damage, we are gradually loosing power, right now it looks as though we can just make it to Kagor. I had you all come here because I shutting off life support to the rest of the ship except for just the flight deck and the small "necessary" on our right. Weeko and Sara will be retrieving rations from the galley, unfortunately we will have no way to heat this food as the galley will be closed off, but at our current speed we should reach Kagor in a couple unas. I'm asking everybody to stay calm, we'll get through this, now, Zarka, Professor Narkoa, you two will be responsible and in charge of your respective groups. Weeko and I along with Hanna and Sara are the crew, our word is law, our primary responsibility at this point is getting everybody safely to Kagor, or, as you had better start calling it earth, more specifically the United States, as that is where we will be landing."

"Now, as far as rescue is concerned this ship isn't scheduled to return for at least another alyt, so it wouldn't surprise me that another alyt will pass before anybody shows up. Now, this only affects we the crew and those in Professor Narkoa's group, we'll all just have to do the best we can. On a lighter note, you all were looking for a little adventure, I think you're all going to get more than enough, those of you who don't have seats situate yourselves back against the bulkhead over there, and make yourselves a little pallet on the floor, stay sitting as much as possible in case we get buffeted around, well that's all I have to say for now."

Weeko came up to me and in a low voice said,

"Something really smelled cooked in the engine room I couldn't be sure but it looked like the distributor was burned."

"Well that definitely means the hyper drive is finished," I replied.