Zach Hughes - The Legend of Miaree

"It is for the best," Miaree said wearily. "We have learned well from the Delanians. Now male and female work side by side in our society as in theirs." Then she paused, mused. "All scouts on station are flown by Artonuee?"

"Here is the list," Diere said.

She took the duppaper copies and ran her eyes down. The most distant scouts were years of travel time from the home worlds. All of the small ships were flown by Artonuee. A terrible thought came to her, a thought which she would not, could not accept. Instead, she tossed her head and smiled. "We must send orders for all of them to return. Their slow progress through the stars is no longer necessary. See to it, Diere." On second thought. "Make a memo to Rei to suggest that during their scouting runs the new Bertt ships rendezvous with the most distant scouts and pick them up."

"It will be done." Diere said.

The evacuation of Outworld was complete. A full half of the total number of Artonuee were back home. The shuttles were at work all over New World, lifting the remaining Artonuee to the waiting star ships for the short trip to the home planet. In Government Quad, thousands of clerks were transferring the records of the Artonuee to microtape so that history would ride with the race on the journey into the distant stars. The seat of Artonuee government would soon be abandoned, the Mother herself taking her place with her people on The World.

Rei was absent, with the fleet at Five. Although she missed him with all her heart, she was proud that her man was taking such a vital part in this moment of history. Rei would plan and dispatch the Bertt ships to move instantly through the galaxy. Miaree was confident that within a short time the good news would come winging back, the news of the discovery of a suitable number of good planets. Then, with time to spare, the movement of peoples would begin, the huge ships making trip after trip, shifting populations and their goods. Nothing need be left behind.

She busied herself checking the lists being prepared by her staff, lists of government files and machinery which would be salvaged once the point of destination had been determined. She would move only those records necessary for immediate administration to The World for the brief stay there. Later, the entire bulk of government would be moved, intact, to a new home on a new world.

It was a time-consuming task. Meanwhile, she was kept abreast of evacuation on the planet and was pleased to see that it went smoothly. The efficient Delanians had learned well from the evacuation of Five and Outworld, and a planet was emptied of its original inhabitants within weeks of the beginning of the movement. She herself waited only for the return of Rei, to hear his personal report of the departure of the first Bertt ships to seek new worlds.

From her high rooms, she could look down onto the spaces of the Quad. There was an eerie feeling of strangeness about it, for there were only

Delanians there. Another Artonuee world had been given over, if only temporarily, to the aliens.

Once, while resting, she saw a lone female, wings exposed in the style of the Delanian-mated, being escorted by a tall man. She knew that some alliances had been renewed when the news of Bertt’s miraculous breakthrough was announced, but she noted that where the pair walked, the heads of Delanian women followed them. She shuddered involuntarily, thinking of the violent treatment of Artonuee females on Outworld.

She was isolated in her tower. She had communication with the administration offices on The World, but feeling rather guilty for not being there, she left the settlement of her people on their home world to assistants. She was, she knew, being frightfully self indulgent by staying on New World, but she rationalized her failure to be with her people by telling herself that it was important that the first lady know all details of the explorations. This time of trial and sadness would pass, and on new worlds the Artonuee, the universe opened to them, would rise to a greatness never before dreamed.

It was old Bertt who brought the terrible news. He had been supervising the installation of the last new expanders. He flew into Nirrar in his own vehicle, forced his way through the armed guards at no little cost to his temper and his dignity, and faced her, his male eyes reddened with madness.

"Lady," he said, his voice strange, "star ships are being loaded on both Five and Outworld."

"The explorers," Miaree said.

"Population," Bertt said. "Delanians."

Her hand at her throat, she felt weakness. "There must be a reason," she said.

"Even now the final off-loading of Artonuee is being completed on The World." Bertt said. "Do you have explanation for this, Lady?"

Miaree, fighting the dread, punched the communicator. "Please get me Fleet Overlord Rei, on the planet Five." she ordered, her voice firm in spite of her fears.

"Sorry, baby," a male Delanian voice said. "They’ve taken away all your toys."

"I beg your pardon?" Miaree said. "Where is Tanle, my communications officer? I want to speak with her."

"There is no one here," the voice said. The communicator fell silent.

Eyes darkened with fear and rage, she ran to the door, into the hallway. Diere’s office was empty. The personal art objects always clearly visible on Diere’s desk were missing. As she ran out of the empty office, she almost screamed with delight, for Rei was coming out of the lift, tall, handsome. Rei would explain. Rei would reprimand the Delanians below who had been discourteous. Rei would assure her that Bertt’s information was not what it seemed. She ran to him, threw herself into his arms. He held her close, and then looked down into her disturbed eyes.

Bertt stood in the doorway of Miaree’s office. Looking over Miaree’s head, Rei saw the grimness of the old male’s face. "You know, then," he said softly to Miaree.

The Fires of God would have been more merciful. They, at least, would have been quick and final. In the Fires, she would not have become a walking dead female.

"Why?" she asked simply, not weeping.

"It was not my decision," he said. "You must believe that."

"Please," she said. "I want to be with my people, if you don’t mind."

"No," he said gently.

She looked into his eyes.

"You may take anything you like, things of a personal nature." Rei said. "We will be together."

"And my people?" she asked.

"You told me once, Miaree, of the extermination of the animals of The World."

"We are not animals," she said calmly.

"No, of course you are not. But there was a choice. It was a terrible choice. The decision of our leaders was dictated by the death of twenty-four billion Delanians."

"But there is time. The new ships—"

"I asked them to give you just one ship," he said. "I begged them. I begged for just one ship to allow the race to live."

"We can find planets. We can shuttle people. There is time."

He shook his head sadly. "Our people are filled with fear. The Fires can be seen, as they were seen on the home worlds. We began the loading on Five to prevent the outbreak of a popular uprising."

"In the name of God," she said, "there is room in the universe for all."

"Once we had gods. There was a god for every purpose. The gods lived up there, in the Fires. When we were a young race and saw the Fires moving gradually, slowly, crawling toward us, our cultists rejoiced and said that the gods were favoring us, moving their dwelling to be nearer our planet. When we went into space on primitive rockets, it was to search for the gods, and we found only cold death and terrible vacuum. By then we understood that there were no gods living in the Fires unless they ate ionized electrons and thrived on hard radiation and swam on the seas of a burning star. There is no God, Miaree, only radiation and cold and fire and death and the accident of life, which is precious only to those who are strong enough to fight for it. We have fought and we have lost. We have paid a terrible price in dead, and we have learned that the universe is basically inhospitable to life and only the strongest will survive.