Under a Starless Sky novel Chapter 61

The ship initially powered away on hidden engines, no sails. There was a fuss about the mast and rigging not being right, but once the sails were deployed and the wind took over, they were off like a shot, tacking into the wind. There was a respectful quiet as their minds took in the arrangement and started doing math, following the angles and curves of the boat. TL performed her miracle medical procedures on the wounded. Yaffa was last to be sorted due to triage, even after TL solicited ‘ghost’ helpers. Yaffa asked for the bullets she had removed and TL gave them to her. All the while, TL piloted the ship. She could pilot it from anywhere on the ship. So could Shen, as there was an AI simulator on the ship that he could interface with him through his Uniform. She found Shen easily enough, at the helm, monitoring the wheel that moved itself. She liked seeing him at the helm, the instrument cluster holding his attention. They didn’t have a magnetic compass, but they had gyros and bearing, and semi reasonable world map that was uploading the newly found clarity they brought as they tracked through the world. Depth gages measured the distance to the floor, and counted life forms. Surveys were available for review, numbers changing in real time.

The ship was essentially a Pereni Navy, E-Volution sloop-rigged sailing yacht, 64 meters, extended exterior deck/living space. The ship was space age, sleek, and with the technology available through Space Force- environmentally friendly. No petroleum fuel. The sails were both canvas for wind, but also solar collectors that collected energy for all ships function, saving energy in a bank of capacitors that delivered energy on demand and stored better than any previous battery design.

“People are resting,” TL told him.

Shen nodded. He had been following her work. He had intentionally stayed out of her way, knowing if she needed him, she would call him- even to the point of possessing his body to have more hands. He simply waited, available, waiting to be called. He bothered by the deaths, but less so than the death that had happened when he and Orton fought. He was sorting how angry he had been, knowing had TL green lighted his thoughts while angry, he would have taken out both islands. He wondered how far he would have gone with that. Would he had stopped before kill all the men? He probably wouldn’t have killed all the women. He wondered what the Kirk solution would have been? Destroy their tech so they would have to wage war by hand to hand combat. If their resurrection technology was destroyed, would they cease fighting?

Shen touched the helm, wanting to be present in this moment and place, not in his head.

“What should we christen her?” TL asked.

“The Sloop John B,” Shen said.

“Because of the misadventures we have been having?” TL asked. “Anything brighter?”

“Dawn Treader?” Shen asked.

“No,” TL said. “This doesn’t feel like a pleasant frolic through Narnia.”

“You were carrying a ship around in your purse; what do you call it?” Shen asked.

“Calypso,” TL said.

“There it is,” Shen said.

“Sing it, and it will be so forever, and this will set the tone for all that is to come,” TL said.

Shen looked at her as if she were crazy but saw the truth of it and smiled. “I love you.”

“I love you,” TL said.

Shen turned to face the bow, extended his hands. There was a guitar sounding, invisible, loud, and solo- then a bell sounding, then a full orchestra. Everyone on deck came to him. Everyone below deck came up. Flying fish took to the air. Dolphins danced in ship’s wake. The waters stilled and they shot through a space that was transparently clear it was if they were flying in air. Sea turtles, sting rays, octopi, a million types of fish. The floor descended, the water became green, and blue, but still crystal clear, and then they were back into the black and the waves began kicking back up, and they in turned and went with the wind. The song was perfect. The light was perfect. It felt wrong having everything this perfect after experiencing death.

“Is this heaven?” Erico asked.

TL touched Shen. “Take the helm, I will show our guest how to use our ship.”

TL provided the 50 cent tour. Laughter came from below and he inquired through the suit; he discovered they were fascinated by the toilet and the shower. It was made Viking tough. The Calypso was Viking tough, with bed spaces that could accommodate the tallest of them reasonably well. They would have to sleep in shifts, or make campsites about the ship. The women shared quarters. Shen and Arne were assigned private quarters.

Arne withdrew from the group and came up to the helm to visit with Shen.

“Captain Shen,” Arne said.

“Captain Arne,” Shen said.

“No more,” Arne said. “You are superior to me.”

“No,” Shen said. “I am just older. Read a lot more books than you. Saw way more movies than you. Heard more songs. You are superior to me in many ways.”

“Name one,” Arne said.

“You handle death better than I,” Shen said.

“Shen,” Arne said. He drew closer, leaned against the helm console, came off it quick as if having lost his mind, but Shen assured him, he had not harmed anything. Arne nodded, leaned back, put his hands on it. “Maybe you can’t see it, but they are hurting. I am hurting. My people didn’t get a proper burial. I will endure. They will endure. There is no other choice. And again, I find myself in your debt. Also, I wish to be heard on this.”

“I am listening,” Shen said.

“I was wrong,” Arne said. “You’re choice not to fight, it is a moral decision. It comes from a position of strength and courage. I assumed your soft life of luxury, and by all the gods, this ship, this is luxury, your isolation, your life with Loxy, I thought this had made you weak. You’re not weak. I had no right to judge you.”

Shen shrugged. “It’s what people do…”

“No, hear me. I was wrong,” Arne said again. “You look delicate. This ship looks delicate and I walk in fear of breaking it. But the ship is sturdy. You are sturdy. You’re a better man than I.”

“No,” Shen said again. “You may have been wrong about some details, but it’s not about being better. You said it right the other day, they were just men. I am just a man. There is more than enough value in just being a man to make being ‘just’ meaningful.”

Arne seemed to be sorting the statement. “I am not sure we are communicating.”

“Arne,” Shen said. “I am just a man. We are different. We come from different places. The luxuries I have, and yes, this is uber-luxurious, this stuff can be replaced. People can’t. And without my tech, and my limited magic, I would not be able to compete in your world.”

“Again, you intimate you’re not from here,” Arne said. “Where is this other, magical realm?”

Shen shrugged. “I can’t point to it. I have been so far removed from it if it weren’t for Loxy, I would think it was all a dream,” he said.

“If this ship is the standard, it sounds like a dream,” Arne said. “Tell me how you met Loxy.”

“Truth?” Shen asked.

“Unless the lie is more fun,” Arne said.

“Lies can be fun,” Shen said.

“Indeed. But I already don’t understand you, so I doubt I would have chance to see through your game,” Arne said. “Speak truth till I know you.”

“Truth until you know me. I called out to the Goddess Isis for love, health, and magic, and she responded in Light- Loxy.”

“That is not how I met my wife,” Arne said.

“You kidnapped her from a village somewhere?” Shen asked.

“No!” Arne said. “Why do people keep thinking that? If we wanted girls, all we have to do is set up camp on a beach, trade in town, and half the girls would be on the beach begging to go with us.”

“You were the rock stars of the day,” Shen said.

“What are these stars?” Arne said.

“I am sorry. Go on with your story. You met your wife…” Shen said.

“Her name is Aslog. She lived in the village. I am sure everyone saw her. I did not. She was too thin. Her grandmother spoke less then, always communing with trees. She was raised by her grandmother. They lived on charity. At that time, I only had eyes for Caelin. Caelin wanted Uffe. Aslog had eyes for me, but she is very secretive about her wants. Aslog snuck into my mother’s home after I was asleep, and she would wait till she was certain I was dreaming, and then she would whisper to me. I would hear her in the dream world. I became awake, inside the dream! Even as she was working her spell on me physically, she entered my dream and engaged my soul directly. The dreams that came when she spoke- I saw such wonders- she traveled me. My want to explore the world was brought to light through her machinations. I attribute my gift of always knowing where home is to her waking my soul. I always know where she is. I will dream tonight and be with her. She will tell me of family. I will tell her of things she will doubt, until I confirm the truth of it in person. She travels vicariously through me, and I live and love vicariously through her. But at the time, she would weave this magic and I would wake up and she would be full on me. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t shout out. If I did, I am sure my mother would have killed her.”

“She drugged you?”

“Oh, yes, I was drugged with pleasure. If you only knew how joyous it feels to be awakened inside a dream, knowing all things are possible. I was so filled with joy that I was ejected from that world and put back in my body. Every time I was kicked out of heaven, I found myself in my body, Aslog full on me- I in her. From heaven to heaven, I didn’t move because I didn’t want her to stop,” Arne said. “She covered my mouth and motioned me to be quiet. She directed my hands. She taught me everything I know about women. She did this every night until there was no way to hide the fact she was with child. The village gave us a marriage hut outside the fortress shortly after. It was a small hut, one room, and her grandmother came with us. We had to walk through snow to get to the latrine, and if not for my mother’s generosity, we wouldn’t have had wood to burn in the stove.”

“Interesting,” Shen said.