The Benjamin Girl

By J. Walworth Thorne

She was the Masters daughter and awesomely bright. She had been trained in the high sciences as were most daughters in case she should be call to honour the old bargain and marry the High Prince of Caradeon. The safety of the whole Galaxy depended upon this old treaty. Once in the Caradeon it was her task to attempt to close the dreadful portal, The Definitive Gate, that allowed the Caran, the traditional enemies of the People to traverse space from their galaxy to ours.

Many daughters had gone to the Caradeon. All had failed, but maybe Ngaire *alama had something the other daughters had lacked. Friends.

She had issued a challenge to Gilesh the High Prince and set off across the galaxy to find some answers and ended up serving on the Radiant, the great Union of Free Worlds starrider that patrolled the border between the Union and the Empire of Aligned Worlds. There she met calm, efficient, pragmatic Jennifer Darling the Vercoomsary on the Radiant and the probabilities altered. For Jenny had her own way of viewing the universe and wasnt afraid to take action when the circumstances called for them.

No one serving on the Radiant would be unaffected by the momentous events which followed and the circuitous route which eventually led back to Cra*el itself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris NZ
• Release date: Sep 19, 2014
• ISBN: 9781493192489

J. Walworth Thorne

Trained as a primary school teacher, J Walworth Thorne has worked, in preschool, primary and secondary education, before moving into adult, education and working for nearly twenty years teaching at a small private, tertiary institution., She lives in Kawerau, a beautiful little milltown in the Bay of Plenty, in Aotearoa, NZ., She has always loved Science Fiction, but feels that women, protagonists are somewhat under represented in the genre.

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Copyright © 2014 by J.Walworth Thorne.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-4931-9247-2

                eBook         978-1-4931-9248-9

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Rev. date: 09/17/2014

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Contents

Prologue

Part One: Transgression.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

Part Two: Atonement.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

Part Three: Reconciliation.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[6]

About the author

Jenny’s story

Genesis 42:36

Prologue

Trust me. I know what I am doing

The two women stood eye to eye. Neither gave any ground. Finally the older woman broke the eye contact and looked away.

I know you think you know what you are doing, she said very slowly. "you think you have all the answers but you could jeopardise everything. Everything the People have worked and sacrificed for could go down to the waste marshes, just because you think you know best.’’

The younger woman controlled herself with an obvious effort. Despite a marked lack of stature herself, she towered over her tiny companion.

Maiaraia, you are wrong this time. If I go as the others have gone, in the same manner, the result will be as it always has been. We will fail. I will fail. But at last I have a key. It may be an uncertain key but it is better than no key. It is the long shot that just may come off. It is the very chance we need to shorten the odds. She turned imploringly. How many brides have gone to the Caran since Mauvre took the High King’s fancy? Two? Two hundred. And what has been the result? The Gate still stands. It will stand again through my time, through my successor’s time. And who will be my successor? Will it be centuries before the call comes again or will time bottom out in the Caran and the call come early?

Will it be Ga*ya my baby niece who will be called next. She has no brain for the sciences but she could go and where will we be, More in thrall to the whim of the Caran?" She stalked across the room and looked out across the land to the city. Far above she could see the beam that held the alien star cruiser in thrall.

"Maiaraia, I have to go. It is our only chance.’’

You are wrong. You are wrong this time as you have.—been wrong before. Spirit how many times has your headstrong will caused the plan to waver and the People to bold their breath.

Suddenly the younger woman laughed before flopping onto a couch beside the bed. She passed a languid hand over the gear half packed on its coverlet as if she gave in to the inevitable.

Was I a handful Maiaraia dear?" she mocked.

A handful is not in it,’’ her companion agreed relaxing slightly in her turn. My dear, you have been running us ragged ever since you passed your commissioning tests and we came to the Ci*e to be your mentors."

The younger woman lay back on the sofa and sighed softly. Ah those were the carefree days. Then I might never have known that the Cara existed and that a dour prince would be bid come and carry me off. Do you remember the commissioning night, Maiaraia?

Indeed I do.

"How I tried to make sense of the words in that test. They dared me to find their hidden meaning. And the joke was that there was no hidden meaning. Those who answered without guile got them right. I who pondered many things did not even get near

‘’And then you went and told the Master. I see Poppi’s face. He had lost two sons already to the Master school and even yet he knew that Garehh would go too. I remember sitting on the throne with him wondering at his grief. I remember great tears rolled down his checks and got lost, every one, in the folds of his face. Not one survived to fall off his chin as they do with me.

You sent for the Consort and Mommi came. She and I held him. Then A*ri had a plan that instead of going to the hills where the Sheffer*i Ci*e lies, you should come here and teach me.

That, said Maiaraia tartly, was the last peace we of the Sheffer*i had. You were so obdurate, so sure you had the answers."

I wasn’t so bad. I worked hard.

You worked hard. Too hard, some said.

But you see then I had an ambition.

Ay to ride the star waves. But you knew that it was impossible. Only the Sheffer*i can command a starri*er. The higher mathematics preclude all but the Sheffer*i

Poof, I could do the higher mathematics before I was eleven years old.

Granted. But you could not go to the Sheffer*i for all that. It is forbidden that the Brides go to the Sheffer*i. You knew that."

The young woman turned on her bed of cushions. You brunted it abroad that I failed the tests.

It was necessary.

‘’Necessary. Necessary. Every time you took something away from me you said it was necessary! It was for the good of the People. What about my good? That about my self-esteem. Should I be known to file People as someone who failed every test."

We gave it out that you had not studied. It was never called a failure of intellect-.

It might have well been. At least you let me go solar,

"And look what you did with that?’’

But her companion scarcely seemed to hear what she said. She rolled over on the couch and propped her chin in her hand.

Do you remember when I tried to run away in an alien ship and *affi* came after me?

‘’I remember well, Maiaraia said tartly. You could have ruined everything."

"If I had got clean away I should never have found that *affi* was more than a teacher. I should never have found my heart or his. I see him now, when he came into that recruiting room and held out his hand to me. The off-worlders tried to stop him you know. They really wanted me. They didn’t know what they were getting in me, but they knew enough about the People to be pretty sure that a solar trained pilot would be an asset to them. And *affi* came and life has never been the same since. I would maybe have been better not to know his love.’’

And you wondered if you would have been less for it?’

Ah no. she sighed. The People ask for my soul when they tell me to leave *affi*. For the last many years he has been my soul, my nearly lover, my almost consort and you ask me to tear myself in half and go with a dire prince to a land where I will never succeed on my quest because you and with you the People will stop me.

She lay back again. Do you remember when I forgot and used the wrong science?

Maiaraia nodded grimly but the young woman laughed at the memory.

I forgot. The ship was in trouble so I pulled it out. The commander could never make up his mind exactly what had happened because I recalled in time and put it right.

Maiaraia snorted. You fused the power system.

"We were home so it was alright’

"All right! Do you have any notion of how much it cost to put the ship in commission again?’’

"I know, I know, my mother told me. But it worked out for the plan in the end. How many tutted over the bad luck the Master was having. One heir in the direct line and look what a mess she was making of things.

I could just hear them."

Maiaraia snorted again. You have the nerve to suggest that fusing the power drive of an almost new ship was lucky.

You sound lust like my mother. That’s what she said among other things. She told me I was a spoiled brat and that I had a higher duty. She turned a suddenly pitiful face to Maiaraia. But it is a dreadful duty. I don’t think I have the strength for it.

You cannot run out on the People now.

I could, but I…

"Then I wash my hands of you. I had thought better of you. I thought I knew you, but I was wrong. You have to put the needs of yourself before the welfare of this world and maybe of the galaxy itself.’’ She turned away in disgust.

The other woman acted immediately. The small instrument only glinted momentarily across the pink skin. It was enough. Before Maiaraia realized what had happened she was dropping. She would have fallen had not the other caught and held her

‘’Sorry Maiaraia. I didn’t want it to come to this. You will be all right when it wears off or they give you the antidote. But you could not be allowed to stop me. I know I am right. It is the only chance and even my great love for you will not stop me taking it. If there is a conclusion worth having you will understand. At present mayhap it is better if you do think that I have betrayed the people. Spirit grant the prince will understand my message. You do not."

As she spoke she lowered the older woman gently onto the bed and covered her with a light wrap. She laid the small instrument where it could easily be seen, together with a labeled vial so that those who came could easily nullify the drug. She quickly gathered up her things and crammed them willy-nilly into the small travelling valise. Just before she left the room she bent and kissed the tiny face, on the pillow; then she was gone; gone to make the biggest gamble of her life, a gamble that could effect the very stars themselves.

Part One: Transgression.

1

When the war was over and the anti-spirit contained,

the Spirit slept

And dreamed anew

They dreamed of Love.

Love came, tiny tendrilled searching out wards,

They dreamed of beauty.

Beauty came, dancing.

Then love was alone, beauty was alone.

But part of the Spirit,

it is part of each other

and cannot live alone,

So it cried to the Spirit to bring it together again.

Then the Spirit seeing the design,

refused,

They instructed love and beauty to collect itself together,

to find its own way.

When did love and beauty despair.

It begged the Spirit to make a sign.

A sign to guide it.

The Spirit thought of the stars burning.

The stars were

Love and beauty played among the stars,

striving to find themselves,

But love was lost in the brilliance and beauty paled.

Then the Spirit spoke

"Aimless in the continuum, yet will it find its way to us.

Alone,

They caused the stars to spawn„

They overlooked the children of the stars.

for the chosen one.

They made it to ripen and bring forth

both animal and plant.

Then the Spirit took love and beauty

and confined it in human form,

that having substance its way might be clearer,

The star’s child they called Cra*el,

which is to say conception.

Truth,

They set up as the beacon,

to guide love,

which They said,

Shall be called man,

and beauty,

which They said,

Shall be called woman .

So it was .

Through truth must love find beauty

Beauty love

and be all collected together in harmony,

then shall the Spirit call it to Themself again.

—Creation Myth of the People taken from the Book of Cra’el

[1]

‘Time began when I was born, when I die time will end, said some old Philosopher or other. I know the feeling. It is a feeling of unreality that comes over me, at every new turn of my life.

When I was ten years old, I remember walking down the street trying to imagine what it was like to be someone else, to live in a different body and see the world through different eyes, but I failed. All too often, the other people are a moving force, to whom all manner of wonders happen, wonders that touch my life not at all. Disasters only occur in the other person’s life, and likewise it is only the other fellow, who climbs high and reaches noteworthy eminence.

The unreality of myself engulfed me, when I took up my post on the Radiant. This was the culmination of all I had worked for, since the day, ten years before, when I had entered training school, on Terra, half a galaxy away, yet when I sat at the first consultation with my new staff, I had the strange feeling that it was not me, who so calmly acquainted myself with the names and conditions of the five persons gathered around the table in the sariat. A part of me stood aside a little and approved the competency of the other, material me.

Well, now, Vercoomsary Darling, welcome to your new command, said the middle-aged rotund person, who had identified himself as Beaton, one of my seconds-in-command.

My two parts coalesced and the sensation passed. The walls of the room firmed as I nodded. I would be efficient or inefficient, calm or distraught, but it would not assail me again, until some new and bizarre circumstance summoned forth this astral self analysis.

Thank you, Coomsary Beaton, I said, I have no time at present to visit each area of responsibility, as I have the Khaptan’s droden to attend, when the ship is beam broken and on course. I suggest that each of you make a short report on the running of your own departments. This will put my finger on the pulse of things so to speak.

I smiled at this point, in the manner approved by the instructor at the officer school on Vertura.

It will take some time to become fully conversant with the way things work on this ship. I may have some suggestions to make when I know my way around. For the present however, I wish things to continue as they have done under my predecessor.

I smiled again, kindly. They all knew that I would turn things upside down at the first opportunity and they were prepared for the event, but it is better not to rush upon a new command too precipitately. They smiled back, uncertainly, but without hostility. Five people. Beaton and his wife sat a little together as if for protection. He was Terran, but as yet I was uncertain of her race. No matter, I would look it up later. Balkin, a tall angular man, was undoubtedly a Paritan. He would have a actus’s ticket as well as his degree from the School of Coomsarians. Next to him sat Jervin Gayne the psychologist. She was Jeran and head of the Social team, who served in the great dining rooms of the ship and arranged the many leisure time activities that the long hauls in space made so vital to mental stability ship-side. Finally, there was Pervynnh, the Centan dietitian. I wondered how he and Mrs. Beaton got on. Often the food processors and the dietitians were dagger drawn and it could be awkward for everyone else. I had been a dietitian myself and on one ship the head cook had barely spoken to me. We used to communicate through a subordinate. However, here there were no signs of friction.

Later I was to learn that even though Pervynnh was working for promotion, and was considered to be the senior Coomsarian, he was in fact a close friend of both the Beatons.

The delegation of authority on the Radiant followed the Verturan five team delegation. At the top, the Khaptan; responsible to him were the five senior officers The Ranletino, who was the navigation officer, the Ran Actihoron, who was in charge of the soldiery, the Ran Caractus, who ran the power, the Ran Davicon, who as well as being head doctor was the science officer and finally the Ran Coomsary, who had control of the complete wellbeing of the ships company. As well there was the Treyletino who was a sort of reserve officer. He would if occasion arose, take over any compartment of the senior command. The position was often held by officers who had worked their way up to command through the crew, instead of through the usual routes of officer training school .

When the Khaptan was incapacitated, theoretically any of the five senior officers could assume command. In practice however, it was the senior ranked officer from the second string who took over. On this ship that was the Menletino.

I looked over the five before me as I reviewed, mentally, the strata of the ship. These five would in all probability guard their status jealously.

Right, I said, Beaton first. Tell me a little about the farm.

He puffed himself up and cleared his throat, but after this imposing opening he merely said, The environmental balancing unit is, as you have doubtless seen on many ships Verah, we do have some interesting innovations but I think you would do better to see them as you say so I shall pass along to my colleagues.

"Beaton has done some remarkable things with the larger species of fruit trees,

Verah," said Mrs. Beaton. Beaton frowned repressively at her and she fell silent.

Pervynnh said quietly, Mrs. Beaton and I have been experimenting with some new methods. I looked up with interest, in time to intercept a look between the two. Pervynnh closed his lips firmly. I nodded to Mrs. Beaton. She glanced first at her husband, and then at Pervynnh. After this exchange of glances she said diffidently, Coomsarian Pervynnh and I have been trying to improve the reconstituting methods. We have had considerable success with Centan and Verturan foods, but the Jerans will not eat their own national foods at all.

It sounds as if you have not instruct the right balance with the flavour dubbing, I said, But with reconstituted foods, it is almost impossible to get absolute accuracy. Most people accept this, and they eat heartily. Non infringement of dietary laws is the main thing.

It is not like that on this ship, said Pervynnh grimly.

But, I protested, they must eat.

Oh they eat alright. Its just that they will not eat anything Jeran. They eat odd things that appeal to them from the selections for other races.

First meal also?

Yes Verah and we have a lot of Jerans on ship this time. More than we have had for several cruises.

This was really serious. I looked around at the Coomsarians.

Their faces mirrored my thoughts. In space there is naturally much swapping of foods. It is inevitable that the aura of the exotic which surrounds unknown foods would attract many people to eat food of other races, but it is a peculiar thing; wherever mankind resides, the first meal of the day is the most important. Hardly any race has similar views on what constitutes a decent breakfast. If the Jerans were not eating the meals processed for their breakfasts then something was very wrong.

This is terrible. I said after a moment, If they are not getting meals that are substantially what they are used to, they are probably not getting a balanced diet.

The dietitian nodded. You are right Verah, but there is nothing we can do. Things got so bad last trip that the medics were ordering trace capsules to counteract the ill effects. But we have a new Mendavicon and he doesn’t believe in supplementals. He’s been after us to do something ‘positive’ as he calls it.

I have never heard of such a thing, I said in bewilderment, Jerans are usually the easiest mortals to feed. They stick very rigidly to their traditional diets. I was dietitian on my last ship and I came to the conclusion that if we had only Jerans to feed it would be the easiest job ship-side. It was the neutrals who were the bother.

We have bother with them too. said Jervin Gayne.

You are Jeran. I said.

She tossed her clear curls in the Jeran gesture of assent.

Then you must know what is wrong with the food. She looked at me for a long moment. She feels the others to be at fault, I thought, and she isn’t going to say anything. It is going to be a case of solidarity against a new superior. This is a test case. They are trying my mettle with a real lulu. Then the Centan jerked his head.

You might as well tell her too, he said.

Alright. She turned in her chair until she was facing me directly, "Well, Verah, this is a Verturan ship. I mean it is commissioned from Vertura. For the last ten standard years the ship has done the run from Vertura to the system of Ladecradel on the periphery. We never go near Jeran. Added to that we had a Mencoomsary, who was not interested in the food side of his job. He was splendid when it came to organizing social activities and we are very well housed in this ship, but the food was and is nauseating. He restocked in Vertura and Centan. Except for Verturan and Centan foods it was all reconstitutes. Beaton does his best to help and really, Vercoomsary, his farm is a marvel but he has a credence allowance, which is based on the sum necessary to keep the purifiers operative.

Balkin looked thoughtful, I know the Mencoomsary was out of step with you folk. But the job means more than food and he wasn’t a bad stick.

I’m getting the picture, I said, The stocking is to fault. Unfortunately I did not stock the ship for this run. I was in school on Vertura. You will have guessed this is my first trip as Vercoomsary, but I am very interested in food. However, Centan basics have great potential. I have some recipes you and Coomsary Pervynnh might like to peruse, Coomsary Beaton. And we must surely halt at some other worlds than Centan and Vertura.

Kafé, said Mrs. Beaton. At the gestures of assent, the atmosphere seemed to lighten. She moved away to get the mugs and fill them.

I think you are going to suit us Vercoomsary, said Beaton. He took his mug from his wife and raised it.

To our new Vercoomsary, he said.

Do you know your fellow officers, Verah? asked Balkin.

Well I know the Khaptan….

A fine man, declared Beaton, easily the best Khaptan in the fleet.

Oh you Terrans, you Terrans, Pervynnh laughed, You have your first man to command a Union spaceship and you call him the best in the galaxy. I will concede he is splendid. When he took over everyone said he wouldn’t last. They said the Jerans wouldn’t respect him and the Verturans wouldn’t obey him. But they have and even the superior Bilboans, of whom we have a few on this ship, revere him.

"The only other officer I know on this ship is the Menletino, I said, keeping my opinions of the Khaptan to myself.

A good officer, said Beaton, Stiff necked but a good officer.

Where are your superlatives now? asked Jervin Gayne.

Beaton winked at me and I remembered, just in time, not to wink back. "Well now, one thing I will say this for him. He has proper dignity. I don’t like an officer to be too familiar. Take the Menactihoron. He may be a good soldier

I’m not saying he isn’t and he keeps his troops well in hand, but I ask you, have you ever seen a bearing like his?"

I murmured something about the modern soldier being different from the starchy automaton of tradition, and he said, Indeed Verah but his soldiers call him, John! Beaton said the name as if it was some new, particularly obscene swear word.

Oh well, said Balkin, he is balanced by the Mencaractus. No one would go out of their way to call him anything. I make it a firm policy to keep well out of his way.

I raised my brows.

Oh, it’s not that bad, said Pervynnh, "He’s got a very nice little wife and she is not in the least cowed by him, so I think that his growl belies his nature.

You don’t go out of your way to meet him. the girl retorted. Pervynnh blushed and waved one pair of arms. He is a big man and I never said I was brave. I am Coomsarian, not a soldier yet I do think that the Mencaractus is not as black as painted. Then he grinned self-consciously, but in the face of his poor browbeaten staff, I am not going to test my theory personally.

The new Doctor seems promising, said Mrs. Beaton neatly turning the subject.

Oh, I said, I didn’t know he joined at Vertura.

No, said Beaton, He joined at Centan, but Centan is only twenty six standard days from Vertura, so we haven’t had time to test his mettle. He sat for a moment and then continued, "He seems to have those stiff necked self-opinionated doctors from Centan under his thumb. He insisted that as this was a Verturan ship, the Verturan rankings be used in the Hielonhone as well and they agreed.

Whoever heard of that! Mendavicon is not the jaw breaker the Centan term is."

I glanced in horror at Pervynnh. Lord, I thought, that is all I need. Race riots. He merely smiled. There was a small silence. Everyone sipped the last of their kafé. There was a tiny scuffle as various people changed their positions in their chairs and sought a new topic of conversation.

You have given me a scandalous set of sketches of my colleagues I said, but you neglected to mention the Treyletino, there is one?

You’ll have to mark him for yourself, said Mrs. Beaton.

He’s very fair, said Jervin Gayne and then continued pensively, and very very beautiful.

Handsome?

No Verah, beautiful. When you see him, you’ll understand.

It’s no use asking the women about him, said Balkin, "They won’t give you any sense. They are so busy throwing themselves at him that they don’t see him as a person any more. Just as a symbol. And we men, well we can’t fathom him at all. He’s not a bad officer. He is extremely efficient and of course he isn’t academy trained and the men like him for that. But he has no heart.

It was Pervynnh who finished the description. In short we can’t quite forgive him for being so different that we can’t understand him. If I were you Verah, I’d stick to the Khaptan and the Menletino perhaps you can humanize the Mencaractus.

Remorselessly spiralling in it’s tubing the timepiece had overridden the time set for the droden. My face must have shown my dismay for a one person the Coomsarians rose to their feet. On your way, Verah. You must not be late for the meeting. The Khaptan is a stickler for rules. Nice as he is, he is a living horrible if he is flouted and the more senior the offender the worse he is, said Balkin by way of comfort.

You’ll have to change for the first droden. It’s formal. said Mrs. Beaton, echoing my own thoughts. Come on Vercoomsary, Verah, said Beaton, I’ll take you to your quarters. You won’t know the way entirely and there are ways of short cutting and saving time. You know, he continued chattily as we stepped out onto the raister, I should have been a Verturan and I could have floated you up.

What. But the Verturan’s can’t fly ship-side.

This is a Verturan commissioned ship. There are fly lanes all through the ship. They are a great deal more convenient that the raising systems that we poor earth bound mortals use.

We shall just have to learn to fly, I said as I stepped off the raister and fled into my quarters to do a very quick change into formal uniform.

[2]

When I finally arrived in the passageway leading to the droden hone, I was hot, embarrassed, out of breath and thoroughly bad tempered. This last was generated as much by the intricacies of my brand new dress uniform, as by being out of step with protocol. It was unthinkable for a senior officer to keep either her colleagues or her Khaptan waiting. So when I saw the Khaptan waiting, draped in the doorway, my discomfiture increased. The creases around his eyes deepened as I came up the passage in an undignified trot.

You are late, Jenny Darling, he said sternly.

All the frustrations of the last few moments burst out. I thought of the time I had spent arranging the pleated shirt and trousers I wore under my red tabard and contrasted them unfavourably with the form fitting one piece that he wore under his silver tabard. I tossed my head petulantly.

You could have come for me, Tommy Jones!

Long clefts appeared either side of his mouth but his voice remained steady.

What! A starship Khaptan chase round after one of his officers! What next? A good officer is punctually awaiting her leader.

Of course the good starship Khaptan habitually awaits his Vercoomsary at the droden hone entrance, I couldn’t resist saying.

The hovering smile came into view then. You are a wretch Jen. I told the officers all last cruise, what a super efficient marvel you are and on your very first day you are late for the most important meeting of the whole trip. It would have served you right if I had gone right in and started without you. You could at least show a little gratitude at my assuming the blame for your tardiness.

He put out his arm and drew me towards the door. As I passed in front of him his encircling arm tightened and his blue eyes went suddenly hard. I won’t cover up for you again, Jenny. This is space, not the social centre on Vertura.

I don’t expect you to, I retorted, Star terms we said and I meant it. Just you remember you had no doubts about it. I shall make an entry explaining my delay, when the droden is over. Don’t get up on your high ropes. Come and meet the rest of the executive.

As we came into the room, the several people gathered around the table looked up. I placed these as the other senior officers. As well a tall Verturan in the brown tabard of the engineering stood a pace behind one red tabard. Two gentlemen in the green uniforms of the medical staff stood stiffly on either side of the green embroidered red tabard.

As I identified the blue embroidery of the soldiery and white insignia of navigation, the Khaptan was taking his place at the head of the long briefing table.

Gentlemen, he said briskly. This had the reassuring effect of removing all eyes from me and redirecting them to himself. Gentlemen, my apologies for keeping you kicking your heels. He waved his hand in my direction,