The Bridge Book IV, Epilogue Into the Shadows of the Stars by euhal allen	Table of Contents Part 1 appears in this issue.
Chapter 1: The Dark Future part 2 of 3

“It is hard, daughter,” Olga Shapirov said, “and you will miss him forever, as I do your father. But now you have much to do to make his dream of the rebirth come true.”

“And,” added Ka’Tia, as she appeared in the midst of them, “you have your young one to care for. He will remind you of him in so many ways.”

“Young one,” stammered Me’Avi, “what are you talking about? There is no young one.”

“Well, one of the advantages of being a Cyber entity is that I have very finely tuned sensors. You are, if those sensors are right, about six weeks pregnant. And it will be a boy.”

Me’Avi, looking at her grandmother’s image, found a great sense of peace in the announcement and smiled for the first time since the day Kalvin had died in her arms.

Suddenly realizing that she had something to do, she turned and headed for the airlock. Outside again, she knelt by the warm ashes and told them that they would have a son, another Kalvin Shapirov and she thanked them for the gift that would, she knew, help curb the loneliness that pained her heart.

* * *

The Galactic Assembly, knowing that the Skeltz would certainly come again breathing fire and hatred, began in earnest to form the government that would be responsible to defend that part of the galaxy that they held sway over.

Soon, because the Qwell had been a former member and had drafted many of the almost identical rules and procedures of both legislative bodies, the Representatives to the Assembly came to the conclusion that both the Galactic Council — to be known as The Council — and the Tunnel World’s Diet — to be known as The Diet — could be relocated to Harmony and make up a government of two houses.

An Executive Council, made up of an equal number of representatives from each house — one of whom would be Council Chair — would then be responsible for administering the edicts of the combined Assembly.

To ensure continuity and cooperation in the new governing body, the High Speaker of the joint houses, presently Me’Avi Shapirov, would be the Council Chair.

These initial parts of the new government, having met the approval of both galactic populations, were soon quartered on Harmony and overseeing the combining of the two bureaucracies into a single entity to unify the two great civil bodies into one that would be truly responsible for the safety of their peoples.

Committees were set up and institutions useful to the continuance of the rule of law and social justice were co-opted into the structure of official society.

Once having these initial tasks on line, the new government set about mapping and securing its territory with military observation posts and placing innumerable observation satellites far out beyond the borders of the area now ruled by the Assembly. In addition, provisions for weapons research were among the first of the agenda items considered, approved and started.

* * *

The greatest blessing of Me’Avi’s new position was that it kept her too busy to fold under the pain of Kalvin’s loss. That hit her at night, when she was too tired to read any more papers and too agitated to sleep. It was, she thought, her fault that he was gone.

She had continually encouraged him to find new evidence of artistic genius among humans. She continually sought to enhance his status as the discoverer and presenter of those artists to the galaxy. And his success had been the talk of all society.

Then came the trip to Seronus IV and the discovery of a young singer whose voice could capture the tone and meaning of any song and the heart of any listener. It was to be the latest in the chain of Kalvin’s triumphs. Instead, he reached the young artist only in time to see him succumb to a virus that had just begun to plague the planet.

Soon Kalvin himself fell to the virus, and even though he was rushed back to Harmony and the best medical attention in the galaxy he died days before a cure was found and the virus wiped out. And now Me’Avi was saddled not only with the safety of the galaxy but the guilt of her grief.

* * *

The long jump continued, and the crew used the time to awaken the rest of those still asleep in the stasis chambers: first, the rest of the Board of Magistrates, who were equal in rank to the ship Captain’s. Little by little they were brought back to consciousness and shown the media clips and educated in the promises of their leaders.

Area by area, the great ship was populated and put to work in readying the people for the day that they would find their new home. New tunnels were carved into the outer layers of rock that covered the hollowed-out middle; ores were processed; and ships and weapons were manufactured and released into the space surrounding the great ship.

The new tunnels were then reinforced, sealed and converted into new finished space to be occupied as the need arose. And the need, with the new awakenings accelerating, arose almost as fast as the space could be furnished for them to fill.

Still the jump went on, entering normal space only when new bearings were taken to assure them that they were on course for the far side of the galaxy. And at each stop, marker buoys, ones that would respond only to coded signals, were placed to insure that when the trip back was made there would be no possibility of not finding those enemies slated for destruction.

* * *

At each of the jump endings, Fleet Grozzdahzh Nazvadhah, after taking the sighting and checking the sensor reports, and reporting to the Board of Magistrates, gave the orders for the next jump. That done, he turned his attention to his real interest, the reports of the shipbuilders and the weapons makers.

Most of all he wanted to see that the researchers had discovered the secret of the Doors that their enemies had been such cowards to use in their destruction of the earlier Skeltz fleet. Once that secret was found and a way to block it was devised, then their fleet would once again be unbeatable. Perhaps these Doors might even be useful for some future Skeltz strategy.

Things were not going as well as hoped. More people were needed than could yet be awakened. More resources were needed than could be mined from the outer shell of their ship. There would have to be a great deal of improvement in both quantity and quality if the people, the Skeltz, were to protect themselves against whatever might come up in the journey ahead.

Already a number of suitable home worlds had been passed up because they lacked the strength to wrest them from their current inhabitants. Asteroids had been captured from those systems and turned into spy buoys that would spew their information into Skeltz computer systems when they came back in greater strength.

For the present, the Fleet Grozzdahzh had to be content with spy buoys and notes for the future Grozzdahzhes of the Fleet to study when they created their plans for the return of the Skeltz.

Each new jump brought new information for the computers of the Skeltz to analyze and record. Each new jump brought the Skeltz closer to the system they were searching for, the system that would become their new home.

And then, one day, they found a system that would be a solution to part of the problem. Seventy thousand light years from their former home system, the Skeltz fleet came upon a system extremely rich in the resources needed to expand the fleet to a reasonable number of ships. The rest of the sleepers could be aroused and put to work.

Fleet Grozzdahzh Nazvadhah ordered the great ship to orbit the fifth planet, it being the richest in needed ores. The great ship became the planet’s moon, an imitation for which its exterior was well suited.

Most of the other ships, once they had disgorged those needed for surface mining and manufacturing work, headed out to the canyons of the sixth planet and hid themselves until they might be needed. Those ships left took up stations around the system and kept watch for anyone that might be foolish enough to come along and fall into their hands.

Soon, after the huge automated plants were created, new ships were being built. Then, crewed with individuals newly aroused, they were launched, and sent to hide in the canyons of the sixth planet.

In only a few months all were awake and a great number of ships were built, crewed and ready to continue the journey to find the new home. Within two years the final fleet ship was ready. When it was not on patrol at the edges of the system, it hid on the sixth planet.

There was only one project left to complete: the creation of three more great asteroid ships that would not only be the traveling homes of the crews rotating out of duty on the smaller ships, but the medical and food-producing vessels for the fleet.

Thousands of the indigenous planetoids of the system had been surveyed and the best selected for the project. Great numbers of the people had worked on hollowing areas immediately required and then fitted them with structures and equipment to make them the great vessels that were wanted for the purposes of the fleet.

Each, like the first ship, was made of four separate parts that joined together into one super vessel. Each was made to act as a control center for battle; it could be divided into two or four battle cruisers should the fleet’s smaller ships come to grips with someone they needed help with. Should a battle go against them they could be rejoined or operate as single ships, and thus become the escape vessels that would insure the survival of some of their people.

Lastly, with four great ships of this sort one could always be held hidden in reserve away from any battle and, should the rest of the fleet be destroyed, continue on to find the new home planet for the race to regenerate itself. That ship, the last to be built. would be the repository of the children whenever warning of a battle could be made far enough in advance to transfer the children to it. It would also serve as the educational training center for the fleet and house the children old enough to be enrolled in the fleet’s schools.

Every precaution was taken to prevent forever a repeat of the total defeat they had suffered at the hands of their enemies. It had been very long ago, but because of their time in stasis it was still fresh in their memories.

* * *

The months passed and Me’Avi looked at the load of issues before the Assembly and knew that she would need help. With the Qwell no longer actively directing things, even from behind the scenes at bureaucratic desks, whole agencies seemed to have lost their way. It was almost as if those governments, now freed from their nanny, had never learned to do things on their own. Confusion reigned, and it was a bad ruler.

No one, not even a High Speaker with her talents could really hope to do the work needed without expert help; and she knew where to get that help.

Soon, messenger ships were on their way to contact and bring — even draft if necessary, knowing how he had sworn to never return to government — Kran Xhelsher back to help sort out and prioritize the issues in front of her. With his help she knew she could get things lined up in the new government in just a year or two.

The ships came back empty. Grand Minister Xhelsher had been killed in an accident with his herd beasts while showing his grandchildren the way to “round them up.” Me’Avi ordered a memorial service for him and sent the ships in another direction, to the Cernon Sector to get her grandmother and Cyr. Surely with their cyber minds and databanks they could bring some sense to the chaos that surrounded her.

They brought back a communication capsule addressed to her. When she activated it the images of both Ka’Tia and Cyr stood before her and Ka’Tia spoke words she did not want to hear.

“Me’Avi, we have decided to do a little exploring in other parts of the galaxy. We have taken on enough power modules to last us for a couple of decades and hope you won’t mind if we enjoy ourselves for that long. Of course, if you do mind or wish us to help you in some way then we are sorry.

“We have been doing that for too long now and are going to take the time we need to recover from all the stress we have survived over the many decades we were in official service.

“Besides, you are a bright person and we have faith in your abilities. We know you will do well in your position. However, if you do get into some real jams doing your job and really do need help you can always call on your mother Olga and your uncle Sean. They have some experience in societal work and they have been loafing for too long now, anyway.

“Just do your best. Good-bye,” were Ka’Tia’s parting words. Then she and Cyr faded away and the capsule erased the message.

Proceed to part 3...

Copyright © 2005 by euhal allen