Refugees in Space
Runaway Star
Loran spun in his seat and reached out to shut the portals. His heart was racing but there was no use staring at his doom. His wife and two daughters were in deep sleep in the belly of the ship and wouldn’t wake for months.
“Maggy,” he called out to the computer. “Raise the shields. It’s been good serving with you, girl.”
“Complying.”
Nothing was going to save them from the coming blast. He was amazed that they had reached this far in their chaotic flight from Earth. He and Marilyn had barely had time to strap the girls into their sleep double chamber before lifting off. Marilyn was next to enter the deep sleep compartments. There was no reason to have two people awake, sapping necessary resources.
He felt tears slipping down his face and wiped at them with the back of his hand. What hopes they had had when they had reached the outlands in Australia! Even the girls had cheered up and started talking to them again, rather than keeping to the indecipherable language they shared as twins.
The whole family had hoped to settle in Independent Australia. That hope disappeared shortly after their arrival when the nation capitulated and became the last to join the One-Earth World Alliance. It was over. Any religious beliefs were against the Charter. Outlawed automatically, now they were being pursued.
They had all agreed – vowed, really – that they would not give up their religion no matter the certain death that such rebellion brought from the powerful Alliance. Now, it appeared that death was simply their fate.
Oh, well, he thought despairingly. Being disintegrated together at least preserved their unity as one family. With one last wipe at his sodden cheeks, he glanced again at the pursuing Worldship and sent out a quick prayer that was more of a lament than a plea.
“Follow me!”
The words stunned him. Follow who? His half-shut viewer showed a comet – no, a star! – moving ahead, and he heard the voice again, even more insistent.
“Follow me!”
“Put us on warp eight, Maggy.” What the hell! He didn’t have enough fuel to last long at that pace, but he might as well follow through in this crazy dream. Maybe Marilyn was awake, and he was secure in his chamber with a raging nightmare encompassing him?
“Acknowledged,” the computer chirped.
Loran scanned the area behind the speeding ship. They were clear of the WorldShip, for now. Well, of course they were. Anyone would be, at that speed. But he couldn’t keep up the pace. His fuel was probably dangerously low, just from the violent acceleration so far.
But the tiny ship didn’t falter. They sped on and on, far after Loran realized that something unnatural was happening.
“What is happening?” he said.
Maggy did not reply. He heard again a young, strong voice. It said, “I am sharing fuel with you.”
“Who are you?”
“I am Mathan.”
“What are you?”
“I am a star.”
Loran fell silent. “A star, what?” he finally croaked in response.
“A star-being. Aren’t you a planet-dweller?”
“Yes. I am from Earth.”
“Exactly!”
He heard laughter in the voice. He wasn’t sure what exactly was funny, but he was willing to play along. The ship’s engines continued to purr as they sped along, following the moving star.
“So, you are a star?”
“Yes.”
“You have a nuclear fusion core?”
“Yes. That’s how I am giving you fuel. I convert molecules to pass through the ship walls into your tanks. We can keep this up indefinitely. They will never catch you. And, I want to make my home away from here. Come with me.”
“How are you able to go? Aren’t you from the constellation Centaurus?”
“Of course. But that’s only a suggestion. We are free to go if we want. But they won’t be happy that I left. I can’t go back. I need to find a new galaxy, or start my own. Will you populate my planets?”
The voice sounded pleading, almost like a teenager, Loran thought.
“I… um, I guess. I have a family.”
“I know. I saw you. You can’t go back either. We are refugees from this galaxy. Actually, I know just the planet that will support you, and no star has claimed it. Let’s speed up. This is fun.”
“Maggy,” he called out to the computer. “Raise the shields. It’s been good serving with you, girl.”
“Complying.”
Nothing was going to save them from the coming blast. He was amazed that they had reached this far in their chaotic flight from Earth. He and Marilyn had barely had time to strap the girls into their sleep double chamber before lifting off. Marilyn was next to enter the deep sleep compartments. There was no reason to have two people awake, sapping necessary resources.
He felt tears slipping down his face and wiped at them with the back of his hand. What hopes they had had when they had reached the outlands in Australia! Even the girls had cheered up and started talking to them again, rather than keeping to the indecipherable language they shared as twins.
The whole family had hoped to settle in Independent Australia. That hope disappeared shortly after their arrival when the nation capitulated and became the last to join the One-Earth World Alliance. It was over. Any religious beliefs were against the Charter. Outlawed automatically, now they were being pursued.
They had all agreed – vowed, really – that they would not give up their religion no matter the certain death that such rebellion brought from the powerful Alliance. Now, it appeared that death was simply their fate.
Oh, well, he thought despairingly. Being disintegrated together at least preserved their unity as one family. With one last wipe at his sodden cheeks, he glanced again at the pursuing Worldship and sent out a quick prayer that was more of a lament than a plea.
“Follow me!”
The words stunned him. Follow who? His half-shut viewer showed a comet – no, a star! – moving ahead, and he heard the voice again, even more insistent.
“Follow me!”
“Put us on warp eight, Maggy.” What the hell! He didn’t have enough fuel to last long at that pace, but he might as well follow through in this crazy dream. Maybe Marilyn was awake, and he was secure in his chamber with a raging nightmare encompassing him?
“Acknowledged,” the computer chirped.
Loran scanned the area behind the speeding ship. They were clear of the WorldShip, for now. Well, of course they were. Anyone would be, at that speed. But he couldn’t keep up the pace. His fuel was probably dangerously low, just from the violent acceleration so far.
But the tiny ship didn’t falter. They sped on and on, far after Loran realized that something unnatural was happening.
“What is happening?” he said.
Maggy did not reply. He heard again a young, strong voice. It said, “I am sharing fuel with you.”
“Who are you?”
“I am Mathan.”
“What are you?”
“I am a star.”
Loran fell silent. “A star, what?” he finally croaked in response.
“A star-being. Aren’t you a planet-dweller?”
“Yes. I am from Earth.”
“Exactly!”
He heard laughter in the voice. He wasn’t sure what exactly was funny, but he was willing to play along. The ship’s engines continued to purr as they sped along, following the moving star.
“So, you are a star?”
“Yes.”
“You have a nuclear fusion core?”
“Yes. That’s how I am giving you fuel. I convert molecules to pass through the ship walls into your tanks. We can keep this up indefinitely. They will never catch you. And, I want to make my home away from here. Come with me.”
“How are you able to go? Aren’t you from the constellation Centaurus?”
“Of course. But that’s only a suggestion. We are free to go if we want. But they won’t be happy that I left. I can’t go back. I need to find a new galaxy, or start my own. Will you populate my planets?”
The voice sounded pleading, almost like a teenager, Loran thought.
“I… um, I guess. I have a family.”
“I know. I saw you. You can’t go back either. We are refugees from this galaxy. Actually, I know just the planet that will support you, and no star has claimed it. Let’s speed up. This is fun.”