Singing Senator Patreus' Beard - Prologue
21 Feb 2018Jellicoe
PHAA AUB AK-A D6836 Systen, Planet B6Under the warmth of an alien sun as strange birds wheeled and swooped in a sky never before seen by human eyes amidst a landscape no human foot had ever trodden before this day sat a huge blue spaceship, its elegant lines and sweeping curves looking profoundly out of place in this primeval Eden. The simple lifeforms of planet B6 were utterly oblivious to the significance of this day for their world, for on this day for the very first time their home had come to the attention of beings not just from another world but from the other side of the galaxy. Some of the more curious creatures had approached the huge bird that had crossed the sky trialling fire in its wake before coming to roost on the surface, the bravest animals had stayed to watch as an insect like creature with six legs roared out of the belly of the giant bird before other, much smaller two legged figures followed, but the scene several hours later would have perplexed far more sophisticated brains than the simple fauna of this planet. On the shore of a tropical lagoon a short distance from the giant bird stood a large biped holding a carefully shaped piece of wood, just behind him three other, thinner pieces of wood had been driven into the ground, more of these strange two legged creatures were gathered around while another ran towards the figure holding the piece of wood before performing a half skip, half jump during which it hurled a small ball towards the figure holding the piece of wood.
"Good shot Vik." The bowler said admiringly as the huge man clubbed the ball away towards the water while two other men hared after it.
"I don't believe you people." Claude Marsaud exclaimed shaking his head in amazement as he approached from the ship. "Here we are on an alien world, around thirty thousand light years from home, one that no other human even knows exists and what's the first thing you do there? Get a bat and ball out."
"Cricket old boy!" Jellicoe replied grinning at his friends bemusement, "Taking mankinds greatest achievement to the rest of the galaxy, you damned Frenchies will never be properly civilised till you learn to appreciate a good cover drive."
"It never ceases to amaze me how many ways you English can invent to waste your time."
"Invented by the English, perfected by Indians." Vik said smiling at Claude's incredulity.
Claude rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "If you've quite finished demonstrating the cultural glories of hitting a ball with a stick the aqua drones have finished scanning the lagoon, there's nothing in it likely to eat us or poison us so feel free to go for a swim, go and show the joys of 'civilisation' to the fish."
They strolled back back toward the ship, Claude passing Jellicoe his PDA.
"There's a message that came through while you were playing." Claude said as they walked, Jellicoe looked down, his face changing as he read it, back to the troubled, careworn look he had worn before Sagittarius A*, "Something's happened back in the bubble?"
"Yes."
"What?"
"A call to arms has gone out, to all who want to be free, who will not be bought or cowed, who will not be used as pawns in games of power by the great and good, to those who will no longer be hunted and count mere survival as a triumph but who will stand and fight and set the galaxy aflame."
Claude looked at the ground for a moment before looking up, his face grave. "We don't have to go back." He said quietly. " This is our last chance to break free of all that, if we join this then we're in and we can't win, you know we can't win."
"We have to try. This isn't about you or me or any of us, this is about the whole of humanity living under a jackboot they don't even know is there. As someone once said to me it's a better way to die than just giving up."
Claude smiled ruefully as hi own words were turned around on him, "I know, but we didn't have Colonia then or even this planet or the others we've found. We could just leave them all to it and make something better out here."
"No." Jellicoe said quietly but firmly, "I could never rest easily out here knowing that 'they' are still in power back home. She was right and they killed her for it and I will not rest until either i rivet their skulls to my prow as a figurehead or die in the attempt. Plot a course for Coma."