Pandora's Box. Страница 7

«The sight itself is simply breathtaking», he exclaimed, gesturing animatedly, just like in the old days. «An enormous ocean suddenly begins to retreat before your very eyes! The prospectors jump into their massive rovers and race across the newly exposed seabed in search of precious shells.»

He smiled a little sheepishly, noticing the wide-eyed looks of his listeners, and went on:

«As it turned out, the job, though profitable, is extremely dangerous. The exposed seabed is riddled with treacherous sinkholes filled with silt and gravel where, from time to time, the rovers vanish without a trace. And as for the atmosphere among those adventurers… Let’s just say it’s far from friendly. Knife fights and brawls are an everyday part of life there. Once, our team gathered quite a haul, and some enterprising souls decided they wanted it for themselves…»

Tarion fell silent for a moment, as though recalling something, then continued, «Anyway, I had to defend my team. They were the ones who suggested I take part in the Arena fights and that’s where I stayed. The work was light, the pay was good, and best of all – there was plenty of free time to spend as I pleased.»

«Not many could have survived in such conditions», John remarked, looking up from his notebook. «But you didn’t just survive, you seem to be thriving.»

«That's for sure!» Draam joined in. «You look great! So, let’s go pay a visit to your ‘respectable Bajjaran’. Maybe he’ll explain what in the void possessed him to drag you to this planet in the first place!»

Without the slightest pang of conscience, Arma hacked through all local security codes and steered the Armaon toward the central district of the great city, where the endless buildings of the Bajjar Trade Corporation rose in gleaming tiers.

«I don’t know about you», she declared petulantly, imitating Iida’s tone to perfection, «but I have neither the time nor the desire to waste my precious reactor energy on negotiations and waiting. The outcome is obvious anyway!»

«Give a ship a mind», Maarv sighed, «and it immediately develops criminal tendencies. All right then, go ahead, land already.»

«At your service, my dear captain», Arma replied. «I knew you wouldn’t object and would support the element of surprise!»

The compliment was rather dubious, and Maarv decided to keep silent.

The Corporation’s main city was a striking contrast to the district they had just left. For a moment, they even thought they’d landed on another planet. Everything here looked so different: sleek, advanced, and spotlessly clean, like the cultural heart of a modern civilized world.

They hadn’t even landed when the local security forces surrounded them from all sides. The suddenly appearing ship showed no signs of aggression, and the soldiers, in turn, were in no hurry to draw their weapons.

«Should I come with you?» asked Kane, noticing that Tarion was getting ready to leave, then glanced at Maarv. «I can’t sit still on board anyway.»

«I’ll come with you as well», Maarv agreed thoughtfully. «We’ll have to explain somehow how we ended up here.»

As they stepped out of the ship, the friends approached the bewildered security officers, who stared at the unusual vessel in amazement – clearly, 'they hadn’t seen anything like this before'.

«Good day to you, honorable keepers of order», Tarion greeted the officers, who were collectively wondering what to do next. «We’re looking for Markan Din. I trust you know him and can take us to him.»

The officers exchanged glances. «Oh, we know him all right», one of them said, «but we seriously doubt he’s expecting you. At the very least, your ship isn’t on the guest list.»

«That’s all right», Tarion replied with a calm smile. «Just tell him that the Rionian he so kindly gave a lift to Bajjar not long ago would like to thank him in person.»

«That may be all right for you», the officer grumbled, «but for us – not so much.»

Nevertheless, he spoke briefly into his communicator. After receiving a response, the frown and tension on his face gave way to clear surprise and a hint of curiosity.

«Please follow me», he said respectfully, gesturing toward a large security aerobot. «You are expected in the Hall of Dawn.»

After some time, the aerobot broke away from the general flow of traffic and gently descended onto the roof of a massive building. Its upper section resembled a vast transparent saucer designed for landing, while at the same time allowing sunlight to pass through layers of filters and prisms, scattering it into intricate patterns of color. The sight was magnificent, though walking across such a roof could make even the bravest uneasy at first.

Seeing the friends’ awed reaction, the officer smiled with quiet satisfaction.

«Just wait till you see where we’re going next!»

And indeed, when the high-speed lift brought them to the Hall of Dawn, everyone gasped aloud. The vast domed chamber, situated at the very heart of the building and serving as the core of the entire complex, was covered from floor to ceiling in fine pink mother-of-pearl. Light poured in from all four sides through grand oval windows, dancing across the walls and ceiling, filling the air with a solemn radiance of dawn.

Several wall fountains added a gentle murmur, bringing to the interior a sense of spring meltwater and morning freshness. Beside each oval window stood several broad, comfortable chairs. In one of them sat an elderly, yet still vigorous-looking Bajjaran, watching the newcomers with keen interest. Draped lightly over his armor was a thin cloak.

The officer approached him and bowed respectfully.

«This is Markan Din, one of the high stewards of our Trade Corporation», the officer introduced the Bajjaran to the guests, then politely stepped aside.

Markan Din gave a slight nod of thanks and gestured toward the chairs.

«Please, make yourselves comfortable», he said at last in in a deep, resonant voice. «It’s a pleasure to see that the Rionian who lost his memory, the one we recently brought to our planet, has recovered, found friends, and looks remarkably well! I can see a hint of impatience on your faces. I take it you have questions for me?»

«When we arrived on Bajjar, I left your ship before we had a chance to say goodbye», Tarion began. «My memory still hasn’t returned, though I’ve gained a bit of common sense since then. I would very much like to know – how did I end up aboard your ship?»

«Nothing surprising about that, in one sense», Markan Din said with a faint smile. «And yet, it is remarkable that you don’t remember it. We were returning to Bajjar after a long voyage to our major clients and, by mere chance, stopped at Ilion – we have a Trade Mission there that required urgent deliveries.

While we were unloading containers at the spaceport, a Rionian – that is, you – approached me and began asking questions about our planet, and about some ancient library of ours that you were eager to visit. I couldn’t satisfy your curiosity on that matter, as I know little about it myself. I only recall that something of the kind was mentioned some time ago in the reports of our archaeologists who were excavating the old Miwot settlements.»

The Bajjaran coughed, his hand trembling as he pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it to his mouth several times. A spasm crossed his face, and his gaze fixed on a single point – the memories of those events clearly came at a cost.

«Then you headed for your ship, and I went aboard mine. And that’s when all hell broke loose! The blast wave hit with such force that it threw me clear across the cargo bay, first into one bulkhead, then another…»

He shook his head, drew a strained breath, and went on with effort.

«We were lucky – on Ilion, heavy freighters are anchored to the docks with powerful magnetic clamps. Those clamps kept our vessel balanced; smaller ships weren’t so fortunate – they were hurled high into the air and then slammed back down with terrible force… Many lives were lost. I lost more than half my crew working at the docks. That’s when we found you lying nearby – unconscious, but, to everyone’s amazement, alive and unharmed.»