Disclaimer: Space Cases and related characters, events, and concepts
are the creation of Bill Mumy and Peter David. They belong to CISNAR
and Nickelodeon network. They are not mine, they are just borrowed for
the purposes of the story. The Lumare Children were found in a from the Great
Fairies Encyclopaedia complied by Pierre Dubois. Laume's speech from
W.B Yeats poem (He Bids His Beloved be at Peace circa 1899)
Inspired by the 2nd season episode "Both Sides Now."
In immediate sequence of my stories, follows "Nocturne"
"Diamonds in the Rough" by Karen
"Terra forming." Davenport began in bright tones as she glanced expectantly at her students, awaiting if not attentive looks, she'd settle for mental alertness.
Believing that she had at last found a subject that would maintain their distressingly low threshold of attention span. She seized upon the subject of manipulating a planet to make it more Earth like. At last a topic guaranteed to stimulate their interest!' she thought with excitement. 'If this doesn't work, I do not know what will. And if the Commander thinks teaching is easy, Hah!' Davenport thought swiping her palm across the control console and ordered the Christa's computers to bring up the image of the planet Mars on the view screen. to reveal polar ice caps as the ever-present wind whipped red dust into gigantic sand dunes and canyons.
"It just a dumb desert," Bova complained.'And I was having such an unpleasant dream,' he thought.
"Why do we have to study this?" Harlan complained. "It' not like we're ever going to need it."
"Space is very unforgiving. You may not think you need to learn this subject; assuming we do return to the Star Academy," Davenport replied.
"Miss Davenport, may I be excused?" Suzee interrupted, raising her hand, "May I be excused?"
I could look this stuff up any time I wanted to; besides I've got more important stuff to do,
like increasing the efficiency of the engines. Maybe I could increase the ion flow...."
"No, You may not. I am only trying to give you a foundation on which to build
from," Davenport replied, exasperated.
"Hmmph, I know they were failing their classes back at the Star Academy, but
did any other teacher have this much trouble with their students?
"Yeah, but what's that got to do with us? Someday I'll be a Stardog. Someday
I'll have my own command. And I'll have other people to handle things like that."
Harlan blustered.
"Harlan, would you please be quiet. I want to hear about this," Radu said.
'Why does he have to make such a big fuss about everything.
"Well, look on the bright side. Mercury would never have been habitable if the
first colonists had not' been able to use their know-how in using scientific means
to terra from the planet," Roise added.
Davenport beamed at Rosie, pleased with her comment.
"Excellent insight, Rosie, please elaborate."
"Well, I guess, the easiest planets to terraform would be, those planets that are
most earth like," Rosie began.
"There's one thing I don't understand, if it took terraforming to make planets
like Mercury, Saturn, and Uranus, uh, livable, why hasn't the UPP established
any colonies on Mars," Radu asked.
"Mars is the best candidate in our the Sol System because it has canals, but there's no water. It has magnetic poles, but the ice caps, but no water. And the atmosphere isn't one that is compatible with most carbon based life forms," Davenport answered.
"Why did they select it for terraforming?" Suzee asked.
"Good question. The first step would be to warm up the atmosphere. Dark dust,
could be sprinkled across the surface. The black layer would absorb the heat,
and warm up the surface of the planet. Giant mirrors placed in orbit could
concentrate sunlight to the polar caps, melt them, and provide enough
water and carbon dioxide. Colonies would start at the bottom of the deep
canyons where the gravity is denser," Davenport explained.
"I've heard somewhere that a thick layer of permafrost exists under the
Martian surface, " Harlan said, interested despite some doubts.
"Yes, if so, that layer could be released and combined with the carbon dioxide
melted from the poles, it might provide the start of a more human friendly atmosphere," Suzee added.
"As stated, much of this is already in effect, on many of your home worlds,
which should be incentive enough to learn the material," Davenport concluded.
"All hands to Command Post," Commander Goddard ordered, as the message
went out through the ships intercom system.
"All right, everyone heard the Commander, class dismissed," Davenport said,
as she watched the kids make a beeline for the jumptubes. A bottleneck occurred
as Suzee and Harlan crowded each other, causing the others to bump into each
other. They finally sorted themselves out and headed for the Command Post.
command. The planet's most striking features were a series of dark streaks that
criss-crossed the entire globe. The largest ones were roughly 20 kilometers across
with random outer edges and a central band of light almost pastel orange and
off-white.
"Amazing, " Suzee remarked absently, a planet whose surface shows no evidence
of craters, which probably means little or no meteorite activity."
"Excellent, Suzee. I think this is a good educational opportunity," Davenport said.
"It looks like some giant billiard ball, you know for playing pool," Harlan said,
cringing a little when what he thought of his good insight earned him an icy
glare from Miss Davenport. Man, she thinks I can't do anything right
"I've done a computer scan of the planet, it has a breathable atmosphere, a little
oxygen and water vapor. It should be safe enough to explore," Rosie added.
I just hope this is right, Suzee will be fine what with her gills and all, but
what if I'm wrong and something happens to the others? Cheer up, Rosie,
you're starting to sound like Bova
"Any natives we should be worried about," Harlan asked.
"None that I can tell," Bova replied after minute. "Maybe they're just too
scattered for the ship's scanners to locate."
"Mr. Radu, find us a safe place to land," Goddard said.
"Give me a moment," Radu replied, as he made some calculations and then
consulted the displays on his navigation console. After a minute or so, he looked
up. "Head for 231 on the Y axis , coordinates 090 on 123. There should be a
a clearing large enough to accommodate a ship the size of the Christa."
"Take us down, Mr. Band," Goddard ordered.
"Not too shabby, even if I do say so myself," Harlan grinned as he brought the
Christa to a smooth landing. "We've been cooped up in the Christa a long time,
Commander. Don't you think we should take the opportunity to explore
the planet."
"I may regret this, but the crew has been working extra hard lately, and everyone
could probably use the time off. Very well, shore leave granted. You have six
hours. If it all possible stay together, and if you have to split up, go in-groups of
two. Meet back at the ship," Goddard said.
"Yes!" the group said as one.
"May I remind everyone that this is a privilege and may be revoked," Davenport
said.
"Don't worry, Miss Davenport, I've got everything under control," Harlan replied.
"Famous last words," Goddard muttered under his breath as he watched the crew
scramble for the exit. Is it too much to ask for a little military decorum on this
ship? On the other hand. He turned to Miss Davenport who had been leaning
against the wall where the jumptubes were located. She had her arms folded over her chest.
She smiled, a vague thinning of her lips.
Goddard bent over Rosie's console for a moment, long enough to bring up a topographical map of the vicinity, to discover
they were within walking distance of a lake. It wouldn't be strictly against
regulations to have a little R& R. Heaven knows, after being saddled with a bunch
of failing cadets for students, we deserve some shore leave.
With that running through his head, he suited action to thoughts, "Miss Davenport, what say we take
a well deserved break, explore this place ourselves, there's a lake nearby and."
"That sounds wonderful," Davenport smiled, and brought a hand up to brush a
stray lock of red hair that the heat had plastered to her forehead. "It shouldn't take
but a moment, and I'll have the makings of a picnic put together, just leave all the
preparations to me," she rattled off all in one breath, as she activated the jumptube
controls.
foot on the metal deck plates, wondering what exactly she had in mind for a picnic,
found out, when she came back via the jumptubes. Her reappearance preceded by
a woven rattan basket, a red-and-white checkered blanket, and two bottles; one
his favorite scotch, only used for special occasions, and her favorite, sparkling
cataba juice. "T.J, we couldn't need all of this, just for a short hike to a lake," he
protested, but was cut off, when she carefully placed the stack of supplies into
his arms, and gently but firmly steered towards the ship's exit.
Interlude
They found the lake Goddard had spotted, with relative ease, having to climb a
slight incline leading towards it. The lake was enclosed by a shallow valley, which
sparkled in the afternoon sunlight, lined by a ring of trees that Goddard could only
identify as relatives of rowan and willows. The sand lining the beach was sparkling
white, which meant there'd been volcanic activity in the past. He set down his
armload of supplies. It certainly made for a beautiful setting. Davenport picked up
a handful of sand, then let it trickle through her fingers.
"This is a perfect spot, Seth. I am so glad you thought of it," Davenport said as she
spread the blanket on the sand, and began opening the basket.
He walked over to the spot she had chosen, and helped lay out the various dishes
she had brought, and opened the bottles one by one, and popped the corks. He
almost found himself blushing when was distracted by her silvery laughter as some
of the scotch splattered onto his uniform.
"Okay, so I wouldn't make a very good waiter in a fancy restaurant," Goddard
laughed, as they sat down and began eating, just enjoying the comfortable
silence of each other's company.
From the shadow of the incline Goddard and Davenport had climbed to reach the
lake, several pairs of soulful brown eyes peered out, but they weren't interested in
the pair at the lake; for it only took them a few seconds to make sure they would
be settled for a while. Then they turned their glances in the direction the
strangers had come from. Emerging from the shadows, they rose into the air, as
if rising on bubbles of air, they glided like the wisps of cloud overhead, in the
opposite direction.
pausing as in confounded by something. They glanced from one to the next,
seeming to understand without the need for speech what needed to be done.
Landing on top of the silver ship, they passed their hands in unison, making
circular motions and melted seamlessly into the Christa's hull.
Thelma, the shipboard android, whom had assumed watch duty on the bridge,
while everyone else was away, suddenly confronted the intruders.
"I am Thelma, techno-organic, human-emulating-machine, please identify."
The intruders were all female; they wore long pleated skirts with floral motifs,
the hems and sleeves embroidered in gold thread. They stared at
Thelma with brown eyes, then without a word being spoken, instructions flooded
into Thelma's mind.
Through the great song, we sing no more, but there's our delight in what we
once were, broken pebbles on the shore, under the receding tide
I hear the Shadowy Horses, their long manes a-shake/ Their hoofs heavy with
tumult, their eyes glimmering white; The North unfolds above them, clinging
creeping night. The East hidden joy before the morning break, The West weeps
in pale dew and sighs passing away. The South is pouring down roses of
crimson fire; O vanity Sleep, Hope, Dream, endless Desire. The Horses of
Disaster plunge in the heavy clay; " Beloved, let your eyes half close, and your
heart beat, Over my heart, and your hair fall over my breast, Drowning love's
lonely hour in deep twilight of rest, and hiding their tossing manes and their
tumultuous feet"".
"Too much input...."Thelma muttered, as her cybernetic mind was overloaded with virtual images and rhyming syllables.
"That does not compute with my internal processor..."…Cannot analyze language, unable to.... " Thelma said, collapsing into a metal heap on the floor of the Command Post.
Elsewhere
The crew chose not to split up and wandered around, their progress
somewhat hindered by the fact, they made several stops while everyone went to
look at something the others apparently couldn't see. Which was becoming
rather eerie, as Bova put it, convinced that something was following them,
mimicking their steps, moving when they moved, stopping when they stopped.
"I tell you, it was there again, just beyond the copse of trees," Bova insisted as he
half walked, half-turned towards the others, when he bumped into a building
constructed entirely of glass. The panels were laid square upon glass square. It
was completely roofed over and slanted to admit maximum sunlight. Inside, they
could see that someone or something had taken a lot of care of the flowering
shrubs and flowers.
"You know, back on Earth, my Mom had a hothouse," Harlan remarked.
"Why a hothouse?" Rosie asked. "Do they keep it at a really high temperature?"
"Kind reminds of the Bio-Sphere on the Christa," Bova replied, recalling an
incident when the Eaty had accidentally been brought aboard while they'd been
doing mineral surveys. Eaty had grown big enough to eat the entire ship.
He glared at Harlan, when he remembered Harlan's joke about using the
vacuum in reverse, and shooting him into space. I get no respect, he thought to
himself.
Rosie peered around the corner of the glass-enclosed hothouse, then jumped up
in surprise as a strange figure approached.
"What's wrong, Rosie?" Suzee asked, when she noticed Rosie's fixed stare.
"I don't know," Rosie muttered, as she pointed around the corner of the hothouse.
"I know we've never been here before, so how can that person look so familiar?"
"You're imagining things. Happens to me all the time, especially when I having a
really rotten day," Bova offered, ignoring the blank stares he received from the
others.
"I don't think you're imagining things, Rosie. Do you think the natives go around
floating in midair?" Harlan said.
"Is that a ghost?" Radu whispered to Rosie just as the figure drew nearer, its gossamer outline recalling to his mind the ghost of Alfonso
from Suzee's holographic virtual reality program.
"That's not a ghost, Radu. I wish I could say exactly what it was," Rosie said.
The woman floated closer, her body sheathed in clothing so gauzy it might have
been woven of pure quicksilver. Fog cloaked her feet as it swirled up from the
ground. Her silver cascaded down her back and her blue eyes gleamed in the
sunlight. She lifted her arms and when they had reached their full extension, a
set of white, feathery wings arched as if for flight. She launched herself forward
as if for flight with outflung arms, wings spread behind her, and the air thundered.
All the kids could do was stare dumbfounded, too overcome by awe to feel
afraid, until she careened through the air so close that her fingers lightly touched
each of them.
Suzee gasped as strands of her rainbow hair came out in tufts. She reached up and
ran her fingers through it as if searching for an elusive itch. I can find out what's
going on a lot easier if I used my telepathy," Suzee thought, her eyes turning
purple, 'that is, if I can maintain eye contact, " she muttered to herself.
Bova's innate pessimistic attitude kicking into high gear, he instinctively
prepared an electric charge from his antenna, Why doesn't anybody ever listen
to me, I told them we were being followed
Radu clapped his hands over his sensitive Andromedan ears as a sound like the
buzzing of hundreds of bees grew louder and louder. I know we're supposed to
be frightened, but why does this feel familiar somehow?
Harlan moved forward, not unlike being in a waking dream, hesitantly he
stretched out a trembling hand and touched the wings.
"Do not be alarmed, I mean no harm to any of you," the woman said, he crystal
blue eyes shimmering with unshed tears, "Don't you recognize me?" I should
wanted to find a better way of interacting with all of you."
thoroughly enjoyed a rare chance to unwind by the lakeshore. Their pleasant
feeling didn't last long, however because the first thing that was off, was the
moonlight that should have been reflecting off the Christa's silver hull, only came
from glass shards scattered haphazardly in the middle of an oval shaped crater.
"And Suzee said this planet didn't have meteor activity, shows what she knows,"
Davenport primly said.
"T.J, that isn't the issue. We have a problem on our hands," Goddard said, his
good mood evaporating like smoke. He began inspecting the landing site, had he
not known there'd been a ship there, he could have sworn it was a naturally occurring crater.
"Do you think someone could have flown of with the ship?" Davenport asked.
"Unlikely. Thelma's there, and if someone managed to get past her, the ship
wouldn't have responded to them, it barely lets me pilot it," Goddard muttered
over his shoulder.
"Commander, whoever or whatever is responsible for the ship's disappearance,
they left something behind," she replied, bending over to pick up a white feather,
a scrap of cloth, and one of Thelma's gloves.
"What?" Godddard snapped, his boots crunching on glass shards.
"I found Thelma, or more to the point, what's left of her," Davenport replied,
as she continued gathering up pieces that belonged to the android, all told, they
ended up with about 50, and went back to the narrow table shaped ledge that
lined the approach to the landing site. "This seems a good a place as any to repair
Thelma,' she added, sorting out the pieces.
"Let's repair Thelma, she may be able to tell us what happened," he answered,
"Then we'll find the kids and get to the bottom of this."
Davenport nodded, then checked her timepieces on her wrist, "They should have
been back by now, do you think something's happened to them?"
"I don't want to guess, I want to know."
"If you had to?"
"I wonder if the kids did come back and were 'carried away with the ship." he
grimly said, concentrating on assembling Thelma, he rocked back on his heel as
he straightened an arm that had developed an unnatural bend in it. Heaving a
sigh of relief; the damage to Thelma wasn't as severe as it had appeared, the arm
easily adjusted back to its original position, just like rubber. Their conversation
afterwards was limited to him asking for parts as they put the android back
together.
The moon had come out, a shallow crescent framed by clouds, when they finished.
Thelma eyes blinked and she listed slightly to one side like an overloaded ship,
then to the other. Goddard and Davenport helped her adjust her equilibrium.
They waited until she finished her recitation on the meaning of her name.
"Thelma," Davenport, "Can you tell us what happened here?"
"From the beginning," Goddard added.
"From the beginning" she echoed, "Very well. First the universe was void and
without form, then there was a big bang." Thelma rattled off without hesitation.
"The condensed version" Goddard interrupted.
"Condensed? Some of my memory seems to have been erased in the last three
hours, Commander. However, I do remember taking watch in the Command Post,
normal functioning of the ship continued until 1500 hours, when the intruders came aboard."
"Intruders, " Davenport exclaimed.
"What did they do? Are the kids all right?" Goddard asked.
"They overwhelmed by logic circuits," Thelma said.
"The answer to your second question lies not with yon automation," a woman's
voice replied, the source of the voice was hovering about five feet above his head.
Goddard, irritated, cranky, and uncomfortable, craned his neck, and made an 180 degree turn in the direction the voice had come from, only to see a woman with feathered wings sprouting from her shoulder blades, and a half dozen women, floating through the air. Behind this strange entourage was the rest of the crew. Goddard would have laughed at the image he created, of lost goslings following their mother, if the situation had been a laughing matter. It was NOT.
"I want answers, people, and I want them Now!" Goddard yelled as soon as the
kids were within shouting range.
"Commander, I. Then again, maybe you already, ah, the hell with it, you're not gonna believe me if I told you," Harlan dusky black skin turned a shade paler as he fumbled for the right words.
"You should ask the Christa," Suzee interrupted without missing a beat. "They granted her 'wish,'
If you ask me, its not at all logical, not it the least."
"Kinda gives new meaning to the phrase, 'be careful what you wish for', doesn't it," Bova muttered under his breath.
"I heard that, Mr. Bova, you mean to tell me, that, the woman," Davenport,
on the verge of fainting by now, 'IS the Christa?"
"Who's responsible for this?" Goddard demanded, folding his arms across his chest.
"Greetings, Commander, we are the Laume," it seemed as if all six spoke as
one, except only one represented the others.
"We greet you, we offer our apologies for any pain or grief we may have caused you.
We only felt the empathic need of the Christa as it yearned for a more, immediate interaction with your crew. We sensed her
need, and we granted her wish." All six stopped hovering and alit on the ledge- shaped boulder used to repair Thelma.
"Wonderful," Davenport sighed.
"Perhaps I made a terrible mistake, for none of you recognize me. May I share? From the moment all of you came aboard, we bonded, that bond is still there, and the longer we travel together the stronger the bond will grow. The Laumes were capable of granting my wish, all I wanted was to experience the emotions, the feelings of what it was like to be human. I am sorry," the transformed Christa wept, silver tears spring from her violet eyes.
"Christa, we are linked, from the brief moment of experiencing what it was like to be human. I understand why you would subconsciously make that wish. However, think of the crew, what more will they endure if they are stranded on this planet, with no means of returning home. That is what they really want," Thelma said.
"Thelma, you are right," The transformed Christa nodded, lifting her head, her
eyes violet eyes shimmering, "Laumes, change me back," she said.
"Your wish is our command," the spokeswoman replied.
The transformed Christa leapt into the air and glided towards the oval shaped
crater. Upon landing a sudden glittery curtain of silver fire surrounded her and in her place the Christa's familiar shape was restored. The white feathery wings replaced by the gold metal wings that were her solar sails.
"Let's get out here," Goddard ordered, exhausted, heaving a sigh that came
from the bottom of his boots, and ended at his hairline.
"I don't understand why the Laume gave the Christa a humanoid form," Radu
said, puzzled, as he leaned forward on his navigation console, inputting the coordinates as the Harlan piloted them away from the planet.
"Why did they?" Suzee asked.
"They were able to give the Christa a humanoid form because the ship is composed of both techno and organic components," Thelma replied,
" Because the Laume tapped directly into the ships morphgenic matrix thereby allowing them to grant the Christa's wish, resulting in...." she cocked her head to one side as if puzzling something through, ' a makeover,' she concluded.
"One thing I don't understand," Bova began.
"One thing?" Harlan interrupted.
"As I was saying," Bova continued, "If Thelma is in tune with the ship, why did they take her out of the way first?"
"Because, " Thelma replied, "Per my design specifications, I am so in tune with the Christa, I would have negated the ship's 'wish'
and the morphogenic matrix would have fizzled out."
"The same way Thelma was given a human form when Miss D downloaded too
much data from the Infocore! And we all turned into each other!" Harlan
exclaimed.
'I really don't think that's a good idea," Davenport began, blushing almost as red as her hair.
She did not appreciate being reminded of that incident.
'Wait a minute," Radu said, "Are you saying that the Laumes granted a 'wish' the
Christa made, like, uh, what are those things called again, : Harlan, the spirits that
live in rings and bottles,,,
"Genies, Radu, they're called genies," Harlan replied.
"You're saying the ship made a wish and it was granted?" Davenport exclaimed.
"Affirmative," Thelma replied, nodded.
"Regardless, let's put this incident behind us, and concentrate on getting back to the Star Academy," Goddard said.
Space Cases Nocturne
Space Cases Glimmerings