The rest of us walked across the wide red-violet ship and I looked at the late afternoon sun. Sighed. My last sunset here on Earth, but I was happy in Rainbow. I thought leaving my dangerous DS life would be the death of both of us, but it was a welcome respite. Poor Farley missed all the things he used to be able to do, like riding dorna at top speed across the Barrens. We rode slow, plodding caeln and he often fell asleep on 'em. But my husband needed the rest. I worried. He's still trembling, but held his head high and Konomai let him walk. I held his icy hand and rubbed it to warm it.
Even in Rainbow Unwell Colony, as safe as that life was, he died very soon after we got there. He hasn't had as many injuries, and he's 25, not 31 as he was when we married. In those memories of our future, no one in Rainbow was showing people their future! What's going on, that Farley saw his future, but then he didn't see what I saw? There were things I overheard in Rainbow that people couldn't explain to me, higher-tech-level stuff.
Then I saw that yard through the hull. Why does it look so familiar to me? Then, I realized, I saw that yard on the news! From the day Earth got First Contact. That's 3 years from now. Intergalactic War was fought in that yard, in minutes, and not a single blade of grass died!
That means we still have an intergalactic war going on! I felt sick. People I knew talked about that war and how many worlds starved—or were destroyed. That's how Farley signed so many treaties. They sent diplomats any place with a shipbuilding facility or large populations to beg men and ships. Thorde nearly starved! We had a lot of friends among the purple people.
We passed through quite a crowd. In the other future, it was one ship that came here by accident, and the diplomat on it was hurt. Somehow, he recovered enough to go make speeches, but he made a lot of mistakes and Earth—that's why they're here early. To fix Earth's future. But, that UN vote needs to be unanimous. They may be working on this for years. Thinking of that, I'm happy we're leaving!
But, I saw a couple of Council members from Ronsera and fumed.
They both waved down their trades. "What are you looking at, woman? You distracted me during an important trade!" One straightened his cobalt blue traders' robes. Council members have pins on those.
His screen was still up, with slaves in stasis.
Farley saw it, too. "I need a TS Inspector!"
"I have nothing to hide. I trade for slaves to give to healers in Rainbow Colonies Of Alb." A very toothy grin on that one. His dark curls looked odd to me with a face like a road map, but Elshars go dark, not gray.
A man in black robes bowed to Farley. "I am Andrisch, TS Inspector For Earth. You have concerns, Farleikon?" This one still had blond hair!
"Eae, I do. See my memories." They got the memory-sharing stare, and I joined in. I have telepathy now, and it's a lot stronger because of traits Pirad added to me. He tried to attack me with his. I easily blocked him.
Andrisch's Elshar eyes went black from medium blue! "Your trades are legal, but you sealed your fate." He looked across the ship.
Another man, in white robes that didn't look like a healer's, came running. Odd. I saw a lot of TS disputes and did a few and never saw a helper.
This man didn't hesitate, but waved and held a handful of leaves. Shoved 'em in this first man's throat!
The man simpered, then gasped and fell on the floor, stiff! He did the same to the other one.
White light vaporized both of them, leaving their clothes and blue traders' robes! A mother with small children struggled to keep them quiet. Kids on a DS ship?
YOU ARE READING
Ella's Saga
Science FictionElla stays busy to cope with her chaotic life, but she meets Farley, who gives her a new kind of pocket computer, and she realizes he's connected to SETI's discovery today. Farley also has some unusual knowledge of Ella's future, which makes her rea...
