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"Ladies and gentlemen, if you look out the right side of the shuttle, you can see the Tereshkova being outfitted for her next mission," the pilot's voice announced over the intercom. "Named for the first woman astronaut, Valentina Tereshkova, its first mission was the exploration of the Tau Ceti system. Since then, she has made two more voyages to Tau Ceti, and has now been retrofitted with the latest plateau drive for a more extensive mission to expand the Archipelago."
Even through the heavily tinted windows of the shuttle, the half kilometer length of the Corporate Voidship Tereshkova was painfully bright in the full sunshine of space. Most of the passengers looked at the vessel with appreciative awe, making approving noises and commenting on various features they could make out on the craft. David took a quick look, and then returned his gaze to the back of the seat in front of him.
The pilot's voice came over the intercom again. "We'll be arriving at the Earthrise terminal in just a few minutes. If you haven't already done so, please return to your seats and fasten your restraints. For those with window seats, you'll soon be able to enjoy the view that earned the city its name, as you'll be able to see the first-quarter Earth shining just above the lunar horizon. We hope you have enjoyed your flight from Midpoint station to Earthrise with us, and on behalf of the Earthrise council, we welcome you to Earthrise city."
With some inertial jostling as the pilot adjusted his course, the first traces of the lunar gravity pulled at David and restored some semblance of orientation to him. With it, though, came the uncomfortable insecurity of feeling that they might fall from the sky to the rocky surface below at any moment. He relaxed only a little when they settled onto the landing pad at the Earthrise terminal.
The shuttle's engines died down, evidenced by the fading away of the slight vibration they induced into the body of the vessel. The attendants rose to assist the passengers, and the captain announced the local time and the termination of their voyage.
Most of the passengers stood to disembark with the kind of practiced indifference that comes with having done this too often. David, however, remained seated while the crowds made their way to the exit. When the shuttle was mostly deserted, he stood and retrieved his carry-on luggage, and stepped uncertainly into the aisle. He fought to maintain his equilibrium, and at times almost appeared to have imbibed too much liquor on the passage.
A passenger behind him chuckled. "First time on the moon, huh?"
"Is it that obvious?"
"When you've spent as much time as a Rover as I have, yeah, it's that obvious."
"Rover?" He asked, looking the man over for signs of what he meant.
"Rover," he replied. "It's what we seasoned star crews call ourselves. We 'rove' about. Folks who don't leave their home world we call 'statics'. Those who make the trip to one of the colony worlds and then back are 'rounders', for making the round trip, and those who are emigrating to one of the colonies are 'one wayers'."
David adjusted his neutral colored suit. He would have preferred to wear his normal work clothes, but had been told instead to dress a bit more formally. "I reckon I'm a static then," he commented. "I'm just here for a conference and then it's back to Kansas for me."
"No stars in your eyes, huh?"
"Nope, in fact this is the first time I've even been outside of North America. I don't have much use for travelin' a lot." He stepped outside the docking tunnel, and looked around. "You've been here before, I reckon? I've got a few hours yet before I can check into my hotel. You know someplace good to have some supper?"
"It depends; do you want someplace that is socially upscale, or are you fine sitting down with maintenance workers and rovers for a meal?"
"I ain't never had much use for social climbin'. I work for a livin', so I'm fine settin' with other workin' folk."
The rover pointed down one of the clear tunnels leading away from the star port. "A short walk down that way is the Sirius Question. It doesn't look like much from the outside, and it often gets overlooked because of the humorous nature of the name, but it's a friendly place with good food and reasonable prices. I'm heading there myself if you want to come along."
"Works for me," David said. He lifted his large case with unaccustomed ease. It had been almost too heavy back on Earth, but in the lower lunar gravity he almost opened it to see if the baggage handlers had emptied it out during the voyage.
The rover looked down at the large case in the one hand, and the carry on bag in the other. His own small bag was draped over his shoulder with familiar apathy. "So, how long you staying for?"
"Just the weekend," the visitor replied.
"A weekend?" he said and then laughed. "You brought that much with you for just a weekend?"
"Well, some of it is company stuff for the conference," he explained, feeling a bit self-conscious. He looked up at the rover's small bag. "You don't appear to have much; how long are you stayin'?"
"I'm here for a couple of weeks until the Orion Clipper is ready to depart for Epsilon Eridanus."
"You ain't got much with you for a couple of weeks."
"This is everything I own in the universe. I have a change of clothes, my personal data terminal, and a rock from the first colony world I visited. Most corporate ships provide uniforms for the rovers, so we conform to the ship standards, hence I really don't need much."
"That's it? That's everythin' you own?"
"Well, I also have a sizable retirement account, which is where most of my pay goes, but that's not something I can carry with me."
"No family?"
"I have a brother on Eridanus; he's married to an Eridani priestess. By the time we arrive, I figure they'll have several kids I can spend some time playing with. Every kid needs a crazy uncle who drops in and visits once in a while." He thought a moment. "My brother says Eridanus is a good life; maybe when I'm ready to retire I'll do it there."
"I'm part Eridani," David said.
"Oh?" The rover gave him an appraising look. "I wouldn't have thought it, looking at you."
"My grandmother was B'Tra, the first ambassador from Eridanus. My mother was B'Tra's eldest daughter."
"And you've never had a desire to go there?"
"Nope; neither did my mother. She met my dad one summer, and was happy to spend her life right there on Earth. I reckon if it was good enough for her, it's good enough for me."
They stopped in front of the restaurant. "I'm Daniel Williams, by the way," he introduced himself, extending his hand.
"David Stanford," he reciprocated. The handshake was firm, but without the competitive squeezing that sometimes occurred. He looked at the lettering over the door, and smiled. "OK, Sirius Question; now I get what you mean by the humorous name. It's named for the star, not for being serious."
"Trust me," Daniel said. "The food is better than the jokes." He led the way through the door and to the old looking counter, where he took a seat and gestured for David to do likewise. "Marcie!" He yelled. "I've brought you a fresh victim!"
The other clientele in the restaurant responded to his announcement with laughs and jeers as the older looking woman crossed over to them behind the counter. "So you found another stray, eh Danny?"
"You know me, Marcie. I've always had a soft spot for lost tourists."
"Yeah, but I always thought that soft spot was somewhere in the middle of your skull." She teased him. "Need to see a menu, or do you already know what you're going to have?"
"Hmmm . . . I think I'm in the mood for Sirian Goulash." Daniel glanced towards David and winked.
Marcie placed her hands on her hips and turned an icy stare on Daniel. "You know there ain't no such thing as Sirian Goulash, Daniel Williams. I swear, one of these days you're gonna waltz in here and order it, and I'm going to have a big plate of garbage just ready to serve you, only I'm gonna call it Sirian Goulash, and I'm gonna stand over you until you eat every last bite of it!"
"He's a rover!" Someone at a nearby table yelled. "He'd eat it anyway!"
"He's right," Daniel agreed. "You should see what they serve us on some of those transports. Oh well. If I can't have Sirian Goulash, I'll just take a plate of that spaghetti instead. I should be able to afford that while waiting for the Corporation to credit the pay from my last voyage to my account."
"How 'bout you, Hun?" Marcie turned to David.
"Spaghetti's fine," he agreed, "and coffee; black."
"Be right up, boys." Marcie turned back towards the kitchen.
"So," Daniel turned back to him. "You're really the grandson of the Ambassador B'Tra?"
"Yup."
"I'm surprised you don't go to Eridanus, then. You'd be treated like a celebrity there. B'Tra is held in high regard."
"That's one reason I won't go," David commented dryly. "Mom grew up bein' treated as a media darlin' because she was the first mixed Terran/Eridani child born on Earth. She did her best to disappear when she married my Dad. She just wanted to be left alone, and frankly, I think she had the right idea. I may not have a lot in life, but what I have is what I've earned by my own work, and not somethin' that was given to me 'cause of who my grandma was."
"There's a lot to be said for that."
Marcie brought their food and placed the plates in front of them. Daniel started to place a fork load of spaghetti in his mouth when he noticed that David was pausing with his head bowed over the food. "Well, don't that beat all?" Marcie whispered. "T'ain't often someone thanks God for the food in this place." She nudged Daniel. "You could learn a thing or two from this one," she chided him.
Daniel waited to take the first bite until David had finished his blessing, and quietly added "Amen" afterwards.
"You makin' fun of me?" David asked.
"I've spent too much time on Eridanus to be so rude as to make fun of what one believes," Daniel said. "They take their religion very seriously there, and don't have much problem with sending someone packing if they don't show the proper respect." He slurped in a stray strand of the pasta.
"Well, all right then," David accepted. He sipped his coffee. "Mm," he regarded the cup. "Much better'n I expected so far from home. If the food's as good as the coffee, I could get to like this place."
"So, what's this conference you're going to anyway? You don't seem much like the conference type, no offense intended."
"None taken, and I ain't the conference type. The co-op I work for decided that they'd try somethin' different, and instead of sendin' one of the suits from headquarters to represent them at the annual grain symposium, they'd send one of the workin' crew. I didn't really want to come, but they picked me anyway."
"You couldn't refuse?"
"Not really; I'm still not sure why they picked me in the first place, though." He took a bite of his spaghetti, and gestured with the empty fork while waiting until his mouth was empty to speak again. "I'd rather be fishin' with my boys this weekend, but the bosses promised me I'd be paid well for this trip, and they'd give me some comp time off to take my sons on a really nice fishin' trip, so I'll go to the conference, and I'll smile real friendly-like, and hand out their data files to anyone who'll take 'em. Those folks'll make the decision on whose grain they're gonna buy to ship to the colony worlds. I guess the bosses think that havin' someone like me'll be a novel sellin' point, and we might get some good contracts out of this one."
Daniel turned his face towards David, a knowing smile on his face.
He glanced back with a questioning look. "What? You're lookin' like the cat that ate the canary."
"I'm just surprised you haven't figured it out."
"Figured what out?"
Daniel took a swig from his water glass. "Why they picked you for this conference."
"Oh? You just met me today and you know why they picked me?"
He nodded, and took another bite of spaghetti, chasing it with a bit of bread.
"Are you gonna tell me, or are you gonna just sit there lookin' smug?"
"They didn't tell you who all was going to be there this time, did they?"
"They just said that a bunch of representatives from the different colonies and worlds of the Archipelago would be there."
"Which includes . . .?"
"Mister, I ain't much for guessin' games. If you really know somethin', I'd be obliged if you'd be so kind as to share it with me."
Daniel laid his fork on the plate. "The Orion Clipper is dedicated to the Epsilon Eridanus run," he said. "She arrived in lunar orbit a week ago, and will be leaving again in two weeks. On this last run, she brought a delegation of trade representatives with her, including some who will be looking into trading foodstuffs between Eridanus and the rest of the Archipelago."
"So? What does that have to do with me?"
"Tell me, David; did your bosses know who your grandmother was?"
He opened his mouth to answer, and then shut it. His expression changed as the connection was finally made. "They wouldn't . . ."
"You're going to see a lot of blue priestess robes this weekend, my friend, and I'd bet half my retirement account that someone has already dropped the bug in their ears that the grandson of the priestess B'Tra will be at this conference. You won't need to look for them, David; they will come looking for you, and they will respectfully listen to anything you wish to tell them."
"But, I ain't anyone special; I'm just a simple workin' stiff."
"A simple working stiff with the blood of the priestesshood in your veins, my friend. Not just priestess' blood, but B'Tra's blood. Out here, that means a lot. You may think of yourself as a simple Terran from Kansas, North America, but to the Eridani priestesses, you are family."
"Can't be," he objected. "I've done my best to just be who I am, and get by on the work of my hands. I can't imagine folks from across the stars would be that interested in me."
"You can't believe it? Would you like me to prove it to you?"
"How?"
In response, Daniel stood up and turned towards the rest of the diner. "Fellow Rovers, Techies, and Toters. I would like to introduce my friend here."
David looked nervously at Daniel, but let him continue. Every eye in the place was now turned to the two men.
"Our guest today is David Stanford, grandson of none other than the priestess B'Tra." Daniel announced loudly.
The room was silent for a moment before three people stood from their chairs. They approached David, and each in turn lowered their eyes respectfully and greeted him. "I am Fel, son of G'Ni, of the village of L'ru." The first said.
The next was a woman with eyes the same shade of blue as his grandmother's had been. "I am S'ma, daughter of the Priestess Tho, of the village of T'Cha. Your grandmother was also from T'cha and I know your family there."
David looked helpless; he didn't know what to say. The third gently touched his cheek with two fingers. "I am Sarah, daughter of Catherine, of the embassy staff in the Temple City. Your grandmother is still spoken of with great admiration among the Eridani people. It is truly an honor to meet you."
"But I'm just . . ." David started to object.
Daniel laid a hand on his shoulder. "Did you listen to what they said to you? The Eridani people identify themselves through their mother's lineage. Think about your mother's lineage for a moment."
David looked at him, bewildered, but Daniel only smiled in return. The three workers watched him, waiting.
"Go ahead and say it," Daniel encouraged him. "Get used to it now, because you're likely going to be saying it a lot this weekend."
"What am I s'posed to say?" David asked.
"Who you are; who your mother was, and who your grandmother was." Daniel nodded towards the other three. "They're waiting to hear it; it's common courtesy to them."
David continued looking at Daniel. "I'm David Stanford, son of . . ."
"Not to me," Daniel interrupted him. "To them, and you don't need to worry about your surname; that's from your father, and it's only important to a Terran."
David turned to the three, and saw encouragement in their faces. "I'm David, son of Elizabeth, daughter of B'Tra, of-" he hesitated, confused.
"Of the village T'Cha," S'Ma offered. "No matter where your grandmother lived most of her life, she will always be known by the village of her birth."
"That's a good start," Daniel praised him. "There's just one more thing you need to know; when you greet the priestesses at the conference, lower your eyes in respect first, address them as 'honored priestess' and then introduce yourself just as you did here."
"But I don't want to curry favor on my grandma's name," David said.
"David, pay close attention to this. The priestesses will already know who your grandmother was; if you fail to mention it to them yourself, you will be seen as dishonoring her memory. Your bosses' biggest mistake is that they did not brief you on all this. If you dishonor the priestess B'Tra by refusing to name her in your lineage, your co-op will get no business from the Eridani delegation. Your bosses were fools if they didn't do some research into that before deciding to send you here."
"Why are you helping me so much?"
"It's probably something like what Marcie said; I'm always picking up strays." He herded him back to his chair. "Or maybe there's something to what my sister-in-law says. She says nothing happens by accident; that God makes appointments we need to keep, and today your appointment was with me."
"You don't rightly strike me as the religious type."
"You know, I told my sister-in-law the same thing. She just smiled and said that didn't stop God from making appointments for me. You're a praying man, David son of Elizabeth. Me, I'm just a rover who will get on the Orion Clipper in a couple of weeks and embellish the tale of coincidentally meeting you today. It was just a lucky happenstance to me. Whether you pray to your God and express thanks that I ran into you today is up to you. Either way, it seems to me that though you never planned on going to Eridanus, Eridanus has come to you."
David looked at the remainder of his plate of spaghetti, noticing that it didn't look quite the same as it had before. With a feeling of finality, he realized that nothing was going to look quite the same ever again. Epsilon Eridanus was reputed to do that to a person, and Daniel was right.
Epsilon Eridanus had come to him.
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