“ It is about the wealth then,” he said.
The General nodded and met his stare unflinchingly.
“ Naturally. Wealth and power. A fearsome combination.”
“ What happened?” asked Beani-Poohs.
“ The Emperor had been clever enough to not only change the encryption just before he surrendered but he also had a password set up that no one has ever been able to break. We have had the best computer expert’s work on this over the years and no one has ever broken the encryption and password. Anyone else who knew the encryption code had died, so only the Emperor himself could give it to us. Many of us tried to persuade him to give us the information. He was tortured many times but nobody would make him give in. I also tortured him one night and to my regret I had to burn him in between his fingers with a fire poker.”
“ How horrible!” exclaimed Beani-Poohs.
The General nodded, “ I’m not proud of what I did I assure you. But in wartime there are many things we are forced to do. I do admire the Emperor for all he went through. He did not yield…. Not even when we threatened to torture the Empress.”
“ You didn’t!” exclaimed Lid- Lidia.
“ No. I could not do that, even to her. She was a gentle lady and any man who laid a hand on her would be nothing short of a brute.”
“ You mean you had a line even you wouldn’t cross?” demanded Beani-Poohs.
“ Even I,” he smiled with a gentle chilliness that made her shiver and continued smoothly, “ He must have had friends still loyal to him in high places, because one night they both escaped. They were given a shuttle and they flew off to another planet. We pursued them but to no avail. Then we heard they had gone to Marrana, but we arrived after they had left.”
“ I have been looking for them for years. We had received some information two weeks ago that they were seen on Karrool but as you know, we never made it to Karrool.”
The Captain asked, “ And the encryption?”
“ You would have thought that during this time there would someone on our planet that could break the encryption, but alas no one ever has. Now my planet has been in financial ruin for a long time and we need the Emperor’s wealth to restore the financial markets. If we don’t we face total ruin… there is no other way out for the planet.”
“ The ends justify the means?” asked Beani-Poohs.
“ My dear lady… they always do…when greater things are at stake.”
* * * *
In the kitchen Mesetta and Accqua had been listening. They were holding one another.
“ Do you think he told that story because he recognised me?” Mesetta asked his life partner.
“ I’m not sure, he always was a strange type of man. It would be a strange co-incidence if he hadn’t and then told our story. I had almost forgotten about your poor fingers.” She said taking his hand and kissing it. She could still see the faint scars between his fingers where he had been burned with the fire poker.
* * * *
Kazzie-Spockers walked into engineering, she had always respected the logic of Mr. La Trenne and she wanted to discuss the situation regarding Beani-Poohs and Lid-Lidia. He was busy working when she had entered the room.
“ Have you given any more thought into how you can fix the problem regarding the Lieutenant and the Ensign?”
He looked up from his computer screen. “ Yes I have and I am convinced that we need to modify the transporter and do as I explained at the meeting. We simulate the same conditions and beam them into nothing and then reverse the procedure to bring back the real Ensign and Lieutenant.”
“ What about the theory that Mr. Base presented?”
“ I just can’t see that it will work. Another thing I can’t understand is that how he doesn’t see that my way is the correct way. He is an android and he has the capability of diagnosing a problem and always coming up with the correct answer. He must need to do a self diagnostic.”
“ Perhaps he does. I’m glad you have been giving this some thought Commander, I will inform the Captain that the problem should be resolved soon.”
She started to walk towards the door.
“ Is that all you came down here for Sub-Commander? You looked like you wanted to talk about something else.”
Kazzie-Spockers thought for a moment. “ No not really.”
“ Are you sure?”
She went quiet for a moment. “ There is something else.”
“ Oh really!”
“ I was talking to the Doctor last week. You see I have a slight problem and he is helping me professionally to try and,” she paused “ that is to say, he gave me some advice.”
La Trenne looked bewildered. “ Were you needing me to give you some advice as well?”
“ No I don’t need any advice from you, I wanted to ask you something else.”
La Trenne felt very awkward. “ What do you need Sub-Commander?”
She took a deep breath. “ For a long time I have been afraid of spiders. I don’t know if you are aware of this?”
“ Yes I have heard something along these lines.”
“ I suppose the whole ship has heard about it.” She continued. “ The Doctor suggested that I distract myself and perhaps my fear may diminish somewhat.”
“ That sounds like good advice to me. Even logical, as you would appreciate.”
“ So I was wondering if you would like to be my off duty companion? I have given the situation a lot of thought and having an off duty companion to think about may be just what I need to distract me from my fear.”
La Trenne was taken aback. “ Are you asking me to be your life partner as the aliens call it?”
She shook her head. “ No, that is different entirely. I would like an off duty companion. On a more casual basis.”
“ Are you sure this is what the Doctor meant? I’m not a medical person but I can’t see this being what the Doctor was talking about. Get yourself an off duty companion and see me in the morning.”
“ He didn’t actually suggest this. The companion idea was mine and I don’t do this lightly. I have looked at the personal record of almost everybody on board this ship and you and I are compatible. In other words you have ticked all the boxes in everything I am looking for in a companion.”
“ Well I am flattered that you thought of me.”
“ I did not suggest it to flatter you. Ours would be the most logical alliance. As a companion you will find me to be most appealing. I think everything through logically and apart from my one character flaw you could never find a better companion than me. I’m am loyal, my teeth are straight and I close my mouth when I eat. I never hurry ahead of the person I am with, I wait and walk with them like a mature person. I am also proficient in many after hours activities, such as athletic pursuits.”
“ Well you certainly have thought this through. Have you got a resume you could give me?” His sarcasm went unnoticed.
“ No I haven’t had this type of companion before. I suppose if you really want one I could provide one for you.”
“ No, that won’t be necessary.” He responded hastily and then smiled awkwardly. What a situation to be in!
“ Well what are your thoughts?”
“ Can I let you know? I have a lot of work to do tonight and I have been very tired lately. I don’t think I can give you an answer until next week at the earliest. I hope this doesn’t upset your plans.”
“ Not at all. You will find another asset I have is patience. Goodnight Commander.”
With that she walked out of engineering.
* * * *
Mesetta picked up the coffee pot and walked over to the Captain’s table. He had just finished pouring the coffee when the Captain gave him a smile. “ Please tell Accqua she has outdone herself tonight, that meal was fabulous.”
“ I thought so too.” Beani-Poohs and Lid-Lidia nodded in approval as well.
Just as Mesetta was walking back to the kitchen he heard another voice. “
If you were interested I too enjoyed tonight’s meal.”
Mesetta turned to look the General in the face as the older man continued smoothly: “ I recall that your life partner was accomplished at anything she turned her talents to.”
There was a sudden total silence at the table and everyone suddenly stared at Mesetta in comprehension of the General’s very plain meaning.
Mesetta could feel anger rising up from within himself. Since the General had turned traitor all those years ago he had never had any love for the man.
“ I’ll be sure to pass on your message,” was his reply as he bit his own tongue.
The Captain knew he should be diplomatic in this instance.
“ I never dreamed that you were an Emperor.” He stood up. Beani-Poohs and Lid-Lidia stood up as well.
“ Former Emperor you mean.” The General said. He was still sitting.
The Captain had noticed the scars between Mesetta’s fingers. He looked into the grave eyes of his cook.
“ You don’t need to stand for me,” Mesetta said, standing tall and straight.
Accqua appeared at his side. She took his hand in hers and looked coolly at the General as if he were a bug beneath her feet.
The General stood and bowed to her. “ Madam, it is a great pleasure to see you again.”
She curled her lips in contempt. “ The pleasure is all yours General, I can assure you. I have only contempt for you and your kind.”
He bowed again, smiling. “ I am at your service Madam.”
Her eyes flashed. “ Then please jump out of the cargo bay.”
“ Alas!” He bowed once more. “ I will do anything for your Highness except that which would not benefit our planet. I am here, I assure you, to be of service.”
“ Your conceit knows no bounds,” she replied frostily.
“ Darling, don’t,” said Mesetta quietly. She looked up at his face and nodded.
Mesetta faced them all proudly with his trembling life partner at his side, where she had always been.
“I am no longer an Emperor and Accqua and myself are happy in our lives now. No matter what the General thinks he wants from us, he will never succeed.”
“ I would not be too sure of that,” the General rebutted.
“ Did you recognise me straight away?” Mesetta asked the General.
“ Yes I knew who you were as soon as you came out with the meals. I held back saying anything though until after you had finished serving.”
“ You are considerate.” Mesetta intended this to sound sarcastic.
“ Not at all, I wouldn’t have wanted to get in the way of you doing your menial task. To have you serve me is more than I could have hoped for.” The words were drawled.
Accqua spat something at him that was obviously an insult in their language.
The General bowed his head, “ Just so, Madam.”
“ What now?” asked Mesetta grimly.
“ This means that my search is over. You both of course will accompany me back to Narwee?” He turned to the Captain. “ I would like you to contact my planet at the earliest convenience and tell them I will be returning with the former Emperor.”
“ NO!” Accqua protested.
Mesetta shook his head. “ We will not return with you. We are free to choose our lives now and you have no authority over us General. Be wise and give up. I will never concede to you.”
The crew in the mess hall murmured their approval of his stand and he looked around in surprise, as if suddenly realising that they were not alone.
The Captain decided to intervene. “ General I will take you to Narwee but as for Mesetta and his wife, they do not have to accompany you. You have no authority here or over any of my crewmembers.”
The General turned gimlet eyes on him. “ But they are not members of your crew.”
“ Yes they are,” Beani-Poohs replied, “ Its part of the agreement they have with the Captain to be temporary members of the crew while they work off their passage. They are as much a member of the crew on this ship as I am.”
The Captain gave her a strange look. She was not to know for sure, that she really wasn’t a member of the crew… at least not in this universe but he had to let that comment go.
“ She is correct General. They are welcome to go to Marrana if they still want to go there. I am the Captain of this vessel and I do not take orders from people who are guests of this ship. The way it will happen is this. You will be transported to the planet a few kilometers from the city, to make sure a ship does not follow us for a few hours. I hope you can understand why I make this decision. This is non negotiable.”
A few minutes later he had the General escorted to his quarters.
* * * *
Captain had decided to go up to the bridge. Beani-Poohs and Lid-Lidia were still sitting in the mess room. They both felt a little disorientated with no shifts to work on the bridge and a sense that everybody on the ship was talking about them.
Especially as the Captain had just broken the news to them. Both of them were unsure what to feel about it. As far as they were concerned, they were still themselves.
“ I feel like a real drink tonight Beani, why don’t we have some bourbon and cola, that’s always nice.” A few minutes later they were enjoying their drinks when Mesetta walked up to them.
“ May I talk to you two ladies, I wanted to tell you something.”
“ Certainly!” Beani-Poohs said, “ it would be nice to talk to someone. It feels like that the whole crew is avoiding us lately.”
He sat down. “ I hope you don’t think less of me after what Quistane said tonight.”
Beani-Poohs laughed. “ I don’t think very much of that big windbag anyway.”
Lid-Lidia took a drink. “ The way I look at it is that you were only doing what you were born to do. The General is the one who betrayed you. If anyone has the right to be upset and angry, it’s you. That revolution took away everything from you, not just your freedom but your whole way of life and now you have to move from one planet to the next to keep ahead of them.”
“ Is it so obvious?”
“ It is to me and I’m just a lowly Ensign.”
Beani-Poohs gave her a punch. “ A lowly Ensign, you were proposed to a few days ago. That should be enough to flatter anybody.” They both laughed.
Mesetta looked at them for a moment. “ I want to ask you both something, it’s about something that I have heard about.”
“ If you work in a bar or an eating place you are bound to hear things,” Beani-Poohs said.
“ I have heard that you are both from the fourth dimension, is this true?”
The two women sighed and looked at one another.
“ Yes it is true and we are both trying to cope with it.” Lid Lidia was glum.
“ What is it like to be on the other side of the mirror. Do you mind if I ask?” He was curious.
“ No I don’t mind and the answer is, I don’t know.” Beani-Poohs shrugged. “ Life is exactly the same, but its also back to front. Life was normal and now it’s not. The worst part is that everyone on board is treating us so differently and we have the same memories and the same experiences, but we hear whispers and people leave when we walk into a room. It’s just crazy.”
“ Everything she said is true,” said Lid-Lidia “ even the Doctor is treating me differently and he’s a hologram. If anyone should understand he should.”
Accqua came over to join them. “ Mesetta did you tell them about the scientist on Narwee. He is the most brilliant scientist and his specialty is alternative universe physics.”
“ Of course we haven’t seen him for ten years, but I have a feeling he has dealt with what you’re going through before.” Mesetta said.
Beani-Poohs thought for a moment. “ I will convey this information to the Captain. Perhaps we should wait until we arrive at your planet before we do anything.”
Mesetta sighed, “ Our planet.”
* * *
*
The next morning the General was walking along the hallway and stopped at a door. Moment’s later Mesetta opened it and was immediately quietly hostile to see him standing there. They both stood there in silence for almost a minute until Accqua called out, “ Who is at the door?”
“ Our torturer is here!” Mesetta replied with a loud voice.
“ I hope we are not going to have any unpleasantness,” the General responded. “ I have only come here to visit with a brother from my own planet.”
Accqua had walked over to stand with her husband.
“ Brother’s do not burn each other with fire pokers!” she replied scornfully.
“ May I come in? I promise I will not stay long. This is not a discussion we should have with the door open.”
Mesetta looked hard at him. “ Why should we invite you in?”
“ It involves our planet and your people.”
“ Don’t do it!” Accqua said immediately, glaring at the General.
“ Darling, I think I will hear what he has to say. If it involves the planet… then I think it could be important.”
The General walked in and sat down straight away. “ Then I’ll say what I came here to say. I want you to give me the encryption code and the password.”
This was no surprise to Mesetta. “ If I didn’t give you what you asked for ten years ago when I was being tortured, what makes you think I will give it to you now?”
“ You are a loyal Narwee citizen and you owe it to your people.”
Accqua sat down and her eyes glared at him. He seemed not to notice. His whole attention was focused on Mesetta.
“ You would say anything to gain the information you’re after and I’m telling you now that you are wasting your time. I will never tell you the encryption or the password. You have been tracking us for years. Well you have spent years of your life traveling for nothing.”
The General sat in his chair showing no emotion whatsoever. “ What if I tell you that conditions are very bad on Narwee? People are desperately poor and some are starving. The whole financial structure is out of control and about to collapse. We need that money to survive.”
Mesetta opened the door to the hallway. “ Quistane your time is up, you can leave now. Please go while I’m still in good mood.”
The General stood up but then turned back to Mesetta.