Helium 3.0

Helium 3.0 - Chapter 4

‘What do you make of Al-Zak-Uilin?’ Mervyn asked as they crowded out of the hall.

Loren grined, ‘Big.'

‘Impressive, and an excellent message too,’ Tarun said.  ‘He’s the last of his kind, you know – the Silfar.  Father also says we are heading for troubled times, though no one knows whether the Centaph Swarm will come today, next year or next century: the Centaph work to their own time-scales.’

‘My father says we shouldn’t wait,’ Mervyn said. ‘We should take the fight to the Centaph at a time of our own choosing.’

‘He would, he’s human,’ Tarun said. ‘But that’s not the Ethrigian way; we prefer to negotiate until the very last moment.  Besides, once you start a fight with a Centaph clan they never stop – not until one of you is extinct.  Best not to start, I say.’

‘Hey guys, enough of the politics,’ Loren said.  ‘Let’s go find the food.’

The dining room resembled a restaurant; indeed, Tarun advised them that back in the days when Academy One cruised the galaxy as a luxury liner it had been a restaurant – his grandmother had travelled on it, of course the galaxy had been a calmer place then.

The air was thick with appetising smells and Mervyn’s mouth began to water, he hoped the food would arrive quickly.  The trio seated themselves at a shiny round table under an imitation palm tree.  A virtual waiter appeared to take their orders from the virtual menus hovering in front of them.

Within minutes, their orders arrived.  Antigrav motors brought an automated trolley smartly to a halt by their table.  Mervyn removed three plates of steaming food from the hotplate, while Tarun opened the chill unit to remove three cold drinks.

‘Thank you,’ Mervyn thought into his biolink.

‘You are welcome,’ the trolley replied politely.  The virtual waiter appeared again to enquire if their meal was satisfactory.  They assured him it was.

‘Look out, here comes Rufus,’ Tarun hissed.  De Monsero sauntered towards them with Hidraba in tow.

‘Hello cousin,’ the dark-haired boy said in a silky voice. ‘Haven’t improved the quality of the company you keep, I see?  The traitor, and an Outworlder - don’t see many of those round here.’

Anger boiled suddenly inside and Mervyn leaped to his feet ‘My dad’s no traitor,’ he snapped.  Whatever he might personally think of his father’s actions, no one had the right to dishonour his family – he would defend them against anyone.  Tarun and Loren stood also.

Tarun squared his chin defiantly and met De Monsero’s eyes, ‘Ignore him, Mervyn, he’s only trying to rile you.’

‘Ah, yes,’ De Monsero said, as if noticing Mervyn for the first time, ‘the fly-boy who won the scholarship race.  I owe you a good thrashing, don’t I?’  Mervyn ignored the comment, but Tarun looked puzzled – he would have to tell about the tussle now.

‘‘Tis not right,’ Hidraba blurted, ‘shouldn’t allow riff-raff like that into the Academy!’

‘I like my friends to have integrity,’ Tarun said. ‘Which is why I’m not with you, De Monsero, or your smarmy mate Hidraba.’

‘Think you’re smart, don’t you cousin?  Well they’re not meant to be here.  Bet you don’t survive until the end of the month - I’ve got a wager on it.’

‘Lucky to make it to the end of the week,’ Hidraba said.

‘Leave off, De Monsero, at least they earned their places,’ Tarun said.