The Out Campaign: Scarlet Letter of Atheism

CROSSROADS OF THE GALAXY

Chapter 1 Nexus

Alex Bredakoff had just turned on the viewscreen in his cabin when his father's voice came out of the air. "Everything tucked away, son?" Gregor Bredakoff asked.

"Sure, Dad."

"Take care to strap yourself in, too," Alex's mother said. "We wouldn't want you hurting yourself during maneuvers."

Alex sighed. His mother was still treating him like a baby, and here he wasfifteen years old, and a prime candidate for space training when he finished General Curriculum in another two years. He knew she worried about him, and he was glad she did, but there were times her constant attention annoyed him. "I'm all set," he said, and turned his own attention to the beautiful vista appearing on his viewscreen.

As the Rimbound approached the Nexus system, tiny transmitters in the hull beamed an image of its destination back inside the ship, to be tuned in by any passengers who wanted to watch. Since Nexus was to be his home for the next few years at least, Alex wanted very much to watch.

The background of the screen glowed slightly with a milky luminescence that offset the dead blackness of space. It was hard to see any but the brightest stars through the glowing haze that surrounded Nexus. The clouds of gas were the remnants of a supernova that had occurred here thousands of years ago, when a giant star exploded with a force beyond human imagination. The area was quiet now, the expanding clouds being the only testimony to the act of incalculable violence.

Well off the edge of the screen to the left, Alex knew, would be the small white dwarf star whose meager glow lit the clouds around the area. It was all that remained of the once-mighty giant star, reduced to a pale semblance of its former self. There were no natural planets left in this solar system; if there ever had been any, they'd been reduced to rubble by the force of the cosmic cataclysm.

And there, directly in the center of the screen, was the group of artificial space colonies known as Nexus. They still looked small, like eight gems glistening in the star's feeble light. Eight sparkling pinpoints, so far away he couldn't yet make out their shapes. It was all so beautiful--and this was going to be his home!

"Screen, triple magnification," he ordered, and the computer obeyed. The image blurred for an instant, to be replaced by another in which the satiny backdrop seemed not to have changed at all, but where the island colonies had jumped much closer to him.

Now their individual shapes were more apparent, looking exactly like the pictures he'd been studying for the past two months. Four of the glowing jewels were cylinders, four were spheres. Although they seemed to hang perfectly still in space, Alex knew they were dancing a stately pavane in a complex mathematical pattern while, simultaneously, each one spun rapidly about its own axis of rotation. They were much too far away yet to notice any distinguishing characteristics. Alex knew his destination was Nexus-1, one of the cylinders, but he had no idea which of the four it could be.

A small blue dot appeared in the upper right-hand corner of the screen, reminding Alex to prepare for the Rimbound's arrival at Nexus-1. Alex glanced briefly around his small cabin, but there was nothing loose that might fall or cause damage when the engines came to life again; he had packed everything away quite some time ago, impatient for the moment of docking.

The maneuvering came thirty seconds later. The Rimbound had been coasting in freefall for nine days, its interior weightless; but in order to make its assigned rendezvous with the Nexus-1 colony, it had turned on its maneuvering jets, producing a false sensation of weight within the ship. Alex, who had grown accustomed to the weightlessness during the trip, suddenly had to cope with "up" and "down" again.

The acceleration was mild, barely one-third gee, but it was more than he'd felt in some time. The maneuvering continued for a while, and the images of the Nexus colonies grew ever larger until they filled the entire screen even without magnification.

As he watched the pictures grow, Alex grew more and more awed by the colonies. It was one thing to be told that they were large, and quite another to experience their immensity firsthand. The Rimbound itself was no small ship, holding several hundred passengers and tons of cargo--but it was dwarfed by the large spinning colonies, each of which could have had hundreds of Rimbounds rattling around inside without filling it up.

Alex had memorized the numbers long ago. Each of the spheres was 25 kilometers in diameter, spinning about a polar axis once every 37 minutes to provide gravity for the inhabitants. Each of the cylinders had a cross-sectional diameter of 25 kilometers and a length of 40, rotating about the central axis once every 56 minutes. The total population of Nexus, including all eight colonies, was over two million beings representing more than a hundred separate and distinct races.

Never, in all of recorded history, had there been a place quite like Nexus. Within these totally artificial space colonies, people from all over the Galaxy came to arrange the commerce and futures of a thousand worlds. Nexus was at a natural gathering point, close to almost everyone by one or another of the starpaths that ended here. The satellites were a hodgepodge of cultures and languages, worlds of constant change as beings came and went according to the dictates of their business. Nexus had been called--quite justifiably--the Crossroads of the Galaxy. Sooner or later, anyone or anything of any importance had to come through Nexus.

Alex suddenly felt very small and insignificant--particularly when he reflected on the fact that his father had just been named as the new chief of security for the entire Nexus system. It would be an awesome responsibility, and Alex made a vow to help his father whenever possible.

He was so intent on gazing at the large colony shells that he almost didn't see the smaller objects swarming through space all around them. Some of the tiniest pinpoints of light were other ships like the Rimbound, loading and unloading goods and passengers to the ever-seething hive of activity that was Nexus. But there were other objects clustered around each colony like moths around a lightbulb. These would be the farming tanks where food was grown. These would be equally important in Alex's life because his mother, Delya Bredakoff, had been assigned as a senior agritechnician for Nexus-1. It was not as glamorous a job as her husband's was, but it was every bit as vital--if not more so.

The Rimbound nudged gently inward toward one of the large cylinders that had to be Nexus-1. As the captain maneuvered the ship toward the rotational axis at one end, Alex looked closely at the sides of the cylinder, and could see that the outside alternated sections of metal and glass--three of each around the perimeter lengthwise down the tube. At the far end of the cylinder were enormous mirrors that reflected the feeble light of the white dwarf star down through the windows and into the colony, giving it sunlight during the "day." At "night," the mirrors were simply tilted away and no sunlight entered. Each day on Nexus was 25 Earth-hours long, and was divided into a hundred units called "centures."

As the Rimbound reached its assigned parking spot, small grappleboats came out from the large colony to guide it into its position. The Rimbound's captain shut off the ship's engines, and freefall reigned once more in the ship. In the viewscreen, Alex could see a long metal tube snaking out from the colony to attach itself to the side of the Rimbound.

A flashing green light and a general announcement filled the air, breaking his concentration: "Docking at Nexus-1 now completed. All passengers for Nexus prepare to disembark."

Suddenly Alex found he couldn't move fast enough. This was it! They were here, at one of the most fascinating settlements in the Galaxy. Ever since he'd first heard about his father's new job, he'd dreamed of this moment--and now he'd arrived.

"Screen, off," he commanded, and the viewscreen faded to its normal blankness. Then, with a slight turn of his head, he added, "Drawers, open."

From out of an almost seamless wall, the drawers, which had held his clothing during the nine-day voyage from Earth, slid open, revealing their contents: a series of boxlike force fields. Enclosed within the fields were Alex's personal possessions, all neatly packed away. Alex touched a stud on his belt and the force fields floated out of their drawers and wafted gently through the air to his side. "Baggage slot, open," he commanded, and a hole opened in the wall. "Route my field bags to new assigned quarters in Nexus-1," he said and, one by one, each of the bags was sucked into the hole. Computers would guide them through the terminal and take them automatically to whatever housing had been provided for the Bredakoff family--sparing him the drudgery of carrying his own luggage. Each force field was coded with his own personal ident number, so there was no chance of its being mistaken for anyone else's.

That task accomplished, Alex quickly brushed a hand through his curly brown hair and swam out of his cabin. It was noisy and crowded in the narrow corridor as other passengers milled about in freefall, eager to get off the ship after their nine days' confinement. Even though his parents were just down the hall, it took Alex a couple of minutes to reach them.

Gregor Bredakoff was a tall, dark-haired man with a serious face that could burst into sudden, unexpected smiles. He was a trim and active seventy-two--still very young in an era when people routinely lived past two hundred. Delya Bredakoff was thirty years younger than her husband and a strikingly beautiful woman. Normally she let her long blonde hair flow freely down her back--but aboard the ship she'd been wearing it in a coronet braid so it wouldn't be a nuisance in freefall. Her gray eyes were usually calm and filled with understanding--and if there was any subject she didn't know something about, Alex had not yet discovered it.

Alex smiled as he approached them. He was so excited about finally arriving at Nexus that his freefall swimming was sloppy, and he bumped into the walls four times. Delya took his left hand and Gregor took his right, and together the Bredakoff family followed the blinking lights down the corridors of the Rimbound to the transfer tube that would take them into Nexus-1.

There was already a line to disembark, and Alex had to wait impatiently with everyone else until his family's turn came. Other people were babbling around them, a general buzz of conversation, but Alex was much too excited to talk. Gregor Bredakoff looked at his wife. "Any regrets?"

"None at all," she smiled back at him. "It may be a big disruption in all our lives, but it's a whole new and exciting world--and just think of the possibilities for Alex."

At last they reached the front of the line, and swam forward together into a blue cubicle. The walls glowed momentarily as a force field formed around them, detectable only by a slight shimmer in the air. Once the field was in place, it acted like an elevator car to pull them rapidly down the length of the tunnel that linked the Rimbound to Nexus-1. The walls of the tunnel were studded with advertisements for restaurants and shops within the colony, but Alex was too excited to do more than glance at the colorful holographic displays. No single place within the colony could interest him half as much as the colony itself.

At length their force bubble began to slow down, and a mechanical voice warned them to prepare for the feeling of gravity once again. Glowing arrows on the tunnel walls indicated which direction would be down, and the Bredakoffs oriented themselves properly. Ahead, a spot of grayish light grew brighter until it could be clearly seen as the end of the tunnel. The Bredakoffs' force bubble shot out of the tube, hovered in midair for a moment, and then slowly began its descent to the surface of the colony.

Alex was disappointed at first, because they seemed to have emerged in the middle of a thick fog. The transfer tube from the ship entered the colony right along its central axis--in the middle of the "sky," as it were--and there was nothing to see here but the clouds formed from excess water vapor in Nexus-1's atmosphere. As the force bubble floated gently "downward," however, the clouds parted to give Alex his first real view of the colony. And this time he was not at all disappointed.

A vast panorama was spread before him, amazingly green and uncluttered. The ground curved upward on either side like a bowl, and extended off far into the distance until perspective brought the sides together at a point. Directly below, small buildings were clustered about the Welcome Center where visitors first arrived. Beyond that were park lands with trees, bicycle lanes, and meandering pathways. Still farther beyond that were groups of houses, close enough together to give them a feeling of community, yet separated enough for each to have a spacious yard and private garden. Even farther away, the houses were grouped into apartment complexes, terraced to look like hillsides--and beyond them, almost at the limits of Alex's vision, was a city of tall buildings and bustling commerce.

Delya Bredakoff said it best. "It's hard to believe all this is inside."

Over their heads, they could see nothing beyond blue sky and a layer of white clouds--but Alex knew that if the clouds could be made to disappear, there would be the other half of the colony visible, looking pretty much like this half except upside down. The spinning of the colony made the inside surface of the outer wall feel like "down," no matter where on that inner surface you were.

On either side of the inhabited belt was a dark strip running the length of the colony. Through that strip, the stars and the milky luminescence of space could be seen, along with the bright white sun that gave Nexus its light and heat. It made an odd counterpoint to all the lush vegetation, to see it surrounded by the deadness of outer space--but it served as a constant reminder to Nexus's inhabitants of the special nature of their world.

The force bubble dropped slowly towards the Welcome Center, and as it did Alex felt the pull of the false gravity--actually centrifugal force--on his body. The designer of this transit system had done his best to make the transition from freefall to gravity as easy as possible, but there was still a certain discomfort to it. By the time the bubble reached the ground, the effect of gravity had reached its fullest: nine-tenths Earth normal. This was less than Alex had grown up with, but still more than he'd become used to on the Rimbound.

As they reached the bottom the force bubble dissolved from around them, and Alex and his family stepped forward through a door into the terminus. There they suddenly found themselves facing a swarm of local news reporters and their cameras, all here to cover the arrival of Nexus's new security chief.

At the first sight of the Bredakoffs the reporters began shouting their questions all at once, making an incomprehensible din. Alex backed slightly away from the commotion. Neither he nor his parents had been expecting a reception quite like this, and they weren't sure how to react. Gregor Bredakoff was more used to press conferences, however, and after a moment of being startled, he recovered his bearings and took command of the situation.

"One at a time, please," he said, holding up his hands to restore a semblance of order. "I'll be happy to answer your questions, but I have to be able to hear them first. Why don't we start with you, over there?"

The being he addressed was a Bolzad--tall, slender, and blue-skinned, with four arms and a tubular extended mouth that made it look as though he were playing a small trumpet. "Chief Bredakoff--if I may call you that--what is your first impression of Nexus?"

"I've barely had a chance to look at it," Gregor Bredakoff explained. "My only view so far has been the approach from space and a quick glimpse of the landscape as I came down here to the Center. But what I've seen is fantastic. It really makes me appreciate the enormity of my new responsibilities."

Another being, looking like a cockroach on two legs, signaled for recognition. "There've been some reports that you've been called in here to act as a sort of 'supercop.' Would you care to comment on that?"

Alex's father took a deep breath. "Nexus is a huge place. With more than two million people and a total land area of more than twenty thousand square kilometers--not to mention the constant flow of transients and commerce--it has special security problems all its own. I've been put in charge of the whole security department, which means I'll end up more as an administrator than as a policeman. In some ways I think that's a shame; I've been in law enforcement all my life, and it's more exciting to be out on the line than to be stuck behind a desk. I see my job more as coordinating the efforts of others rather than taking a personal hand in security matters."

"But you do have a reputation for always being where the trouble is," the reporter persisted.

"There are many excellent security officers who never get the recognition they deserve. I've just been lucky--or unlucky--enough to have the spotlight turned on me a couple of times."

"Why do you think you were hired for this job--you, an outsider--when there are plenty of capable officers serving here locally?"

"I like to think it's because your governor thought I was the best person for the job. Sometimes an outsider, without preconceptions, can see solutions more clearly. All I ask is the chance to prove myself in this capacity."

Another reporter--a creature shaped like a green tomato with arms and legs--asked, "Do you foresee any drastic shake-ups within your department?"

"It would be totally premature to answer that question now," Gregor Bredakoff snapped back. "I'll have to see the system in operation before I make any suggestions. So far, I've made some preliminary studies of the files on my way over here, but I've formed no hasty opinions. Chief Nostr'dicus has left me an efficiently run department. Obviously I'll have my own way of doing some things that will differ from hers, but I won't tamper needlessly with success."

A creature was pushing his way roughly through the crowd. He was wearing a security uniform, and seemed basically humanoid. He was a Darillian, with the short, stocky build typical to natives of high-gravity worlds. His face looked squashed in from the sides and pushed forward, and he had dark brown spikes of hair that stood out from his head like a pineapple's crown. He pushed his way up beside Alex's father, turned to look at the reporters, and said, "That's enough. This news conference is over." He glared at the audience with obvious malevolence, daring them to defy him.

As the reporters dispersed, grumbling, the Darillian turned to Gregor Bredakoff. "Those sniffers will follow you everywhere unless you're firm with them. I'm Darago Fallon."

"Ah yes, my second-in-command," Gregor Bredakoff nodded, touching fingertips with the other officer in polite greeting. "I've read over your file. I think we should work well together."

Fallon just gave a curt nod of acknowledgment. "I've arranged private transportation to your new house; I hope you'll like it." Without waiting for a reply, he turned and led them out of the room.

They followed Fallon through a series of corridors and down another force field tube to the subway level where a private tubecar was waiting. Alex and his family got in; Fallon entered after them, closing the door behind him. He set the car's controls and the vehicle jerked forward at an unnecessarily rapid pace through the underground maze that served Nexus-1 as public transport. Alex's neck was sore from the sudden acceleration.

"The trip ordinarily wouldn't be this fast," Fallon explained coldly. "I have the authority to order a priority clearance for this car; we take precedence over other traffic." Then he began discussing departmental organization with Gregor Bredakoff, totally ignoring the other two people in the car. Alex quickly lost interest in the conversation.

Instead, he stared idly out the windows of the car at the rapidly changing patterns of colored lights on the inner walls of the transport tube. He did not much care for Darago Fallon. His father's deputy was cold and clinical, and there was something unpleasant about him. Maybe he was just nervous about meeting his new boss, but Alex suspected it was something deeper than that. The boy could tell that his mother, too, did not much care for Fallon; she was sitting in that stiff-backed posture he recognized all too well--her I-am-being-polite-for-company posture. She had to endure her husband's business associates, but she didn't always have to like them.

The car came to a special niche and halted. "Your house has its own private tube stop," Fallon said brusquely. "Security reasons; the governor wants you to have the same privileges as Chief Nostr'dicus." He punched a special code and part of the wall slid away to let the tubecar enter. Safe in their private garage, the Bredakoffs left the car with Fallon and ascended to the house itself.

Alex had thought that, because Nexus was known to be crowded, their house would be small and cramped; he was pleasantly surprised by its spaciousness. The living room had a large electronic recreation center built into one wall. The kitchen was open and airy, equipped with all the latest conveniences. Not only did Alex have his own bedroom, but a separate studyroom as well. Gregor Bredakoff had a den and a communications room, through which he could instantly contact any security unit in the Nexus colonies. Delya had a separate hobby room where she would work on her own private projects. A large garden and a high wall surrounded the house. The furniture inside was rather plain, but Alex knew his mother would correct that soon enough.

"I picked the layout myself," Fallon said flatly. "If you don't like it, you can reorder the walls to suit yourselves."

Fallon showed them through the house then excused himself brusquely and left. The Bredakoffs were alone for the first time since leaving the Rimbound, but there was little time for talking then. Their luggage had arrived before them, piled neatly in one corner, and they spent the next few hours sorting out their personal belongings and packing them away.

Finally, Gregor called a halt to the moving-in proceedings and dialed up a dinner on the house's kitchen computer. The house was equipped with only the basic fare; Gregor would have to program some of his special recipes into it at a later date. But for right now, even the simplest meal tasted exotic in their new surroundings.

They spoke only in generalities through the first half of the meal, but Alex could tell from the tension that there was a more serious topic awaiting them. Finally, Delya came out with it. "I don't think I like your deputy very much."

Gregor Bredakoff looked up. "Fallon? I admit he's rude, but--"

"If he were any colder there'd be icicles forming on his nose.

Alex's father sighed. "I know, honey, I know. But he's in a very bad spot. I looked over his file, and I had some conversations with Chief Nostr'dicus. Fallon was her aide for almost ten years. He expected to be named security chief when she retired. Instead, the governor threw the competition open to people from outside the department, and I won the job. How do you think that makes Fallon feel? A lot of people in his position might have resigned angrily and tried to get a better job somewhere else; with Fallon's record, I'm sure he'd have had no trouble. Instead, he's decided to stay on with me. I appreciate that. I need someone here to show me the ropes while I get used to the new situation. We'll just have to give him time to get over his disappointment."

Delya nodded and returned her attention to her food. She might understand the situation perfectly, and she would be civil to her husband's aide; but there was no power in the Universe that could force her to like him.

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