"What? Yes!"
"Vila." Cally turned on the lights. "What are you doing in my room? And how did you get in?"
Vila held up a small tool. "I picked the lock," he said sheepishly.
"Well, you can just go out again, and re-lock the door behind you." Cally lay down again, determined to ignore him.
"But, Cally..."
"Go away."
"There’s something wrong."
Cally sat up. "What? Aren’t you supposed to be on night watch? Is everything... Blake...? Avon...?" In an instant Cally was wide awake and out of bed.
"It's Zen."
"Zen?" Cally was suspicious. "Why pick me to disturb? If Zen's malfunctioning, Avon would be the best person to get out of bed."
"You've got to be kidding," Vila said seriously. "Disturb Avon? He'd kill me."
"Vila," Cally said quietly, "if you don’t tell me quickly exactly why you have crept into my room, you may find yourself wishing you had disturbed Avon instead."
"I can’t get anything to work." Vila got to the point. "Zen won't answer me. There’s no lights on the control panels."
Cally was still suspicious. "Why come to me?"
"I don’t know. It just happened." Vila spoke quietly and for the first time Cally felt there was something really wrong.
She reached up to touch the communications panel.
+Yes+ It was Zen’s voice.
Cally threw a questioning glance at Vila, who looked startled.
"Zen," Cally began, "is everything all right?"
+Specify+
"Are all functions on the Liberator working?"
+Confirmed+
"And no systems have been off-line in the last ten minutes?"
+Confirmed+
"Thank you. That will be all." Cally turned to Vila. "Well? I’m waiting for an explanation."
Vila opened his mouth to speak.
"On second thoughts," Cally lay back down, "do not say anything. Just go away."
"But..."
"Now, Villa." Her voice was very firm.
Villa left. "But nothing was working," he muttered as he sealed her door behind him.
Cally tossed and turned, unable to get back to sleep. Something felt...wrong. In sudden panic she sat up and hit the intercom. "Zen?"
+YES+
Cally felt very foolish. "Nothing," she sighed, getting back into bed.
*
"What do you mean, insufficient data?" Blake glared at Zen.
"It’s a machine, Blake. Without data it cannot tell us anything," Avon answered.
"Well, it appears unoccupied, and ORAC says the air is breathable," Jenna said.
"But did he say it was breathable for us?" Vila wanted to know.
Jenna ignored him. "Come on Blake, it’ll do us good to get off the ship for a few hours. There’s no indication of anything hostile."
"There’s no indication of anything,’ Blake was uncertain.
"The best way to find out would be to go down." Avon stood up. "If both ORAC and Zen are reluctant to give us any information about the planet, I would like to know why. It may help me reprogramme..."
"That aside," Gan spoke up, "I’d like to see something other than the flight deck walls."
Blake shrugged. "OK. We’ll go down."
"I do not want to."
"But why not, Cally?" Gan asked. "It will be nice to have some fresh air."
"Yes, wouldn’t it," Avon muttered.
"I don’t want to go, either," Vila said quietly.
"You two can mind the teleport, then." Jenna was impatient to go. "Come on, whoever is going."
"All right." Blake made his decision. "Cally and Vila can stay." He followed Jenna to the teleport room.
"Will you," Avon asked Cally, "be all right with him?"
"Hey! What about me? She's the alien."
Vila was ignored.
"I’m not going," Cally repeated softly. "I do not think any of us should go."
"Is something wrong?" Gan was concerned.
"I don’t know. Just a feeling."
"A feeling." Avon was dismissive.
"Well I think Cally’s right. Last night..."
"What?" Avon turned on Vila.
"Nothing," said Vila reluctantly, knowing better than to push it. "Nothing. Just go. If you’re going."
Gan stood at the top of the flight deck steps. He turned back. "Avon?"
"I’m not sure." Avon looked intently at Cally and Vila for a couple of seconds. Then he turned and looked at the two computers, that were being more than usually uncooperative. He shrugged. "I'm coming."
"Down and safe." Blake’s voice filtered through.
Cally left the teleport room and joined Vila on the flight deck.
"You feel it, too, don’t you?" he said, putting down his glass.
"Feel what?"
"I don’t know... that something’s not right."
Cally plugged in ORAC’s key. "ORAC?"
Nothing.
"Why won’t he say anything?"
"I don't know." Cally turned around abruptly as the lights blinked out for a moment.
"Zen?" Vila tried.
Zen's panel remained unresponsive.
Again the lights darkened, then came back on, and off again.
"I don’t like the dark," Vila commented.
"I’m going to the teleport room." As Cally reached the steps, the lights came up again.
"I think I’ll come with you," Vila announced.
"Blake, this is the Liberator. Come in." Cally tried again. Still there was no answer.
"Do you think the lights will come back on?" Vila asked nervously. "I’m finding it hard to breathe."
"I don’t think the lights will help with that." Cally realised that she, too, was struggling for breath.
"Cally, I’m scared."
"I’m not afraid of death."
"But that’s just it. I don't know what I’m scared of. I’m just scared!" Vila’s voice rose and he started to back away.
"Oppressed..." Cally began to breathe heavily, as if she had been running too fast. "Must... something..."
Vila fell against the wall. "Weak. Can’t stand..."
"I’m going to teleport them." Cally reached for the control.
"Cally, I’m sorry, very..." Vila slumped to the ground.
"Teleport..." Cally activated the control. She looked expectantly at the pad. No shapes materialised. "Please..." She too passed out.
Blake stepped off the teleport pad. "Where are they?" He looked around the empty room. He removed his bracelet. "Give me yours, I’ll put them away."
Jenna, Gan and Avon handed over their bracelets.
Avon examined the teleport controls. "ORAC must have activated it."
"Cally! Villa!" Jenna called through the intercom. There was no answer.
"I’ll try the flight deck," Gan offered.
He came back a few moments later. "There’s no one there. And Zen won’t talk to me."
"What?" Avon snarled. "It’s about time that machine learned who is in control." He started toward the flight deck, followed by Blake and Gan. Jenna announced she was going to look in other areas of the ship.
Getting no response from Zen, Avon turned angrily to ORAC. "Where’s the key?" he demanded.
"Here." Gan picked it up. "I’m going to help Jenna search the ship."
Watching Avon fit ORAC’s key, Blake asked, "ORAC, where are Cally and Vila?"
+They are aboard the Liberator+
"Where on the Liberator?"
+That question will not elicit the information you require+
"What question should I have asked?"
ORAC remained silent.
"I," said Avon, dangerously calm, "have had about all I can take from the computers on this ship." He removed ORAC's key and placed it in his pocket.
Gan and Jenna entered. "There’s no sign of them anywhere,"
"Unfortunately, the human company is not an improvement." Avon turned away. "I’ll check the teleport room again."
"Where are they?"
"They must have teleported down," Jenna guessed.
"I checked," Blake spoke up. "There are no bracelets missing. They have to be on the ship."
"Cally, Cally, wake up."
Cally blinked her eyes open. "You seem to be making a habit of waking me up."
"Are you all right?"
"Yes, I believe so."
"I don't know what happened," Vila said. "I’ve tried to contact the others but I can’t get any response. Zen still won’t answer, and I can’t find ORAC’s key."
"Oh." Cally stood up. "I’m going to teleport down."
"No!" Vila protested. "It’s too dangerous."
"We are not going to learn anything staying here. It’s the only way." She reached for a teleport bracelet.
Avon clasped on the bracelet. "Put me down."
"Don’t be silly," Blake protested. "You don’t know what will happen."
"We won’t find out staying here."
"I’ll come, too," Gan offered.
"No! I’ll go alone. It’s the only way." Avon stepped onto the teleport pad.
Vila flicked the switch and Cally disappeared.
"No! Wait!" Vila called, too late. He stared at the rack where the teleport bracelets were stored. "There’s only one missing," he whispered. He thumbed the communicator. "Liberator to Cally, come in."
Silence.
"Cally, please answer. I’m getting scared again."
Cally pressed the communicator button. "Cally to Liberator, come in Vila."
"Vila! Is that you?" It was not Cally’s voice.
"Cally? Where are you?"
Vila jumped as Avon’s voice flooded the teleport room.
"Vila! Answer me!"
Vila fought the urge to back away from the sound of Avon’s voice. "Er, Avon, where are you?"
"Blake? I’m on the planet. Are you on the Liberator?" Cally asked incredulously.
"Of course I’m on the Liberator." Vila told Avon hotly. "Have you seen Cally? She teleported down to the planet."
*
"Avon? No, I have not seen him. Vila is with you, isn’t he?"
"What do you mean, Blake is on the Liberator? I haven’t seen him! Also conspicuously absent from the Liberator are Jenna, Gan and ORAC’s key!"
"ORAC’s key was here when we got back. I think Avon took it." Blake looked to Jenna for confirmation.
"What do you mean you’ve got ORAC’s key in your pocket?" That was one sleight of hand trick Vila thought he’d really have to work hard to beat.
"I’m confused," Blake admitted.
"It never did take much to confuse you," Avon told Vila. "However, in this instance, your confusion may well be justified.... Wait! I thought I heard something."
"Any luck?" Blake asked.
"I’m not sure. It was as if I just touched his mind. But there was no firm contact. I don’t know if he heard me."
"It was Cally," Avon said firmly. "But just for a moment. Bring me up."
"Teleporting now," Jenna said.
Both Cally and Avon screamed.
"Stop!" yelled Blake.
Vila hastily flipped the switch the other way. "Avon! Avon! Are you all right?"
"Yes... Yes, Blake, I- I’m all right now." Cally held her head as she attempted to stand.
"What went wrong?"
"It was as if..."
"...I was being pulled in two," Avon tried to explain. "I don’t think we should try teleporting again just yet."
*
"What are we going to do?" Blake turned to Jenna.
"I’ll go and have another look around the ship. See if... I don’t know. But it’s better than standing around here. Maybe for some unfathomable reason, Vila is hiding somewhere."
"Do you really think so?" Gan asked.
Jenna shrugged. "Where Vila is concerned I don’t usually think. The less input I have concerning him, the better I feel!"
"Input! You’re beginning to sound like Avon!"
"Say that again, Gan, and you’ll be looking more like ORAC," Jenna threatened, as she left the room.
"Blake? Are you still there?" It was Cally.
"Yes, Cally, we’re here."
"You won’t leave me, will you?"
"Cally," Blake spoke sincerely, "I’d never leave you. Any of you," he added, turning to Gan.
"I believe you, Blake," Cally trusted.
Gan asked, "What if you had to leave?"
"Then I’d come back."
"There wouldn’t be much point if we were dead."
"Gan?" Blake shook his head. Gan had never spoken like that before.
"I’m sorry, Blake," Gan shivered. "I don’t know why I said that. Someone walked over my grave, I think."
"Are you all right?"
"Fine. I’ll go and see if I can get any sense out of Zen."
Blake turned to the communicator again. "Cally, are you sure Avon isn’t down there with you?"
"I haven’t seen him, but then, I haven't moved very far. Blake, there is something very wrong. Last night Vila said Zen would not talk, and when we were on the ship alone Zen shut down."
"Apart from not giving us any information everything seems all right. Shall I try to teleport you again?"
"No!" Cally paused. "I will try to reach Avon again."
"Vila! I’m warning you. If you leave, I’ll..."
"What?" Vila grinned. "I don’t think you’re going to be able to stop me."
"You wouldn’t survive on your own."
"That is a more persuasive argument. Also, there’s the others. Where are they?"
"I have no idea," Avon said, hating to admit ignorance.
"Still," Vila mused, "it’s nice to know you want me to stay." There was silence from Avon. "Avon, tell me. If it was me stuck on the planet, would you stay?"
Avon thought about it. "Interesting conjecture. You have your uses, it’s true..."
"Well?" demanded Vila, not totally reassured by Avon's comments.
"Ssh, I’m thinking. I can hear... Cally! Cally, I can hear you. I’m on the planet."
"What’s she saying? Where is she? Avon!"
"Vila is aboard the Liberator, Cally. I can touch you... wait! Don't go. Cally!"
"What’s happening?" Vila almost screamed. "Is she there? Avon! Tell me!" He was hopping up and down. "Tell me!"
*
"Blake, I touched him. Just for a moment, I touched him!"
"You saw him? Is he there now?"
"No, I did not see him," Cally said quietly. "But I could physically touch him, feel his warmth..."
"Avon’s warmth?" Jenna entered the teleport chamber. "It must have been his ghost."
"He said Vila is on the Liberator."
"Well, Avon’s wrong," Jenna insisted. "I’ve searched the ship. Unless Vila is perched on the outside of the hull, he’s not aboard."
"He has to be somewhere," Gan pointed out reasonably. "He can’t have teleported off, and there's no other way to leave."
"Then I give up," Jenna declared. "Blake, we have to do something. We can’t stay in orbit around this planet forever."
"I won’t leave Cally. And Avon has to be down there somewhere. Vila... well, he can’t just have disappeared!"
"Do you want to try teleporting again?" Gan asked.
"No." Cally’s voice was firm.
"I only asked," Vila whined. "Stay on that planet, see if I care."
"Check again. Are you sure there is only one bracelet missing?"
"Yes, Avon," Vila sighed. "Cally took it. But there should be another four missing. The ones you, Blake, Jenna and Gan took."
Avon sat on a large stone. "I’m wearing one now, and Cally must also have one. Therefore, at the very least, there should be two missing."
It was surely just a question of mathematics.
* * *
Blake turned to Jenna. "We should never have left them."
"Blake, It’s been three months. There was nothing we could do. Teleport would have killed her and Zen wouldn’t let us land."
It was an old conversation, and Jenna was tired of it. Yes, she felt some guilt, but they could not have stayed. At least Cally could talk to Avon, they couldn’t reach him. As for Vila.... She sighed. "Blake, we’ve survived, just the three of us, with no Avon and no ORAC. Zen has given us no trouble, and we’ve given the Federation plenty of trouble."
"I promised I wouldn’t leave her."
"She understood."
"Blake?"
"Yes, Gan?"
"We’re in teleport range of the base. No alert has been sounded."
"Right. Everyone know what they’re doing?" Blake turned his attention to the situation at hand.
"I’m sorry, Avon."
"Vila!" Avon roared.
"Look, I’ve waited for three months. Nothing has changed. I’m bored and lonely up here by myself. Zen has said he’ll pilot the ship, so I’m going. I think I’ll spend a few years in Space City."
"I’ll remember your loyalty, Vila. I’ll remember to give you the equivalent of three months chance, then... look out!"
"As I doubt that any situation will arise where you’ll have the opportunity to give me a chance, I’ll take that risk." Vila sat back in the pilot’s chair. "If I pass this way again I’ll look in. Give my love to Cally, and tell her I’m sorry. Really sorry," he added quietly.
"Cally," Avon called. "Vila’s gone."
"He stayed the longest."
"So, it’s just us." Avon smiled as Cally waked into view. "We’re not together. We'll never be together."
"But we can talk."
"And when the conversation ends...?"
"I’ll find a way out," Avon promised.
Cally laughed. "There are some things, Avon, that even you cannot prevent or change."
"It’s Blake’s fault." Avon returned to his old theme.
"Why?" she asked quietly.
"It always is."
"Don’t blame Blake for your mistakes."
"Mistakes?"
"For your feelings, then."
Slowly he woke up. Dreaming, he had been dreaming. Yet a part of him said it was more than a dream. He had to talk to someone, but who? Outside her door, he paused. Quietly, he called her name.
"Come in, Gan."
"I was dreaming."
"Yes, I know."
"You, too?"
"Yes."
"The same...?"
"The same dream? Yes."
"Everyone?"
"Maybe different parts, but yes, the same dream."
"We died." He said it bluntly.
She smiled. "Everyone does."
"Yes," he nodded, "but we were left behind."
She could only agree.
"It should have been me on the planet, not Avon."
"Life rarely works as it should, why should dreams be any different?"
"Will we remember?"
"Not consciously. Already parts fade."
"It’s not knowing when," he muttered, impatient.
"We have time, yet."
"Do I?" Gan pressed the point.
She did not know.
"We could leave now. Avoid it, leave before we are left." It was a suggestion he did not mean.
"And I think in a few hours we would ask, ‘why am I leaving?’ There is no reason, just the fading memory of a silly dream."
"I was always good at accepting things I didn't like. Thank you, Cally."
"Goodnight."
On the flight deck, Vila stirred and woke up. He shivered slightly. "Would I really leave him? And Cally?"
He knew Cally would be alone now. He could go and speak to her. But what was the point?
He raised his hand to knock and was stopped by her voice:
<<You may come in>> he heard in his mind. Of course, she would know.
She was standing up, waiting for him.
"I’m not sure what to say," he began. "To say sorry would be meaningless."
"Yet you would mean it."
"Perhaps, but I would mean so much more."
"I know that, and that is all that matters."
"I want..." He wanted to reach out, to touch her and know she was real. To feel her warmth, to...
"We will forget," she said comfortingly.
"I think I would prefer to remember."
Back on the flight deck, Vila glanced up as the lights blinked briefly. He looked uneasily at Zen. "Er, good boy. Behave!"
The End