The Ship Who Sang Read Online Free PDF Page A

not being there.’
    â€˜But
I
need
him
. Who will supply my need?’ said Helva bitterly . . .
    â€˜834,’ said 422 after a day’s silent speeding, ‘Central wishes your report. A replacement awaits your opt at Regulus Base. Change course accordingly.’
    â€˜A replacement?’ That was certainly not what she needed . . . a reminder inadequately filling the void Jennan left. Why, her hull was barely cool of Chloe’s heat. Atavistically, Helva wanted time to mourn Jennan.
    â€˜Oh, none of them are impossible, if
you’re
a good ship,’ 422 remarked philosophically: ‘And it is just what you need. The sooner the better.’
    â€˜You told them I wouldn’t go rogue, didn’t you?’ Helva said.
    â€˜The moment passed you even as it passed me after Parsaea, and before that, after Glen Arthur, and Betelgeuse.’
    â€˜We’re conditioned to go on, aren’t we? We
can’t
go rogue. You were testing.’
    â€˜Had to. Orders. Not even Psych knows why arogue occurs. Central’s very worried, and so, daughter, are your sister ships. I asked to be your escort. I . . . don’t want to lose you both.’
    In her emotional nadir, Helva could feel a flood of gratitude for Silvia’s rough sympathy.
    â€˜We’ve all known this grief, Helva. It’s no consolation, but if we couldn’t feel with our scouts, we’d only be machines wired for sound.’
    Helva looked at Jennan’s still form stretched before her in its shroud and heard the echo of his rich voice in the quiet cabin.
    â€˜Silvia! I
couldn’t
help him,’ she cried from her soul.
    â€˜Yes, dear, I know,’ 422 murmured gently and then was quiet.
    The three ships sped on, wordless, to the great Central Worlds’ base at Regulus. Helva broke silence to acknowledge landing instructions and the officially tendered regrets.
    The three ships set down simultaneously at the wooded edge where Regulus’ gigantic blue trees stood sentinel over the sleeping dead in the small Service cemetery. The entire Base complement approached with measured step and formed an aisle from Helva to the burial ground. The honor detail, out of step, walked slowly into her cabin. Reverently they placed the body of her dead love on the wheeled bier, covered it honorably with the deep blue, star-splashed flag of the Service. She watched as it was driven slowly down the living aisle which closed in behind the bier in last escort.
    Then, as the simple words of interment were spoken, as the atmosphere planes dipped in tribute over the open grave, Helva found her voice for her lonely farewell.
    Softly, barely audible at first, the strains of the ancient song of evening and requiem swelled to the final poignant measure until black space itself echoed back the sound of the song the ship sang.

The Ship Who Mourned
    WITH EYES THAT did not register what they saw, Helva watched stolidly as the Regulus Base personnel broke ranks at the conclusion of Jennan’s funeral. Never again, she vowed, would she be known as the ship who sang. That part of her had died with Jennan.
    From somewhere very far away from her emotional centers, she impassively watched the little figures separate, pair off, walking rapidly to continue interrupted tasks or moving slowly back to the barracks. Some, passing, looked up, but she did not interpret their glances. She had nowhere to move to and no desire to move anywhere away from the graveside of her dead partner.
    â€˜It cannot end like this,’ she thought, anguish overpowering the stupor in her heart. ‘I cannot be like this. But what do I go on to now?’
    â€˜XH-834, Theoda of Medea requests permission to enter,’ said a voice at the base of her lift.
    â€˜Permission granted,’ Helva said automatically.
    So absorbed in her grief was Helva that by thetime the lift had deposited the slender female figure at the lock, Helva had forgotten she