Echo and the Lone Drifter

"What is this Savron?" Senator Gee said, looking around.

"It was in the report," Senator Fera said, looking away.

"An array that can scan for life forms, Devi," Senator Mordan supplied, conciliatory, his attention going back to Logan. "When you boarded her, you saw no evidence of these life forms?"

Logan held on to his patience. He'd already answered that question several times and in different forms and regardless of how much they didn't like it, it was still the same answer.

"The ship was empty," Logan answered.

"And you say the ship itself was difficult to describe. Why?" Senator Gee said.

"The ship was very large. I couldn't see it whole. The angles were unexpected, the surfaces uniform and reflective, lit from the inside. When I exited—."

"You were lone drifting," Senator Mordan interrupted him, Logan's eyes narrowing, his face becoming expressionless, "and you chose to leave your own craft and you took a suit, rode an umbilical line and boarded an alien ship in deep space. I don't know another way to describe what you did except as exceedingly reckless."

"Or brave," Senator Fera was quick to say, glancing at Logan's face. "I would describe that as brave, Senator Mordan. Demonstrating an admirable native curiosity. Getting us this invaluable information at great personal risk, to further our knowledge of these beings."

"And you returned to your estate on Dufur before coming to Old Terra to make this report, a report in which you have informed us that you found evidence of another sentient species but they're all dead and the ship destroyed," Senator Gee said, glancing at Logan from under his eyebrows.

"A family matter, yes."

"And the nature of this family emergency?" Senator Mordan said.

"Is personal, Senator Mordan," Logan replied, his voice indifferent.

He didn't have to tell these people shit. Logan was here as a courtesy, impatient now. Chair Ador sat back, looking at the other members, several of them nodding.

"You've answered our questions, Dy Ashto," Senator Ador said. "It was a remarkable find. These beings we've just seen on the vid are...incredible. Astonishing. It is not your fault that some of us are disappointed we missed the opportunity to study them."

There was low murmuring around the room, agreement. The mood was relaxing, people prepared to have it be over. Logan was ready for it to be over. But no, Senator Mordan was going to speak again when the chair had clearly indicated it was time to disperse, everyone dragged back into the center of it again because these people loved to talk.

"So Dy Ashto brings us evidence of an alien race," Senator Mordan said, "without putting us in the position of having to deal with those aliens ourselves. It is a warning, perhaps, that we should not take our uniqueness for granted. But you saw no other sign of them."

This last was directed at Logan again, not really a question. Confirming what Logan had said repeatedly and also indicating to him the Concord's Senate's displeasure that it wasn't a different answer. They believed him. They just didn't like it.

"I was alone out there," Logan said again.

#

Epilogue

Ten Years Later

"The Puck is a remarkable achievement, Dy Ashto," Senator Fera said, opening the door from the chamber and walking through, Logan following. She fell into step with him. "I've never seen anything like it. Your theories will expand the field into areas we never really thought were possible before. You know that the process takes time, but I can assure you privately that the Science Department will be very pleased to purchase the rights to study the Puck."

"I'm pleased to hear it, Senator," Logan said, stopping and looking across the wide hall.

Senator Fera looked surprised. She slowed and returned to him. There was a bench across the way. A boy sat on it, his legs not quite touching the floor. He sat quietly, not impatient. When he saw them, he got up, crossing to them.

"Who is this?" Senator Fera said as the boy approached.

"This is Tam, my son," Logan answered, reaching his hand out to the boy, who took it, standing beside his father. "Tam, this is Senator Fera."

"Hello, Senator Fera," the boy said solemnly.

"Hello, Tam. You're a surprise. I have to say, I think you're going to be very handsome, just like your father. But I am guessing you got those eyes from your mother. I've never seen such a remarkable color."

"Thank you. Yes," Tam said.

"We are," his father said as if the boy had spoken to him, his hand reaching to caress the boy's cheek, a faint trail of silver light before Logan's fingers lifted carefully. "Your mother has said we must return to her right away, that she misses us too much."

The boy's hands, the only things uncovered, throbbed with blue light, Tam hiding them.

"Did you see—," Senator Fera said, staring at the boy and then dismissing it, shaking her head lightly, looking at Logan again. "His mother couldn't come with you?"

"She is with our daughter, Awen, on Dufur," Logan answered. "The child is young, only a month old."

"Congratulations. Such a lovely family you have, Dy Ashto," Senator Fera said, turning to smile at Tam again. "I'm sure we are going to see remarkable things from you in the future, Tam."

The boy's eyes, sea-green, rose to hers, shining for a moment, deep and opaque.

"Yes," Tam said.

#

The End