Earth Flight - Janet Edwards

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‘They never admit it was Beta sector that saved civilization from total collapse after Exodus century. They never tell our side of the Second Roman Empire, or try to understand our culture, or …’

      ‘That doesn’t matter now,’ Lolia interrupted in an oddly tense voice. ‘Jarra, is it true what Earth Rolling News is saying? The Tell clan are making you a clan member?’

      Lolmack made a horizontal, air-slicing movement with his left hand; a classic Betan gesture of rejection. ‘That’s just an outlander news channel making a mistake.’

      ‘It’s not a mistake,’ I said.

      Lolmack stood up and hurried over to me. ‘You’re sure, Jarra?’ he demanded. ‘The Tell clan aren’t just acknowledging your birth, but offering clan membership?’

      I didn’t understand the urgency in his face, but I nodded. ‘The presentation ceremony is in three days time.’

      ‘A presentation ceremony!’ Lolmack turned to his wife. ‘That would …’

      ‘One of the Handicapped being formally presented to a clan of the gentes maiores!’ Lolia put her hands to her face. ‘If that happens …’

      I was shocked to see she was crying. ‘I don’t understand why this is so …?’

      ‘Jarra,’ she said, ‘a handful of clans have acknowledged a Handicapped birth, but none has ever offered clan membership. The Tell clan are of the gentes maiores, the aristocracy of Zeus. If they do this, it could change our lives!’

      I stared at her, totally bewildered by her dramatic words.

      ‘There’s a lot of prejudice against the Handicapped on Betan worlds,’ said Lolmack.

      ‘It’s like that in all the sectors,’ I said. ‘I’ve grown up watching off-world vids, and they all use the same insults. The only difference between Handicapped and norms is a fault in our immune system, but they call us throwbacks, Neanderthals, and ugly, smelly apes.’

      ‘It’s a bigger problem in Beta than the other sectors though, because of the clan system,’ said Lolmack. ‘The shame of a Handicapped birth doesn’t just affect the parents, but the whole clan.’

      Lolia nodded. ‘When our baby was born Handicapped, the other partner in our triad marriage instantly divorced us. Lolette wasn’t genetically his child, but …’

      Lolmack went to put his arm round her. ‘By saying that, he proved himself lower than the clanless. If things had been reversed, I would still count Lolette as my daughter, and still be here with you on Earth.’

      Lolia smiled up at him. ‘I know that. He was more of a loss to you than to me.’ She looked back at me. ‘Hospital Earth rules meant Lolmack and I had to choose between making our daughter their ward and never seeing her again, or moving to Earth to be with her. Clan council ordered us to give up our ape child or be disowned. To have our own clan calling our daughter an ape and threatening us …’

      ‘Clan council had no choice,’ said Lolmack. ‘Alliance council had ruled the alliance could not afford the loss of status of a Handicapped birth, and threatened to remove our clan from the alliance if our child’s birth became known.’

      He pulled a face. ‘So we joined this course to have an excuse for being on Earth. All this time, we’ve lived with the fact that if Lolette’s existence becomes known, our clan cluster must disown us to save their position in the alliance, but if the Tell clan welcome you as a clan member …’

      ‘It would change everything,’ said Lolia. ‘Just seeing you on the newzies has already made a difference to the way Betans speak of the Handicapped. Every clan was watching the vid coverage when you and Fian sent the signal to the alien sphere. Every clan saw how you looked and spoke and acted like any normal human. Every clan heard you named as a descendant of the great Tellon Blaze.’

      Her words tumbled out eagerly now. ‘Jarra, if a clan of the gentes maiores make you a clan member, alliance council may agree to acknowledge Lolette’s birth, perhaps even permit her to be formally presented.’

      Lolmack shook his head. ‘Don’t build your hopes impossibly high, Lolia. The vital thing is to have Lolette openly acknowledged, so we can stop living in fear of being made clanless. We must contact clan council at once.’

      I was startled to hear Lecturer Playdon join in the conversation. ‘I’ll excuse both Lolia and Lolmack from this morning’s dig site work so they can discuss this development with their clan. Tomorrow, we’ll still be working on the Eden ruins in the morning, but in the afternoon we’ll be packing and moving to London Main Dig Site.’

      ‘But the General Marshal’s making a statement about the Alien Contact programme tomorrow afternoon,’ said Krath. ‘We can’t miss seeing that.’

      ‘The announcement is at 17:00 hours Earth Africa time,’ said Playdon. ‘We’ll stay here to watch it, but I want everyone to be packed ready to leave directly after it finishes. Fortunately, Earth Africa is on Green Time plus two hours, while Earth Europe is on Green time, so we’ll gain two hours in the move.’

      He paused and pointedly glanced towards Fian and me. ‘I’ll do a last inspection of the dome just before we leave. Students aren’t allowed to move dome walls, so I’m sure I won’t discover any of them are missing.’

      Fian and I exchanged embarrassed glances, while the rest of the class laughed at us. Everyone knew we’d illegally moved the wall between our two single rooms to make a double.

      ‘How many days holiday do we get before starting work on London Main?’ asked Krath.

      Playdon gave him one of his evil smiles that meant bad news. ‘None.’

      There was a collective groan from the class. We all knew Playdon’s smile meant there was absolutely no point in arguing, but Krath tried it anyway.

      ‘None? We’re supposed to get at least three days break when we move dig sites!’

      ‘You all missed an entire week of work due to the alien probe,’ said Playdon, ‘so you’ve got some catching up to do. Clear away breakfast now.’

      I started piling plates on to a tray, picked it up, and looked at Fian. ‘Do you believe me becoming a clan member will really help Lolia and Lolmack?’

      ‘They obviously think so. It’s much bigger than just those two and their baby though, isn’t it? 92 per cent of Handicapped babies are handed over to be wards of Hospital Earth. The older sectors have the highest populations, so at least a quarter of those babies must be being born to Betan clans. If the clan attitudes change so it’s easier for Betan parents to come to Earth with their baby, it could mean thousands of children each year have a chance to grow up with their family.’

      Fian was right and my psychologist had been totally wrong. It wasn’t pointless making myself unhappy over the unfairness of things, because there was something I could do to change them for the better.

      When we sent the signal to the alien probe, it had been a significant moment for humanity. When the Tell clan of Zeus welcomed me as a clan member, it would be just as significant a moment for the Handicapped children of Beta sector.

       3

      At exactly 16:59 hours the next day, Fian and I sprinted into the hall and found the rest of the class sitting on neat rows of chairs facing the wall vid. We collapsed on to the two empty chairs next to Krath.

      ‘What took you so long?’ Krath shook his head at us. ‘It was only one wall. You could have built a whole dome by now.’

      ‘The wall didn’t want to go back,’ said Fian. ‘We won in the end, but …’

      Amalie sighed. ‘Please don’t tell me you fixed the bottom corners first.’

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