the office.
“You
are a strange human,” Michael said.
“I
am just enforcing the law,” Jacob replied. “That’s
all I’ve ever done.”
“Paul
is young, foolish. He only wants what all Threshians want, for
humanity to leave our planet.”
“It
will happen, Michael,” Jacob replied. “I have no doubt
about that, eventually it will have to happen, but until then I will
not tolerate murder.”
The
old Threshian bowed. “Please, Marshal, do what you believe to
be right. I will do the same.”
Jacob
watched as Michael limped down the Jailhouse steps to rejoin his men.
“What
happened?” Jon asked.
“He
asked nicely, I said no.”
“So
what happens now?”
Jacob
could only shrug.
Chapter
Four
Jon
watched Michael and his followers march back the way they came. His
hands curled tightly around his rifle as the man in brown rejoined
the group from the decking of the supply shop. As he looked on the
man turned to face him, and although Jon couldn’t make out his
face, he felt his gaze. For a moment the stranger was immobile,
simply standing there staring, until with a casual wave he turned to
depart. Jon blinked and shook his head.
“What?”
“It
is him,” Jacob said, kicking the ground beside Jon. “I
always knew he’d turn up on Threshold one day. Just knew it.”
“What
do you mean?” Jon asked. “Who is he?”
Jacob
turned away. “Trouble,” he said. “Big trouble.”
“Dad?”
“Don’t
press me, son,” Jacob warned, retreating into the Jailhouse. “I
have to think.”
Jon
followed his father. “He was with Michael.”
“Well,”
Jacob said. “That’s his way. Look, just leave it Jon.
Please. Go and see how Roe is doing”
Jon
frowned. His father had revealed little about his experiences prior
to his arrival on Threshold. It was a chapter of his life he had
declared closed long ago. Now a face from that hidden past had
appeared and Jon was understandably curious. He had always wondered
where Jacob had come from, and what that silence had denied him.
Surely his father realised that time was short? Unless they found
more Jopo, he wouldn’t last long. There shouldn’t be any
secrets.
The
old man was logged into his console before he had even sat down at
his desk. Jon peered over his father’s shoulder at the display.
Shuttle manifests? And he was scrolling through the names of the
passengers of the most recent inbound flights.
“Dad,
who is he?” Jon asked again.
Jacob
switched off the screen and swivelled his chair to meet Jon’s
eyes, pointing a finger firmly at the staircase. “What did I
tell you?”
“You
can’t keep things from me,” Jon said.
The
old man frowned. “Roe has been by herself for a long time.
She’ll be thinking the worst.”
Jon
held up his hands and backed away. “OK, OK, but we’re due
a talk, you and I.”
Jacob
did not reply. His stare firmly fixed until Jon descended from view.
Seconds later Jon emerged in the basement. He saw Roe sat on her
stool, rifle held between her hands, her eyes fixed far away.
“What
are you watching?” Jon asked.
Roe
looked up, blinking rapidly as she disconnected her internal
interface.
“Just
an old program on the educational channel,” she said. “Paul
isn’t exactly the life and soul of the party.”
Jon
stood over her. “You need to stay alert Roe, Michael will try
something. Hell, one of his followers could try something just to
impress him.”
“I’m
not totally immersed,” Roe replied curtly. “I can react
if need be, worry about yourself.”
Jon
reddened. “Well, I worry about you!”
“I’ve
been a deputy for a long time college boy,” she said. “You
can’t lord it over me now. I know what I’m doing.”
Jon
gestured angrily with his rifle. “Oh do you? Because I could
have shot you before you even had a chance to move.”
A
synthesised vocoder laugh filled the basement.
“You
are children,” Paul intoned from his bunk. “Children
playing at being adults. It
“You
are a strange human,” Michael said.
“I
am just enforcing the law,” Jacob replied. “That’s
all I’ve ever done.”
“Paul
is young, foolish. He only wants what all Threshians want, for
humanity to leave our planet.”
“It
will happen, Michael,” Jacob replied. “I have no doubt
about that, eventually it will have to happen, but until then I will
not tolerate murder.”
The
old Threshian bowed. “Please, Marshal, do what you believe to
be right. I will do the same.”
Jacob
watched as Michael limped down the Jailhouse steps to rejoin his men.
“What
happened?” Jon asked.
“He
asked nicely, I said no.”
“So
what happens now?”
Jacob
could only shrug.
Chapter
Four
Jon
watched Michael and his followers march back the way they came. His
hands curled tightly around his rifle as the man in brown rejoined
the group from the decking of the supply shop. As he looked on the
man turned to face him, and although Jon couldn’t make out his
face, he felt his gaze. For a moment the stranger was immobile,
simply standing there staring, until with a casual wave he turned to
depart. Jon blinked and shook his head.
“What?”
“It
is him,” Jacob said, kicking the ground beside Jon. “I
always knew he’d turn up on Threshold one day. Just knew it.”
“What
do you mean?” Jon asked. “Who is he?”
Jacob
turned away. “Trouble,” he said. “Big trouble.”
“Dad?”
“Don’t
press me, son,” Jacob warned, retreating into the Jailhouse. “I
have to think.”
Jon
followed his father. “He was with Michael.”
“Well,”
Jacob said. “That’s his way. Look, just leave it Jon.
Please. Go and see how Roe is doing”
Jon
frowned. His father had revealed little about his experiences prior
to his arrival on Threshold. It was a chapter of his life he had
declared closed long ago. Now a face from that hidden past had
appeared and Jon was understandably curious. He had always wondered
where Jacob had come from, and what that silence had denied him.
Surely his father realised that time was short? Unless they found
more Jopo, he wouldn’t last long. There shouldn’t be any
secrets.
The
old man was logged into his console before he had even sat down at
his desk. Jon peered over his father’s shoulder at the display.
Shuttle manifests? And he was scrolling through the names of the
passengers of the most recent inbound flights.
“Dad,
who is he?” Jon asked again.
Jacob
switched off the screen and swivelled his chair to meet Jon’s
eyes, pointing a finger firmly at the staircase. “What did I
tell you?”
“You
can’t keep things from me,” Jon said.
The
old man frowned. “Roe has been by herself for a long time.
She’ll be thinking the worst.”
Jon
held up his hands and backed away. “OK, OK, but we’re due
a talk, you and I.”
Jacob
did not reply. His stare firmly fixed until Jon descended from view.
Seconds later Jon emerged in the basement. He saw Roe sat on her
stool, rifle held between her hands, her eyes fixed far away.
“What
are you watching?” Jon asked.
Roe
looked up, blinking rapidly as she disconnected her internal
interface.
“Just
an old program on the educational channel,” she said. “Paul
isn’t exactly the life and soul of the party.”
Jon
stood over her. “You need to stay alert Roe, Michael will try
something. Hell, one of his followers could try something just to
impress him.”
“I’m
not totally immersed,” Roe replied curtly. “I can react
if need be, worry about yourself.”
Jon
reddened. “Well, I worry about you!”
“I’ve
been a deputy for a long time college boy,” she said. “You
can’t lord it over me now. I know what I’m doing.”
Jon
gestured angrily with his rifle. “Oh do you? Because I could
have shot you before you even had a chance to move.”
A
synthesised vocoder laugh filled the basement.
“You
are children,” Paul intoned from his bunk. “Children
playing at being adults. It
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