( Read the previous episodes of Journey to Centauri.) |
Journey to Centauri : Episode 25 Morgan tapped his queen and shifted it to the fifth rank. Imran Siddiqui, watching from the other side of the small holotable in Morgan's holding cell, arched an eyebrow. The holographic pieces suddenly flickered and then slowly wavered back into existence. "I thought you played a defensive game," Imran muttered. Morgan smiled. "Making you think that is the best defense I have." "Mmmph." Imran tapped the board twice and a bishop that resembled a Lara Croft figure slid forward to threaten one of Morgan's knights. The bishop suddenly wavered and flickered again, jittering frantically. "Is it going to vanish?" Imran asked, concerned. "It might. I can not stand these cheap holos. Real pieces are much more elegant." "Yes, and they stay where you put them." Imran looked at his piece with anguish. "It must be the heat. It's so damn hot in here." He began fanning the piece madly. "These boards are too delicate." The bishop flickered back on. Morgan considered for a moment, and then advanced the knight forward to the sixth rank, deep in Imran's territory. "In truth, the room is hot because I have a chill I can not shake, ever since awakening. Check." "Maybe you should see a doctor." Imran moved his head down to the level of the board, as if a new perspective could give him inspiration. "I think you split my rook." He moved his king grudgingly. "Yes. Doctor Nambala knows me. If you would send for her I would be grateful." Morgan considered the board for a moment. "Your rook actually does not concern me at the moment." He tapped his queen and sacrificed it for the rook pawn. "You want a doctor now?" Imran studied the board carefully. "Yes. I am somewhat concerned. Our health is our greatest treasure." Imran laughed. "Funny, coming from you. I hear you had a lot of 'treasure' back on Earth...mansions, land, women." "Yes. I had all those things. And before you ask, it was everything you could imagine." Morgan grinned. Imran nodded and let one hand hover over his king, reluctant to accept the sacrificed queen. "Tell me more." "Will you call my doctor?" "I should call any available doctor. You are a prisoner, after all." "A prisoner? Is that what they told you?" "Well...under escort. The U.N. doesn't like to ruffle any feathers. I'm just supposed to check on you once every couple of hours." "I see." Morgan regarded the board. "You know, you could have those things you dream of...wealth, security, power." "Wouldn't that be something," Imran said dryly. "Business is not my forte, though. I'm just a technician assigned to emergency security duty until they get this mess straightened out." "No, no, that is not the way to think. Business is simply the exchange of value. You just have to learn to play the game." "If I could play that game I wouldn't be a technician. I'd be mogul of some kind, back on Earth still. Dead by now, actually, now that I think of it." Morgan shook his head. "Negative thinking. It's all a game, a trading of one thing for another. But, like chess, you calculate your exchanges so that in the end you are in a position to take the prize." Imran nodded. "Yes. I could see that." He sighed and leaned back, tapping the resignation code into the holotable. Morgan immediately activated the replay mode, watching as the board reset and repeated every move in the game at an accelerated clip. As he watched he spoke. "Don't fool yourself. Don't convince yourself that power, wealth and pleasure mean nothing to you because you are an academician. The need for power is fundamental." Imran watched the game unfold. "Maybe. What about the need to make a difference, or raise a family? Those can be more important than power." Morgan arched an eyebrow. "And did you have a family? On Earth?" Imran hesitated. "No, I did not have a family." "I did," Morgan said. Imran looked up, surprised. "I had a lovely wife. And I saw all the holovid shows, the romances...'even in these terrible times, we only need each other.' But that was never true, that we only need each other." Morgan paused, clearing his throat. "With my wealth, I could protect her. I could give her a security that those without power, without money, lacked. You want to dream your big ideas, create your scientific projects, but your time is not your own. Don't you want to be the one with the power, holding the purse strings? Deciding your destiny?" "Yes. Of course." Imran thought for a moment. "What happened to your wife?" "Even power has limits. Radiation sickness. But she spent her last days in a room fit for a dying queen, with the best care." The replay wound down. "Will you call my doctor?" "Will you make it worth my while?" Imran grinned. "You're learning! As a matter of fact I can. We are still humans on this ship, and where there are humans there is human nature. What do you want? Back on the tech shift?" Imran jerked his head up. "Yes." "I will see. But I will miss our talks during your patrol. Be sure to come by and play some chess." "You can get me back on tech?" Imran's hope was palpable. "Yes, most likely. But you must remember the favor. And when Gayle comes you must leave us for a time." "Gayle?" "Dr. Nambala. I believe she can help us."
Next episode will be posted Monday, November 16. |
