Suddenly the quiet of the auditorium was shattered. One or two people who had been dozing off sat upright as the GilBot's speakers crackled into life.
"Hello? Is there anyone there? This is the relief party dispatched to Mine Base C14. Are you receiving this?"
Commander Douglas swooped round and grabbed at the GilBot. "Where's the mike on this thing?" she demanded. Nick pointed to its nose.
"Receiving you loud and clear," she said. "And very glad to hear from you."
"We're approaching the base now," the voice of the relief party said. "We'll be with you in half an hour. Can you advise us where to land?"
There was cheering from the engineers and the team from the base. Even the other travellers were relieved. Commander Douglas began giving instructions to the relief craft, scarcely audible above the cheering all around. But on the stage Mondeo still confronted Patrick, and the atmosphere was still tense.
Commander Douglas finished talking to the relief, and turned back to them.
"The matter will be resolved once the base has been recovered," she said. "Until then, as long as neither of you leaves the area- which you can't anyway- just try and keep out of each other's way." She turned and left the stage.
Mondeo turned to follow her. Patrick took a step towards her, as if to plead for mercy, but she ignored him and flounced off. He turned back to Ernest and the other travellers. Ruth put an arm round him, he looked so shaken and in need of comfort.
"What are we going to do?" she asked, looking round.
Ernest shrugged his shoulders. "I'm pretty sure Douglas knows it was a trick," he said. "Hopefully she'll say the law doesn't apply, if that's the case. It's the only way out that I can see- there's no doubt that he did drink from the cup. Fair or not, it's the law."
"I'm just afraid they might use it as an excuse to punish us for bringing that virus here," Will said. "They could easily take out their anger for that under the pretence that they're punishing this. We could easily be accused of aiding and abetting."
Ernest nodded. "Too right."
"It's not right," one of the engineers said, coming up to them. "We know you didn't mean to bring that virus- the dragoons attacked you first, and you've stayed to help us when maybe you didn't have to. And that woman...she's got such a reputation I'm surprised Douglas took her seriously."
"Reputation?" said Tom. The engineer nodded.
"She says the men of the base have tried it on with her, and maybe that's true enough, but only because she's asked them too! That girl'll go with anyone. And if you turn her down, she gets her revenge. Well, you can see that."
"Does Commander Douglas know this?" Ernest asked.
"If not, she's the only one in the base who doesn't," the engineer said.
"Is there nothing we can do?" Tom asked. The engineer shrugged.
"Afraid not, not that I can think of," he said. "Sorry."
The relief ship arrived. They had come prepared, with guns and explosives to take out the dragoons, and jamming devices which it was hoped would prevent them from operating. With this help, it didn't take long to recapture the base. By dawn the last few dragoons were trapped in the workshop where it had all began a few days before. One by one, the mad zombie robots were all destroyed.
With little left to do but clear up, the travellers were anxious to be gone. But there was still the problem of Patrick and Mondeo to be sorted out. During the day Douglas called the travellers to her.
"I think it is best, for your sakes and mine, if you are gone from here as quickly as possible. I've sent a couple of engineers to finish the work on your ship's computer, and as soon as she's fit to fly I suggest you leave."
"We're very grateful to you for your hospitality," Will began, "but we're certainly keen to leave as soon as we can."
"That just leaves the question of the breach of promise case," Douglas continued. She looked at Patrick, who was still looking tense and nervous. "I know something of Mondeo's reputation here. I think your clever friend here may well have been right when he says that she was trying to trap you. Certainly it was not right for her to try that trick- many many people here offer one another a cup as a way of proposing- when she knew you wouldn't know what it involved."
She seemed to come to a decision. "Go. Since you did not understand that what you were doing was committing a crime, and that there is some suspicion of deceit, my sentence is that you leave this planet as soon as you are able, and don't return. Do you accept that?"
Patrick nodded. "Thank you- thank you so much," he said, the tension dropping away.
"Well, we should be getting ready to leave," said Zoe, impatient as ever.
"Thank you again for your hospitality," Will said. "And our apologies for the trouble we've caused."
"If I hadn't been sure that it was an accident that you brought that virus, I would have known it when you stayed and helped us fight the dragoons," Commander Douglas replied. "Now go, and safe travel and good news at your journey's end."
"Thank you again," the travellers said, as they left to return to the Hilarity. "We got off lightly there," Ernest said, as the engineers collected up their tools to leave the ship once the computer was fixed.
Will nodded. "And now, finally, we can go home," he said, beginning to check that all was ready for lift off.
Home. Ruth stood at the side of the bridge, looking out at the stars as they took off and began to leave the planet behind. It might be a journey home for Will and Zoe, but for herself and the others every light-year travelled, every planet visited, took them further and further from home.
The story continues...
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