Phantasm 2: In the Shadow of Iniquity (three)

"I try not to get involved."

"Bullshit. That's complete and utter bullshit, Malcom, and you should know that. You're already involved. You act detached because you can't face admitting anything else. And if you can't realise that then you're just stupid." He said nothing to that. Laura snorted and turned her back on him. The observing Minarthans began to move carefully toward their comrades to help them, to carry them away.

Laura, Scott and Malcom used the opportunity to sneak away and return to the settlement, barely speaking to each other.

When they arrived back at the settlement they told the others what they had seen. Malcom talked with a few of the other anthropologists, including Wendy, relating to them what he had learnt about the Minarthans. They were excited by the discovery but Laura was watching and she thought that Malcom seemed distracted while he spoke; his words did not convey the same sense of anticipation they usually did, he was only reporting his observations. She listened to Scott telling Willow and Cameron about the Minarthans and how they lived and how extraordinarily rich their culture and civilisation was. They described the rock-city in great detail, how their homes were living works of art, enriched with emotion and life. They spoke of the geyser ritual they had witnessed, how hideous it was but how it had explained some of the Minarthan ways and beliefs as well. By the time they had concluded they were all in agreement that they should stay and help, no matter the danger. Like the anthropologists they too could not abandon them.

An hour or so after this Laura stood outside the settlement's boundaries, her arms folded across her chest, her face turned up towards the perpetual night sky. She could have been inside the settlement with the others, instead she wanted to be alone out here, to keep her thoughts to herself.

She didn't know what was going to happen next. With a large number of Shurukian ships still in orbit and many warriors closing in on them, she knew the odds of survival were thin. She knew that staying was a foolhardy action which would likely get them all killed just that bit sooner, but she also knew now that there was no power which could force them to leave, not now, not before they had to do what their consciences told them they must. The Minarthans had touched them and they couldn't turn away from them? and they didn't want to turn away either. It was time to fight, time to make a stand - whatever the cost. The Shuruk had attacked whole worlds and the Commonwealth had fallen back again and again. Now it was an entire society being threatened, not just a world, and they couldn't afford to give ground any longer. This small group of people were prepared to fight to save something much bigger than themselves - not just for the Minarthans, but for an ideal of equality, an ideal of morality. Laura remembered when she had rebelled against the Chosen to give the phantasms a taste of freedom. Now was, in truth, no different. It was just a different kind of battle she faced.

She was not afraid to die. She might even welcome an end to all the running. She just hoped that she had something to offer which would help in the approaching confrontation, ideas to put to use. She was beginning to think that maybe she really was here on Minarth for a reason, to lead, to fulfil her true potential. Fate, something she'd never believed in before. Maybe it never was too late to find faith in something.

She heard a sound behind her. Laura glanced back over her shoulder to see Malcom walking toward her. She bit back a groan as she realised her solitude was about to be broken and turned away from him, again staring out at the dark. Malcom stopped beside her, studying the stars.
"The eclipse will be over soon," said Malcom softly.

Laura inclined her head, saying nothing.

"At least we'll be able to see properly again," said Malcom.

"Yes, but I can't say I'm looking forward to counting the number of Shurukian ships up there above us," said Laura finally.

"No. Me neither." He sighed. "Look, I'm, ah, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. You were right. I'd just never seen it before you pointed it out."

She nodded again. "I know."

"Well, I'm not sure you do. I've always looked at the Minarthans as subjects rather than beings? I'm doing it again now, though, aren't I? Even when I don't mean to I'm still doing it. I meant, rather than people. It was the only way I thought I could watch them impartially? but when you spend a long time with something that's just as alive as you are, I guess that's not really possible. So it became more than that. As I learnt more about them, it became harder to watch them continue along a course of self-destruction, never able to advance, never able to fulfil the immense potential they have. I tried to keep myself detached so I wouldn't care. Maybe I did too good a job. Maybe we all have."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"Did you ever think that maybe this is all they're ever meant to be?"

"No, can't say that I did."

Laura turned toward him, staring Malcom right in the face. "There is a definite order to things on Minarth, just as there is a kind of order to life everywhere. Life isn't a fragile blossom emerging in a winter snow, it's nothing as noble as that, it's more like an ever-expanding jungle that creeps up on you from every direction. Life isn't rare, it's literally everywhere. It grows and sprouts everywhere out of nothing. But that doesn't mean that it isn't precious. Life is a wonderful thing, it's something to be respected. Maybe we can't appreciate that as much if there aren't races like the Minarthans around to remind us of how beautiful it can be. Maybe not all life is meant to become advanced, maybe it's only meant to find its niche. The Minarthan civilisation may be fated to keep crumbling, unable to develop, but they have other values which may be just as important. They're an elegant people, more beautiful than anything we could ever be, I think. Perhaps it's humanity's destiny to reach for greatness so it can protect and watch over others. Perhaps that's the reason for this cursed war, to determine who is deserving of that, humanity or the Shuruk."

"It's a nice dream," murmured Malcom. "Everything having a place no matter how unimportant they are. I almost got caught up with you there. I wanted to believe. But I can't, because that's all it is, a dream."

"Sometimes a dream is all you have," returned Laura.