Planet Of No Return

“You will watch your words!” Hegedus said, angry, losing his composure for the first time. “You sound dangerously like a member of the World Party. Production for consumption not war, more consumer goods, legal unions … we’ve heard it all before. Perverted rot. Anyone who speaks that way is an enemy of society and must be extirpated. The World Party is illegal, its membership confined in labour camps. Armies are freedom, military weakness a crime …” He paused, panting, a fine dotting of sweat beading his forehead.

“My, my,” Lea said, smiling sweetly. “But we seem to have touched you at a sore spot. After umpteen hundreds of years, it looks as though people are beginning to get tired of military stupidity …”

“You will be silent!” Hegedus ordered, jumping to his feet. “You are under military jurisdiction right now. You may be offworlders — but speaking treason is still a punishable crime. What you have said up to now will be ignored. But you have now been warned. Any future remarks will be punished. Do you understand?”

“We understand,” Brion said calmly. “In the future we will keep our thoughts to ourselves. Please accept our apology. It was ignorance, not malice, I assure you.”

Lea started to protest — then realized what Brion was doing and stayed silent. Words were not going to stop these martial madmen. They actually lived in a military and jingoist idea of heaven. Wave the flag, my country right or wrong, build up the armament industries, repeal all civil rights — and go to war forever! The generals ruled and they were never going to voluntarily step down from the seat of power. With this realization came the understanding as well that they both were prisoners here. Antagonizing their captors would be the equivalent of committing suicide. Brion’s words echoed her thoughts.

“Since you are winding down the war on Selm-II, you must have plans to continue the conflict somewhere else.”

Hegedus nodded, taking a kerchief from his side pocket and patting his head with it. “Another planet has been selected from the records of the original searchers. Conferences are now taking place at the highest level in both countries, and arrangements are being made to transfer the operation there.”

“Then we are no longer needed here,” Brion said, climbing to his feet. “I assume that we can return to Selm-II now.”

Hegedus looked at him coldly, then shook his head.

“You will remain where you are. Your case is under consideration of the military authorities now.”

19: End of a Mission

“What jurisdiction do your military authorities have over us?” Brion said.

Hegedus’s composure had returned. “Come, Brion, I explained that fully not a few minutes ago. This country is at war. Martial law prevails. You were found in a war zone, tampering with a vital piece of military equipment. Be happy that we are a civilized people and did not have you shot on the spot.”

“And what is your reason for holding me?” Lea asked. “Your thugs dropped grenades on me, then kidnapped me. Is that what ‘civilized people’ do?”

“Yes. When you are on a spying mission in a war zone. But, please, let us not quarrel. Consider yourselves our guests for the time being. Privileged guests, for you are the first offworlders to ever have set foot upon our planet. Though we have our political differences, Gyongyos and Opole are in complete agreement about one thing. There is a complete ban on offworld contact. We both sought refuge here from the wars of the Breakdown. The rest of the inhabited galaxy has nothing to offer us.”

“The wars have been over for a thousand years,” Brion said. “Aren’t you being a little paranoid?”

“Not in the slightest. We are complete unto ourselves here. We need nothing from the outside. But outside influence might bring pressures, insidious political movements that might destroy our happy way of life. It is a gamble that we can only lose. Therefore we maintain a strict no-contact policy. Now, if you will excuse me. Sergeant.”

The door opened the instant he had spoken the words and the Sergeant came in, stamping his heavy boots as he came to attention. Brion recognized that stern, military face. He was the same man who had led the squad that captured him. Hegedus went to the door.

“The Sergeant will stay with you until I return. Ask him for anything you might need. You should be getting hungry by now.”

Brion was scarcely aware that Hegedus had left, for the mention of hunger had brought the sudden realization to him that he was famished. He felt as though it had been weeks since last he ate. Hunger had been forgotten in the rush of events — but it sprang upon him now like a ravenous animal: his stomach growled loudly.

“Sergeant — can you get us some food?”

“Yes, sir. What would you like?”

“Do you have steaks on this planet?”

“We’re not uncivilized — of course we do. And beer as well …”

“For two if you don’t mind,” Lea said. “Rare. I want to forget completely about dehydrated protein rations for as long as I can.”