The Enterprise closed with the alien ship. Four days of slow but steady approach, then we stopped several kilometers away and maintained that distance. We waited another two days to see if there would be any response from the alien ship, although no one, except perhaps the bishop, expected anything. There was nothing; it stayed just as dead as it had always been.
Work began on the docking mechanism. There were two crews, one working on each vessel. Progress was slower on the alien ship, because the crews exercised extreme caution----when anything was burned into the ship's hull, or welded to it, initial roughwork was done by remotes; there were long delays between phases while we waited to make sure nothing untoward would happen. The work was tense and tedious, but there were no accidents, no injuries, or deaths.
Pike and Sophia Garcia began their search through the Church archives. No one else was allowed access to the archives, and they promised to immediately report any discoveries of interest. As the days passed, we heard nothing from them.
Life on the Enterprise returned to normal routine. There was nothing for me to do. All further exploration of the alien starship, though it could now be undertaken much more easily, was suspended until the actual docking took place.
I checked on the old woman, but she was still in shock, unable to speak. Somer's condition, too, remained unchanged. Sulu was occupied with a new coffee harvest. Jean-Luc had gone on retreat to one more of the nature rooms with Constance. I avoided Father O'Heron.
Violating ship orders, I suited up and made the short trip across to the alien ship. I worked my way along the hull to the airlock entrance I had gone through so many times, and which hadn't been used since I'd taken the bishop there. After I turned the handle and the hatch slid open, I moved across the entrance but I didn't go in. I drifted just outside, contemplating the dark interior.
It seemed like a different place already, as if we had already turned it over to the scientific teams of some advanced society in a star system we might never discover, or might never reach. As if we had abandoned it.
I still felt a twinge of fear as I looked into the darkness; an air of mystery, too, stil emanated from it, vaguely threatening---I thought I could feel a subtle yet persistent force tugging at me, pulling me inside. I nearly succumbed.
Were there other people alive in there, waiting for rescue? Unlikely, I thought, but it was possible. Yet I did not dark propose further exploration, another "rescue mission." I couldn't risk opinion turning against me; we could not leave this ship behind.
For days I stayed away from the cathedral. I felt embarrassed and guilty. At the same time, I was afraid of losing the friendship Father O'Heron and I did have, and the longer I avoided her, the more likely it seemed that would happen.562Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ517jmipR6Y
On Sunday I went to early Mass, but there was no sign of her. The bishop said Mass, with Father O'Day assisting; Father Montrose gave the sermon, but I didn't register a word of it. At the midday Mass, it was the same. This time I waited for everyone to leave, hoping to speak to Father O'Day alone.
It was the bishop who remained. When everyone else had gone, he walked down the middle aisle and sat two pews in front of me, body twisted around so he could face me as we talked.
"She's not here, Pavel. She won't be for some time."
She had disappeared after all.
"Aren't you going to ask me why?"
"No," I said.
He nodded. "You know, then."
I shrugged.
"She's a complicated woman," the bishop said. "A complex priest, for that matter. Sometimes she thinks too much."
"Better than not thinking enough," I said.
He smiled at that. "You're arrogant, Pavel."
"And you're not?"
"Oh, I am. Very arrogant. I readily admit it. I try to account for it. I don't think you do."
I got up to leave.
"Don't go yet, Pavel."
"Why not? We have nothing to talk about."
"Of course we do. Father O'Heron."
I shook my head. "I have nothing to say to you about her."
The bishop chuckled. "So sensitive, Pavel. One would almost think...." He let his voice trail off, as if expecting me to respond. I didn't.
"She will make a great bishop when the time comes," he said. "A better one than I."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because, as you pointed out some days ago, I do not believe in God. She does."
"If you don't believe, why are you so opposed to bringing the alien ship with us?"
"Because I do believe in Evil, which is what that ship is." He paused. "We did not discover that ship by accident."
"I know that."
He raised an eyebrow. "Do you? Jean-Luc told you?"
"No."
"It doesn't matter. Especially now. We have been led into this trap, and we're staying in it. We've had warnings, opportunities to escape, but now we're about to spring it shut on ourselves."
I shook my head, exasperated. "There is no trap, Bishop. There is only fear of the unknown, and paranoia."
He shrugged in resignation. "Nothing to be done, then."
"What if she doesn't want to be bishop?"
"Gaynelle? She'll have no choice." He smiled again. "But that's a long time away." He stood. "All right, Pavel. Go. You're probably right, we have nothing to talk about. More in common than you realize, but it means nothing." He waved a hand at me in dismissal. "On your way."562Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1p4ZIOBgIM
