暗夜飞行者 (1980)

Nightflyers is a science fiction horror novella by American writer George R. R. Martin, released as a short novella in 1980 and as an expanded novella in 1981. A short story collection of the same name was released in 1985 that includes the expanded novella. In 1987, the short novella was adapted into a film by the same name. A 2018 television adaptation of the extended novella was developed. It premiered on December 2, 2018, on the SyFy Channel, and was cancelled after a single season in February 2019.

Setting

Nightflyers is set in the distant future. In the distant past, the humans of the Federated Nations of Earth discovered the stardrive. The Federated Nations of Earth eventually morphed into the Federal Empire. For a thousand years, humanity waged war with an alien species called the Hrangan, which caused the collapse of the Federal Empire. Humanity is interested in acquiring the advanced interstellar technology of the volcryn, an enigmatic alien species.

Plot summary

A nine-member team of Academy scholars from the planet Avalon led by the astrophysicist Karoly d'Branin are searching for the volcryn, an enigmatic alien species with advanced interstellar travel technology. The main protagonist is Melantha Jhirl, a dark-skinned genetically engineered human who stands a head taller than the other scholars. Due to limited funds, d'Branin has hired the services of the Nightflyer, a modified trader owned by captain Royd Eris. The enigmatic Royd keeps to his own sphere of the ship, preferring to correspond with the passengers via hologram. Royd secretly spies on the passengers using computer monitors.

Over the next five weeks, the passengers speculate about the secretive nature of their mysterious captain. The team's telepath Thale Lasamer senses there is something dangerous aboard the Nightflyer. The team's psipsych Agatha Marij-Black drugs Thale with the drug psionine-4 to keep him calm. Things start to take a turn for the worse after the xenotech Alys Northwind accidentally cuts her finger with a kitchen knife. As tensions among the passengers escalate due to the ship's cramped and claustrophobic quarters, captain Royd is compelled to answer questions about his background to quell suspicions. He explains that he is the cross-sex clone of his late trader mother, and avoids interacting with people in the flesh because, having lived his entire life in zero gravity, he is malformed and has a dangerously weak immune system.

Distrusting Royd, Agatha gives Thale the psy-boosting drug esperon and tells him to read Royd's mind. However, Thale's head spontaneously explodes before he communicates anything. Agatha goes into shock and is sedated. Despite growing unrest among the crew, d'Branin still proceeds with the voyage due to his determination to find the volcryn. Later that night, the cyberneticist Lommie Thorne and Alys attempt to hack into the ship's computer systems in an attempt to investigate captain Royd. The airlock opens, killing the two scholars and causing significant damage to the Nightflyer.

Despite their mutual distrust, the remaining scholars agree to exit the ship to help Royd make repairs to the ship's damaged structure. The xenobiologist Rojan Christopher, suspicious of Royd, sneaks back on board and attempts to cut his way into Royd's quarters with a portable cutting laser, but the laser is turned on him by an unseen force and cuts through his neck. Over Royd's protests, the linguists Dannel and Lindran return to the ship to investigate Christopher's screams. The unseen force kills them and reanimates their bodies. Royd informs d'Branin and Melantha that the ship is inhabited by the preserved spirit of his late mother. While d'Branin and Agatha travel in a gravity sled to seek the volcryn, Melantha and Royd attempt to retake the ship from Royd's Mother. d'Branin discovers that the volcryn are giant space-faring creatures that live in space.

Melantha manages to destroy the possessed corpses of Dannel and Lindran in the ship's mass conversion unit. Royd manages to subdue his telepathic mother by restoring the ship's gravity, but is killed in the process. He becomes a ghost and wrests control of the ship from his mother. Due to the danger of the ghostly entities aboard the ship, Melantha decides to spend her remaining days aboard the Nightflyer, though rebuffing Royd's pleas to repair the ship. Before she dies, she intends to destroy the central crystal and clear the ship's computers before setting a course to the closest inhabited world. Melantha vows not to leave Royd alone with his dead mother.

Characters

Melantha Jhirl, a genetically engineered human woman who is a head taller and stronger than her fellow scholars. She was born on the planet Prometheus to two genetic wizards but defected to Avalon.

Karoly d'Branin, administrator, generalist, and mission leader. He is obsessed with contacting the volcryn.

Lommie Thorne, a female cyberneticist in a relationship with Melantha.

Rojan Christopheris, xenobiologist. Christopheris is an argumentative and cynical man who does not get along with the other scholars.

Dannel, a male linguist who is in a romantic relationship with Lindran.

Lindran, a female linguist and colleague of Dannel. She is in an outwardly devoted relationship with Dannel, but belittles him about his professional competence behind closed doors.

Agatha Marij-Black, a female psipsych. Agatha is a hypochrondriac who is prone to depression.

Alys Northwind, a female xenotech who wears a jumpsuit and never washes.

Thale Lasamer, a male telepath and the youngest member of the expedition. Thale is a frail, nervous and temperament man, who is afraid of everyone around him but is also prone to fits of arrogance.

Royd Eris, the enigmatic captain of the Nightflyer, he prefers to interact with the passengers via hologram.

Royd Eris, is a 68-year old male cross-sex clone who has lived his entire life in zero-gravity space. His body is frail and he lacks an effective immune system.