Part 10 (1/2)

CHAPTER 10.

Quinn Sorricaine-Mcgann was not only the first ”legitimate” child of Viktor and Reesa-they nicknamed her ”Nab,” for ”Not a b.a.s.t.a.r.d”-she was also the last. Most of Reesa made a complete recovery, but she could never have another child. But considering Newmanhome's prospective future as little Quinn was growing up, neither Reesa nor Viktor was sure they wanted another.

Newmanhome wasn't a paradise anymore. It was getting definitely colder. The growing season on South Continent had shortened, and that was the end of spring wheat and long-ripening soy. The uniform of the day had changed, even in the settlement: no more shorts and s.h.i.+rts all year around. It was sweaters and shoes, and if it had not been for the flood of hot geothermal water that came from the wells-more and more of them every year, as the colonists foresaw the increasing need for power as well as heat-their homes would have been chilly.

The skies at night were woefully changed. The stars had slid about the sky and changed color: In one direction they were definitely blue-white, in the other yellowish red, and in between there was a growing band of no stars at all, except for the handful that were traveling with them.

On Quinn's thirteenth birthday-she was then the equivalent of a healthy Earthly seven-year-old-her father was just returning from Christmas Island with a s.h.i.+pload of evacuees; the Archipelago wasn't fit for human beings anymore. He was anxious to be there for the birthday, but storms had delayed them. It was a nasty trip: high waves, three hundred refugees in s.p.a.ce that really wasn't meant to hold more than a quarter of that, and most of them seasick most of the way. As he entered the harbor at Homeport snow was falling, and the whole city was covered in white.

He hurried to his house and found Quinn happily making a snowman, while the little girl's aunt, Edwina, stood by. Edwina was a grown-up young woman now, with a family of her own. They kissed, but Viktor was frowning. ”I didn't expect to see you here,” he said. After Edwina had married Billy Stockbridge, Pal's disciple, the two of them had emigrated to South Continent, where there was a need for workers in drilling geothermal wells.

”They closed the project down,” Edwina said. ”The way the weather's going, it wouldn't have been producing power in time to save any of the crops.”

Viktor nodded soberly. South Continent had been the first part of Newmanhome's inhabited areas to feel the effects of the cooling sun. Winter came early. The vast farmlands were fertile as always, but when a killing frost came the farms died. ”Where's Reesa?”

”Don't get too cold,” Edwina called to Quinn and her own children, who nodded without looking up from their work.

”Reesa? Oh, Jake came by for her a couple of hours ago. They're taking Father's refresher course; I expect Billy's there, too.”

Viktor frowned. Of course, Jake Lundy had to be accorded some sort of status-would you call him a friend of the family? Well, of some parts of the family, since he was the father of one of Edwina's children, too. (The man was really excessively active, Viktor thought.) It was quite normal for him to come around to see his daughter, but Viktor hadn't known he was spending time with his daughter's mother again. ”What refresher course?” he asked.

”Dad's course. The one he's giving on s.p.a.ce piloting. No, not astrophysics this time; I said piloting. They're using the old trainers.”

”For what?” Viktor demanded, astonished.

”What else could you use them for but practicing s.p.a.ce piloting?” his sister asked witheringly. ”Don't ask me, anyway. You'd know more about that sort of thing than I would, and it's just an idea of Dad's.”

Her contemptuous tone made Viktor blink in surprise. Edwina had always been Daddy's girl. She had consistently taken Pal Sorricaine's side against Viktor-probably, Viktor believed, because she had been too little to be aware of what was going on when their mother died. He said, as tactfully as he could, ”I thought you liked Dad's ideas-whatever this one is.”

”It's not my business, is it?” she replied with a shrug. ”I think the kids ought to come in now,” she fretted. ”Vik? We're going to have a birthday party for Quinn right at sundown-they ought to be back by then. But I'd really appreciate it if you could take the kids out of the way until then, so I can get things ready.”

”Sure,” Viktor said, still looking at her with that inquiring gaze.

She flushed and then said angrily, ”Oh, what the h.e.l.l. They can do what they want, but I don't have to like it. What's the point? What's happening is obviously Divine will!”

What Viktor really wanted to do was to find out what his father's ”refresher course” was all about, but since it was Quinn's birthday, after all, that would have to wait. As a good father/uncle, he took Quinn and Edwina's three littler ones on a tour of his s.h.i.+p as she lay at dockside.

It was one of his better ideas. The children were thrilled. There were serious stinks in the pa.s.senger holds, where the work crews were doing their best to sluice them clean after the nasty voyage and only beginning to make a dent in the filth, but the bad smells only made the children giggle and complain. Then he took them down into the engine room, where the hydrogen turbines provided the force to spin the s.h.i.+p's rotors against the wind. That was a different kind of stink, oil and hot metal, and the big machines were very satisfying to look at for young children.

Viktor was having as good a time as the children were, but when he stopped to think he wasn't quite at ease. It wasn't so much that Reesa seemed to be getting unexpectedly friendly again with Jake Lundy-that was a minor irritation, sure, but Viktor wasn't really jealous. jealous. It wasn't even that the outlook for the colony was grim and getting worse; they had all had to factor that prospect into their lives long since. What was mostly on Viktor's mind was his younger sister, Edwina. It was getting obvious that Edwina was attracted to a new sort of cult that had grown up on Newmanhome. The cult wasn't exactly a religion. It wasn't any sort of conventional one, anyhow; it cut across the various sects. As far as Viktor could tell it was more mystical than religious: Its adherents seemed to believe that whatever had made the stars flare and then some of them move, and their own sun begin to dim, was, if not G.o.d, at least a supernatural power; and perhaps they shouldn't thwart it. Viktor knew it had made some stormy scenes in Edwina's marriage. Billy's point of view was that if they didn't thwart-whatever it was-they would all die; Edwina's seemed to be that if that was what the Divine wanted them to do, then that was all right, too. It wasn't even that the outlook for the colony was grim and getting worse; they had all had to factor that prospect into their lives long since. What was mostly on Viktor's mind was his younger sister, Edwina. It was getting obvious that Edwina was attracted to a new sort of cult that had grown up on Newmanhome. The cult wasn't exactly a religion. It wasn't any sort of conventional one, anyhow; it cut across the various sects. As far as Viktor could tell it was more mystical than religious: Its adherents seemed to believe that whatever had made the stars flare and then some of them move, and their own sun begin to dim, was, if not G.o.d, at least a supernatural power; and perhaps they shouldn't thwart it. Viktor knew it had made some stormy scenes in Edwina's marriage. Billy's point of view was that if they didn't thwart-whatever it was-they would all die; Edwina's seemed to be that if that was what the Divine wanted them to do, then that was all right, too.

It was not only the weather that was turning bad on Newmanhome. Everything else seemed to be going sour, too.

When he brought the kids back to Edwina's home Reesa was there before him, helping to set the table with paper favors. She wasn't alone. Billy, Pal Sorricaine, and Jake Lundy were in one corner of the living room, having a private drink. Reesa looked up and nodded to Viktor as he came in, but her attention went mostly to the children. ”You go in and get cleaned up,” she scolded her daughter. ”You shouldn't be seeing any of this until it's ready, anyway.” And then she lifted her lips to Viktor for a kiss.

It wasn't much of a kiss. He was aware of Jake Lundy gazing benignly at them and it made him uncomfortable. ”Can I help?” he asked, as much to reproach the other men as to make a genuine offer of service.

”You already did by taking the kids off our hands,” Reesa said absently, gazing around. ”Oh, the presents!” she said, remembering. ”I'll go home to get them. Take your coat off, Viktor. Bily'll give you a drink if you want it.”

The drink was applejack with apple juice. When Viktor had one he looked challengingly at his father. Pal Sorricaine shook his head. ”Just the juice, Vik,” he said, holding up his gla.s.s. ”Taste it if you want to, but I can't afford to drink now. There's too much to do.”

”What, exactly?” Viktor asked. ”What's this about giving refresher courses in s.p.a.ce navigation? Do you still think they'll let you take a s.h.i.+p to Nebo?”

”They should,” his father told him seriously. ”There's still anomalous radiation coming from there, and I'm positive it has something to do with what's happened-it started when everything else started, and that's no coincidence.”

He paused to light a thin cigar. ”But they won't, of course,” he finished. He didn't have to say why; the subject had been debated at length. Most of the colonists thought it was a waste of scarce resources-New Mayflower Mayflower couldn't be used, because it was their source of microwave energy, and even couldn't be used, because it was their source of microwave energy, and even New Ark New Ark might be needed for something else, sometime. And a lot of the rest were filled with that silly antiscience feeling that had been growing-the ”Divine will” people, like Edwina. might be needed for something else, sometime. And a lot of the rest were filled with that silly antiscience feeling that had been growing-the ”Divine will” people, like Edwina.

”What's going to happen,” Billy Stockbridge said, ”is that we're going to get some new fuel for the microwave generators. Mayflower's Mayflower's antimatter is running out. We can't get along without the microwave power. antimatter is running out. We can't get along without the microwave power.

”But we're digging more geothermal shafts,” Viktor objected.

Billy shrugged. ”Maybe when all the shafts are down and the generators are installed we won't need microwave anymore, but that's years away. So we're going to cannibalize Ark.” Ark.” Viktor blinked at him uncomprehendingly. ”For fuel,” Billy explained. Viktor blinked at him uncomprehendingly. ”For fuel,” Billy explained. ”New Ark ”New Ark still has some residual antimatter left over from its trip. We can tow still has some residual antimatter left over from its trip. We can tow Ark Ark to meet to meet Mayflower Mayflower in orbit and transfer its fuel to add to in orbit and transfer its fuel to add to Mayflower's.” Mayflower's.”

”Holy s.h.i.+t,” Viktor said, his gla.s.s forgotten in his hand. But when he thought about it, it made sense, if one didn't mind taking risks. Certainly transferring the reserve fuel would be hard, dangerous work. They would be handling Ark's Ark's highly lethal, extraordinarily touchy remaining antimatter store in ways that had never been intended-but if the project worked it would give Homeport extra years of life, even if the sun continued to cool. highly lethal, extraordinarily touchy remaining antimatter store in ways that had never been intended-but if the project worked it would give Homeport extra years of life, even if the sun continued to cool.

He stared at his father. ”Is that really going to happen?”

Pal Sorricaine nodded. ”The project has already been approved. We're making more oxy-hydrogen fuel for the old shuttle right now, and the s.h.i.+p's still operational. Of course, it hasn't been used for years, since the last crew rotation-”

Viktor didn't let him finish. ”I want to go along,” he declared.

”I thought you would,” his father said mildly. ”So do Captain Bu and Captain Rodericks-” New Ark's New Ark's original commander on the long-ago voyage from Earth ”-and, naturally, Billy and Jake and Reesa. But we'll need at least twenty volunteers. We'll be there at least six months, and then-” original commander on the long-ago voyage from Earth ”-and, naturally, Billy and Jake and Reesa. But we'll need at least twenty volunteers. We'll be there at least six months, and then-”

”And then what?” Viktor demanded.

His father looked at him speculatively. Jake and Billy kept their eyes carefully averted. ”And then,” his father said, ”maybe we can get around to other important things. Now here comes Reesa, so let's get this party started. Billy? Can you play ”Happy Birthday” on your guitar?”

The launch was scary and bruising, but it got them there. Then the hard work started.

It was the first time in more than thirty Newmanhome years that Viktor had been inside New Mayflower. New Mayflower. Muscles used to planet living had forgotten the skills of operating in microgravity. He bashed himself a dozen times against walls and ceilings before he learned to control his movements. Muscles used to planet living had forgotten the skills of operating in microgravity. He bashed himself a dozen times against walls and ceilings before he learned to control his movements.

In the rush of landing, the colonists had not left a tidy s.h.i.+p, and the skeleton crews that had remained aboard to care for the MHD generators hadn't bothered to waste much time in cleaning up. Trash was everywhere outside the tiny s.p.a.ce the crews had occupied. Broken bits of furnis.h.i.+ngs, discarded papers. Spoiled food. Even, in the freezer section, a dead horse, long mummified but still direly stinking if you came too close. The shuttle left a dozen of its crew there to start preparing Mayflower's Mayflower's fuel systems for replenis.h.i.+ng. Then Viktor and fourteen others pushed off for the slow orbital drift around to fuel systems for replenis.h.i.+ng. Then Viktor and fourteen others pushed off for the slow orbital drift around to Ark. Ark.

Down below, Newmanhome was spread out for them to see. It wasn't blue anymore. Most of it was white, and not all the white was cloud tops. The oceans nearest the pole had already begun to freeze over. Some mountain lakes were now glaciers, and there were immense storms over most of Great Ocean. Viktor and Reesa gazed down at the cloud tops where Homeport seemed to be in the process of being battered by another winter storm. The town had already begun digging in-it was easier to keep warm underground than in the vicious winds of the surface.

”I hope Edwina's keeping the kids covered up,” Reesa murmured.

From behind them, Jake Lundy said comfortingly, ”She's a good mother, Reesa, even if she's getting some strange ideas. And anyway, once we get this done there'll be plenty of energy-for a while, anyway.”

When they entered New Ark New Ark it was even worse than it was even worse than Mayflower Mayflower had been. Its crews had had no reason to leave a livable s.h.i.+p at all. The internal power generators still worked, supplied with the mere trickle of energy they needed from the tiny fraction of had been. Its crews had had no reason to leave a livable s.h.i.+p at all. The internal power generators still worked, supplied with the mere trickle of energy they needed from the tiny fraction of Ark's Ark's store of antimatter that remained in the engines. So, for all those abandoned years, the s.h.i.+p had been kept-well, not warm, but at least above the freezing point. store of antimatter that remained in the engines. So, for all those abandoned years, the s.h.i.+p had been kept-well, not warm, but at least above the freezing point. Ark's Ark's freezers, with their untouched reserve supplies of organisms and cell cultures, were still in good shape. What was mostly missing was light. freezers, with their untouched reserve supplies of organisms and cell cultures, were still in good shape. What was mostly missing was light. Ark's Ark's colonists had thriftily removed nearly all the light tubes, along with everything else that could be cannibalized from the s.h.i.+p, for a more immediate use down below on Newmanhome. Even the station-keeping thrusters were still operational-everyone sighed with relief at that, because otherwise their task of transferring fuel would have been much harder. colonists had thriftily removed nearly all the light tubes, along with everything else that could be cannibalized from the s.h.i.+p, for a more immediate use down below on Newmanhome. Even the station-keeping thrusters were still operational-everyone sighed with relief at that, because otherwise their task of transferring fuel would have been much harder.

Indeed, there was enough energy left in the main-drive fuel chamber and station-keepers to send Ark Ark completely around its solar system-if anyone had wanted to do that. completely around its solar system-if anyone had wanted to do that.

When they fired up the drive for the rendezvous with Mayflower Mayflower it didn't protest. It began pouring out its floods of plasma as though its engines had been last used only days before. it didn't protest. It began pouring out its floods of plasma as though its engines had been last used only days before. Ark Ark crept toward crept toward Mayflower Mayflower in its...o...b..t, and the work crews began the hard work of cutting up the interior bulkheads and carefully-oh, in its...o...b..t, and the work crews began the hard work of cutting up the interior bulkheads and carefully-oh, very very carefully-beginning to dismantle the restraining magnets that held its antimatter fuel in place. carefully-beginning to dismantle the restraining magnets that held its antimatter fuel in place.

There was no room for error in that. If the antimatter had been allowed to brush against normal matter, even for a moment, even the barest touch, the resulting blast would have scattered all of it-and people on Newmanhome would have seen a major flare star in their sky, just before they were scorched blind in the blast.

So Captains Bu and Rodericks and the three surviving Engineer Officers from the two s.h.i.+ps-Wilma Granczek had died giving birth to her fourth child on the Archipelago-began the precarious work of s.h.i.+fting the fuel.