Part 17 (1/2)
Gravy shuddered, hugging her arms. Semirame nodded her agreement with such a dire punishment apparent.
”That's why it's so imperative to find Talents young and train them up so they can't be subverted,” Thian added with a sigh, looking out the porthole. ”Well, we're not the only ones who haven't wasted time,” he said, pointing. The sphere was no longer visible and the view of the starscape was altering slowly.
Being nearer, Semirame flipped on the panel that showed the helm's maneuvers.
”We are definitely leaving orbit,” she said with satisfaction. ”How soon can we 'port the Hivers?”
”Show the engineering board, will you, Rame?” Thian asked, rising and going to his couch. ”I'll just warn Grandfather to tell the spheres to be ready for their new inmates.”
”Nine carriers are going to make some generator noise,” Clancy said, sliding onto his couch just as Semirame got to hers. Gravy stretched out in her lounge chair.
”Do 'em one at a time. Two a couple of times, Grandfather is telling me. Just merge with me. Three, two, one .. .”
The merge was completed with the ease of long practice. Semirame raised one hand, eyes on the engineering board.
We won't need much push, Thian told the others in his mind. Here's the first pair. . . Any variation, Rame?
None that isn't consistent with our breaking orbit. A pair to the next sphere at Sef. Rame? No problem.
It took only ten minutes to dispatch the carriers, the last one the longest since the Was.h.i.+ngton was picking up speed with every pa.s.sing moment.
”She's one sweet s.h.i.+p,” Semirame remarked with a sigh of understandable pride.
Thian lay still on his couch much longer than the others and only seemed to rouse himself when Gravy brought him the restorative drink. She sat down beside him on s.p.a.ce he instantly made for her slim self. What troubles you, Thi?
That's only the first occupied planet, Gravy. Are we going to have trouble with every one we find?
Probably. She was being candid since she had no reason to hide her thoughts from him.
What if they want specimens from every other River planet? Thian let the others in on his quandary.
It's lively they will, Semirame said, not at all concerned. We did it successfully this time. We can probably manage again.
Not if the local sphere is occupied.
Let's worry about that when, as or if it happens, Thian, Semirame said.
We've given the experts enough to chew on . . . Clancy hastily added, metaphorically speaking, of course.
Thian swung his legs over the couch, keeping as close to Gravy as his altered position allowed. I want us to checl^every Talent, major and minor, on this s.h.i.+p and see who's disaffected by the militants. I want to be able to trust all of them, not just a few.
Semirame regarded him, her expression almost sad. We can't chec^ every Talent in the entire Fleet, Thian.
I'm more concerned with the morale of those on this s.h.i.+p, since it's the flags.h.i.+p.
And what do we do to the ones we already fynow are suspect? Gravy asked, her expression blank.
There's a way. . . a safe one. . . of suppressing the Talent of anyone under a 5. A sort of lid on their Talent. It can be removed, but it would feep them from tumbling to any stray 'paths and it would fyeep them from feeling any sting-pzzt. We might need to do that at some point. I'd asf^ Grandfather for permission first, and inform Admiral As.h.i.+ant if Grandfather says I should.
I'd rather you did, Semirame said bluntly, even if Grandfather says you shouldn't.
Raven would insist you told the Admiral, Thian, Clancy said, glaring at Semirame.
”Okay, okay, so I'm new at this,” she said, holding up both hands in surrender.
Ever regret we too^ advantage of your Talent, Rame? Clancy asked, quirking one eyebrow at her.
It sure gave me a chance to get ojfPhobos Base with my record still clean. She reached over and tousled Clancy's neatly combed hair. Oh, hey, one last thought. . . to still the voice of the militant. We all know-she swung her finger in a circle to include them all-that the sphere down there ain't going nowhere, not with the metal fatigue in its hull, much less all the holes.
But if we were to ostentatiously plant one of your little packages, Thian, to blow it to kingdom come if any queen tried to bring the engines up . . .
Those engines-Clancy snorted derisively-wouldn't go . . . Oh, I see what you mean. Smart idea!
I do get them. Part of being around you guys so long. By all means mention that to the Admiral, Commander, and I'd rather it came from you since I would be exceeding my orders to do so. That ought to earn you a commendation too, said Thian, grinning. There'd be no way it could be detonated without knowing the detonator code.
I sort of hate that we have to placate them, Gravy said, looking rebellious.
Not when it antic.i.p.ates a possible demand they might thin of, Clancy said with a malicious grin.
”I don't know about anyone else,” Thian went on aloud, sliding off the couch and hauling Gravy after him, ”but I'm starving of the hunger.”
”Considering how little you've had to do lately,” Gravy said, ”I can't imagine what's been developing an appet.i.te in you.”
”Whatever it is, it's catching,” Clancy said, taking a comb from his hip pocket and giving a few swift, accurate pa.s.ses over his messed hair. ”Coming, Commander?”
”Now that you mention it, it is past my lunch break.”
1 p J 1 0 L ^ *
The announcement that the Was.h.i.+ngton and its Fleet were moving onward in the Search for other Hiver-occupied systems was at first met with some jubilation, as the militants did indeed believe that their agitation had had an effect on the weasel lovers. Admiral As.h.i.+ant's advice to the High Council that an explosive device had been left on board the decre- -pit sphere-as a deterrent- rought a loud demand for its immediate detonation.
The Admiral had Commander Yngocelen announce that detonation was automatic should the sphere be boarded, and the militants would have to be happy with that.
Thian sent Earth Prime a message tube full of the recordings taken of the Hivers, complete with the interesting altering ”panels” which the queens had been watching. He copied all ten boards in the various queens' quarters. Maybe some expert could find the Rosetta stone that would translate those weird patterns. He also recommended that they see what reaction they got from the Heinlein queen by playing them in her presence.
The euphoria over forcing the Was.h.i.+ngton to remove itself from the ”dangerous Hiver-occupied planet” did not last long. Militant leaders must have engaged in considerable discourse, and they decided that the High Council had deliberately ordered the Was.h.i.+ngton onward in an attempt to cool the volatile situation. They were certain that an even more egregious plan was being formulated by weasel lovers to subvert what was, to them, so obviously the ”will of the people.” The Was.h.i.+ngton was still searching, and who could know what might be the next attempt to pollute Earth or one of the other civilized Star Leagueworlds. The only sure answer to the threat posed by the spheres was the complete annihilation of the Hiver worlds. Renewed agitations stressed the formidable weaponry of the Was.h.i.+ngton and the other s.h.i.+ps in that Fleet: the availability of weapons that could scorch the surface of any planet, wiping out all life-forms, including the hated Hivers. The reb.u.t.tal that this would only put Humanity on the same level as the Hivers was scorned and ignored.
Two of the larger yachts attempted to bomb the Heinlein Base where the captured queen was being ”coddled.” The missiles were repulsed by the automatic s.h.i.+elds that guarded the facility against stray meteors. The resultant explosions mids.p.a.ce caused damage to s.h.i.+ps that had not been warned of the action. There were forty fatalities on nine of the small craft ringing the moon, some of which did not have escape pods so that all aboard perished when the hulls of their s.h.i.+ps were penetrated by debris. The crews of both large yachts were arrested on charges of manslaughter, endangering the lives and property of twelve other s.h.i.+ps and malicious damage to a government facility.
A more devious mission by dedicated militants came closer to success when a heavily armed and well-drilled group, using moon vehicles, made an a.s.sault on the installation. Their advance was seen in time by Til lown and lie Hive in the observation post and marine units were 'ported in-again arousing intense criticism of FT&T-to deal with the invaders.
More splinter groups evolved from those abortive attempts, disgusted with the inefficiency with which these had been conducted. In general, the two attacks on the Heinlein Base had an adverse reaction on the militants. Such unnecessary deaths roused to action those who felt that it was immoral to wish to destroy an entire species. Broadcasts replayed ancient examples of genocides, hoping to remind Humans that such vengeance produced longer-lasting problems than it eliminated. Surely Humankind had grown beyond such heinous solutions, whether the target of such annihilation was Human or alien.
The issue began to involve many Mrdinis, since they were well known to side with the militants on the issue of destroying any planet occupied by Hivers. However, there was dissension within the largest militant group about including aliens to achieve their G.o.d-given objective. Fortunately, the oldest of the Mrdini colors held the power to control the official Mrdini political position and they were of one mind on the immorality of annihilation. Since adulation of and obedience to their elders was a fundamental concept of Mrdini social behavior, no Mrdini would disobey their leaders. The example of Prtglm, who had murdered Rojer's Gil and Kat on board the KTTS, was a constant reminder that no unauthorized or independent action could be taken against their ancient adversary without the most stringent redress.
The hope of the High Council rested on the abilities of their Human counterparts and the combined scientific research into finding a way to restrict Hivers to the planets they now occupied. Such a constraint would placate the most vengeful of the younger Mrdinis, such as Captain Klml and others in positions to vent their belligerence. A formidable task, but one in which both Human and Mrdini scientists were determined to succeed.
Another dedicated faction still dreamed of finding a way to communicate with the queens, by odor since that had provoked some reaction from the queen during the Was.h.i.+ngton's infiltration of their quarters. Though ridiculed by some xenologists, the idea was not with- out merit. The odors of Human perspiration and*or the smells of the uniform material and gear they carried had provoked the only reaction from a queen yet recorded.
With the Talavera settlement expanding so rapidly, the High Council decreed the opening of Marengo as well. Exhaustive investigations of Marengo's environment showed that it was suitable for either Mrdini or Human occupation. Since the planet had a decided axial tilt, similar to Earth's, with large continental ma.s.ses making almost a complete circuit at the equator, as well as four medium continents in the temperate zones, the planet would be opened to dual colonization: the Mrdini concentrated in the tropics while Humans could settle the higher, more temperate areas.