The Tower and the Hive

by MCCAFFREY, ANNE

  I have that information. Thank you, Talavera Tower.

  Incoming from Earth, Mallen said.

  Five drones. Inanimate, was his grandfather’s terse message.

  Rojer linked and brought the drones in the rest of the way, slotting them neatly into the waiting cradles. “Jes, ask my ’Dinis to come up here, will you? We’re going to need more drone-size cradles if they keep sending us job lots like that.”

  Kat and Gil came tumbling up the steps, front limbs forward to prevent slipping back down in their haste.

  KAT, GIL, PLEASE SEE WHO IS CONSTRUCTING CRADLES. WE’RE GOING TO NEED MORE OF THE SAME SIZE AS THE ONES—Rojer broke off because the yard manager was already organizing crews to empty the drones and load the grav sleds. Then a crew of ten ’Dinis manually lifted the light drone shells off their landing web. IF THE YARD CREW CAN DO IT THAT FAST, MAYBE WE DON’T.

  MORE COMING, Kat said. WE ASK FOR MORE. BETTER MORE THAN FEW.

  “That’s for sure,” Rojer said. “Off you go, then, and please ask who is the yard manager. I haven’t met him yet.”

  That’s Seelbat Buffer, a Capellan and a T-5 kinetic, Asia informed them from her station by the generators. He has ’Dinis.

  “How many?” Rojer asked, since the yard seemed to be swarming with all the colors Mrdini bodies came in.

  He’s a friend of Flavia’s and she pried him loose from Capella Tower Yard. She’s very good at that sort of doing, you know.

  Rojer cleared his throat, remembering that Flavia had got her brother and her mate included on the crew of the Columbia. But if Seelbat worked as well as Mallen and Jes Omigo, he’d have no complaints.

  “Isn’t it unusual for a Capellan to have ’Dinis?”

  Yes, he was the first ... Some edge to her voice suggested to Rojer that likely Seelbat had taken a lot of criticism and dislike from the methody folk of his home planet for being partnered with “heathen aliens.”

  “He’s here now and that’s good,” Rojer said.

  Incoming from Sef, warned Jes.

  Congratulations, Rojer, chorused Yoshuk and Nesrun from Sef’s Tower.

  Or do we commiserate? asked Nesrun in her droll way.

  I’ll let you know in a day or so, Rojer replied. Speaking of which, our day is twenty-six-point-five-oh hours long and

  you are slinging me at ... He caught their send, a medium-sized passenger yacht. Precisely fourteen forty-five.

  We’ll mark it down. You’ll be keeping standard Tower hours?

  I’ll have to or be worn down to a nubbin. Is Laria all right?

  Overworked, but I think things’ll ease off once the impatient get to Talavera. Oh, and we added a little welcome gift. The ’Dini bean counter, Fsslm, has it for you.

  Bean counter? Beside Rojer, Mallen chuckled.

  “Accountant,” he said. “We’ve a full complement of governing officials down here already, you know, from the passenger ships we caught on the Columbia.”

  Let’s hope that Fsslm doesn’t complain about the luxury they’ve provided us, Jes said.

  Here it comes, warned Sef Tower, and Rojer met the Mind Merge which Yoshuk and Nesrun used, and placed the yacht carefully into its cradle.

  Seelbat, full honors to the passengers, Rojer said. Fsslm is to be specially treated. It’s got something for us from Yoshuk and Nesrun.

  I’ve the steps in place and Put and Car acting guard, Rojer.

  Thanks, Seelbat. Sorry I didn’t get to greet you formally.

  Who has time for formality right now?

  Rojer grinned. Seelbat’s tone had rippled with amusement. Since the Tower was glassed all around, Rojer could observe the arrivals, all but the first one carrying heavy sacks. Fsslm was a mature blue-gray, large enough to have earned its five-letter name. Ground transport wheeled into the yard, ready to accommodate Fsslm’s party and their accoutrements. Not all the disembarking passengers were admitted to that vehicle, so Put let out one of the shrill whistles a ’Dini could emit and a second air cushion appeared to transport the remainder of the newcomers.

  As soon as the vehicle was cleared of its animate cargo, the yard tractor tackled the yacht and moved it to the storage area.

  Rojer leaned back on the couch, pleased with such efficiency.

  Fsslm’s directed its car here, Rojer. You’d better get down.

  KAT, GIL, COME WITH ME. HONORABLE FSSLM ARRIVING. Come on up, Asia.

  Should I?

  Yes, you should, Rojer said firmly as he rose from his couch, gesturing for Mallen to join him below. It isn’t that you don’t know ’Dinis, m’love. He paused at the foot of the steps until she joined him; then he tucked her hand under his arm, ignoring her pull to free herself, and they proceeded to the Tower entrance.

  Their timing was perfect, for the car arrived just as the four Talents emerged, Kat and Gil slipping around them to flank the vehicle.

  WELCOME TO TALAVERA, HONORABLE FSSLM. Rojer calculated his bow, his arm pulling Asia’s upper body down to the appropriate level for a five-letter-name ’Dini.

  AH, IT IS A PLEASURE FOR FSSLM TO MEET RJR AT LONG LAST, Fsslm said, bowing just a tad lower to emphasize its pleasure, and handed over the large box it carried. Rojer had to drop Asia’s arm to accept the package, which had a suspiciously cold bottom. THIS IS SMALL TOKEN OF ESTEEM FROM SEF TOWER AND FROM SEF PLANET FOR THE RELEASE OF THIS MARVELOUS NEW WORLD TO MRDINI OCCUPATION. SOON THIS WILL BE AS BEAUTIFUL AS CLRF, SF, TPLU, KIF AND PTU.

  OF THAT I AM CERTAIN, HONORABLE FSSLM, NOW THAT YOU ARE HERE TO HELP ORGANIZE AN ORDERLY AND ACCOUNTABLE FINANCIAL STRUCTURE. Rojer and Fsslm bowed simultaneously.

  Rojer, incoming, Jes warned.

  WITH GREAT REGRET I MUST SHORTEN OUR FIRST MEETING, AS THE TOWER IS EXTREMELY BUSY AT THIS HOUR. WE WILL MEET AGAIN IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, FSSLM. OUR GRATITUDE AGAIN FOR THIS GIFT.

  Rojer was stepping backward, the package beginning to freeze his hand. Asia kept pace with him, with several more bows.

  BE COMFORTABLE, HONORABLE FSSLM, she said in well-accented ’Dini, which surprised Rojer.

  I only know a few of the polite phrases, Roj, but Flavia said I must have some.

  Indeed you must, m’love.

  Fsslm bowed once more and then mounted the steps into the car, which it imperiously waved to proceed.

  The door slid open and Rojer and Mallen made for the steps to the Tower, Rojer pausing long enough to deposit the package at Jes’s station.

  “What’s in it?” Mallen asked as they clambered two steps at a time.

  “Don’t know, but it’s cold. See to it, will you, Jes, when you’ve a chance.”

  “Probably Sef fruit. It’s the right season,” Asia called up from the generator level.

  “What’s incoming?” Rojer called over his shoulder as he and Mallen made it to their couches.

  Drones, of course. Another five.

  We really will need more cradles if we’re getting this much traffic in, Rojer said.

  It should level off. How much more stuff do they need to get a planet started? was Mallen’s complaint.

  His sentiment was echoed when Talavera Tower signed off for the day at 2200 of its 2650 hours. The traffic had been steady the entire day, and the Talents had had to snatch meals—and some of the excellent ripe fruit that Sef Tower had sent—in between the almost continuous bombardment of large, medium and message tubes, many from Earth or the other ’Dini planets. Seelbat was possibly the weariest when they finally called a halt. He had worked nonstop even with all the ’Dinis helping him to empty cradles and stack the drones, or park the vehicles.

  “Who have we got up on the Columbia?” Rojer asked, slouched on one of the recliners in the main lounge. Asia, with a smear of generator oil on one cheek, lay curled up on another couch.

  Flavia, Zara, fifteen T’s of various abilities, she answered him, too weary to speak aloud.

  Well, we’re going to need Zara. I’m not burning Mallen out with such loads.

  I’ll be all right, Ro
jer, really I will, Mallen assured him. Didn’t I keep up with you all day?

  You did and you’re a pleasure to merge with, Mal, but if we get several weeks of this sort of heavy traffic, we need to spell everyone. Tower experience is useful for any Talent, Rojer said firmly. But we don’t have the extras that Callisto or Iota Aurigae or Earth has. Look at Seelbat. He’s a shadow of his morning’s self. Rojer tried for a little levity, since he could sense Asia’s apprehension. I don’t need another engineer if I have you, but we do need someone to share the load with Jes, if only to keep the data in order. He turned to Jes and pointed a finger at him. And you’re to go to bed when we all do, not stay up till dawn to file today’s receipts. We’ll get a yeoman down to help with that. If we should, the gods forbid, lose a drone or a freighter, we’ve got to know what it was and what was on it, or our bean counter will not be pleased with us. And Seelbat cannot work at such a clip without relief. Did you get anything to eat at all?

  Wasn’t hungry. Seelbat didn’t even open his eyes, though his right hand idly stroked Put’s back. His ’Dinis were sound asleep, heads pillowed on his thighs.

  Rojer turned to Seelbat. Who’ve you worked with on the Columbia who can assist you in the yard, Seel?

  Yeoman Dorot Bay or CPO Esther Stapleton. Kinetic T- 6s who can receive, but are not much good at sending.

  As we’re on the receiving end, that’ll do us. Where did you get all those ’Dinis?

  Seel chuckled without opening his eyes. Their bosses send them to make sure they get the packages they’re expecting. Some of ’em stay because they prefer the prestige of working in the yard to whatever manual work they’ve been stuck with right now.

  A never-ending supply? Rojer asked, grinning at ’Dini tactics.

  Just about. Seel gave a weary grin.

  Rojer rose to his feet with a sigh and walked out to Jes’s workstation. Flopping down into the chair, he activated the com unit to the Columbia. Despite the hour, someone would be manning communications round the clock—whichever time the ship operated on.

  “Yes sir?”

  “Rojer Lyon here at Talavera Tower.”

  “Good evening, Captain Lyon, how can I help you?”

  “Is that Lentard?”

  “Why yes, Captain, it is,” replied the CPO, obviously pleased to be recognized.

  “Don’t wake anyone at this ungodly hour, but would you please ask Captain Soligen if we can borrow my sister Zara, CPO Esther Stapleton and Yeoman Dorot Bay for auxiliary Tower duty? We’re swamped here, and probably will be for the next week or ten days while everything gets ’ported in.”

  “Yes sir, Captain. I’ve recorded the message. Is it a priority?”

  “Not before tomorrow at breakfast, Lentard.”

  “Yes sir, Captain. I understand. Thank you. Over.”

  “There. That should do the trick,” Rojer said. “And I’m for my bed.”

  The other four managed to get to their feet and slowly made their way down the hall to their quarters, ’Dinis following those who had them.

  Talavera Tower, holding up okay? Jeff Raven asked as he contacted Rojer with the warning of a passenger ship full of experts, coming from Earth, to help establish the ’Dini colony.

  A good night’s sleep helps a lot, sir, and I drafted Zara off the Columbia ... to keep her out of mischief...

  I wasn’t in mischief, Grandfather, Zara said with a dire look at her older brother. She had arrived just after breakfast Talavera time and, after one look at Mallen, announced that they’d work shifts. She was taking the first one. Mallen could go back to bed.

  I had brothers too, Zara. Jeff chuckled. Never any respect for siblings. Handle this bunch carefully. Some of ’em are fragile.

  Do they have quarters, Grandfather? Zara asked. ’Dinis don’t mind sleeping rough. Humans do.

  They’ll use the ship. If you can set it down near the ’Dini headquarters, that will suffice quite nicely.

  Good idea, Rojer said as Jes sent up the size of the liner. I don’t happen to have a cradle that big anyhow. Come to think of it, the Tower yard isn’t that long either.

  Ready? Jeff asked.

  Roger shot a look at Zara, who instantly merged her mind with his, all that practice in the Tower at Iota Aurigae making a smooth meld. Ready.

  Oooof, said Zara. What are they carrying besides themselves?

  Equipment for three major laboratory facilities as well as botanical and biological specimens that the zoologists think will do well on Talavera, Jeff said. I trust you didn’t crack so much as a beaker.

  Nary a one, sir, Rojer said, grinning at Zara. There’s a Talent aboard who hasn’t realized they’ve landed here.

  That’ll be Dr. Seyes Real Esperito, Jeff said, and there was an edge to the tone of his mind to indicate to his grandchildren that T-5 Dr. Esperito was not high on Earth Prime’s “will see” list. Man has no control when he’s excited. He is often very funny without being aware of either his humor or that he’s broadcasting it. He’s tolerated for his very excellent knowledge of xenobiology.

  Good heavens, you mean we’ve left Earth and are on Talavera already? How could that be? I felt no motion whatever.

  Sir, this is Tower Prime Lyon and I assure you that your ship is on Talavera, if you would care to look at the nearest screen or porthole. May we take this opportunity.... Jes, are they on our screen? Rojer asked privately.

  One of the smaller screens instantly displayed the substantial liner landed just beyond the four-story headquarters block.

  ... to welcome you and your associates. We shall be meeting at some later date, sir, but you must excuse me, as more cargo is ’porting in to the Tower. And Rojer cut off the beginning of an effusive paean of gratitude. “Remind me not to go to any parties he’s at, Zara,” he said, grinning at his sister.

  I should imagine you’d hear him coming and ’port out of his vicinity, she said.

  five

  “They have to have occupied all the whole continent by now,” Laria said, trying to keep desperation out of her voice. It was the end of another long day of ’porting loaded vehicles and drones and importing message tubes that resulted in additional drones or tubes sent back to Talavera. Attuned as he now was to her moods, Kincaid heard her aggravation and sent soothings at her. She glared at him. “I’m not that badly off.”

  “You’re not?” he asked mildly.

  “It seems to me,” Lionasha said, “that we haven’t sent anything to anywhere but Talavera for the past three weeks. What are they doing with all that raw material?”

  “Where are they storing it, for that matter?” Vanteer put in.

  “According to my brother,” Laria replied in a somewhat caustic tone, “the heavy freight we’ve been struggling to ‘port is loads of prefabricated partitions which the ’Dinis seem to be able to make up into whatever shelter is needed. He says that they’ve a first-class Tower with every amenity possible.”

  “Well, at least the ’Dinis got that priority right,” Lionasha remarked. “Not that we can complain. They do right by us here on Clarf.”

  Laria grimaced and finished the last of her lemonade. Lio was right: Plrgtgl was forever inquiring if there was anything the Clarf Talents required to ensure their comfort. And their quarters were luxurious. What was wrong with Clarf was the heat. Talavera would enjoy a winter season of some six months: it had a longer rotation around its primary and three degrees more of axial tilt than Clarf had. Clarf was just constantly hot! Nights did get cool—well, relatively cooler—but the daytime heat was enervating in full Clarfian “summer.” Once again she thought longingly of home, the darker sun of Iota Aurigae and the cool breezes that came down from the mountains ...

  As soon as this migration is over, you’re taking a holiday, Kincaid said sternly.

  How? Laria demanded, and this time there was a wail of desperation in the tight tone she ’pathed at him. Every T-1 Grandfather can find is working full-time somewhere. She got to her feet, somehow managing to keep
her expression from revealing her inner despair. “I’m for bed. See you all in the morning, fellow mules.”

  “It’s a light day tomorrow, Laria, if that’s any consolation,” Lionasha said encouragingly.

  “Oh, they’re sure to find a half-dozen emergency drones to be sent,” Vanteer said.

  Lionasha rolled her eyes. “You would!” She pushed herself up out of her chair and, with a disgusted look in Van’s direction, left the lounge.

  “What’d I say wrong?” Vanteer demanded of Kincaid.

  “If you can’t figure it out, Van, I can’t help you,” the T-2 said, and left the Tower engineer alone.

  Van shrugged, finished his drink and left the Tower. He had a date. It suddenly occurred to him that Kincaid had stopped visiting whatever friend he had in the Human Compound. But then, they were all tired these days. Not that he was ever too tired for his favorite off-duty occupation. He grinned as he left, bracing himself for the sultry air outside the cooled Tower.

  “You do need a break, Laria,” Kincaid said, entering her room. She was spread-eagled on the bed, as if she had merely fallen backward onto its surface.

  “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, Kincaid,” she said, raising her head briefly to acknowledge his presence. “It’s all I can do not to snap at folks, and no one deserves that. Not with the loads we’re ’porting. All I want to do is sleep.” She let out a long sigh.

  He stretched out on one side, propping his head up on one hand and looking down at her, letting his mind reach hers with gentling thoughts.

  “I think we’re both missing our ’Dinis. I know mine have kept me balanced in times of stress,” he said softly. “Only three more weeks.”

  “Well, let’s hope they don’t try any more tricks on us,” she said glumly, then immediately turned remorseful and reached out to touch his free hand. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded, Kincaid.” She could feel her face flushing with embarrassment. “Whyever they did it, I really, truly enjoyed ... I mean ... I’m just sorry it wasn’t ...” She rolled her eyes as her attempt to explain about the pleasure she had had came out all wrong. We were together, Kincaid, and it was wonderful. I just would rather it had not been forced on you ...