“You can appreciate how much work there has been to do,” the Ship’s Master explained. “When you assume command as captain, we want to make sure everything is totally operational, though there may still be a few superficial details to see to.”
“I thoroughly approve, but you must realize that I am in no position to give navigational commands,” Entara pointed out. “I will be a captain in name only.”
“No problem at all. We are quite used to a system of Ship’s Masters. I will handle the minutiae. Of course, the choice of destination and overall traveling protocols will be entirely yours. I will be happy to be a very well-paid factotum and all my colleagues will be very happy to perform all the usual tasks.”
“Have you worked out how to lay out the training schedule,” Ayan’we inquired.
“As I understand it, your people are used to a shift of about six station hours. Our instructors will adapt entirely to that, while the rest of our crew will follow their usual rotation of fifteen station hours. I foresee no difficulties. This is because we have brought this craft up to date. Those humans! The original was typical of their impractical priorities – over-armed and under-powered. I don’t understand how they get anywhere with their sub-par sensor arrays. Your Song Pai benefactors wisely provided us with credits to obtain the best modern equipment. Thirty percent better in all categories and a full eighty percent more efficient at life support. You will not be uncomfortable without bothering with inconvenient icing. And your trainees will be qualified on appropriate equipment.”
It was two full station days before the Kholods finished loading all the supplies and spare parts so that the ship could leave. One of the last details was that an exterior team had to remove the human markings on the hull, covering the old numbers and the name HCAF557Mayakovsky with the new designation FFF001Bountiful. Ayan’we watched attentively as the Ship’s Master, who insisted on being called simply Groth, pushed away from Transfer Varess and set a course for Domremy. Since the station was in interstellar space, well clear of any solar system, the navigation was easy – just right for the Forlani trainees who were picking up the rudiments of operating a vessel of this size, destined to carry a mixture of passengers and freight. Those who, like Ayan’we, had flight experience in hex interceptors limited to intra-system patrols, had a lot to learn.
Before long, the Forlani were rotating in their six-hour shifts and making test runs on a simulators the Blastöo had rigged up for them. Then, one by one, they were given the opportunity to work beside the pilots at the real controls, under the watchful dark eyes of Groth and his colleagues. Most made rapid progress. Even Lila, recovering from the injuries she suffered from the blast from Fianni that she took to shield Entara, finally joined them. As they neared the Domremy system, about half-way to Tau Ceti, the pilot crew on the bridge was all-Forlani, except for a single Blastöo officer to supervise training. One Forlan week into the voyage, Entara met Ayan’we as she was finishing her shift.
“Come along, firstborn. Kee’ad has asked us to wait with him for some important news affecting our destination at Tau Ceti.” The two Forlani walked down the central corridor of the ship to Kee’ad’s apartments, which had been hastily fitted with both pool and dry areas to accommodate his amphibian lifestyle. Ayan’we noticed that no other members of the cluster were with them, which suggested that this was a confidential matter.
“Welcome, welcome,” said the old newt through his translator. “We are about to hear something quite secret that I have tapped into through a protected link done by the Talinian intelligence services. It involves that complicated coded message sent by the unfortunate Erica Duquesne, Coded Message Mu. As you know, Kaels decrypted the message and determined it referred to a military deployment of human vessels to a point close to the anchorage.”
“What my daughter does not know,” added Entara, “Is that an interspecies expeditionary force was rapidly organized to try to block the human force. We estimated that the human goal was to retake control of that valuable anchorage.”
“Ah, yes,” Ayan’we mused. “Very plausible. It has been administered by an interzonal authority ever since the plague broke down all human political control, hasn’t it?”
“Quite true,” nodded Kee’ad. “At present, the authority comprises a triumvirate of Phiddian, Blastöo, and Coriolan directors.”
“Where did you find enough military vessels to confront the humans? Given the current instability about the Song Pai and the Blynthians, most planets would have grouped their fleets close to home, I suspect.”
“Right again, my daughter. As I understand it, it was quite a stretch to cobble together a squadron anywhere near Tau Ceti. As I understand, it is only a half dozen ships of different types.”
“I can tell you exactly,” noted Kee’ad. “We are patched into the com section of a Coriolan cruiser that is the flagship. Other than that, there are two Thil corvettes that were returning from a tour of duty on the Zetan frontier, a Phiddian armed cargo ship that was in port, and a Blastöo mine layer.”
“I see. Now I guess there is nothing to do but wait and hope the commanders don’t lose their heads.”
They settled down to nibble a few treats and listen to the odd music of Talinian sea pipes. After a few minutes, Ayan’we got nervous and needed to talk. “Tell me, Kee’ad, were you surprised by the concessions the Blynthians offered to the Song Pai? I had no idea Blynthians were facing hostilities we didn’t know about.”
“Yes and no,” drawled the newt. “There had been rumors picked up by our workers here and there in the zone. Naturally, we didn’t get anywhere near the area where the new Song Pai world lies, deep in the heart of closed Blynthian space. You can imagine, though, that details tend to pile up – a military vessel hurrying from a border base, a larger than expected purchase of weapons materials, a decrease in patrols along a peaceful frontier. So far the Song Pai aren’t telling much about whatever they are learning from the Blynthians. We’ll find out more later.”
Entara chimed in with some diplomatic expertise. “Personally, I think the offer of an undeveloped water world was a stroke of genius. I believe the Song Pai were in desperate need of a place to expand their population.”
“No doubt about that,” agreed Kee’ad. “That I can confirm with total assurance, based on observations of our construction crews on Song Pa. You’re aware that since the discovery of the prion disorder than claimed Klein’s life, there are no more human indentured servants on that planet and they depend more than ever on our teams, since we are immune. My people report that despite the attrition of combat casualties among immature Song Pai, the population had reached its maximum based on food supply. Their hatcheries have become so efficient at caring for hatchlings that the total population reached a ceiling. Consequently, they were forced to delay defrosting sperm and eggs of dead warriors. That is the very gist of Song Pai values. Further delays would soon strain their social order. Now they can continue to breed and maintain the reward for their warrior mentality, at least for the foreseeable future. But wait, here comes some com traffic from Tau Ceti...”
“Commodore Zelaran of the Coriolan fleet reporting from Point Intercept off the Tau Ceti Anchorage. Sensors detect a group of twelve… no, more… fifteen human military vessels decelerating from light speed on the expected heading. I am leaving the channel open so that authorized listeners can monitor our hails and conversations. Please adjust your translators for both Coriolan and Human Trade English.” A pause of several seconds. Then Zeleran began issuing orders to the crew. “All squadron ships, assume configuration alpha, power all shields, prepare to arm weapons on my command. Stand by.” Another pause. “Hail the human fleet.” The Coriolan went on to greet the human ships with a polite but firm inquiry as to their purpose.
A reply sounded clearly over the link. “Rear Admiral Yu Xi-huang of Human Expeditionary Force Mu on board the battleship Big E Fortune. Our mission is to peacefully insure operations at Anchorage Tau Ceti, according
to existing mandates. You must disperse and vacate our approach lanes or we will be forced to engage.”
“You must be aware, Admiral, that the recent Treaties of Varess have altered previous mandates and licenses. The presence of a military deployment by your species, its fleets or corporations is expressly forbidden and we must enforce those treaties.”
“The alleged treaties are not part of our mission. They will not affect our rules of engagement. Stand down immediately. We are arming weapons.”
The Commodore immediately ordered the allied squadron to do likewise.
“Coriolan, you are risking annihilation. Do as commanded.”
“Oh, I don’t think so. We are confident of our abilities.”
“You have only six ships. A couple of lousy Thil corvettes, other rag-tag vessels you found somewhere. Apparently the Petrusians, Kael and Rokol who’ve usurped the Anchorage didn’t even have any military craft to reinforce you. I give your own cruiser credit for being a fit ship, but you cannot win. We will not spare you if we open fire.”
“Then you have undoubtedly noticed that those Thil vessels are fresh from the Zetan frontier. They are used to dealing with much tougher customers than you. And our Blastöo pals have an empty hold. Do you take the implications of a mine layer with an empty hold? There’s a lot more between you and Tau Ceti than just this squadron. Maybe you’ve also heard of what kind of tricks the Phiddians are famous for. Did I mention thet provided the mines?”
“Are you trying to bluff us, Zeleran? This is your last chance.”
“Ha, ha!” scoffed the Commodore in a coati-like chuckle. “You are aware that we Coriolans love nothing better than gambling. And we are not easy marks. Me, I like the odds. Are you sure your sensors can tell you everything? How do you know I’m not patched into a certain Song Pai Carrier Number Nine? Six hundred interceptor pilots hot to breed and die. When will they arrive? That’s for you to find out. I know your game of poker and have won many times. I’ll stay with this hand. Your move.”
A long silence. “Comlink disconnected. The human ships have powered down weapons and shields and have begun jumping to trans-light velocity on a course towards Epsilon Eridani. We are likewise powering down but will stay on station. Over and out.”
Ayan’we, who had been listening with clenched claws, retracted them and glanced at Entara, who seemed to have been equally concerned, and at the impassive Kee’ad, who had never flinched.
“Whew! That was tense. That Zeleran is a cool-headed character.”
“I wouldn’t want to have to face the Commodore in a game of poker,” said Entara.
“Friend Kee’ad, was there really a Song Pai carrier on the way?”
“On the one hand, one might think that the Song Pai are already deploying to their new Blynthian corridor. On the other hand, are the Song Pai ever ready to pass up a chance to fight? Who knows? Obviously the humans of Force Mu were not prepared to take that chance.”
The trio separated, as Entara headed for the communication shack and Ayan’we strolled back to get some rest in the sleeping area. On the way, she nearly bumped into Isshel. The male had also not been watching where he was going, absorbed in deep thought. The two stared awkwardly at each other for a second before blurting “Good day” at the same time. That caused them both to smile.
Finally the female decided to break the ice. “It’s nice to see you again, Isshel. You’ve certainly been holding to your intention of diving into your work.”
“I imagine you’ve been busy, too. Another of the cluster told me you’ve already had your hands on the controls.”
“Correct. And how’s your new project coming along?”
“With difficulty. It’s taken a different turn than what I foresaw. Would it bother you too much to come take a quick look at it? You can bring along others if you’d prefer not to be alone with me.”
“That won’t be necessary. We’re both adults. Besides, I now know I can trust you farther than I would any other male. Lead the way.”
They made their way to the studio Isshel had prepared in one of the compartments. He made a point of leaving the door wide open. As Ayan’we passed through it and adjusted her eyes to unusually dim light, she was shocked to discover not one of the artist’s previous intricate liquid creations, but a flat rectangular tableau smeared with discordant pigments in a chaotic design.
“This is such a departure from the work I’ve seen before! Why have you changed medium?”
Isshel’s face formed the straight-lipped, rigid frown of the Forlani. Ayan’we was almost convinced he was going to shudder. “I tried for days, for days, but the stasis equipment just refused to produce what I wanted. Then I realized I didn’t know what I wanted. My mind is troubled somehow.”
“By what happened to us?”
“No. At least I don’t think so. I’ve been preoccupied with what to do when I get back to Forlan.”
“Your family?”
“No. I’ll be happy to see them, of course, to settle into the comfort of their attention and respect, to get caught up on all the little news of daily life. In fact, I long to just plunge into domestic tranquility and never come out. What bothers me has to do with the Brotherhood. I think that’s what has been inspiring these dark visions in my work. I hadn’t worked with tableaux and pigments for the longest time and suddenly it seems the only way to express my inner feelings.”
“Has there been some big disruption in the Brotherhood?” Ayan’we had to stretch her imagination to picture the aesthetically obsessed males getting stirred up over anything more significant than the necessity of including diagonals in a three-dimensional composition.
“Nothing major. I’ve only had a few contacts with friends scattered here and there and only bits and pieces of political news. It appears the big synod meeting did not produce any progress. In fact, all they did was to reaffirm the most ultra-conservative ideas in an even more block-headed manner. All our hopes for an end to gelding the less talented and abolition of the dobutu serfdom seem more hopeless than ever.”
“So why should you be more pessimistic if nothing changed?”
“The changes are so subtle. I sense a breakdown of interaction, a radicalization within the Brotherhood and perhaps even between them and the matrilines. It seems un-Forlani, dangerous.” He sighed and added, “I only hope Entara-para-para’s presence will re-establish security and dialogue. Someone needs to still the new and strident voices that are coming forward.”
“I’m sure she will have the wisdom to put everything right. Don’t worry. You’ll see that as soon as she sets foot on the planet again, females and males will rally to her. Don’t lose hope.” Even as Ayan’we said these encouraging phrases, there was a disquieting murmur somewhere in her mind that wondered if she could be wrong, if perhaps she had made a mistake in heading for Earth instead of staying by her mother’s side. But in another instant, she shrugged it off as excessive caution, an after-effect of the turmoil on Varess. Especially when she saw that her words had brightened Isshel’s mood, she congratulated herself on saying the right thing. After urging him once more to return to his stasis sculptures, she took her leave and walked away toward a well-earned rest.
When she awoke, Ayan’we realized that she had slept much longer than she intended. A glance at the ship’s indicators in the compartment told her that Bountiful had already entered the Domremy system and would soon be in orbit around the planet. Chiding herself for turning off the shift change alarms and notices before she collapsed, she hurried to stuff clothing and a few gifts into a duffle before racing to the shuttle bay. Fortunately, she did not have to pack much, because she knew the maximal window for the second leg to Tau Ceti was only two planet days away and their visit would be all too brief. In the spanking new shuttle the Blastöo had substituted for the pre-plague human model, She and Entara, along with a bleary-eyed Trevor, who had been in space sleep the entire way from Varess, descended blissfully to the tawny surface of Domremy, where Peebo an
d half his family were awaiting them at a nearly deserted landing area outside Stafford Station. After many embraces, they drove them by thallop-drawn wagon to the homestead and regaled them with fresh delicacies from their orchards and gardens. Ayan’we gorged themselves on some red things called raspberries that they had never tasted before, much to the amusement of the hosts. As evening fell, Dissenters assembled to speak with them late into the night, including a fellow named Luis who had once been a close friend of Klein during his mankiller days and another named Barber John who brought them a sachet with a lock of Klein’s hair that he had snipped during Klein’s recuperation from the horrendous wounds received on Song Pa. A couple of Forlani from a local house joined them, including one who had been a student of Klein’s in the pleasure class at the mahäme and later served as a messenger to him. Stories were told until no one could keep their eyes open any longer.
Spy Station Page 28
