“If it’s so important to you, we will faithfully uphold the secret of Jileesa’s location – and we have certainly not stolen your technology!”
“Do not lie when your own deeds and words stand against you. Have you not already begun adaptation of our neutrino-beam communication technique? Did you not inquire almost immediately and very forcefully as to how our translation device operates? Did you not assign your engineer the task of uncovering all the mechanisms of the Aurora?”
Ricci decided to tackle the spurious accusations in reverse order. “I assigned my engineer to fix the Aurora so that your humans could get home. Lieutenant Brodie asked about the Silver Tongue simply because that’s human nature – to be curious about such wonders. And yes, we have looked into your communication technique – but that’s hardly ‘stealing technology.’ That’s what space-faring species do – we learn from each other. All of us. We exchange ideas and advances and generally everyone benefits from the interaction.”
“Lignatians are not a space-faring race. We send out probes only, in order to gain knowledge of the physical universe. We have taken great pains to ensure our world is not discoverable by others. We have never wished for contact with other species. We see now the wisdom of that choice. The greatest deception humans imposed upon us is not that they almost died out, but in thinking that loss would have been a tragedy.”
“I am heartily sorry you feel that way but, you must admit, the Lignatian-Human contact was something you initiated. The people of the Valiant didn’t ask to be part of this grand experiment of yours, they didn’t even consent to it.”
“Neither did we consent to being deceived. Why did you appear when you did? How did you know of the humans on Tolu?”
“We picked up their distress signal and noted the apparent presence of a human who we knew for a fact, had died hundreds of years ago. If you’re accusing humanity of running some kind of long con on the Lignatians – the very notion is preposterous. The Valiant was destroyed in an accident – your own probes should have told you that—”
“You have bragged of your cunning and resourcefulness. It is preposterous to suppose such a race would take advantage of our error as soon as they discovered it? How long have you known of the situation here on Jileesa?”
“We got our first inkling of it when the Lovelace stumbled on the Aurora’s distress signal.”
“Very convenient that humans were exploring in this region of space – with so little of interest nearby.” Ricci could see this situation was rapidly devolving and so took time to offer a detailed explanation of Lovelace’s original mission in that sector. Millua asked, “You admit to removing a valuable resource from that planet. Did you have permission from the planet’s inhabitants?”
“We paid for the information from the alien race who discovered it, yes.”
“Were they inhabitants of that planet?”
Ricci saw no advantage in dissembling so he admitted, “No. The planet has no sapient inhabitants so there was no way to communicate with them.”
After a moment of silence, Millua decreed, “I see more and more that humans in their natural state are a most cunning and avaricious race. We cannot trust in anything these humans impart. Vipin Drawde, escort them back to the chamber. We will deliberate on a suitable remedy.”
Drawde asked, “Does this mean a possible delay in bringing Experiment Alktata to its conclusion?”
“No, that will proceed as scheduled, when the Aurora returns to Jileesa. It appears they will be able to do so, now, without our assistance.”
The energy barrier between the humans and the Lignatians abruptly turned once again opaque. While Ricci was mulling over the unsatisfactory encounter, Kaplita asked Drawde, “When you say that you’re concluding Experiment Alktata – I assume that means you’re planning to send all of the humans to New Earth. How long will that take?”
The blue figure turned and started walking out of the cramped space into the corridor – only responding to the question once Ricci and the others had followed. “No, we will not be sending the humans to New Earth. They have proved, once again, that they are unable to survive on their own.”
Ricci was unsurprised to find that the Aurora had been a repeat failure. “How many times have you tried?”
“The latest was the third such expedition. And last. The Lignatian populace has wearied of this burden. Wayru Millua rose to power by promising to relieve them of it.”
“If I might ask,” Jacoway said, “how does Millua intend to do that? What was the exact promise?”
There was a pause, ominous in its length, before Drawde finally answered. “The promise was that another failure would result in an immediate shuttering of the human environment – along with those who reside in it.”
They were all stunned, but Bayer was first to put it into words. “Shuttering? That’s a nice way of describing mass murder. You’re talking about killing the thousands of humans that you Lignatians brought into being.”
Drawde replied, “I can promise that it will be an entirely painless process. No human will be sensible of any discomfort.”
“But there’s no need for this! If you don’t want to send them to New Earth, send them all to Uniterrae,” Jacoway urged. “We’ll be glad to take care of them.”
“The decision was made by the Council before your arrival. The Regional Section Heads endorsed it by an overwhelming majority and it is, therefore, irrevocable. No additional Lignatian resources will be expended on the humans. The ships and other supplies which were readied for that journey, are all to be directed back towards Jileesa. They will not be made available to transport the humans to Uniterrae.”
The slim hope of reprieve Matt had been nurturing, curdled within him. “I don’t believe this is actually about resources. Millua is determined to make a show of killing all the humans. And now that includes the Lovelace crew, too.” Ricci stared at Drawde, challenge in his eyes. “That’s the remedy they’re debating for us – isn’t it?”
“I would imagine so – your knowledge of Jileesa’s precise location will seal your fate. The Ruling Council is unlikely to make any move that would risk our planet being exposed to the rest of the galaxy.”
***
Jacoway was dumbfounded and sickened by the casual attitude the Lignatians were displaying towards the proposed slaughter of thousands of innocent beings. He couldn’t help but admire the captain’s ability to coolly demand that Vipin Drawde escort them back to the shuttle. When Drawde informed them that they would not be allowed to rejoin the Lovelace, Ricci still insisted on being allowed to spend the intervening time on the shuttle rather than in the Lignatian-Human contact zone.
Drawde asked, “Why do you wish for such a thing? I must tell you that we can render the shuttle incapable of flight in the human containment area.”
“I’d like to inform the rest of my crew about our situation. If their lives are on the line, I think they deserve to know that.”
“The Council will not allow that. Your ship is heavily armed and Jileesa cannot risk an attack.”
“I would have thought you people also have ways of neutralizing our weaponry.”
“We have defensive technology, but the best defense is to give your people no reason to attack in the first place.”
“I see.” After a brief pause, Ricci asked, “Is the Council’s deliberation likely to be lengthy?”
“I am afraid so. Even if the Ruling Council makes their decision quickly, a matter of this import must be ratified by Jileesa’s entire legislative body – including the regional heads. It will take some time to gather them all – probably more than a day, as you measure it.”
“If that’s the case, then we will be much more comfortable on the shuttle.”
“This environment has sufficient beds and additional food will be provided. You have no wish for rest or sustenance?”
“We can get all of that on our shuttle.”
There was a long silence and Tal assumed Drawde
was weighing Ricci’s demand. “Your request can be granted. I will call for the boat to transport you back to your shuttle. I must warn you though, your communications with the Lovelace will be monitored by our environmental Inspection-Filter. It will automatically block anything which would send up an alarm. It is familiar with all forms of human communication.”
“I guessed as much,” Ricci responded.
They endured an uncomfortable voyage back to the shuttle. Kaplita was sitting in morose silence while Bayer was throwing deadly looks at Drawde, her hand not far from her holstered pulse pistol. Jacoway was studying Ricci closely – he was clearly distracted and Tal suspected the captain was weighing his next move.
When they disembarked on the dock near the shuttle, Drawde asked, “Is there anything more I can do for you?”
Ricci said, “As a matter of fact there is.” He stepped ever so slightly closer to the blue figure. “You can tell me how it was that the Lignatians caused the destruction of the Valiant.”
All three officers gaped at their captain’s non-sequitur, Jacoway wondering what kind of strange tactical ploy this was.
There was no immediate answer from their host. When the captain continued to stare the ghostly figure down, Drawde asked, “On what do you base this accusation, Captain Ricci? Jileesa employs none but defensive weapons, we have no enemies, we fight no battles. I realize that the current situation might make you assume us monstrous, but the Council’s actions are in response to—”
“I can’t help but notice that you haven’t explicitly denied my allegation.”
“Why do you persist in touting this theory?”
“Logic dictates that such a xenophobic race as yours wouldn’t take on a huge burden like Experiment Alktata out of the goodness of your hearts – if you’ll excuse the expression. I’ve been puzzling about it since the audience with your Ruling Council and then it came to me – guilt. You carry collective guilt about the destruction of the Valiant. It’s the only possible explanation.”
Drawde turned to re-board the boat. “I will call for you when a decision has been rendered and ratified by the Council. Please remember what I said about communications with your ship.”
Ricci called after the retreating figure, “It was an accident – wasn’t it?”
Jacoway watched as Drawde froze, and then slowly turned back to face them. The only sound for the next half-minute was the gentle lapping of the viscous fake ocean against the equally fake shore. The extended silence had an air of menace to it and Jacoway could see the tension in Bayer’s frame. She was obviously waiting to spring into action and defend them from whatever Drawde had planned in retaliation for Ricci’s audacity.
When Drawde finally said, “Yes. It was,” it took Tal a moment to realize the Lignatian was responding to Ricci’s question. Drawde walked back to them, explaining, “An unforeseen complication was the catalyst.” There was another pause but no human responded. They waited for Drawde to elaborate. “You see, it should not have been possible for our Vhenarc probe to impact any ship.”
“Ohh, so that’s what happened….” Kaplita nodded slowly, putting the pieces together one-by-one. “A Lignatian probe hit the Valiant. And that caused that leak in the fusion reactor which doomed the ship.”
“Yes, to all of that. The Vhenarc was the fastest, most powerful, and wide-ranging probe ever launched from Jileesa. But the calculations for its trajectory were based on the belief that any ship in that region of space would have light-speed capabilities. There were no colonized worlds within thousands of light-years, so how could it be otherwise? The vipin who programmed the probe could not have conceived of a race such as yours. One so eager to explore space that you would willingly spend literal lifetimes doing it.”
“How do you know so much about it?” Jacoway asked. “Who was that vipin? You? Or someone you know?”
“Our lives do not stretch that long. It was Vipin Drawde Occor Tyar.”
Bayer asked, “Was that one of your parents?”
“We do not have parents such as you are familiar with. When a Lignatian nears their lifecycle end, our bodies can produce buds, a process we call blooming. When we choose to bloom, one bud, or rarely two, it depends on the lifeforce remaining, is produced. The bud feeds off of the dormant body and finally emerges as a new individual. That individual retains the major life-memories of their ancestors. The closer the ancestry, the more vivid the memories.” The humans were still digesting that startling information when Drawde explained, “Drawde Occor Tyar was my direct-ancestor. I am one of the few Lignatians left who is that close to the incident. Most Lignatians existing now are two or more ancestors removed from it.”
Ricci’s demeanor softened considerably. “Are you very old, then – for a Lignatian?”
“Yes, I am ancient indeed. My entire existence has been haunted by the lives lost due to a miscalculation by Occor Tyar. Afterwards, Occor was completely devoted to Experiment Alktata. When the human environment was finally ready, Occor gave rise to me. It was my role to perfect the cloning technique and see it through to its conclusion. Now, all my lifeforce has been spilled for naught. I was reserving what remains in order to direct the settlement of New Earth. It is unlikely that there is enough left for me to bloom. The Drawde line will end with me – in disgrace and failure.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way,” Ricci urged. “If you help us, we can help you. The humans you’ve so carefully nurtured can fulfill their destiny on Uniterrae – and you can fulfill the obligation your predecessor left you. And die in peace.”
“You expect the five of us to prevail against the entire Ruling Council of Jileesa? Humans are indeed a brash and bold race, in their natural state.”
Ricci snorted in bleak amusement but gave no direct denial. “I have a plan that might save everyone – but I need your help to pull it off.”
“What would you have me do?”
“Tell me how to get a message out of this environment.”
“Impossible. All potential exchanges with your ship will be closely monitored during this waiting period.”
“What if we send a message, not to the Lovelace, but directly to Tolu? Your Ruling Council wouldn’t be expecting that – would they?”
“No, but the Inspection-Filter program will also be monitoring that data stream. And will automatically block any communications indicating alarm or warning.”
“Only if it can understand our message. I intend to send it in a human language your filter has never before encountered. I’m thinking it just might discount such data as mere noise.”
The penny dropped for Jacoway as he exclaimed, “You’re going to send the message in Chiricahua?”
“Yes.” Ricci offered a brief smile in acknowledgment of Tal’s perceptivity. “In the 27th century it was still only spoken by a few thousand people – it’s almost impossible that their censor-bot will recognize it.”
Bayer rubbed her hands together in excitement. “We’re going to call the Aurora to our aid?”
“No,” Ricci said, “I’m going to tell them to stay away.” He turned to Drawde. “Can we get a message to Tolu from the shuttle?”
“Yes, I believe I can assist you in achieving that goal, as long as the message is quite short. But that communication will save only a relative few of the endangered humans.”
“Not if things go according to my plan.” Ricci and Drawde started towards the shuttle’s hatch, the captain motioning for Tal to join them. “I’ll need your help, Jacoway – my Chiricahua is pretty rudimentary.”
“Mine’s not much better…but I suppose between the two of us, we can construct a cogent message.” Jacoway followed him onto the shuttle. “But, Captain, I don’t understand how keeping the Aurora away can possibly save everyone.”
“The key to this whole thing is Millua. As it stands, killing off the humans would make Millua’s position as leader almost invulnerable – we have to change it up so that killing us does quite the reverse.”
“I’m not sure I understand how warning the Aurora off will do that.”
“I’ll explain in greater detail after we send the message. I want to get this done ASAP. Knowing Avery, the Aurora is either flight-ready or soon will be and I can’t risk them showing up here now. That would ruin everything.”
Chapter 14
Varying Degrees of Certainty
“Scientific knowledge is a body of statements of varying degrees of certainty—some most unsure, some nearly sure, none absolutely certain.” Richard Feynman, The Pleasure of Finding Things Out
The day after they’d received the cryptic message from Captain Ricci, Decker and Kennedy were in Aurora’s main laboratory. They were attentively listening to Lateef and Blythe Brodie expound on what they’d learned about the veil-worms from their examination of the sample Decker had given them. Sanaa Jallow was nearby, busily loading dozens of small silicon wafers into a complex-looking instrument. Moira was present, as well – since she had acquired a tendency to dog Decker’s steps almost as much as Kayatennae did.
Deck and Kay were equally disturbed to see that the scientists had reanimated the 2-foot length of worm tail in a nutrient tank. The dog stared at it transfixed, while Naiche couldn’t resist throwing a few suspicious glances at the twitching monstrosity while listening to Brodie talk.
“Besides the usual camouflage abilities that a lot of animals have, the veil-worms also employ bio-electric countermeasures against any kind of sub-molecular detection. Our data indicate that the galvanic signals that their bodies emit closely mimic the ones that sensors would receive from the worm’s surroundings.”
Kennedy said, “So in the float-ways, the sensors interpret the signals from the worms as an empty tunnel.”
The Risks of Dead Reckoning Page 16
