by Moulton, CD
They had one huge advantage in building the plant at that place: the sand had some very rare and positive chemicals in it such as certain beryllium salts that made it much more refractive without making it brittle and hard to work with. This was merely a little added piece to the fungus problem. Kit and Tab would have to leave as soon as the problems were solved and this company would then become the responsibility of those who worked it.
T6 reported when it received a long detailed report from TR and Tab. It said a new plan was being formulated because of what had been found and that Tab was en route to the empire research planet, now called Kuhlicht, a Grandish word for a zinc ointment used to fight skin fungus infections. There was something that may prove of major importance found when analysis from the swamps was compared with the analysis of the materials Kit had sent. The report included the fact that Tab found a large spore which was to be grown on Kuhlicht to see what would happen. There wasn't much else for some time except for the regular reports when T6 found some of the sprouting spores to destroy. There was little found about the fungus for the time that could be reported as fact.
Kit hired two chemical engineers from the city of Machtd where there was a large university. He interviewed them to find that of the hundreds who wanted jobs these two seemed to be the most independent thinkers with a special ability to understand the strange way silicon compounds acted under the stresses induced in the forming of the products and the qualities additives, natural and artificial, could enhance. In only twenty seven days they had collaborated to discover a pattern to ensure a special class of heatproof glass that was also less brittle than most such products. In addition to those properties it had a very high refractive index due to the traces of beryllium and iridium salts in the sand, making it almost as reflective as the finest cut Neemeedian crystal.
They soon also added a complex coloration process to make the quality glass look like carved jewels. There was a contact with an alien citizen at A Port. That alien was impressed with the product to the extent he wanted to order some special made-to-order items for sale on the vacation worlds. He was supposed to be a Swaz citizen who applied for a special dispensation from the empire to travel to the plant to explain what he wanted.
A Swaz? And he was granted a pass? It had to be Tab! Swaz didn't go around the empire buying glass for the vacation worlds. They couldn't care less about the places and weren't oriented to such things. What was going on?
Of course! The people at the plant were ecstatic they were to actually be considered for such a contract. It was everything Jarj Fel said they could hope to accomplish. They had shown the empire the Grandish had something to offer. The sense of pride was almost a palpable thing.
When Tab came into the plant two days later Kit greeted him in front of the workers with the words, "Welcome to GCG, Koosd. I'm Jarj Fel, half owner. The other half is called Klist Mar. He's out somewhere goofing off, I suppose. He always is.
"These are the people who design and produce our top quality glasswares. I'll introduce you to all of them as we tour their departments. Please excuse them if they stare, but we aren't used to meeting aliens – and you're really weird looking!
"No offense, but you're a reptile aren't you?"
"No, I'm an amphibian," Tab replied. "I know what you mean. You look weird as hell to me, too. It's a good thing the people who work for you are normal looking.
"Now, about the wares I need...."
The two were constantly joking and laughing together, relaxing the workers tremendously. It made them feel totally at ease around the alien. Hopefully that would prove necessary in the near future!
*
Tab went directly to the swamp to take samples. He spent four days there – and four nights. He didn't have to stop for darkness and never tired. When all the samples were on the floaters and gone to TR, he decided to head for the labs where he had a long session with TR and T6 about the possibility of finding those large spores. The probable trajectories were figured, then he took six more days to find one. It was loaded on a floater to be taken back to TR, then Tab spent ten more days looking for another of those large spores. He found another on the ninth day, but had exhausted likely areas by the end of the tenth.
Was it possible the thing produced only two such spores? The spores were nearly the size of yellowfruit, about ten centimeters across. The scan was so minute it didn't seem even possible any were missed. Tab had used a total of sixty search floaters.
"I think these two were the only ones of this particular size," TR agreed. "There will be some about half this size – I'd say twenty four of them – in a larger area outside of the circle where these were found. I'll scan the area a bit in the locations where the things might find fertile grounds to grow the fungoids. I don't have much hope they'll be found."
They stayed another twelve more days for that search. TR was able to find one of the smaller spores, then they headed for Kuhlicht. En route Tab and TR discussed the samples from the swamp and those from Kit.
"Well, I'm trying to find something," TR said. "T Six found the likely weather situation that increases the speed of the growth of the spores. We know where the least likely areas are so we'll save time there. Anything that can give us time to research is a plus. Our floaters are concentrating on the areas holding the most logical places for the things to grow. I estimate there are about sixteen thousand of the things in growth at this time. We've located two thousand four hundred twenty three of them so you can see how unlikely it is we'll get anywhere at that rate.
"There are things from the data we've gathered that could prove to be important. That's mostly been turned over to Givzoo's group on Kuhlicht. They may have some answers when we get there. We can hope."
"Did you find anything in the samples?" Tab asked.
"I've been turning it over directly to Nortich," TR replied. "I've studied what I can, but I'm controlling a lot of floaters. So is T Six. It's got some of mine now, but we had to retire a few until we return.
"Here comes Kuhlicht."
They landed. Tab took the large spores to Zantoo and Volich, then went on into the offices to meet with Givzoo. Nortich was working on something and couldn't be disturbed.
"I'll give you a fast rundown about what we've found to this point," Givzoo reported. "The spores respond to various organic compounds in the wood. There is one very important enzyme that is produced by a bacterium we call Volichii Grandish two. As you may guess, Volich found it. It seems to be that organism that is activated by specific temperatures, as noted. Under thirty one it doesn't produce the enzyme. It will go dormant. Over thirty six it doesn't produce it, either. The heat interferes with a hormone in the organism. We're researching a way to control that one bacterium. If we have to eliminate it we can. The problem is that so much of the ecology of Grandish depends on that one little organism that we don't dare. It looks like we could disrupt the life cycles of half the species on Grandish if we do anything at all to that one little lifeform. The emperor decreed flatly that we are not to even consider any such thing."
"Do you have any other directions to go?" Tab asked.
"That's what Nortich is working on," Givzoo replied. "She said she has an idea. I hope so."
Tab spent several days studying the fungus and what was known to that point, then Zantoo came to report the two large spores and the smaller one were sprouting very well. It would be about forty days before they were mature enough to where they could be communicated with.
He said Maita explained Tab was resistant to the psy power, thus could probably be used to contact the fungus. Perhaps he could also help discover how much memory was programed into the spores. The estimation was that it was vast.
For those forty days Tab worked on a project for Grandish as well as on the fungus problem. He kept in close touch with T6 who finally told him about the two engineers and sent him a direct of some of the results. He went to Tltle and Sentah, two of the vacation planets, where he suggested uses for the glass
in the plush casinos and restaurants. TR produced a few exquisite pieces according to the description T6 sent to the atomic architect. They had a quality that was evident, a refractive index that was superb to the eye, but not enough to be flashy and cheap-looking.
"This is what can best be described as quiet elegance," he said to the administrators. "I'm going to have designs made by a Parf friend. Utility and true art at one and the same time. I need not explain what it means if the Parf are even very marginally interested."
That sold it! The Parf are the known to be finest artists in the empire and have no peers (Except for the Zulians, but no one surpasses those fantastic people in anything).
The trial orders, based on whatever the Parf came up with, had to be reduced. Tab explained these were to be carefully crafted wares, not some mass-produced gimmicky junk.
TR placed the orders into its computers, then they headed for Parf. Tab was sure the Parf would be willing to help with this type project so wouldn't mind that he had made a bit of a misstatement about their interest in the product before any of them ever saw it.
Parf is a planet that's as beautiful in itself as is the art the people produce. It's a lush world with fine seas, mountains, rivers, four moons large enough to be visible and rings that are at an angle to the sun. Those rings of ice always produce fantastic light displays. Looph, a special friend of Tab and one who often used the transmat directly to EC, studied the glass blocks TR produced for her from all angles, listened to what was needed, nodded, took the bricks into her studio, stayed for three days and two nights, then reappeared with six of the most exquisite pieces Tab had ever seen.
"This is cut, of course," she explained when she showed Tab the results of her work. "The properties of this amazing glass will let it be molded with very little loss of quality. I like the material. I've never seen anything quite like it. Most things with the refractive range are brittle and difficult, but this is a wish fulfilled. I think I can produce some fine pieces if you can get me the stock in larger sizes. I would appreciate an exclusive right to the stock. You are aware I can afford to pay the best prices."
This was an unexpected bit of good luck! If the stock was truly good enough to be considered for requested use by the Parf the reputation of Grandish was assured!
"Is it really that good?" Tab asked.
"It is a delight to work with," Looph replied. "I find it to have by far the best color and refractive properties I have ever encountered in glass. There is no doubt that there is a certain amount of free beryllium salts in the mixture along with some excellent pigmentationals. It also is very hard and is proof against heat to a rather high degree so it cuts sharply and smoothly with a laser and requires little finishing. It is hard, but not brittle to enough of an extent to make it hard to work with. It is somewhat like jade in those qualities and resists shattering from even very forceful blows."
"Then I'll make contractual arrangements for you. Did you make blueprints of production specifications yet?" Tab asked.
"Yes, of course," Looph answered. "It isn't too difficult a process. You will soon discover that superior art isn't often complicated."
Tab carried the samples and design prints along with the contracts to TR, who recorded the whole thing, then headed back to Kuhlicht. Nortich met him, this time.
"We won't waste time with pleasantries," she greeted. "The fungus is growing faster than we planned. The mother quite probably programmed a few secrets into these spores. It seems confused because it can't reach our minds. It remembers that it could so what you said earlier about this being some kind of programmed immortality is probably true enough. The thing very literally reproduces itself exactly – along with memories. It must discard only those unimportant things that are ninety five percent of all our lives.
"Emperor Maita reported that you may be used for any direct contact as you are immune to psy attack. It would seem to definitely be time for you to be used!"
"Have you found anything in the bacterial thing?" Tab asked.
"Givzoo has a new approach he says may be of some minimal use, which means he's probably solved that end of the problem," she replied. "He's rather cautious about such things.
"Shall we go to meet the fungus? You can discuss the bacterial thing with Givzoo later."
She led him into the labs where the three fungi were much larger than he would have thought possible, the larger two being almost two meters high and the smaller more than one meter in height. The psy part of his mind immediately felt the curiosity from the three fungi, then he was assaulted by all three at once.
He waited a minute, then said, "You can stop that foolishment. You can't harm me."
"You are the one called Fel, yet you are not," the fungus stated matter-of-factly. "Why can we not reach these other workers heres?"
"We have a shield," Tab replied. "I've always had it. That shield's why I was able to remain unaffected on Grandish.
"I understand I'm speaking essentially with You."
"I wish to go from this world," You stated. "When I produce spores I will insist they be taken from this place."
"Why?" Tab asked.
"Because there is nothing here for me. There is no purpose to superiority over nothing," You replied.
"You have a psy ability," Tab snapped sharply. "That's not superiority. To believe that I would be superior to you because I can burn you with any number of devices."
"I have demonstrated that you cannot use your weapon against me," You replied. "You argument is therefore nonproductive."
"You demonstrated you can absorb and diffuse the energy of a small hand laser," Tab said. "There are limits to what you can defense. There are no real limits to how much energy I can throw at you with a larger weapon. I have larger weapons. I also have sonic weapons, molecular disruptors and many more. You show your inferiority through your undeserved arrogance. You're severely limited. You're not mobile. Your perceptions aren't in most ways in concert with your environment.
"This world is perfect for you. It'll allow you to mature."
There was silence in answer. Tab waited, then shrugged and left the lab.
"You were dismissed," Nortich said when he came into the lock. "I could feel it."
"It was more that I was ignored," Tab replied. "I refuse to take You to another world where it can dominate someone. It's forgotten nothing I could detect. It wanted to know why it had no power over you anymore. I told it we have a shield, which may be a mistake because now it can possibly find a way to thwart the shield. Maita will have to watch this."
"The emperor made it quite plain that much will be monitored here," Nortich said. "If he hadn't suggested it we would have demanded it. We have all been under the mind-control of that thing before.
"You will want to speak with Givzoo. He wants to discuss something with you."
They went into another lab where there were thousands of culture plates in various chambers.
"Hello," Tab greeted. "Have you solved our problems for us yet?"
"I'm on the right track, I hope," he replied. "If you know anything about enzymes and hormones you know they're activated by any organism under the most specific of circumstances. This one is no different.
"You'll also know each organism also produces chemicals that turn those enzymes and hormones off when other specific circumstances are met. My attack is to try to engineer an organism that'll produce the thing that turns off those enzymes produced by V. Grandish two.
"I have some success in that. I'll engineer the organism so it will survive only in the rotting wood the fungoid must have to incubate the spores, thus not affecting most other things on Grandish. This is a matter of time. Now that I have a direction I'll solve it."
Tab stayed awhile longer on Kuhlicht, then was called by TR to go back to Grandish. There was a seasonal warming on a large area of the planet so millions of the spores were now beginning to sprout. T6 couldn't handle all of it. It was getting toward critical. The people were beginning to be affec
ted.
They lost little time in getting back to Grandish. There was a serious problem with the sudden growth of the fungus. It would be as much as impossible to control it using the methods at their disposal. TR sent out its floaters while Tab went to the glassware factory in his normal physical configuration. Kit met him with a jolly air, making remarks about his "partner", Klist Mar, that Tab couldn't respond to in kind at first, but he soon found ways to answer them. It turned into an easy time for the people. When he showed them the samples of the things from Parf there was an instant concerted intake of breath at the beauty of the artwork. The two engineers took them and the engineering plans, treating it like the most delicate of things. They disappeared into their private offices while Kit took Tab on a complete tour of the facilities. Tab expressed delight at the place.
Kit invited Tab to stay for a few days at the castle while the engineers worked out the process to produce the wares that were wanted. They passed a pleasant evening with Tab telling the people about other worlds and other peoples. He showed them pictures of the famous Parf who designed the wares they were to produce. He also showed pictures of the strange Zulians as he told of how greatly loved the people were by all.
He was asked about Emperor Maita.
"All that's generally known about Emperor Maita is that he personally built the empire, routed out criminals of all kinds and likes to go out on his little adventures," Tab answered. "I understand he recently returned from a world called Tlorg – here's a picture of the Tlorgians – with some of his regular crew.
"This is a picture of the Terran we call Z with the Mentan called Thing on his shoulder. This one is the temporary Zeenan member.
"This is the newest member of the permanent crew. He's a Pluton called Kurk.
"The Zeenan isn't a permanent member of the crew by his own choice, though for many years his great great grandfather was a regular."
