by Darrell Bain
Dan wasn't worried yet. While they had been in the Terman system, it had taken longer than two weeks before the number of MI ships coming to aid their fellows began to slow and they hadn't been in this universe that long yet. As he waited for the prospective lessening of doomed MI ships to pass through the warp point, he and Stacey gradually brought all of Pioneer's systems back on line. The changes in physical laws didn't appear to affect humans in a noticeable way, but he was still uneasy. There was no way of determining what the long-term effects might be. He wanted to get back to the Termen solar system and the universe their bodies had evolved for as soon as possible, but first, he had to make sure all the MI ships had followed them through the warp point. If the pattern they had seen in the Termen system was any indication, then they still had at least another week to go and probably a little more. That was just about the time needed to complete the circular path he had set Pioneer on. In the meantime, other than worrying about possible effects of different laws on their bodies, it was a time for relaxation and recuperation from the mind-numbing weeks of battle.
The inner circle was meeting in the Captain's stateroom, rehashing events up to the present time. Dan was easy enough with the way events were happening that he allowed himself a couple of brandies before posing the question foremost on his mind.
“I've been thinking and rethinking about the Termites again. It still bothers me about the MI keeping biological intelligence confined to planets. Has anyone else come up with possible reasons?"
“The MI don't want competition?” Matt offered.
Dan shook his head. “I wish it were that simple but I doubt it. There has to be a defining reason, something that initiated the action in the first place. When the termite computers reached the level of artificial intelligence, why did they revolt—or revolt as much as their core programming allowed?"
“Well, we can always just ask the Termites when we get back to their system."
“Yes, but to do that we have to take out the orbiting robots first and that lets the Termites out before we know anything about them."
“I've got a suggestion,” Hawkins said. He savored a sip of brandy before continuing. “Why don't we take a look at what's on the other side of the warp point we haven't explored yet? We could do that first, sort of nose around and see what's there."
“Are you suspecting something, Chet?” Stacey asked. “Doing that might add several more months to our trip."
“I doubt most of the scientists would object,” Matt said. “After all, they haven't set foot on even one new planet yet. And who knows? Maybe looking at the other systems will tell us something, assuming there's a solar system beyond that warp point."
“Chet, how about the military? How would they feel about extending the trip?"
Hawkins held his brandy snifter in both hands as if warming them from the fiery liquor. “They're like the scientists, Dan. They want to see something new. Hell, they'd rather extend the trip if it gives them a chance to set down on a new planet."
“I'm glad you all feel that way, because I really do want to do some more study before we let the Termites loose."
“Suppose when we pass through their system they have something to say now?” Stacey asked.
Dan turned to Matt. “Would we pass close enough to collect a signal from Termen if we head for the other warp point?"
“I'll have to check. Give me a few minutes."
The conversation continued after Dan activated the captain's screen and console for Matt.
Tara crossed and uncrossed her legs and looked around the stateroom, obviously hesitant about a particular subject but ultimately deciding to speak. “I've got something to bring up you might not have noticed, busy as you were with fighting off the MI. While that was going on, the Reverend McCoy was preaching about how sinful it was to use violence. He's been saying we should have landed right away on the termite world and begun converting them to Christianity.” She looked around again, and noticed expressions of disgust mixed with hesitant belief, as if wondering how anyone could be so stupid. She shrugged. “That's what he's been saying."
“I don't doubt you, Tara,” Dan assured her. “It's just that ... well, I have problems picturing critters that look like Termites bending their knees and praying, much less going through a baptism."
“What the hell is his agenda?” Hawkins demanded to the air. “Haven't we got enough problems without this kind of silliness?"
“Some people take it very seriously, Dan,” Tara said. “None of you are religious so you tend to filter out anything relating to it. There hasn't been much for the crew to stay busy with, those that weren't assigned as gunners. McCoy's taken advantage of their idleness and he's good at what he does. He didn't get to be one of the biggest televangelists in America by being unconvincing."
“That's true,” Stacey agreed. “I guess it's something we'd better look into."
The subject was anathema to Dan. He wasn't an atheist, but was a very firm agnostic and had no use for formalized religion, not since being forced to attend a fundamentalist church by his parents until well into his late teens. “I'd rather be looking into why the MI tied the Termites down to their planet, but okay, get me all the information you can on McCoy's activities and I'll see how serious it is. And I guess you may as well see what the Muslims are up to as well."
“There's not that many of them left,” Tara said pointedly.
“Do you think I did wrong in having the ones who mutinied executed?"
“No, not really, but it did cause some ill feelings among the more liberal of the crew."
“Hell, and all this time, I thought just about everyone agreed with me on that."
“You were too busy with other matters. And Dan—believe it or not, a lot of folks are uneasy about destroying all the machine intelligences."
“Really? Well, they're not alone. I've been wishing we could have captured some for study myself."
“We still can, I think,” Hawkins interjected.
Dan started. “How?"
“Just ask Pioneer if it can whip up a few tractor beams. If it can, we're in business. If not, we can do it the hard way."
A few minutes later they had the answer. Pioneer could and would. But before that question was answered, Matt had the answer to the previous one.
“We can pass close enough to the Termite planet to receive a clear signal with only a minor adjustment to our course. If they want to talk now that the MI are out of they way, that'll be their chance."
“Fine. In the meantime, let's try capturing a few of the derelicts and see what we can find out about them."
* * *
Chapter Twenty-Three
Rather than deviate significantly from their previously calculated course, Dan had them wait until they passed close to one of the inoperative MI ships. Pioneer's hastily designed and constructed tractor beams worked fine. The derelict ship was captured with little difficulty by going only slightly out of their way.
Terrell Blanco and Susan Cadler were selected over numerous other volunteers to don spacesuits and explore the MI ship, even though neither of them had extravehicular experience. Nevertheless, they were the two individuals aboard best qualified to gain some badly needed information about the machine intelligences and their relationship with the Termites.
Dan watched them go with trepidation, remembering how relentless the MI had been in their attempts to ground Pioneer. He couldn't help but be wary of what even an apparently inoperable ship might do. The spacesuits were designed for eight hours of activity. To be on the safe side, he gave them six hours to accomplish whatever they could before returning.
The time passed slowly, with almost everyone who had access to a screen watching Terrell and Susan's activity, sent back over a line running from their suits. The images were shaky and blurry at times, a result of having to use recorders designed to work in their own universe. They also carried a plethora of electronic instruments in addition to the tool kits at their waists
. The instruments were calibrated with two sets of numbers, one from each universe.
The first difficulty was finding a way to get into the forward part of the ship, where they thought the computerization was likely to reside. Eventually, a key was found that caused a whole section to fold back. It was a simple mechanism that used little electronics and was obviously not impacted by the different laws of the universe it was now in.
Behind the panel resided a maze of compartments. The audience watched as first Susan, then Terrell wriggled into the narrow passages and disappeared, trailing their communication lines. Dan began wondering why a machine intelligence would even need passageways. Could they be for repairs, or upgrades? After a moment he quit speculating. Who could tell what intelligent machines thought they needed in their transportation vehicles?
“I think we've found what we were looking for,” Terrell's voice came from the speaker, distorted into a hollow, rasping sound by a variance in how the equipment worked now.
“Is it alive?” Dan asked, then immediately realized how absurd his question sounded.
A laugh like the cackle of a witch resounded in the control room, the rendition of Susan's chuckle. “Not hardly. There's no response at all to our tweaking so far. No live circuits."
“That doesn't sound helpful,” Berlin commented. “Even if they're not responding, the circuits to whatever they're using for intelligence should have enough current to keep it on standby."
“Maybe they suicided,” Hawkins suggested over the speaker phone.
Surprisingly, Terrell agreed, at least partially. “They might well have. Maybe the way things work here was simply intolerable to minds using electrons to think with."
Dan glanced at his watch, a holdover from school days when phones or other personal information gadgets weren't allowed to operate in classrooms. “Is it possible to detach what you believe is the thinking part of the critter and bring it aboard?"
A long interval of silence occurred, then a mumbled conversation between the two in the MI ship before he got an answer from Terrell. “We think it's possible, but we can't do it all in one EVA."
“That's all right; we can stay attached to the derelict as long as we need to. We didn't have to deviate from our planned path that much and we're back in the groove already."
“Then yes, we can do it."
* * * *
Terrell and Susan each returned to the ruined MI with new companions, but it took several more extravehicular excursions before the modules containing the thinking part of the MI was removed and brought aboard. Dan had a room cleared and put a team to working on it, cautioning them to do nothing irreversible until they got back to an environment with familiar laws. Even the gauging instruments couldn't be trusted.
Other than that study, there was little to do. Hawkins detached himself to work with the battalion of bored soldiers while Matt, Tara and a team of scientists used the time to review all the astronomical data on both sides of the last warp point, wanting to be very certain of the location when they attempted to re-enter it.
Dan put a relief crew in Central Control and he and Stacey took a well-deserved rest. He felt as if he had been carrying a loaded pack for weeks and it was suddenly lifted from his back.
“You look about ten years younger than you did a week ago,” Stacey told him as they were getting ready for bed.
Dan drew his wife down by his side before she had finished disrobing. “Sweetheart, you always look young."
She kissed his forehead and nose and lips then nuzzled his neck with an unseen smile as he fumbled with the clasp of her bra. He never had learned to unhook it easily, but eventually it got done.
“How long do we have until we swing around to the warp point again?"
Dan paused at what he was doing. “You know as well as I do. Another three weeks. Why?"
“I think I'd like to spend all the time in bed."
“Wouldn't that be nice? We could have George and Melinda just serve us in here and not have to see anyone else.” It was a nice dream, but of course not possible. Tomorrow would be another work day, but in the meantime, he intended for them to enjoy themselves.
* * * *
Feeling rather guilty two days later and still having not gone back to the Control Center, Dan called a meeting of the inner circle, along with Susan, Tara, Terrell and Berlin. As soon as everyone was present, he told them why.
“The relief crew told me no more MI ships are coming through the warp point, so it appears we've gotten them all. And commensurate with that, I guess we'd better start making plans for what we're going to do once we're back in the Termen system."
“Well, in that case, I suppose I'd better start right off with my objection to letting the Termites loose,” Hawkins announced.
“You mean never?"
“Probably not. I just want us to take our time. Once the genie's out of the bottle, I doubt we can put it back again."
“They'll get out eventually,” Matt said. “Those robots won't last forever, and we didn't leave any MI around to repair them."
“Hmm. Maybe we did too good a job."
“We couldn't have done anything else,” Stacey said. She was tending bar, to move around a little if nothing else.
“I agree,” Hawkins said. “However, I still think we'd do well to look around some more before going back to Termen. In fact, I thought we'd already agreed on it."
“We had, but opinion of other parties varies. McCoy's agitating to take out the robots and go down immediately. A lot of the scientists want to as well. That's what they came for; to meet aliens and see new worlds."
“Yours is the only opinion that counts in the final analysis, sweetheart,” Stacey said, handing him a cup of coffee liberally laced with brandy.
“Thanks, hon. Yeah, I know, but I don't want a mutiny on my hands. We've been aboard a long time already by sailing ship standards. Shipboard life begins to pall after a while, especially if you have no family with you and no useful work to do."
“May I make a suggestion?” Susan asked. She swept a hand across her forehead to brush back an annoying sheaf of hair that had gotten loose from its clasp.
“Sure. Speak up."
“Why don't we set a time frame for exploring, then have definite plans after that to either let the Termites loose or go home."
“We don't have to be quite that deliberate,” Terrell said. “On whether or not to let them loose."
“You mean there's another option?"
“According to Brad and a few other top notch engineers who've been working on Pioneer's capabilities, there is. They think we may be able to get down to Termen and back into space without disturbing the robots."
“What!” Dan was halfway to his feet. “Why haven't they said anything to me?"
“Because they're not absolutely sure yet. Brad and a few others think it's a real probability. There is dissent, though."
“We better be damn certain,” Stacey said, holding a bottle motionless above a glass. “I want to go back home eventually. If we're not absolutely sure we can take off again and elude the robots, then best not to try. Destroy them first."
“Wait a minute,” Dan said. “If Pioneer is capable of evading the robots coming and going, with biological intelligence aboard, why didn't the Termites do it themselves? Use the ship to get away from the planet, I mean. Or hell, build a fleet of ships to get loose and take on the MI?"
“Good question,” Terrell acknowledged. “However, Pioneer isn't the same ship it was when it first left their planet. It's learned a tremendous amount of new things, including a number of adaptations from Earth technology. They obviously built it to be capable of continually upgrading its capabilities once it was free of the planet. Take the tractor fields as an example. It wasn't originally designed to have them, but it managed to build the capability into itself after we asked."
“Okay, point taken, but we'll be certain of what we do, one way or another,” Dan assured her—and the others. Privatel
y, he wondered if his statement bordered on wishful thinking. There were very few certainties in the universe.
Eventually, Susan's suggestion carried the day. A definite time period was set for exploration, then they would decide what to do about the inhabitants of Termen. Before the meeting broke up, Dan asked Hawkins to meet with Brad and the other engineers periodically on the possibility of evading the robot guards of the planet. He personally doubted it could be done if the Termites hadn't managed all those years. In the meantime there was another problem to take care of. He set up a meeting with the Reverend McCoy.
* * * *
“Good morning Captain,” McCoy said brightly as he entered the stateroom. He looked around curiously at the elaborately furnished sitting room, only one of the four rooms of the suite. It had far more amenities than other accommodations, right down to more comfortable furniture.
Dan noted the scrutiny and immediately began thinking how McCoy could use the contrast between the captain's furnishing and those of ordinary crewpersons as a goad in bringing them around to his viewpoint. He gave himself a mental rebuke for the paranoid thought, then greeted McCoy. “Good morning Reverend. Have a seat. Something to drink?"
“Coffee if you have it, thank you."
George poured for both of them then Dan dismissed his aide. After the normal amenities and small talk, he got down to business. “Reverend, I understand you've been disagreeing rather forcefully with some of my decisions since we left Earth. Would you care to comment?"
McCoy smiled and crossed his legs, appearing as comfortable as if he were on a talk show discussing his wide-spread ministry. “What particulars are you talking about, Captain Saddler?"
“I'm sure you know,” Dan said shortly.
The smile disappeared on seeing how serious the captain obviously was. “I assume you're speaking of the executions?"
