ABBYY PClDicFk hTerrae tno sbfouyrmer2.0 ABBYY PClDicFk hTerrae tno sbfouyrmer2.0 www.ABBYY.com www.ABBYY.com Other Bantam Books by F. M. Busby Ask your bookseller for the books you have missed STAR REBEL --------------------------------------------------- --THE-- ALIEN DEBT F. M. Busby BANTAM BOOKS TORONTO (cid:127) NEW YORK (cid:127) LONDON (cid:127) SYDNEY (cid:127) AUCKLAND --------------------------------------------------- THE ALIEN DEBT A Bantam Book I June 1984 All rights reserved. Copyright © 1984 by E M. Busby. Cover art copyright © 1984 by Wayne Barlowe. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by mimeograph or any other means, without permission. For information address: Bantam Books, Inc. ISBN 0-553-24176-1 Published simultaneously in the United States and Canada Bantam Books are published by Bantam Books, Inc. Its trademark, consisting of the words ''Bantam Books'' and the portrayal of a rooster, is Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Marca Registrada. Bantam Books, Inc., 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10103. ABBYY PClDicFk hTerrae tno sbfouyrmer2.0 ABBYY PClDicFk hTerrae tno sbfouyrmer2.0 www.ABBYY.com www.ABBYY.com PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA H 0987654321 --------------------------------------------------- To Laura,who sparked this book I. Lisele ........................................... 1 II. Rissa ............................................4 HI. Elzh............................................13 IV. Tregare ........................................14 V. lvan............................................23 VI. Lisele..........................................31 VII. Elzh............................................44 VIII. Rissa...........................................45 IX. Elzh............................................68 X. Ivan............................................70 XI. Lisele..........................................86 XII. Ivan ..........................................104 XIII. Lisele ........................................112 XIV. Ivan ..........................................119 XV. Tregare.......................................125 XVI. Ivan ..........................................138 XVH. Lisele ........................................144 XVffl. Ivan ..........................................164 XIX. Lisele ........................................168 XX. Elzh ..........................................181 XXI. Ivan ..........................................182 XXII. Elzh ..........................................199 XXIII. Lisele ........................................200 XXIV. Rissa .........................................212 XXV. Lisele ........................................217 XXVI. Tregare.......................................219 XXVII. Lisele ........................................222 XXVIII. Elzh ..........................................225 I. Lisele Introduction to "A Short Study of How UET Gained and Lost Power Over the Planet Earth," a thesis for the 2nd Junior Degree by Liesel Selene Moray, ages 8-1/2 bio and 18 chrono, approx. In this paper written for Professor Diebolt's history department in the Junior University at Sancia Leckaby Spaceport, I will try to cover everything important from when the United Energy and Transport conglomerate won the sixth corporate bidding election and its Presiding Committee took over the rule of North America, to the time when the space fleet headed by my father, Bran Tregare Moray, freed Earth and dissolved UET's government. UET controlled most of Earth from 2004 to 2103, and those weren't good years to live here. UET's Committee Police were bullies and killers, and their Total Welfare centers were slave camps, Rissa Kerguelen, my mother, was put into a Center when she was five (since she'd never left Earth, she had only one age) and was there for eleven years, almost. Her brother Ivan Marchant, my uncle, was in there even longer. There are books that explain about Total Welfare, and I've read two of them. But all you really need to know is that when somebody was WeSfared, UET took over everything that person owned and owed, and put the "client" into big barracks-type buildings where everybody wore jumpsuits and ate in messhalls. Male and female sections were separate, and each had three divisions: Pre-pube, Post-pube, and Adult. Those last two would be sent out in work ABBYY PClDicFk hTerrae tno sbfouyrmer2.0 ABBYY PClDicFk hTerrae tno sbfouyrmer2.0 www.ABBYY.com www.ABBYY.com gangs, but most of their pay went to UET; the clients did get a little bit credited to their Welfare accounts, and the idea was that they could someday earn their way out of Welfare. But the way UET had it set up, nobody really did. The way my mother got out was by 1 2 winning a big lottery prize. And the funny part was that she hadn't bought the ticket; her supervisor was doing a crooked trick with Post-pube clients' credits and it backfired. That's all ! know about it because she doesn't like to talk about Total Welfare much. Another thing that began in 2004 was star travel. I think everybody knows by now that UET didn't invent it. An alien ship came here, and UET killed the aliens and stole their ship and copied it. Then they sent out colonies and did other things. But some ships Escaped and set up their own colonies which were called the Hidden Worlds because UET didn't know where they were. When my father took Inconnu,the first armed ship ever to Escape, UET called him "Tregare the Pirate." But you've seen on the Tri-V, I expect, how on the planet Number One he got six ships together and went to take over UET's fortress world Stronghold, and made a bigger fleet there and came back and took Earth away from UET. My mother helped, too. I was born on Stronghold, which is why I have two ages and know firsthand what the Long View is all about. The Long View has to do with relativity, when you ride a ship that gets up close to the speed of light. I don't know the math yet (I get that next year, I think) but I do know that when we came from Stronghold to Earth it took about six months by ship's time and close to ten years by any planet's time. So if you ride ships very much, you have to keep the Long View in mind. Those aliens that UET killed are called Shrakken; my parents have met some of them but I haven't. Tregare, my father, captured a ship of theirs and made a deal to use it for a decoy when he went into Stronghold. He gave me some pictures of them, which I will put in the Appendix to this paper. We don't know much about the Shrakken; they are very strange. Sometimes they kill people, but my mother says they don't do it on purpose, because they have to lay eggs in a living creature the same as digger wasps do, and she likes them anyway. But when they lay eggs in people it kills the people. Caused trouble, for a while. I was too little to do any of it myself, of course, but my family and friends had a big part in getting rid of UET's slave system. That's why a lot of them are on the Board of Trustees of Earth. There's Rissa and Tregare, my parents. Then my dad's parents, Liesel Hulzein and Hawkman Moray. I'm named for Grandma Liesel and for my other grandma, Selene Kerguelen, that UET killed when my mother was five. And there's Mom's 3 brother Ivan Marchant and his mate Ilse Krueger, and my great-aunt Erika Hulzein who is Grandma Liesel's older sister. If you don't know about the Hulzein Establishment, which Erika merged with the rest of our government last year, it was based on a parthenogenetic dynasty that lasted five generations, and was one of the few power groups that managed to hold out against UET. Parthenogenetic means a mother having a daughter with no father. It's not the same as cloning which never worked out very well, because the Hulzein method fertilizes one intact ovum with the nucleus of another from the same person. I'm not sure why this works better, but the details are outside the scope of this paper, anyway. However, my mother did this to have my baby sister Renalie, who is enough younger than I am that we won't have to have sibling jealousy, since I'm practically a half-generation in between her and my mother. My Grandma Liesel explained to me about that, and I'm glad she did, because Renaile is really a very nice baby. There are quite a few more Trustees but for most of the list I think I'll wait and tell about them when they come in the main thesis. Except for why they belong on the Board. It's not a hard and fast thing, but several were ship's captains for Tregare when he took Stronghold and then squadron commanders in the fight for Earth. Tregare goes with people who do good work. That's true of the new Trustee; you saw on the Tri-V about the appointment, probably. Derek Limmer, with the scarred face-he and his wife Feicie Parager stayed behind to run Stronghold for Tregare and only came to Earth this year on ABBYY PClDicFk hTerrae tno sbfouyrmer2.0 ABBYY PClDicFk hTerrae tno sbfouyrmer2.0 www.ABBYY.com www.ABBYY.com one of the new Hoyfarul faster-than-light ships. Their son Arlen was my best friend on Stronghold and he used to be my same bio-age, nearly, but now he's nine years older because he stayed on Stronghold while Tregare's fleet chewed time. And then coming to Earth by FTL, Arlen didn't put much difference to his two ages. It seems strange, but that's the Long View for you. There are a lot of other important people but as I said, I can tell about them when the time comes. Now I should end this introduction and get on with the main body of my thesis. Note to Professor Diebolt: The main report, I'm afraid, will have to wait until we get back. I mean, the new armed FTL shipInconnu Deuxis going down-arm toward the galaxy itself, to help the Shrakken against some enemy that won't stop to talk; they only attack. Some of the Board didn't see why we should go help the Shrakken, but Tregare says it's only common sense. That if these 4 other aliens wipe out the Shrakken, we could be next. And Rissa, my mother, swung the Board vote by pointing out that if it weren't for the Shrakken we wouldn't even have star travel, because UET stole it from them. So we owe them, she says, and I think she's right. Also when she says that humans and Shrakken have killed each other, one way or another: "And that book is balanced; let us close it." So Inconnu Deux is being readied to go down-arm. I don't know just when, but soon. Rissa and Tregare aren't sure whether I'm going with them. But I am. IIRissa Dryingher long, dark hair, Rissa Kerguelen studied the tentative roster of Inconnu Deux. About a quarter the number she was used to: in a standard hull, Pennet Hoyfanil's FTL drive left much less room for quarters and supplies. Luckily, increased automation allowed the smaller crewing. For a moment, Rissa frowned. It would be good to travel again with her brother, Ivan Marchant, but why wasn't his mate, Ilse Krueger, coming along? Trouble between those two? Since Ilse's disfigurement during the battle for Earth, her stability had sometimes been cause for worry. No problem about the Kobolak twins, Anders and Dacia; those two had joined Tregare at Stronghold. Anders was bringing his wife, Alina Rostadt; Dacia remained persistently unattached. Arlen Limmer: every time Rissa saw the young man she thought of how his father might look, without the terrible scars from UET's Space Academy. And Derek had incurred those scars when he was younger than Arlen was now. Haskell Ornaway? Oh, yes! The ambush by misled cadets, when she and Tregare went to "civilize" the Academy. The boy 5 who stood cradling a broken arm and asked the chance to redeem himself. Well, he'd made it. She scanned down the list, finding no more familiar names. Two dozen adults, then, in all. Plus, despite Tregare's misgivings, young Lisele and her parthenogeneiic half-sister, Renalle. And, of course, Stonzai the Shrakken. Hair coiled and piled high, Rissa stood and stretched. At the bio-age of twenty- eight, probably she could use more exercise, but she still looked and felt trim. If she'd changed much in the past five years, since the retaking of Earth, she couldn't detect it. Of course if she'd never left Earth, she'd be eighty now. Yes, there was something to be said for having two ages! ABBYY PClDicFk hTerrae tno sbfouyrmer2.0 ABBYY PClDicFk hTerrae tno sbfouyrmer2.0 www.ABBYY.com www.ABBYY.com The door opened and Tregare entered. "Bran. You are home early." With their two decimeters difference in height, she was accustomed to stretching a little to kiss. Lovemaking of late had been scarce. After Rissa's slow recovery from Renalle's difficult birth, pressure of work and social obligations had been intrusive. Especially now, with the preparations for Inconnu Deux's mission. So Rissa did not misread the messages of Tregare's eyes and hands. "There is time?" "Should be." And on this occasion came none of the vagrant pangs left over from parturition; Rissa's cry of triumph came unbidden, as though someone else had made it. Then she lay relaxed. Sitting up, Tregare grinned. "Back to your best, eh?" "Or near to it. And, Bran-thank you for your patience." As they dressed, she said, "Bran? Does Stonzai come here alone for your meeting tonight, or with other Shrakken?" "One other. Her mate: Sevshen, I think the name is. Hasn't much English, Stonzai reports, but is working on it. Stonzai, now-she came onscreen for a minute when Dacia called from the port-Stonzai claims she's studied the tapes you gave her back on Stronghold. But she still piles all her verbs in one place a lot." Rissa smiled. Yes, the Shrakken leader had always given English a rather Germanic syntax, not easy to understand. But still, Rissa looked forward to seeing the alien again, and this evening's gathering would provide the occasion. In preparation for that planning session, Tregare left to check the computer terminal and holographic projector that were 6 newly installed in the dining area. Rissa went to see to her infant daughter, and found Renalle just waking. The weaning medication would stop Rissa's milk soon, so while they could, mother and daughter might as well enjoy the intimacy of feeding. Soon, making little sounds of contentment, the baby nuzzled. When she was satisfied, Rissa played with her until renewed signs of drowsiness appeared, then called the nurse from the next room. "Tonight it must be bottle feeding, for once the meeting begins I cannot count on getting free of it." The woman nodded, and Rissa decided to look in on her older daughter. Entering Lisele's room, Rissa wondered why the child's choice of furnishings gave such an unchildlike effect. At any rate there would be no greetings or discussion now, for the girl sat crosslegged before her biofeedback console, obviously in the semi-trance "alpha state." Well, the regimen seemed to be relieving tensions from the competitive pressures of the Junior University. As Rissa watched, Lisele breathed evenly and deeply. Her dark, wavy hair, currently rather short, set off her pale skin well. Tall for her age, she'd grow to be taller-though not so tall, Rissa hoped, as the twenty decimeters of Tregare's father, Hawkman Moray. Tregare's eighteen, she decided, wouldn't be too bad.... Turning to leave, she saw a sheet of readout trailing from Lisele's computer terminal, and gave it a quick look. Yes; the child was revising her thesis- introduction. Rissa smiled, then nodded: Lisele had her facts reasonably straight and clearly stated. She checked her chronometer. As she had expected, it was time to rejoin Tregare. She found him arranging potables at the small bar, set to one side of the dining area. Across that room sat the electronic gear he had come to inspect; presumably he was satisfied with it. Now he glanced up and saw her. "Come have a drink. There's time to talk a little." Since Renalle's birth she had only recently resumed use of any alcohol at all; the mixture he poured for her was quite dilute. Sitting in adjacent, padded bar chairs, they clinked glasses and sipped. "Thank you. Yes-theDeuxroster. You list only names, nothing of rankings or positions." He nodded. "Well, you won't know the Engineering people; they're mostly new to space. All trained with Hoyfanil's FTL group but only one of them has two ages." She waited, and he said, "Control officers, then. You're my First Hat, of course, 7 and I like Anders Kobolak for Second." Rissa made to speak, but Tregare said, "Third, now-you remember a kid named Mask Ornaway?" "Yes, after checking the name on computer. The ambush- and I am glad he has turned out well. But I do not understand-" "You object to him?" ABBYY PClDicFk hTerrae tno sbfouyrmer2.0 ABBYY PClDicFk hTerrae tno sbfouyrmer2.0 www.ABBYY.com www.ABBYY.com She shook her head. "No. But my brother Ivan-" "What about him? He's coming with us; you agreed to that." "Tregare! Ivan Marchant was Ilse's First Hat on GrafSpee, and then Coordination officer for Falconer squadron. Yet now you give him no Hat at all? Is he to serve as a rating, under an untried boy like Ornaway?" "Easy." One hand warded off her urgency. "Ivan's my Gunnery chief, rank roughly equal to First Hat but outside the Hats' chain of command, answering directly to me. For the fancy turret setup you designed, I think that's a full-time job." Her eyes narrowed. "Outside the command-chain, you say. Yet he will answer not only to yourself. Any Hat who happens to be watch officer can call him to account." Tregare's fist thumped the bar. "As my representative, sure. Same as the Chief Engineer takes orders, no matterwhocalls from Control. I don't see any problem." Rissa paused. "Why, Bran? And you know what I mean." Slowly, he nodded. "All right. In the battle for Earth, Ivan broke. Cut loose from his duties and went all-out after Admiral Ozzie Newhausen." "And got him. Do not forget that." His hand sliced air. "Got him, sure. But dumped every squadron responsibility, right in the middle of combat, to do it. No, Rissa. I value Ivan and you know that- but I want him where his skills will help and any lack of discipline can't hurt." Briefly, he grinned. "For his backup, I've assigned Dacia Kobolak." Anger ebbing, Rissa said, "I cannot argue, Bran-though I wish I could." Her other thought, that Ivan's willingness to leave Ilse behind might be a trouble sign, she did not mention. The afternoon's first arrival was Dacia Kobolak's scoutship. These small spacecraft, ordinarily carried by the fleet's full-sized ships, did not have interstellar range but found use in and near planetary systems-or as emergency lifeboats. They were de- 8 signed to accommodate twelve passengers-but from this one, only a pair of aliens followed Dacia down the ramp. Reaching ground, the sturdy redhaired woman still led the way. Behind her the tall, thin Shrakken, each wearing only a sort of harness hung with bulging pouches, came with their toe-dancing gait. Unlike bears or humans, Shrakken were not plantigrade. As Tregare put it, "The heel is a hock; that's where the extra height is." And indeed they were tall-at least the equal of Hawkman Moray. The taller one, Rissa recognized- squinting against dust raised by the landing-as her old acquaintance Stonzai, commander of Sharanj, the ship Tregare had captured on Number One so long ago. Commander wasn't quite the correct term among Shrakken, Rissa knew, but close enough. Now she noticed that Stonzai's ocher skin was brighter than her companion's, its brownish clown-markings more clearly defined. Closer now, Rissa saw eyelids blink horizontally across the black triangular eyes, each surmounted by a stubby pair of tendrils. The inverted-V mouth made what Rissa knew to be the equivalent of a smile. Passing Dacia with a quick, one-armed hug, Rissa moved to meet the Shrakken. "Stonzai!" and as when they had parted on Stronghold, each reached out fingers to touch the other's forehead. Head moving in the Shrakken way that was neither nod nor shake, Stonzai spoke. "Again meet we; I to do so had not thought. But when in space we to Limmer talk, says he safe it is, us here to come; those here who Shrakken killed, now not rule. True, this is?" "Yes, Stonzai. And-" She paused; it struck her that the other Shrakken had said nothing. And Tregare also stood quietly, as if uncertain. Rissa said, "Stonzai, do you remember Bran Tregare?" "Remember, yes." Stonzai moved toward him, and without hesitation Tregare returned the forehead touch. Turning to her companion, the Shrakken said, "Sevshen, now also must you," and when the other did not move, spoke in their own language. Then Sevshen, too, came to both humans and exchanged the touch. Rissa's relieved sigh surprised her; she led the group indoors. Surveying the dining area's golden-brown walls and glittering ceiling, Stonzai hissed approval. Tregare moved to the bar, and suddenly Rissa realized she had no idea whether Shrakken used alcohol. She opened a bottle and sniffed at it, then passed it to ABBYY PClDicFk hTerrae tno sbfouyrmer2.0 ABBYY PClDicFk hTerrae tno sbfouyrmer2.0 www.ABBYY.com www.ABBYY.com 9 Stonzai. Again she'd forgotten something; Shrakken had no visible nostrils. But Stonzai, holding the bottle near her open mouth, inhaled with a whooshing noise. Then she handed the liquor back. "I not this use." Tregare shrugged. Before Rissa could think of anything to say, Stonzai pointed to the array of other bottles. "These, not have ! try. Different, they be?" With a grin, Tregare said, "Different flavors, same principle;" his gesture welcomed her to sample further, and she did, opening one bottle after another and whooshing at it. Three she set aside, but the next-a brandy-she handed to Tregare. "This I use." But before he could pour from it she said, "Do you, wait," and methodically she worked through the entire lot, approving only a few. "These, good are." Curious as to the alien's criteria, Rissa peered at the bottles and found her answer: grape versus grain. Brandy, cordials and most wines, Stonzai approved; whiskeys, rums, rice wine, she rejected. Mentally shrugging, she watched Tregare do the honors; without asking, he added ice to the spirits and handed glasses to the two aliens. They sipped, and each gave a short hiss. For Rissa and himself he set up bourbon and ice, lightening hers with water, then said, "Let's sit down, shall we?" Human-built chairs did not fit Shrakken very well, but a low divan seemed to suit them. And now Rissa spoke. "Tell us, Stonzai, about your enemies." From down the galactic Arm the Tsa came. How far? Stonzai didn't know. How long since they had first appeared? The Shrakken's considerable time in space, shrinking time near light-speed, did not help Rissa guess at the period involved. When Tsa came upon Shrakken they killed them, or did their Tsa best in the attempt. After the first meeting, no parleys, only attack. Tsa ships, said Stonzai, were comparable to human or Shrakken: in size, power, acceleration, and turning ability. So with the Shrakken's "home field" advantage of shorter supply lines, the first and second waves of Tsa attacks had been beaten off. Losses, yes. "Ships where all Shrakken dead were, or lacking minds were." But no major damage to Shrakken planets. Then, after a lapse of time indeterminate to Rissa if not to Stonzai also, a third and greater assault had come. And that one had nearly succeeded. "Whole worlds, dead are. Or, like blind animals, remaining Shrakken crawl, and for roots dig." Stonzai blinked. "For food, to find. More good, I think, dead to be." 10 "Yes," said Tregare. "From what you say, Stonzai, I have to agree." The temperature was mild, but sweat beads stood on his forehead. To Rissa the point was clear. As Derek Limmer had reported, after meeting in space the Shrakken ship that then brought Stonzai to Earth, one more Tsa attack wave might well finish the Shrakken, might disrupt their civilization past rebuilding. Tsa weapons? Tregare asked it. According to Stonzai, the Tsa's gunnery was more potent than Shrakken but less so than what she'd seen of Tregare's. At Stronghold he'd given Stonzai samples of the latter, for good will. But what with travel times-the Long View-the Shrakken could hardly have duplicated many by now. The mind weapon, though-and now Rissa listened closely, for here seemed to be the crux of the danger. Leaning forward, holding the empty glass that Tregare wasn't alert to fill, Stonzai said, "Close enough the Tsa come, and like claws in the mind they reach. Of it, die, some do; others, to ship's danger, wrongly act. Tsa strikes, not the own self you be." She made a crooning groan. "What they do, to fight against, none can." Frowning, Tregare asked, "How close, before their mind gadget gets to you?" In human-Shrakken communications, translation of quantities had never been a strong point, but after a time Rissa decided that the mind weapon's range had to be slightly greater than that of Tsa or Shrakken gunnery-somewhat less, therefore, than Inconnu Deux'sturrets could muster. She said as much; Tregare shook his head. "The grade of approximation we have here, that's no real handle." At Rissa's frown, he added, "No, our one edge is FTL, the Hoyfarul Drive we're taking to Stonzai's people. Without that, considering the distances, we'd be pretty useless as allies." And thinking the matter over, Rissa had to agree. ABBYY PClDicFk hTerrae tno sbfouyrmer2.0 ABBYY PClDicFk hTerrae tno sbfouyrmer2.0 www.ABBYY.com www.ABBYY.com Stonzai produced one other datum: Tsa was the enemy's own name for its species, not a Shrakken coinage. But how this fact had become known, Stonzai could not explain. On that subject the discussion ended. And then other guests began arriving. As house staff relieved Rissa and Tregare from bartending and serving duties, the two took station to greet-informally- the new arrivals. Many of these Rissa did not know; her work dealt with coordination, while some now present worked with other Board members in their own specialties. But in the greet- 11 ings Tregare dropped hints to tell Rissa what those specialties were. As her brother Ivan approached with Ilse Krueger, Tregare said, "That's about the lot. You want to go pump those two, and ease your mind, feel free." Smiling her thanks, Rissa faced the newcomers. Ilse Krueger showed few visible signs of her old injuries; the small woman moved like a young girl. Her blonde hair, chin length and curly, hid most of the scar that ran from mouth corner past where her left ear had been, up into the scalp. The thin white line no longer pulled her mouth askew. But Rissa knew the hair covered scar tissue that closed the former earhole; Ilse was half deafened. One touch of a heat beam did it; her survival was sheer luck. First the handshakes and polite words; then Rissa took each by a hand. "Come, let us have drinks, and talk." Grinning, teeth glinting against his pale skin, her brother pushed back a lock of dark hair. "You mean, ask questions." "That, too." And when the three found drinks and sat down, Rissa began. "Inconnu Deux will be out a long time. What is wrong, that you agree to such an indefinite separation?" "Well, it's just-" "The trouble is-" Speaking together, then Ilse and Ivan smiled at each other and explained in turn. As the Board's trouble-shooter, Ivan was away from home more than not. But groundside, usually-whereas Ilse, in charge of combat training programs on the cadet ships, was in space quite often. "We're apart so much," said Ilse, "that we can never settle differences. All we do is tippy-toe around everything, to avoid argument." And Ivan nodded. "So the answer," said Rissa, "is to be together not at all?" "Trial separation," said Ivan. "Then maybe-" "And meanwhile," Ilse put in, "it won't hurt either of us to be free people for a time." Ivan shook his head. "No, Ilse. I've said it before; you be free if you wish, but it's not for me." He stood and walked to the bar. His stride, Rissa thought, would not encourage anyone to get in his way. Ilse turned the talk to Inconnu Deux and kept it there. Well, the smallest person ever to survive UET's Space Academyhadto be rather stubborn. Then it was time for dining-and the long discussions, buttoning up the needs ofInconnu Deux. Hagen Trent, the ship's chief engineer, impressed Rissa. Young for his rank but balding early, his enthusiasm matched his 12 obvious intelligence. He had studied directly under Pennet Hoyfarul, and after a tour in space he hoped to work in the improvement of FTL-drive design. His hand brushed the bulky curly fringe of his remaining hair. "We're still in the first phases. A few more years-" Then the man's female companion needed his attention, and he was led off toward the snack buffet. Rissa's glass was empty; she strolled to the bar. A distinctive bottle attracted her attention-berry brandy from the planet Far Corner. She pointed, and the young attendant poured her three centimeters of the ruddy amber fluid. Sipping the tart flavor, she remembered-one-armed Bret Osallin, killed so long ago in Peralta's mutiny, had first offered her this drink. So long ago... The lights blinked-Tregare's signal that business would commence-and Rissa brought her mind from Far Corner to Earth. With considerable juggling of dials but less swearing than Rissa expected, Tregare got the holographic projector stabilized. Then, on the computer keyboard ABBYY PClDicFk hTerrae tno sbfouyrmer2.0 ABBYY PClDicFk hTerrae tno sbfouyrmer2.0 www.ABBYY.com www.ABBYY.com he punched combinations. In the dimly lit end of the big room a belt of white stars appeared. His hand moved; one star turned green. "Us," he said. More movement, and a group of stars, spread among others that were unaffected, glowed a darker orange. "The Shrakken suns. Not entirely accurate, I expect, but the best info we have." Another touch, and two lights went red. One, the nearer to Earth, blinked. Tregare pointed. "Shaarbant, that one. Peripheral to the main volume of Shrakken space, and a good place to refuel on our way to Stenevo, their major world," and he pointed to the other red star. "The distances we're talking about-well, more than half the width of our galactic Arm, and down it a little less than that. We and the Shrakken, both, have expanded more along the arm than across it. Shaarbant's closer to us than any other Shrakken world. So that's where we go first." Beside him, Stonzai said something Rissa did not hear. Tregare nodded and made another adjustment; now several of the orange lights began to blink. "These, mostly toward the inner-arm side of Shrakken space, are the ones the Tsa have attacked." Nearly half, Rissa saw, of the Shrakken total. Tregare touched more keys, and four of the blinking stars dimmed. "Dead worlds," he said. "Killed by the Tsa." He looked to Stonzai, but the alien gave no further sign. 13 Tregare stepped back from the terminal. "For now, I guess that's all the briefing." But then there were questions, and he answered them; the meeting lasted another hour. Three days later,Inconnu Deuxwas on its way. ///. Elzh Long, now, since Elzh with seven ships left dear homeworld. Long enough to crass much of space shown on the Tsa-Drin chart, passing wide of mindbeast planets that knew the Tsa. Scouts had found new beastworids; these the Tsa-Drin had charted for Elzh to study, and if possible, to destroy. As correct, as understood. To learn, then to obey. From when Tsa first met beasts, Tsa must fight-Tsa ships against beastworids, lest beast ships come to Tsa worlds. Since beasts gave Tsa no peace, then beasts must die-though the toll, in Tsa minds and Tsa lives, was frightful. But, to obey. Seven ships and the Tsa-Drin chart, and only a few more cycles to the new beastworld. To obey. But now, to gather. Freeing thought, Elzh began mind-say. In the nest. Grouped with Idsath and Tserln, mindsay soft and murmurous, Elzh felt warmly indling. Nothing to hurt, as always between Tsa. Except-until their sex- progression stabilized, Elzh's incomplete maleness gave irritation, an itch without satisfaction. No matter (Idsath); soon. Fully ready as moderator, Idsath-to accept and blend Elzh's genes and Tserln's, and return them to Tserln for fruition. Had the Tsa-Drin plan allowed for increase, all of that would happen. Now, though, the first stages, in themselves ecstatic, could not go on to completion. Tserln, when wholly female, would bear that frustration of deep Tsa instinct. As you accepted it (Tserln, to the unworded thought),shall 14 I, also. Touching as fully as now might be, the three shared warmth. Then time to leave the nest, to share food instead, and with others of the crewing. Still, touching could be, but lesserly-as correct, as understood. Mindsay, with so many together, was slower-each giving much quiet between sayings. Even so, dread of beastworld grew in Elzh's thought. To mindsay the fear would ABBYY PClDicFk hTerrae tno sbfouyrmer2.0 ABBYY PClDicFk hTerrae tno sbfouyrmer2.0 www.ABBYY.com www.ABBYY.com lessen it, but Elzh did not. IV. Tregare .Eighty hours from Earth, theDeux passed light-speed; Bran Tregare shrugged in relief. It wasn't that he distrusted the Hoyfarul Drive, but after all, he'd grown up believing in Einstein. Not that the ship's ellipsoidal, coherent drive field, which shielded the Deux from the effects of a hundred gees or more, contradicted "Saint Albert"-not exactly. Velocity still built mass, but that mass appeared in parallel continua that held no other matter. "In fact," Doctor Hoyfarul had once said, "it's possible that the drive createsthose extra universes. I can't vouch for the idea, either way." And when Tregare insisted that mass was still mass, and required force to accelerate it, Hoyfarul's laugh shook the wattles at his throat. "In a continuum with all mass concentrated in one object," he said, "how do you define acceleration? Or, for that matter, motion?" Tregare laughed too, then, and gave up the argument. Now, with all die Deux's external sensors-except the gravitic detectors- showing zerch, the ship was unmistakably outpacing light. But it wasn't chewing time, or not by much; in FTL travel the "Long View," the passage of years while the ship experienced only months, was not a factor. Not much of one, anyway. There was still a residual second-order effect in the "home" continuum, but it was logarithmic and grew very slowly. At their top speed for 15 this voyage-about 120 lights, Hoyfarul had estimated it-time-dilation would only briefly exceed three-to-one. As compared, Tregare reflected, to the twenty-to-one average for STL runs. No, this time-on a run of about one year, subjective-his two ages wouldn't diverge much farther. Satisfied, he nodded to his watch officer, Anders Kobolak, and left Control. Boots clattering on the stairs, he headed downship. About now, he figured, Rissa would be feeding baby Renalle. In case she might like some coffee, after, he stopped by the galley. Ivan Marchant, sitting with Dacia Kobolak, waved a hand. "Bran! Have we passed light yet?" "Surest thing you know." Tregare filled a small carafe with coffee. "I wonder if I'll ever get used to having most of ray instruments go dead, this side of C." "I know," said Ivan. "I was on Hoyfarul's first test flight; remember? But our inside sensors, the inertial ones, do integrate thrust measurements and give us valid course vectors." "And speed and position, and maybe what's for breakfast next," Tregare said. "It all works; yeah. But still-" In his own voice he heard the plaintive note. "I do miss the hell out of my old Inconnu!" He held up the carafe. "I'll get this down to Rissa." He found Rissa closing her blouse and beginning bottle-feeding. "I am nearly dry now, Bran, but still she likes to test me." "Smart baby." Wordless signals set him to pouring coffee for Rissa and himself. He said, "You check the freeze-chambers lately?" "Yes. Stonzai and Sevshen both seem stable; though Dacia felt unsure of dealing with the Shrakken metabolism, it appears she has done well." The problem had been the onset of Stonzai's ovulation. The ship carried no host animals for her voracious larvae, and now, after repeated use, the anti-ovulation drag caused increasing side effects. So freeze was the only reasonable answer-and since Sevshen understood little human speech, he joined his mate in cryogenic stasis rather than remaining awake and isolated. "Right." Then Tregare had another thought. "Let's turn the freeze-chamber checkup over to the comm-tech of each watch, should we? I mean, with the outside