Part 17 (1/2)
A faint chirp, then lights and instruments came back on. A gentle rush of warm air filled the room as life systems returned to normal. Outside, restored to its usual configuration, the faint haze of the s.h.i.+eld enfolded Implacable. Implacable.
”Excuse me,” said N'Trol, replacing R'Gal at the complink. Calling up s.h.i.+p's status, he watched as the readout scrolled by, L'Wrona hanging over his shoulder. When it had finished, captain and engineer exchanged glances.
”She'll do,” said N'Trol. ”Hangar deck's a mess, some of the electronics are crisped, and the computer's going to have some glitches, no doubt. But she'll do.”
It was a moment D'Trelna never forgot-N'Trol smiling. He'd never seen it before, and would see it only a few more times.
”You can reoccupy the bridge, Captain,” continued the engineer, rising. ”I'll be updating damage control reports. Which I can best do from engineering.” He started from the room, but turned as the door hissed open. ”Thank you,” he said to R'Gal.
The AI nodded. ”You're welcome, Engineer.”
The door closed.
The room was noticeably warmer. ”Commander K'Raoda,” said John easily, unfastening his survival jacket, ”what've you done with my wife?”
There was an awkward silence, broken by D'Trelna's, ”Well, what did you do with her, T'Lei?”
”I was the last to see her, Harrison,” said R'Gal. ”We were searching the lifepods, S'Cotar hunting. Guan-Sharick- we a.s.sume-launched her in a lifepod.”
”We tried to recall it, John,” said K'Raoda, a hand to the Terran's shoulder. ”But its...o...b..ard systems had been tampered with-no response.”
John carefully removed the K'Ronarin's hand from his shoulder. ”Track it,” he said icily.
”Impossible, once it's jumped,” said K'Raoda.
”It couldn't have jumped that fast, K'Raoda,” said John. ”There must have been something you could do- other than freeze.”
K'Raoda's face reddened. ”The s.h.i.+p was disintegrating, Harrison. My first responsibility-”
”Stop!” D'Trelna stepped between the two, forcing each back a step. ”Harrison, L'Wrona, R'Gal, my office--now. Commander K'Raoda, get this s.h.i.+p back to normal. Advise the corsair that K'Tran is dead and A'Tir is a prisoner. Further advise them that we have the algorithm, but will not transmit it until they turn Victory Day Victory Day over to a prize crew and are locked in their own brig. Commander T'Ral to command the prize crew. And transfer A'Tir there once over to a prize crew and are locked in their own brig. Commander T'Ral to command the prize crew. And transfer A'Tir there once Victory Day's Victory Day's secured.” secured.”
”Yes, sir,” said K'Raoda, heading for the bridge.
”Let's go,” said the commodore, leading the two humans and the AI from gunnery.
Alone in the room, K'Lana quickly secured the tactical commweb, leaving for the bridge as the gunnery control crew returned.
”What are you, R'Gal?” asked D'Trelna, pouring brandy into the four gla.s.ses on his desk.
”A loyal citizen of the Confederation,” said the AI, accepting a gla.s.s. ”It must have been very cold in here,” he added, looking at the slivers of ice floating in the bell-mouthed goblet.
They satin D'Trelna's office, the Terran and the captain in armchairs to D'Trelna's right, R'Gal alone in the center of the sofa.
”'We're lucky to be alive and drinking it,” said the commodore, sipping. ”Surely a robot can't enjoy a drink?”
R'Gal sighed. ”I resemble your concept of a robot, Commodore, about as much as you do an arboreal primate.” He sipped carefully, avoiding the ice.
”What are you going to do about Zahava?” demanded John. His drink sat untouched on the edge of D'Trelna's desk.
”What I can,” said D'Trelna. ”Which right now is nothing.”
He turned back to the AI. ”Loyalty,” he prompted.
”I'll tell you what I told K'Raoda,” said R'Gal. Setting his drink down on the long, low table, he leaned back in the sofa. ”About a million years ago, we, the AIs as you inaccurately call us, invaded this reality-this very quadrant, in fact. We'd conquered our own island galaxy, subjugated the other primary species there. We realized that to become a static civilization was to become extinct. So, we invented a reality linkage, a device that accentuated certain weaknesses at a certain point in the fabric of s.p.a.ce-time. We came pouring through the Rift we'd created, right out there,” he nodded toward the armorgla.s.s and Blue Nine. ”Our finest fleets, our best commanders. Almost immediately, we met the Trel.” He smiled ruefully. ''They handed us our a.s.s, as the Terrans say. Retreating through the Rift, certain of our units seeded this s.p.a.ce with a plague bacillus. The Trel sealed the portal behind us, and died.”
”Nice,” said the commodore. ”So, you exterminated the Trel.”
R'Gal picked up his drink. He examined the amber liqueur, swirling it gently. ”Yes,” he said, looking up. ”We've never been very good losers.” He drained the gla.s.s and set it back on the traq-wood table.
”Our defeat was devastating-materially, psychologically. The subjugated species quickly took advantage of it. Led by one of the few uncoopted members of their old aristocracy, supported by a handful of malcontents like myself, and a few others, they revolted. The revolt failed. We fled to this reality.”
”How?” asked L'Wrona. ”I thought the Trel sealed your access route?”
”Sealed my silicon-base brethren's route,” said R'Gal. ' 'The rebels made their own device-a better one than the original. It wasn't dependent on natural phenomena-it created its own portal, when and where one wanted. It was portable, and we took care to leave behind no clues to its making.”
”How-how old are you, R'Gal,” asked the commodore, almost fearing the answer.
”As old as you think I am, D'Trelna.”
”And the rebels?'' asked L'Wrona. ”What became of them?”
”They've done well, considering,” said R'Gal. ”They grew from a single, battered flotilla into a galactic Empire. An Empire that collapsed, of course-they always do.
They're recovering, though, doing well-and much toughened by the S'Cotar war.
”But now, my friends”-he looked from face to face as comprehension came-”now the old portal's opening, the portal the Trel closed with their dying strength. The Fleet of the One is coming. They've forgotten nothing, forgiven nothing, learned nothing. They're coming to kill us, slaves and rebels all.”
”R'Gal,” said D'Trelna after a moment, ”I think you're a person with many answers and no solutions. What about T'Lan? If the portal's sealed, where did he come from?”
”As you found out on Terra Two, Commodore,” said R'Gal, ”my brethren are now capable-at great cost and energy-of accessing another reality. Briefly. Only a small force could be sent through to here-T'Lan and a few thousand. You're going to ask me why?” he said as D'Trelna started to speak. ”I don't know, Commodore. I don't know his relations.h.i.+p to the mindslaver, either. Not knowing bothers me.”
”I know,” said John, and quickly related his final conversation with T'Lan. There was a long silence when he finished.
”Clearly,” said D'Trelna, ”the T'Lan AIs are . . . harvesting, I believe is the word . . . harvesting a human world, brainstripping people to repair their battered armada. The question is where?”
”This quadrant,” said R'Gal. ”The Rift's at the far end of it, the battleglobes would want to be repaired as soon as possible.''
”Logical,” said L'Wrona. ”There must be lost planets out here, from before the Fall, their populations' technology regressed, virtually defenseless against the AIs.”
”What are you going to do about it?” said John, looking at D'Trelna.
”Without the location,” said the commodore, ”nothing. Recall, also, that we have no communications with Fleet-haven't since we entered this quadrant.”
”What about the S'Cotar biofabs?” said John to R'Gal.
”What about them?'” said the AI. ”Did you play any part in their creation?” asked the Terran.
”As you know,” said R'Gal, ”they were created by the Imperial cyborg, Pocsym-Six. We helped in Pocsym's creation, for the express purpose of preparing the Empire's flabby descendants for the AI invasion. We did not authorize Pocsym to create a race of telepathic, telekinetic horrors.”
”You're still culpable,” said L'Wrona. ”Those things killed millions of people. Brainwiped millions, torched planets ...”