Read Online A Savage War Of Peace (Ark Royal Book 5) by Christopher Nuttall - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Christopher Nuttall
Ads: Link
for an Earth-like planet, Corporal, but we managed to adapt it without problems. In addition, there’s enough battery power and supplies to keep us going for at least two weeks.”
Percy frowned. “I thought the idea was to keep us going for three.”
“Rubbish,” Fanwood said, in his best impression of Major Bloodnok. “Whoever heard of a Fort Knight lasting three weeks?”
“When I get my hands on the person who insisted that the Goon Show made suitable entertainment in the mess,” Percy said, “I’m going to strangle him.”
Fanwood snickered. “It’s a terrible pun,” he agreed. “More practically, however, there are limits to what we could bring from Pegasus. We may wind up dependent on food from the locals.”
Percy groaned. The Vesy biochemistry wasn't entirely compatible with humanity’s, something that really shouldn't have surprised him. Most of their food was safe to eat, but some tasted disgusting to humans and some was outright poison. It wasn't something he wanted to rely on, if it could be avoided, yet there were limits to how much could be recycled in the base. They might wind up buying food from the Vesy after all.
And if we do buy food from them , he asked himself, what will they want in return ?
He was no diplomat. No one on the base was a diplomat, because no one had anticipated running into an uncontacted alien race. All he could do, when the aliens sent delegations to the base, was tell them that proper diplomats were on their way and that they would all be free to talk to them, when they finally arrived. But with different alien factions having different ideas about how to deal with humanity, it was going to be one hell of a mess by the time the diplomats arrived. Until then ...
We don’t have much we can trade to them , he added, mentally. And anything we give them might wind up being used against us .
Fanwood cleared his throat. “We might be able to start planting crops from Earth in the local soil, using the remains of the Russian farms, but it would probably have an impact on the local ecology,” he said. “I’d prefer not to risk it here.”
“I understand,” Percy said. No one would shed any tears for a weak planetary biosphere, consumed and ruined by an influx of plants from Earth, but Vesy was another matter. Quite apart from the fact that crops from Earth might not take root properly, the ecological disaster they might cause would do untold harm to the Vesy themselves. “Didn't the Russians do any impact work?”
“I rather doubt they cared enough to bother, even if they had the ability to try,” Fanwood said, darkly. “There’s certainly nothing in their records to suggest they considered the impact on the local biosphere before scattering seeds into the fields.”
“Probably not,” Percy agreed.
He shook his head. “Is there anything else we can beg from Pegasus?”
“I doubt it,” Fanwood admitted. “The base was intended to grow gradually, Corporal. They weren't given a surplus of supplies before the original founding mission departed Earth. It’s risky even passing as much as they have to Vesy; no matter what else happens, the colony program has stalled until they get replacements. There’s little else they can spare without risking their own lives.”
“I understand,” Percy said. “Their margin for error is growing alarmingly thin.”
“Too thin,” Fanwood agreed. “And Pegasus is even less habitable than Vesy.”
Percy cleared his throat. “Thank you,” he said. “You and your men will probably be uplifted when the freighter returns, but until then ...”
“We were looking at ways to improve the local building industry,” Fanwood said, cutting him off. “It wouldn't be hard to teach the Vesy how to make bricks and mortar, or even cement. We have quite a body of outdated knowledge in our
Percy frowned. “I thought the idea was to keep us going for three.”
“Rubbish,” Fanwood said, in his best impression of Major Bloodnok. “Whoever heard of a Fort Knight lasting three weeks?”
“When I get my hands on the person who insisted that the Goon Show made suitable entertainment in the mess,” Percy said, “I’m going to strangle him.”
Fanwood snickered. “It’s a terrible pun,” he agreed. “More practically, however, there are limits to what we could bring from Pegasus. We may wind up dependent on food from the locals.”
Percy groaned. The Vesy biochemistry wasn't entirely compatible with humanity’s, something that really shouldn't have surprised him. Most of their food was safe to eat, but some tasted disgusting to humans and some was outright poison. It wasn't something he wanted to rely on, if it could be avoided, yet there were limits to how much could be recycled in the base. They might wind up buying food from the Vesy after all.
And if we do buy food from them , he asked himself, what will they want in return ?
He was no diplomat. No one on the base was a diplomat, because no one had anticipated running into an uncontacted alien race. All he could do, when the aliens sent delegations to the base, was tell them that proper diplomats were on their way and that they would all be free to talk to them, when they finally arrived. But with different alien factions having different ideas about how to deal with humanity, it was going to be one hell of a mess by the time the diplomats arrived. Until then ...
We don’t have much we can trade to them , he added, mentally. And anything we give them might wind up being used against us .
Fanwood cleared his throat. “We might be able to start planting crops from Earth in the local soil, using the remains of the Russian farms, but it would probably have an impact on the local ecology,” he said. “I’d prefer not to risk it here.”
“I understand,” Percy said. No one would shed any tears for a weak planetary biosphere, consumed and ruined by an influx of plants from Earth, but Vesy was another matter. Quite apart from the fact that crops from Earth might not take root properly, the ecological disaster they might cause would do untold harm to the Vesy themselves. “Didn't the Russians do any impact work?”
“I rather doubt they cared enough to bother, even if they had the ability to try,” Fanwood said, darkly. “There’s certainly nothing in their records to suggest they considered the impact on the local biosphere before scattering seeds into the fields.”
“Probably not,” Percy agreed.
He shook his head. “Is there anything else we can beg from Pegasus?”
“I doubt it,” Fanwood admitted. “The base was intended to grow gradually, Corporal. They weren't given a surplus of supplies before the original founding mission departed Earth. It’s risky even passing as much as they have to Vesy; no matter what else happens, the colony program has stalled until they get replacements. There’s little else they can spare without risking their own lives.”
“I understand,” Percy said. “Their margin for error is growing alarmingly thin.”
“Too thin,” Fanwood agreed. “And Pegasus is even less habitable than Vesy.”
Percy cleared his throat. “Thank you,” he said. “You and your men will probably be uplifted when the freighter returns, but until then ...”
“We were looking at ways to improve the local building industry,” Fanwood said, cutting him off. “It wouldn't be hard to teach the Vesy how to make bricks and mortar, or even cement. We have quite a body of outdated knowledge in our
Similar Books
