Read Online Glory's People by Alfred Coppel - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Alfred Coppel
Tags: Science-Fiction
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leap forward was a triumph.
Ichiro-san spoke into his com-set to Alto Yamashiro, the ship’s Communicator. “Dispatch the yes signal to home base, Alto-san. The numbers confirm that the MD-23 is fully operational.”
It would take the message a hundred and eighty minutes to cross the Amaterasu system. Radio emissions operated under Einsteinian laws. Ichiro had no doubt that soon messages would travel through the Near Away instantaneously.
Ichiro forced himself to suppress his excitement and turn to his other duties. All computer readings had to be stored on bubbles and then transmitted to Moon Hideyoshi. It was an ironclad rule that since the last disappearance of an experimental Near Away craft, flight records had to be transmitted to base after each stage of a transit. Should an accident occur, only the machine and the men--replaceable items--and not totally unique flight data would be lost. Records fuelled the MD project.
Some of the experimental pilots complained that the engineers valued their precious data more than they did the MD crews. But in this Ichiro Higashi came down on the side of the engineers. The ships were the future. Not only of Yamato, but of spacefaring humankind. Test information was priceless because the inertial-mass-depletion engine would make Yamato the foremost planet in the galaxy, and soon MD-powered Near Away vessels would leave the Amaterasu System for truly deep space, that great dark ocean heretofore the exclusive venue of the majestic Goldenwings. Ichiro intended to be aboard one of those pioneering MD ships.
“Alto-san, send the flight-recorder records first,” he ordered.
“Shouldn’t we send the engine scans before anything else, Ichiro?”
Ichiro tried briefly--and ineffectively--to suppress his quick surge of fury. Ever since he, Ichiro, had taken Miyako-san, Alto’s cousin, to be his concubine, his subordinate had begun to put himself forward. This was common among Yamatans, and it was universally castigated. But the rigidity of society on Planet Yamato assured that any ambitious man would take whatever advantage he could derive from his circumstances. Alto Yamashiro was more than ordinarily ambitious and, because of his pretty cousin’s new status, he chose this moment to challenge his senior officer’s authority.
Alto-san was no fool. The challenge was mild and carefully contrived. Whether or not the engine scans preceded the astrogational numbers in the radio message to Moon Hideyoshi was unimportant. The careful rebellion was calculated to cause the commander of MD-23 to consider the opinions of someone who was, almost, an in-law.
But the Commo Officer miscalculated. Commander Higashi was, at the moment, on an emotional high. For a year and a half, since a minor contretemps with a superior on Hideyoshi, the young man had been deeply worried about his advancement in the Exploration Corps. Alto’s argumentativeness--at the moment he was engaged in a prolix explication of why it would be more suitable that the astro numbers be sent before the rest of the message--seemed an outright provocation.
In point of fact, the dispute was meaningless. Aboard a happier ship than MD-23, it would not be taking place.
But Ichiro, suddenly red-faced and explosive, began shouting at his junior officer. Alto-san, taken aback by the flash of fury, chose to shout back. The two officers found themselves face to face in a particularly acrimonious, escalating quarrel.
Masao Kendo, the Astrogation Specialist, attempted to intervene. “Commander--Alto-san--This is not seemly, sirs. I beg you to control your tempers. We are too close to Toshie to allow our attention to wander into trivialities.”
Kendo’s use of the word trivialities exacerbated the Commander’s already aroused bad temper. Ichiro’s rages were famous on Moon Hideyoshi, and on this auspicious occasion he allowed his stormy nature to rage free.
But the storm was brief. Brief and horrible. Before the horrified eyes of
Ichiro-san spoke into his com-set to Alto Yamashiro, the ship’s Communicator. “Dispatch the yes signal to home base, Alto-san. The numbers confirm that the MD-23 is fully operational.”
It would take the message a hundred and eighty minutes to cross the Amaterasu system. Radio emissions operated under Einsteinian laws. Ichiro had no doubt that soon messages would travel through the Near Away instantaneously.
Ichiro forced himself to suppress his excitement and turn to his other duties. All computer readings had to be stored on bubbles and then transmitted to Moon Hideyoshi. It was an ironclad rule that since the last disappearance of an experimental Near Away craft, flight records had to be transmitted to base after each stage of a transit. Should an accident occur, only the machine and the men--replaceable items--and not totally unique flight data would be lost. Records fuelled the MD project.
Some of the experimental pilots complained that the engineers valued their precious data more than they did the MD crews. But in this Ichiro Higashi came down on the side of the engineers. The ships were the future. Not only of Yamato, but of spacefaring humankind. Test information was priceless because the inertial-mass-depletion engine would make Yamato the foremost planet in the galaxy, and soon MD-powered Near Away vessels would leave the Amaterasu System for truly deep space, that great dark ocean heretofore the exclusive venue of the majestic Goldenwings. Ichiro intended to be aboard one of those pioneering MD ships.
“Alto-san, send the flight-recorder records first,” he ordered.
“Shouldn’t we send the engine scans before anything else, Ichiro?”
Ichiro tried briefly--and ineffectively--to suppress his quick surge of fury. Ever since he, Ichiro, had taken Miyako-san, Alto’s cousin, to be his concubine, his subordinate had begun to put himself forward. This was common among Yamatans, and it was universally castigated. But the rigidity of society on Planet Yamato assured that any ambitious man would take whatever advantage he could derive from his circumstances. Alto Yamashiro was more than ordinarily ambitious and, because of his pretty cousin’s new status, he chose this moment to challenge his senior officer’s authority.
Alto-san was no fool. The challenge was mild and carefully contrived. Whether or not the engine scans preceded the astrogational numbers in the radio message to Moon Hideyoshi was unimportant. The careful rebellion was calculated to cause the commander of MD-23 to consider the opinions of someone who was, almost, an in-law.
But the Commo Officer miscalculated. Commander Higashi was, at the moment, on an emotional high. For a year and a half, since a minor contretemps with a superior on Hideyoshi, the young man had been deeply worried about his advancement in the Exploration Corps. Alto’s argumentativeness--at the moment he was engaged in a prolix explication of why it would be more suitable that the astro numbers be sent before the rest of the message--seemed an outright provocation.
In point of fact, the dispute was meaningless. Aboard a happier ship than MD-23, it would not be taking place.
But Ichiro, suddenly red-faced and explosive, began shouting at his junior officer. Alto-san, taken aback by the flash of fury, chose to shout back. The two officers found themselves face to face in a particularly acrimonious, escalating quarrel.
Masao Kendo, the Astrogation Specialist, attempted to intervene. “Commander--Alto-san--This is not seemly, sirs. I beg you to control your tempers. We are too close to Toshie to allow our attention to wander into trivialities.”
Kendo’s use of the word trivialities exacerbated the Commander’s already aroused bad temper. Ichiro’s rages were famous on Moon Hideyoshi, and on this auspicious occasion he allowed his stormy nature to rage free.
But the storm was brief. Brief and horrible. Before the horrified eyes of
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