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Authors: Marion Zimmer Bradley
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involved,” one of the bystanders agreed.
“Who’s on the first shuttle?” another one asked.
“It’s not official yet,” Britton said, “but since there are IBs, the first load down is going to have to have the full complement of contact specialists, even though we don’t intend to make first contact yet, not until after we’ve had a chance to observe the IBs for a while. You know how it is—” he shrugged expressively “—plan not to make first contact, and the natives are likely to come strolling up within minutes of the landing, wanting to know who the new neighbors are, and whether or not they should roll out the red carpet or declare some sort of Holy War.”
Someone laughed, nervously.
“At any rate, they’re going to want people with qualifications in xenobiology,
xenopsychology, anthropology, linguistics, and all the appropriate expertise, to go with the first wave.”
Meanwhile, the computer had been redrawing the screen again, and something
different caught Ysaye’s eye. “Wait, something’s going on down there,” Ysaye said.
Everyone broke formation and waited while the computer delivered another of the
weather maps.
David reached down and handed it to Elizabeth. “This is your department,
Elizabeth. Anything new and interesting?”
“Not that I can see, just that same storm—though that’s quite enough. I see what Ysaye saw now, it’s growing rapidly; I’m glad I’m not down there in it,” she said. “It looks to me as if there’s enough wind shear in those thunderheads to rip the wings right off conventional aircraft. Perfectly clear air at the proposed landing site on that plateau, however. As long as that holds, we’re okay for a landing.” She passed the weather chart to Commander Britton.
He scanned it, and said, “According to the earlier scans, the biggest city on the planet appears to be somewhere in that valley.” He put his finger down on a patch of heavy cloud under which, theoretically, the city lay. “Not that you can tell from this map.”
“Not all that far from your freak weather either,” Ysaye noted, feeling just a little smug. “If there were such things as wizards, I would think they would be found in areas of high population.”
“Then why are we landing way the hell out in the mountains?” Evans asked.
“My,” Ysaye said, grateful for the chance to get several jabs in at him. “Weren’t you paying any attention, Lieutenant? Our superior officer just carefully explained that this is not a first contact mission, and why.” She smiled sweetly. “If I recall correctly, sir, you stated very clearly that we wanted to observe the natives without being observed, since we are unable to make those observations from orbit. And you also stated that we were landing in what appeared to be something of a wasteland, to avoid doing damage to anything the natives considered valuable.”
Evans smoldered.
“Less chance of setting a town or crops on fire, and upsetting the natives,” a
young officer agreed gleefully. “And if they’re pre-industrial, you can stay longer and study them before you have to pack up and go away again. Say, Evans, where were you when they gave us all those pre-contact, contact, and post-contact lectures? Sleeping one off?”
Snickers from around the room made Evans flush. “That’s the way they figure it,
anyhow,” said David, mildly, interfering before his associate could do or say something irredeemably stupid. “I hope I’ll get to go down soon. We’re always wanting some new languages for the linguistic analysis computer.”
Evans glared about and saw no sympathetic faces except for David’s. He gritted
his teeth, gathered what was left of his dignity, and stalked off down the tube toward another dome. Robbed of further entertainment, the rest soon followed. And as the area slowly cleared, Ysaye settled down with the series of weather maps.
Even though she had sense enough to keep her mouth shut on the
“Who’s on the first shuttle?” another one asked.
“It’s not official yet,” Britton said, “but since there are IBs, the first load down is going to have to have the full complement of contact specialists, even though we don’t intend to make first contact yet, not until after we’ve had a chance to observe the IBs for a while. You know how it is—” he shrugged expressively “—plan not to make first contact, and the natives are likely to come strolling up within minutes of the landing, wanting to know who the new neighbors are, and whether or not they should roll out the red carpet or declare some sort of Holy War.”
Someone laughed, nervously.
“At any rate, they’re going to want people with qualifications in xenobiology,
xenopsychology, anthropology, linguistics, and all the appropriate expertise, to go with the first wave.”
Meanwhile, the computer had been redrawing the screen again, and something
different caught Ysaye’s eye. “Wait, something’s going on down there,” Ysaye said.
Everyone broke formation and waited while the computer delivered another of the
weather maps.
David reached down and handed it to Elizabeth. “This is your department,
Elizabeth. Anything new and interesting?”
“Not that I can see, just that same storm—though that’s quite enough. I see what Ysaye saw now, it’s growing rapidly; I’m glad I’m not down there in it,” she said. “It looks to me as if there’s enough wind shear in those thunderheads to rip the wings right off conventional aircraft. Perfectly clear air at the proposed landing site on that plateau, however. As long as that holds, we’re okay for a landing.” She passed the weather chart to Commander Britton.
He scanned it, and said, “According to the earlier scans, the biggest city on the planet appears to be somewhere in that valley.” He put his finger down on a patch of heavy cloud under which, theoretically, the city lay. “Not that you can tell from this map.”
“Not all that far from your freak weather either,” Ysaye noted, feeling just a little smug. “If there were such things as wizards, I would think they would be found in areas of high population.”
“Then why are we landing way the hell out in the mountains?” Evans asked.
“My,” Ysaye said, grateful for the chance to get several jabs in at him. “Weren’t you paying any attention, Lieutenant? Our superior officer just carefully explained that this is not a first contact mission, and why.” She smiled sweetly. “If I recall correctly, sir, you stated very clearly that we wanted to observe the natives without being observed, since we are unable to make those observations from orbit. And you also stated that we were landing in what appeared to be something of a wasteland, to avoid doing damage to anything the natives considered valuable.”
Evans smoldered.
“Less chance of setting a town or crops on fire, and upsetting the natives,” a
young officer agreed gleefully. “And if they’re pre-industrial, you can stay longer and study them before you have to pack up and go away again. Say, Evans, where were you when they gave us all those pre-contact, contact, and post-contact lectures? Sleeping one off?”
Snickers from around the room made Evans flush. “That’s the way they figure it,
anyhow,” said David, mildly, interfering before his associate could do or say something irredeemably stupid. “I hope I’ll get to go down soon. We’re always wanting some new languages for the linguistic analysis computer.”
Evans glared about and saw no sympathetic faces except for David’s. He gritted
his teeth, gathered what was left of his dignity, and stalked off down the tube toward another dome. Robbed of further entertainment, the rest soon followed. And as the area slowly cleared, Ysaye settled down with the series of weather maps.
Even though she had sense enough to keep her mouth shut on the
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