Read Online Silent Songs by A. C. Crispin, Kathleen O'Malley - Free Book Online
Authors: A. C. Crispin, Kathleen O'Malley
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morning."
The boy looked downcast. "No matter what we say to cheer her up, sir, she's still sad."
Atle's throat quivered as he patted his son consolingly. "Well, you keep trying. You and your sister are all she's got."
"Yes, sir," the servant sang, pleased.
"Tell your mother I'll have dinner with her this evening. After the staff meeting. Will you remember?"
"I'll remember, sir."
The First left his personal bath, taking an a-grav transport to the conference hall. While traveling through the ship's corridors, he scanned the computer's latest updates.
The Flood had parked herself behind the largest moon of this world and had sent her last two robots onto its surface. For the past month, as this planet measured time, they'd observed the comings and goings of the tiny space station and its planet.
Their discoveries excited his staff; morale soared. Then, halfway through the month, the ship had detected a new player entering the theater. A moderately sized spaceship had headed for the station as casually as an egg delivery service. A small shuttle had taken off from the ground camp and been swallowed by the station just before the newcomer had docked with it.
A short time passed, then the shuttle had returned to the planet as the spaceship disengaged from the lock.
Atle stopped his flyer near the conference hall. Inside was the Council, the collected leaders of the different groups that represented a cross section of their society. As he entered, all music hushed. Everyone squatting around the low, circular table lifted to their feet. The First motioned them back down.
"Who wishes to speak?"
40
"I do," sang Dacris, Second-in-Conquest. "These beings have a stardrive far superior to our own!"
"You think so?"
"I do. That ship traveled quickly. It wasn't a sleeper like the Flood."
"I agree," Atle admitted, looking around the table. "We could make good use of such an efficient stardrive." He sang this softly, this massive understatement.
"Then we'll pursue the ship before it leaves the solar system," the Second asked eagerly, "before it engages its drive?"
"No."
Dacris' throat quivered with surprise. Around the long table other eyes glanced back and forth. The Troubadour was well liked among the
scientists.
"You disagree?" Atle asked.
"Respectfully, First, I do."
"What would you do?" Atle asked, honestly curious.
"Overtake the ship." The Second's mottling glowed with the passion of his convictions. "Capture it. Commandeer its passengers and crew. Discover its secrets."
"Who agrees with this?" asked the First quietly.
"We do," sang Gillat, a Flat-Spine, indicating the scientists at her end of the table. The mathematicians and physicists were hungry to get their fingers on a new spacedrive.
"What about you?" Atle asked Rand of the Hooded, squatting at the other end of the table.
This race consisted mostly of bio-scientists. There was grumbling, but finally the big green and brown pharmacist stood.
"We disagree," Rand grunted. "We're simply not ready." The pharmacist's wide mouth opened spasmodically, as though he were tasting something.
"We need biological representatives. If we had even a few of the aliens, we could refine the drugs needed to control them. Then, there would be no risk of needless bloodshed and waste."
Papu of the Chorus stood. She was a powerful political figure as the senior member of a group that contained mostly accountants, bureaucrats, and political scientists. The Chorus always agreed among themselves, making them a formidable force. She was small and dull green, so she always had to stretch to be sure she could be seen. "The pharmacists are right. We must know more about beings who make 'routine stopovers' between the stars before we act. If their stardrive is more powerful than ours, then their weapons must be also."
41
Dacris swelled impatiently. "I respectfully remind Papu that your people were conquered centuries ago by just such an attitude. You feared the expense of war, but
The boy looked downcast. "No matter what we say to cheer her up, sir, she's still sad."
Atle's throat quivered as he patted his son consolingly. "Well, you keep trying. You and your sister are all she's got."
"Yes, sir," the servant sang, pleased.
"Tell your mother I'll have dinner with her this evening. After the staff meeting. Will you remember?"
"I'll remember, sir."
The First left his personal bath, taking an a-grav transport to the conference hall. While traveling through the ship's corridors, he scanned the computer's latest updates.
The Flood had parked herself behind the largest moon of this world and had sent her last two robots onto its surface. For the past month, as this planet measured time, they'd observed the comings and goings of the tiny space station and its planet.
Their discoveries excited his staff; morale soared. Then, halfway through the month, the ship had detected a new player entering the theater. A moderately sized spaceship had headed for the station as casually as an egg delivery service. A small shuttle had taken off from the ground camp and been swallowed by the station just before the newcomer had docked with it.
A short time passed, then the shuttle had returned to the planet as the spaceship disengaged from the lock.
Atle stopped his flyer near the conference hall. Inside was the Council, the collected leaders of the different groups that represented a cross section of their society. As he entered, all music hushed. Everyone squatting around the low, circular table lifted to their feet. The First motioned them back down.
"Who wishes to speak?"
40
"I do," sang Dacris, Second-in-Conquest. "These beings have a stardrive far superior to our own!"
"You think so?"
"I do. That ship traveled quickly. It wasn't a sleeper like the Flood."
"I agree," Atle admitted, looking around the table. "We could make good use of such an efficient stardrive." He sang this softly, this massive understatement.
"Then we'll pursue the ship before it leaves the solar system," the Second asked eagerly, "before it engages its drive?"
"No."
Dacris' throat quivered with surprise. Around the long table other eyes glanced back and forth. The Troubadour was well liked among the
scientists.
"You disagree?" Atle asked.
"Respectfully, First, I do."
"What would you do?" Atle asked, honestly curious.
"Overtake the ship." The Second's mottling glowed with the passion of his convictions. "Capture it. Commandeer its passengers and crew. Discover its secrets."
"Who agrees with this?" asked the First quietly.
"We do," sang Gillat, a Flat-Spine, indicating the scientists at her end of the table. The mathematicians and physicists were hungry to get their fingers on a new spacedrive.
"What about you?" Atle asked Rand of the Hooded, squatting at the other end of the table.
This race consisted mostly of bio-scientists. There was grumbling, but finally the big green and brown pharmacist stood.
"We disagree," Rand grunted. "We're simply not ready." The pharmacist's wide mouth opened spasmodically, as though he were tasting something.
"We need biological representatives. If we had even a few of the aliens, we could refine the drugs needed to control them. Then, there would be no risk of needless bloodshed and waste."
Papu of the Chorus stood. She was a powerful political figure as the senior member of a group that contained mostly accountants, bureaucrats, and political scientists. The Chorus always agreed among themselves, making them a formidable force. She was small and dull green, so she always had to stretch to be sure she could be seen. "The pharmacists are right. We must know more about beings who make 'routine stopovers' between the stars before we act. If their stardrive is more powerful than ours, then their weapons must be also."
41
Dacris swelled impatiently. "I respectfully remind Papu that your people were conquered centuries ago by just such an attitude. You feared the expense of war, but
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