Changelings
- Автор: Маккефри Энн, Скарборо Элизабет
- Серия: The Twins of Petaybee #1
- Язык: английский
- Жанр: Научная фантастика
Электронная книга - «Changelings». Краткое содержание книги:
CHANGELINGS
They are Ronan Born for Water Shongili and Murel Monster Slayer Shongili. Twin brother and sister. Children of Yana and Sean. Children of Petaybee. As such, theirs is a destiny deeply intertwined with the sentient planet that is their home. For Ronan and Murel are more than human. Like their father, each can transform into a seal and converse telepathically with the planet’s creatures–such as the friendly otter whose life they save one day from a pack of ravenous wolves.
But the twins’ bravery has unforeseen results when a visiting scientist witnesses their startling metamorphosis and becomes obsessed with their capture. To protect their children, Sean and Yana send them to stay with a powerful family friend on an orbiting space station. But no one realizes that Ronan and Murel hunger to discover the origins of their shape-shifting talent–and that their search for knowledge will place them squarely in the path of peril.
Meanwhile, Petaybee is changing–and much faster than an ordinary planet’s natural evolution. It appears that portions of the sea are heating up and a landmass is suddenly rising from the depths. To investigate the startling occurrence, Sean heads out to the open water in his seal form. But the newly unstable region holds untold mysteries–and the potential for disaster.
"It's a Sorrysaurus too."
"They look really different."
"It's a chameleon of sorts," Professor Mabo said. "It not only changes colors, it actually changes shapes according to its environment."
"Weird," Rory said.
"Not at all," she said. "It's simply a natural adaptation, quite practical under the circumstances. The world on which the Sorrysaurus lives changes not only its climate, but the complete environment of its landmasses from one season to the next. The first picture, in which the creature is yellow-green, is a warm-season Sorrysaurus. The second picture, in which the creature is white and spiked, is the cold-season version. Not only does the creature survive the entire year, but also, only one creature of its sort inhabits the same territory year round, which limits predation to some degree."
"If you say so," Ronan said. "It sure looks different, though."
"Many creatures in the universe change their colors or shapes- for some it is a question of time. You are not the same shape you will be when you are a man, for instance, Ronan. Nor is Murel the same shape she will be when she is an adult woman. For others it is a question of season or environmental coloration. The Sorrysaurus is only one of the slightly more extreme versions. There are many others. I find them fascinating, don't you?"
"Oh yeah," Rory said.
Murel and Ronan both nodded cautiously. "How can they do that exactly?" Ronan asked.
"It is so simple it's a wonder more things don't change form more often," the professor said.
"We are all of us made up of various particles. The important thing about this-whatever the theory, whatever the physicists call them-is that all of these particles, relative to their size, are very very far apart. They have great latitude of movement. If they are somehow manipulated, by whatever science or force, to move in certain ways, the nature of the object or being they compose will also alter. Human beings have known this for many years before they knew about science. Always, throughout history, even before it was written down, there are stories of men or beasts who are first one thing and then another. Once, this was thought to be superstition, but I have made a study of the way life forms are altered, particularly on these new, terraformed planets, and I have seen, as you see here with the Sorrysaurus, that such transformation is not only possible but actually occurs."
There was a knock on the door then. When Rory opened it, Pet Chan stood there.
"Dr. Mabo? The doctors Upfield say that Ronan and Murel are visiting you. It is time for them to return to their compound and go to bed."
"Very well. Run along now, children, but do come and visit me again."
"Thanks," Murel said. "Maybe Rory could come up and visit us tomorrow. Would you, Rory?
We've got a new card game but it takes at least three."
Rory looked as if he was about to refuse. He was clearly miffed about the preference his grandma showed for his friends, but it wasn't as if Ronan and Murel had tried to make her like them. And it didn't really make a lot of sense that Murel could see either.
"Please, Rory," Ronan added. "Marmie has some great vids, and we'll ask Pet to make us some of her chocolate fudge bomb cookies."
"Right you are, mate," Rory said finally, with a brief version of his usual grin. "I'll ask the folks."
"I'm sure it will be fine, Rory," Professor Mabo said, waving goodbye as the twins hopped into the flitter.
That night before they went to sleep, the twins had a swim and played in seal form, as best they could in such a tame environment.
Did you feel any particles moving around when you changed? Murel asked her brother.
Maybe I do. Maybe hand -particles turning into flipper ones or something, but I never really thought about it. It's good she knows about this stuff and that she's our teacher. And I'm glad she likes us because she's not very nice to her own family, and if she didn't like us, she could really make us miserable.
Yeah, but it might be better if she did that than make Rory miserable and think it was all our fault. I'd hate it if Mum or Da acted like they liked some other kid better than they did us.
Not that they've shown any signs that they really do like us recently, Ronan replied. Can you even remember what they look like, when they're not on the com screen? It's kind of hard.
Sort of like their particles keep shifting around in my head.
He was joking, but it was one of those jokes that was too true to be funny. It was almost three years since they'd seen their parents in person, or been on Petaybee. He felt tears welling up and tried to choke them down.
But hey, who needs all that cold and stuff? Here we can make the weather any kind we want, we get to see all kinds of vids and meet all kinds of people. Important people are our teachers, not somebody we're not supposed to bother. And Marmie has new surprises for us all the time.
Yeah, that's right, Murel agreed. It's great here. No wolves to worry about when we swim, or otter -poachers even. Of course, there's no otters, or track cats, or snow leopards, or curly coats, or even sled dogs or house cats. And the weather isn't exactly real. And Marmie can't change into a seal. But hey, Da can do that, but he stopped doing it with us most of the time, so that doesn't matter, does it?
No way. We're a lot better off here. Our parents were right. They were doing us a big fat favor sending us here.
Yeah, Murel agreed. That is all so true. Which makes me feel like a real head case because, aw jays, Ronan, I really really miss them.
Me too. I miss Petaybee. I miss the caves and the rivers and the otters and the other critters and Clodagh and latchkays, and I miss Mum and Da something terrible.
Me too. But they don't want us there right now. Maybe when we're better prepared for life and can handle ourselves better.
Yeah, like when we're twenty or something really old like that.
I want to go home now. I don't want to wait till I'm twenty.
Me too.
They didn't cry. Murel crawled into her bunk and Ronan into his. Without talking about it, each of them rolled toward the other and held out a hand. They linked fingers and finally fell asleep swapping mind pictures of their favorite things back home. It wasn't much of a swap, since they'd shared everything from the time they were born, but it was the best comfort they had.
CHAPTER 14
All I can say is that I certainly hope the planet knows what it's doing," Yana said to the committee composed of herself, her husband, Dr. Whittaker Fiske-the originator of the terraforming process used on Petaybee-Clodagh, and Dr. Frank Metaxos. Sister Igneous Rock, a geologist and one of the cult of originally misguided religious fanatics who had come to Petaybee thinking to worship it-before the planet declined their worship- was also in attendance.
"Of course Petaybee knows what He or She or possibly They are doing," Sister Iggierock chided her. "We should praise Petaybee's name for its compassion for those among us who need a more temperate zone in which to live. A zone where one need not dress like a polar bear and live in darkness most of the year, as we do now. Your children and your children's children will be able to live in a place where they can enjoy greenery year round. The entire planet will have a source of nourishment from gardens and farms growing fresh fruits and vegetables-even a broader range of medicinal plants, Clodagh-than is now possible with our limited growing season."