The Rowan
- Автор: Маккефри Энн
- Серия: Tower and the Hive #1
- Язык: английский
- Жанр: Научная фантастика
Электронная книга - «The Rowan». Краткое содержание книги:
The kinetically gifted, trained in mind/machine gestalt, are the most valued citizens of the Nine Star League. Using mental powers alone, these few Prime Talents transport ships, cargo and people between Earth's Moon, Mars' Demos and Jupiter's Callisto.
An orphaned young girl, simply called The Rowan, is discovered to have superior telepathic potential and is trained to become Prime Talent on Callisto. After years of self-sacrificing dedication to her position, The Rowan intercepts an urgent mental call from Jeff Raven, a young Prime Talent on distant Deneb. She convinces the other Primes to merge their powers with hers to help fight off an attack by invading aliens. Her growing relationship with Jeff gives her the courage to break her status-imposed isolation, and choose the more rewarding world of love and family.
None minds!
"But, Jeff, not a passenger ship. That's a contractual violation…" the Rowan began.
"And violating the contract we've been forming is a far more heinous crime in my eyes," and he leered at her, his black hair hanging over his eyes to give him a very piratical appearance. We shan't be that long, Afra! Tell them they have to give way to a priority shipment. Me. And it's not ready to launch yet.
Their swim was less than brisk but more than languid, interspersed as it was with loving kisses and caresses. Just the touch of his hand roused the Rowan, so totally unused to any physical contact. She kept in tactile contact as if loosing touch would somehow lessen their incredible rapport.
Between them - for Jeff was becoming familiar with the storage and cooking facilities in her kitchen - they had breakfast ready by the time they had dressed.
On their way to the launch pad, the Rowan's hand tucked and held against Jeff's arm, Reidinger's angry shout made her wince.
No need to shout, Jeff Raven replied mildly.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE?
Spending my day of rest - HA!
Now, now, Reidinger, there is a long-standing precedent for rest days, and I haven't had one, and my lovely Rowan certainly hasn't had one… Jeff looked down at her, his blue eyes glinting with pure mischief and a broad grin spreading across his mobile features. He restrained the Rowan from quickening her pace in her obedient effort to placate the angry Earth Prime and held her to his lazy saunter.
You have a contract with FT amp;T. So I do, so do you, and does the Rowan, but nowhere in that contract does it stipulate we are obliged to work a seven day week, twenty-four or twenty-six-hour day. His tone abruptly changed. Now butt out, Reidinger. You're invading our privacy. And that IS a contract violation!
Some kind of a sound, initiated and abruptly severed, similar to a gargle of pure rage, echoed in their heads. Jeff grinned and the Rowan looked anxious.
"Honey, don't let him exploit you any more. We can do without him, but he and the mighty FT amp;T can't do without us! Remember that. Stiff upper lip and all that guff." They had reached the battered personnel carrier, in which he had made his surreptitious arrival. Now he took her into his arms again, tucking her head under his chin, their bodies as close physically as their minds were. He said nothing, savoring the contact. Abruptly he released her, kissed her cheek, and stretched himself out in the carrier. "Same time six days from now, darling." The hatch covered his reassuring grin.
Scurrying to the Tower, the Rowan pressed her lips tightly against the pain of this farewell, somehow more intense than when she hadn't known what she would be missing.
Now, then, honey, neither distance nor nine can really separate us!
And he gave a quick demonstration that made her gasp. See what I mean?
Her cheeks were burning in the cooler air of the passageway.
Ducking her head so that none of the Station personnel could see her face as she entered the Tower, she took the steps two at a time.
By the time she had taken her place, the generators had hit their peak whine.
Safe trip! she said, as she spun his shell back to Deneb.
A kiss that lasted beyond the moons of Neptune brought a smile to her face. Then she flipped up the com to the waiting passenger liner.
"I do apologize for the slight delay, Captain, but if you are prepared, we can launch at your convenience." Either he was an unusually tolerant master or someone in the Station had dropped a discreet word, but he made no more comment than to request the lift at the mark of five minutes.
Mi that day the Rowan half expected a blast from Reidinger, so she took particular care to keep incoming and outgoing shipments moving in a steady flow. Nor did she receive any word from Jeff over the next five days. She was, however, in very constant and reassuring touch with her lover: his presence palpable in her mind, like a silken touch in the corner of her mind, a feather-gentle caress.
That was probably why it was such a shock when abruptly she became aware of the absence of that touch.
Jeff? She felt more alone than she had when Purza had been destroyed, than when she had… in the tumbling blackness. Jeff! She strengthened her mental shaft, swiveling in her chair in Deneb's relative detection. JEFF!
Anxiety took the place of surprise. JEFF RAVEN!
What's the matter, Rowan? Afra asked, now aware of her concern.
He's gone. His touch is gone!
She heard several people rushing up the steps to her Tower.
We'll link! Afra suggested as he, Brian Ackerman, and Ray Loftus entered the room.
She opened to them and, tapping the generator power, called again.
Panicking, she turned to Afra.
"He isn't there! He's surely heard us!" She tried to keep her voice steady, but Afra was far too sensitive not to feel her growing terror.
The tall Capellan took hold of her hands. "Breathe more slowly, Rowan. There can be many reasons "No! No, it's as if he'd been blotted out suddenly. You can't understand Rowan? The mental call was faint, heard only because the Rowan was linked with the others. Rowan.
"You see, I told you…" Afra began and she yanked her hands out of his.
"That's not Jeff!" Yes?
Come at once! Jeff needs you!
"Now, wait a moment, Rowan," and Afra caught her arm as she started out of her chair.
"You heard! He needs me! I'm going!" I want a wide open mind from everyone on Station, she added, jumping herself out of Afra's physical grasp and to the launch. She flipped open the canopy and settled herself within. Where's my linkage, Afra? There was a long pause, although the Rowan could feel each new mind of the Station's personnel adding strength to hers, Mauli wishing her luck as Mick echoed it. Afra, do it now! If Jeff needs me, I must go! Do it before I realize what I'm doing!
Rowan, you can't attempt. Afra began, desperately worried for her.
Don't argue, Afra. Help me! If I've been called, I must go!
She already was consumed with anguish by Jeff's absence in her mind: she would go mad with the uncertainty of why his touch had been so abruptly withdrawn.
I will be watching for her at the usual point… came that faint firm mind-tone.
With her own abilities augmented by all those on the Station, the Rowan overrode Afra's hesitation, bringing him so firmly into the merge that he could not resist or alter it. Then, with the coordinates of the dwarf star firmly in her mind, she pressed against the generators, too, and launched her carrier.
PART THREE. DENEB
It was black, yes, but the capsule made the jump with no rotation to remind her of an old terror. She felt the unfamiliar multiple-mind touch hers, felt both urgent need and gratitude. Inclining to it, she followed the path it showed her.
Her carrier rocked as it landed roughly in the cradle.
Simultaneous to the apology for the landing, she heard the gasping, clanking off-torque rattles of a malfunctioning generator. If the multiple-minds had gestalted with that, she was bloody lucky to have reached her destination at all.
Opening the canopy, she lifted herself out of the carrier, fighting to hide additional dismay at what she saw. The generator, apparently hastefully installed at the side of what had once been an airfield control tower, gave one last wheeze as a stanchion collapsed.
A cloud of black, oily smoke rose to obscure the mechanical corpse.
From the temporary tower a group of people emerged, one of them carrying a child across her shoulder.
The Rowan reached out and recognized the dominant mind of the merge: Isthia Raven, Jeff s mother. Of the ten minds which had participated, only hers remained relatively unstressed by what the Rowan knew would have been a tremendous effort for a novice team.