Dinosaurus Planet Survivors
- Автор: Маккефри Энн
- Серия: Dinosaur Planet #2
- Язык: английский
- Жанр: Научная фантастика
Электронная книга - «Dinosaurus Planet Survivors». Краткое содержание книги:
“Yes, indeed, I do, Commander. They haven’t yet been tested by such diverse life-forms. Thek, human, dinosaur, the avian golden fliers, and fringes! This environment will be a very good test of globe capability.”
“Globes are an early warning device that have recently been released for Fleet use. I can’t go into specifics but with a properly programmed globe hanging over your encampment, Kai, you’ll be safe from such predators as the fringes and the bigger dinosaurs. Now tell me, just how did you escape from the dome and avoid the stampede?”
“It’s in my report,” Kai said, surprised.
“Your report, and I quote, says, ‘We exited from the rear of the dome and reached the safety of the shuttle just as the vanguard of the stampeding hadrosaurs breached the forcescreen’.” Sassinak stared hard at Kai for a long moment and then turned to Varian. “You were even less forth coming. ‘We escaped from the dome and reached the shuttle.’ Period. So how exactly did you escape to the shuttle?”
“Triv and I called on Discipline and parted the dome at the seam.”
“At the seam?” Fordeliton was impressed and glanced at his commander, who merely nodded. “The young man, Bonnard, had not been apprehended by the heavyworlders?”
“No, Bonnard was at large,” Kai said, with a wry grin. “He’d the great good sense to hide the power packs-”
“Rendering the sleds inoperative. Good strategy. I would suggest that the mutineers made the usual classic mistake-they underestimated their opponents. A lesson Naval Tactics always emphasizes, does it not, Ford?” Sassinak, raised one eyebrow and regarded her aide with a tolerant smile.
“Indeed, yes.” Fordeliton dabbed at his mouth with his napkin and looked anywhere but at Sassinak.
“Leaping ahead in your story, then, Kai and Varian, the golden fliers must be discriminating indeed if they protect you, and yet are aggressive to the Iretans, a hostility I infer from Aygar’s remark this morning.”
“The giffs had thresholds for their behavior, one of which was started-and this is surmise-by the mutineers who probably searched near enough to the giff caves to provoke attack. They would repel anyone approaching our refuge from the ravine side. They also seem to be able to distinguish among sled engines.”
“What more have you observed about the giffs?”
“Not as much as I would like. To date, my observations have mainly dealt with their reactions to us, not interactions among themselves. That’s what I’d like to explore.”
“Excellent! Excellent! That’s just what you should do.”
“What interested me most,” Mayerd said, hitching forward in her chair, “was the fact that those creatures knew a specific remedy for the fringe poison. And realized that you needed it. I’d say that places their intelligence level well above primitive norms.”
“What establishes them above primitive norms is…” Sassinak broke off, aware of a shadow, hovering anxiously just out of sight in the corridor. “Yes, what is it?”
Borander stepped into view, every inch of him reluctant to interrupt the gathering.
“You ordered that you be informed of any attempt at communication between the transport and the Iretans, Commander.”
“Indeed. Who’s trying to get in touch with whom?” Sassinak shed her party manner in that instant.
“A transmission from the transport has been monitored, directed at the Iretan settlement and requesting it to open communications.”
“And?”
“There has been no reply from the settlement.”
“How could the Iretans reply?” Lunzie asked. “They haven’t any comunits!”
“They don’t?” Now Fordeliton registered amazement.
“It isn’t likely that the original units have survived forty-three years in this climate,” Varian said. “Unless the Iretans were issued replacements.”
Fordeliton shook his head. “We were surprised, but Aygar said that he didn’t have much need for that sort of equipment. Nor did they request any power units suitable for a comunit of any current type.”
“On what frequency was Cruss broadcasting?” Kai asked suddenly. Sassinak raised her eyebrows with approval. When Borander gave the frequency, Kai smiled with satisfaction. “That was the frequency the expedition used, Commander.”
“Very interesting, indeed. Now how would our innocent Captain Cruss have learned that from the ‘message’ in the damaged homing capsule? I’ve read and reread the text. The frequencies were not included. He has well and truly used enough rope.”
Lunzie chuckled. “I wonder why Cruss is trying to contact people who don’t wish contact with him.”
“Could Aygar be playing a deep game?” Sassinak asked.
“I wouldn’t say he was playing any game,” Varian said, watching the frown on Kai’s face deepen at her remark. “He has stated his position quite clearly-this is his planet and he intends to remain on it.”
“More power to him if he can,” Sassinak replied. “Borander, my compliments to Lieutenant Commander Dupaynil. I think this is a matter for his skills.” As Borander went off on his errand, Sassinak turned to her guests. “Dupaynil’s Naval Intelligence. Varian, do the Iretans have any particular accent or provincial dialect?…” And when Varian reassured her, she continued, “My friends, too many attempts at planetary piracy have been successful, too many well-organized expeditions have appeared on planets which were not scheduled to be colonized for a half century. And-to be candid-generally not by groups which are amenable to observing Federated Charter obligations as regards ecology, minority, and nonaggression. The unusual circumstances of the spontaneous settlement are all reasonably explained-always after the fact, when the Federation is powerless to disband a by-then established, productive colony. The more we can discover about the modus operandi, the quicker we can squash the whole movement.”
“Are the heavyworlders always the pirates?” Kai asked.
“By no means,” Sassinak replied, twirling her liqueur glass gently, around on the damask table-covering. “But they have been the most successful at the game, usurping planets that were destined for other minorities. Ireta is a good case in point. Gravity is normal here.”
“That’s about the only thing that is,” Lunzie muttered under her breath.
“Be that as it may,” and Sassinak shot her relative a sympathetic glance, “Ireta is too rich a plum to be plucked by the fardling heavyworlders! Let them find high-gravity worlds where their mutation is useful.”
“It would be quite valuable, then, to discover if a group has been organizing these piratical ventures?” Lunzie asked.
“Invaluable, my dear great-great-great-great-grandmother Lunzie, invaluable. Have you any ideas?”
“One which I see no point in discussing prematurely. It’s just that something you said is twitching a memory.” Lunzie flung up one hand in disgust at her inability to recall it. “I’d like to assist this Intelligence man of yours, if I may…” and her glance took in Varian and Kai as well as the commander.
Varian shrugged and looked to Kai.
“It would afford me considerable pleasure,” he said, “if we could thwart the planetary pirates.”
A discreet rap on the door was immediately acknowledged by Sassinak and a slim, swarthy man eased into the wardroom. After one quick glance around the table, he gave all his attention to his commander.
“Dupaynil, how would you like to pose as an Iretan, eager to admit the heavyworlders to this planet?”
“The very thing to while away my tedium, Commander.”
“I apologize for the abrupt end to this exceedingly pleasant evening, ladies, gentlemen,” Sassinak said as she rose, her manner brusque, no longer suited to the elegant gown that swirled about her legs. “Lunzie, may we avail you of your offer? Ford, see our guests to their transport?”