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.
"You'll have to 'port out to Altair… you are able for distance now, I believe," Reidinger continued to poke subtly at her mind.
"Home the Conquering Hero comes!" she replied flippantly. Then abruptly altered her tone. "There isn't any chance that she'll recover?" She owed Siglen some compassion.
"None!" Reidinger interrupted her harshly. "We owe her surcease now, Rowan," he added in a kinder but still gruff tone. Then, for the first time, he really looked at her, his eyes falling to the security badge. "Angharad Gwyn?" The Rowan chuckled for his surprise was genuine. "My true name." For the first time, Reidinger's expression was respectful. "You let him read that deeply?" "Of course." She did not bother to mention the circumstances. "Dai Gwyn, a mining supervisor, was my father, and my mother was Marie Evans Gwyn, one of the camp's teachers. I had an older brother, Ian. You may wish to correct the records." "Why?" And Reidinger was his truculent self again.
"Everyone knows you as the Rowan. You won't ever turn into an Angharad Gwyn at this late date. Now, finish the inbound stuff at Callisto. I've already called that impudent manipulative Denebian in. But, if you hang about to have a snuggle on Prime time, I'll blast the pair of you so hard where it'll hurt, you'll neither of you want to sleep together for a month. I've allowed you two far more leeway than you deserve."
"I wonder I don't see it that way," she said with a laugh, "considering all that our association has achieved." Reidinger probed swiftly and she countered, laughing. "Don't bother to see me out." She could afford to be gracious. "I know the way." She put herself back into the reception area to find Gollee Gren in a heated argument with five angry men in Security garb.
"I completed my errand, Talent Gren," she said, interrupting the dressing down he was getting. She lifted enough shielding for every one of them to realize who she was. "I didn't mean to get you in trouble but I considered it necessary to speak with Earth Prime as quickly as possible." "Couldn't you have done it the normal way?" asked Gren, understandably aggrieved.
"No," she replied without remorse. "But don't fault Afra. He could only comply with my wishes. You were most helpful and courteous." Gren gave an audible groan of resignation. Then she smiled winningly at the Security team who were considerably less forgiving.
"There really is no way to keep one Prime from seeing another, you know, though the heat sensors relayed my presence. I promise that the next time I call in, I'll do so strictly by protocol. Come, Gollee, escort me back to my carrier."
PART FOUR. ALTAIR AND CALLISTO
For the Rowan to return to Altair Prime Station under her own power was cause for considerable surprise, elation, and pride. The hastily assembled reception committee included many people known to her; among them her foster brother and sister whom she was very pleased to see again. She suppressed a surge of pain that Lusena was not alive to see this day. Nor Siglen, for between her interview with Reidinger and her departure from Callisto at the end of the working day, the old Prime had, mercifully, died.
Foremost of the welcoming committee was the Secretary of Interior, who abandoned protocol to embrace the Rowan, crying happy tears.
"Oh my dear child, it is such a blessing to have you back with us!" Holding the Rowan away from her, she gave her a quick, satisfied appraisal, and then hugged her again.
The Rowan returned the embrace willingly, warmed by the Secretary's spontaneity. The woman had perceptibly aged in face and form but her mind was as lucid, open, and kind as ever, her touch a cheerful bright green. In that contact, the Rowan understood even more: that Secretary of the Interior Camella had hated turning the Rowan, as a child, over to Siglen's cheerless establishment; that she had often felt guilty that she hadn't been able to keep a closer personal contact with the orphaned child. The Rowan was also aware of the Secretary's enormous pride and relief that the Rowan had returned to Altair as their Prime.
"And I wish I could have returned in less urgent circumstances," the Rowan said, replying to the spoken welcome.
Dismay colored the Secretary's face briefly. "Oh, poor Siglen. At least she was spared undue pain and never knew the ignominy of her condition. It's such a relief to have you: so fitting that Altair's native Prime should take over." The Mayor and Governor were introduced, both new to their offices, though the Rowan recognized their faces from earlier service in less exalted roles. They observed scrupulous protocol with respectful bows. Gerolaman came forward then, beaming with pride. For such a splendid occasion, he had dressed in the formal deepgreen FT amp;T uniform. He then introduced to her the four Talents new since her time there. The rest of the station staff she greeted by name, feeling this odd sensation that she hadn't been ten years gone from Altair.
Bralla? she asked Gerolaman privately when she noticed another missing face.
She had to retire from active service last year, Gerolaman replied testily, which suggested to the Rowan that he felt Siglen might still be alive if Bralla had been on duty. And she deeply mourns Siglen's death.
"We've arranged a proper reception for you later, Rowan," the Secretary of the Interior said, and then added hesitantly, "that is, if you wouldn't mind attending." Siglen had rarely responded to invitations. Nor allowed the Rowan to.
The Rowan laughed. "I'd love to come. I've been mewed up in the Callisto Dome quite long enough. It'll be a real treat to have a planet to range." "When work's over," Gerolaman said with a discreet cough.
"Oh, dear, yes," and the Secretary was briefly dismayed.
"It seems so uncharitable to shove you into the Tower as soon as you've arrived. Stationmaster and the others have done a magnificent job coping…" "I can see the loaded cradles, Secretary," the Rowan said, grinning. "It won't take me long to shift it all." The Secretary's dismay melted into a relieved smile.
"Then just send word when you're free, Rowan… or should I call you Prime now?" "My name is Angharad Gwyn," the Rowan said, grinning impudently and enjoying the shock on the Secretary's face. "I prefer being the Rowan. I'll send word," she added and walked briskly into the Tower.
Towers followed the same basic design throughout the Central Worlds' sphere of influence but the Rowan quickly noticed both subtle and obvious differences in the Altair Tower since she had last occupied it. The new generating system was three times as powerful now. The console had been updated, quite likely to compensate for Siglen's depleting energies. She noticed the overrides in every system and realized that Gerolaman and the T-2s, Bastian and Maharanjani, had discreetly monitored the old Prime.
Briefly glancing through the stack of manifests to check for priorities, the Rowan settled in the chair and ordered the generators powered up.
This is a grand new system you've got, Gerolaman, she said appreciatively for the warm-up was accomplished in seconds. That blasted Reidinger gave me substandard junk to use on Callisto.
Gerolaman's chuckle echoed in her head. You didn't recognize them? The old Altairian system was sent to run Callisto!
I don't know why I work for this cheap outfit.
Only one in the Galaxy.
The Rowan smiled to herself and, deep in her mind, heard Jeff Raven's chuckle. Then, picking up the power of the generators, she sent cargo spinning out of their cradles in a steady stream.
I taught you well, Gerolaman remarked smugly and settled in to work.
Later the Rowan teamed up with Bastian and Maharanjani to get accustomed to their minds and methods. Both she was touched to learn that Gerolaman had saved were capable, if at first very formal with her, but they relaxed as the day progressed. It was an advantage that they'd all been taught by the same Prime.