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.
Isthia, privately: He must be tired if he's asking us for help.
Rowan: All right, then, my fine lad, into the cradle you go!
Jeff's step had none of its usual spring as he entered the Tower and dropped into the nearest chair. Before Isthia could motion to one of the girls, the Rowan had obtained a glass of stimulant and, placing it in his hand, laid both of hers on his temples, transferring energy to him. Closing his eyes, he accepted her gift, a loving smile turning up the corners of his mouth. You always know what I need, dear heart!
My profound gratitude. I'll return the gift on demand.
"How long before we get some action?" Isthia asked in a gruff voice.
Jeff shrugged. "The Fleet wants to make its war-game moves. They believe in their invincibility. I do not." Rowan: Could a focus protect them? Leviathan may have weaponary we can't perceive.
Jeff: Not over the area of space where they've deployed, and it'd be damned bad tactics to group them together where we might possibly be able to shield them. He gave a mirthless laugh. The Councillors are certain that Leviathan will respond reasonably to the Welcome and identify modules.
The Fleet are not so naive as to consider that likely.
However, the good Admirals are confident that Leviathan will react to the presence of the mines. Once Leviathan has demonstrated its weaponary against the mines, they will know how to defend us against it.
Rowan: There are women Councillors…
Jeff: None with much more than an empathetical Talent and your report has frightened them from even the most discreet of direct contact. The W amp; I modules were only deployed to pacify the non-aggressive element in the Council.
Rowan: What if Leviathan is duplicitous?
Jeff laughed. What? Do you mean they'd respond sweetly to the Welcome and Ident: and then launch missiles once we let them advance "in peace?" Isthia, considering: The Many is definitely not as devious as that. Single-minded is what those things are! The Many all thinking along the same line. Destroying what is in the way of their objective.
The other women in the Watch concurred immediately.
Isthia: And where is Mauli?
Jeff: Resting. Which she needed, and an example that I should follow. Now, while I have the time.
Jeff was back in the Tower when the first Welcome message was ignored. There were ten in the string, each comprising sounds, signals, and signs that were thought to have universal significance.
He hauled Rowan and Isthia away from what he called "their compulsive watching". He made them both sleep in the way that they had once forced him to rest and ignored their protests when they awoke.
"My squadron has taken up positions behind Deneb's moons," he told his mother and his wife as he watched them consume the hearty meal he had prepared for them.
"It gives them a psychological sense of security!" He grinned.
"Even the male complement on board all three destroyers are believers now! And Leviathan has passed into the Denebian system proper, closing fast on the minefield." He rubbed his hands together, his blue eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Isthia regarded the Rowan drolly. "They're all alike!" "I beg to differ, Isthia," the Rowan replied with great dignity, "this one has a few redeeming features." "Yes, he has learned a thing or two from us, hasn't he? And I don't mean cooking." "Why didn't you think to arrange a sleeping facility here, Mother?" Jeff asked as they 'ported back to the Tower. The watch was just changing, but the outgoing crew showed no signs of dispersing to their homes.
Besseva: What is really needed is enough seating for those who don't wish to miss the action shortly to begin.
Isthia: Oh, is that all? Stacked metal chairs arrived on the landing. Need more?
Rakella answered this time: About a dozen more, cups, and say a case of a caffeine beverage and several of fruit juices. It's going to be exciting and we'll need to keep blood sugar levels up.
As well, the Rowan thought, entering the building, that the west section was empty of equipment for it shortly became a spectators' gallery. They were quiet and their presence supportive. Jeff sat at the console where screens linked up the three reconnaissance ships and two of the closer dreadnoughts, the Moscow and the London.
Once she was settled in her couch, the Rowan nodded to Isthia and the two women, their minds strengthened by the gestalt, reached out into space. Unerringly now they perceived the intruder. It had reached the last of the Welcome devices.
Isthia: Well, that's that.
Rakella, tentatively: Maybe they just didn't understand any of the programs.
Isthia: That's immaterial. A pointed attempt to make communications deserves the courtesy of some response.
Rowan: So much for the pacifist Councillors' good intentions.
Reidinger, gently insinuating an ironic voice in both minds: It was worth a try, wasn't it?
Isthia, giving a mental shudder: I suppose it salves conscience and looks good on the record.
Reidinger: There was rather a large segment of our populations that bet that the intruder would shoot the devices up.
Jeff: Thereby establishing a clearly hostile intent!
Isthia: I keep telling you that hostile intent has already been unequivocably established! Those beings are really alien.
Jeff: Who's taking bets about their firing on the mines?
Whoops! I never laid any credit on that bet!
In the next few moments the screens were hectic with reports from the dreadnoughts and the smaller courier ships. The seeded mines were being demolished but not by Leviathan. Scanners now registered the appearance of mobile units, originating from Leviathan and speeding toward the mines.
The Rowan and Jeff simultaneously: Same sort of craft we destroyed two years ago!
Reidinger: Score a point for Talent! Fleet took nine seconds longer to identify. ZAMBIA and her sister ships are demanding the chance to retaliate!
The Rowan and Isthia: Do NOT permit them to engage!
The Rowan: We'll need their minds!
Reidinger: You figured it out then, Angharad?
The Rowan: I did indeed! But Leviathan must get close enough to hit the gravity well before it can be swung away from Deneb VIII.
Jeff, grimly: And we wait?
Reidinger, equally as grim but with such a strong vein of assurance that the Rowan could feel Jeff relax: We wait for the right moment!
Jeff composed a graphic display, the Fleet deployment and the Leviathan's mobile units, added the now measurable speed, mass, and composition of the invader, and grunted when the projection appeared.
"Closing too bloody damned fast. And if this master strategy of yours doesn't work?" Reidinger: Fleet elements have already destroyed or disabled seven of the fifteen destroyers Leviathan sent out.
We've sustained some casualties.
When he paused for too long, Jeff asked sharply: And they're beetles, aren't they? More of those damned beetles!
Reidinger: So the initial unconfirmed reports suggest.
Jeff let out a wild yell, startling everyone in the Tower.
"They'll be making statues to your long ear, Mother," he cried, hauling her into his arms and whirling her about.
Isthia swatted futilely at him but his ebullience did much to lighten the tension in the Tower. "Silly boy! Hearing was the easy part!" She pulled herself out of his arms, but not before giving his face an affectionate caress.
The eyes of everyone in the Tower turned to the graph and the inexorable progress of the Leviathan past the cold and sterile outer planets of the Denebian system.
Reidinger, righteous but sad: Two of our destroyers were wiped out. Got too close to the Leviathan when they chased its defenders back. Then it sent seeking missiles in the direction of the dreadnoughts. All sustained damage, fortunately none have been crippled.
Jeff: Does the Fleet still believe in the potency of its weaponry?