Far-out Show (9781465735829) (40 page)

“Uh, yeah, I was just getting to that,”
Hasley lied.

“When he touched down. Right at the start. I
went back and looked at the record to figure out what didn’t work
right the next time. There’s fuzziness in the signals coming
back.”

“
Fuzziness
? Is that a technical term?”
Hasley asked.

“Nah, it’s tech talk-talk for something
strange and maybe
fritzerish
in signals,” Biccup said.
“Little things that you can’t say exactly what they mean but you
notice them enough to wonder. Things you don’t even know how to
check out further.”

“Do you think this
fuzziness
is
important?” Hasley asked.

“I don’t know what it means or if it’s
important. It might mean that Nerber had something on him that
generated a signal that kept the transport system from identifying
it. Or Wilburps did. Or both did. If so there are two obvious
questions. What went down to the planet that we don’t know about?
And was that deliberate? Did Nerber intend to sneak something down
with him or doesn’t he even know something on him or the zerpy
produced those fuzzy signals? The other obvious possibility is that
one or both were damaged in the transport in ways the system isn’t
programmed to recognize and specify.”

“Which do you think it is?” Hasley asked.

“I’m only a tech, I look at the guts of
systems to understand how they’re supposed to do certain things and
why they’re not doing that if they’re not. I don’t do the guessing
games or snoopy stuff. That’s why I came here and told you guys
about it but without everybody being in on that information.”

Lacrat stood to signal that the meeting was
over. “Good work, Biccup. We’ll take it from here.”

Biccup nodded that he was satisfied with that
and left.

Once the door was closed again Hasley asked,
“Do you think we have a problem there?”

“Which there? With Biccup? No. With Nerber?
I’m not sure but I’m not about to panic. With the transport system?
I wouldn’t use it and wouldn’t recommend it to my good friends
although if someone is ready to go down as another contestant I’ll
offer unqualified assurance that it’s safe,” Lacrat said.

“Spoken like a true leader.”

* * *

Eroder sat at the main console in
Whizybeam
’s control room watching the array of dials and
meters closely. Considering its importance this was not a very
large room. A large view-screen filled one wall. A large console
with five small, separate monitor screens built into it faced that
big screen. There were two substations at the side of the room
opposite the two doors to the halls and the rest of the ship. Each
had a smaller but functional control console with smaller versions
of the monitors of the big one. The single chairs in front of each
console were the only movable furniture in the bright but plain
space.

Three serious, focused technicians who
welcomed challenges hurried in. Molten went and stood behind Eroder
to provide another set of eyes and hands if things started to
happen very fast here. He was a young adult male with a cluster of
very short spikes on the top of his head but none around the sides
that made him look bald but with a bumpy scalp. His feet had areas
of several shades of blue over a dark red background.

Icetop and Yelpam went to the two side
consoles, sat and started entering code and checking readings.
Icetop was an older male with a wizened look. His head was covered
with medium-length thick, flexible, and motile spikes which gave
him a Medusa-look. His feet were dull gray. Yelpam was a young
adult male with a sort of dread locks look due to his full head of
long but limp, spiraled spikes. His feet were purple with some
orange near his toes.

After a time when he was satisfied with the
readings he saw on the main console Eroder called, “Are we
good?”

“The systems seem stable,” Icetop
replied.

“My area’s reading as normal,” Yelpam called
out.

Molten patted Eroder’s shoulder as a signal
that he saw nothing on the monitors and dials to indicate they
couldn’t safely proceed.

Eroder touched a button and said, “Attention
all aboard, this is Captain Eroder. We’re about to make a
change-over. The techs identified some distressing sub-routines
that made the ship’s operation more complicated than there’s any
reason to believe they need to be which therefore makes everything
inefficient. Some of those programs would also allow those far away
to lock us out and take control of our essential systems. In an
emergency we need to be able to react and make things happen, not
petition someone far away and possibly lost to contact to get
around to making those changes.

“There will be short-term interruptions of
many functions as the new sequences are booted in to replace the
bad ones so momentarily shut down everything that might be damaged
and so you don’t lose your important data. You’ll be back up and
running even better very soon. Greater efficiency will mean we can
stay on stored power longer after each recharge from their star’s
radiations so you won’t have that old excuse for not working but
I’m confident you’ll find new ones.”

He looked over to Icetop and Yelpam, both of
whom nodded that things were ready according to their readings.

Eroder called, “The indications here are that
all systems are at minimum levels so we can do this. Switching to
stored-energy lighting and life support. Change over!”

He pushed a button. The lights blinked and
dimmed as they went to backup power. Lights flashed on and off all
around the console. For three seconds the whole console went dark
and nothing moved.

Then meter needles and digital dials became
active as the lights in the room came on a bit brighter.

“Okay, it all seems to be back on line and
working. A few flutters but those should be insignificant. We’re
safer now,” Eroder told them all over the communications system.
“I’d say we’re entitled to a
pomidipser quidniffop
first
chance we get. Special cheers for our techs for recognizing the
problems and devising the patch around it.”

* * *

After talking with the producers about fixing
the system Biccup had come directly to the transport room, a small
room with a partly-enclosed alcove beside a podium-style control
panel, sort of
Star Trek
light. The sooner he was confident
that the device would work right from now on, the sooner he could
concentrate on the many other technical problems on this bucket of
bolts that was
Whizybeam
.

His test subject of choice was Limbrush, an
old model cleaning zerpy designed to vacuum or to blow away debris
as its alternate actions. The zerpy was the size of and roughly the
shape of a football. After viewing some recent images from the
intercepted entertainment signals on the planet, Biccup altered its
virtual surface to look even more like a football. That was in case
it was seen by any inhabitants.

He hefted the zerpy and examined it closely
saying, “Dispensable but with a tracer and a self-destruct unit. An
obvious test subject. It has two easily detectable functions so I
send it down, verify that it works both ways once it’s there, then
bring it back up and verify that it works both ways after that trip
too. It should tell me all I need to know.”

He placed the zerpy, hovering now, in the
transport alcove then stepped behind the control podium to set the
parameters.

“I’ll use close to the same arrival location
coordinates that I used for Nerber but not exactly the same so
there’s little chance that its appearance will complicate things
for him. Those should be okay.”

He gave the hovering zerpy a last visual
inspection and started the sequence.

Limbrush gave a little jerk, then faded from
sight. “It’s on its way. Watch out far below and on the other side
of their moon,” Biccup whispered to himself.

He watched the podium panel and when a small
light started to flash he made an arm-punch-in-the-air gesture of
success.

Then he dropped that arm to steady himself as
the whole ship quivered a bit and the panel on the podium went
blank.

“
Fampfuzzle!
What the
splinkflert
happened? No, no, the zerpy had just reached the
surface. There can’t be some kind of a power outage right now.
React, Biccup. There may be some residual energy in the system. Try
it again later and take the time to make sure it works down there
but for now it’s more important to get it back up here.”

He pressed a button and stared at the spot
where the zerpy had last been visible. He was hardly aware of it
but his toes were crossed on both feet. But Limbrush did not
reappear.

After he finished silently counting off the
seconds until it would be certain the attempt to reverse the
transport was complete Biccup pushed hard on another button on the
console.

“If I can’t bring it back it should
self-destruct so it won’t give away any secrets. I know the
governors’ firmly stated priority on keeping our equipment out of
inhabitants’ hands.”

He stared at the blank podium monitor, then
put down his head and weakly pounded his fists on the console while
his feet firmly slapped the floor into submission. With no response
from it he had no way of knowing whether Limbrush had destroyed
itself.

Strictly by the book he should probably
immediately report this but since the chatter on the communications
channels meant the loss of signals and even controls was widespread
he decided it was okay to let it wait until later.

Eroder was at the main control console,
Molten at one of the small ones. The other techs had gone to attend
to other matters. Eroder touched a button and said, “Things aren’t
looking right but we can’t afford to panic. It’s like there are a
line of tall units standing close enough to one another that if the
first falls over it will hit and knock over the second which will
hit and knock over the third and on down the line. Too bad we
Ormelexians don’t have an expression that describes that
phenomenon. I want to believe this is only a flutter and will soon
correct itself but the signs so far aren’t good.” Only he will ever
know if he intended only to be heard by Molten but the button he
probably pushed unconsciously let everyone aboard hear it.

* * *

At that time Lacrat sat in the producers’
office facing Icetop and Yelpam. No one else was in the room.

“I appreciate the two of you hearing me out
on this,” Lacrat said. “Things have changed so we need to
adjust.”

“Before you say more we require that you
state for the record the terms you mentioned when you asked us to
meet with you,” Icetop said. “So there are no
misunderstandings.”

“I’m simply offering you a chance to make an
even bigger mark on the history of our kind,” Lacrat said
pleasantly. “Here’s the deal...”

“Stop!” Yelpam shouted. “As the designated
representative of
Bang-Boom Shows Certificated
, are you
telling us that we will be given a double share of the rewards
committed to us in our existing contracts with the company if we
listen to and seriously consider your offer of further involvement
in the project for which we have come to the region of this alien
planet whether or not we agree to that further involvement?”

“Guys, you heard Eroder, we’re in an
uncertain time. We all need to get things done and focus on keeping
those at home who may still have some ultimate control over our
fates so eager for the show material we generate that
they’ll...”

Yelpam muttered, “
Jigplink
it out your
zamtrucks
. Empty promises may lure
dunkipfeck
prisdinks
but some of us know your type too well to play that
game.” He and Icetop stood and left. Lacrat sat spinning idly in
his swivel chair considering what had happened and what to do
now.

In the hall Hasley, in full oily con man mode
although he didn’t realize it showed, intercepted Icetop and
Yelpam. “Guys, Lacrat sent me a message. He’s upset with himself.
The stress is getting to him. He misunderstood what you asked him
to do. Of course he’ll put the terms he originally mentioned on the
record.” He touched the door control panel and the door slid open.
“That’s no problem. Come on back inside and let’s work this out so
there are no hard feelings.”

Lacrat, standing inside with his ear pressed
to the door, jumped back in surprise when it opened, then he began
to pace as if agitated and concerned. He gave the others what he
intended to be a look of relief. What they saw was a look of great
annoyance with them for putting him through this and with his
partner for leaving him on the spot.

Once in the office with the door closed
behind them Icetop said, “Here’s what’s even better. Since you say
there’s no problem with putting the terms for the meeting on the
record, you do so, Hasley. So we know the whole company’s behind
it.”

Lacrat quickly flashed a smile but then hid
that away. He hated being manipulated as much as anyone.

Hasley hesitated only for a moment. “Uh, oh.
Uh, sure. Why not? I can do that. As the agent of Bing-Bang Shows
Certificated I agree that Icetop and Yelpam will get double their
currently contracted for rewards for listening to and serious
considering Lacrat’s proposal whether they agree to his offer or
not. How’s that?”

“It’s not my proposal, it’s the company’s
proposal agreed to by all three principals,” Lacrat insisted.

Hasley wasn’t able to stop himself before he
let his annoyance at having that loophole closed but then he smiled
without even wondering if that was coming across as warm and said,
“Of course. That’s what I meant. Now let’s stop losing time. Let’s
talk-talk about one or both of you becoming show contestants for
the
vipsig mermin
. I’ll sit back and let Lacrat take over
from here.”