In the Company of Others (78 page)

“Fever?” Gail began to hurry her steps.

“No—court-martial. Seems he's the only one not expecting a hero's welcome.”

Aaron stopped in his tracks to look at Malley. “A hero's welcome?”

Malley grinned. “Comm says there are more ships on their way here—and hundreds heading to the other terraformed worlds. Each and every one carrying people who owe their futures to us. Grant's just grumbling.”

Gail looked at Bob, still hovering in earshot, and
knew.
“The Patrol ships,” she said numbly. “They must have exchanged fragments and headed to the other worlds as soon as the
Seeker
passed along word we'd—eliminated the Quill Effect.”

“By eliminating Susan. So they've gone to kill the other Quill Entities?” Aaron shut his mouth tightly, then nodded. “That was the plan all along. Your plan.” He took his hand from hers; her palm felt cold and barren.

“I didn't plan this, Aaron. But—”
She had to be honest and, if he hated her now
, Gail knew,
she'd paid the highest possible price.
She stood up straight. “But I would have recommended it when we got back to the
Seeker
. The Quill on those worlds will, as Susan, be restored to their natural state. Ending the experiment is the best we can do—for that's what has happened here, make no mistake: an experiment with the Quill's evolution.”

“You could have left them intelligent—we might have found ways to communicate—”

She cut him off. “Susan was only able to communicate through you, Aaron, and you were as unique as she was. The others? What if we could never talk to them . . . what if some were insane? Would you have them be alone? Susan told you how dreadful that was for her, how unnatural.” Gail searched his face.
You know how that feels
, she added to herself. “Aaron, what matters more is . . . why. Why should we force the Quill into this state? So we don't feel alone in the universe? How is that fair to the Quill? As a species, we know they have the potential for thought—but don't you see, that has to be Quill-thought, Quill-intelligence—not something patterned after our minds. A Quill Entity, not Susan Witts as a Quill.”

“I know,” Aaron said. “I understand what you're saying. But I can't help wishing it had been different—that we could have done something more. That we could have saved her.”

Gail pressed her hands over her eyes and cheeks, then said with the exasperation of the truly exhausted: “The colonists are safe, the stations will thrive, and I'm sure I can salvage everyone's career—hopefully including mine—based on those facts alone. Don't you think that's enough for one day, husband?”

There was a choked noise, as if Malley had something to add to that—
no doubt
—but restrained himself. Then Gail felt her hands pulled gently away from her face and found herself looking into a warm pair of hazel-green eyes.

“As long as you teach me how to kiss you before it ends,” Aaron Pardell said in the wise way of newlyweds.

“The science sphere reports all systems functional and all data has been uploaded from both the underground and orbital monitors, Dr. Malley.”

“Just Malley. No ‘Dr.' Damn techs,” the big man in the lab coat grumbled, but failed to be convincing about it. The tech gave him a mystified look, then went back to her station.

First Officer Daniel Grant grinned, the movement emphasizing the crooked scars on his temple. “Tell them you never went to school—that ought to help.”

Malley grinned back. “I'll try that next time.” He dropped into the seat beside Grant, Captain Tobo being off-shift. “You ready to get us out of here?”

Both men gazed at the huge columnar screen, showing a world patterned in alien purple and golds. Third visit in as many years—the biologists loved the place, even though restricted to remote observation. Malley was always glad to leave.
The Quill Homeworld sent shivers down his spine.
He, for one, wasn't anxious to find a Quill doing anything more remarkable than hugging its chosen plant.

“First contact,” Grant said instead of answering. “Whether it really happened, or was just a fluke, we made a mess of it.”

Malley stretched out his long legs, stopping short of kicking the duty station in front of him. “Human nature,” he replied. “Isn't that the usual answer?”

“Not good enough, Malley,” Grant answered fiercely, a frown over the dark eyes. “We're alone in the universe—maybe we deserve to be.”

“Now you sound like Aaron. As if anyone is as good at wallowing in might-have-beens.” Their eyes met in perfect understanding. It had taken time—and several bottles of Scotch—for Pardell to finally turn his regrets to hopes for the future. That, and happiness.

The former stationer shrugged his massive shoulders. “According to Gail and various other brains on board, the Quill could be telling us stories sooner than we think. Hence our diligence in supplying this world with the latest spy technology. You realize, don't you, that you Earthers take an obscene interest in other people's business. There'd better not be any vids in my quarters.” Malley paused, consideringly. “Or Aisha's. Or Petra's—”

“Spare me your list,” Grant said, but with a laugh. “Fine. So the Quill will have the smarts to join our little club in a few thousand years, give or take a million. You and I aren't exactly going to be around for that, Malley.”

Malley keyed a change in the view screen and stared up at the swirling mass of stars it portrayed without flinching.
Much.
“And that, my friend, is why the
Seeker
is living up to her name. You aren't the only one a little curious about who else might be out there.” He chuckled deep in his throat. “Anyway, if Her Ladyship wants to find them, who are we to say they won't be found? So—when can we get going?”

Grant leaned back in his chair like a lazy cat. “It's going to take a while. They're at it again.”

Of all the times.
Malley started to get up to send a comm signal, then sat back with a sigh. “You had to authorize the extra cables,” he complained to Grant, but couldn't help but smile.

... Outside, bathed in the reflected light of a world and its sun, a pair of space-suited daredevils raced each other from sphere to sphere, leaping and whirling through the void for the pure joy of each other's company.

As they would, always.

Thromberg Station and Vicinity

Earth Research Council Deep Space Vessel
Seeker
(All Earthers)

First Defense Unit Assigned to the ERC
Seeker
(All Earthers)