McCollum - GIBRALTAR STARS (44 page)

“Your point, Dan?” N’Gomo asked.

“Simply this, Admiral. Once they are fully alert and motivated, how long will it take the Broa in those other 990,000 star systems to find Earth?

#

Chapter Forty-Four

Dos-Val was correct that the ovoid starship would give the Prime Councilor the evidence he needed to convince Those Who Rule that a wild species was loose in Civilization.

And not just one species. Two!

That was the conclusion of the biologists who studied the control room of the small ship. Not that one needed to be a specialist in alien physiology to come to the same conclusion.

The wild bipeds were typical of the large strider species. They massed twice what a member of the Race did, and their length was half again as long. The starship’s crewmembers were the same scale as their ship. From the indentations in the control couches and the arrangement of the controls, they were barely eight-twelfths as long as a Broa, with six limbs, four of which were capable of manipulation.

The bio traces, including a pool of dried circulatory fluid, indicated the species evolved on a world very different from either Ssasfal or whatever nameless rock spawned the bipeds. Their star was red in color, although not as deep a hue as some others within Civilization. That was the observation of physicists who color- mapped the cabin lighting and output screens.

The creatures’ biochemistry contained a high concentration of heavy metals. Their food, which was discovered in lockers, was poisonous to both Broa and biped. There was no possibility those who flew this ship and the beings who visited Klys’kra’t and Pastol shared a biosphere.

Which merely deepened the mystery.

Instead of a single species secretly moving about Civilization, there were at least two. The problem came with that modifier, ‘at least.’

Could there be three, or four, or more races of infiltrators? And what was the relationship, if any, between the two? Was one species master and the other subservient; and if so, which was which? Could they be allies spying on Civilization together? Or were their actions independent? Perhaps
two
galactic powers were probing Broan space, neither aware of the other.

Once one postulated another Civilization-like entity, what was the constraint on such imaginings? Could the galaxy be rife with interstellar groupings, all inherently or actively hostile to the Race? The questions were as legion as they were unanswerable. Yet, answers were needed... and quickly.

Zel-Sen spent from Ffalta zenith to nightfall observing work on the small starship the rotation after Dos-Val advised him of the discovery. He was already agitated when he arrived at the institute and became more so. His anger peaked when Dos-Val informed him that the institute was actively researching coordinate transformation technology and were building a generator to test the ancient theory. 

The day after the Zel-Sen’s visit, the institute hosted a steady stream of visitors. Clan masters arrived with their retinues to discover they alone would be admitted, and only after dire warnings concerning the penalty for revealing Forbidden Knowledge. Throughout the day, groups of three or four masters were ushered in to see the starship.

Dos-Val stood on the platform high above the working floor and observed as one of Gor-Dek’s bright young philosophers explained the ship to the latest council members to take the tour. Gor-Dek was seated beside him in a wheeled conveyer.

“It would appear we have their attention,” the Subminister for Science said to the grizzled philosopher.

“Yes,” Gor-Dek agreed. “Perhaps now they will put aside their parochial interests.”

Dos-Val made the sound of mirth. “You have not met many clan masters.”

“Nor have I suffered for the lack.”

“Wait until the Council Meeting tomorrow. You will meet more than you ever wished.”

#

Once again, Zel-Sen stood on the raised island in the center of the Council of Rulers. If anything, the hall was more crowded today than it had been when he revealed the existence of the wild bipeds so many rotations ago. The masters were also louder, an indication of their mood, which was not good.

When the time came, he signaled for the battle horns to sound and mounted the dais.

“Clan Masters, Members of the Ruling Council. Be advised that we are here to discuss Forbidden Knowledge. You must not speak of this beyond this hall. I now ask you to acknowledge this warning, under penalty of law.” Zel-Sen waited until he received the signal in his ear that all had complied. He continued:

“Many have visited the Institute of Physics and seen the small starship on display there. We meet today to discuss what is to be done about it and other matters. To that end, I have asked two experts to speak to us. I call first Dos-Val, Subminister for Science, the philosopher who has directed our efforts against the wild bipeds.”

Dos-Val mounted the dais and recounted how the bipeds had come to the attention of Those Who Rule and the various approaches by which he had tried to identify them. When he finished, there were a few questions, after which he introduced Gor-Dek.

The aged philosopher mounted the dais with difficulty. At his approach, a set of resting bars rose out of the floor. He mounted them and began to outline the technology of coordinate transformation, ending with the reasons the knowledge was forbidden.

 “How do we know such technology really exists, Philosopher?” one of the masters called from the floor. His words were picked up by the sound system and broadcast to the far reaches of the hall.

“The files in the Library of Forbidden Knowledge are extensive and specific. They are some of the oldest on record, dating back to shortly after the invention of the stargate.

“When I became aware of the bipeds, I wondered if they might be using this alternate technology to travel between stars. At the request of the Subminister for Science, I put together a team to design such an engine. When the starship came into our hands, we inspected its engines. The design correlates well with our theoretical work.”

“You were working to mechanize this piece of forbidden knowledge?”

“Yes, under the strictest security. These bipeds used the technology at both Pastol and Sabator. If they can travel between stars without stargates, we must have that same capability in order to pursue them. It was to study the feasibility of this option that we undertook the study.”

“What of the beings who flew the small starship?” a second master asked. They are not the same species as the bipeds.”

“That is true,” Gor-Dek responded. “They have complicated the equation. What their relationship is to the wild bipeds, we do not yet know.”

The questions continued for a considerable time. Finally, when the masters began to berate the physicist rather than acquire knowledge, Zel-Sen climbed the dais once more.

“Clan masters!” the Prime Councilor said when the old philosopher had hobbled down. “You have asked many good questions today. Unfortunately, we cannot answer them in full. After Sabator, we must acknowledge that these aliens represent a grave threat to our realm. How grave, we know not. I fear that we may be facing nothing less than a race emergency.

“Our ancestors had a method for dealing with such crises. During the Great Consolidation, and again for the Plague of Direndl, the Ancestors gathered the greatest minds of their time to study the problem and devise a strong vine to safety. With at least two strains of aliens violating our territory, and faced with this mysterious weapon that destroys our ships at will, I propose to do the same.

“Clan masters and council members. I ask that you grant me permission to convene a Council of Elders.”

#

Pas-Tek of
Blood Oath
was excited. His leave at home having come to an end, he had been about to rejoin his ship when a summons to Ssasfal arrived by courier.

His orders were to report to the Council Chambers in Old City on or before the start of the Festival of Lossa, and to make himself available to the Prime Councilor for as long as that worthy required. Had such a summons come earlier in his career, he would have viewed it with apprehension. However, the Councilor had seemed impressed with his efforts following the destruction of the stargate in the Pastol System. Surely, the new summons forecast nothing bad.

He left his ship at Vil and booked passage on a transport bound for Ssasfal. Once aboard, he found he was not alone in being summoned. A dozen other naval officers were aboard, all summoned to Headquarters, also to report during the festival. There was talk of a Council of Elders in session and rumors they were all to be given orders of an unprecedented nature. After an adult life spent in service to a Navy that had little enough excitement, the prospect caused general rejoicing.

Upon their arrival at the disembarkation satellite, they found they were not the only officers summoned. Apparently, the rumors that something big was fermenting were true. The orbital ferry that transported them to the surface had every berth filled with naval ratings.

It was with counter-beating hearts that Pas-Tek knuckle walked the Path of Heroes to the Council Building and up the slideway to the third floor. There, the same grizzled veteran as before checked his orders, and ushered him into the Prime Councilor’s office.

“Welcome back, Ship Commander Pas-Tek of the Pas-Gorn Clan,” Zel-Sen said as Pas-Tek entered.

“Thank you, Prime Councilor. To what do I owe this honor?”

“Surely, you can guess why I summoned you.”

“The wild bipeds?”

Zel-Sen made the gesture of assent. “The wild bipeds and another species recently detected.” The Councilor told him about the Battle of Karap-Vas.

“They used the same weapon as at Pastol?”

“They did,” Zel-Sen replied. “Three ships destroyed without effort. They escaped using a technology that negates the need for stargates, just as at Pastol when they destroyed the gate as a diversion.”

“They travel between stars without stargates?” Pas-Tek asked, incredulous.

The Prime Councilor briefly explained coordinate transformation engines after warning of the penalties for revealing Forbidden Knowledge.

“You spoke of another species,” Pas-Tek said, more to cover his surprise than to obtain information.

“Six-limbed creatures who crewed an auxiliary craft that has come into our possession. I see the implications are not lost on you.”

“It would seem the problem is much larger than the single shipload of thieves we thought it to be.”

 “It is more of a pelen infestation, Commander. I need you to assist me in getting rid of them.”

“Of course, Councilor. How may I serve you?”

“You know of the gathering at Naval Headquarters at Ffalta-zenith tomorrow, of course.”

“I do.”

“You will attend. I want you to describe the weapon you faced. Our ship commanders must know of it when we give them their orders.”

“Yes, Councilor. It would help my presentation if I knew something of your plans.”

“Then listen carefully, as all will listen tomorrow. You have heard of the Council of Elders currently meeting? The Elders have concluded that our whole society is at risk. If coordinate transformation technology becomes known among the subservients, Civilization will be ungovernable. They have therefore decreed that we end this threat to us using whatever force is required. We are to search out and destroy the planet or planets of these wild bipeds, and of the second species as well.”

Pas-Tek made the gesture of regret at having to remind a superior of an inconvenient fact. “First we must find those worlds, Councilor. Do the Elders suggest how we might accomplish that?”

“They do. They have decreed a blockade.”

“Of what?”

“Of our own stargates until such time as we capture the miscreants.”

“A blockade, Councilor?”

“Tomorrow, the Elders will order the Navy to begin stopping and boarding every ship that approaches a stargate in as many systems as we can manage. The boarding parties will be equipped with special air sniffers and detectors sensitive to the bio signs of the two species. Should they detect the presence of either group, whether in plain sight or in hiding, the ship will be seized and the crew put in restraints until they can be properly questioned.

“Since the ships may well be equipped with these weapons that destroyed the Pastol gate, you can see the need for our commanders to have a good understanding of its capabilities.”

“Yes, Councilor. What makes you think the bipeds will allow themselves to be captured?”

“The boarding parties will be made up of Banlath and similar subservients. They will have orders to sacrifice themselves if necessary to capture a live specimen once biped traces are detected. Since they will already be aboard the ship, the mysterious weapon cannot be used against them.

“Once before, we attempted to detect bipeds moving without permission through Civilization. We changed the operating software of the stargates to take visual records of crews. We detected three biped ships in this way, and relatively quickly. Then the detections stopped. Either they ceased using the gates, or else they found a way to defeat our countermeasure.

“The Elders believe, and I agree, that we may be able to catch them unaware again. All it will take is a single prisoner who knows the location of their home world, and we will have a target for the largest Vengeance Fleet the Race has ever assembled.”

#

Chapter Forty-Five

The World Executive and Parliament buildings in Toronto towered over the downtown, making even the CN Tower Historical Site seem small by comparison. Each building was a self-contained city that housed government offices, apartments, shopping malls, gratchy parlors, restaurants, and meeting facilities.

Three centuries earlier, a similar tower complex was attacked by fanatics flying aircraft, with a terrible loss of life. For that reason, the de facto planetary capital was one of the most heavily defended regions on Earth. In addition to its ring of automated anti-aircraft and anti-spacecraft lasers, each tower was surmounted by a battery of weapons as powerful as they were secret.