A Savage War Of Peace (Ark Royal Book 5) (22 page)

But the Vesy were different, at least in some eyes.  They weren’t human - and they were primitive.  John had no doubt that a single destroyer could smash any overt resistance from orbit, but a long grinding insurgency would be a nightmare that would drain human resources beyond belief.  If human politicians had no stomach for trying to impose a peace on Terra Nova, why would they have felt differently about the Vesy?

The Vesy aren't human
, John reminded himself. 
Perhaps that makes a difference
.

“That’s the problem,” Joelle said.  John brought himself back to the conversation with a start.  “I don’t think we
could
stop them, unless we offered fairly considerable bribes.”

“They might not take them,” John said.  “Are
you
a religious person?”

“I was raised Presbyterian,” Joelle said.  “I can't say I ever really followed the faith.”

John shrugged.  “One of my old boyfriends was a Reformed Buddhist,” he said, smiling fondly.  It hadn't lasted, but they’d shared some good times.  “He would never eat meat, you see; I used to tease him about it when I was young and immature.  I don’t think I could have convinced him to try a bacon sandwich, no matter what bribes I offered.”

“He took it seriously, I suppose,” Joelle said.

“He did,” John agreed.  “Point is, Ambassador, would they change even if we offered them everything?”

He placed the empty mug on the table, then smiled.  “We live in an age of profound scepticism,” he continued.  “The Age of Unrest left us with a permanent fear of religious mania and a ruthless determination to prune down any group that started planning a holy war, even if it meant civilians getting caught in the crossfire.  We know so much about the universe, including the existence of two other intelligent races, that we don’t really take religion that seriously any longer.”

“If that was true,” Joelle pointed out, “there wouldn't be any missionaries landing on Vesy.”

“Point,” John agreed.  “But
my
point is that we don’t see religion as something to become emotional about, not now.”

“I don’t think that’s true for everyone,” Joelle said.

“We have an unspoken agreement to mind our own business when it comes to religion,” John conceded.  It was true enough; a person could worship whatever they liked, as long as they kept it to themselves.  “We no longer tolerate people trying to impose religious norms on an entire population.  However, the
Vesy
do not share our view of the universe.”

“There are lots of humans who do not share
that
view of the universe,” Joelle objected.  She held up a hand before he could say anything else.  “I take your point, Captain, but not everyone will.”

“Precisely,” John said.  “So you need to tell your superiors that meddling in alien religions is likely to end in disaster.  They take their religions
seriously
.”

“I’ll try to bring it to their attention,” Joelle said.

John nodded.  “The other concern may be a little more immediate,” he added.  “A couple of Indian ships have been exploring the other tramlines, taking notes about where they actually lead.”

Joelle frowned.  “And where
do
they lead?”

“Good question,” John said.  “They’re not talking.  There’s been no attempt to claim any of the systems as yet, apart from our claim to Pegasus, but that may not last.”

“Because the Outer Space Treaty grants transit rights to anyone with a colony at the end of a tramline chain,” Joelle finished.  “If they registered a claim to one of the other systems, they’d have a legal right to pass through the Vesy System whenever they pleased.”

“Quite,” John agreed.  “I’d like to detach one of the destroyers to do some basic survey work, but we’re desperately short of ships.  Can you ask the Admiralty for reinforcements?”

Joelle blinked.  “Can't you?”

“I’ve tried,” John said.  There was a good prospect that the commander of any other warship that arrived would be senior to him, but he wouldn't have cared.  “The Navy is stretched a little thin at the moment, Ambassador.  They may not take the request seriously unless you countersign it.”

He sighed.  “A few more American or even French warships would be equally welcome,” he admitted.  “I don’t trust the Indians or the Chinese.  It’s impossible to prove anything, but I have a feeling they’re not searching ships as thoroughly as they should.”

“Shit,” Joelle said.  “There’s no way to prove it?”

“Not without rigging a freighter ahead of time with visual sensors and recording everything,” John said.  “We’d need someone else to collaborate, too; we have an agreement that each nation is responsible for searching its own ships.  The Indians have brought in another dozen freighters in the last week alone.”

Joelle’s eyes narrowed.  “Bringing what?”

“I wish I knew,” John said.  “Weapons?  Factories?  Farming gear?  Pornography?”

“I don’t
think
the Vesy would be interested in our porn,” Joelle said, dryly.  “Mind you, they
did
let a couple of researchers watch the sex act.  Only they wanted a demonstration of
our
sexual activity in return.”

“Oh, dear,” John said.  He shook his head in amused disbelief.  Colin and he had made a game out of having sex in odd places, but they’d never even considered doing it while being watched by a bunch of aliens.  And the aliens might feel cheated if they did.  “Did they try the Ivanova Defence?”

“I believe they played it straight,” Joelle said, deadpan.  “A male and female researcher volunteered -
for science
!  The video has already been sealed.”

“Good,” John said.  “Someone is probably going to go down in history for
that
one.”

“Probably,” Joelle said.  She ran her hand through her hair.  “But compared to everything else they’ve asked us, that one is relatively minor.”

John had his doubts, but kept them to himself.

Chapter Twenty-One

Penny was reluctant to admit it, but she was becoming bored.

It wasn't something she would ever have told Percy - he would only have laughed at her, or told her not to upset Murphy - yet it was true.  The Ambassador seemed to do nothing other than hold secret meetings with either the other ambassadors or the aliens, while she was running out of other important people to interview.  She’d been able to record hundreds of interviews with other visitors to Vesy, but most of them had been unable to say much that was actually newsworthy.  Indeed, the NGOs had expressed a great deal of self-congratulation while the missionaries had expressed their disbelief at certain alien practices.

She scowled at the thought, then peered towards Great Thinker Kun, a missionary from the Eminent Rationalists, standing on a platform and addressing a group of aliens.  Even
calling
him a missionary was a stretch - he’d insisted on being referred to as a Great Thinker in their brief interview - but Penny honestly found it hard to call him anything else.  He clung to his idea of a rational universe, of one that bent to human will, as strongly as any of the religious visitors clung to their god.  And he’d hit on her, as soon as the interview was over.  Penny still got the giggles when she thought about the chat-up lines he’d tried to use.

As if there was any universe where it would be rational and logical for me to have sex with him
, she thought, dryly. 
I’d have to keep my eyes closed as I opened my legs
.

She smirked in droll amusement.  Kun - she rather doubted that was his original name - was completely bald; he’d admitted, during the pre-interview talk, that he’d had his entire body permanently depilated.  His eyes had been replaced by implants that allowed him to see better - or so he claimed - at the cost of pushing his face firmly into the uncanny valley.  He looked alarmingly like a pre-space depiction of an alien; indeed, with the formfitting suit he wore, he looked more alien in some ways than either of the two
actual
alien races mankind had encountered.  The Vesy didn't seem to find him strange or sinister, as far as she could tell, but they didn't seem very impressed either. 

And there isn't anything rational about sex either,
she added in the privacy of her own mind. 
A rational woman would use an exowomb rather than carry a child for nine months, particularly if she doesn't want to develop feelings for the brat.

“And I say to you, there is nothing that we cannot understand, given time,” Kun bellowed, in oddly-accented English.  Penny had never been able to determine where he’d been born, although she had a feeling it was one of the asteroid settlements.  They tended to be more accepting of rational and objectivist views of the universe.  “Once, we knew nothing of what caused thunder and lightning and so we imagined the existence of gods.  Now, we understand the process that causes the sky to flash and rain to fall from the clouds.  There are no gods.”

The aliens shifted, their beady eyes flickering with ...
something
.  Penny had watched a dozen missionaries try to talk to the aliens, but none of them had ever outright denied the existence of the alien gods.  She honestly wasn't sure if the aliens came to listen because they were curious or because they were ordered to attend, yet ... cold ice tingled down her back as she realised that Kun might have gotten them into trouble.

“Once, we could not understand how to sail the seas in stormy weather,” Kun continued, although he had to know that the aliens wouldn't understand the reference.  Their planet’s surface was eighty-five percent land, not water; their seas were tiny, the largest being smaller than Australia.  “Now, we have solved the problem of sailing through even the strongest of storms, without prayers to gods to save us from their wrath.  Once, we saw asteroid impacts as the wrath of the gods; now, we have starships that can intercept falling rocks before they hit the ground.  There are no big men in the sky protecting us in exchange for prayers.  Just a universe that is there for us to bend to our will.”

Shit
, Penny thought.  It was hard to read the expressions on alien faces - she had an idea their faces were largely immobile save when they were trying to mimic human expressions - but they didn't seem pleased.  Several aliens in purple robes were muttering angrily to the aliens surrounding them ... it took her a moment to recall that purple generally meant priest.  Kun had insulted the alien religion - all of their religions - right in front of the aliens who were charged with upholding them. 
What has he done
?

She glanced at the Paras, who seemed equally unsure what to do.  There was no overt threat, nothing they could respond to with force, yet they were aware that the situation was on the verge of turning nasty.  One of them was yammering into a mouthpiece, clearly calling in and asking for orders; the others were grasping their weapons, ready to fight to defend themselves.  Penny wished, suddenly, that Percy was there.

No, you want him to live
, she thought, as the first stone flew through the air and cracked hard against the alien building behind Kun.  The alien who’d thrown it was either a rotten shot or was trying to scare Kun, rather than cause a mass slaughter. 
Shit
...

“Get back, you fool,” she shouted, as several more stones flew at Kun.  “Get back!”

“This is irrational,” Kun shouted, using an amplifier to boost his words so they echoed over the square.  “There are no gods and ...”

He staggered backwards as a stone struck him in the chest, then fell off the edge of the platform and plummeted towards the ground, hitting it with a dull thud.  The crowd stamped their feet, then moved forward as one of the Paras grabbed Kun, threw him over his shoulder and hastily moved backwards.  The sound of chanting from the aliens was growing louder as they advanced forward, moving their feet in a complex dance.  Penny’s mind grappled with the problem as she backed away herself, fighting down the urge to draw her pistol from her belt.  The aliens could run faster, so why weren't they ...

It's a ritual
, she thought, suddenly.  The aliens were picking up speed as their chant echoed over the city, a single repetitive sound that was repeated from every temple in the vicinity. 
They want to scare us as well as bless their gods
.

A new hail of stones flew towards the handful of humans.  One struck a Para on the head, although he was wearing his helmet and it did no harm.  Another nearly struck Penny as she turned and ran, two more smashing down around her feet as she passed the Paras, unsure if she should try to carry Kun or not.  She knew she was nowhere near as strong as one of the soldiers, but they were the ones with the weapons to defend themselves.  But then another crowd of angry aliens appeared, in front of them.  They were trapped.

“This way,” a Para snapped.  He kicked open a door, then led the way into a large building and slammed the door closed.  Inside, it was decorated in an ornate manner that reminded Penny of Admiral Fitzwilliam’s family home.  Her adopted father’s family would probably have been impressed.  “Get that door closed and barricaded!”

“There’s nothing here to use as a barricade,” another Para said.  It struck Penny, suddenly, that she’d never learned their names.  “Get everyone through the next door.”

Penny nodded, then followed two of the Paras into the next room.  Behind her, she heard the sound of fists beating on the door and one of the Paras swearing in a manner that would have shocked Percy, if he’d heard it.  Or maybe not, she reminded herself, as they ran through the second room.  It was just as alien as the first, but the floor was made of earth rather than stone.  She puzzled over it for a moment, then checked her recorder was still functioning, uploading everything to the growing planetary communications network.  Whatever happened to her - and she had heard quite a few horror stories about reporters who had come to gristly ends - the story would get out.

She heard a crashing sound from behind her, followed by gunfire.  The Paras had strict orders not to open fire unless there no other choice, not when it could seriously upset the aliens.  If they’d held fire earlier, despite the stones, they wouldn't have panicked now.  The aliens had to be presenting an overwhelming threat.  She heard screams torn from alien throats, then the sound of chanting grew louder, overwhelming the screams.  It was almost hypnotic.

A hand slapped her back, shocking her.  “Get up the stairs,” the Para snapped.  “Hurry.”

Penny nodded, then obeyed.  The stairwell felt oddly slippery as she ran up it, then stopped dead as she ran into another wooden door.  She twisted the knob and practically fell into the next room as an explosion shook the building.  There was another burst of firing behind her, then the remaining Paras ran up the stairs and slammed the door behind her.

“Rigged up a Rupert Bear downstairs,” one of them snapped to the Para carrying Kun.  “They’re a little more careful now.”

“Let’s hope it lasts,” the other Para said.  “Ammo check?”

Penny tuned him out and looked around the strange chamber.  It smelt weird to her, like the landscape in Britain after the tidal waves had washed over the country.  Watery, moist ... and earthy, in a way she’d never smelled since a visit to a farm as a young girl.  The floor was covered with a layer of dirt, while the walls were decorated with carvings of aliens holding hands and prancing around like idiots.  It made no sense to her at all.

“Hey,” a voice said.  She almost jumped out of her skin.  “Ammo check?”

“Pardon?”

“Ammo check,” the Para repeated.  It seemed to have gone quiet downstairs.  “How many clips do you have for your pistol?”

“Three,” Penny said.  She pulled it out of the holster and held it out to him.  “Do you want it?”

“Keep it,” the Para advised.  “If they overwhelm us, make sure you use the last bullet for yourself.”

Penny shivered.  “Is it going to come to that?”

“I don’t know,” the Para admitted.  “We don’t have any way of looking outside, but ... it’s quite likely we’re trapped here until help arrives.”

“Oh,” Penny said.  “And what if help
doesn't
arrive?”

“We die,” the Para said, simply.  “Or we get taken for sacrifice, which is worse.”

“Thank you,” Penny said.  She swallowed, hard.  The darkened chamber was getting to her, more than she cared to admit.  It was the creepiest place she’d ever been in, even worse than picking her way through flood-damaged houses in the hopes of finding something to eat, or a place to hide from rioting gangs.  “What’s your name?”

“Hamish,” the Para said.  He paused, then smiled.  “Buy you a drink after this?”

Penny surprised herself by laughing.  “Maybe,” she said.  “If we get out of here without losing everything ...”

Another explosion shook the building.  “That was the Rupert Bear,” the Para said, turning back to his comrades.  The sound of chanting started to grow louder again.  “They’re coming.”

“Shit,” Penny said.

***

“Captain,” Howard said, as John surfaced from an uncomfortable sleep.  “We have a situation on the surface.”

“Shit,” John muttered.  He tossed the covers aside and stood, silently grateful he had a habit of sleeping in his underclothes.  “What’s happening?”

“A party - one of our parties - that visited City Seven has come under attack,” Howard said.  “The Paras escorting them report that they’re currently trapped in an alien building and are requesting help as fast as possible.”

John gritted his teeth as he sat down in front of the terminal and pulled up the map.  City Seven - it had been deemed easier to number the cities, rather than rely on imprecise translations or transliterations of alien names - was a good seventy miles from Fort Knight, far enough from the base that few of the NGOs wanted to visit it without some form of motor transport.  Getting there would be a pain unless they used the helicopters ...

And we don’t really have a choice
, he thought, grimly. 
Colonel Boone will probably see the same thing
.

“Contact Colonel Boone and tell him to proceed as he sees fit,” he ordered.  Boone
was
the commander on the ground, even though John - as the Royal Navy’s senior officer - was in command of the overall mission.  “And offer to provide fire support if necessary.”