Koban: Rise of the Kobani (67 page)

Longstreet was surprised at the depth of this kind of communication. Every word he sensed came with images, and feelings, so it was difficult to separate actual individual words from the rapid stream. He sensed that sometimes it was his own mind forming words in Dillon’s voice. They matched the images that came to him. It was astounding how complete the exchange seemed to him, coming from a nonhuman he had seen only as an animal minutes before. It was now hardly a surprise that the TG1’s were able to share so much information so quickly between them.

Then the cat, lacking diplomacy and bluntly truthful, told him (in an apparent effort at encouragement), “You should not worry. You soon will learn how to think faster than a rhinolo when you have the frill changes. Rhinolo are stupid.”

Joe had heard about hunting rhinolo from Dillon and Thad, and those beasts being brilliant and fast thinkers wasn’t what he’d heard. He’d just been told the ripper found him to be slower witted than a stupid rhinolo.

He had the foresight to lift his hand from the frill before he formed his next thought.
They
told
me that a ripper couldn’t lie very well. I wish this one had at least tried!

Obviously, a predator that enjoyed its prey’s dying thoughts of terror wasn’t concerned about hurt feelings, or about conveying truthful perceptions that felt like insults to the recipient.

Mirikami invited the other nine men to “talk” with Kobalt, as he and Joe walked down the ramp into the milling people. Large outdoor assemblies were rare at Prime City. He estimated there must be at least five thousand people here. He suddenly remembered that he didn’t have to guess, he could ask his old friend. Jake was always online. Jakob could answer as well, but he had spent many more years with the older model AI.

He spoke aloud. “Jake, how many people came out to meet us today. Please include Captain Joe Longstreet walking next to me in your reply.”

“Yes Sir,” answered the familiar bland voice from the Flight of Fancy’s AI. There are four thousand eight hundred eighteen residents, plus the complements of the three ships present on the ramp area, with more people coming out, and others going inside. The number is constantly changing, Sir. I could…”

“That’s fine, Jake.” Mirikami cut off whatever he was about to say to expand his answer.

“Joe that was the AI that saved our butts on this planet, and provided a secret source of data and communications while the Krall were still here. The AI called Jakob, on my new ship, is far more powerful and sophisticated than Jake, but I could never part with this old friend.”

Joe made an observation. “Dillon told me this old model AI software, and its obsolete computer host system was still more complex than anything the Krall appear to use. We must be well ahead of them in use of computers.”

“True, but after learning what complexity a clanship is
really
capable of, now that I fly one, I believe it is the barbarian side of the Krall personality that leads to their disdain for anything that could think for them, or physically perform a task they can do for themselves. We hope to use that weakness to our advantage.

“The clanships were designed specifically for the Krall by a people called the Olt’kitapi, an advanced and benevolent race. They personally used a certain amount of computer and quantum technology within their own bodies. As a result, clanships have additional complex ways of interfacing with its operators. More than the purely manual direct method preferred by the Krall. I think the Krall were expected to evolve into a more sophisticated species over time, and their mentors gave them too much trust and leeway before they reached that point.

“Questioning the Krall translators before they left Koban, and recently asking the aliens Marlyn found on Haven, I think that a small portion of the Krall race had started to agree with the Olt’kitapi goals for them, and perhaps accepted some of the technological enhancements, either biological or electronic improvements or both, which were being offered by the Olt’kitapi. That action is what sparked the eventual revolt of the dominate warrior breed of Krall, determined to destroy their benefactors before the changes to their race became widespread.”

Longstreet nodded. “Dillon also told me some of this. A more civilized Krall population might exist somewhere.”

“We don’t know if or where they live, but the aliens that Marlyn Greeves’ expedition found on Haven may be able to tell us.”

He concluded with a bit of sarcasm. “They might be worth finding, provided they don’t share the genocidal aspirations of the murderous Krall we already know and love.”

As they wove through the crowd, Mirikami was repeatedly greeted, and had to pause often to introduce Longstreet. Finally, he put people off, saying there would be a meet and greet later just so he could make faster headway to the Flight of Fancy. That was where the Inner Circle Members had decided to gather, in a meeting to share information with the city leaders of both domes.

Dillon and Noreen could be seen at the top of the ramp leading up to the Fancy’s hold, talking to Rafe and Aldry. The taller Longstreet spotted Thad’s head towering over most of the crowd, standing near the base of the ramp, surrounded by dozens of eager TGs that were probably wanting to know when they would get a chance to train and go on a mission.

Two rippers brushed by Longstreet from behind, giving him quite a start, and they pushed their neck frills against Mirikami’s hands as they passed him, in an apparent casual greeting.

Mirikami glanced at Longstreet. “Those were Kit’s first two cubs saying hello. They seemed amused about something to do with their Aunt Maggi. Her image flashed at me, but was out of focus for some reason.”

“I heard Dillon say he was going to avoid someone named Maggi for a few days, until he started his next round of genetic mods. Who is she?”

“A small dynamo of a Lady, over a hundred and ten years old now, and a bio scientist. When she boarded my ship on Rhama years ago, she certainly could never have anticipated organizing a group of mismatched scientists and Spacers into a conspiracy to fight aliens. However, she is as much responsible for pulling our resources together as anyone. Before our trip, she’s the one that led the search for illegal copies of the old banned genetic research, from before the clone wars. Using that research on humans was never on her mind. The people she brought into the plan were only going to help make our food crops and livestock able to flourish on Rim Worlds and the New Colonies.

“She’s frail looking, and is actually starting to show her age after twenty-two years in Koban’s gravity. Don’t let that fool you however. She has a sharp mind and wit, and will shred most opponents in a debate.”

Mirikami thought about the two cat’s amusement just now. “The two rippers might think I don't know about her having some new gene mods. When I left Koban, we didn’t have the technology to apply ripper gene mods to anyone not
born
with the superconductor nerves. The nanites you spec ops types somehow magically
acquired
for us, and the med labs that General Nabarone sold us, obviously made that step possible for us SGs.

“Maggi received the same clone mods all of us SGs did years ago, as well as the redundant superconductor Koban nervous system. Many of us leaders, never planning to have children anyway, accepted the alien super conductor nerves first, as sort of test subjects.

“When Maggi left us a message in Tachyon Space, we knew she had received the gene mod from the rippers for frilling, which people have started calling Mind Tap. I suspect her big surprise is that she also has the muscle and bone mods to make her strong and fast. I’ll try to act amazed. She can be a real pain in the ass if you spoil her jokes. Literally a pain,” he chuckled, unaware that he was partly right, and more wrong than he suspected.

At the base of the ramp into the Fancy, he said his hello’s to Thad’s family, his other two teenagers, and allowed Thad to introduce Longstreet. As he hugged Marlyn, a twinkle in her eyes and a poorly suppressed smirk, revealed an undertone of amusement from her.

Of course
, he thought. S
he’s been here with Maggi, and she knows what her surprise is today.
I will certainly try to look amazed at her Tap ability, and at her new strength and speed.
Forewarned is forearmed, he thought.

They went up the ramp and joined the others, and now that he was looking for it, he noted the occasional smirks on the faces of Aldry and Rafe. This was all a joke on him, Sarge, Dillon, and Thad. They would have to play their part.

“Where’s Maggi,” he asked innocently. “She didn’t come over from the Beagle yet?”

“Oh, she wasn’t on this trip to Haven. I was delivering the last members of the Raspani herd to their new home. The Prada and Torki are proud and excited to host them. They hope to help accelerate their return to full sentience. Maggi stayed here, finishing some preparations for our meeting today. I knew five days ago that you and Noreen had entered the Hole and were coming home. I’ve been making daily Jumps to Haven.”

“Maggi is already in the large conference room,” prompted Aldry. “She and Andy Johnson had Jake use some of that energy in Fancy’s Trap fields to create a lower gravity field in there this week.” Johnson was one of the Drive Rats for the Flight of Fancy, back when it was still space worthy. He acted as the ship’s engineer when Chief Haveram was away.

The gravitational energy of a small star was held in the combined
two-tachyon Trap fields of the ship, dating from the day the Flight of Fancy first entered the T-squared level of Tachyon Space, pulled into that Jump Hole by the Krall clanship that had captured them. That enormous level of tachyon energy had barely been reduced, even after all these years of providing power to all of Prime City. An adjustment to the curvature of a local internal gravity field in an area of the ship was not difficult, but it did eat more energy. In this case, the drain was trivial compared to how much they had stored. Mirikami’s next question was clearly expected.

“Why?” His eyebrows rose.

Noreen, having arrived in orbit only a few hours earlier than he had, was nevertheless better informed. “It’s a concession for our meeting today. We have multiple guests that have not lived under Koban’s gravity.”

Mirikami started to suspect a conspiracy here, to spring something on him, as he had done to them so many times in the past.

“The ten spec ops men that returned with me are not exactly guests,” he corrected. “They are new residents and citizens that need to adapt. Besides, even though they were on low gravity Poldark, they have lived and trained on Heavyside, which I’m sure you know. They’re wearing Booster Suits, and our gravity will hardly be a strain on them before we can give them the genetic upgrades.”

Noreen grinned. “Oh, right. I wasn’t even thinking of them. I’m sure they could manage fine. Are we all present?” She looked around. “No, I see the other troopers making their way through the crowd.”

Sure enough, they were on their way, but encountering the welcoming greetings of the locals, and being introduced by many of the TG’s they had helped train on Poldark. They were being greatly slowed in their progress. Mirikami stepped to the edge of the ramp and called out to the noisy, chatty crowd, but most failed to hear him.

“Jake, put me on external speakers please.”

This time he was heard by all. “Ladies, Gentle Men, please allow our new arrivals to reach the Fancy, quickly please. We will have a social gathering in the Great Hall later, where you can meet them.” The crowd opened space for the men and Trakenburg waved his thanks.

“Tet,” said Noreen, an obvious co-conspirator on the joke being set up. “The rest of us will go up to deck 8 now. If you men will wait until you are all together, we expect you to join us in the large conference room shortly.” With that, the others in the hold area left the five men waiting for the nine remaining spec ops men to arrive.

Thad watched the group walk into the ship’s interior. “What have they got up their sleeves?” He noticed their demeanor as well.

“What visitors do we have that need the courtesy of lower gravity?” Dillon wondered.

Mirikami had sorted it out. “The Beagle has been back and forth to Haven all week, Marlyn said. Who did they find living there?”

“Hey,” Sarge blurted. “We get to meet representatives of the Prada and Torki.”

“That must be part of it,” admitted Dillon. “However, it doesn’t explain the funny vibes I got from Marlyn and Noreen, grinning like adolescents when I mentioned Maggi. She factors into this surprise some way, except we already figured out she has some or most of the Koban gene mods. I don’t want her bench pressing my ass in front of everyone, or worse.”

Mirikami laughed. “She might do that in private, but probably not in front of everyone. Surely not in front of aliens, who might not appreciate the childish level of humor you two engage in at times.”

“Aliens?” Trakenburg had reached the top of the ramp with his other men.

Mirikami quickly brought them up to date on what he expected was about to occur in the meeting. Some of it would be humor directed at Mirikami and the other SGs, coming from a friend, Maggi Fisher, and the rest was probably an informal meeting with alien representatives, brought over from Haven.

Dillon offered the new men a caution. “I’m told the Torki look like larger-than-man-size purple crabs with large yellow claws and smaller mandibles for tool manipulation. They are supposed to be highly intelligent, and friendly towards us. The Prada are five-foot high furry bipeds, that I understand somewhat resemble an earth lemur. They too are intelligent, but still consider the Krall to be their legitimate lord and masters. They are standoffish, and have reservations as to whether they should cooperate with us.”