Rhythm of the Imperium (15 page)

Wold’s narrow face went through a number of expressions, none of them happy. Finally, xe turned to Parsons.

“Commander, what do you say? Can we trust the Kail?”

“In a simple answer,” Parsons said, “no.”

“Commander!” Melarides chided him.

He turned to her, keeping his countenance grave. “As you will no doubt have discovered during your long and distinguished career, Ambassador, the greatest force in the galaxy is self-interest.”

“What about love or loyalty?” Lopez asked, looking shocked.

He regarded the other captain. “Those emotions evolve from the same basis as fear and greed. I realize that it sounds cynical, but objectivity leads me to say it. We can’t trust the Kail, but we can trust their self-interest. They want access to the Zang. They could be made to wait until we reach the platform, but who knows what havoc they will have wreaked on the
Whiskerchin
before then? We can hope to forestall that behavior against the Wichu by giving them that access. It is a matter for Ambassador Melarides to determine if we can prevent them from doing damage to this ship while they are on board. There is a risk that they will take over the ship even if they gain what they seek, but that would be counterproductive. It would only result in their being confined once again, but this time without flaws that allow them access to electrical contact.”

“What if they’ve already infiltrated the system?” Captain Colwege demanded.

Parsons drew up a diagram from the table and set it running. Bar graphs of somber colors extended up toward the ceiling, bobbing up and down as the data streams registered from the computer system.

“That’s a possibility. The detection and anti-viral software has only just been installed. Ormalus and her staff are exploring the root directories and data libraries for intrusion beyond the scan that the ship experienced this morning. You can see nothing has yet been detected, but that does not mean that there is nothing to find.”

“We still don’t know what they’re looking for,” Atwell said, smacking one hand into the other. “You said your contact suggested that they’re using our data as comparison. But comparison with what?”

“We don’t know that yet,” Parsons said. “Perhaps Ambassador Melarides and her staff can discern the subject of their search in their conversations to come.”

“We will certainly try,” Melarides said, with a smile.

“I don’t like it,” Wold said. “If the Kail mean us no harm, why not inform us as to what they want from the Zang?”

“They may feel that it’s none of our business,” Melarides said, turning a plump hand palm upward. “We don’t tell the Wichu everything we discuss with the Trade Union, and so on. It’s not a matter of secrecy, but efficiency. Not every point is of interest to every party. The Zang are mysterious creatures. I look forward to meeting our guest.”

“I have read through the transcript that my late colleague downloaded for us from its colleague on board,” Parsons said. “The Kail behaved themselves when their needs were met. When they were thwarted, they reacted.”

“They’re not innocent if they had a crewmember on the ship ready to take over at a moment’s notice,” Wold said. Xe put xir face into xir hands and stirred up xir hair with xir fingers.

“They are long thinkers,” Melarides said. “That is something that we have learned during our communications with them. Fovrates may never have activated his control. We don’t know. Yet.”

“Is this evident in their daily life?” Lopez asked. “I haven’t seen any images or digitavids of the Kail’s interaction with one another except for the ones Commander Parsons just showed us.”

“No human has been welcomed onto any of the Kail homeworlds,” the ambassador said, with a smile. “They consider any physical contact from organic beings to be an imposition. My counterpart in outreach, Ambassador Basiliu, spent five months orbiting a Kail planet. Communication was sporadic. He did, however, manage to secure their promise to meet with us on the platform.”

“If they have no technology of their own, how did you talk with them?” Wold asked.

Melarides chuckled and tented her fingers. “We sent a trio of LAI negotiatorbots down. They were our intermediaries. The Kail consider them closer to kin than any of us ‘slime.’ The ’bots are still on Yesa, doing outreach, trying to convince them that humans aren’t the evil they believe we are.”

“Can the ship be made secure against interference from the Kail’s ability?” Wold asked Parsons.

“Never completely. We will, as Ambassador Melarides said, have to trust them to a certain extent. All computer systems will need to be subject to constant checks and balances. Communication with other ships and the Imperium base will need to be in the simplest possible encoding so that any viruses or worms can be detected at once. But the easiest way to prevent an incursion should be to let them have what they want. Give them access to the Zang. Provide them with clean water and purified mineral dust. Don’t touch them.”

Wold stared fiercely at Parsons, the pupils of xir light eyes boring into Parsons’s.

“If I approve this, it will be your responsibility to keep them from interfering with
my ship
, Commander. You’ll have the resources you need, but you must not fail!”

Parsons bowed, feeling every rib protest. “I will do my best, captain.”

“What about the potential of a system breach?”

“The possibility that it has already occurred is a lower risk than finding out what happens if the Kail manage to achieve it,” Parsons said. “In the best case scenario, we can convince them to allow their hold on the Wichu and Counterweight systems to lapse. By reverse engineering, we can discover how they did it, so we can block access should they ever make another such attempt.”

“And in the worst case?” Captain Wold asked, xir narrow jaw set.

“In the worst,” Parsons said, feeling every bruise on his body, “we will have hostages of our own.”

CHAPTER 15

Phutes held himself rigid as the flimsy shuttle detached from the side of the
Whiskerchin
. It seemed an insufficiently strong vessel to convey him and his siblings to the place where the Zang waited. He hated being in the small shells. He longed for the day when he could return to his motherworld and forget he had ever seen a Wichu, or a human, or a shuttle.

“Bad enough that we have to move onto a human ship,” Sofus complained, shifting the flexible, flat pieces of rock that lined the cabin in order to make himself a more comfortable seat. “But
they
are here.”

Sofus pointed at the black-topped human and the red-orange Uctu that sat at the front of the cabin, the soft excrescences that served them for manipulative digits resting on brightly-colored weapons. The others murmured their unhappiness.

“It doesn’t matter now, and soon, it will not matter at all,” Phutes reassured them. “Their species are ephemeral and will pass.”

“Not soon enough!”

“We can hear you, you know,” the black-topped human said. He had identified himself as “Nesbitt,” not that Phutes cared for the buzz and glottal stop. His words were translated into good Kail by the bronze-colored translatorbot at his side. The LAI was tall, nearly as tall as Mrdus, but almost as thin as one of Phutes’s wrists. At the top of the silicon and metal being, a cluster of round glass disks served as ocular receptors. She went by the name of NR-111, a very sensible-sounding name for a machine made by humans. Phutes almost felt when he spoke to her that he was talking with one of his own kind, perhaps an older one. She was very wise and patient.

“It doesn’t matter,” Phutes said to Sofus, ignoring the interruption. “What noises come from them make no difference to us.”

The translator emitted some of the human-sounding nonsense. Nesbitt turned to the Uctu and made the black stripes on its face move up and down. The Uctu’s mouth dropped open, though no sound emerged from it.

“There are a lot of humans on our ship,” Nesbitt said, leaning toward them, his wobbly face stretching in an unnatural fashion. “Lots and
lots
of them.”

“I think I am going to be sick,” said Mrdus. He was the smallest of the Kail, a small, lumpy individual with 101 short legs and 11 arms. Phutes had wondered often why he had permitted the weakling to accompany them, but their mother had insisted. Mrdus had a mind that absorbed new processes more swiftly than the rest of them. He had picked up on Fovrates’s lessons before any of the others, but he seemed to forget everything when Wichu were around.

“You withstood the Wichu. You will bear the humans,” Sofus said firmly.

Mrdus made grinding noises, but nothing else. Phutes didn’t want him to embarrass them in front of the disgusting squishy ones.

“Do not tease the Kail,” the Uctu said to the human. It had been named as “Redius.” The translator picked up its sparse noises and translated them into good language. “You promised Commander Parsons that you would behave with decorum.”

“Just telling him the truth, right?” the human replied. He hefted the jewel-colored weapon from his lap. “But we’re all going to get along just fine.”

Phutes was not so certain, for all the assurances the human called “Melarides” had offered via the communications system. He had not yet caught her in an outright lie. Fovrates and his scanners had confirmed that the Zang had indeed arrived, and was in the humans’ ship. That was something that the Kail had not known. Fovrates had assumed it was only on its way toward the platform, as they were. If the Zang was in league with humans, their cause might be lost. But Yesa had assured him that the Zang served only their own interests. The Kail could appeal to them for help against the humans.

Yesa, Nefra and the other motherworlds had borne the invasion of their territory by organic species for numerous revolutions, but the last few had been too much. The humans had come into Kail space and remained even after it was made clear to them they weren’t welcome. Sending silicon-based objects like NR-111 to Yesa only served to prove that humanity and others did not belong there. The humans, though, did not take either “no” or “go away” for answers. From the beginning they had harangued the Kail to meet with them. They wanted to be “better neighbors.” Whatever that meant. The motherworlds were certain that it couldn’t be good. The humans had no notion of privacy. They were filthy, and spread their sticky cells everywhere. They tried to remove portions of the motherworlds without permission. The smell of them offended every Kail who came into contact with them.

In the end, partly out of curiosity and partly out of frustration, Yesa had agreed to send envoys to a meeting. Phutes had been primed by Yesa with the answers she wanted the humans to hear. They were not to come to Kail space ever again for any reason. The Kail wished to be left in peace. If they wanted contact with the rotting species, they would go to their worlds. Left unspoken was the thought that no such thing would ever happen. He had listened to her well-rehearsed reasoning for rotations on end, until he could repeat them back to her in the same cadences she used.

She also drilled him on that which she wanted him to say to the Zang once they met. That was more difficult, as the celestial beings spoke in such a different way, not through sound alone.

This expedition was a test of his ability to cope. Every day brought experiences that he had not expected, and was forced to rely upon his own wits to handle. At no time in his life had he ever been the final authority on anything. He had never been out of the sound of Yesa’s voice. He had found it difficult not to cede control to Fovrates. It was one of the reasons that he had let so much time lapse between boarding the Wichu ship and paying his first visit. The elder Kail was worthy of respect. Phutes felt he ought to do what Fovrates said. The engineer thought that his submission and that of his siblings was hilarious. Phutes was offended, but it had given him a lot to think about. Unless Nefra ran her family differently than Yesa did, leaving home must have a strong influence on one’s sense of independence. He had to contemplate that notion. At first he didn’t really like being the one to whom the others looked up. He was too young and inexperienced! The trouble was that more senior Kail were too unwieldy to go. It was up to the young ones who were sufficiently mobile, no matter that they were less wise. From those Yesa had chosen Phutes as her envoy.

The responsibility weighed on him far more than the low gravity of the slime creatures’ ship. He wished he could hear Yesa and get the benefit of her wisdom. In truth, she was likely to tell him to pull himself together and do what he was told.

He glanced at the human and Uctu at the end of the chamber. They kept their strange ocular receptors fixed on him and his siblings, even while they spoke in undertones to one another. He didn’t care what they said about him, only how they acted. So far, they had been as benign as the Wichu had when they first boarded the
Whiskerchin
. The Wichu had betrayed them, locking them up and trying to keep them isolated. Since that moment, Phutes did not trust any of them. He would not trust any organism he could not control. Fovrates had found it all very amusing, blaming Phutes for overreacting, causing the notoriously volatile Wichu to overreact in their turn. It didn’t matter what they thought or did now, since the Kail controlled the ship. The trouble was that the
Whiskerchin
only conveyed them to the Zang. In order to get what he wanted, Phutes had to deal with humans.

Phutes hated to admit it, but humans terrified him. All the stories Yesa had told him of their pillaging through the motherworlds made him fear the worst. The Uctu wasn’t as bad. He seemed to be calm and thoughtful, but the black-topped creature was a thing of menace to him. If it suddenly lunged at him, he would feel as sick as Mrdus, then he would retaliate, probably killing the squishy creature.

He knew he wouldn’t dare act on his impulses. Yesa would be furious.

“I am concerned for the well-being of our brothers left behind,” Sofus said. “We hold greater safety in numbers.” Phutes made a soothing sound from deep in its vocal cone.

“Nothing will harm them. Fovrates holds the controls. They won’t endanger themselves or their ship. We might survive in the vacuum, but they couldn’t.”

“The Wichu are angry. They have means to take the rest of our siblings unaware.”

The human erupted into an annoyed burble.

“Too bad they couldn’t keep you in a box,” the translator emitted.

Phutes glared at the servicebot at his side.

“Stop telling the disgusting ones what we are saying. I will tell you when you can repeat our thoughts.”

“Of course, Phutes,” the translator said, in soothing tones. “I am here to serve you. My brief is to act as your assistant while you are in Imperium space. In other words, I work for you, not for them. Instruct me as you wish.”

“Good,” Phutes grunted. “Do not tell them anything any of us say unless I tell you it is to be said.” No answering blather sounded from NR-111’s speakers. The human and Uctu looked wary at the silence, tightening their upper excrescences on the weapons.

“How can we avoid being taken prisoner when we are aboard the human ship?” Mrdus asked.

“That is your task,” Sofus said. He made an impatient gesture with two of his arms. “Do as Fovrates instructed you. Interact with the electronics of the ship. Prevent it from locking us in anywhere.”

“I am very sorry,” NR-111 said, turning to the largest Kail. “You will not be permitted access to the central computer system. That is a non-negotiable part of your agreement with the Imperium in order for you to come aboard and interact with the Zang.”

“We must be able to speak with our siblings,” Phutes said, feeling the acids of his system bubbling up in indignation. He clenched his fists. “I will not allow us to be cut off from the Kail who are still on board the Wichu vessel!”

“And you will be allowed communication privileges,” the translator said, in her soothing voice. “Any time you wish to speak with Fovrates or any of the other Kail, let me know, and I will obtain an open channel for your use.”

“We want free and open signals!” Sofus said.

“Please allow me to apologize again,” NR-111 said. The stalk full of lenses rose up so that it was on a level with Sofus’s face. “That would not be allowed even if you were a ship’s officer. Use of the communication channels is restricted and monitored. That is a matter of security. I regret if that inconveniences you. I can make sure you can call Fovrates or any of the others at any time you wish.”

“Do so,” Sofus said, unable to keep the sulky tone out of his voice. “I want to make sure our siblings are safe.”

The lenses bobbed. “Understood. I am sure they are in no danger from the Wichu, Sofus.”

Phutes did not voice his concerns. He wasn’t convinced that those who remained behind would be safe. The Wichu were angry, and they had managed to catch him and his siblings unaware. Such a coup was less likely, now that Fovrates had converted some of the silicon-based mechanicals to their side. They would warn the Kail about communication between the long-furred organisms. It was still a mystery to Phutes how Fovrates had communicated with the inner beings of the mechanicals in a way that made them side with the Kail point of view. The engineer had taught Phutes to do it over the course of the last many rotations, but it was by rote. He scarcely understood the process, although he could do it.

Because of their body structure and their keen hearing that picked up sounds from incredibly long wavelengths to impossibly short ones, the Kail had become very good at imitating the sounds of the galaxy. While Phutes was growing up, he learned to sing along with the music he could hear coming from the stars and other bodies in the void. They could hear in a range of incredibly long wavelengths down to incredibly short ones, and reproduce the sounds that they heard. Fovrates and many other elders had gone out among the more technological races of the galaxy. Using the skills gleaned from listening to the stars, they had discovered that they could hear the language that the LAIs used, and gradually picked up on the combinations that changed the way LAIs thought.

Sofus wasn’t any better at it than Phutes, but Mrdus was a natural. With their help, they could make the LAIs serve them instead of their carbon-based employers.

Apparently, they had not been as subtle as they thought they had been. The conversation with Melarides confirmed that the humans had found out about their partnership with some of the LAIs. No matter. The Kail would never be held prisoner again on any vessel occupied by the squishy ones. They, or at least Mrdus, could turn the LAIs to their side at any time. And the LAIs could make the computer systems do the Kail’s bidding.

With their freedom secured, it was up to Phutes to persuade the Zang to achieve Yesa’s goal.

He pushed the thoughts of what lay ahead to one side and made note of the terrain over which they were passing. The shuttle traveled with its translucent canopy facing the planet. Counterweight, the uncouth name humans gave this sphere, was a marvel, conducive to sustaining almost any form of life. Phutes marveled at the tossing blue oceans. So much water. If only it wasn’t polluted by organic compounds, this world would be a paradise for Kail. Someday, perhaps, they would return and rid its lovely body of the parasites.

No one communicated during the remainder of the transference to the
Imperium Jaunter
. Phutes marveled at the size of the human vessel. It was nearly as large as a motherworld, or so it seemed. Small ships, gleaming metal and ceramic, circled around it like meteorites. Against his own will, he saw beauty in the dance they performed.

Before and behind the
Jaunter
in its orbit floated two bristling masses of metal. Warships. They radiated power, the fierce energy glowing, as Fovrates had instructed him, from their drives and weapon emplacements. Again, too bad that all was infested with humans.

The translatorbot buzzed to get his attention.

“We are arriving soon. You will be given all that you require: clean water, purified elements, privacy in your quarters, and opportunities to meet with Proton Zang,” she said. “In exchange, you will not change or interfere with any of the processes on board this ship or any other ship under the human command.”