Foreigner - Explorer. Part 12

"Is that where we're going, nandiin-ji?" Cajeiri asked.

"One believes so, young sir," Cenedi answered him.

"Is-"

"Hush," Ilisidi said sharply, and added: "If waiting tires you, you may go sit in your room, young sir."

"No, mani-ma."

The image grew clearer, slowly, slowly. Jase drifted near in his patrol of the room.

"The crew is seeing this, nadi?" Bren asked in Ragi.

"One believes so," Jase said under his breath. "One hopes so. What we're seeing is what we hope to see at this point. The station doesn't know we're here, yet, unless there's an alarm we don't know about. They'll respond soon, if there's anyone alive, but we're two hours sixteen minutes and some-odd seconds out from their answer, nadiin-ji. You'll see a counter start to run on that screen once we know our initial signal has reached them. We have transmitted a focused signal, aimed tightly at them."

Jase moved off. Bren translated for Ginny and her companion, quietly.

"The s.h.i.+p's ten years late," Ginny muttered to him. "No big surprise if whoever was listening is on tea break."

"No big surprise," Bren agreed, and translated the remark for the dowager and the rest, who thought it funny. Even Cajeiri got the joke, and wanted to know when the promised numbers would turn up.

"One will point it out," Cenedi said, and just then the numbers did appear in the corner of the screen. "There. One has that that long to wait." long to wait."

Cajeiri looked. And fidgeted.

"Will we do nothing else, nandiin-ji?"

"A small boy could go back to the nursery," Ilisidi said sternly, and Cajeiri clutched his packet and stood stock still for a remarkable fifteen minutes before he heaved a sigh.

Another before the feet had to move.

The dowager's cane came down gently on the offending foot.

"One regrets, mani-ma."

"Good," Ilisidi said sharply.

They waited. And waited. A quarter, then a half hour crawled past with no movement at all from the boy.

One hesitated to suggest again that the dowager sit. She was veteran of the court in Shejidan, where standing was a test of endurance and will. She had the boy for witness to any weakness.

But the cane was not all for show.

They stood another half hour and more. Bren tried to think of a courteous way to suggest again they rest, and found none.

Then Ilisidi lifted her cane and pointed to the jump seats against the takehold cabinet. "We shall sit, Cenedi-ji."

"Yes," Cenedi said, and certainly with relief. They moved to let down two of the jump seats.

Ilisidi sat down. Motioned to Cajeiri to sit. There were three other seats. "Paidhi-ji. Gin-nadi."

Persons of equivalent rank might sit. Bren accepted the honor gratefully, and relayed the invitation to Gin, who sensibly did come and sit down, accepting her lords.h.i.+p, leaving Jerry to stand.

The numbers ran on the screen. Jase and Sabin continued their slow patrol of the aisles and C1 made a brief status report to the general crew: "Situation normal on the bridge. Still awaiting response window relative to station. We have Reunion Station in long-view. Channel one is currently providing that image."

They sat. Cajeiri's packet proved nothing more dire than a book, which evidently the dowager approved-or accepted as a necessity for young nerves. Bren found himself trying to see the book t.i.tle, trying to see any information at all to distract an information-hungry brain, but he couldn't quite manage. So they all waited. Distances were large and information crawled over inconceivable dark s.p.a.ces.

Jase and Sabin spoke together for a moment. The station image suddenly grew more distinct. No exterior lights showed, none of the navigational blinkers operating on the mast. A source of flicker showed as trailing debris from a ma.s.sive dark area of destruction.

The clock ticked down toward the reply window. Antic.i.p.ation on the bridge was palpable.

The clock entered negative territory; and time ran. Antic.i.p.ation began to curdle.

"Is it not past time?" Cajeiri asked-having learned perfectly well to read human numbers. He had closed his book and held it against his chest.

"It is, indeed, young gentleman," Ilisidi said. "Which may mean many things, including the possibility that we are too late to effect a rescue. Or that the one person on watch has decided to read a book. Hush, and listen."

"What if-?"

"Hush."

Cajeiri hushed, and with worried looks at the display, reopened his book and buried himself in it. The sentiment was much the same among the techs. And the captains. Gin Kroger frowned, saying not a word. Bren exchanged a worried look with Banichi and Jago.

"Might we have sandwiches?" Cajeiri asked eventually, in the long crawl of time.

"The aiji's heir alone may have a sandwich," Ilisidi said, "while his elders worry."

A small silence. "I no longer feel hungry, mani-ma."

"When the crew has refreshment," Ilisidi said, "then would be appropriate." would be appropriate."

"Yes, mani-ma."

Cajeiri dutifully returned to his book. Bren longed to get up, to pace the deck, to ask Jase what he'd said to Sabin and what Sabin had said to him-but his questions did no good, no more than Cajeiri's, and he kept them to himself.

"This is C1. As yet there is no response from the station. Stand by,"

Natural caution, Bren said to himself. The station, if there was anyone receiving, had likely to advise its own officers, review the situation, decide to respond to a distant signal.

"Captain." A communications tech flashed a signal. Sabin was over there in an instant. So was Jase.

They looked like two rescuees from a drowning.

"We have signal," Sabin said aloud. "A simple hail." And to the technicians: "Put me through. Put two-way communications on general address, bridge excluded." She lifted her personal comm to speaking range. "This is Captain Sabin, CS Phoenix CS Phoenix, inbound, ETA in your vicinity sixteen hours fifty-six minutes. h.e.l.lo, Reunion."

Distantly, from the administrative corridor, as it would on every deck, breaking centuries of precedent, her voice echoed, marginally time-lagged.

No time lag at all within the corridors... compared to the astronomical distances involved in their communication.

Atevi, however, needed quick information.

"A signal has come from the station," Bren translated the situation quietly, as he sat. "Sabin-aiji has identified herself vocally and given, human reckoning, sixteen hours fifty-six minuta minuta as our arrival." as our arrival."

"Sixteen and thirty-eight," Ilisidi said, instantly converting the awkward number... not felicitous, but certainly transitory, as the s.h.i.+p was rus.h.i.+ng toward that goal, making the gap tighter and tighter. He He hadn't been able to reckon that far that fast, and should have, he realized to his chagrin, if his brain weren't overladen with human concerns and racing in a dozen directions at once. hadn't been able to reckon that far that fast, and should have, he realized to his chagrin, if his brain weren't overladen with human concerns and racing in a dozen directions at once.

"We contain the numbers of all the world," he murmured, "which are are fortunate, aiji-ma." fortunate, aiji-ma."

"And we we are not superst.i.tious country folk." Ilisidi sat with hands about the shaft of her cane, in a human chair that would have been inconveniently low for the majority of the atevi staff. A seat on his scale and Ginny's. And Cajeiri's. "But do they then trust this reply as genuine, Bren-paidhi?" are not superst.i.tious country folk." Ilisidi sat with hands about the shaft of her cane, in a human chair that would have been inconveniently low for the majority of the atevi staff. A seat on his scale and Ginny's. And Cajeiri's. "But do they then trust this reply as genuine, Bren-paidhi?"

"I don't think Sabin-aiji necessarily trusts anything in this situation," he said, "but yes, aiji-ma, there's a certain rush to accept this welcome as reasonable and expected."

"And?"

"The station authorities may well view us with suspicion after years of delay in our return. We don't even know for certain Ramirez-aiji left here on their mission-or on his own."

"The residents should have left this inconveniently located outpost and saved us the bother. And they chose not to vacate."

"Yes, aiji-ma."

"Unreasonable, by any logic."

Indeed, not the first time atevi had posed that nagging question. Not the first time they'd discussed it on this voyage.

"One certainly wishes one knew why before we arrive," he said. "I have some doubt that even Sabin-aiji is confident that things are as Ramirez-aiji recorded them."

On the other side, Reunion must have concluded, from their nine year delay, that there hadn't been fuel waiting, indicating a political situation or a technical failure, or possibly the loss of the s.h.i.+p itself. If things had gone ideally, from the station's point of view, the s.h.i.+p would surely have coasted up to the station at the atevi star, gotten fuel as fast as possible, and been back in short order.

In the nine, ten years counting Ramirez's transit to Alpha, depend on it, any survivors at Reunion had had ample time and motive to implement options that no longer included Phoenix Phoenix.

And now, suddenly, here was Phoenix Phoenix back again to upset their efforts at self-rescue, efforts potentially involving power struggles and reputations. More, in their eyes, the s.h.i.+p would come freighting in G.o.d knew what business from Alpha, with all its questions. On one level, if things were less than disastrous here, Reunion authorities might question very closely what back again to upset their efforts at self-rescue, efforts potentially involving power struggles and reputations. More, in their eyes, the s.h.i.+p would come freighting in G.o.d knew what business from Alpha, with all its questions. On one level, if things were less than disastrous here, Reunion authorities might question very closely what Phoenix Phoenix had found. And had found. And that that didn't help their mission run smoothly. didn't help their mission run smoothly.

Figure it. If there were two humans, there were two sides, and if both had a pulse, politics would be at work somewhere in the business.

Getting here involved one set of problems. Now that they were down to another set, the politics of the station itself, he discovered his heart beating as if he'd climbed a tall, tall flight of stairs, nothing to do with physical exertion and everything to do with decades of preparation that had brought him into this situation. It wasn't a high-speed train of events-or it was, as planets saw time-as nations changed and rose and fell; in human terms, it moved like land-creep, but in terms of finite human beings supposed to be wise and to make the right decisions, time both dragged and flickered past, and Sabin's stated number of hours was far too long to worry and far too short a time to do anything creative.

He could could represent the colonists, or pretend to: he had been the island representative once upon a time. Atevi weren't the first surprise they should spring on the residents of Reunion: Ilisidi would surely agree to that. represent the colonists, or pretend to: he had been the island representative once upon a time. Atevi weren't the first surprise they should spring on the residents of Reunion: Ilisidi would surely agree to that.

And he a.s.suredly was about to have a job to do, if talk had begun to flow.

"The s.h.i.+p has begun to talk with the station, aiji-ma. I think I should place myself at the s.h.i.+p-aiji's disposal." He said much the same to Ginny Kroger: "I'm going to go stand somewhere in Sabin's easy reach in this reply cycle. I think we're running stable enough."

He got up and walked into the aisles. His purposeful approach to the operations area brought a glance from Sabin. An answering slow approach on Jase's part intercepted him for a private word.

"How do you think we're doing?" Bren asked him quietly.

"Too well at this point," Jase said. "Scarily well."

Sabin walked over, hands locked behind her, muscle working in a lean jaw. "Holding conference, gentlemen?"

"Offering my services where useful, captain. As a start, with all due respect, I'd advise not telling station authorities everything about us."

"Oh, I'd certainly concur there, Mr. Cameron. By a long way not half about us. And if we're really lucky we can refuel before we have to tell them a thing about our pa.s.senger list or our intentions."

"One believes they'll have long since taken their own survival measures, invested reputations and effort, developed an emotional charge on their own course. Resentment of us for not coming back immediately. Suspicion now that we have come back. I wouldn't be surprised at that."

"You're just a prophet of all kinds of trouble, aren't you, Mr. Cameron?"

"Certainly best we don't rush out of the s.h.i.+p and hold a farewell party on dockside."

"I don't think I had any such intention."

"I'm sure not. Here's another item. They'll contest your command versus their authority."

A little silence and a sidelong look.

"You know I'm right," Bren said.

"You're just full of opinions, Mr. Cameron."

"I advise the aiji in Shejidan, who's outlived all expectations. I advise you defy any order to meet them outside the s.h.i.+p."

"Son of a b.i.t.c.h b.i.t.c.h, Mr. Cameron."

"Yes, ma'am. At your service. Continually. They're the authority that's run human affairs for the last several hundred years. Their ideas haven't worked d.a.m.ned well. We all think it's time there was a new authority. And not even for fuel should you give a step backward."

"Go on, Mr. Cameron, as if I have no imagination of the situation."

"I'm sure you do, captain. And if we a.s.sume they ordered ordered Ramirez to go to the original base, secure it, refuel and get back, we can a.s.sume they don't plan to be taking your orders when you show up, do they?" Ramirez to go to the original base, secure it, refuel and get back, we can a.s.sume they don't plan to be taking your orders when you show up, do they?"

"Keep going."

"Two, they expect Ramirez. Three, they've had all these years to figure out things didn't go according to plan back where we come from. So they'll immediately ask you what happened to Ramirez and what took so long. If you say, refueling, they'll know immediately that the station we come from wasn't exactly waiting for your return. If you say we had to get the locals back into s.p.a.ce and build the whole apparatus to refuel, they'll wonder what else went on. They know the planet is inhabited. And that leads step by step to other questions, such as the reason I suspect Ramirez was courting aliens rather than go to Alpha's colonists in the first place-I think they're scared of finding an alternative human human agency set up back at Alpha, offering opposition to them. And numerous hard-headed humans, tending to subvert the Guild vision for humanity. I'm willing to be your token colonist authority and lie through my teeth, and try to diminish those fears." agency set up back at Alpha, offering opposition to them. And numerous hard-headed humans, tending to subvert the Guild vision for humanity. I'm willing to be your token colonist authority and lie through my teeth, and try to diminish those fears."

"A whole lot of help we've got," Sabin said. "Help from your alien allies, and pushy help from a self-appointed advisor."

"Yes, ma'am," Bren said, "exceedingly pushy. I have a vested interest in having you in charge, not them."

"You think so, do you?"

"You've told us Ramirez was up to something. I'm sure Ogun knew it. I know you knew it. I know you and Ogun aren't precisely on the same program. But if you like the idea of turning yourself and your s.h.i.+p and crew over to the people that have gotten this station in need of a rescue, you're flat crazy, and I don't think that's the case."

Sabin lifted one eyebrow. And looked at Jase. "Does he talk to the aiji that way?"

"Yes," Jase said.

"The fact is, we haven't won. We won't be halfway toward winning this until we're fueled, loaded, and on our way back. Reunion could have solved all of their problems and ours simply by boarding Phoenix Phoenix on your last call here. They didn't do that. So they have another plan, involving some linkage to Alpha, and Alpha's position is very blunt: fold operations, come under s.h.i.+p rule, and stop bothering the neighbors. Do you think you're going to get what you want out of them?" on your last call here. They didn't do that. So they have another plan, involving some linkage to Alpha, and Alpha's position is very blunt: fold operations, come under s.h.i.+p rule, and stop bothering the neighbors. Do you think you're going to get what you want out of them?"

"Go entertain your aliens."