A Deepness in the Sky Part 7

"Replacing the comm inputs." One of the Emergents' first moves had been to confiscate all head-up displays. The huds and their a.s.sociated input electronics were the cla.s.sic tools of freedom.

Wen laughed softly, his eyes still on the gang boss. "Right the first time, Ezr old pal. You see, our new. . .employers. . .have a problem. They need our s.h.i.+ps. They need our equipment. But none of that will work without the automation. And how can they trust that?" All effective machinery had embedded controllers. And of course the controllers were networked, with the invisible glue of their fleet's local net that made everything work consistently.

The software for that system had been developed over millennia, refined by the Qeng Ho over centuries. Destroy it and the fleet would be barely more than sc.r.a.p metal. But how could any conqueror trust what all those centuries had built in? In most such situations, the losers' gear was simply destroyed. But as Tomas Nau admitted, no one could afford to lose any more resources.

"Their own work gangs are going through every node, you know. Not just here, but on all our surviving s.h.i.+ps. Bit by bit they are rehosting them."

"There's no way they can replace everything." I hope. I hope. The worst tyrannies were the ones where a government required its own logic on every embedded node. The worst tyrannies were the ones where a government required its own logic on every embedded node.

"You'd be surprised what they are replacing. I've seen them work. Their computer techs are. . .strange. They've dug up stuff in the system that I never suspected." Benny shrugged. "But you're right, they aren't touching the lowest-level embedded stuff. It's mainly the I/O logic that gets jerked. In return, we get brand-new interfaces." Benny's face twisted in a little smile. He pulled a black plastic oblong from his belt. Some kind of keyboard. "This is the only thing we'll be using for a while."

"Lord, that looks ancient."

"Simple, not ancient. I think these are just backups the Emergents had floating around." Benny sent another look in the direction of the gang boss. "The important thing is, the comm gear in these boxes is known to the Emergents. Tamper with it, and there'll be alarms up the local net. In principle they can filter everything we do." Benny looked down at the box, hefted it. Benny was just another apprentice, like Ezr. He wasn't much sharper about technical things than Ezr, but he always had a nose for clever deals. "Strange. What I've seen of Emergent technology looks pretty dull. Yet these guys really intend to dredge and monitor everything. There's something something about their automation that we don't understand." He was almost talking to himself. about their automation that we don't understand." He was almost talking to himself.

On the wall behind him a light grew and grew, s.h.i.+fted slowly sideways. A taxi was approaching the docking bay. The light slid around the curve of the wall, and a second later there was a muted kchunk. kchunk. Shallow ripples chased out across the fabric from the docking cylinder. The lock pumps kicked in. Here, their whine was louder than at the dock entrance itself. Ezr hesitated. The noise was enough to mask their conversation from the gang boss. Shallow ripples chased out across the fabric from the docking cylinder. The lock pumps kicked in. Here, their whine was louder than at the dock entrance itself. Ezr hesitated. The noise was enough to mask their conversation from the gang boss. Sure, and any surveillance bugs could hear through the racketbetter than our own ears. Sure, and any surveillance bugs could hear through the racketbetter than our own ears. So when he spoke, it was not a conspiratorial murmur, but loud against the racket of the pumps. "Benny, lots has happened. I just want you to know I haven't changed. I'm not-" So when he spoke, it was not a conspiratorial murmur, but loud against the racket of the pumps. "Benny, lots has happened. I just want you to know I haven't changed. I'm not-" I'm not atraitor, d.a.m.n it! I'm not atraitor, d.a.m.n it!

For a moment, Benny's expression was opaque. . .and then he suddenly smiled. "I know, Ezr. I know."

Benny led him along the wall in the general direction of the rest of his work crew. "Let me show you the other things that we are up to." Ezr followed as the other pointed to this and that, described the changes the Emergents were making in the dock protocols. And suddenly he understood a little more of the game. The enemy needs us, expects to be working us foryears. There's lots we can say to each other. They won't kill us for exchanginginformation to get their jobs done. They won't kill us for speculating aboutwhat's going on. The enemy needs us, expects to be working us foryears. There's lots we can say to each other. They won't kill us for exchanginginformation to get their jobs done. They won't kill us for speculating aboutwhat's going on.

The whine of the pumps died. Somewhere beyond the plastic of the docking cylinder, people and cargo would be debarking.

Wen swung close to the open hatch of a utility duct. "They're bringing in lots of their own people, I hear."

"Yes, four hundred soon, maybe more." This temp was just some balloons, inflated a few Msecs earlier, upon the fleet's arrival. But it was large enough for all the crews that had been packed as corpsicles for the fifty-light-year transit from Triland. That had been three thousand people. Now it held only three hundred.

Benny raised an eyebrow. "I thought they had their own temp, and better than this."

"I-" The gang boss was almost within earshot. But this isn't conspiracy. Lord of Trade, we have to be able to talk about our jobs. But this isn't conspiracy. Lord of Trade, we have to be able to talk about our jobs. "I think they lost more than they're letting on." "I think they lost more than they're letting on." I think we came within centimeters ofwinning, even though we were ambushed, even though they had knocked usdown with their war disease. I think we came within centimeters ofwinning, even though we were ambushed, even though they had knocked usdown with their war disease.

Benny nodded, and Ezr guessed that he already knew. But did he know this: "That will still leave a lot of s.p.a.ce. Tomas Nau is thinking of bringing more of us out of coldsleep, maybe some officers." Sure, the senior people would be more of a risk to the Emergents, but if Nau really wanted effective cooperation. . .Unfortunately, the Podmaster was much less forthcoming about the "Focused." Trixia. Trixia.

"Oh?" Benny's voice was noncommittal, but his gaze was suddenly sharp. He looked away. "That would make a big difference, especially to some of us. . .like the little lady I have working in this duct." He stuck his head partway through the hatch and shouted. "Hey, Qiwi, are you done in there yet?"

The Brat? Ezr had only seen her two or three times since the ambush, enough to know she wasn't injured and not a hostage. But more than most, she had spent time outside of the temp and with the Emergents. Maybe she just seemed too young to be a threat. A moment pa.s.sed; a tiny figure in a screwball harlequin outfit slipped out of the duct.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm all done. I strung the tamperproof all-" She saw Ezr. "Hi, Ezr!" For once, the little girl did not swarm on him. She just nodded and kind of smiled. Maybe she was growing up. If so, this was the hard way to do it. "I strung it all the way past the locks, no problem. You gotta wonder why these guys don't just use encryption, though." She was smiling, but there were dark shadows around her eyes. It was a face Ezr would expect in someone older. Qiwi stood in the relaxed crouch of zero gee, with one checkered boot slipped under a wall stop. But she held her arms close at her sides, her hands clasping her elbows. The expansive, grabbing and punching little monster of before the ambush was gone. Qiwi's father was one of the still-infected, like Trixia. Like Trixia, he might never come back. And Kira Pen Lisolet was a senior armsman.

The little girl continued talking about the setup inside the duct. She was well qualified. Other children might have toys and games and playmates; Qiwi's home had been a near-empty rams.h.i.+p, out between the stars. That long alone-time had left her on the verge of being several kinds of specialist.

She had several ideas for how they might save time with the cable-pulling the Emergents required. Benny was nodding, taking notes.

Then Qiwi was on a different topic. "I hear we're gonna have new people in the temp."

"Yes-"

"Who? Who?"

"Emergents. Then some of our own people, I think."

Her smile blazed for an instant, and then she forced her enthusiasm down with a visible effort. "I-I was over at Hammerfest. Podmaster Nau wanted me to check out the coldsleep gear before they move it to FarTreasure. FarTreasure. I. . .I saw Mama, Ezr. I could see her face through the transp. I could see her slow-breathe." I. . .I saw Mama, Ezr. I could see her face through the transp. I could see her slow-breathe."

Benny said, "Don't worry, kid. We'll. . .Things will be okay for both your mom and pop."

"I know. That's what Podmaster Nau told me, too."

He could see the hope in her eyes. So Nau was making vague promises to her, becoming poor Qiwi's lifeline. And some of the promises might even be true. Maybe they would finally cure her father of their d.a.m.n war disease. But armsmen like Kira Pen Lisolet would be terribly dangerous to any tyrant. Short of a counterambush, Kira Lisolet might sleep for a long, long time. . . Short of a counterambush. Short of a counterambush.His glance flickered across to Benny. His friend's stare was completely blank, a return to the earlier opacity. And suddenly Ezr knew that there really was a conspiracy. In a few Msecs at most, some among the Qeng Ho would act.

I can help; I know I can.The official coordination of all Emergent orders pa.s.sed through Ezr Vinh. If he were on the inside. . .But he was also the most closely watched of all, even if Tomas Nau had no real respect for him. For a moment, fury rose in Ezr. Benny knew he wasn't a traitor-but there was no way he could help without giving the conspiracy away.

The Qeng Ho temp had escaped the ambush without a scratch. There had not even been pulse damage; before they maimed the local net, the Emergents had a great time mining the databases there.

What was left worked well enough for routine ops. Every few days, a few more people were added to the temp's population. Most were Emergents, but some were low-rank Qeng Ho released from coldsleep detention. Emergents and Qeng Ho, they all looked like refugees from disaster. There was no disguising the damage the Emergents had suffered, the equipment they had lost. And maybe Trixia is dead. And maybe Trixia is dead. The "Focused" were kept in the Emergents' new habitat, Hammerfest. But no one had seen any of them. The "Focused" were kept in the Emergents' new habitat, Hammerfest. But no one had seen any of them.

Meantime, conditions in the Qeng Ho temp slowly got worse. They were at less than one-third the temp's design population, yet systems were failing. Part of it was the maimed automation. Part of it-and this was a subtle effect-was that people weren't doing their jobs properly. Between the damaged automation and the Emergents' clumsiness with life-systems, the other side hadn't caught on. Fortunately for the conspirators, Qiwi spent most of her time off the temp. Ezr knew she could have detected the scam instantly. Ezr's contribution to the conspiracy was silence, simply not noticing what was going on. He moved from petty emergency to petty emergency, doing the obvious-and wondering what his friends were really up to.

The temp was actually beginning to stink. Ezr and his Emergent a.s.sistants took a trip down to the bactry pools at the innermost core of the temp, the place where Apprentice Vinh had spent so many Ksecs. . .before. He would give anything to be an apprentice forever down here, if only it would bring back Captain Park and the others.

The stench in the bactry was worse than Ezr had known outside of a failed school exercise. The walls behind the bio-weirs were covered with soft black goo. It swayed like old flesh in the breeze of the ventilators. Ciret and Marli retched, one barfing inside his respirator. Marli gasped out, "Pus! I'm not putting up with this. We'll be just outside when you're done."

They splashed and spattered their way out, and the door sealed. And Ezr was alone with the smells. He stood for a moment, suddenly realizing that if he ever wanted to be completely alone, this was the place!

As he started to survey the contamination, a figure in goo-spattered waterproofs and a respirator drifted out from the filth. It raised one hand for silence, and pa.s.sed a signals unit across Vinh's body. "Mmph. You're clean," came a m.u.f.fled voice. "Or maybe they just trust you."

It was Jimmy Diem. Ezr almost hugged him, bactry s.h.i.+t and all. Against all odds, the conspiracy had found a way to talk to him. But there was no happy relief in Diem's voice. His eyes were invisible behind goggles, but tension coiled in his posture. "Why are you toadying, Vinh?"

"I'm not not ! I'm just playing for time." ! I'm just playing for time."

"That's what. . .some of us think. But Nau has laid so many perks on you, and you're the guy we have to clear every little thing with. Do you really think you own what's left of us?"

That was the line that Nau pushed even now. " No! No!Maybe they think they've bought me, but. . .Lord of Trade, sir, wasn't I a solid crewmember?"

A m.u.f.fled chuckle, and some of the tension seemed to leave Diem's shoulders. "Yeah. You were a daydreamer who could never quite keep his eye on the ball"-words from familiar critiques, but spoken almost fondly-"but you're not stupid and you never traded on your Family connections.. . .Okay, Apprentice, welcome aboard."

It was the most joyful promotion Ezr Vinh had ever received. He stifled a hundred questions that percolated up; most had answers that he shouldn't be told. But still, just one, about Trixia- Diem was already talking. "I've got some code schemes for you to memorize, but we may have to meet face-to-face again. So the stink will get better, but it's going to continue to be a problem; you'll have plenty of excuse to visit. A couple of general things for now: We need to get outdoors."

Vinh thought of the Far Treasure Far Treasure and the Qeng Ho armsmen in cold-sleep there. Or maybe there were weapons caches in secret places aboard the surviving Qeng Hos.h.i.+ps. "Hm. There are several outside repair projects where we're the experts." and the Qeng Ho armsmen in cold-sleep there. Or maybe there were weapons caches in secret places aboard the surviving Qeng Hos.h.i.+ps. "Hm. There are several outside repair projects where we're the experts."

"I know. The main thing is to get the right people on the crews, and in the right job slots. We'll get you some names."

"Right."

"Another thing: We need to know about the 'Focused ones.' Where exactly are they being held? Can they be moved fast?"

"I'm trying to learn about them," more than you may know, Crewleader. more than you may know, Crewleader. "Reynolt says they're alive, that they've stopped the progression of the disease." "Reynolt says they're alive, that they've stopped the progression of the disease." The mindrot. The mindrot. That chilling term was not from Reynolt, but the slip of tongue he'd heard from an ordinary Emergent. "I'm trying to get permission to see-" That chilling term was not from Reynolt, but the slip of tongue he'd heard from an ordinary Emergent. "I'm trying to get permission to see-"

"Yeah. Trixia Bonsol, right?" Goo-sticky fingers patted Vinh's arm sympathetically. "Hmm. You've got a solid motive to keep after them on this. Be a good boy in every other way, but push hard hard on this. You know, like it's the big favor that will keep you in line, if only they'll grant it.. . . Okay. Get yourself out of here." on this. You know, like it's the big favor that will keep you in line, if only they'll grant it.. . . Okay. Get yourself out of here."

Diem faded into the shrouds of odiferous glop. Vinh smeared out the fingerprint traces on his sleeve. As he turned back to the hatch, he was scarcely conscious of the smell anymore. He was working with his friends again. And they had a chance.

Just as the remains of the Qeng Ho expedition had its mock "Fleet Manager," Ezr Vinh, so Tomas Nau also appointed a "Fleet Management Committee" to advise and aid in its operation. It was typical of Nau's strategy, coopting innocent people into apparent treason. Their once-per-Msec meetings would have been torture for Vinh, except for one thing: Jimmy Diem was one of the committee members.

Ezr watched the ten troop into his conference room. Nau had furnished the room with polished wood and high-quality windows; everyone in the temp knew about the cushy treatment given the Fleet Manager and his committee. Except for Qiwi, all ten realized how they were being used. Most of them realized that it would be years, if ever, before Tomas Nau released all the surviving Qeng Ho from coldsleep detention. Some, like Jimmy, guessed that in fact the senior officers might occasionally be brought out, secretly, for interrogations and brief service. It was an unending villainy that would give the Emergents the permanent upper hand.

So, there were no traitors here. They were a discouraging sight nevertheless: five apprentices, three junior officers, a fourteen-year-old, and one doddering incompetent. Okay, to be honest, Pham Trinli didn't dodder, not physically; for an old man, he was in pretty good shape. Most likely, he'd always been a goofball. It was a testament to his record that he was not being held in coldsleep. Trinli was the only Qeng Ho military man left awake.

And all this rather makes me the Clown of Clowns.Fleet Manager Vinh called the meeting to order. You'd think that being fraudulent toadies would at least make these meetings quick. But no, they often dragged on for many Ksecs, dribbling off into pickle-headed a.s.signments for individual members. I hope you enjoy eavesdropping on this, Nau sc.u.m. I hope you enjoy eavesdropping on this, Nau sc.u.m.

The first order of business was the putrefaction in the bactry. That was under control. The widespread stench should be flushed by their next meeting time. There remained some out-of-control gene lines in the bactry itself ( good! good!) but they posed no danger to the temp. Vinh avoided looking at Jimmy Diem as he listened to the report. He'd met Diem in the bactry three times now. The conversations had been brief and one-sided. The things Vinh was most curious to know were just what he absolutely must not know: How many Qeng Ho were in on Diem's operation? Who? Was there any concrete plan to smash the Emergents, to rescue the hostages?

The second item was more contentious. The Emergents wanted their own time units used in all fleet work. "I don't understand," Vinh said to the unhappy looks. "The Emergent second is the same as ours-and for local operations, the rest is just calendar frippery. Our software deals with Customer calendars all the time." Certainly, there was little problem in casual conversation. The Balacrean day wasn't far off the 100Ksec s.h.i.+ft "day" the Qeng Ho used. And their year was close enough to 30Msec that most of the year-stem words caused no confusion.

"Sure, we can handle weird calendars, but that's in front-end applications." Arlo Dinh had been an apprentice programmer; now he was in charge of software mods. "Our new, um, employers are using Qeng Ho internal tools. 'There will be side effects."' Arlo intoned the mantra ominously.

"Okay, okay. I'll take-" Ezr paused, experiencing a burst of administrative insight. "Arlo, why don't you you take this up with Reynolt? Explain the problems to her." take this up with Reynolt? Explain the problems to her."

Ezr looked down at his agenda, avoiding Arlo's annoyed gaze. "Next item. We're getting more new tenants. The Podmaster says to expect at least another three hundred Emergents, and after that another fifty Qeng Ho. It looks like life-support can tolerate this. What about our other systems? Gonle?"

When their ranks had been real, Gonle Fong had been a junior quartermaster on the Invisible Hand. Invisible Hand. Fong's mind still hadn't caught up with the changes. She was of indeterminate age, and if not for the ambush she might have lived out her life a junior quartermaster. Maybe she was one of those people whose career paths had stopped at just the right place, where their abilities precisely matched what was asked of them. But now . . . Fong's mind still hadn't caught up with the changes. She was of indeterminate age, and if not for the ambush she might have lived out her life a junior quartermaster. Maybe she was one of those people whose career paths had stopped at just the right place, where their abilities precisely matched what was asked of them. But now . . .

Fong nodded at his question. "Yeah, I have some numbers to show you." She plinked away at the Emergent keyboard in front of her, made some mistakes, tried to correct. On the window across the room, various error messages reported on her flailings. "How do you turn those off?" Fong muttered, swearing to herself. She made another typo and her rage became very public. "G.o.dd.a.m.n it to h.e.l.l, I can't stand these f.u.c.king things!" She grabbed the keyboard and smashed it down onto the polished wood table. The wood veneer cracked, but the keyboard was unharmed. She smashed it again; the error display across the room s.h.i.+mmered in iridescent protest and vanished. Fong half rose from her seat and waved the oddly bent keyboard in Ezr's face. "Those Emergent f.u.c.kers have taken away all the I/O that works. I can't use voice, I can't use head-up displays. All we have are windows and these mother-d.a.m.ned things!" She threw the keyboard at the table. It bounced up, spinning into the ceiling.

There was a chorus of agreement, though not quite so manic. "You can't do everything through a keyboard. We need huds.. . .We're crippled even when the underlying systems are okay."

Ezr held up his hands, waiting for the mutiny to die down. "You all know the reason for this. The Emergents simply don't trust our systems; they feel they need to control the periphery."

"Sure! They want spies on every interaction. I wouldn't trust captured automation either. But this is impossible! I'll use their I/O, but make 'em give us head-up displays and eye-pointers and-"

"I'll tell you, there are some people who are just going on using their old gear," said Gonle Fong.

"Stop!"This was the part of being a toady that hurt the most. Ezr did his best to glare at Fong. "Understand what you are saying, Miss Fong. Yes. This is a major inconvenience, but Podmaster Nau regards disobedience on this point as treason. It's something the Emergents see as a direct threat." So keep your old I/O gear but understand the risk. So keep your old I/O gear but understand the risk. He didn't say that out loud. He didn't say that out loud.

Fong was hunched down over the table. She looked up at him and nodded grimly.

"Look," Ezr continued, "I've asked Nau and Reynolt for other devices. We may get a few. But remember, we're stuck light-years from the nearest industrial civilization. Any new gadgets have to be made with just what the Emergents have here at L1." Ezr doubted that very much would be forthcoming. "It is deadly important for you to make the I/O ban clear to your people. For their own safety."

He looked from face to face. Almost everyone glared back at him. But Vinh saw their secret sense of relief. When they went back to their friends, the committee members would have Ezr Vinh to point at as the spineless fellow who was ramrodding the Emergent demands-and their own unpopular position would be a little easier.

Ezr sat silent a moment more, feeling impotent. Please let this be whatCrewleader Diem wants of me. Please let this be whatCrewleader Diem wants of me. But Jimmy's eyes were as blank and hard as the others. Outside of the bactry, he played his role well. Finally, Ezr leaned forward and said quietly to Fong, "You were going to tell me about the newcomers. What are the problems?" But Jimmy's eyes were as blank and hard as the others. Outside of the bactry, he played his role well. Finally, Ezr leaned forward and said quietly to Fong, "You were going to tell me about the newcomers. What are the problems?"

Fong grunted, remembering what they'd been discussing before she blew up. But surprisingly, she said, "Ah, forget the numbers. The short answer is, we can handle more people. h.e.l.l, if we could control our automation properly we could house three thousand in this balloon. As for the people themselves?" She shrugged, but without any great anger. "They're typical Chumps. The sort I've seen in a lot of tyrannies. They call themselves 'managers,' but they're peons. The fact is, behind some bl.u.s.ter they're kind of nervous about us. us. " A sneaky smile spread across her heavy features. "We got people who know how to handle Customers like these. Some of us are making friends. There's lots they're not supposed to talk about-like how bad this 'mindrot' c.r.a.p really is. But I'll tell you, if their big bosses don't come clean soon, we'll find out for ourselves." " A sneaky smile spread across her heavy features. "We got people who know how to handle Customers like these. Some of us are making friends. There's lots they're not supposed to talk about-like how bad this 'mindrot' c.r.a.p really is. But I'll tell you, if their big bosses don't come clean soon, we'll find out for ourselves."

Ezr didn't smile back. Are you listening, Podmaster Nau? Whateveryour desires, soon we will know the truth. Are you listening, Podmaster Nau? Whateveryour desires, soon we will know the truth. And what they discovered, Jimmy Diem could use. Coming in to this meeting, Ezr had been totally wrapped up in one item, the last on the agenda. Now he was beginning to see that everything fit together. And maybe he wasn't doing such a bad job after all. And what they discovered, Jimmy Diem could use. Coming in to this meeting, Ezr had been totally wrapped up in one item, the last on the agenda. Now he was beginning to see that everything fit together. And maybe he wasn't doing such a bad job after all.

That last agenda item was the upcoming explosion of the sun. And Jimmy had a fool-surely an unknowing fool-to front for them on this: Pham Trinli. The armsman made a big show of moving to the front of the table. "Yes, yes," he said. "I've got the pictures here. Just a second." A dozen engineering graphics appeared on the windows around the room. Trinli launched himself to the podium, and lectured them on Lagrange stability points. Funny, the man actually had a voice and style that bespoke command, but the ideas that came out were tendentious commonplaces.

Vinh let him ramble for a hundred seconds. Then, "I believe your agenda item is 'Preparations for Relight,' Mr. Trinli. What is it the Emergents are asking us to do?"

The old man fixed Ezr with a stare as intimidating as any crewleader's: "That's Armsman Armsman Trinli, if you please, Fleet Manager." The stare continued a second longer. "Very well, to the heart of the matter. Here we have some five billion tonnes of diamond." A red pointer lit on the window behind him, pointing at the slowly turning pile of rocks, all the loose material that Captain Park had found in this solar system. The ice and ore that had been lifted from Arachna were smaller mountains wedged in the corners and creases of the asteroidal blocks. "The rocks are in a cla.s.sic contact jumble. At the present time, our fleets are moored to this jumble or in orbit around it. Now, as I was trying to explain a few seconds ago, the Emergents want us to emplace and manage a system of electric jets on the core blocks of the jumble." Trinli, if you please, Fleet Manager." The stare continued a second longer. "Very well, to the heart of the matter. Here we have some five billion tonnes of diamond." A red pointer lit on the window behind him, pointing at the slowly turning pile of rocks, all the loose material that Captain Park had found in this solar system. The ice and ore that had been lifted from Arachna were smaller mountains wedged in the corners and creases of the asteroidal blocks. "The rocks are in a cla.s.sic contact jumble. At the present time, our fleets are moored to this jumble or in orbit around it. Now, as I was trying to explain a few seconds ago, the Emergents want us to emplace and manage a system of electric jets on the core blocks of the jumble."

Diem: "Before the Relight?"

"Indeed."

"They want to maintain contact stability during the Relight?"

"That's exactly right."

Uneasy looks pa.s.sed around the table. Stationkeeping was a common and ancient practice. If done properly, an orbit about L1 cost very little fuel. They would be less than a million and a half kilometers from Arachna, and almost directly between the planet and its sun. In the coming bright years, they would be effectively hidden in its glare. But the Emergents didn't think small; they already had built various structures, including their "Hammerfest," down on the rockpile. So now they wanted the stationkeeping jets in place before Relight. OnOff would s.h.i.+ne at fifty to one hundred sols before it settled down. The Chumps wanted to use the stationkeeping jets to keep the big rocks from s.h.i.+fting around during that time. It was dangerous foolishness, but the Emergents were boss. And this will giveJimmy access to the out-of-doors. And this will giveJimmy access to the out-of-doors.

"Actually, I don't think there will be serious problems." Qiwi Lisolet rose from her seat. She coasted over to Pham Trinli's maps, preempting whatever more Trinli had to say. "I did a number of exercises like this while we were in transit. My mother wants me to be an engineer and she thought stationkeeping might be an important part of this mission." Qiwi sounded more adultly serious than usual. This was also the first time he'd seen her dressed in Lisolet-greens. She floated in front of the windows for a moment, reading the details. Her ladylike dignity faltered. "Lord, they are asking a lot! That rockpile is so loose. Even if we get the math right, there's no way we can know all the stresses inside the pile. And if the volatiles get into sunlight, there'll be a whole new problem." She whistled, and her smile was one of childlike relish. "We may have to move the jets during the Relight. I-"

Pham Trinli glowered at the girl. No doubt she had just trashed a thousand seconds of his presentation. "Yes, it will be quite a job. We have only a hundred electric jets for the whole thing. We'll need crews down on the jumble the whole time."

"No, no, that's not true. About the jets, I mean. We have lots more ejets over on the Brisgo Gap. Brisgo Gap. This job isn't more than a hundred times bigger than ones I practiced-" Qiwi was wholely caught up in her enthusiasm, and for once it wasn't Ezr Vinh who was on the other side of her arguing. This job isn't more than a hundred times bigger than ones I practiced-" Qiwi was wholely caught up in her enthusiasm, and for once it wasn't Ezr Vinh who was on the other side of her arguing.

Not everyone accepted the situation quietly. The junior officers, including Diem, demanded that the rockpile be dispersed during the Relight, the volatiles piled on the shadowside of the biggest diamond. Nau be d.a.m.ned, this was just too risky. Trinli bristled, shouted back that he had already made these points to the Emergents.

Ezr slapped the table, then again, louder. "Order please. This is the job we've been a.s.signed. The best way we can help our people is by behaving responsibly with what we've got. I think we can get added help from the Emergents on this, but we have to approach them properly."

The argument rolled on around him. How many of them are in on theconspiracy, How many of them are in on theconspiracy, he wondered. Surely not Qiwi? After some seconds of further argument, they were left where they began: with no choice but to truckle. Jimmy Diem s.h.i.+fted back, and sighed. "All right, we do as we're told. But at least we know they need us. Let's put the squeeze on Nau, get him to release some senior specialists." he wondered. Surely not Qiwi? After some seconds of further argument, they were left where they began: with no choice but to truckle. Jimmy Diem s.h.i.+fted back, and sighed. "All right, we do as we're told. But at least we know they need us. Let's put the squeeze on Nau, get him to release some senior specialists."

There was mumbled agreement. Vinh's gaze locked with Jimmy's, and then he looked away. Maybe they could get some hostages released for this; more likely not. But suddenly Ezr knew when the conspiracy would strike.

ELEVEN.

The OnOff star might better have been called "old faithful." Its catastrophic variability had first been noticed by the Dawn Age astronomers of Old Earth. In less than eight hundred seconds, a star catalogued as "singleton brown dwarf [peculiar]" had gone from magnitude 26 to magnitude 4. Over a span of thirty-five years the object had faded back to virtual invisibility-and generated dozens of graduate research degrees in the process. Since then the star had been watched carefully, and the mystery had become grander. The initial spike varied by as much as thirty percent, but as a whole the light curve was incredibly regular. On, off, on, off. . .a cycle some 250 years long, with onset predictable to within one second.

In the millennia since the Dawn, human civilizations had spread steadily outward from Earth's solar system. The observations of OnOff became ever more accurate, and from smaller and smaller distances.

And finally, humans stood within the OnOff system, and watched the seconds tick down toward a new Relighting.

Tomas Nau gave a little speech, ending with: "It will be an interesting show." They were using the temp's largest meeting room to watch the Relight. Just now it was crowded, sagging in the microgravity at the rockpile's surface. Over in Hammerfest, Emergent specialists were overseeing the operation. There were also skeleton crews aboard the stars.h.i.+ps. But Ezr knew that most of the Qeng Ho and all of the off-duty Emergents were here. The two sides were almost sociable, almost friendly. It was forty days since the ambush. Rumors were that Emergent security would ease up significantly after the Relight.