Damia's Children (16 page)

“I should have, if you didn't, sir,” Thian said, more than a little ashamed he hadn't.

“Yes, well, I'll scarcely fault you on that, Thian!”

Why Thian should feel as if the captain had paid him a great honor by using his first name, he didn't know, but somehow that was the feeling he left with.

THN HAS DONE SOMETHING SPECIALLY GOOD
? Mur asked.

THN HAS FINALLY THOUGHT OF SOMETHING HE SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF THREE MONTHS AGO
, Thian replied. And explained circumstance and idea. His 'Dini friends were oddly silent when he finished and he wondered.

THN GO HOME SOON
? Dip asked in such a curious tone that Thian knew something was wrong.

TROUBLE, FRIENDS
? And he put his arms about them, drawing them closer, radiating comfort.

Mur and Dip exchanged such rapid sentences that even he, well accustomed to such a pace, missed half the words. As, he suspected, they intended.

WHAT IS THE TROUBLE? THN DEMANDS KNOWLEDGE.

Together Dip and Mur sighed and leaned into him.

MUST GO SOON.

WHY MUST THN GO SOON
?

MRG AND DPL MUST GO SOON SO THN MUST GO SOON, TOO.

The coin dropped and Thian hugged his friends.
IT IS NECESSARY FOR MRG AND DPL TO HIBERNATE, IS THAT NOT IT
? When their pliant bodies gave assent, he hugged them firmly again.
MRG AND DPL MUST GO WHEN THIS IS NECESSARY.

BUT THN WILL BE ALONE AMONG STRANGERS AND THIS HAS NOT BEEN GOOD.

ON THE CONTRARY, DPL, THIS HAS BEEN VERY GOOD FOR THN. MRG AND DPL MUST GO TO RETURN REFRESHED. TIME WILL GO FAST FOR YOU AND FAST ENOUGH FOR THN. THN HAD NO PROBLEMS WHEN THIS WAS NECESSARY ON AURIGAE. NO DIFFERENCE NOW ON SHIP.

IF MATTERS WERE PROPERLY ADJUSTED KLTL COULD HAVE BEEN USED BUT IT IS OVER AND THE KLTS WILL BE TOO LATE.

HOW SOON MUST MRG AND DPL LEAVE
?

WITHIN MONTH.

SOONER IF REQUIRED
? Thian could sense a reluctance in them to leave him, which was gratifying, but he was also well aware of how much they would suffer by prolonging the essential hibernation.
MRG AND DPL RETURN TO AURIGAE WITHIN WEEK
!

HOMEWORLD WILL DO AS WELL.
There was something about Dip's manner that made Thian laugh.

“You are irrepressible!” he said, crowing at Dip's cunning. The pair could have been accommodated at the Aurigaen installation but there was a certain cachet to going through the process on the homeworld which the two had not yet enjoyed. Even the Mrdini understood the subtleties of status.
AND MRG AND DPL WOULD FORFEIT THE COMPANY
OF FRIENDS AND RELATIVES AT THIS TIME TO BE ALONE ON THEIR HOMEWORLD
?

THN WOULD BE ALONE HERE. IT IS ONLY FAIR THAT MRG AND DPL BE DEPRIVED IN SOME WAY AT THE SAME TIME.

Thian rocked with laughter, falling backward on his bunk and cracking his head on the wall. As if they had caused his bump, the 'Dinis were all over him with tender digits and soothing caresses.

THN WILL MISS HIS FRIENDS. THN ALWAYS DOES
, he told them when they quieted and he could hold them against him.

The next day when he appeared for his morning classes, there was an excited buzz in the air and many smiles for him. Except, of course, from Malice. Thian could feel dark brooding discontent from that source, as if Malice resented him doing this service to his shipmates. Or perhaps had small hope of being one of those on a shore leave roster. What amused him was the fact that there had been no official announcement of shore leave by means of Talent-assisted personnel capsule. In fact Captain Ashiant's bulletin was anticlimactic: everyone on all four Human ships knew about it.

Three days later Thian sent the first three drones back: two to Earth as requested by the personnel and one to Betelgeuse.

You've made more work for yourself,
the Rowan told her grandson as she “caught” the first of the three. But he sensed that she approved.

There's been a significant improvement in morale,
he said diffidently.

That is very important on a search mission such as
this. Your grandfather says you ought to have warned Fleet so Earth could be warned.

That's not my responsibility,
he began and then realized that he was being teased.
Think of the money they'll be spending!

T
EN days after the first shore leaves were 'ported, the long-range sensors discovered an object moving at a very slow speed in the general direction of the squadron: a very large object to have been picked up at such a distance. Too far as yet to be identified, its presence livened all discussions on the
Vadim
and the other ships of the squadron. Thian 'ported all captains aboard the flagship and attended the meeting as recording interpreter. He was proud of his students: even after only four months' intensive study they were able to discuss much in 'Dini, a fact which certainly pleased the 'Dini captains. Nothing could be done until identification was made, of course, but several courses of action were discussed.

The 'Dini reluctantly allowed the possibility that the object might be a wandering planet, blown out of its native solar system by a nova—several had
been noted in this quadrant. Such phenomena had been noted by both Human and 'Dini in the course of space explorations: the planets or asteroid fragments sterile and lifeless but occasionally worth prospecting. Thian knew by their language that the 'Dini captains were convinced beyond doubt that this was more likely another Hive ship. It was traveling from the general spatial direction of the ion trail they had been following, hoping it would lead them, at last, to the Hive home system. The ion trail had been getting weaker as its traces dissipated during the months of the search but was still discernible on the highly sensitive equipment the 'Dinis had developed. Space being the immensity it was even a general direction for search was a plus.

The 'Dinis wanted to go on yellow alert and to implement intensive drill in the strategy of penetrating and destroying a Hive ship. As these tactics were of a suicidal nature, the Humans, understandably, temporized, suggesting careful surveillance and reconnaissance and to make the most effective use of the new weaponry with which the squadron was equipped. Untried against a Hive ship, to be sure, but theoretically more sophisticated than known Hive ordnance, delivering a paralytic shock of purportedly lethal proportions. Even glancing touches could inhibit movement for hours.

This was where the 'Dinis and Humans diverged in their mutual war against the Hive World. Technically speaking, the squadron's orders were to seek and identify the Hive World, and return for further orders. A single fast scout might have accomplished the same mission but a single
fast scout could neither carry the armament needed in case it encountered Hive ships—which was a distinct possibility given the unusual Hive activity that had created this emergency—nor the supplies to last an indefinite search period. So a squadron was committed to the task, with orders that one ship must survive to report.

In the 'Dini view, coming across a Hive vessel meant it
must
be destroyed. It could not be permitted to exist, no matter what cost the destruction. It could be heading for
their
homeworld and must not be allowed to proceed once intercepted. Where 'Dini soldiery was quite willing to die to achieve that end, Humans, not having had wars in several centuries, were not disposed to commit themselves with such fervent dedication. To be sure, naval units met with disasters of all kinds, causing the death of many or all those aboard the stricken vessel. But no Human warship
sought
deliberate attack, nor considered it the logical conclusion of sighting an alien vessel. Cowardice had nothing to do with this: common sense did.

“He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day,” might be a Human sentiment but it was, unfortunately, an intolerable concept to the 'Dinis.

As translator—and someone more familiar with the nuances of 'Dini speech than any of the others at the conference—Thian was doing his best to tone down what was couched in challenging language from the 'Dini while injecting vehemence in the almost diffident Human responses. To the 'Dini warrior ethos, this was put up or shut up time, while the Humans seemed more interested in discussing alternatives that did not, in 'Dini
terms, exist. The oncoming object
must
be a Hive ship. It
must
be destroyed.

When Ashiant, for one, realized that destruction was the preferred 'Dini tactic, he cast a meaningful glance at Thian. Thian gave his head a quick shake, wishing the captain hadn't such a tight natural shield so he could immediately explain that there was no way he, with twelve minor Talents—even augmented by the generators of six big warships—could do what, two and a half decades ago, had required several hundred Talents in the Denebian Penetration.

The Human captains vigorously insisted on discussing alternative identities for the wayfarer, the favored one—which the 'Dinis repudiated as soon as it was mentioned—being the possibility of meeting yet another sentient species in space. Thian privately agreed with the 'Dinis on that score. 'Dinis had explored enough over the centuries of their space travel capability to be cynical about that prospect: especially in view of the fact that they had already found Humans.

Politely Captains Spktm and Plr listened to the Humans but Thian could see that they were convinced this was Hive and it couldn't be anything else.

In the fact of that unalterable opinion, Ashiant and the other Human captains wisely initiated intensive drill procedures but an actual discharge of the new weapons system, of course, was out of the question. Even the surprise of such new weapons might have an effect on the implacable Hivers. The Hive was also known to have acutely sensitive scanning devices—as some unfortunate 'Dini scouts had discovered. Biologists had suggested
that the Hive members probably had more acute hearing than vision. What few fragments of Hive ships were left after a 'Dini suicide penetration gave little evidence of internal lighting systems.

Fortunately, none of the Humans even mentioned evasion tactics, though it was no secret to Thian that each Human captain was reviewing how to preserve ship and crew even if the 'Dinis were quite willing to spend lives and ships to destroy a Hiver.

Privately Thian wondered how many escape pods he could fling to safety with or without the impetus of generators in the event the
Vadim
was badly struck. There was also the ethical and moral problem of whether he should also contrive to save himself, the Prime, if it was at the expense of fellow shipmates. He decided that avenue of thought was depressing and self-defeating.

This squadron had six of the newest, best equipped and best armored vessels of their respective navies, and powerful new weapons. Contemplation of defeat and/or suicide was self-destructive. Even thoughts of evasion could be defeatist. He started emanating stern resolve and optimism.

Somewhat to his astonishment, his efforts began to produce results in the discussions as Humans and 'Dinis both began to talk themselves into more positive thinking.

HIVE SHIPS FOLLOW TRADITIONAL PATTERN NO MATTER WHAT SIZE AND NEVER DEVIATE
, Captain Spktm said, slipping a pencil file into the ready room reader and bringing up the enhanced image on the main screen.
WEAKNESS REMAINS WEAKNESS, STRENGTH STRENGTH WITH THE QUEENS ALWAYS IN THE MOST PROTECTED SPOT, EGGS NEXT AND EXPENDABLE WORKER
DRONES AUXILIARIES IN OUTER SHELL
. The spherical shape of the Hive had been opened in one arc to show the levels. Much was extrapolation since Hive ships had to be blown apart to be stopped, fragmenting both attacker and attacked. The 'Dinis had gathered their information—painfully—over the centuries.
SCOUTS ARE ALWAYS IN EXTERIOR BAYS. WEAPON SYSTEMS CONTROLLED FROM QUEENS
'
LEVELS BY SPECIAL DRONES. BELIEF IS HELD THAT THERE ARE SPECIAL REINFORCEMENTS TO PERMIT QUEENS AND MOST VALUABLE EGGS TO SURVIVE EVEN THE TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF THE SHIP. 'DINI ATTACK GROUPS HAVE LEARNED TO RESERVE AT LEAST ONE SHIP TO CHASE AND DESTROY THESE SPECIAL INTERIOR CONTAINERS WHICH HAVE ON OCCASION CONTAINED SMALLER UNITS LIKE HUMAN ESCAPE PODS
. (Mrdini ships had no comparable unit.)
THE SURVIVAL OF AT LEAST ONE QUEEN ONE ATTENDANT DRONE MEANS THE HIVE SURVIVES. SUCH SURVIVAL UNITS HAVE ACHIEVED ESCAPE VELOCITIES THAT, UNTIL RECENTLY, EXCEEDED THE BEST SPEED OF CHASE VESSELS. QUEENS AND EGGS SURVIVE IN CONDITIONS FATAL TO MRDINI AND HUMAN
.

Then the 'Dini captain activated an animated reconstruction of the phases of attack and dissolution of a Hive ship. As often as Thian had seen this vid, it never failed to give him nightmares. The average Hive ship had between twelve to thirty Queens. Teardrop-shaped vessels spurted from the exploding wreckage of the demonstration Hive ship. They traveled at incredible speeds, disappearing so rapidly in all directions from sensor range that a fix could not be taken, making pursuit difficult—especially if only one 'Dini ship remained operational at the conclusion of the battle.