Exiled to the Stars (45 page)

"I wondered why they gave us three airships," Carlos Torres, the chief pilot commented. "Now I know. They expected the big one to be permanently full of this thing. Add a couple of operators and a few samples, and old 'Fatty', here will be full." He sighed. "So much for the romance of the skies. I'm going to be nothing but a truck driver!"

Ken was right. They
did
spend days exploring the compartment and its contents. Contrary to actual events, EarthGov had expected that exploration would be a very high priority for the new colonists, a survival imperative, and they had not stinted on the supplies and equipment needed for it. In the end, it took more than a week for the Explorers and scientists to examine the contents of the two compartments that had been packed so long ago.

Ron made sure that some of the first things removed from the compartments were the crates containing the JZE-101, which the Explorers hand-delivered to Vlad Renko. All had agreed that as the planet's foremost, and only, roboticist, Vlad was the person best qualified to examine the thing, and decide whether it would be of any value in current circumstances. Besides, he was Elaine's father, and already a central figure in the history of the colony.

Vlad was almost pathetically grateful, and Elaine thought his eyes looked suspiciously wet as his hands caressed the still-sealed crates. He tried to protest that he didn’t have room to work in the Renkos' dome, but Susan waved off his feeble objection. Her own eyes were tearing at the obvious pleasure and excitement in Vlad's face, and she mouthed a silent 'thank you' to the rather embarrassed Explorers.

********

The big man strode into Ken's office confidently, only a limp betraying his infirmity.

"Hello, Lars," Ken greeted the man warmly. "Please sit down. I was sorry to hear about your accident."

Lars Norstrom was over two meters tall, with broad shoulders and light brown hair. He towered over most of the colonists, but his ready smile and constant cheerfulness made it impossible to be intimidated by his hulking size.

"Hi, Ken," Lars greeted him, a ham-sized hand extended in greeting. "I've been meaning to get over here to see you. I need you to help me escape the clutches of the med techs."

Ken winced as he struggled to retrieve his hand from the big man's crushing grasp. He thought for a moment. "Y'know, I just
might
be able to help with that. Tell me about it."

Lars shrugged. "Oh, we were working on a harvester. We were pulling the transfer case, and I saw it start to slip. I tried to get out from under before it fell, and I almost made it. The transfer case missed me, but the link bar slammed into my back.

"I was paralyzed from the waist down for over a month, and the med techs said I'd probably never walk again. Well, as you can see, I'm walking, but it's no thanks to the med techs. They don't know how it happened. They said they couldn't regrow nerve tissue. Now they tell me it must be the symbiont." He shrugged again. "I don't really care. What I
do
care about is that they put me on this damned medical retirement, and that means I can't work. They won't
un
retire me, and I'm going nuts sitting on my butt."

"Why won't they, ah,
un
retire you?"

Lars shook his head. "You'll probably have to ask them, to get a straight answer. All they'll tell me is that they
think
the new nerve connections aren't as strong as the old ones were, and they don't want to chance further damage."

Ken nodded. "Okay, I promise I'll look into it, Lars. I need you 'unretired' because we may need your expertise. Do you still remember anything you knew about handling radioactives?"

Lars' smile faded to a quizzical expression. "Radioactives? Sure. I did it for almost twenty years on Earth. But we don't have any…" he stopped himself. "Well, I guess we do have some backup fusactors. Why? Is something wrong with the Cobb drive power after all these years?"

Ken shook his head. "No, it's humming along fine, so far. But we've found some equipment we need for exploration that uses fuel pellets."

Lars's smile widened, became enthusiastic. "Really? What size? What type? Do we have the handling equipment?"

"I haven't the slightest idea. But it's been almost twenty-five years since you worked with radioactives. Do you think you can remember how to do it? Or maybe train a Planetborn to do it?"

Lars snorted. "Of course I could do it. Give me a couple of weeks for refresher study, and I'll be able to do anything you need, including lighting off the fusactors. I'll even take on a Planetborn as an apprentice.
If
you can get the med techs to let me go!"

"Lars Norstrom?" asked Dr. Bono, the senior Med Tech, "An interesting case. Let me guess. He wants you to get me to remove his 'medically retired' designator. You're about the only one he hasn't had try to pressure me."

Ken smiled. "I've heard his side, Doctor. Now tell me yours."

Dr. Bono shrugged. "His entire spinal cord was severed. Not bruised, not damaged,
severed
. The man should have been bedridden for the rest of his life. Nerve tissue doesn't regenerate; all we could do was jam the ends of the nerve bundle together and hope. Our scans show that the nerve endings have
not
rejoined. Somehow, we think the symbiont is functioning in place of his normal nervous system. I've been watching to see if he eventually loses that limp. I have a bet with Dr. Gutmann. Frankly, we have no idea how or why it is happening, and we are unwilling to take any chances. What if going back to work strains whatever it is the symbiont is using to restore lower body function? He could
still
end up spending the rest of his life helpless in bed." The doctor straightened. "I'm not willing to risk that."

Ken frowned. "Well,
he's
willing, and Lars is one of those people who need to be active. You may prevent him becoming bedridden, only to see him suicide." He shook his head. "Look, Doctor. You know I'm not normally in the pressure business. I try to avoid it whenever possible. This time, I don't think it's possible. We need Lars, and we need him cleared to work.

"Oh," he said with a dismissive wave as the doctor opened his mouth to speak. "I'm not talking about his old job in Machine Maintenance, or any other heavy work, for that matter. But on Earth, Lars was certified to handle radioactives, and we have some equipment we need very badly that is nuclear-powered.

"Now, I've already gotten him to agree to take on a Planetborn apprentice, and I'm sure we can keep him away from any heavy work. We need the knowledge in his head and the skill in his hands, not the strength of his back. But we need that knowledge and those skills badly.

"So," he finished, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to release Lars from medical retirement so he can help us with something only he can do."

The Doctor's expression had turned sour and resentful, and Ken suppressed a sigh. That was the problem with using a position of authority to pressure people to do things unwillingly. The next time he needed the Doctor's cooperation, it would be harder to get, now.

"All right, Administrator." Bono replied in a surly tone. "But there are conditions. First, you must appoint him an apprentice or assistant to handle any physical tasks required. Second, no matter what he says, Lars is
not
to lift more than five kilos under any circumstances – and it won't always be easy to stop him. Third, he is to report to the Clinic once a week so we can monitor developments. If you can accept those conditions, I'll cancel his medical retirement and place in him 'Light Duty' status."

Ken nodded. "Thank you, Doctor," he said in his warmest tone. He relaxed into a smile. "I was afraid you'd insist on him working from a power chair."

Some of the resentment faded from Bono's face. "Actually, Administrator, we suspect that
light
exercise might help the symbiont do…whatever it's doing." Suddenly the scowl was back in full force. "But I
still
disagree and disapprove, Administrator, and comply only under protest. I consider it an unacceptable risk. I hope whatever you need him for is worth that risk!" Bono cut the connection abruptly.

Ken sighed at the blank screen. "So do I, Doctor, so do I." He liked Lars, and hated having to put him at risk like this, and he'd had to suppress a wince at Bono's angry formality in repeatedly referring to him by his title. But he'd had no choice. He made a mental note not to get sick for awhile.

He called Lars. The man had obviously been awaiting his call, as he answered before his tablet could complete a single ring signal.

"All right, Lars," he said with obvious reluctance. "Doctor Bono was not happy about it, but he has agreed to cancel your medical retirement and certify you for
light
duty."

"That's
great
, Ken," the big man gushed. "I…"

"Don't get
too
excited," Ken interrupted. "Doctor Bono set conditions, and I agree with them. First, you will have a Planetborn apprentice, as soon as I can find one. He, or she, will lift anything you need except a bulb of beer! If you even look like you're
thinking
of lifting something heavier than that, You'll be back on medical retirement so fast you'll leave a hole in the air!

"You will also have a weekly appointment at the Clinic, so the Med Techs can keep a handle on your progress," Ken continued. He frowned. "I had to put pressure on a man I respect and one who is very important to the colony. So don't screw this up, or try to play games. Play it straight. This is too important to the colony."

The jubilation had faded from Lars' face. "I know it couldn't have been easy," he said soberly, "And I'm really grateful. And don't worry, I'll play by the rules." The excitement crept back into his face. "So, how soon can I get started?"

Ken chuckled and shook his head. "I've got a feeling I'm going to regret this. How soon can you start a refresher on the comp, and how long will it take?"

Lars grinned. "I can start as soon as I can get you off my tablet." He shrugged. "Maybe two weeks."

"Do it in one. I'll be holding up an exploration mission for this."

Lars nodded. "One it is. And get me that kid as soon as you can. I'd like 'em to sit alongside me in the refresher. It'll be a good introduction to the job."

Ken's next call was to Lee Jenson. Lee was one of the two Planetborns on the Council. Ken didn't know him well, yet, but he seemed the more level-headed and less militant of the two. He asked the young man to lunch.

Lee Jenson was a tall young man of NorEuro descent He had a ready smile, and an apparent ability to ignore the growing rift between Earthborn and Planetborn when necessary.

"I'm sorry it's taken me this long to get to know you, Lee. You've been on the Council for what, three years now? You were our first Planetborn Council member, as I recall."

Lee nodded. "Yes sire. About three. So, what can I do for you, sire? Planning to hijack another election?" His open smile removed any offense from the question.

"Ken, please. And no," he replied, "I’m not planning another hijacking. One of those in a lifetime is quite enough, and I plead extenuating circumstances."

"Well, 'the end justifies the means' is a pretty slippery slope. But this time, I have to agree with the end. So, what current problem is so serious you have to start calling in Planetborns?"

Ken frowned. "I'd say that large chip on your shoulder demonstrates the problem. I'm very concerned about the growing antagonism between the Earthborn and the Planetborn. As soon as the kids complete their educations, they go off on their own, and there's very little contact between them after that. The kids feel they don't belong, like strangers in their own families, and the parents feel their efforts in raising them are unappreciated. The whole concept of 'grandchildren' is becoming lost. The Earthborns have almost completely stopped having children, and few have raised more than one. We have to find a way to pull the colony back together."

"You're Earthborn, Ken," Lee replied with a cynical smile. "Do you have a solution?"

"No, I don't," Ken replied. Suddenly he smiled. "Do you know, I've never even thought about the fact that I'm Earthborn."

Lee nodded. "I know," he said seriously. "That's one reason you've been so successful. Both sides know they can trust you to consider only the colony, and not either faction." A genuine smile, one without the cynicism, surfaced. "So, what can I do to help?"

"Well," Ken began, "as I said, I don't have any solutions. All I can think of is trying to arrange things so that Earthborns and Planetborns are pushed to associate more. One example is the one I want to bring up.

"Some of the exploration equipment found aboard the ship requires nuclear fuel. At the moment, we have only one colonist who was ever certified to handle radioactive fuels, and of course, he's Earthborn.

"Fortunately, for us at least, he is recovering from an injury, and the Med Techs insist he have an apprentice or assistant before they'll release him for even light duty. I see this as an opportunity to place a Planetborn in an important position in the colony, with no one able to object.

"Now, I can ask the comp for recommendations, and I will. But you know all the Planetborn as
people
, not files. I'd like you to find me a candidate. I'll have the comp send a list of those it considers qualified to your tablet, but to be honest, I'll be depending more on your recommendation than the comp's. We don't need a militant Planetborn in such an essential position. I intend to bring them together, not drive them apart."

Lee nodded. "What about your Earthborn? How militant is he?"

Ken looked startled. "Lars Norstrom? I doubt he even knows there's a difference."

Lee's smile widened. "Big Lars? From the Machinery Maintenance shop? You're right. The terms 'Earthborn' and 'Planetborn' probably just confuse him. To him there're just 'old farts' and 'kids'." He nodded. "It might not be easy to find a planetborn that's as oblivious as he is, but I'll do my best. In fact, I might have someone in mind."

Ken nodded, grinning. "Great! Because I need that name as soon as possible. Lars will be getting refresher training, and he'd like his new apprentice to join him as soon as possible."