New Earth (34 page)

Elyse said, “I’m going to ask their astronomers to show me their evidence for the gamma burst.
I won’t need brain stimulation for that.”

“Evidence can be faked,” de Falla pointed out.

“I suppose so,” said Elyse. “I’ll just have to see what they’ve got and make up my own mind.”

“Without brain zapping,” said Brandon.

She shuddered.

With his old quizzical smile, Thornberry conjectured, “So I take their brain zapping, and I come out knowing all things and able to speak with the tongues
of men and of angels. How could that harm us?”

“It could prejudice you in favor of whatever Adri’s trying to pull over on us,” said Brandon.

“But I won’t grow fangs, will I?” Thornberry joked.

“This isn’t a laughing matter,” Brandon insisted.

Jordan muttered, “
Davehr’yay noh praver’yay
.”

“What?”

“It’s an old Russian saying: Trust, but verify. Diplomats use the term a lot.”

“Trust, but verify,”
Elyse repeated.

“Which means you don’t really trust them at all, doesn’t it?” said Brandon.

Jordan shook his head. “We allow Mitch to undergo their brain stimulation. Then we see if anything’s different about him afterward.”

“I’ll be different,” Thornberry said. “I’ll be smarter.”

“You’ll know more,” Longyear corrected.

“Meanwhile,” Jordan said, trying to get the conversation back on track
again, “Elyse will try to determine if this story of a gamma ray burst is true. If the evidence is reliable.”

“So I’m the one showing the trust,” Thornberry said, tapping the front of his wrinkled shirt.

“And I’m the one who verifies,” said Elyse.

“And the rest of us will try to decide if we can really trust Adri and whether or not we should act on the information he’s giving us.”

“Tall order,”
de Falla said.

Jordan nodded agreement. “But I don’t see anything else we can do. Do you?”

He looked at the five of them, sitting on the grass in a circle around him, their faces grave as they faced up to the responsibility. No one spoke. Brandon looked disgruntled, sullen, but he said nothing.

“I really believe we hold the fate of the human race in our hands,” Jordan said.

No one disagreed.

CONFLICT

Dinner with Adri and Aditi was pleasant, but Jordan felt strains pulling him in different directions. He wanted to believe Adri, he wanted to believe everything Adri and the Predecessor had told him. But it was so enormous! So mind-boggling. And, he had to admit to himself, it just might all be a ploy to manipulate us, for some reason they haven’t chosen to reveal to us.

God help
us, he thought, Meek might be right. Then he realized, Meek’s been right all along, about a lot of things. This planet isn’t natural. Adri, Aditi, all the other people here, they were constructed to resemble us. Manufactured.

But is Meek right about their motives? That’s the key to everything. Are Adri and the Predecessor telling me the truth about
why
they’ve done all this?

Brandon was unusually
quiet through the meal, and Longyear and de Falla talked with each other, but had hardly a word to say to Adri or Aditi. So be it, Jordan sighed inwardly. One step at a time.

Then Thornberry announced that he had decided to undergo the brain stimulation, and Adri broke into a broad, beaming smile.

“I’ll set up the procedure first thing in the morning,” he promised.

Before Elyse could speak
up, Adri turned to her and added, “And you’ll want to meet with our astronomers at the observatory.”

“Yes,” she said.

“Fine,” Adri said. “Fine.”

“Dr. Longyear, are you ready for a stimulation session?”

Longyear shook his head. “I’ll … wait until later.”

“I see,” Adri said, with a glance in Jordan’s direction.

As they filed out of the dining hall, Jordan took Aditi’s arm. “It’s good to see
you again.”

“I missed you,” she whispered.

“I missed you, too.” And he led her down the corridor toward his suite.

Adri said good night and headed off to his own quarters. One by one, the others entered their rooms. Soon there was no one else in the corridor except Brandon and Elyse, walking a dozen paces ahead of Jordan and Aditi.

“Are you sure you should?” she asked.

“Yes, I’m very sure.”

“Your brother…?”

“I don’t care.”

“I don’t want to come between you.”

Jordan smiled at her. “And I don’t want
him
to come between
us
.”

She smiled back, but he could still see a flicker of worry in her chestnut brown eyes.

When they entered the sitting room, Elyse was relaxed on the couch, but Brandon was standing in the center of the room, frowning, tense.

“What’s wrong, Bran?” Jordan asked.

“I wish we had something to drink. Scotch or brandy or something … anything.”

“I can get an alcoholic beverage for you,” Aditi offered.

“No,” Brandon said. “I don’t want to put you to any trouble.”

“It’s no trouble at all.” Turning to the wall screen, she called, “Service, please.”

A pleasant-looking young woman’s face appeared on the screen. “Yes?” she said, smiling.

“Four after-dinner drinks,
please. Alcoholic.”

“Certainly.” And the screen went dark.

“Room service?” Elyse asked.

“For our guests,” said Aditi.

Within minutes a handsome young man in a dark tunic and slacks appeared at their door, bearing a tray with four tall glasses filled with a dark ruby-colored liquid.

Once he had deposited the tray on the coffee table and left, Brandon picked up one of the glasses, sniffed it
tentatively, then took a sip.

“Well?” Jordan asked.

“Strange. Looks like port, but it tastes … almost like anisette. Or what’s the Greek cordial?”

“Ouzo,” said Elyse.

Brandon sipped again and nodded. “Almost like ouzo, but not quite. Fruitier.”

As the others picked up their glasses, Jordan gestured Aditi to one of the armchairs and sat himself on the other one, facing her. Brandon sat on
the couch beside Elyse. They each took long drafts of the liqueur.

“Delicious,” said Jordan.

Elyse asked Aditi, “What is this called?”

She stared blankly at Elyse for a moment, then answered, “Grape liqueur, I believe.”

“Not much of a name,” Brandon muttered.

“Practical,” said Jordan.

They sipped at the pleasant-tasting liqueur, making inconsequential conversation for several minutes.

But suddenly Brandon burst out, “Speaking of things practical, Jordy, that was a nice bit of maneuvering you pulled this afternoon.”

“Maneuvering?” Jordan felt puzzled, but he recognized the look on Brandon’s face. The same pouty frown Bran put on whenever he felt he’d been outsmarted. Or outplayed.

“Our little conference out on the grass,” Brandon said. “You took control of things. Very slick,
big brother.”

“Don’t be obtuse, Bran.”

“Don’t call me names!”

Jordan glanced at Aditi, who looked alarmed.

Elyse said, “Brandon, perhaps we should retire for the night.”

But Brandon pointed an accusing finger at Jordan. “I was elected leader of the group. You resigned. You gave up your responsibilities and I took them on.”

“I know,” said Jordan. “I had no intention—”

“You undercut me out
there! You just sat there and took over the discussion and took charge. I’m supposed to be the leader, not you!”

“Then why didn’t you lead?” Jordan snapped.

“How in hell can I, when you snatch it all away from me? Before I can get a word in, you’re monopolizing everything and giving orders.”

Jordan stared at his brother. Can a few sips of alcohol break down his self-control so quickly? he wondered.
Or is the drink just a convenient excuse for him to speak his mind?

“Bran,” he said softly, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to usurp your position.”

“But you did it anyway.”

Resentment smoldered in Brandon’s eyes. Jordan’s memory flashed back to other scenes, from childhood and their teen years, into adulthood, when Brandon flailed out in jealousy. That’s why he went into science, to get away from
me. To build a career for himself where he wouldn’t have to compete with his older brother.

“Bran, I said I’m sorry. What more can I do?”

“You can stay the hell away from the rest of us. If you want to take their side, fine, go ahead. You can stay here when the rest of us leave, if you want to. That’ll be fine with me.”

Aditi looked stricken, Jordan saw. But in the back of his mind he thought
that staying here with Aditi would not be unpleasant. Silently he said to his brother, Go on back to Earth with your tail between your legs. Go on back and face the responsibility for saving the human race from annihilation. Do you have the guts for that, Bran? Do you have the brains and the heart for it?

But aloud he said only, “I think I’ve heard enough for one night, Bran.” Rising to his feet,
Jordan held his hand out for Aditi. She got up and stood beside him.

“Good night, Elyse,” Jordan said, as politely as he could manage. “Good night, Bran.”

He turned and walked, hand-in-hand with Aditi, into their bedroom.

Once the door closed, Aditi said, “I had no idea he was so jealous of you.”

Jordan shrugged. “It’s been going on for years. This is Bran’s way of getting what he wants: accusing
me of hurting him.” With a sigh he sat on the edge of the bed and began taking off his shoes.

Aditi sat beside him. “What are you going to do?”

“Let him cool off, I suppose.” Then he looked into her questioning eyes. “But I can’t just stand by and watch Bran and the others make a mess of things. There’s too much at stake!”

She nodded, then asked, “Would you stay here when the others leave?”

“Yes … except…”

“Except that you want to help your people to survive,” Aditi said, very solemnly.

“And the others that Adri spoke of.”

Aditi smiled at him. “You have a fine sense of responsibility.”

“Tell that to my little brother.”

TRUST

Jordan was awakened by a soft chiming musical tone. He struggled up to a sitting position. Aditi, curled beside him, opened her eyes.

“Phone for you,” she said. “Dr. Thornberry.”

“How do you—” Then Jordan remembered she had a communicator implanted in her brain. “Can we make it audio only?”

She nodded, and Thornberry’s voice said out of nowhere, “Top o’ the morning to ya, Jordan.
Do you want to have some breakfast before I march off to get me brain boosted?”

“Certainly,” Jordan answered heartily. “We’ll see you in the dining hall in twenty minutes.”

“Twenty minutes. Right.”

The bedroom fell silent.

“Is he gone?” Jordan whispered.

Aditi giggled. “Yes. All gone.”

*   *   *

Twenty minutes later Jordan entered the dining hall, wearing a fresh pair of light blue slacks
and an open-collared white shirt. Aditi had sent him on alone; she would meet him after breakfast in Adri’s office. Thornberry was already there, sitting at a table with Elyse and Brandon.

Breakfast was served buffet style, so Jordan picked what looked like an omelet and a cup of strong black coffee analog.

Sitting opposite his brother, Jordan turned to Thornberry and said, “Ready for the experiment,
Mitch?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” the roboticist answered, with an uneasy smile.

Brandon looked up from his plate. “Jordy, about last night…”

“I’m sorry if I stepped on your toes, Bran.”

“Elyse told me I behaved like an ass.”

“Not really.”

“Really,” Elyse said.

“Anyway, I apologize. That drink hit me pretty hard, I guess.”

“No need for an apology,” Jordan said. “Brothers should be able
to speak their minds to each other.” Yet he was thinking,
In vino veritas
.

Thornberry’s head was swiveling back and forth like a spectator’s at a tennis match. But he kept his silence.

*   *   *

After breakfast, Brandon and Elyse started out for the observatory, while Jordan led Thornberry to Adri’s office, up on the top floor of the building.

Aditi was there when they arrived.

“Have you
had breakfast?” Jordan asked her, by way of greeting.

“I had some fruit here, with Adri,” she said.

Adri said, “Aditi will run the stimulation; it is her area of expertise.”

“Brain stimulation?” Thornberry asked, surprised.

“Education,” said Aditi. “My field is education.”

Jordan said, “And you educate people through direct brain stimulation.”

“Yes,” she said. “Whenever possible.”

Aditi
led Jordan and Thornberry downstairs, leaving Adri in his office. They entered a small room that looked more like an office than a neurological laboratory. There was a desk in one corner, a pair of comfortable-looking upholstered chairs, and a padded couch along the far wall.

“This is where the deed is done, is it?” Thornberry asked, looking around the room for equipment.

Aditi nodded. “This
is my office. And my schoolroom.”

“Where’s the equipment?” Jordan asked.

“In the walls, mostly,” she replied. “Behind the ceiling panels, too.”

She seemed perfectly relaxed, at ease in her own surroundings. Thornberry looked a little edgy.

“So what do I do?” he asked.

Gesturing to the couch, Aditi said, “You lie down and relax while I set up the equipment.”

As Jordan sat in one of the chairs,
she went to her desk and pulled a lower drawer open. Thornberry stretched out on the couch, while Aditi took out what looked to Jordan like old-fashioned wireless earphones.

“What’s that?” Thornberry asked.

“The transceivers,” Aditi replied easily. Walking to the couch, she explained, “The first thing we must do is map your brain’s neural activity.”

She handed the earphones to Thornberry, who
fumbled with them, trying to slip them on.

Aditi explained, “No, no, not in your ears. Press the pads against your temples.”