A Deepness in the Sky Part 9

"Well put him on!"

It was dark above the airlock. The lights did not come on, and there was no atmosphere. Diem and the others floated up the tunnel from the lock, their hood lights flickering this way and that. They looked out from the tunnels into empty rooms, into rooms with part.i.tions blasted away, gutted fifty meters deep. This was supposed to be the undamaged undamaged ship. A coldness grew inside Diem. The enemy had come in after the battle and sucked it dry, left a dead hulk. ship. A coldness grew inside Diem. The enemy had come in after the battle and sucked it dry, left a dead hulk.

Behind him, Tsufe said, "Jimmy, the Treasure Treasure is moving." is moving."

"Yeah, I've got a solid contact with the wall here. Sounds like it's twisting on its mooring point."

Diem reached out from the ladderline and pressed his hood against the wall. Yes. If there had been atmosphere, the place would be full of the sounds of ringing destruction. So the Relight was causing more shifting than anyone had guessed. A day ago that knowledge would have terrorized. Now. . ."I don't think it matters, Tsufe. Come on." He led Do and Patil still faster up the ladderline. So Pham Trinli had been right, and the plan was doomed. But one way or another, he was going to discover what had been done to them. And just maybe he could get the truth out to the others.

The interior locks had been ripped out and vacuum extended to every room. They floated up past what should have been repair bays and workshops, past deep holes that should have held the ram's startup injectors.

High abaft, in the shielded heart of the Far Treasure Far Treasure that was where the sickbay had been, that was where there should be coldsleep tanks. Now. . .Jimmy and the others moved sideways through the shielding. When their hands touched the walls, they could hear the creaking of the hull, feel its slow motion. So far, the close-tethered starships had not collided-though Jimmy wasn't sure if they could really know that. The ships were so large, so ma.s.sive, if they collided at a few centimeters per second the hulls would just slide into each other with scarcely a jolt. that was where the sickbay had been, that was where there should be coldsleep tanks. Now. . .Jimmy and the others moved sideways through the shielding. When their hands touched the walls, they could hear the creaking of the hull, feel its slow motion. So far, the close-tethered starships had not collided-though Jimmy wasn't sure if they could really know that. The ships were so large, so ma.s.sive, if they collided at a few centimeters per second the hulls would just slide into each other with scarcely a jolt.

They had reached the entrance to the sickbay. Where the Emergents claimed to hold the surviving armsmen.

More emptiness? Another lie?

Jimmy slipped through the door. Their head lamps flickered around the room.

Tsufe Do cried out.

Not empty. Bodies. He swept his light about, and everywhere. . .the coldsleep boxes had been removed, but the room was. . .filled with corpses. Diem pulled the lamp from his head and stuck it to an open patch of wall. Their shadows still danced and twisted, but now he could see it all.

"Th-they're all dead, aren't they?" Pham Patil's voice was dreamy, the question simply an expression of horror.

Diem moved among the dead. They were neatly stacked. Hundreds, but in a small volume. He recognized some armsmen. Qiwi's mom. Only a few showed violent decompression damage. When did the rest die? When did the rest die? Some of the faces were peaceful, but others-He stopped, frozen by a pair of glittering dead eyes that stared out at him. The face was emaciated; there were frozen bruises across the forehead. This one had lived some time after the ambush. And Jimmy recognized the face. Some of the faces were peaceful, but others-He stopped, frozen by a pair of glittering dead eyes that stared out at him. The face was emaciated; there were frozen bruises across the forehead. This one had lived some time after the ambush. And Jimmy recognized the face.

Tsufe came across the room, her shadow skittering across the horror. "That's one of the Trilanders, isn't it?"

"Yeah. One of the geologists, I think." One of the academics supposedly being held on Hammerfest. Diem moved back toward the light he had set on the wall. How many were here? The bodies stretched off into the dimness beyond where once there had been walls. Did they kill everyone? Did they kill everyone? Nausea clawed its way up his throat. Nausea clawed its way up his throat.

Patil had floated motionless since that first inane question. But Tsufe was shaking, her voice going from dullness to a giddy wavering. "We thought they had so many hostages. And all the time they had nothing but deaders." She laughed, high-pitched. "But it didn't matter, did it? We believed, and that served them as well as the truth."

"Maybe not." And suddenly the nausea was gone. The trap had been sprung. No doubt, he and Tsufe and Patil would die very soon. But if they lived even seconds, perhaps the monsters could be unmasked. He pulled an audio box from his coveralls, found a clean piece of wall to make contact. Another banned I/O device. Death is the penalty for possession. Yeah. Yeah. Another banned I/O device. Death is the penalty for possession. Yeah. Yeah. But now he could talk the length of the But now he could talk the length of the Treasure, Treasure, to the broadcaster he had left at the rim airlock. The nearside of the temp would be bathed in his message. Embedded utilities would detect it. Surely some would respond to its priority, would squirt the message to where Qeng Ho would hear it. to the broadcaster he had left at the rim airlock. The nearside of the temp would be bathed in his message. Embedded utilities would detect it. Surely some would respond to its priority, would squirt the message to where Qeng Ho would hear it.

And Jimmy began talking. "Qeng Ho! Listen! I'm aboard the Far Treasure. Far Treasure. It's gutted. They've killed everyone we thought was here. . . ." It's gutted. They've killed everyone we thought was here. . . ."

Ezr-everyone in the temp's auditorium-waited a silent second as Ritser Brughel set up the connection. Then Jimmy began talking: "Qeng Ho! Listen! I'm-"

"Crewleader!" Tomas Nau interrupted. "Are you all right? We can't see you outside."

Jimmy laughed. "That's because I'm aboard the Far Treasure. Far Treasure. " "

The look on Nau's face was puzzled. "Idon't understand. The Treasure Treasure 's crew hasn't reported-" 's crew hasn't reported-"

"Of course they haven't." Ezr could almost hear the smile behind Jimmy's words. "You see, Far Treasure Far Treasure is a Qeng Ho vessel and now we've taken it back!" is a Qeng Ho vessel and now we've taken it back!"

Shock and joy spread across the faces Ezr could see. So that was the plan! A working starship, perhaps with its original weapons. The main Emergent sickbay, the armsmen and senior crew who survived the ambush. We have a chance now! We have a chance now!

Tomas Nau seemed to realize the same. His puzzled expression changed to an angry, frightened scowl. "Brughel?" He said to the air.

"Podmaster, I think he's telling the truth. He's on the Treasure Treasure 's maintenance channel, and I can't raise anyone else there." 's maintenance channel, and I can't raise anyone else there."

The power graph in the main window hovered just under 145kW/m The light reflected between One and Two was beginning to boil snow and ice in the shadows. Thousand- and hundred-thousand-tonne boulders of ore and ice were shifting in the clefts between the great diamonds. The motion was almost imperceptible, a few centimeters per second. But some of the boulders were now floating free. However slow-moving, they could destroy whatever human work they collided with.

Nau stared out the window for a couple of seconds. When he spoke his voice seemed more intense than commanding: "Look, Diem. It can't work. The Relight is causing a lot more damage than anyone could have known-"

A harsh laugh came from the other end of the connection. "Anyone? Not really. We retuned the stationkeeping network to shake things up a bit. Whatever instabilities there were, we gave them an extra nudge."

Qiwi's hand tightened on Ezr's. The girl's eyes were wide with surprise. And Ezr felt a little sick. The stationkeeping grid couldn't have done much one way or another, but why make things worse worse ? ?

Around them, people with full-press coveralls and hoods were zipping up; others were diving out the doors of the auditorium. A huge ore boulder floated just a hundred meters off. It was rising slowly, its top dazzling in direct sunlight. It would just miss the top of the temp.

"But, but-" For a moment the glib Podmaster seemed speechless. "Your own people could die! And we've taken the weapons off the Treasure. Treasure. It's our hospital ship, for G.o.d's sake!" It's our hospital ship, for G.o.d's sake!"

There was no answer for a moment, just the sound of mumbled argument. Ezr noticed that the Emergent flight technician, Xin, hadn't said a word. He watched his Podmaster with a wide-eyed, stricken look.

Then Jimmy was back on the link: " d.a.m.n d.a.m.nyou. So you gutted the weapons systems. But it doesn't matter, little man. We've prepared four kilos of S7. You never guessed we had access to explosives, did you? Lots of things were in with those electric jets that you never guessed."

"No, no." Nau was shaking his head almost aimlessly.

"As you say, Podmaster, this is your hospital ship. There are your own people here besides our armsmen in coldsleep. Even without the ship's guns, I'd say we have some negotiating leverage."

Nau glanced beseechingly at Ezr and Qiwi. "A truce. Until we've settled the rockpile."

"No!" shouted Jimmy. "You'll wriggle out soon as events don't have you by the throat."

"d.a.m.n it, man, it's your own people aboard the Treasure. Treasure. " "

"If they were out of coldsleep, they'd agree with me, Podmaster. It's showdown time. We've got twenty-three of your your people in the sickbay plus the five in your maintenance crew. We know how to play the hostage game, too. I want you and Brughel over here. You can use your taxis, all nice and safe. You have one thousand seconds." people in the sickbay plus the five in your maintenance crew. We know how to play the hostage game, too. I want you and Brughel over here. You can use your taxis, all nice and safe. You have one thousand seconds."

Nau had always seemed a very calculating type to Ezr Vinh. And already, he seemed recovered from his shock. Nau raised his chin dramatically and glared at the sound of Jimmy's voice. "And if we don't?"

"We lose, but so do you. To start with, your people here die. Then we'll use the S7 to blow the Treasure Treasure free of its moorings. We'll ram it into your d.a.m.n Hammerfest." free of its moorings. We'll ram it into your d.a.m.n Hammerfest."

Qiwi had listened with pale, wide-eyed shock. Now suddenly she was bawling. She launched herself toward the sound of Jimmy's voice. "No! No! Jimmy! Please don't!"

For a few seconds every eye was on Qiwi. Even the frantic closing of hoods and gloves ceased, and there was only the loud moaning of the temp's mooring web as it twisted slowly about. Qiwi's mother was aboard the FarTreasure; FarTreasure; her father was on Hammerfest with all the mindrot victims. In coldsleep or "Focus," most of the survivors of the Qeng Ho expedition were in one place or the other. Trixia. her father was on Hammerfest with all the mindrot victims. In coldsleep or "Focus," most of the survivors of the Qeng Ho expedition were in one place or the other. Trixia. This is too much, Jimmy. Slow down! This is too much, Jimmy. Slow down! But the words died in Ezr's throat. He had trusted everything to Jimmy. If this deadly talk convinced Ezr Vinh, maybe it would convince Tomas Nau. But the words died in Ezr's throat. He had trusted everything to Jimmy. If this deadly talk convinced Ezr Vinh, maybe it would convince Tomas Nau.

When Jimmy spoke again, he ignored Qiwi's cry. "You have only nine hundred seventy-five seconds, Podmaster. I advise you and Brughel to get your b.u.t.ts over here."

That would have been hard to do even if Nau had bolted out of the temp. He turned to Xin and the two argued in low voices.

"Yes, I can get you there. It's dangerous, but the loose stuff is moving at less than a meter per second. We can avoid it."

Nau nodded. "Then let's go. I want-" He fastened his full-press jacket and hood, and his voice became inaudible.

The crowd of Qeng Ho and Emergents melted away from the two as they headed toward tqhe exit.

From the speaker link, there was a loud thump, cut off abruptly. In the auditorium someone shouted, pointing at the main window. Something flickered from the side of the Far Treasure, Far Treasure, something small and moving fast. A fragment of hull. something small and moving fast. A fragment of hull.

Nau had stopped at the auditorium doors. He looked back at the FarTreasure. FarTreasure. "System status says the "System status says the Far Treasure Far Treasure has been breached," said Brughel. "Multiple explosions in aft radial deck fifteen." has been breached," said Brughel. "Multiple explosions in aft radial deck fifteen."

That was coldsleep storage and sickbay. Ezr couldn't move, couldn't look away. The hull of the Treasure Treasure puckered out in two more places. Pale light flickered briefly from the holes. It was insignificant compared to the storm of the Relight. To an untrained eye, the puckered out in two more places. Pale light flickered briefly from the holes. It was insignificant compared to the storm of the Relight. To an untrained eye, the Treasure Treasure might have looked undamaged. The hull holes were only a couple of meters across. But S7 was the Qeng Ho's most powerful chemical explosive, and it looked as if all four kilograms had gone up. Radial deck fifteen was behind four bulkheads, twenty meters below the outer hull. Extending inward, the blast had most likely crushed the might have looked undamaged. The hull holes were only a couple of meters across. But S7 was the Qeng Ho's most powerful chemical explosive, and it looked as if all four kilograms had gone up. Radial deck fifteen was behind four bulkheads, twenty meters below the outer hull. Extending inward, the blast had most likely crushed the Far Treasure Far Treasure 's ramscoop throat. One more starship had died. 's ramscoop throat. One more starship had died.

Qiwi floated motionless in the middle of the room, beyond the reach of comforting hands.

THIRTEEN.

Ksecs pa.s.sed, busier than any time in Ezr's life. The horror of Jimmy's failure hung in the back of his mind. There wasn't room for it to leak out. They were all too busy simply trying to save what they could from the human and natural catastrophes.

The next day, Tomas Nau addressed the survivors on the temp and at Hammerfest. The Tomas Nau that looked out of the window at them was visibly tired and lacked his usual smoothness.

"Ladies and gentlemen, congratulations. We've survived the second harshest Relight in the recorded history of OnOff. We did this despite the most terrible treachery." He moved closer to the pov, as if looking at the exhausted Emergents and Qeng Ho huddled in the auditorium. "Damage survey and reclamation attempts will be our most important jobs over the next Msecs. . .but I must be frank with you. The initial battle between the Qeng Ho and Emergent fleets was immensely destructive of the Qeng Ho; I regret to say that tas nearly as bad for the Emergent side. We tried to disguise some of that damage. We had plenty of equipment spares, medical facilities, and the raw materials we brought up from Arachna. We would have had the expertise of hundreds of senior Qeng Ho available once the security issues were resolved. Nevertheless, we were operating near the edge of safety. After the events of yesterday, all safety margins have vanished. At this moment, we do not have a single functioning ramscoop-and it's not clear if we will be able to scavenge one from the wreckage."

Only two of the starships had collided. But apparently the Far Treasure Far Treasure had been the most functional-and after Jimmy's action, its drive and most of its life-support system were junk. had been the most functional-and after Jimmy's action, its drive and most of its life-support system were junk.

"Many of you have risked your lives over the last Ksecs trying to save some of the volatiles. That part of the disaster appears to be no one's fault. None of us had counted on the violence of this Relighting, or the effect that ice trapped between the diamonds might have. As you know, we've recaptured most of the large blocks. Only three remain loose." Benny Wen and Jau Xin were working together to try to bring back those and several smaller ones. They were only thirty kilometers away, but the big ones ma.s.sed one hundred thousand tonnes each-and all they had for hauling equipment were taxis and one crippled lifter.

"OnOff's flux is down to two point five kilowatts per square meter. Our vehicles can operate in that light. Properly suited crew can work briefly in it. But the airsnow that drifted out is lost, and we fear that much of the water ice is gone too."

Nau spread his hands, and sighed. "This is like so many of the histories you Qeng Ho have told us of. We fought and fought, and in the end we've nearly made ourselves extinct. With what we have, we can't go home-to either of our homes. We can only guess how long we can survive on what we salvage here. Five years? One hundred years? The old truths still hold: without a sustaining civilization, no isolated collection of ships and humans can rebuild the core of technology."

A wan smile came briefly to his face. "And yet there is hope. In a way, these disasters have forced us to concentrate all our attention on what our missions were initially dedicated to. It is no longer a matter of academic curiosity, or even Qeng Ho selling to customers-now our very survival depends on the sophonts of Arachna. They are on the verge of the Information Age. From everything we can tell, they will attain a competent industrial ecology during the current bright time. If we can last a few more decades, the Spiders will have the industry that we need. Our two missions will have succeeded, even if at far greater human cost than any of us ever imagined.

"Can we last three to five more decades? Maybe. We can scavenge, we can conserve.. . .The real question is, can we cooperate? So far, our history here is not good. Whether in offense or defense, all our hands are drenched in blood. You all know about Jimmy Diem. There were at least three involved in his conspiracy. There may be more-but a security pogrom would just diminish our overall chances for survival. So I appeal to all of you among the Qeng Ho who may have been part of this plot, even peripherally: Remember what Jimmy Diem and Tsufe Do and Pham Patil did and tried to do. They were willing to destroy all the ships and crush Hammerfest. Instead, their own explosives destroyed them, destroyed the Qeng Ho that we were holding in coldsleep, and destroyed a sickbay full of Emergents and Qeng Ho.

"So. This will be our Exile. An Exile we have brought upon ourselves. I will continue to do my best to lead, but without your help we will surely fail. We must bury what differences and hatred there may be. We Emergents know much about you Qeng Ho; we have listened to your public network for hundreds of years. Your information made a critical difference to us as we regained technology." That tired smile again. "I know you did it to make more good customers; we are grateful nevertheless. But what we Emergents have become is not what you expect. I believe we bring something new and wonderful and powerful to the human universe: Focus. It is something that will be strange to you at first. I beg you to give time a chance here. Learn our ways, as we have yours.

"With everyone's willing support, we can survive. In the end, we can prosper."

Nau's face vanished from the display, leaving a view out on the rear-ranged surface of the rockpile. Around the room, Qeng Ho looked at one another, talked quietly. Traders had enormous pride, especially when they compared themselves with Customers. To them, even the grandest Customer civilizations, even Namqem and Canberra, were like brilliant flowers, doomed by their beauty and fixed position to fade and wither. This was the first time that Ezr had seen shame on the faces of so many Qeng Ho. Iworked with Jimmy. I helped him. Iworked with Jimmy. I helped him. Even the ones who didn't must have gloried in Jimmy's first words from the Even the ones who didn't must have gloried in Jimmy's first words from the Far Treasure. Far Treasure.

How could something go so wrong?

Ciret and Marli came for him. "Some questions related to the investigation." The Emergent guards took him inward and up, but not to the taxi dock. Nau was in Vinh's own "Fleet Manager's" office. The Podmaster sat with Ritser Brughel and Anne Reynolt.

"Have a seat. . .Fleet Manager," Nau said quietly, waving at Ezr's place at the middle of the table.

Vinh approached it slowly, sat down. It was hard to look Tomas Nau in the eye. The others. . .Anne Reynolt seemed as impatient and irritable as ever. There was no trouble avoiding her gaze, since she never looked directly into his eyes anyway. Ritser Brughel seemed as tired as the Podmaster, but he had an odd smile that flickered on and off. The man was staring hard at him; Vinh suddenly realized that Brughel was br.i.m.m.i.n.g with unspoken triumph. All the deaths-on both sides-were nothing to this s.a.d.i.s.t.

"Fleet Manager." Nau's quiet voice brought Vinh's head around. "About J.Y. Diem's conspiracy-"

"I knew, Podmaster." The words were somewhere between defiance and confession. "I-"

Nau held up a hand. "I know. But you were a minor partic.i.p.ant. We've identified several others. The old man, Pham Trinli. He provided them with protective coloration-and almost died for his trouble."

Brughel chuckled. "Yeah, he got half poached. Bet he's whimpering even yet."

Nau turned to look at Brughel. He didn't say anything, just stared. After a second, Ritser nodded and his demeanor became a sullen imitation of Nau's.

The Podmaster turned back to Vinh. "None of us can afford rage or triumph in this. Now we need everyone, even Pham Trinli." He looked at Vinh meaningfully, and Ezr fully met his gaze.

"Yes, sir. I understand."

"We'll debrief you later about the plot, Fleet Manager. We do want to identify all those who need special watching. For now, there are much more important things than raking over the past."

"Even after this, you want me to be Fleet Manager?" He had hated that job so much. Now he hated it even more, for entirely different reasons.

But the Podmaster nodded. "You were the proper person before, and you still are. Furthermore, we need continuity. If you visibly and wholeheartedly accept my leadership, the community as a whole has a better chance."

"Yes, sir." Sometimes it was possible to atone for guilt. That was more than Jimmy and Tsufe and Pham Patil could ever do.

"Good. As I understand it, our physical situation has stabilized. There are no ongoing emergencies. What about Xin and Wen? Are they going to be able rescue those ice blocks they're chasing? Getting them more fuel is a priority."

"We have the distillery online, sir. We'll begin feeding it in a few Ksecs." And could refuel the taxis. "I'm hoping we'll have the last ice blocks grounded and in the shade within forty Ksec."

Nau glanced at Anne Reynolt.

"The estimate is reasonable, Podmaster. All other problems are under control."

"Then we have time for the important, human issues. Mr. Vinh, we'll be putting out several announcements later today. I want you to understand them. Both you and Qiwi Lin Lisolet will be thanked for your help in tracking down what is left of the conspiracy."

"But-"

"Yes, I know that there's an element of fabrication there. But Qiwi was never in on the conspiracy, and she has given us solid help." Nau paused. "The poor girl was ripped apart by this. There's a lot of rage in her. For her sake, and for the sake of the whole community, I want you to play along with the story. I need it emphasized that there are plenty of Qeng Ho who are not irrational, who have pledged to work with me."

He paused. "And now the most important thing. You heard my speech, the part about learning Emergent ways?"

"About. . .Focus?" About what had they had really done to Trixia.

Behind Nau, the s.a.d.i.s.tic smirk flickered once again across Ritser Brughel's face.