LE Modesitt Adiamante

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"So . . . the most senior women in the fleet are on Old Earth? In the case of
Ysslop, you fear her, and in the case of Kemra you're angry that she spurned
you for the demi."
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"His physical attraction to her is minimal, if existent, but he is extremely
persuasive, and I've been troubled by the direction of her recent
observations."
'You fear contamination."
"Hardly. But there's no reason to protect it. This way, the demis will feel
they are shielded during their so-called conference. They will not agree, and
they are attempting to stall matters while readying their defenses. So we will
strike before they expect it."
"That analysis is flawed," announced MYL-ERA. "Observations reveal no
statistically significant changes in energy flows or activities of any
installations."
"So much the better," laughed Gibreal. "Fewer will escape."
I glanced out the window, noting that the groups of people heading for the
admin building were relatively evenly spaced. Some hunched down against the
wind. A tall dark youngster smiled broadly and waved up at the building,
although the angle of the sunlight on the windows probably precluded him from
seeing me clearly. Two girls looked furtively toward the heavens, and one
shook her head. If I strained, I could hear a dull murmuring from the lower
floors.
Still waiting for Crucelle and Arielle, I used the net to review the locial
status, including the performance of the bullet shuttles to the
evacuation/receiving areas, and how the locial hardening was coming. Then I
linked to the Deseret receiving area.
"Seborne? This is Coordinator Ecktor. What's your status?"
"We're at about thirty percent already."
I'd hoped for more, but that wasn't bad. "Good. Any problems?"
"Not yet."
After that, I uplinked to Ell Prime.
'Yes, Ecktor?" Elanstan sounded exhausted, even over the net.
"How are things going?"
"All the inlink nodes are operational; Delta is operating, but at about ninety
percent efficiency. We can bring everything on line in less than five standard
minutes."
"That's about what you'll have. I'd estimate that the cybs will begin whatever
they have in mind in no less than one stan, and no more than three."
"Frig.. . ." came Rhetoral's mutter. "You couldn't get them to see?"
"Rhetoral," Elanstan added, "they couldn't see after they destroyed most of
Old Earth the first time. Why would they see now?"
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"The Construct?" asked Rhetoral.
"I've bent the Construct to the point that some members of the Consensus
committee are experiencing ethic-backlash. I've ordered dissemination of
locial evacuation requests."
"Are the draffs listening?" asked Elanstan.
"There's already steady traffic here. So far there hasn't been any problem
with the bullet shuttles."
"No substitute for technology in a crisis," said Rhetoral ironically.
"Wouldn't the cybs be surprised to hear that?"
"They don't think much of our technology, or that we have much besides a
superior net capability." I paused. "I'll let you know."
"Stet, Ecktor," Elanstan closed, adding sardonically, "Coordinator Ecktor."
A rap on the door alerted me.
"Come in."
Both Arielle and Crucelle stepped inside. Both looked haggard, and both had
dark circles under their eyes.
"Do you really need us?" asked Arielle.
"Not for long." I gestured to the chairs. "Sit down." I dropped onto the
couch.
Arielle paced to the window; Crucelle slumped into the green chair nearest the
desk. Then Arielle turned."Go on."
"It's simple. First, what have I missed?"
'You called us here for that?"
'You wanted me to ask that on an open net? Even upper-net?"
"The man has a point, darkangel." Crucelle gave a tired grin. "I can't think
of anything major. We'll have cybs to clean up on the ground, and that could
get messy unless you issue heavy arms to the restraint squads."
I hadn't thought of that, and I pulsed that request to Keiko for her to
implement in my name.
"That's going to shock a few souls," she pulsed back. "Everything I do is
shocking people." 'You'd better alert Elanstan and Rhetoral to the possibility
of a suicide translation," suggested Arielle. "That's only a five percent
probability, and it won't work unless the cybs try it on full power at the
beginning. Elanstan should focus on the acceleration. It would take flexing
the whole net to stop that much adiamante." I winced. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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