The Long View, page 11
part #2 of The Long View Series
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world. It was a bad few days, hiding in cheap inns until I found someone who recognized one of the passwords my father had told me. I got half price, a little better, for the jewels-and lived reasonably well, in hiding, the months before the Hoover came."
Rumor said the ship might be Escaped and keeping cover, but she had no certain knowledge. She watched-only a few came groundside from the Hoover, and always the same few. And finally, when her money was nearly gone, she went to the ship and said she had a message for its captain, "-and they let me go upship."
"A bad risk, you took," said Rissa. "I think you must have great skills."
"I don't know. When I saw Bernardez I said I had to speak to him alone. Then I looked at him and decided. 1 said, 'If you're not Escaped, I'm dead-because I'm Escaped-can I find a place here?"
Felcie gasped. "Just like that!"
Rissa said, "At such a time, having gone so far already, there was no other way."
"But I liked the look of him, you see-before I spoke up, I was almost sure. And he glanced around quickly, asking if anyone knew I'd come there, then said I could stay aboard, safe. I didn't even return groundside for the things I'd left."
"And how did-" Felcie blushed. "I mean, did you take to each other right away?''
"His quarters were off limits to groundhogs, even UET-so I stayed there. But when I-he said I looked twelve years old, and it took me a time to convince him I wasn't!" The small woman sat erect. "And I've never regretted any of it, and I never will!"
"Well, I'd think not," said Felcie. "Uh-you ever find out what became of the other one-Miklos?"
"Nothing solid-no word of him personally-but it's rumored that the ship Escaped, later. I hope it's true and that he's prospered."
Rissa nodded. "You care about those your life touches. One must, to have a life at all."
"Yes," said Aedra. "For a while, Bernardez was nearly all of my life-but that can't last, not and be healthy in the mind. Now we're maybe half of each other."
She stood. "I have to go now. I need to wash my hair, and
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my dryer's working at only half efficiency, so it takes forever."
Felcie ran fingers through her own pa!e hair. Since joining Limmer she had let it grow and now kept it trimmed a bit longer than shoulder length-in the style, Rissa noted, of Lim-mer's pictures of Vanessa Largane. Felcie said, "Why not wash it here? My dryer's in good shape."
"I'll take the offer, and thanks." Then, as Aedra loosened the coils atop her head and shook the mass free down her back, Felcie gasped-for it reached below her knees.
"Rissa! Did you ever see anything like it, in your life?"
"No-and 1 had thought I was doing well, finally fulfilling the boast 1 made on Earth." For Aedra's benefit, she related it. "Well, it is down to my butt-but only barely, since I trimmed ragged ends a few days ago. And it seems to wish to grow no farther, or not by much."
"Natural limit," said Aedra. "It varies with the individual. My race seems to have some advantage there, and since I'm a lot shorter than most..."
Rissa smiled. "Well, I will not envy you-but only admire. And now-Eudyce will be bringing the children soon, so 1 must go."
when she told Tregare the story, he laughed. "Don't worry-win or lose in the great scalp contest, you'll do." Then he said, "Aedra-what she told you-lots more there than meets the eye, wouldn't you say? Little thing like that-but a real tiger."
After dinner, and with Lisele in bed asleep, he spoke more seriously-of the fleet's progress, of the plans for Earth. "Because something's always overlooked-only question is, will it turn out to be vital? I've been over the whole thing with the others until we all think alike-but you've only seen it on paper, mostly. So run the situation through as you see it, will you?"
"Very well." She rose and poured more coffee, then sat andlooked through the planning sheets he handed her. Arming,manning and training-progress was on schedule. Fuel andsupplies-check. Rearrangement of quarters, full use offreeze-chambers-the fleet would carry more than five thousand, nearly a thousand more than normal capacity. Takeoffdate not yet set, but firming. Yes-
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Now to choose the course, their path to Earth. Limmer's was shorter, but the difference was at high speed and saved little subjective time. Tregare's avoided not only the UET fleets coming from Earth but also any unexpected ships arriving from major colony planets. "Check, so far," said Tregare. He poured more wine. "And then?"
Lacking fresh news from Earth, they must be prepared for total hostility. The planned attempts at subversion might be effective-hypnotic protection might keep the passwords, arranged with Terrell Ragan and Coryle Hagenau, uncom-promised over so many years. Or they might not....
"So there will be," she said, "fully or to a lesser degree, a battle of ships."
She looked for another sheet, found it. If defeat were inevitable-the remaining ships to group, regardless of damage they might incur, and make one concerted firing pass at UET Headquarters Base. "Oh, Bran-that would make what happened at Base Two look like a child's bonfire! So terrible..."
"I know. That's the idea-if we can't win, we tear up UET so much that maybe the locals will have a chance, in the confusion."
Then-collect as many scoutships as possible, fire all remaining missiles at pursuing UET ships and scatter at top acceleration. Eventual rendezvous-well, she knew that part-ships that could shake off pursuit, at Number One.
She paused. He said, "Can you improve on any of it?"
"It seems doubtful that many scoutships could be saved."
"That's the hell of it. We've got two-way locators for each ship with its own scout, but a ship may be knocked out or in the wrong place-no chance to connect. And there's not enough computer circuitry-let alone trying to interpret the Tri-V display-to locate all ships and scouts to each other."
She thought. "The limitation is in the scouts' computers?"
"Mostly. Why?"
"How many ships could one such handle, on its locator?"
"Oh-four, maybe five. You got something?"
"You had fifteen ships equipped to carry two scouts each; Kickem is converting ten more to carry one each. There are twenty-five scouts; all these factors are evenly divided among your squadrons. Can you not provide each squadron with full two-way locator capability? The odds, then-"
"Yeah!" He frowned for a moment, then nodded. "Eight
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berths possible for each five scouts-I like that!" He stood. "Here. For that one we deserve a real drink." And for that evening, planning ended.
stronghold's long, slow spring waxed into summer. The changes, when she had time to notice them, intrigued Rissa. For weeks or months one kind of flower might bloom, then be replaced by another. It was, she thought, as though between March and June on Earth a dozen generations of plants-each of its own kind at its own time-bloomed and fruited. Except, she knew, that on Stronghold the progression lasted nearly four Earth years.
Occasionally she and Felcie took the children out for picnics. Sometimes Eudyce Kobolak accompanied them, and twice Aedra Leng. One breezy day Aedra loosened her hair and ran into the wind, the long, incredible mass whipping behind her. From the side, Felcie photographed her in motion. Breathless, cheeks flushed, Aedra rejoined the group and said, "With all that exercise, I hope Bernardez likes the picture I saw you take!"
"If he doesn't," said Felcie, "he needs his eyes tested!" When Bernardez saw the picture, his eyes passed inspection.
rissa had studied Tregare's escape-hatch plans rapidly. Despite his attempted hurrying, she took more time over the contingencies of success. Finally-and again, on an evening-she felt ready to discuss these.
She looked from one to another of the papers before her. He waited, and she said, "You try to provide for every possibility-and you cannot. The combinations are too many."
"What else can I do? So many parts to it, and none solid-"
"Yes. The Committee, its Police and remaining ships if any -the Underground, the New Mafia, the Hulzein Establishment, the Australians-these factors cannot help but interact, I know. Yet I think our plans must treat them separately. Or-" she gestured at the papers-"by the time we learn the situation it will be too late to sort through all these, and find the plan prescribed for it."
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"Zelde M'tana said something like that-but when I asked what better she had in mind, she couldn't say." He leaned forward. "Can you?"
"I think so-perhaps-a start, at least. Assume we have won in space." Tregare nodded. "The one constant is that UET groundside is still our major enemy and will require the most of our force and effort. The other groups-we devote small segments of our strength to scouting them-adding more where it wil gain us and dropping contact where our efforts are wasted." She paused. "Yes, I think that is it-five or six basic plans, separate and parallel, rather than the hundreds you've tried to perfect in detail."
"Oh, hell-it's not hundreds; you're exaggerating."
"It vvould be, by the time you covered all possible combinations separately."
"All right-if you write up a rough on it, I'll put it to Captain's Council tomorrow."
"The next day, Bran-it is much too late to finish such a thing tonight."
when Rissa's personal timer registered a thousand Earthdays spent on Stronghold, she calculated, "-and not counting the eight months in freeze, to Far Corner-then, yes!" And when Tregare came home she told him, "Five days from now I would celebrate, as an approximation, my twenty-second birthday. I know we have not done this before, but I find I would like to."
"Huh? Oh, sure-fine by me. Who's invited?" Counting on her fingers, Rissa soon lost track, Limmer and Felcie, Ivan and Ilse, the four Kobolaks, Kickem and Aedra, Zelde and Kile-"How many is that?" "With us, and the kids, fourteen. Who else you want?" "Hain Deverel and Anse Kenekke-they fought for us, and I have seen so little of them here. And Hilaire Gowdy? But that would make it so pointed, to exclude Vanois-and I am sorry, Bran, but although I respect his competence and loyalty, I cannot like Vanois. So-"
"Nothing shaken. He's taking some people up for maneuvers, about then-and he can be in space that evening as easy as the next day, which is what I'd planned." He grinned, "One thing, though-along with Gowdy, these days, comes
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Elrain Hardekamp. Remember him?"
After a moment, "Yes-the man who spoke up to you, under truth field, and earned First Hat on No Return. He spoke straightly; he will be welcome."
"Fine. That's eighteen grown folks and the kids can make enough noise for six more, if they try hard. So we don't have the party here. Too crowded."
"Then where, Bran?"
"On Inconnu, in the galley. Where else?"
tregare and Rissa were the last to board; Rissa suspected that her husband had purposely delayed their arrival. Entering the galley, she gasped-the plain hues of walls and ceiling were covered by brightly colored swirls and sketches, a huge "Happy Birthday, Rissa!" in red across the ceiling, and line drawings-each clearly labeled-of herself, Tregare, Lisele, and others.
Ivan hugged her. "Didn't know we had a bunch of artists here, did you?"
Then Limmer kissed her, and Stepan Kobolak and Ber-nardez. Elrain Hardekamp held out his hand instead. "I don't feel I know you well enough, Ms. Kerguelen."
She embraced him anyway. "Now you do!" Nor did she spare Kile Ressider, Deverel, Kenekke, young Anders Kobolak, or any of the women. "Have I missed anyone?"
"Only me," said Tregare, laughing until she sealed his mouth with hers. When she was done, he said, "We'll have drinks and then bring the children in and sit to dinner. Who's tending bar?"
"Displaying yet another of my many skills," said Ber-nardez, "I'll have a turn at it." Then, with some sitting, others standing in groups, the talk and drink began.
Rissa stood with Zelde M'tana and Kile Ressider. "Zelde- how do you like being a squadron commander?"
"Bothered me at first, keeping tabs on six ships besides my own-not to mention the five scouts when they're out loose. Then Kile told me, quit trying to run Valkyrie personally- forget I'm on her, treat her just like the rest. Well, it worked."
"And in essence," said Ressider, "she'll use two First Hats on Valkyrie-one to run the ship and the other to handle the
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squadron's scouts in action. This part was her own idea, and I think the other Tops are adopting it."
"Tops?"
"Top Hats, Rissa," said Zelde. "Bernardez' term, I think."
"Yes-it would be." She had another thought. "How does Dacia Kobolak progress?"
"That one?" Zelde made an emphatic nod. "She's a pure natural-learns it the first time and moves like a cat. I was thinking of her, young or not, as backup to run the scouts. But Tregare says he's got another job for her-didn't say what."
"Last call for drinks!" Bernardez announced. "Then we sit." Rissa went to refill her empty glass, then found her seat between Lisele and Felcie, across from Limmer and Tregare.
". . . well, I don't care which order they come in, Tregare, but you've got to number the squadrons."
"You don't care, Derek. But some might-so we're naming them, instead."
"Yes-that's all right, I suppose. What names?"
"I'm leaving it to you Top Hats, each to name your own. Zelde's is Parnell, after the captain she learned from. Kickem's named his for Malloy. Ilse calls hers Falconer-he was the man that led Graf Spee's escape, and died in it. Gowdy!" He called over to her. "You decide on a name yet?"
The woman raised an eyebrow. "Tregare-would you mind-Peraltal"
"Peralta?" Limmer's voice showed disbelief.
"Why not?" said Tregare. "He went wrong at the end, sure. But, before-well, few men twisted UET's tail more and better than Jirnar Peralta. Agreed, Hiiaire." He turned again to Limmer. "And yours, Derek, here at Stronghold?"
"I'm thinking-you're a!l commemorating people: right?" Tregare nodded. "Then mine is Largane."
Rissa reached across and touched his hand. "So that she will have a part in our endeavor."
"Right-she will." Then, "And your own, Tregare?"
"A first name, this one. My grandmother who died fighting UET when they drove the Hulzeins out of North America. Renalle.''
Rissa stood. "I raise a toast-to the squadrons of our fleet." Holding her glass toward each commander in turn, she
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called the squadron name, then sipped. At the end she said, "And to all of us, present or absent here, who will ride them," and drank the glass dry.
Before she could sit, Tregare caught her hand and pulled her, both leaning awkwardly over the table, to kiss her. "That was perfect."
Now galley personnel served food; for the most part, talk quieted. Afterward came the traditional cake. "The candles- I did not know, Bran, that there were such things here."
Tregare grinned. "Hand-rolled-Anse made them." The tapers sputtered rather than burning smoothly, but Rissa did not mind. She winked at Kenekke and smiled. Then all of them sang to her the old, old song and she blew out the flames, needing her last bit of breath to douse the final one.
When she could speak, she said, "Thank you, everyone! This is-I had not had a birthday party since 1 was five. I had forgotten how it would feel!" Felcie led the applause; then came coffee and liqueurs to accompany the cake. Rissa was served the first piece-then Lisele and Aden, then Tregare; after that, Rissa did not notice-only that all received portions eventually.
Another hour and Limmer said, "Work comes early tomorrow. We'd better go." Others followed suit; soon, as Rissa exchanged goodnights with departing guests, the galley began to empty.
To Kennekke she said, "The candles, Anse-I had not expected any, here. Thank you very much."
"My pleasure."
"And how goes your work?" Kennekke was now in charge of testing the drives of other ships.
"The latest drive's giving me problems. It's nowhere near up to Inconnu's yet-but it will be!"
"I am sure of it." And she bade goodnight to Deverel also.
A few minutes more, and all others were gone. Tregare picked up drowsy Lisele and carried her. When they were back inside their quarters, Rissa hugged both man and child.
"And thank you, Bran."
"Any year you say-just speak up."
"My next birthday-if at all-will be on Earth."
"It will be on Earth."
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As new, unexpected delays plagued Tregare's schedule, Rissa came almost to doubt his assurance. "I don't know," he said, one evening, "who slipped up, on spares for the turrets. Doesn't matter-I should have checked it myself. But they're in production now, and we can make up the time." She looked a question and he said, "Something we can do now and save time later. All personnel, including us, move aboard and live shipside from now to takeoff."
