began. 'The first question, of course, is the location of Terra. And the second is why the Union has never been able to access the information it contains. I do not expect to find the answer to the first any time soon, but I am going to try. Consherra would explain the second right now.'
'We know that the Union has never been able to gain access to this unit,' Consherra began quickly. 'Since the memory cells of our ships contain vital information, their functions are our most carefully guarded secrets. Only two people on board any ship, the helm and the ship itself, know these secrets and can gain access to certain portions of the ship's computer. The core of the computer, the thinking portions, can only be opened in airdock.
'These memory cells have built-in safeguards to prevent access,' she continued, picking up a thick-cabled lead from the portable unit beside her. 'There are six receptacles at each end of the memory cell. Each receptacle accepts a fifty-two-prong lead, but only fifty of those prongs actually work. The other two prongs act as keys. Two of the fifty-two slots of each receptacle are lock-out devices. If prongs are inserted into these slots, the entire receptacle shuts down. The two lock-out slots are located at random among the total, and their location is different for each receptacle. You must know which prongs to remove to gain access, and all twelve receptacles must be operating to gain initial access. After that, only one lead must be functional to access the unit.
'Even then, you have to know the access code to phase the unit into the rest of your computer network. Even then, if the unit senses that it is not a part of a real ship's computer, it would shut itself down. The casing is shielded against X-ray, scanner probe and psychic divination, and physical tampering or disassembly of the unit triggers a self-destruct. And that is how we know that the Union never accessed it or tried to open it.'
'I am going to try to access this unit,' Valthyrra added as Consherra began to connect the leads. 'I will tell you now that I will not be very successful. The first thing I will get as I open it will be the complete program that defined Theralda Vardon at the time of her destruction. That program would be at odds with my own in an open battle of electronic schizophrenia, causing the unit to remain a foreign object in my computer network. I would not get free access, but I do hope for a general overview. That might tell me if the information we seek is indeed inside this unit.'
'What then?' Daelyn asked. 'Even if it is there, you still would not have it.'
'There is a new ship in the construction bay at Home Base,' she answered. 'Ordinarily new ships are given general personality to serve as a foundation for building their own. Instead we would install this memory cell into that ship and simply bring the Vardon back to life in a new body. Mechanical regeneration, so to speak. Salamanders never had it so good.'
'It used to be common practice,' Gelvessa Karvand added, 'in the early days of the war, that when a ship was heavtiy damaged — beyond reasonable repair — that its surviving memory cells would be transferred to a new ship.'
'We are ready to try,' Consherra said after locking in the final lead.
'Very well, then,' Valthyrra replied, with just a trace of reluctance.
She settled her probe on a tabletop to prevent any accidents when she released control. She did not risk any damage from this, but if her own personality programming became locked in battle with that of the Vardon's, then she would have to shut down her computer core for the few moments she would need to rebuild her own identity. During that time the Methryn would be without guidance, and she was safely installed in a stable orbit to insure that nothing undesirable would happen during that time.
Valthyrra began the process of opening the memory cell, making her acquaintance with the unit through proper access codes. It recognized her and immediately fed her Theralda Vardon's personality program, and for the moment all she could do was to hold tightiy to her own identity. If she became locked in a loop with that warring program, then she would have to cut contact. But it played out once and ceased, and the core of the cell lay open to her. She approached it cautiously, and was immediately engulfed in a flood of images, impressions and data. The instructions that would allow her minute examination of those files were in the Vardon's personality program, closed to her.
Those who watched could not see her struggle, although there was a vacant appearance to the probe's camera pod. That pod dipped slowly, sinking gradually as the seconds passed. Then it snapped back to full attention and glanced around at Consherra, who quickly shut down the computer link.
'Well?' Mayelna prompted impatiently.
'Well, I have good news and bad news,' Valthyrra answered. 'This is the Theralda's primary cell for her personal memories, and not a general data-storage cell. On the other hand, the location of Terra, important data that she may have consulted often, is probably inside this cell as well. We would not know until the Vardon is restored to life.'
'And when will that be?' Commander Korlan asked. 'Twenty to thirty years from now.'
The Starwolf fleet stayed only a day in that uninhabited system, since they wanted to return to their individual territories before news of the attack on Vannkam could spread. They waited only long enough for the fighters to be stripped of their accessory cannons, serviced and returned to their own ships. During that time the ships and their Commanders discussed how they thought the rest of the Union would react to their raid. There were seventeen other sectors to be considered, seventeen other High Councilors and Sector Commanders, who had long assumed their inner worlds to be safe from these four-armed pirates.
There would be some reassessment of the standing and the power of the Starwolves on the part of the Union and the Starwolves themselves. The Union would be shaken to its core and that core would be angry and resentful. But it would also be frightened and apprehensive, unsure when and where the wolf ships would strike again. And they would strike again and again; the Starwolves had already decided that. The Union was going to be taught to fear the Starwolves, and above all the names of Velmeran and the Methryn.
Velmeran was on his way to the bridge just as the Methryn and her sister ships were making ready to leave orbit. He and his mother had seen Daelyn away only an hour before, an event that he recalled with sadness. He admired his sister greatly, for she was about the most interesting person he had ever met. That, she explained to his complete mystification, was because they were exactly alike. He did regret that she could not be with him for this final task. He did know that Consherra would want to be there, so he got off the lift at her corridor to collect her.
Consherra opened the door and stood staring at him in surprise. He was not in armor, but wore instead the closest thing the Starwolves had to a uniform. He was dressed in the solid black of a pilot, tunic and pants with boots tucked up under the cuffs, and a short cape fastened about the collar. His shaggy mane of thick brown hair was carefully brushed, laying neatly over his shoulders and falling into a smooth cascade halfway down his back. Combed to its proper length, his hair hung down over his eyes, which glittered within its shadow as he returned her stare. In spite of the lack of armor, he still looked very much the warrior — in spite of the inherently adolescent look of his features.
'Are you about to go up to the bridge?' he asked, almost eagerly. 'I am on my way up to the bridge, and I do not want you to miss this.'
'Yes, I am on my way there now,' she replied uncertainly. 'Miss what?'
'I have one more surprise for Valthyrra and the Commander,' he replied cryptically. 'You will have to wait and see.'
'I will be patient then,' she said, joining him as he returned to the lift. 'Actually, I am pleased that you should remember me.'
'Why should I not?' he asked. 'We have not been alone together these past two days, but I have not forgotten you, and I never will. Are you certain of our love?'
'Are you?' she asked as they waited for the lift.
Velmeran frowned, glancing down shyly. 'You were always open in your affections, and I was too innocent to realize that I was being courted. But who do you love? I am two people now. Do you see only Velmeran the warrior? He is strong and forceful and a very fascinating person, I do admit, but he is also false. He is the person I become when duty requires. But I want love during the time which is my own, from someone who knows and loves the real me. Do you understand what I am trying to say?'
'Of course I understand, but you are wrong,' she insisted. 'The two Velmerans you describe are one and the same, and I love them both.'
They entered the lift, which had arrived a moment earlier, and Consherra quickly set the controls for the bridge. She turned back to him as soon as the door was shut. 'To be truthful, you did surprise me. I held you in my
