disappeared using probability drives.
Creideiki imagined coming out of FTL to find a convention of 'Streakers' — all from different universes, all captained by slightly altered versions of himself. The whales might be able to be philosophically complacent about a situation like that. He wasn't so sure of himself.
Besides, the whales, for all their philosophical genius, were imbeciles on levels dealing with spaceships and machines. They wouldn't recognize a fleet of ships any better than a dog knew its reflection in the water.
Less than two months ago, Creideiki had faced a derelict fleet of ships the size of moons, as old as middle-aged stars. He had lost a dozen good fen there, and had been fleeing fleets of ships ever since.
There were times when he wished he could be animal blind to some things, as were the whales. Or as philosophical.
Creideiki swam up to a ridge overlooking the ship. Bright heliarc lamps cast long shadows in the clear euphotic water. The crews below were finished installing the booty Suessi had found at the Thennanin wreck. There remained only clearing the landing legs for movement.
Hikahi had left just hours ago, with a picked crew and the ship's skiff: Creideiki wished he could have spared more to go help Suessi, but Streaker was already well below minimum complement.
He still saw no alternative to Thomas Orley's plan. Metz and Takkata-Jim had been unable to come up with anything short of outright surrender to the winner of the battle overhead, and that was one thing Creideiki could never permit. Not while there was any chance at all.
Passive sensors showed the fight in space peaking in fury. Within days it might climax, and the last opportunity for an escape in confusion and disguise would be upon them.
I hope Tom arrived safely, and his experiment is successful.
The water echoed with the low grumbling of engines being tested. Creideiki had calculated the acceptable noise levels himself. There were so many forms of leakage — neutrinos from the power plant, gravitonics from the stasis screen, psi from everyone aboard. Sound was the least of his worries.
As he swam, Creideiki heard something above him. He turned his attention surfaceward.
A solitary neo-fin drifted near the detector buoys, working on them with harness manipulators. Creideiki moved closer.
* Is there a problem -
Here to bother
* Duty's patterns? *
He recognized the giant Stenos, K'tha-Jon. The bosun started. His eyes widened, and momentarily Creideiki could see the whites around the flat, boat-like pupils.
K'tha-Jon recovered quickly. His mouth opened in a grin.
* Noise buzz bothered -
Neutrino listener
* She could not hear -
The battle raging
* Now she tells me -
Static has fled
* I'll to my duty, -
Now be leaving
This was serious business. It was vital that Streaker's bridge know what was going on in the sky and be able to hear news of Thomas Orley's mission.
Takkata-Jim should have detailed someone else to do the job. The buoys were the responsibility of the bridge crew. Still, with Hikahi and Tsh't gone, and most of the elite bridge crew with them, perhaps K'tha-Jon was the only petty officer who could be spared.
* Good as jumping -
Big wave rider
* Now hurry back -
To those who await you *
K'tha-Jon nodded. His harness arms folded back. Without another word, he blew a small cloud of bubbles and dove toward the bright opening of Streakers lock.
Creideiki watched the giant go.
Superficially, at least, K'tha-Jon appeared to have reacted more resiliently than many of the other fen to Streaker's predicament. Indeed, he had seemed even to relish the fighting retreat from Morgran, and manned his gun battery with fierce enthusiasm. He was an efficient non-com.
Then why do my hackles rise whenever I'm near him? Is he another of Metz's sports?
I must insist Dr. Metz stop stalling, and show me his records! If necessary, I'll override the man's door-locks — protocols be damned!
K'tha-Jon had become Lieutenant Takkata-Jim's constant companion. Together with Metz, the three were the chief opponents to Tom Orley's plan. There was still bad bile over it. Takkata-Jim had become more taciturn than ever.
The vice-captain was becoming a real problem. Creideiki felt compassion for the lieutenant. It was not his fault this test cruise had become a crucible. But pity would not prevent Creideiki from promoting Hikahi over his head as soon as the crew was reunited.
Takkata-Jim was likely aware of what was coming, and of the report the captain had to write on each of his officers for the Uplift Center. Takkata-Jim's right to have special, bonus offspring might be in jeopardy.
Creideiki could imagine how the vice-captain felt. There were times when even he felt oppressed by the towering invasiveness of uplift, when he almost wanted to squawk in Primal, 'Who gave you the right?' And the sweet hypnosis of the Whale Dream would call to him to return to the embrace of the Old Gods.
The moment always passed, and he recalled that there was nothing in the universe he wanted more than to command a starship, to collect tapes of the songs of space, and to explore the currents between the stars.
A school of native fish swam past. They looked a little like mullet, kitsch mullet, in garish, metal-flake scales.
He felt a sudden urge to give chase, to call his hardworking crew out to join him in — a hunt!
He envisioned his stolid engineers and techs dropping their harnesses to join in the squealing pack, nimbly driving the poor creatures, catching them in midair as panic drove them leaping above the surface.
Even if a few fen got carried away and swallowed some metal, it would be worth it for morale.
* All the rains of Spring,
And then, one secret evening,
Riding waves, the Moon… *
It was a Haiku of regret.
There was no time for hunt-games, not while they themselves were quarry.
His harness chime announced that he had only thirty minutes' air left. He shook himself. If his meditation had gone any deeper Nukapai might have come. The chimerical goddess would have teased him. Her gentle voice would have reminded him of Hikahi's absence.
The observation buoys bobbed nearby, tethered by slender strands to the seabed below. He swam closer to the smooth red and white ovoid K'tha-Jon had worked on, and noticed that the access plate had been left ajar.
Creideiki's head bobbed as he cast narrowly focused sound. The odd geometry of the buoy and guy wires was mildly disturbing.
His sonar-speak receiver buzzed. An amplified voice came to him over the neural patchline.
'Captain, thisss is Takkata-Jim. We've just finished testing the impellers and the stasis generators. They're working up to your new specs. Also, Suessi called to say that the… the Trojan Seahorse is coming along. Hikahi has arrived there and sends greetingsss.'
'Good.' Creideiki sent the words directly along the neural link. 'Has there been anything from Orley?'
'No, sir. And it's getting late. Are you sure you want to go with this plan of his? What if he can't get a psi-bomb message back to us?'
'We have already discussed the contingencies.'
'And we're still going to move the ship? I do think that we ought to talk it over one more time.'
Creideiki felt a wave of irritation. 'We'll not discussss policy over an open channel, Pod-second. And it's already decided. I'll be back shortly. Meanwhile, search for loose ends to bite off: We must be ready when Tom calls!'
'Aye, sir.' Takkata-Jim didn't sound at all apologetic as he switched off.
Creideiki had lost count of the number of times he had been questioned about this plan. If they lacked faith because he was 'only' a dolphin, they should have noted that the original idea was Thomas Orley's! Besides, he, Creideiki, was captain. He was the one saddled with saving their lives and honor.
When he had served aboard the survey vessel James Cook, he had never witnessed its human master, Captain Alvarez, questioned this way.
He slashed his tail through the water until his temper cooled. He counted until the calming patterns of Keneenk settled over him.
Let it go, he decided. The majority of the crew did not question, and the rest obeyed their instructions. For an experimental crew, under immense pressure, that would have to do.
