Earth Song: Etude to War (20 page)

“No, all the bases and depots were located in remote uninhabitable star systems. The potential consequence is obvious.”

“I understand,” Minu spoke.

“Then explain it to me.” Aaron looked from his daughter to his wife, worried and confused at the same time.

“The computer on the firebase where we got this ship mentioned how it could only activate the one ship because power was critical. Well, this explains that. It was risking destroying the sun, and of course the entire firebase.”

“Correct,” Lilith agreed. “The firebase where this ship was located, as with all the other remaining intact installations, are all near unstable stars. Drawing enough power from those taps to activate the available ships could well result in destroying every remaining ship.”

* * *

“We need to bring Pip into this, at the very least,” Aaron said. His thoughts perfectly echoed what Minu had been thinking. For the last few minutes they'd discussed as a family what these developments meant. First to their species, then more specifically to the Chosen. Minu had yet to voice her concern of what Jacob might possibly do with a small fleet of the powerful Kaatan warships. She didn't want to think about it.

“I agree,” she said with a nod of her head, turning to Lilith. “Please bring Pip up to date and patch him in.”

“Okay,” she said and closed her eyes for a second. Less than a minute later a new screen appeared out of nothingness and showed his face. Like the rest, it was excited and concerned at the same time.

“This is amazing,” he said, his eyes somewhat out of focus and his computer enhanced brain chewed through the data Lilith had sent to him. “The computer inter-connectivity alone answers a lot of questions I've had for years.”

“I'm sure it does,” Minu broke in, “but what I wanted you in for was the issue of the People's remaining ships.”

Pip shook his head slightly and looked at her through the display, then nodded. “Yes, I see. This is a difficult situation.” He thought for a moment then shrugged. “We can't tell him about the ships.”

Minu silently let her breath out. “That is exactly what I was thinking.”

Aaron was nodding his head vigorously. “He'd want to make a play for them. Regardless of the implications.”

Again Minu was thankful for her husband and friend. She hadn't looked forward to having to share her thoughts and feelings about Jacob. Including her suspicion that he might be more than a little unstable.

“Then why don't we go get them ourselves?” Pip suggested, a gleam in his eyes.

“No,” Minu said flatly.

“Why not?”

“I will not be responsible for destroying a star just to put some pretty toys in our pocket.”

“The stars may well be destroyed with or without our taking the ships,” Pip reminded her.

“Perhaps. Perhaps not. Or maybe in a hundred thousand years. But either way, denying them to Jacob only to go take them ourselves is hypocritical at the least.”

“There are additional concerns to taking the ships,” Lilith interjected. “Without the ability to upload combat intelligences and provide biological operators, we would be unable to control the ships. I may well come across the place in the network where Combat Intelligence programs are written or stored, as well as how to produce a biological operator, but until that point we would be in just as difficult of a situation with those ships as you were when I was awoken.”

“We managed,” Pip complained.

Lilith turned a withering glare on him and Pip was forced to look away. “

You nearly destroyed the ship just trying to get from one area of the galaxy to the other. Properly manned and armed, the Kaatan are the most deadly warship ever deployed. Without those components, it is an expensive shuttle.”

Pip shrugged and Minu decided to step back in.

“So for now, we do nothing. Pip, after you are finished investigating the practicality of harnessing the power on Romulus I want you back here on the Kaatan with Lilith exploring this network. See if you can make some more sense out of it. Maybe between the two of you some headway can be made.” She looked at Pip. “I'm not ruling out going for the ships at some point, just not now. It's too soon to go rushing off on an ill-conceived plan that might cause any amount of problems, the least being pissed off snakes and a schism in the Chosen. So for now, we bide our time.”

* * *

Pip had signed off after a few more minutes of conversation. They had not decided when to bring Jacob and the Chosen Council in on the existence of the Romulus base. They'd also briefly talked about the possibility of using the installation to realign Bellatrix’ orbit around its star. The continued expansion of the star was threatening the planet’s biosphere. It was, after all, what the installation was made for.

But could they do it themselves? Those ancient scientists that had run the device were many thousands of generations dead. Minu had seen many examples of how Concordian technology could continue functioning almost forever. But a machine that moved entire planets still working a million years after it was last employed? Pip seemed convinced. She wasn't so sure.

The most important business completed, she was about to leave when Aaron stopped her. She gave him a curious look when he gently placed a hand on her stomach and looked over his shoulder where Lilith was intently flashing through a few dozen screens of data. “Oh, right,” Minu said, embarrassed that she'd forgotten. “Lilith?”

“Yes mother?”
“There is something your father and I need to tell you.” Her head turned to regard them, floating in almost an embrace by the door to her command center. Aaron's hand still rested on Minu's stomach. Lilith cocked her head, some part of her mind understanding. “You are going to be a sister.”

She looked at Minu for almost a solid minute, then at Aaron, his hand on her stomach, and back to Minu. Surprise registered on her face.

“How did this happen?” Aaron choked back a laugh and Lilith's expression turned dark. Minu spoke quickly.

“Lilith, I know you understand basic biology.”

“Of course I understand. You and father have had sex and conceived another child.” Minu couldn't tell, was the girl blushing? Was she starting to think about such things? A sexually active Lilith could greatly complicate things. “But I had thought you decided not to have more children.”

“We decided when we returned that we would not at that time have more children.”

“Now we have changed our minds,” Aaron finished. “Lilith, this is a natural decision we've made. Minu and I are not as young as we once were.”

“How is that material to the case?”

“We wanted to have another child while we were young,” Minu explained.

“Oh, I see.” They both watched her closely. Lilith looked between them, then at her numerous flashing displays. She shook her head and licked her lips. Minu was completely unprepared for the girl’s emotional reaction. “How will this affect me?”

“It won't affect you at all,” Minu replied, instantly and with complete conviction.

“My understanding from your literature is that a new child often causes strife with the first born.”

“Is that what you're worried about?” Aaron asked incredulously.

“What kind of literature are you talking about?”

Lilith looked at Minu and gestured with her head. The image of a Bellatrix drama came on.
As Romulus Turns
, a real sleazy television show aimed at adolescent teenagers.

“Oh, Lilith, that stuff is crap.” Minu wanted to laugh but controlled herself. Over the next few minutes she explained how the shows were marketed to young girls to make them feel better about their lives by showing horrible situations and things to gossip about with other teenage girls. Lilith took it better than she expected.

“I am foolish,” she said and looked away.

“No, how were you to know?”

“I am sorry mother.” Minu thought she was shaking, but when the young girl turned back tears were building up in her eyes. Without gravity, they would not fall down her cheeks. “I did not mean to be a selfish teenager!” She sobbed and looked confused. “I can't help myself!”

“Oh, sweetheart!” Minu pushed off from Aaron and was holding her daughter in a second. Minu had never seen the girl cry in her life. Lilith took the embrace, uncertain to start, then gradually returned it. A second later Aaron was there too and the small family all held each other, floating in a spaceship thousands of kilometers above their planet.

“We love you, Lilith,” Aaron said.

“The baby won't change that,” Minu agreed.

Lilith wiped the tears away with the sleeve of her black Chosen jumpsuit, sniffing and shaking her head, still confused at her own emotions. “Why do I feel like this?”

“Because you are human.” She looked at her mother who smiled back, herself feeling like a true parent for the first time.

“I guess you are right,” she said and looked even sadder.

“It ain't that bad!” Aaron complained, then Lilith gave him a little secret smile and he realized she was kidding. Tears turned to laughter. Another family moment.

Lilith looked down at Minu's still flat stomach and then up at her face with the wonder of a child. “May I touch you?”

“Of course you can!”

Lilith gently placed a hand on her mother’s stomach. She knew it would be impossible to feel anything. According to the database, the fetus would be almost invisible to the naked eye for weeks to come. Still, she had the unerring sensation that she could feel her soon to be sibling there, nestled protectively inside her mother. Minu smiled and nodded, putting her own hand protectively over her daughter’s. “I've learned a couple things from the dramas,” she explained. “Can I call you mom?”

“Oh, my sweet dear,” Minu cried, her eyes glistening.

“What did I say wrong?” She asked Aaron.

“Nothing,” he said, his eyes shining. “Do I get to be dad instead of father?”

“That would be fine.”

They spent several hours talking about family things. Now that she felt better about her place in that group, Lilith had a hundred questions about the coming event. Could she download Minu's spreadsheet of the fetus development plan and eventual birth timetable? Minu gently explained to her that the process wasn't quite that...controlled. Lilith offered to help her organize the operation. Minu gave up and agreed. “Is it a boy or girl?”

“We don't know,” Minu told her.

“Why not? The medical intelligence can—”

“We don't want to know,” Aaron said, holding up a hand to preclude a crystalline robot suddenly showing up with a syringe.

“That doesn't seem logical,” she complained. “Why do you not wish to know?”

Minu smiled and shook her head. “I guess because it doesn't matter to us. We didn't know anything about you. Maybe it's a tradition?”

“A two child tradition?” Minu and Aaron shrugged in perfect unison. “Very well. I will be surprised, just as you. But it seems a terrible waste of energy to have an easily solved mystery.” Aaron and Minu chuckled and hugged while Lilith scrunched up her brows and tried to understand.

One last thing to talk about, Minu thought. “Lilith, I understand Jacob asked you to go on a scout mission for him.”

“That is correct, mom.” She obviously worked to say mom instead of mother, but Minu liked the way it sounded. It made her think that someday soon, she would be momma.

“Can I ask why you refused?”

“The world he requested I scout is on the Interdiction list in my database.”

“I didn't know there was such a list.”

“I was not fully aware either until I accessed the requested world. The list was overlaid below the navigational data, invisible until the world was accessed.”

Levels upon levels, Minu thought. “Is there any indication why it is interdicted, as you said?”

“The list is military in nature. The suggestion would be an enemy stronghold, capital, or heavily defended military installation. I admit I am curious, but as a lone ship, it is not tactically wise to risk going against the interdiction list.”

“We have no way of knowing if the list is prescient to current situations,” Aaron pointed out.

“Correct,” Minu agreed, “but I understand her concern and respect it.” Lilith smiled at her and Minu reached out to stroke her hair. Lilith looked a little surprised, then grabbed her hand and pressed it against her cheek in a touching expression. Minu decided she liked this new side of her daughter. “Well, I told the jerk I'd ask.”

“Jacob tried to get you to change my mind?” Minu nodded, then shrugged. “He is a most odorous character,” she grumbled.

“Oh, you have no idea,” Aaron added his own grumblings.

“What world are we talking about?” Minu asked. Lilith closed her eyes for a second and a large holographic display of the galaxy appeared. The heavily populated sector of space where most Concordia planets rested zoomed down to show a few hundred star systems. She added labels for several worlds Minu recognized.

“Akala territory,” she noted. “Or near it, at least.”