A Larger Universe (22 page)

"Yes, Lord Ull.  I agree," he said.

"I accept the terms of this contract," she said,
and repeated, "I give my word, and my word is my contract.

"Meet me at the door," she added.

She waited out of the water.  "I will need to make some
preparations with the council," she said.  "Everything must be as
before until that is done.  I will give you a regular time to come here to make
your report.  You need no longer be escorted by my warriors.  I will see to
that now."  She paused.  "That is all."

The warriors who had brought him waited outside the door. 
Before Ull dismissed them, she gave instructions for Tommy to be given full
access to the passageway leading from the elevators to her quarters.  Tommy
joined the two warriors in bowing to Lord Ull, then followed the warriors to
the elevator. 
At least they aren't boxing me in
, he thought.

#   #   #

Tommy closed the door to his quarters behind him.  At first,
he thought Potter had gotten out of the room somehow, then a meow from one of
the spare bunks led him to the other side of the room.  "Are you trying
other accommodations, Potter?  That won't be necessary.  I have good news! I am
still alive and working for Lord Ull with lots of new perks.  That means new
perks for you, too."  Tommy sat down and pulled Potter into his lap.  He
had best not repeat his thoughts aloud, even to Potter.  He still didn't know
everything about the technology on the ship.  This room might be bugged. 

Lord Ull had made an agreement, and perhaps she meant to
keep it, or perhaps not.  Or maybe she intended to honor the contract until he
finished repairing her ship.  She could arrange to have something happen to him
during his "escape" or even before.  And how would he deal with the
council she belonged to, since he had no way of knowing how it would react? 
The council might void the whole thing.

He had a lot to learn.  He didn't have any idea where the
ship was or how to guide it back to Earth.  With the time and the means to
learn those things, maybe going home was no longer a dream.

He was sure of only one thing:  he had bought time, maybe
enough to complete the installation of the ship-wide network.  With the network
in place and the computers all running his programs, his power would be more
than just the knowledge he had come with.

He would have the means to control the ship.

The stream wound from a waterfall on one wall of the
Sanctuary to a series of lakes set like pearls in a spiral necklace circling
the center column.  The stream continued between the lakes, draining each in
turn, until huge pumps emptied the final one from below and took the water back
to the waterfall.  These lakes and the stream connecting them, along with those
in the Commons, contained much of the ship’s mass of water.  The water would
have been safer in enclosed storage, but that was never discussed as a
possibility. 

Near the final lake, on the waterfall side of the center
column, rose a small, rocky hill, shaped like large stair steps, with the
deepest step being next to the last.  On this step, a large pool fed by
artificial springs faced the waterfall.  The council used the pool as a place
of discussion and argument.

The water in the council pool swirled as the five council
members entered and took their places in a circle.  A young scribe sat on the
pool's edge to record the council's decisions and to provide information.  The
members treaded water with their tails and talked, nothing more.

They gathered as a council of equals, but Nore usually
began.  "What did we salvage from
The Extended Claws
?"

"Not much," Las replied.  "The penetrations
and explosions that followed expelled and dissipated almost all volatile
materials such as water and air.  Apparently, one of the first missiles hit the
fusion generator.  Before the generator exploded, it must have sent a surge
through everything electrical on the ship.  Every device we found contains
burned components."

"Were there survivors?" Neth asked?

"None have yet been found, though not all fragments
have been searched.  If we did, why would you want raiders on this ship?"
Las asked.

"They are of The People, and we must give them
aid," Neth replied.

"We have little enough for our own." Luns
interjected.  "They would not have given us aid."

"Enough," Nore said.  "What of the
drive?"

"The drive room and most of the central column are
intact, but the drive is missing," Las said.

"You know a Kadiil ship arrived before we did,"
Luns said.  "They certainly took it."

"Finding the drive would have made the other losses
meaningless," Neth said.

"You dream, Neth," Luns said.  "We would not
have been able to keep it in any case."

Nore swirled her arms on the water's surface.  "How did
this tragedy happen?  How could our guns, which have not functioned in the time
of this council, so thoroughly destroy "
The Extended Claws
?"

Ull spoke for the first time.  "The feral human
repaired better than he knew.  He made the guns much more accurate than
before."

"Does he understand the damage he has done by denying
us the raider's resources?" Neth asked.

"Yes, and I have punished him," Ull replied.

Luns did a gentle back roll and returned to her place on the
circle.  "How did he improve the guns?"

"The Earth computers I ordered taken are faster than
our own,” Ull replied.  “They found and tracked the target much more
efficiently.”

"How much faster?" Luns asked.

Ull’s tone was dry.  "Of that I am not sure.  But
clearly, the outcome indicates at least several times faster."

"These Earth computers…” Nore paused.  “I find it
difficult to believe humans could create anything as you describe.  What else
have these computers been used for?"

"The hydroponics sections have been renewed.  Nothing
else."

Neth’s tail thrashed the water.  "If they could be used
for hydroponics, why is the feral human not repairing environmental controls
for the empty ponds?"

"If the council decides to give that priority, he
will,” Ull responded.  “I decided he should improve overall air quality and
food supply first, then repair our defenses, before trying something
else."

"What else do you plan for him?"  Nore asked.

"If the computers are as fast as they seem to be, we
would gain much by using one for transit calculations and navigation," Ull
suggested.

The water around Luns roiled.  "Should we take that
risk?"

"We have not had a reserve navigation computer in many
years, Ull responded.  “If he replaced it, we could compare the results before
using it for a real transit.  We are already at risk as we are.  We have much
to gain if these computers can be used all over the ship."

"So you have been saying," Nore said.  "But
feral humans have always caused difficulties before.  Are you certain you have
him under control?"

"Yes,” said Ull. “I had an extensive conversation with
him today.  He understands the consequences of not cooperating and will act
accordingly."

“This may be a bad precedent to set with the other humans,”
said Neth.  “I have heard from my sources that many do not like the feral.”

“Why should we care?” said Luns.  “If you believe it to be a
problem, allow them more of those rest day meetings.  Whatever it is they do
there, it seems to keep them quit.”

"Is this council in agreement to allow Ull's feral to
repair the backup navigation computer?"  Nore asked.

"Only if he also repairs the pool environmental
controls," Neth responded.

"That should not be a problem," Ull said.

"By your silence, I find agreement," Nore said,
and waited for a response.

With the lack of further objection, the scribe wrote what
had been decided in the book she held in her lap.  She used a pencil
manufactured on Earth.  The book had a spiral binding and the words
"Multi-Drawing Notebook" in English on the front cover.

A moment later, Nore said.  "Let us move on to deciding
our next destination and what our route must be to reach the Gathering on time.

With Lord Ull's instructions to continue as before, Tommy
made the guns that hadn't fired his first priority.  Taking Seth, Baek, and two
of Tommy's assistants in tow, he went to the track room and turned on all the
rail guns again.  They spent the remainder of the day tracing down and fixing
computer problems. 

Seth needed additional apprentices for the other problems
they found: empty magazines and loading devices jammed with projectiles.  For
the time being, they would have to wait.

So many magazines were empty, or nearly so, that Tommy decided
to talk with Lord Ull about some ideas he had for alternate ammunition.  Well,
not his ideas, really, just things that were done on earth.

The next morning Tommy woke to Lord Ull's voice speaking
from the wall beside the door.  "Feral human, come to my quarters." 
He hadn't known about an intercom in his room!  When he couldn't find the
panel, he gave up on replying and hurriedly got dressed.

As Ull had promised, no warriors waited.  Of course, that
meant Tommy didn't have a warrior with access to the silver plate on Ull's
door. 
Lord Ull wouldn't have sent for me without considering that
,
Tommy thought, and placed his hand on the plate.  He heard an almost inaudible
whistle, and the door opened, releasing a cloud of moist air into the
passageway. 

Lord Ull swam in slow circles beside the rock shelf.  Tommy
joined her and waited with his head bowed for her to speak.

"Wild human, the council accepted my explanation of
events.  I have permission for you to begin work on the navigation computer.  I
had to also agree you will begin repair of the control devices for ponds on The
Peoples' decks."

"Are they similar to the devices controlling the
hydroponics farms?" Tommy asked.

"You expect me to know the answer?  Whether they are or
are not, it must be done."

"Yes, Lord Ull.  And your part of the agreement?"
Tommy asked.

"The humans living in the quarters you requested will
move today.  The warehouse is yours to do with as you wish.  I have sent a
message to all of the guildmasters concerning your new status and of the
formation of your new guild.  Everything will be as you wished by day's end. 
Now, fulfill your part of the bargain.  This ship must be better than new, as
you promised."

Tommy saw he was being dismissed.  "Lord Ull, you said
I should bring things to your attention?"

"Yes."

"I could improve your guns' projectiles, with the help
of several of the other guilds, so if we are attacked again, we will use fewer
of them and not destroy our target."

"If you find time, I will support your effort, but the
ship's computers must come first."

"Yes, Lord Ull," Tommy said.

#   #   #

By the end of the day, he and Potter had moved into their
new quarters, a two room “suite,” close by their new guildhall and warehouse. 
Nearby, his new his assistants, now officially apprentices, filled barracks,
four to a room.  They had expected him to decide who got what rooms and who
lived with whom.  He had asked to be the guildmaster because he understood the
work to be done.  This new power over lives disconcerted him.

Potter had issues with their new situation, too.  Even Tommy
could smell the faint odor of some previous feline occupant.  Potter apparently
interpreted the smell as an imminent threat and reacted by whining and
scratching at the outer door.

A knock sent Potter scurrying out of the room and under the
bed.

"May I come in?" Valin asked as Tommy opened the
door.

Tommy shook his head, surprised.  "You never asked
before.  Of course you can."

Valin made a show of looking around.  "Your quarters
are larger than mine.  I thought the stories exaggerated, but perhaps they
aren't.  You're now the guildmaster of a new guild?"

Tommy nodded.  "Yes."

Valin glanced at him speculatively.  "Do you mind if I
ask how this is possible?"

Tommy didn’t meet Valin’s eyes with his own.  "All I
can say is that Lord Ull believes this arrangement will get the ship's
computers repaired faster.  Beyond that, I don't know."

"I suspect the guildmasters," he smiled at Tommy,
"the other guildmasters, are furious."

"And how do you feel?" Tommy asked.

Valin shrugged.  "I'm a master, not a guildmaster.  My
emotions don’t count for much in the matter.  If they did, and were someone to
ask me, I would question which of them had the knowledge to be the guildmaster
of this new guild.  I’ve been working on the books we took with your computers,
and I know I don’t.  Their anger will be an issue, however, if you need their
help."

"I'll need their help.  At least, I'll need the help of
the artisans who do the work.  I'll talk with Lord Ull."

"You'll talk with Lord Ull!  First you are a
guildmaster with new quarters, and then you'll take your problems to Lord Ull
as if she'll listen and solve them.  This is indeed a miracle."  Valin sat
down in one of Tommy’s new chairs.  "Is it possible this has something to
do with the battle that was fought yesterday?  The lander pilots returned with
stories of a lord’s ship destroyed by the
Nesu Tol
's guns.  A month ago,
Seth was a guildmaster without a guild, and the guns were useless.  Is it
possible the miracle is that you repaired the guns, and Lord Ull is
grateful?"

"Have you ever known a lord to be grateful for anything
done by a human?" Tommy asked.

"No, I haven't.  All the bigger mystery."