Exiled to the Stars (73 page)

Susan nodded. "You'll have them today. Do you know Rena Ramos?"

Andre nodded uncomfortably. "Uh, slightly. She, uh, came to me a year ago when she completed her doctorate. She wanted me to let her help on my, uh, 'project'."

Susan nodded. "And since you
had
no project, you sent her away. Probably implying that she wasn't good enough." After a long moment, Andre nodded miserably.

"You may regret that,
Doctor
. Since you were so, uh, 'busy', the Administrator gave her the job of analyzing the tablet things. Right now, she knows more about them than anyone in the colony.

"You're older than her,
Doctor
, and theoretically more experienced. But she has been
working
, while your activity has been restricted to pursuing every unattached female in the colony. So, as far as I'm concerned,
you
are the less experienced researcher, and she the senior.

"But you're very lucky,
Doctor
. She is everything you pretended to be, and weren't. She's dedicated to her research, and is completely uninterested in her 'prestige'. For the moment, I'm willing to give you a break, though you don't deserve it. I will permit you to work separately, pursue your own lines of investigation. But if I find that her research is producing more positive results than yours, you may find yourself helping on
her
project."

Andre winced. He'd been pretty rough on Rena, once she'd rejected his sexual advances, and she'd been pretty angry when she stomped out of his home. He was relieved that Doctor Susan wasn't going to make
him
go to
her
for a job. He'd been following her work, in a hit-or-miss fashion, just to make sure she wasn't on the brink of a major breakthrough, but so far she hadn't accomplished much. Maybe he wouldn't have to go to her, begging for a look at her lab notes. No, better he duplicate some of her work. Besides, she'd probably published some stuff to the 'net. Who knows, he might even spot something she missed!

A very different man left Susan's office than the one that had entered. Chastened, but now excited, Andre hurried home. He had to double check his lab, to make sure he had everything he needed and that it was ready to receive samples. He was so preoccupied that he almost hurried off on foot, leaving his expensive Tepes electric car at the curb.

Rena Ramos got a completely different reception. Susan had checked her reports to the Council and the notes she published to the 'net as well as her class records, and she recognized a kindred spirit. Rena was everything Susan had been at her age: a determined, single-minded researcher, whose entire life centered on her work. It had taken being transported and meeting Vlad to show Susan the emptiness of that life, and she hoped it wouldn't take Rena as long to learn it. But she knew that wasn't something she could explain to the young woman. Rena simply wouldn't understand it at her point in life. So, she merely made her welcome warm.

Rena was short, of course, and rather dark, with a lush figure. Her hair was styled short and simply styled, for easy care, but it was a shiny, crows-wing black. Her eyebrows were a bit heavy, but she obviously didn't bother to pluck them. She wore a simple shipsuit, with no jewelry or makeup. Yes, Susan decided with a sigh that was both sad and admiring, this woman was all business.

So, she greeted the younger woman as a colleague. She told her about the ultimate aim of the project, gaining a power source for the colony, and explained that as one of their only two computer scientists, that she would be carrying a heavy research burden.

"Two?" Rena almost shouted. "Surely you don't consider that…that
lecher
a serious scientist? With that fancy house and car, and that
ridiculous
obsession with the ship's computer?" She shook her head. "Really, Doctor Renko, Andre Benton can't be considered a serious researcher!"

Susan smiled. "Oh, I think he'll be one now. We had a little chat, you see."

"Oh?" A slow smile spread over Rena's face. "I'll bet that was interesting."

Susan's smile widened and she nodded. "Most fun I've had in years." She sobered. "Anyway, I think he'll be a serious researcher now." She told Rena of her meeting with Andre. "So, you see," she concluded, "the two of you are in sort of a race. He's starting from behind, but I'd be very surprised if he wasn't checking your research on the 'net as we speak. And whatever else he may be, he
is
a brilliant mind."

Rena's smile didn't waver. "I'm not worried. I don't post
all
my notes to the 'net, you know, Mistress."

Susan nodded. "So, tell me about your work."

Excitement flared in the brown face. "Well, Doctor, There are two things we
must
learn about the system. First, we have to find the 'on' switch. Right now, we're trying to feed them different types of power, but we've been getting no results. We don't know whether it's because we're feeding them the wrong kind of power, or simply because the thing is switched off. If we knew it was actually 'on', we'd know we just need to isolate the power that it responds to. We've been moving every control, one at a time, to try to locate the 'on' switch."

She paused. "Actually, Mistress, I've been planning to ask the Administrator to let me move my lab up to Site One. We
know
the alien power is available there, and we
don't
know whether it's available here. We've certainly never detected it. Our whole problem may simply be that we have no source of the right type of power. And we
know
the ones up there are 'turned on'. If I could get my hands on one of them it might be a simple matter to isolate the power it's receiving. But Doctor Koh won't let anyone remove one of those, or even examine them closely. I think he's afraid we might cause an explosion, or shut something down that we can't restart."

Susan frowned. "Rena, there are only about a dozen researchers up there. It's pretty primitive. Oh, they have domes now, instead of tents, and a good-sized solar array. And Angel tells me they're erecting a wind generator. But still, there are few people, and all of them are working to figure out the power system."

Rena nodded. "I know, Mistress. But I think it may be important. Besides, I'll be able to keep up with the power research. That alone should keep us from going off into blind alleys." She shrugged. "I think it's obvious that the tablet things run on broadcast power, and I'm sure Doctor Koh's people have been searching for the right spectrum and frequency. Who knows? They may press a switch that activates one of the tablet things downstairs, or in another building; but that won't do us any good if no one is there to see it." She shrugged. "For all we know, that may already have happened! We need at least one researcher on the spot."

Susan nodded. "All right, you've sold me. Gather your samples and equipment, and I'll arrange for transportation."

"Oh,
yes
, Mistress!" Rena jumped to her feet.

"Calmly, Doctor, calmly. Take your time and make sure you have everything you'll need. I'm bringing Dr. Koh down here to talk with me, and you can ride back up with him. It will be at least tomorrow, and perhaps the day after."

Rena stopped, took a deep breath. "Yes, Mistress." She paused. "Don't worry, Doctor Renko. We'll find the key. And it won't take us twenty years, either.
Despite
Doctor Andre Benton's thumb-fingered 'help'."

Susan wasn't looking forward to her meeting with Angel Koh. She'd known him since he was a boy. He'd been a friend of Ron Creding's, and since Ron and Elaine were practically inseparable, Angel had been a frequent visitor at the Renko house.

Angel had been a serious-minded, introverted young man, and both Susan and Vlad had liked him. They were unsurprised when Angel chose to continue his studies, despite his parents' objections, and they'd shared his pride and happiness when he completed his first doctorate. By then, of course, Ron and Elaine had become Explorers, and the inevitable distancing had occurred. Susan had watched from afar as Angel became one of the colony's best-known scientists, but she had begun to notice a problem even before she'd been appointed to her new position.

Susan's current research had only confirmed her suspicions. Angel was very intelligent, and a skilled researcher, and his pleasant personality had much to do with his advancement. But he was also unimaginative and plodding. Angel would wring every microgram of information from a sample, but he would not be the one who figured out what to
do
with the information. As Ken had said, "his 'progress' is taking measurements and adjusting decimal places." Angel's temperament showed that he belonged in a lab, not running a research project.

Susan knew she was going to have to remove him from command of the power project, and demote him; get him back in a lab where he belonged. She had already called Wen Ho Jackson back from the city. While not quite as good at detailed research, Wen showed the type of imagination she admired in Vlad. Instead of simply measuring and weighing a sample, Wen would wonder what it was
for
, and what could be done with it. His 'matter transmission' idea had caused so much friction that Angel had been happy when Ken sent Wen-Ho to the city, despite their friendship. Susan knew that type of imaginative thinking was what was required, not simply weighing and measuring.

But she owed it to Angel to talk to him before Wen got back, so she had asked him to come down from Site One. Angel bustled into her office, a concerned look on his broad face. "Oh, Doctor Susan! I'm so
sorry
!" He took both her hands in his. "You know how much Doctor Vlad meant to us, and to me."

Susan nodded, smiling. "Thank you, Angel." She ushered him to a seat. "Doctor Koh…" she began, but he didn't let her finish.

"Doctor Koh? Please, Doctor Susan, I've been 'Angel' since I was six!"

Susan nodded and smiled. "Of course, Angel. You know I've been appointed to head up the Alien Technology investigations, of course."

Angel bobbed his head, smiling widely. "And I was delighted to hear it, Doctor Susan. No one deserves it more, and you need something, now that Doctor Vlad…" His voice trailed off and he flushed.

But Susan merely nodded. "Thank you, Angel. Tell me about your project." Angel started to reply, and Susan continued, "I'm not the Council, Angel. I don't want to hear that you've refined the angstrom count of the red light. The truth, please. I think you're stalled. Are you making any real progress?"

Angel frowned, and then sighed. "Not really, Doctor Susan. It's true, we
have
refined our measurement of the intensity and shade of the red light, but we still don't know where it comes from. It seems to emanate from the walls of the buildings themselves.

"And before you ask, Doctor Susan, no, we have not found the source of the power, unless it's that thing we found months ago. But we haven't come up with a protocol I consider safe enough to investigate that. At the moment, we're walking from the cavern walls to the central building with detectors, checking for minute variations that might give us a clue. But nothing that we've tried has given us a lead to a possible source."

Susan nodded. "You look tired, Angel."

Angel smiled tiredly. "You have no idea. The constant pressure, the trips back here to try to explain to the Council that they can't expect overnight results…"

"How would you like to get back into a lab?"

Angel smiled disgustedly and shook his head. "Doctor Susan, I would
kill
for the chance to get back to lab work. As you say, we're stalled up there. I'd be happy to resign, if you wish. Maybe get a fresh mind with fresh ideas…"

Susan smiled. "I don't think we'll need to be that drastic. But, Angel, I'm afraid I
will
be replacing you as Power Team Head. I'm really very sorry. It will mean a demotion and a small pay cut, but it will get you back into a lab, where you are happiest."

Angel shook his head. "Doctor Susan, I would live on the basic subsistence if it would get me back into a lab and out of all these Council meetings and trips back and forth."

Susan nodded. "All right, Angel. I'm calling Wen Ho back from the city. I'm going to appoint him head of the Power Team. Meanwhile, you get back up there and get yourself set up in a lab."

Angel's smile was excited. "Oh,
yes
, Doctor Susan! I'll get everything ready for Doctor Jackson." His smile turned savage. "Let
him
have the headaches for awhile. He certainly deserves it!"

They chatted for a few more minutes before Susan said, "Oh, by the way, you'll have company on the way back. Rena Ramos will be moving her computer research up to Site One. I'd like you two to get acquainted, and I'd like you to help her get set up, and find her way around."

Wen Ho Jackson was another of Elaine's childhood friends. He'd grown into a handsome man with a seemingly constant smile. He'd been one of the first to tender his condolences on the Vlad's death, since he was already at the city. After greeting him and getting him settled with a cup of caf, Susan came to the point. "Apparently, you and Angel have differed on the best approach to the power research. I've already talked to Angel. Tell me about your ideas."

"Well, Doctor Susan," He began, "At first, we assumed that the power source would be in or under the installation. But we couldn't find it. Doctor Koh just couldn't let go of that idea, and he's spent the last few years trying to find what isn't there. We found that one big octagon, of course, but I'm not convinced it has anything to do with the power system."

His tone was growing increasingly excited. He had the opportunity to let someone above Angel's level hear his theory, and his passion was obvious. "I think that site One is a control and maintenance center for a remotely located power source. That would mean that there would be no power emanations from the installation; it wouldn't be
producing
much of an energy signature. Instead, it would be
receiving
the energy, controlling its level and distribution. Now, control circuits don't have to be high-powered. I think the power level is too low to register on our instruments. Remember, we're having trouble even detecting the power source's spectrum, much less its frequency.