Koban 4: Shattered Worlds (43 page)

A complex multiparty discussion ensued between the four new Torki, and the three aliens from Haven, who already knew about this bizarre ability. Her head spinning, Marlyn cut short the seemingly endless stream of questions the newcomers directed at her and her two crewmates, with the skin of the human’s hands growing chafed and red from frequent contact with the rough chitin of manipulator claws.

“Gentle Beings, I don’t wish to appear rude, but we three need to compose our messages for when we enter the Jump Hole shortly, and we should be on the Bridge to monitor our departure.”

That was not true, but not intended as a lie either. Their presence wasn’t necessary on the Bridge with Kap doing the monitoring, but it furnished them with a polite excuse to dodge the intense fascination the just rescued Torki felt about Kobani telepathy and about humans in general. Unable to participate in the conversations as deeply as those with telepathy, Olts or mind enhancers, Nawella experienced a distinct feeling of inferiority. With no worry there would be a maneuvering risk for this liftoff and Jump, she followed the humans to the Bridge.

The four new Torki continued to link with one another, with Tramakar and Dewy, hungry to share new data and history, and continue to relay the treasure troves of information as long as possible to the Torki they were temporarily leaving behind. They were still heavily involved with their active links when Marlyn advised them from the Bridge they were about to Jump.

The return entry into Jump Hole was part of a planned test of Kobani Mind Tapping over long distances. The light years separation and instantaneous flash of communication was well established by now between Kobani with Mind Tap genes. However, there were four Kobani that had Raspani designed chips inserted into their brains. If those chips interfered with this long-range mode of communication, the chips would be detrimental, despite the proven short-range benefits.

Two of those Kobani with chips were on the Mark of Koban for today’s test. This was a case of serendipity and technology merging.

****

When entering a Jump Hole, the tighter hull construction of a clanship with its outer stealth coating didn’t even make a “ping” sound, as did most human built ships. It was the blanking of the external view screens, which provided the best clue they had left the everyday Universe. The second clue was the reception of friendly messages flashed from three people on the Mark of Koban. Mirikami had sent a hello to Marlyn, connected to a short message about the scouting mission he intended to conduct at K1. Alyson and Carson were targeted for messages from Mel Rigson and Cal Branson, two older men they considered as uncles.

Realizing the Mark had entered a Jump Hole ahead of them, and that it was obviously there now, they sent their acknowledgement, and a simple description of what they had found at Philodor. The men on the Mark wouldn’t receive that information until it performed the next White Out and left Tachyon Space. The new chips appeared to be no hindrance to long-range outgoing communications, because Alyson and Carson received the messages from Cal and Mel as usual.

Leaving Kap and Nawella to monitor the ship systems while in Jump transit, all three left the Bridge to go down to level 10, to resume their conversations with the seven aliens.

As soon as they stepped below the stairwell opening at the top of level 10, Dewy had a hurried question. “Did any of you three tell our new Torki passengers the names of the Kobani you were planning to share messages with, or say where the other ship was going?”

She and Tramakar were staring at them intently, with Dewy smacking her thick lips quickly, a Raspani indication of excitement.

Marlyn answered, curious at what seemed to be an urgent question concerning a trivial subject. “I didn’t say anything about it to them. The subject didn’t come up before we Jumped for home. As you may recall, I only said we intended to exchange messages.”

Tramakar pivoted her eyestalks, one peering at Alyson, the other at Carson. “Did either of you two describe details of the communications test?”

“No.” Carson answered.

Alyson shook her head. “Only what the Captain told you, just before we prepared to Jump. Why?”

The two aliens turned to look at the four new Torki, who were huddled together and crouching, as if they felt they were in some sort of trouble.

Dewy said to one of the Torki, “Bitdar, please tell us again the name of the human that you say spoke to you and offered a greeting. Where was he was going?”

In a quivering motion of his two grasping manipulator claws, an action similar to a nervous human wringing their hands, the Torki addressed said, “He didn’t say his name at first. He only said hello, and that his ship, which he called the Mark, was going to a place he called K1. That world belongs to the Krall, if I understood his image and words correctly. Had I not received the language transfer from Tramakar I would not have understood the words in Standard. The image of a world full of Krall I’m sure that I understood.”

Tramakar spoke to the other three perplexed crabs, “You each received that message through your Olts, from two different humans that called themselves Mel and Cal?”

They silently made the hesitant carapace bobs that indicated agreement, but didn’t speak, as if they felt that somehow they had violated some unknown rule, or had lost the trust of their new hosts.

Marlyn, surprised, finished her descent, and reassured her obviously confused and nervous guests. “Please know that you are not in any trouble, but we are intensely interested as to how you received the messages directed to this ship. Specifically, messages that were addressed to the minds of Kobani. We three are the only ones aboard that have the Mind Tap ability. Or so we thought.”

“We spoke to them through our Olts,” Bitdar answered. “It wasn’t the same as if I was being spoken to as I hear you now, through my translator unit, or as I sensed directly in my mind when you use physical contact to share thoughts with me. However, I could sense the words and saw images as received by my Olt. I asked them, using my Olt, who it was that was sending these messages to me. One human said he was called Cal Branson, and he asked who I was. I told him, using the Standard words translated from my language into yours. Then we all four spoke to him and another human, who says he is called Mel Rigson. We first thought they were humans on this ship. Some that we had not yet met. They said that was incorrect. Both humans claimed they were on a different clanship, now called the Mark of Koban, and traveling with a captain they said is named Mirikami.”

Marlyn thought a moment. “I received a message left by Captain Mirikami, when we entered Tachyon Space, and I sent a reply to him. However, I could not hold a conversation with him. Did you detect his message to me through your Olts, or receive my reply to him?”

“I did not.” Bitdar swiveled eyestalks to his three companions. “Did any of you hear from a human named Mirikami, or sense the words of this human sent to him, through your Olts?”

There was a negative reply from each. Marlyn checked with Dewy and Tramakar to be certain. “Neither of you detected the messages from Cal, Mel, or Tet using your devices?”

Two more negatives. Although Tramakar offered a comment. “I was in a group Olt conversation with all four of them when they first told me they heard words from humans not in this room with us. However, I did not receive them. When I asked them whom they were communicating with, they used their Olts to share with me what they had received. I do not know those two humans.”

Marlyn shook her head in wonder. “I have no idea how they received those Comtap messages. It must be related to the new chips those two men have. Nevertheless, Bitdar, I want you to try to send a message to either man, and we will learn later if they received your messages when they exit Tachyon Space.” She had overlooked a detail. They had said they had actually
exchanged
information.

The Torki expanded his large grasping claws. “They both could hear us just before you arrived. We communicated for several minutes. They have tried to speak to us while we have been talking to you. Do you wish us to ask them if they still can hear and answer us?”

Now Marlyn shared dumbfounded glances with her other companions. She managed to ask, “You are s
till
in contact with them? Not just when we entered the Jump Hole?”

“Yes. We were speaking with them when you arrived. Where are they located? Their ship may not be very close to this one, but it is still within range of our modified Olts. Our devices are much more sensitive than what Tramakar and Dewy have, because they did not receive the same signal. We did not realize that some humans had Olts or mind enhancers.”

Marlyn absent-mindedly sat on a nearby Torki couch. She jumped right back up, since the hard, unpadded and angular edges were painful to a human’s softer anatomy.

“Bitdar, please tell Mel Rigson and Cal Branson that Captain Marlyn Greeves would like them to relay a message to Captain Mirikami. I will wait for them to answer.”

She turned to her alien companions. “Dewy, when we get to Haven, I want you to locate Blue Flower Eater, and ask him to locate the Raspani scientist who designed the Comtap chips. Tramakar, could you please find Coldar when we arrive, to learn how the new type of Torki Olts work? This is very important.”

She looked at Alyson and Carson with an impish grin. “This is going to be a fascinating conversation, if a bit cumbersome. But how
nice
to have a surprise to spring on Tet for a change.” She smiled in anticipation.

****

Mirikami was prepared to Jump to K1 for a scouting mission. Aboard the Mark were Mel Rigson and Cal Branson, recipients of the new Raspani designed device, called Comtap chips, which enabled them to communicate with mind enhancers and Olts that were within roughly two thousand miles. The linking generally faded away before reaching two thousand miles.

Today would confirm that the long-range Mind Tap, when entering and exiting Tachyon Space, would still work between Cal, Mel, and the crew on the Beagle, hundreds of light years distant. Mirikami didn’t want to lose instantaneous extreme long-range messaging between Kobani, just in exchange for a new short-range link with Torki or Raspani. There were radios that could do that.

Earlier tests between the four men with the new chips had shown that the flash of mental data shared, as they entered and left Tachyon Space still worked as before. However, that testing had been done within the Koban system. The Beagle’s mission to Philodor and Mirikami’s trip into Human Space were in opposite directions. The Beagle had left two weeks ago, and sometime today was expected to Jump to start its return to Haven.

The many added light years would tell them if Comtap chips interfered with the communication flash at a longer distance. There wasn’t a serious concern that it would fail at longer range, but it was prudent to test before additional Kobani receive the new chips.

The Mark Jumped and messages were sent. Receiving none yet from the Beagle, they knew they must have Jumped before the Beagle started home from Philodor. It was early morning for the crew of the Mark. Breakfast called to them.

Their years as Stewards on the Flight of Fancy kicked in for Cal and Mel. “Captain, Dillon, how about we go down and whip up a decent breakfast, before those voracious kids and our spec ops troops eat all of the fresh food, and we get stuck with field rations?”

Dillon perked up. “Good idea. Thanks for offering. I’d like four of those golden gem bird eggs, sunny side up, toast and jelly with milk.”

Mirikami grimaced. “Milk? I’ll have the same, but only two eggs, and Earth coffee please. Milk isn’t even good added to coffee or tea. I don't know how so many people grew to love cow juice.”

“What do you do with cereal?” Dillon countered.

“Feed it to cows, to make more useless milk.”

This wasn’t the first time Cal or Mel had heard similar discussions between the two. Dillon, raised on Rhama, had completely different culturally based tastes in food than Tet, who was raised on New Honshu, which retained some Japanese traditions

Leaving the ongoing point and counter point arguments over food and beverages behind, the two breakfast volunteers went down the stairs to the mess deck, as they called it, or mess hall as the spec ops named that level. Mess being the operative word if the youngsters prepared their own food. There would be rotation of kitchen cleanup duties later, accompanied by the usual grumbling of those who caught the duty. It was manual work, at least until the Mark acquired the automated food preparation equipment used on military and commercial ships. It was supposed to be waiting for them at Poldark, the second stop after they performed the scouting mission.

Thoughts of breakfast ended for Cal, and shortly for Mel, as they rapidly descended the steps, still several decks from their destination. Cal, in the lead, suddenly pulled up and looked around, causing Mel to stop with him.

“What message? Who is this?” Cal said aloud. He looked at Mel to see if he’d made hand contact and was playing a practical joke, but his hands were clear.

“Who are you talking to?” Mel assumed he’d received a transducer link.

“Bitdar? Are you a Torki? How did you get on the ship? Where are you?”