Koban (99 page)

Dillon knew a lot more about the research Rafe was doing, and
had even furnished some lab time to identify and isolate genes from wolfbats, rhinolo,
skeeters, kants, gazelles, and even the Krall. However, he had spotted a flaw with
maintaining an unmodified control group as proof of interbreeding capability of
future Kobani generations.

“Rafe,” he hesitated to add even a minor complication, but didn’t
want it brought up later by the opposition. “The control group will
have
to be composed of people like you and me, and anyone that has had our first two
sets of new modifications. Avery just explained that women can’t have children here
without those.”

Of course, that didn’t make him or any of the boosted people
superhuman, unable to reproduce with unmodified humans. That was self-evident, but
he offered the evidence anyway.

“In actuality there
are
no artificially unmodified humans
any longer, not anywhere in Human Space. There hasn’t been since the twenty first
century, when our species tinkered to add longevity, a better immune system, removed
many dozens of genetic defects, let parents select for preferred traits like height,
hair and eye color, against obesity, baldness, color blindness, and so many others.
We all can still interbreed, as a nearly one trillion population effectively demonstrates.

“I brought this up because I don’t want a Cahill group’s argument
to blind side us. When we count the synthetic genetic changes we all carried when
we arrived here, each of them have perhaps a hundred modifications to my now one
hundred and four. I like your proposal Rafe, but I’m biased in its favor since I
helped a bit.”

Tet wondered how the genes for organic superconductors would
get the supplements they needed in order to develop properly. He asked that very
question.

Rafe chuckled. “As a biologist I’m frankly not sure how they
form. Various salts in the local environment appear to combine to form the final
materials with contributions from a list of elements we found that are possibly
involved.

“We’ve identified Bechgaard and Fabre salts, higher than typical
levels of copper, molybdenum, zinc, rubidium, bismuth, strontium, yttrium, and barium.
There are also plenty of the rare earths. In fact, the makeup of this whole planet
is a dream of mineralogy, precious and rare elements. It’s why it has such high
density in a relatively small package with this lovely gravity.”

“Rafe!” Dillon complained. “How the hell can you create a room
temperature organic superconductor if you don’t even know what is needed?”

Maggi moved closer to Dillon. “Can you do complex rapid computations,
or do you simply make use of what a computer can do for you? Rafe can use the Koban
DNA to make organic superconductors that he can’t assemble himself.”

“But I’d know what data to feed to the computer.”

“Whack!” went the sound of small knuckles to the back of his
head.

Maggi, satisfied with that sound effect, said “And we can supply
the new DNA the same things available in the local environment that it uses. Some
of those might be unnecessary, but you
are
what you eat, and we know what
they eat. I’ll wager that most of the supplements are contained in plant material
because all of the grazers find plenty of what they require. Predators eat the grazers,
and could get it from them.”

Thad added his opinion. “You really don’t have to sell me, since
I’m already committed to the mods. There will be eager participants out of the thousands
of volunteers for all of the mods you already have. However, you know there will
be a strong push by Ana Cahill to oppose this new proposal, and probably a majority
of the last arrivals will agree. Perhaps we need some physical separation from them.”

Mirikami though about this a few seconds, lip tug holding
everyone else’s opinion at bay.  “You are probably right about the opposition. However
there isn’t any place for us to go.”

“I wasn’t thinking of us moving. I had the malcontents in mind
when I said that. We really should probably move some of our human eggs to another
basket; pardon the pun. I doubt the Krall bothered to destroy their compound on
the coast, and Jake had images of other abandoned clan compounds on other continents.

“How about we take some shuttles to explore them? If the last
one they used is still livable, we can let some of the people that can’t tolerate
us lawbreakers move there and make their own way. We have a lot of material to share
now, and this small circle is already feeling crowded.”

“That’s an outstanding idea Thad, Mirikami agreed. “Rafe, Aldry,
I personally love that proposal, and not for mere survival on Koban. If we are able
to produce humans that can flourish here, then we will not only be smarter than
the Krall, but also ready to meet the arrogant ruthless bastards in a face-to-face
fight. Up close and personal, the way they like it.”

Mirikami reminded them of something. “I told Telour that when
the Krall returned that our children might not give this planet back. We may have
hundreds of years to wait for their return. We can spread out and prosper on this
world in a lot less time than that. There is detailed knowledge in our computer
records to teach us how to build
any
industry we need including, eventually,
Jump ships.”

Standing there, looking into each of their faces, Mirikami told
them, “Wait for them hell! I want us to go looking for the Krall. Payback can be
a bitch.”

HUMAN

Crew of Flight of Fancy

Tetsuo Mirikami

Captain of Flight of Fancy. From Old Colony of New Honshu,
in Hub area.

Noreen
Renaldo

First Officer of Flight of Fancy. From Old Colony of Ponce,
in the Hub area.

Jake
(almost human)

Advanced JK series AI computer, installed on Flight of
Fancy. Able to operate many of the ship systems autonomously.

Nannette
Willfem

Drive Room Officer on Flight of Fancy, and a Jump Engineer.

Roni Jorl’sn

A Flight of Fancy officer and shuttle pilot.

(Chief) Mike
Haveram

Chief of the Drive Room on the Flight of Fancy. In charge of
the “Drive Rats” and conventional thruster engines.

Macy
Gundarfem

Motorfem. One of the “Drive Rats.”

John Yin-Lee

Motorman. One of the “Drive Rats.”

Andrew
Johnson

Motorman. One of the “Drive Rats.”

Nory Walters

Chief Steward.

Mel Rigson

Steward and primary Medical technician.

Cal Branson

Steward and Medical technician.

Javier
Vazquez

Alfon Hanson

Jason Sieko

Stewards.

Bob Campbell

Machinist Mate.

Neri Bar

Machinist Mate.

Chack
Nauguza

Cargo Specialist, handy man.

Ricco
Balduchi

Cargo Specialist.

Passengers
on Flight of Fancy

Dillon Martin

Professor of biological sciences, sent to Midwife to study
developing primitive life. Hidden specialty is forbidden genetics research.
From Rhama, a New Colony, close to the Hub worlds.

Maggi Fisher

Professor of biological sciences, Chairfem of Board of
Director’s on Midwife project. From Rhama. Organizing unofficial teams to
recover lost genetic knowledge.

Aldry
Anderfem

Professor of biological sciences, granddaughter of Claronce Anderson,
a former President of Alders world. Supports secret Genetics research.

Ana Cahill

Professor of biological sciences, Vicechairfem of Board of
Directors. Political and snobbish, wanted to run the Midwife program. Doesn’t
support or know of hidden genetic research.

Zulma Krat

Professor of biological sciences, on the Board of Directors
for Midwife Project.

Vincent
Naguma

Professor of microbiology, from Greater Angola, an African
Colony World at the edge of the Hub, settled just before the collapse.

Rafe
Campbell

Studied human genetic mutations from cosmic rays on
Brussels, a New Colony. Wife Isadora killed on ship by a Krall, “exercising.”

Ray
McPherson

Husband of scientist. Member of the Fireball Brigade of flame
throwers.

Jim (Jimbo)
Skaleski

Hydroponics expert for the Midwife station. Fireball
Brigade.

Early Captives (at Koban
Prime, later renamed Prime City)

Mavray
Doushan

Was Poldark's Deputy Ambassador to Bollovstic's Republican
Independency. Both are Rim worlds.

Thaddeus
Greeves

Former Colonel of a Diplomatic Security detail for Poldark
Ambassador.

Deanna
Turner

Organizer of the first Primes to volunteer to work with the
Flight of Fancy personnel. On Mirikami’s combat team.

Frank
Constansi

Clarice
Femfreid

Juan
Wittgenstein

Early Prime volunteers, to work with Mirikami. On Mirikami’s
combat team.

KRALL

Parkoda

Titled Harzax Kopandi for Krall, or “Measures the Enemy” and
a Translator. From Tanga Clan of planet Merkrall. Leader of the Newborn raid
that captured the Flight of Fancy.

Telour

Krall translator, of Graka Clan. Second in command of
Newborn Raid. Placed in charge of captives at Koban Prime.

Delktor

A K’Tal of the Krall. A K’Tal can variously combine skills
of scientists, technicians, or Jump Drive Engineers. Of the Mordo Clan.

Dorkda

Krall translator, of small Maldo clan, a recent offshoot of
Dorbo clan.

Kapdol

Krall translator, of Dolbrin clan. A minor clan.

Gatrol
Kanpardi

General/Admiral of Graka Clan, Gatrol is his rank and title.
Later, Tor Gatrol, as High General in command of the war with humans.

Tyroldor

Octet leader, Kimbo Clan.

Pitda

Tyroldor’s second in command of the Kimbo Clan octet.

Exterminated Alien Races:

Olt’kitapi

Highly advanced and ancient people, determined pacifists,
who first discovered the Krall. Mentored the violent race, hoping to make them
more peaceful, but were betrayed and destroyed by the Krall, about 22,000 years
ago. They taught the Krall how to use the more simple parts of their
technology, and designed ships and equipment specifically for them, to suit
their personality and level of intelligence.

They were the first conquest described by Krall: “Our old
bodies, even so long ago, could easily defeat their smaller and softer bodies.
They were fruit and plant eaters that believed their artificially enhanced
brains made them more powerful than we were. When we rose up to attack everywhere
at once, we lost our first home world to them, and many Krall died before our
final victory. After that, we owned their many worlds. We ate them all like the
cattle they were.”

Botolians

Aggressive omnivores, evolved from social pack animals that
resembled Earth Primates. Good fighters, but controlled a relatively small six
hundred light year radius of settled space, bypassing colder and higher gravity
planets. Slow breeders. Was first Worthy Enemy. Larger than humans, the size of
lowland gorillas, and nearly as strong as a Krall. Smarter than Krall, but
slower reflexes and predictable pack hunting tactics made them easier for the
Krall to surround and attack. Not tricky or subtle, and preferred direct
confrontation over ambushes, and were out matched in such fights. Always refused
to surrender, and were all destroyed.

Malverans

A reptilian race the Krall met and exterminated several thousand
years before encountering humans. They were an insect eating race that lived
only on warm dry worlds, with 0.7 to .8 Earth g’s. Their slow metabolism made
them easy prey for the Krall. The volume they’d colonized was about four
hundred light-years in radius, adjacent to an area humanity would have been
exploring in less than fifty years.

Discovery of Koban

It was a world in Malveran space, which had been far too
hostile for the slow reacting Malverans to settle. They had a few dozen
colonies, and those fell quickly to attacks by a single clan, the Dorbo.

Eventually the Maldo, a small finger clan of Dorbo, were
awarded a choice of former Malvern worlds to settle. They selected an unused
heavy gravity world, later called the Testing Ground, or Koban. They built an
open compound on Koban. Native life nearly killed off the Maldo clan. They
learned they could survive there only by building walls and electric fences and
carrying weapons. This situation drew the attention of all the major clans, who
tried and failed to settle on Koban without walled compounds.