Trade World Saga 1: Manual Interpretation (18 page)

RETT TORTURED ABOUT CONTAMINATION

Rett had endured session after session of psychological and physical torture in an attempt to have him divulge the co-ordinates of the planet he had visited. Piece by piece, the Exploration Service officer had gathered data rent from the Tros, Rett. After a week of delay due to the slow pace of the interrogations; the E.S.* officer was able to find the coordinates of the planet Rett had visited near the spiral arm.

The officer had a grudging admiration for Rett, due to the tremendous resistance Rett had given before releasing even the simplest facts. He was not at all convinced that further interrogation would give the exact landing coordinates on that planet. The officer felt he must now take Rett with him in the hopes that upon reaching the planet, he could get the information from Rett.

It was interesting to note, thought the officer, that Rett had indicated that he had met a single native. He had given this information early in the interrogations; even before giving us the coordinates to the planet. This native was some type of fixation to the Tros. The native seemed prominent in Rett's memory but the only details he could get was that those natives were soft-skinned, biped, oxygen breathers with some measure of manufacturing technology. Now he would have to locate, isolate, and destroy any area contaminated by technology from the Tros.

It was interesting to note, thought the officer, that Rett had indicated that he had met a single native. He had given this information early in the interrogations; even before giving us the coordinates to the planet. This native was some type of fixation to the Tros. The native seemed prominent in Rett's memory but the only details he could get was that those natives were soft-skinned, biped, oxygen breathers with some measure of manufacturing technology. Now he would have to locate, isolate, and destroy any area contaminated by technology from the Tros.

Rett had realized that the ship was now headed to the planet where he had met the native. It will be impossible to trace any evidence of landing, Rett thought. That native took my stressed space-field belt, but since it had broken and malfunctioned; it would be virtually worthless to anyone examining it. Now that I've admitted to unauthorized contact with an alien race, I could be psychologically reconditioned. If they find any culture contamination, I will be immediately killed.

With these thoughts, Rett then returned to his dormant state and prepared for the end by becoming apathetic to everything and everyone around his cell.

*E.S. - Exploration Service

PRESSOR AND RELATIVE TIME

"Look at these equations," Desiree said excitedly to Tod as she hurried into the lab where Tod and Steve were working on the ship's new sensor system. "See. If you two can figure out the practical apparatus for this, we can have a directional field."

"I'll be damned," Tod said, "a damn pressor beam."

"Maybe we could use a helical projection method," Steve said also realizing the potential.

"Did you see what we've come up with?" Tod said obviously pleased that he could now throw Desiree off track by a change of topics. He was obviously proud of his breakthroughs.

"What? Oh, no I didn't. Why don't you show me?" she said.

"We've made a sensor system that can detect a drive field like ours within a parsec. If we're not moving within a field, we can probably extend detection to two to five parsecs. How did you come up with those equations you brought us?" Tod asked, switching the conversation back to the original topic.

"You fiend. Quit trying to confuse me. You shouldn't let your mind wander like that. It's too small to be out by itself," Desiree quipped. "I was just juggling some partial differentials and adjusting variables in the field equations when those prospects just popped out at me. It's not every pretty face that starts a new branch of science; all by herself," Desiree said being playfully contemptuous.

"What do you call it when we build a device out of a mathematical model? Child's play?" Tod asked rising to the bait.

"Any good mechanic can put together an engine from a set of blueprints," Desiree said in leaving.

"Why, you bitch, that's no analogy!" he cried toward her as she strode away with hips swaying provocatively.

"God! She really gets me going sometimes. She knows exactly how to goad me," Tod said to Steve.

"She is just ribbing you. See. She left all the computer index numbers for us. Don't let her get under your skin," Steve said.

"Too late," Tod sighed. "I'm . . . in love with her and she knows it. What a gal. Let's build this thing. We'll have an armload of new stuff when Andrew finally pulls his head out of
his
research and comes around."

"Let's get to it," Steve said as they knuckled down to work.

Meanwhile, Andrew and Joel were working on the special belts to integrate with the spacesuit equipment. The strap-on attachment would make the wearer impervious to inertial weapons like spears, bullets, or other kinetic weapons. The more protection, however, the less traction the wearer had. The belts could even make the wearer "weightless", but unlike the massive drive field of the ship, the small field around the body could not be easily made to produce motion by varying sections of the field.

Andrew was stumped and was taking a leisurely walk past Ling and Fran's culture tank and garden areas when he discovered a room where the heady, sweet aroma of flowers could almost be tasted. As Andrew looked around in astonishment, Fran came in to see him bending over some beautiful, full-grown carnations.

"Hi Captain. How do you like our little flower patch? Did Susan finally get off her high horse and tell you about it?" Fran asked.

"No. I was just wandering. How did you get these onto the ship before takeoff?" Andrew asked.

"I grew them," Fran said proudly.

"What? We've only been away from Earth two weeks. That isn't enough time to grow these beauties," Andrew said.

"I don't know if you remember it or not, but you assigned me to see if I could use the time variance aspect of the field to grow plants faster. Well, with Susan's help for the last week, we put together a small field generator. With the fields "on" and enough nutrients and light; we can speed up growth about thirty times the normal growth rate. Fields-within-fields.

That was a shocker until Tod later deduced why it might be able to occur – multiple dimensions within a “current” space. “I thought flowers would be more fun than seeing how fast I could get algae to grow," Fran said.

"You've done marvelously," Andrew said, awed by the implications upon returning to Earth. Fields within fields he thought. How would the dimensional math work on that? Hum-m…might just explain some of the strange bits about interactions.

Fran continued. "Susan got some help from Joel and made him promise not to tell you anything. She's been down here day and night, ship time, and really driving herself. Work is kind of a compulsion with her and I couldn't have done much without her," Fran said humbly.

"Thank you for telling me. Something tells me I ought to see what the rest of my crew has been up to. See you later," Andrew said walking away, deep in thought. After a few minutes of walking and reflection, Andrew headed to Susan's cabin only to find it empty. He then went looking for her in the ship's two entertainment, study lounges. At the second one he saw Susan intently concentrating on an EnterTain table with one of the medical aides.

The aide looked up briefly when Andrew came in and jumped to attention.

"Evening Captain," the aide said.

"Evening," Andrew said realizing that he didn't even remember this crewman's name even though there was such a small crew.

"Relax Ivan," Susan said eyeing Andrew and introduced the crewman to the captain.

"As you were. Ivan. Do you mind if I talk to Susan alone for a few minutes?" Andrew said.

"We'll finish the game the same time tomorrow. OK. I need to get back to sickbay anyway. Goodbye Captain," Ivan said and left.

"Computer, hold this game for me until tomorrow at this time," she said into the table's display and then turned to Andrew as he sat down across from her.

Susan said nothing and waiting in the uncomfortable growing silence, she patiently regarded Andrew.

"Why didn't you tell me about your work with Fran. It may be the most important work we get from this whole voyage," Andrew said.

"I didn't realize that you wanted daily, personal reports. Besides, I doubt that my contribution will top some of the stuff the crew has come up with so far. You've changed Andrew. I'm scared that you haven't finished changing yet. I fell in love with a man whose personality has grown so much that I'm afraid I'll be submerged if I get too close," Susan said on the verge of tears.

"Listen," Andrew said moving over to sit beside her and held her in his arms. "You're wrong. You won't be submerged. You will only fill in those gaps in my personality to make us much more than the sum of our individual personalities. This trip won't last forever. We can drop this façade as soon as we finish but you're right; I don't think we should let the rest of the crew see us as lovers."

"It would jeopardize discipline. "

"I love you," he said as he held her close.

"I love you too Andy," she said. "We can't let our relationship interfere with this trip."

Suddenly, Andrew disentangled himself and held her at arms length.

"Just what has my crew come up with that would top anything you and Fran have done," Andrew said trying to switch to a neutral matter.

Susan wiped her eyes, then smiled and told him about some of Steve's work with the computer on guidance and fire control. Then she told him about Desiree's equations on directed fields and how Tod was developing the practical application of her theory. As Andrew's eyes got wider and his jaw dropped, she told him about Joel's work with the doctors to develop a method to use the relative time-rate-change aspect of the field to speed tissue regeneration. She also mentioned Tod and Steve's new detector system plus her own work with Fran and Ling.

"Now you see what I'm talking about. With two computer aided workshop/laboratories; there has been a lot of innovations ground out of those new theories," she said.

"Wait a minute," he said startled. "Did you say we've got the ability to direct a field? That would mean... " he kissed her on the cheek and then popped up and hurried out to find Tod and Desiree. Now he realized the implications of his group's work and how he could adapt that research for use with the inertia-free belt he had built.

When he finally tracked down the others in the ship, he found Tod and Desiree busy in the 'gym', actually an open area in one tank. They were sparring against Brad in a two-on-one session where Brad was, definitely, the more skilled. Desiree's grace and quick reflexes had Brad sweating up a storm. Tod was attempting to use his greater weight to off-balance Brad so Desiree could move in toward Brad's side for a strike. All Tod's kicks and punches were being lightly blocked or simply where he stepped out of the way, showing Brad's superior experience.

Andrew was impatient and decided not to wait for the three sweating combatants to give up their tunnel-vision and notice him.

"Hey Brad. Kyger! I need to talk to these two," Andrew yelled from the edge of the small gym.

Brad didn't say anything but he momentarily flicked a glance over at Andrew and doing so, left his weight a little too long on his front, left leg. Tod didn't notice the yelling but he did see that foot and kicked the rear of Brad's left knee with the top of his foot. As Brad's body was knocked off-balance, his arms flew up. In that moment, Desiree punched under Brad's exposed right armpit with a resounding thud.

Brad momentarily held his right side and then gave the time immemorial time-out signal and got back to his feet and began to towel himself off.

"Good Tod, but you're too offensive and you're often exposed too much during your attacks. Desiree, why don't you do that more often? You've got the speed and you don't telegraph your intentions like Tod but you're not aggressive enough," Brad said with his characteristic grin. "What's up Captain? ...or, do you just like to see me hit?" he asked Andrew.

"That was a pleasure to watch but I've got to talk to these two. You all go to the showers and get back to Lounge Two on the double after you dress. I hear you two have been conspiring recently and I want full confessions," Andrew said trying to keep his face impassive.

"But..." Tod said.

"Move," Andrew ordered as the two hustled off.

Brad swung the towel over his shoulder and cocked his head at Andrew. "What mischief are you brewing up? I know it's not anything they've done wrong because have been so busy. It's hard to get them to come down here every other day for a workout."

"If this works out, we'll let everyone know about it soon enough," Andrew said.

Brad tried to pump him for information but Andrew wouldn't talk. Brad finally went to take his shower.

It was only a few minutes until a slightly damp Tod and Desiree came hurrying into the lounge. Andrew was seated and they sat down in front of him where he indicated.