William Forstchen - Into the Sea of Stars

"We saw him, we did. Saw their great dark Father," Elijah proclaimed. "He invited me to their communion of honor for you. I can hardly wait."

Still not used to Elijah's predilections, Ian backed away from him.

So the friends talked quietly among themselves. Each had met with Smith. With Stasz the talk was technical and dealt with the operation of an overdrive ship. From Stasz's descriptions they all realized he had lied to the point of absurdity with Smith when discussing the de fenses of Earth and the limitless fleets of overdrive ships that swarmed the galaxy.

Ian smiled as Richard described their comparisons of medical technology and shook his head sadly. Here was an old friend, lost four-score light-years from home, brought to an early end by his mismanagement. lan's eyes started to fill, and he looked away.

Ellen said they had spoken of language and culture. She had even asked to use one of her precious survey forms, which she had saved for just such a moment. Smith had laughed and said he would consider it. With Shelley he reminisced about his days as a graduate student.

Only Elijah would not speak of their conversation and, when asked, would only mumble snatches of verse.

Ian knew that each of them was being judged and weighed for the slaughter. He knew that for the moment Smith was using them as a means of entertainment, a way of looking into the past. But that would soon change, he was sure of it.

They came for Ian while the others were asleep, and he quietly slipped away, not wishing to create another emotional scene. Smith was waiting for him in the same chamber but led Ian away through a side corridor and up into the docking bays. Not a single person did they meet, and Ian finally asked why.

"This whole unit is a shrine. If the ship of Columbus could be found, do you think we would sail it and use it? The same is true of this vessel-this once-crowded penal colony. Only my priests and priestesses live here, to over see my needs."

"Your priests and priestesses?" He knew the tone of disdain couldn't be concealed.

Smith looked at him and smiled. "Come and gaze upon my power."

Smith led the way to the zero-gravity docking section. Passing Discovery's port, the two boarded a small vessel and strapped into side-by-side couches. Smith activated a command screen then quickly rattled off a statement into the console mike. The shuttlecraft was activated, and they were off.

"Voice-activated commands?" Ian asked, impressed with the technology.

"Yes, I was rather amazed at the primitive piloting systems of your own vessel."

They traced a parabolic arc away from the main ship, and as they came up on the opposite side of the vessel, Ian couldn't help but gasp in amazement. In the harsh blue-white light of Delta Sag, hundreds of ships hung sus pended in high orbit like fiery diamonds of light.

"What was once above Earth at the height of her power in space pales to insignificance when compared to this. Gregor says that there are now over ten thousand home vessels, from small ones such as the relic I now live in to giants, one hundred and fifty kilometers in length. Most are in orbit around this once-dead airless planet, which is so rich in the resources that we desire.

"When we arrived here nearly three hundred years ago, there were but twenty-five thousand of us. We fashioned crude landing vessels for the surface below and finally managed to gain a toehold. Those were exciting times, Ian Lacklin. Heroic times. Within several years the first mass-drivers were throwing up desperately needed supplies of silicon, iron, hydrogen, and oxygen, locked beneath the surface. Then we built the skyhooks, the powersats, and the first new habitation units. That took us fifty years. And then I approved the growth. Yes, the growth, where a mother could have more than two children. I now encouraged my people to have as many as possible. Since that time we've doubled our population every eighteen years."

Ian tried some quick mental arithmetic but Smith had already guessed his goal.

"According to Gregor, there are over one billion people living in space. If we continue for another two hundred years at this rate of growth, we'll have over a trillion souls. One trillion souls. And that small planet down below shall disappear from our insatiable need. Think of that, Ian Lacklin. One trillion souls."

There was a sudden connection, and Ian couldn't help but ask.

"Why do they call you the Father?"

"Ah, yes." He chuckled softly with an obvious note of pride. "Simple, Ian Lacklin. Of that first generation of growth, I was the father of at least one child from every mother."

Ian looked at him and couldn't help but smile.

"You from the Outside, you can smile in my presence, but not in front of the others. That could be deadly.

"I know what you're thinking, that it must have been a laborious task. Some were done in, how shall I say, 'the traditional way,' but the vast majority were per formed through artificial techniques. Of the next gen eration the same was done again, and again thereafter and thereafter. The genealogies are watched of course and the males of my community sire children, as well, but ultimately they all trace themselves back to me. So you see, Ian Lacklin, by now all one billion alive today are my descendents in one degree or another. It's strange, Ian, to meet a man twice my age, bent over with time, and to realize that I am his father or grandfather. Soon for me, only a matter of months from now in my life span, there will be a trillion who are descendents from my loins.".

He said it with the pride of a biblical patriarch. One billion to date, Ian thought.

"I almost had the same arrangement myself," Ian said matter of factly.

"Oh, what happened?"

"The details of the contract didn't work out." And he wouldn't say another word on the subject.

They sat in silence for several minutes and Ian hoped that Smith would be duly impressed by that little reve lation about the IFF and that there would be no more questions in that vein.

So, they were all descendents of Smith. The sociological implications were fabulous, and he wished that Ellen was with them at this moment. Smith had taken the prim itive concept of the clan, with its family bondings, and raised it to the level of an entire civilization. He was Adam incarnate, master of an entire star system-and how much of a master, Ian would soon see.

Ian watched as Smith guided them on their trajectory toward one end of a cylinder that must have been a hundred kilometers in length.

Smith called out several approach commands and their shuttle swung in on the final run that was only a couple of hundred meters above a rotating surface so big that Ian felt he was orbiting a planet. His curiosity was aroused as to the mass of this ship and the gravitational field that it created.

As they approached the end of the cylinder, the shut- tlecraft started to decelerate and Ian was surprised at the sudden realization that Smith's people had mastered in ertia dampening for a sublight vessel.

Clearing the end of the man-made planet, the shuttle finally docked at the very center, in the zero-gravity area.

"This will only take a couple of minutes. Would you care to come along?"

How could he refuse? Ian eagerly followed behind Smith.

Their docking port was devoid of people, and it seemed to be encased, floors, walls, and ceilings, in gold. They floated into a small golden room with a single circular doorway at the other end.

"I shall go first, of course," Smith said. "I'd appreciate it if you would stay behind me. If you should drift along side of me or in front of me, I'm afraid that wouldn't follow protocol at all. I'd be forced to kill you." He smiled. "Do we understand each other?"

Ian nodded.

"Good then." Smith pushed off and floated toward the door. At his approach it slid open, a sudden roar engulfed them, as if a storm-tossed sea was breaking outside the golden room.