Charles Sheffield - The Spheres of Heaven

The tension rose. They all wanted to be on the shore party, of course they did. For that they would be prepared to lie, cheat, steal, even fight. Chan could see them getting ready to argue if they were left out, or defend the wisdom of his decision if they were included.

“For starters,” he said, “I’ll tell you one person who will not be in the first exploration party.” The room crackled with nervous anticipation, until at last he went on, “I won’t be going ashore. I will remain here on the ship.”

It had the effect Chan wanted. The others sank back with a collective sigh. If he was off the list, no one else was a sure thing — and they knew it.

“Bony,” Chan went on, “you can’t go, either. This ship’s rotting around us, and we need somebody to jury-rig the failing systems. Does anyone argue that the Bun is the only person for that job?”

Nods all round.

“But you can’t do everything single-handed, Bony. So Liddy, I want you and the Bun to work together. You seem to do that very well. Tully the Rhymer” — Chan went on without giving either Bony or Liddy a chance for argument or discussion — “you have a job to do here, and it’s a tough one. We’ve been talking to the bubble people using a translator, but they are so alien that we think the mechanical units miss subtleties. I want you to learn the bubble language until you can think like one of them. The Angel will be staying on board, to work with Elke Siry, and already speaks to the bubble people pretty well. Stay close to the Angel, and get all the help you can.”

Chan saw Tully perk up a little from his shivering morning misery, and made an inspired guess. “That means you’ll be close to Elke Siry, too, so I have one other job for you. I want you to apply your fading charms to Elke. I know she’s in Dag Korin’s back pocket, and she’s doing special work for him. Whatever she learns and tells him, I want to hear about from you.”

Chan stared down the length of the table at the people he had not spoken to so far. “Now for the rest of you. It’s time either for congratulations or commiseration. Chrissie and Tarbush, I owe you for promising you would go in the pinnace, without bothering to check that the thing could fly. So you’ll go, along with Deb and Danny.” He held up his hand. “Before you start celebrating, let me assure you it won’t be a picnic. We know there’s a military camp on land, and we know that whoever runs it blew our orbiters out of the sky without any attempt at contact. Apparently they don’t like anyone looking at them. Whatever else you may be when you go ashore, you won’t be safe.”

Bony said doubtfully, “But Liddy and I went ashore. We were all right.”

“I know. That was before we flew our orbiters, and I don’t think you got close enough to be noticed. The other possible explanation is that you were damned lucky, and you can’t count on more luck.” Chan reached down under the table and pulled up the rolled image that he had been holding between his legs. He unfolded it on the tabletop, weighting it down at the edges with mugs and plates.

“We should all look at this. I said at the beginning that some of us wouldn’t be going on the first shore party, but I expect we’ll all be there eventually. The Hero’s Return brought us here, but I can’t see it taking us back. We have to find another way home.”

Chan pointed out the black circle on the flattened image. “This is a region of total destruction. The alien encampment is at the center here, and you should expect everything around it to be totally lifeless. When the Bun and Liddy went ashore they found not a sign of either plants or animals. Even the shallow water must have been sterilized. So our shore party won’t land anywhere in the destruction zone. You’ll go farther north, and sneak ashore in the vegetated area above the inlet that the bubble people call `Death Fork.’ It’s actually closer to the location of the Hero’s Return , so if you head due east along the seabed, like this, you’ll arrive on the shore where there ought to be cover. After that” — Chan shrugged — “we won’t be able to help. The four of you will be on your own. Do whatever you think is best.”

A gentle voice said, “Excuse me if I intrude. But I have something that must be added.”

Vow-of-Silence unfurled her body from its tabletop crouch and advanced to loom over the humans.

“I have no wish to interfere with your plans to explore the land area of this planet. I agree that this exploration may be necessary for our long-term survival, something that we all desire. For this reason, I offer my support. I will also go ashore.”

The Tinker Composite’s speaker funnel whirred for two seconds like an electric fan, then produced words. “Our presence on land may be essential to your survival. We can send partial versions of ourself, even our individual elements, on rapid scouting missions. We can enter small apertures which would be to you quite inaccessible, or we can serve as inconspicuous observers. We will also go ashore.”

Next to Chan, Danny Casement muttered, “It’s always the same. Everybody wants to get into the act.”

Chan had his own interpretation of what was going on. Dag Korin had been talking blood and thunder, and it had had precisely the wrong effect. Instead of focusing their attention on Korin, which is what the General had anticipated, the aliens now didn’t trust any humans.

The rest of the team was looking at Chan, waiting for him to explain to the aliens why their presence ashore would be a bad idea. He decided to save his breath. Vow-of-Silence and Eager Seeker would listen politely to whatever he might choose to say, then do exactly what they wanted. On an issue like this there was no chance that they would change their minds.

Chan nodded to Vow-of-Silence. “The shore party will be pleased to have your assistance. However, you must be prepared to leave the ship in three hours. The party will need plenty of daylight hours ashore.”

Deb, Tarbush, Chrissie and Danny were staring at him in disgust and disappointment. He said to them, “I need to work out some practical details with just the four of you. Can we get together right now, in my cabin?”

Giving no time for argument, Chan stood up and led the way out. He headed along the main axis of the ship to his cabin — and past it. Where the corridor widened, Deb Bisson moved to his side.

“I thought you said in your cabin?”

Chan put his finger to his lips. Deb got the message, and did not speak again. Finally they reached the door of bilious green, and passed through into Dag Korin’s spartan quarters.

The room was empty. Chan motioned the others inside and closed the door. “We can talk freely here. This is one place — the only place on the ship, according to the General — where we definitely can’t be overheard by the ship’s computer. Remember that when you leave. Anything the computer hears, the aliens can find out about.

“I want to set a few things straight. You probably guessed why I won’t be going with you. It’s because Dag Korin won’t let me, and he’s officially in charge.” Chan held up a hand to cut off the protests. “Yes, he is. And you can’t have more than one person running things. So unless you want to start a mutiny, Korin has final say. Now I’m going to tell you one order he gave me to pass on to the shore party, something that can’t ever be mentioned outside this room. I know you’re all pleased to be going, but don’t kid yourselves. It will be dangerous. So Korin’s order to you — and my order, too — is simple: your first responsibility is to survive. You do whatever it takes to make sure of that. Remember, if you don’t survive, you can’t report back with whatever you find. If you’re attacked, defend yourselves. Don’t worry about justifying what you do, just do it. Let the Pipe-Rillas and the Tinkers yell and scream as much as they like about peaceful solutions, we’ll worry about that problem when you come back. But make sure you come back. Any questions?”