Vortex incursion, p.18
Vortex Incursion, page 18
“Why would he?” Hobar demanded.
“Kreus was briefly in contact with the small ship that visited our space,” Korvath explained. “For a digital entity, that is sufficient time to absorb data from the ship and learn the SADEs’ language. In that same expanse of time, the SADEs learned our language.”
“Why would the response be in a language that only Kreus would understand?” Gretren inquired.
Korvath ducked the question. He surmised the reason but was loath to mention it in present company. Instead, he said, “Perhaps Kreus can tell us after he hears the message.”
Gretren winced when he heard Korvath referring to Kreus as if the governor was sentient. To his relief, Deckus made no comment about it.
“Hobar, can you play the recording now?” Deckus asked.
“We’ve lifted several copies,” Hobar replied. “I’m ready.”
“Korvath, add Kreus to this conference call,” Deckus ordered.
Kreus waited to be contacted by Korvath. Although, he’d been listening to the call.
Kreus said cheerfully, when Korvath contacted him.
Korvath kept a neutral expression on his face lest he give himself away. “We need your assistance, Kreus. The data is in an unknown language. I believe it’s in the SADEs’ tongue. Would you understand it?”
“We’ve been waiting to hear the recording, Kreus,” Deckus said. “I want you to listen to the response, which Hobar has said is short, and tell us what you understand.”
“Begin, Hobar,” Deckus directed.
Hobar signaled one of her techs, who tapped a panel to begin the playback.
The recording was indeed short. Instead of hours of responses to the questions submitted by the Tritiums, it was a brief message.
When the playback ended, Deckus asked, “Well?”
“How do you know all this?” Hobar demanded.
“That’s all well and good,” Deckus said. “I want to hear about the message.”
“Summarize now, and send Ragirt and us your word-for-word, or whatever, translation,” Deckus ordered.
“Well, the latter idea is a nonstarter,” Deckus said. “I’m not risking crossing the vortex in an alien ship. There’s an exceptionally good chance that I’ll never return.”
“Is there any indication which of the alien races is dominant?” Hobar asked. She’d been one of the individuals pushing the theory that the SADEs were subservient to another race.
Kreus sent.
“Why didn’t they respond to the questions?” Gretren asked.
“The message explained that there was too great a chance of failing to understand each other through an exchange of questions and answers,” Kreus replied. “They believe that first contacts are best handled face to face.”
“Well, this derails our original plan,” Deckus bemoaned.
Kreus, Kelter, and Baltart waited for Korvath to make a suggestion, but the silence dragged on.
“We should ignore the offer,” Hobar said. She couldn’t resist the invitation that an empty conversation dangled in front of her.
“To what purpose?” Gretren inquired.
“Eventually, our science will overcome the vortex’s energy, and our peacekeepers will flood into a new space and adopt more races,” Hobar replied.
“While I applaud your enthusiasm for our imperial capabilities, Hobar,” Gretren returned, “you’re missing an important aspect of our present circumstances. One insignificantly sized SADE ship turned aside an armed probe without difficulty, evaded a missile barrage, and demonstrated the ease with which it could have annihilated my ship’s bow. While you might sit safe in your supply ship, I and my crew will face that deadly technology.”
“Continue your testy discussion another time,” Deckus said with authority. “Korvath, you’ve been quiet.”
“I was trying to think of a way of accommodating the request, Imperator Deckus,” Korvath replied, “and I think I have one.”
“Of course, you do,” Deckus replied, gurgling. He’d considered transferring Korvath to his flagship, but he didn’t want to disturb the environment in which the declinator operated. “Enlighten us, Korvath.”
“We could make use of the others’ technology, without knowing the specifics,” Korvath explained. “We send the probe through the vortex with a recording of our requirements, and the response will explain how the SADEs and other races can accommodate our restrictions.”
“What would those restrictions be?” Hobar inquired, hoping to hear Korvath stumble for failing to be ready with a complete concept.
“It might be me, but the idea seems simple,” Korvath replied blithely. “The probe message said that they requested a face-to-face meeting. I think the essence of their statement was that the exchange must be in real time. Imperator Deckus has stated that traveling to the other side of the vortex is a nonstarter. In that same manner, boarding an alien ship in Helgart space is also prohibited.”
“Of course, it is,” Deckus interjected.
“Then our restrictions would be that we won’t board their ships, which eliminates traveling across the vortex,” Korvath continued. “But we’ll talk with them in such a way as there won’t be any lag time in the conversation.”
“If we’re to fulfill the message’s essence, we’ll need to accommodate image sharing,” Gretren added. “How can that be done?”
“Kreus, can you answer that question?” Korvath inquired.
Kreus replied.
“We could tell the aliens that they must achieve Helgart orbit,” Hobar volunteered.
“Only fools would accommodate that request,” Deckus said impatiently. “That doesn’t characterize these aliens.”
“Is it possible to transfer the governor?” Korvath inquired.
“That shouldn’t be allowed,” Hobar said stridently.
“You forget your place, Hobar,” Deckus said sharply. “That decision is mine and mine alone.”
After a brief pause, Ragirt joined the conference. He knew it was taking place and was unhappy that he hadn’t been invited.
“Korvath, summarize,” Deckus directed.
Rather than speak to the immediate problem, Korvath started with the probe message. Then he described the discrepancy between the sides’ conditions. Finally, he offered his idea that a ship-to-ship vid and audio conference could satisfy both sides.
“But you would need Kreus aboard or near the Krackus ship to accommodate the linking,” Ragirt surmised.
“That’s the challenge,” Korvath admitted.
For Deckus’s part, he vowed to have no conference call with Hobar unless Ragirt was involved. Obviously, Korvath and the Imperium engineer thought alike, and he wanted Korvath to have that support.
“Ragirt, could Kreus be temporarily relocated?” Deckus asked.
“Given the time, it could be done,” Ragirt replied, “but I’m speaking only about Kreus.”
“Oh, the governorship,” Korvath exclaimed. “Kreus, could the planet’s controls be automated in your absence?”
Kreus replied.
“What kind of major failures, and how often do these happen?” Deckus inquired.
The participants’ monitors filled with a list of dates, times, and repair events. The more egregious systems problems were highlighted in yellow.
“How is this possible?” Gretren asked.
Ragirt kept quiet. As an Imperium engineer, he’d heard conversations about Helgart’s early preparations and its later subsurface enlargements.
“So, Kreus, we risk Helgart’s population if you’re absent for any length of time,” Gretren summarized.
“Is that a significant problem?” Hobar inquired. She was fortunate that no one responded to her question. She wouldn’t have liked the answers.
“I would like to bring everyone’s attention to the repair list,” Ragirt said. He quickly highlighted many of the lines in blue.
“What’s the significance, Ragirt?” Deckus requested.
“Based on Korvath’s summary of the conditions, I think the meeting must take place near the vortex’s mouth,” Ragirt replied. “Then I started calculating the timeline for Kreus’s absence from the planet.”
“You’re right,” Korvath declared. “The events you highlighted could easily replicate within the timeframe. If these were to go unattended, the compounding system shutdowns could be catastrophic for the residents.”
“Introductions to ideas aren’t required, Kreus,” Deckus replied. “Simply state them.”
Kreus replied.
“Kreus, tell us what you propose, and then explain its limitations,” Korvath encouraged.
“That’s what we’ve been trying to decide how to do,” Hobar interjected, as if Kreus was limited machine intelligence.
“To do that, they would have to take control of our ship’s telemetry and comm systems,” Gretren noted. “Whoever would be aboard the Krackus ship would be placed in a precarious position.”
“Kreus, you said we can’t control a meeting. Is this what you meant?” Korvath asked.
“Perhaps, you can explain in simpler terms, Kreus,” Ragirt requested.
“Then you’re suggesting we don’t meet with them,” Hobar surmised.
“I’ll take these thoughts under advisement,” Deckus said and dropped off the conference call.
Before the others could end their contact, Hobar said, “I’d like to discuss who should meet with the aliens.”
“Probably no one who insists on calling the others aliens,” Ragirt retorted. “We know one race is referred to as SADEs, and the contact was Killian.”
“Your familiarity with their terms suggests you shouldn’t be in attendance,” Hobar shot back.
“I think the choice belongs to Imperator Deckus,” Gretren said, attempting to bring order to the conversation.
“It’s my thought that the fleet commander should be offered our collective wisdom,” Hobar persisted. “If Deckus doesn’t want to be aboard the comm ship, then I think you should stand in for him, Gretren. I can represent the Imperium’s technical interests. The two of us should suffice, which would limit personnel exposure.”
“That’s something to think about,” Gretren said. Then, before Hobar could continue, he ended her participation in the conference call, which left the three males connected.
Ragirt was tempted to offer his thanks to Gretren, but he thought it inappropriate.
“Hobar does have a point,” Gretren said. “We should consider who should speak to the visitors. Deckus is sure to ask our opinion.”
“Gretren, do you believe Deckus will participate?” Ragirt inquired.
“That depends on his comfort level,” Gretren replied. “He’ll want the prestige, but only if he believes that the visitors can be trusted.”
“Proceed, Kreus,” Gretren invited guardedly.
“The visitors don’t need to know the titles of who’s in attendance,” Ragirt suggested.
The Krackus heard an amused gurgle, and they knew it wasn’t one of them.
“That’s rude, Kreus,” Gretren remonstrated.
“Based on Kreus’s previous comments, the SADEs would be in our systems. They could easily learn our names and titles,” Ragirt pointed out.
“I think Kreus has a salient point,” Korvath said. “Can any of us imitate Imperator Deckus’s personality?”
The conference’s silence answered Korvath’s question.
“Then we must convince Imperator Deckus to attend,” Gretren said with finality and cut the connections. Turning to Korvath, he said, “You know what you have to do.”
“Yes,” Korvath replied. “I’m elected to convince the fleet commander that he has nothing to fear from the visitors.”
“We must have this meeting, Korvath,” Gretren said pointedly. “We can’t rely on Hobar’s scientist team to solve the vortex problems. It may take them annuals.”
“Understood,” Korvath replied.
As it turned out, Korvath didn’t have long to think about how he might influence Deckus. He received a message from the fleet commander to meet the next morning.
The flagship and a portion of the inner fleet had sailed from the rim to join Gretren’s command.
Immediately, Korvath notified Gretren of the impending meeting.
“Well-negotiated, Korvath,” Gretren replied.
It was after the call ended that Korvath realized he hadn’t told the imperator who had initiated the meeting request.
A quick morning meal, a fast dress in uniform, and a quick walk below deck delivered Korvath to the bay and the waiting transport.
This time, Korvath wasn’t flummoxed by Deckus’s accommodations. Even if he was to have some lingering awe about the way a fleet commander was pampered, it wouldn’t have penetrated his thoughts. Korvath was busy thinking of ways to convince Deckus to participate in the visitors’ conference.
“Come in, come in, Korvath,” Deckus said good-naturedly, waving him into the spacious salon. “Have you eaten?” he asked, gesturing to a meal laid on the table that could feed three or four Krackus.
“Yes, thank you, Imperator,” Korvath replied.
Deckus shrugged his narrow shoulders and prepared himself a plate. He took his food to a chair, and a steward hurried to bring drink and utensils to the commander.
“Sit, Korvath,” Deckus directed, pointing at the chair next to him. Then he dismissed the steward.
Deckus leisurely consumed his meal, and Korvath took the opportunity to continue devising his arguments.
When Deckus finished, he set the plate aside and eyed Korvath.
“Korvath, I want you to tell me what you think, and then I want to talk to you about what Kreus has had to say,” Deckus said.
Korvath nodded and waited.
“Do you think this conference is a good idea?” Deckus asked.
Korvath’s brow folded, and his crest surged forward. He held the pose for several moments. This was part of his strategy. He wanted to appear to consider the commander’s questions.
“What are the alternatives?” Korvath finally said.
“Hmm,” Deckus hummed. “I see what you mean. The aliens replied with only the one offer, which we can’t technically accommodate unless we ask them to arrange it. Then there’s the question of who attends.”
