Flight of the Maita Supercollection 3: Solving Galactic Problems Collector's Edition (200 page)

"It's also the
sort of thing we do," Tab pointed out. "I think I have a little
idea. I think we've found one little detail that can give us a
hope. It's something we found when we were first looking for the
spores."

"It is?" TR
asked. "Clue me!"

"There weren't
any spores growing in the swamp!" Tab cried. "None at all, yet
there was rotting wood at every step. At first I figured it must
simply be because of the water drowning the spores, but there
hasn't been any high water since the things were deposited on the
banks of the creek so a lot of that wood is just about perfect, yet
there are NO spores germinating in that swamp! None! Zero! I
shouldn't have to tell you that there has to be something there so
I want to get back to that swamp immediately if not day before
yesterday!

"Kit, you go to
the lakeshore and along Flint Creek where we did find spores
growing. Take samples of everything and I do mean everything.
There's still a mark on that stump where I tore one of the first
growths off so take samples of that one in particular. I'm going to
make the closest damned examination of that swamp that's ever been
made of any swamp. If we find any spores growing in any swamp,
anywhere, I'll want to go there to see what's different, then I'll
have to make a trip to see Givzoo and crew.

"Let's get at
it! It might not be much, but we can do what that thing did to
spread its spores: use what we do have!"

Critical Conditions

Kit moved along
the creek carefully taking samples of the wood from rotting stumps,
soil samples and samples of the other types of plants in the areas
close to anyplace where they'd found the fungi growing earlier. He
found two small patches where new ones were coming up so was able
to get very fresh data. He knew TR and T6 both had floaters
traveling all over Grandish finding any growths they could and
taking the same kinds of samples. TR suggested they also study the
insects, birds, rodents, bacteria and virus populations in those
areas so it took quite some time before he could feel he had
everything he might need. He then went back to the glass plant to
run things. TR and T6 would process all the samples, missing not
one single factor.

His nights were
spent both in Koosd and at the castle, which was now ready for
occupancy and in which they spent most of their nights since the
glass factory was finally in operation if only on an experimental
basis.

A large part of
the work force at the plant also stayed at the castle except for
those who were living with a lifemate and had children. Those
stayed in private homes in the nearby settlement.

TR and T6 each
made detailed reports about what was happening around the planet
with the search for the fungus growths as the data became
available. There were occasional spots of the plant discovered on a
regular basis, then a sudden increase on Framedt, a smaller
continent to the south.

"I've been
keeping very close tabs on the weather patterns," T6 reported after
explaining about the find. "It turns out we have something of a
small break. There was rain, not excessive, but steady for several
days, then supplemental rains every third day on average for nine
additional days while the night temperatures stayed above the
normal thirty four degrees MS (Maitan Standard). That's about three
and a half degrees higher, which isn't much, but which seems
critical.

"I'm checking
with Nortich at the research world. She'll look up what they have
on this."

Later T6
reported the fungus spores would grow at anything over thirty one
degrees night temperature with sufficient water, but thirty five
was the point where the growth really seemed to more than double.
The spores wouldn't sprout at all under thirty one degrees of
minimum night temperature. This kind of information could prove to
be critical as it would allow the floaters to be concentrated in
areas where likelihood was highest of development of the
spores.

Kit had the
glass plant operating smoothly after a short period of learning and
adjustment. It was at last past the time of experimentation when
everyone was finding the best way to do his individual job. Kit
personally trained a crew to sell the wares and to take orders for
specialized items complete with engineering plans. They could also
take orders for everyday wares. They had done so already and were
in limited production.

After the trial
runs and the learning mistakes the product was finally coming out
of the line. Kit insisted on the most stringent quality control.
"If there's anything at all wrong with a piece we'll melt it down
and make it again – and again – and again!" he lectured. "When it
leaves this plant it will be RIGHT! If it isn't right it won't pass
the gates! We will never allow our reputation to become less than
the producers of the finest wares on this planet! Everyone who is
in any least way connected with Grandish Consolidated Glasswares
will be forever PROUD to have known that their name is associated
with this plant! I DEMAND it! I EXPECT it! If it's good for GCD
it's good for all Grandish! That will be our motto, but we must
never forget the other side of that picture!

"If it's not
good for Grandish it WILL NOT be a part of GCD!

"We must never
forget for one single second that our responsibility isn't to a
nation or to a world. Neither is it to the past. Our responsibility
is to the FUTURE! It is to our children and to their children! May
the gods forgive you if you ever forget that fact because I
WON'T!

"Now let's show
all Grandish we aren't ordinary factory workers here, we're
ARTISTS!

"Hell, let's
make this place known to the aliens at A Port! Just think what it
will mean to our children to know that a product produced here on
little old restricted backward Grandish is of sufficient quality to
be sold to another world! THAT is the dream! THAT will prove our
worth to ourselves as well as to the aliens!

"THAT we WILL
do!"

Kit fully meant
that, too. If he could drive these people to produce things of
surpassing quality there would be a market for it on other worlds.
It would also give the Grandish a strong sense of accomplishment
they couldn't get otherwise. Self-respect is one commodity that can
NOT be bought with money. The speech was shamelessly designed to
stimulate emotions. It did that. It gave the workers a goal to
strive for.

Another part of
it was that the contracts were set up in such a way that anyone who
worked for a period of one year for the company owned stock in it.
It was also arranged in such a way that should anything happen to
the owners of record, Klist Mar and Jarj Fel, the entire company
would revert directly to the workers. The plan was to stage
something to leave the plant in the ownership of the Grandish who
worked there when this was finished.

They had one
huge advantage in building the plant at that place: the sand had
some very rare and positive chemicals in it such as certain
beryllium salts that made it much more refractive without making it
brittle and hard to work with. This was merely a little added piece
to the fungus problem. Kit and Tab would have to leave as soon as
the problems were solved and this company would then become the
responsibility of those who worked it.

T6 reported
when it received a long detailed report from TR and Tab. It said a
new plan was being formulated because of what had been found and
that Tab was en route to the empire research planet, now called
Kuhlicht, a Grandish word for a zinc ointment used to fight skin
fungus infections. There was something that may prove of major
importance found when analysis from the swamps was compared with
the analysis of the materials Kit had sent. The report included the
fact that Tab found a large spore which was to be grown on Kuhlicht
to see what would happen. There wasn't much else for some time
except for the regular reports when T6 found some of the sprouting
spores to destroy. There was little found about the fungus for the
time that could be reported as fact.

Kit hired two
chemical engineers from the city of Machtd where there was a large
university. He interviewed them to find that of the hundreds who
wanted jobs these two seemed to be the most independent thinkers
with a special ability to understand the strange way silicon
compounds acted under the stresses induced in the forming of the
products and the qualities additives, natural and artificial, could
enhance. In only twenty seven days they had collaborated to
discover a pattern to ensure a special class of heatproof glass
that was also less brittle than most such products. In addition to
those properties it had a very high refractive index due to the
traces of beryllium and iridium salts in the sand, making it almost
as reflective as the finest cut Neemeedian crystal.

They soon also
added a complex coloration process to make the quality glass look
like carved jewels. There was a contact with an alien citizen at A
Port. That alien was impressed with the product to the extent he
wanted to order some special made-to-order items for sale on the
vacation worlds. He was supposed to be a Swaz citizen who applied
for a special dispensation from the empire to travel to the plant
to explain what he wanted.

A Swaz? And he
was granted a pass? It had to be Tab! Swaz didn't go around the
empire buying glass for the vacation worlds. They couldn't care
less about the places and weren't oriented to such things. What was
going on?

Of course! The
people at the plant were ecstatic they were to actually be
considered for such a contract. It was everything Jarj Fel said
they could hope to accomplish. They had shown the empire the
Grandish had something to offer. The sense of pride was almost a
palpable thing.

When Tab came
into the plant two days later Kit greeted him in front of the
workers with the words, "Welcome to GCG, Koosd. I'm Jarj Fel, half
owner. The other half is called Klist Mar. He's out somewhere
goofing off, I suppose. He always is.

"These are the
people who design and produce our top quality glasswares. I'll
introduce you to all of them as we tour their departments. Please
excuse them if they stare, but we aren't used to meeting aliens –
and you're really weird looking!

"No offense,
but you're a reptile aren't you?"

"No, I'm an
amphibian," Tab replied. "I know what you mean. You look weird as
hell to me, too. It's a good thing the people who work for you are
normal looking.

"Now, about the
wares I need...."

The two were
constantly joking and laughing together, relaxing the workers
tremendously. It made them feel totally at ease around the alien.
Hopefully that would prove necessary in the near future!

*

Tab went
directly to the swamp to take samples. He spent four days there –
and four nights. He didn't have to stop for darkness and never
tired. When all the samples were on the floaters and gone to TR, he
decided to head for the labs where he had a long session with TR
and T6 about the possibility of finding those large spores. The
probable trajectories were figured, then he took six more days to
find one. It was loaded on a floater to be taken back to TR, then
Tab spent ten more days looking for another of those large spores.
He found another on the ninth day, but had exhausted likely areas
by the end of the tenth.

Was it possible
the thing produced only two such spores? The spores were nearly the
size of yellowfruit, about ten centimeters across. The scan was so
minute it didn't seem even possible any were missed. Tab had used a
total of sixty search floaters.

"I think these
two were the only ones of this particular size," TR agreed. "There
will be some about half this size – I'd say twenty four of them –
in a larger area outside of the circle where these were found. I'll
scan the area a bit in the locations where the things might find
fertile grounds to grow the fungoids. I don't have much hope
they'll be found."

They stayed
another twelve more days for that search. TR was able to find one
of the smaller spores, then they headed for Kuhlicht. En route Tab
and TR discussed the samples from the swamp and those from Kit.

"Well, I'm
trying to find something," TR said. "T Six found the likely weather
situation that increases the speed of the growth of the spores. We
know where the least likely areas are so we'll save time there.
Anything that can give us time to research is a plus. Our floaters
are concentrating on the areas holding the most logical places for
the things to grow. I estimate there are about sixteen thousand of
the things in growth at this time. We've located two thousand four
hundred twenty three of them so you can see how unlikely it is
we'll get anywhere at that rate.

"There are
things from the data we've gathered that could prove to be
important. That's mostly been turned over to Givzoo's group on
Kuhlicht. They may have some answers when we get there. We can
hope."

"Did you find
anything in the samples?" Tab asked.

"I've been
turning it over directly to Nortich," TR replied. "I've studied
what I can, but I'm controlling a lot of floaters. So is T Six.
It's got some of mine now, but we had to retire a few until we
return.

"Here comes
Kuhlicht."

They landed.
Tab took the large spores to Zantoo and Volich, then went on into
the offices to meet with Givzoo. Nortich was working on something
and couldn't be disturbed.

"I'll give you
a fast rundown about what we've found to this point," Givzoo
reported. "The spores respond to various organic compounds in the
wood. There is one very important enzyme that is produced by a
bacterium we call Volichii Grandish two. As you may guess, Volich
found it. It seems to be that organism that is activated by
specific temperatures, as noted. Under thirty one it doesn't
produce the enzyme. It will go dormant. Over thirty six it doesn't
produce it, either. The heat interferes with a hormone in the
organism. We're researching a way to control that one bacterium. If
we have to eliminate it we can. The problem is that so much of the
ecology of Grandish depends on that one little organism that we
don't dare. It looks like we could disrupt the life cycles of half
the species on Grandish if we do anything at all to that one little
lifeform. The emperor decreed flatly that we are not to even
consider any such thing."