Swallow the Sky: A Space Opera (14 page)

“What is it, your
majesty?”

But the queen remained
silent, her head drooped.

“Carson, what’s going
on?” Aiyana’s voice quavered in his ear.

All motion in the chamber
had ceased. The queen’s nurses were crouched facing the tractor, utterly still.

“I have no idea, let’s
just see what happens”

But nothing happened, and
after fifteen minutes they gave up and respectfully backed out their vehicle.

“What was that about?”
Aiyana asked again as they trundled out of the nest.

Carson shook his head.

“It could mean anything. I
guess we’ll find out eventually. For all I know the queen is senile – she’ll be
dead by tomorrow.”

“Poor thing – will they
bury her?”

“No, they’ll eat her”

“I had to ask”

By now they were on the
street. Carson was returning the tractor to the hanger via a different route
and they were passing a cultivated area planted with tropical flowers.

“Do the Ants ever go into
the surrounding forests?”

“I doubt it, there are
too many creatures looking for a meal. This is a recreation area, they’re crazy
about smell – they’ve even developed pheromone generators that are analogous to
musical instruments. Remember we passed Harrini Entertainments? They’re making
a fortune staging aroma concerts. I’m told they can get pretty wild.”

“I would love to see one”

“Don’t be so sure –
sometimes the crowd eats the performers.”

“I’ve been to events
where the audience
should
have eaten the performers” Aiyana said as she
continued to stare about her.

“The Callidus are
omnivorous but these days they normally stick to a vegetarian diet. Human
companies simply harvest the surrounding jungle and truck food in; most Ants
are way too busy to forage.”

They had entered a large
plaza. At one end was a building totally different to the utilitarian
structures they had been passing. It was a gigantic sphere covered by swirling
patterns of grooves. In reality it must have been a meter across, by far the
largest structure they had seen. In front of it was a huge statue of a nude
human male.

The Church of the
Eternal Larva
the tractor’s display announced.

“What the –”

“You can’t overestimate
the shock for the Callidus when they encountered humans.” Carson explained.

“We always expected to
meet aliens but they had no idea other worlds even existed. Then bang! These
gigantic creatures with extraordinary powers appear out of nowhere. Many Ants
were convinced that humans were a race of gods, but when they discovered that
physically we’re like huge grubs they decided that we must be larval phase of
something even more amazing. Ever since the Church’s followers have been
waiting for us to pupate.

“Anyhow, that’s their
cathedral, if you like. A sphere is the optimum structure for large meetings. Ants
are just as happy clinging to the ceiling as they are standing on the floor.”

“Aren’t they disappointed
we’ve never hatched?”

“Probably, they’ve been
waiting five thousand years. Many Ants don’t adhere to the Church’s teachings,
but the rest seem ready for the long haul.”

A few minutes later they
were in the hanger. Carson parked the tractor and disengaged. Immediately the
simulation pods split open and they climbed out stretching stiff limbs.

Aiyana shook her head.

“Wow! That was simply
amazing” she said, then after a moments pause she added “God, I didn’t realize
how hungry I was. Can we eat round here?”

They soon found a
restaurant in the ring of human buildings that encircled Vegrandis. As they
waited for their food Carson checked his messages. There was an urgent call
from Kalidas.

“Doesn’t this guy ever
send regular communications? Anyhow, he says he’s found another major revelation
on the first tape that his semantic analyzer missed. Of course he’s not saying
what. He wants to meet at his apartment as soon as we return.”

“I’m not sure I can take
much more excitement.”

On the return journey Carson wanted to go through his copy of the first tape to see if he could find what had
gotten Kalidas so excited, but as on the trip down, he was asleep within
minutes. It was early evening by the time they arrived at Hawkins.

As usual, the renegade
academic refused to say anything as he beckoned them inside.

“So what have you found
now?” Carson asked as he finally closed the door of the apartment.

Kalidas, who appeared
even more agitated than usual, did not answer. Instead, another voice spoke up
from behind them.

“Carson, Aiyana, how good
to see you again!”

Shin stepped out of a
darkened corner flashing his trademark smile. Standing beside him was Tabarak.

“You betrayed us!” Aiyana shouted at Kalidas.

“I betrayed you? You told
me that you were representing Clan Aniko!”

“Bygones, bygones” cried
Shin as if he were addressing a group of squabbling children.

The man was hardly
recognizable. His melanogenesis, like Carson’s, had faded, returning his skin
color to a regular copper hue. Moreover he was wearing
clothes
; right
now he was the very image of a corporate lawyer about to sign a large contract.

“We are on the brink of
an amazing discovery. Let’s move forward together on this. Carson, Aiyana, we
have so much to talk about, and we should not distract Professor Kalidas any
further. Come, I have transportation waiting outside.”

“And if we don’t want to
go?” asked Carson.

“Oh really, why should
you not?” Shin replied, again taking on the tone of a cajoling parent.

He held up his right
palm.

“We know you have had
considerable out of pocket expenses Carson, and as I gesture of goodwill I am
authorized to make an immediate payment of fifty thousand Ecus to defray your costs.”

“Very nice. And if we
still decline to accompany you?”

Shin made a mock frown
and inclined his head towards Tabarak.

“No honor amongst
thieves, eh?” Carson asked him.

The big man shrugged

“You got what you paid
for. Besides, it’s nothing personal – just business.”

“Where have I heard that
before?”

Carson turned to Shin who
was still holding up his hand. He sighed and returned the gesture, his palm
tingling as he accepted the transfer. He could not think of any reason not to
take the money and maybe it would convince them of his passive compliance. It
also established a stronger link between Clan Aniko and his own activities that
one day might be useful in court.

“Okay, let’s go.”

In the meantime he shot
Aiyana a message on a private channel.

Don’t worry, this is
not Kaimana. These bastards are on my territory now.

They trooped downstairs and
out onto the street where a large limousine awaited. Inside the vehicle was
another tough individual.

“This Ubay, another of my
assistants” said Shin.

The doors closed and they
shot upwards so fast the acceleration activated the vehicle’s inertial
dampening. Carson hoped that the limousine was redistributing its atmospheric
shockwave, otherwise Hawkins was getting a hell of a sonic boom. Meantime he
realized that there was a constant subliminal buzzing in his head. Something
was generating a field that not only cut off his access to the net but also
prevented him from opening a private channel to Aiyana. It was wildly illegal
but not unexpected.

“The Clan maintains a residence
near Cissokho City, we will talk more there” said Shin and with that he slumped
in his seat and closed his eyes, discouraging further conversation.

Twenty minutes later the
vehicle began its descent. They had passed the blazing towers of the capital
city and continued south, following the coast. Now, directly below them the
lights were thinly spread out, delineating spacious estates. They were heading
to a large mansion perched on the edge of a cliff directly overlooking the sea.
The building was laid out in the classical shape of a hollow square framing a
formal garden. The limousine touched down in the central area, surrounded on
all sides by the two-storey building. It was the perfect venue for a secretive
organization.

They stepped out onto a
moist thick lawn. Lush flower beds perfumed the night air and in the center of
the plaza a discretely lit fountain painted elaborate patterns of sparking
water. The sound of breaking waves could be heard in the distance. Everything
was very civilized. The picture windows of the surrounding mansion were filled
with light. Through one they could see a large conference room crowded with
people. In the center of the group was a stooped figure. It was Juro.

“Oh God” said Carson.

They were led into a room
populated with comfortable furniture and an elaborate drinks cabinet. As with
the interior of the limousine, a field suppressed the ability to open private
channels. Ever the perfect host, Shin immediately offered refreshments as they
sat and waited. Tabarak and Ubay withdrew, but Carson never doubted that they
could return in a heartbeat. Eventually the old man shuffled in. Like his
minion, he appeared to be in a fine mood.

“Carson, Aiyana, good
evening!”

“Good evening Elder Juro”
Aiyana replied. A lifetime of deference was difficult to shake.

“And congratulations – while
Shin and I were hurrying to New Earth you two were performing splendidly. Both
cassettes safely removed and the Archives Council none the wiser.”

“Yeah, it’s amazing what
you can do with a gun to your head.”

“Be positive Carson!” Juro chortled “I am about to make you a very rich man”

“And Aiyana a very dead
woman?” Carson was determined to crack his avuncular façade, but Juro was
unfazed. He turned to Aiyana.

“What does he mean, my
dear?”

“The bomb in my solo ship”

“Oh that!” Juro wheezed
with laughter

“Good God child, that was
just an option for explaining your sudden disappearance. Having a resurrected
Aiyana running around would have been difficult to explain. We were going to
quietly relocate you to our division in the Huan Federation – a promotion too! Haven’t
you applied for an out-of-system transfer on four separate occasions?”

Carson had to admit it –
the old bastard was a superb liar.

“Well I suppose…”

He prayed that Aiyana was
only acting.

“Enough of this
foolishness” continued Juro, waving a mottled hand “Carson, tell me about the
restoration of the second cassette. I hear that Kalidas was beside himself when
he inspected it.”

It was not the time to be
uncooperative – alone in the Aniko mansion, cut off from the net and with two
thugs in the next room. Besides, Carson had a surprise of his own in store.

“There’s a good chance
that my contractor will be able to reassemble at least part of the tape.”

He decided to be more
forthcoming. Juro would work it out in any case.

“I’ve given the work to an
Ant. She should have a preliminary report by the morning.”

Juro nodded.

“Yes, the Ants are
capable of extraordinary restoration efforts. We too have employed them.”

It was time to find what he
was really after.

“So you’re hoping that
the second tape will yield more information about the Yongding’s secret voyages?”

“Of course – you must grant
that it is a remarkable development”

“It is” Carson agreed; he
had been speculating about the possibilities ever since hearing the ancient
recording.

“If they made planet-fall”
he continued “There’s a real chance that they deposited supplies and equipment,
especially if the worlds they visited were candidates for colonization. Finding
anything left by the Yongding would be the greatest archeological discovery of
all time. And imagine what it would be worth…”

He trailed off, thinking
about the incredible prospect.

“It would be an
extraordinary amount of money” Juro said, completing Carson’s thought.

The old man had been
doing some thinking of his own.

“There are only seventeen
Old Earth artifacts in private hands. The last one to go to auction, the Dishi
toolkit, sold for six hundred and fifty million Ecus. For one toolkit! Imagine
what an entire supply dump would fetch.”

Carson nodded. He could
imagine all right.

“Let’s not get too far
ahead of ourselves. Sakyamuni’s interview might not continue on the second
cassette, and even if it does, God knows what he may say. And all this is
predicated on the tape being readable.”

“We will know soon enough
– you said the Ant will get report you in the morning. In the meantime you will
remain here overnight and we will all listen to its account tomorrow.”

“That’s all very well but
I need to make a call this evening.”

Juro chuckled “I don’t
think so”

“You don’t understand. Aiyana
and I recorded a full confession of the conspiracy – including all the details
of your role. That recording is being held by my valet service with
instructions to forward it to the authorities unless I check in each day. We
did it to show that we weren’t common thieves in case we were caught in the Archives,
but it also serves as insurance against our sudden disappearance.”

Finally Juro’s mood
soured.

“That was foolish Carson. Do you really think the allegations of a pair of renegade felons would carry much
weight?”

“Probably not, until sometime
in the future when you try to unload a treasure trove of Old Earth artifacts. In
the light of our evidence the Council would claim them as their own. After all,
the location was found using tapes stolen from the Archives.”

Juro glowered at him.

“Let him make the call”
he rasped and stomped out the room.

After Carson had sent his
carefully monitored message Shin led him and Aiyana to a dining room where the
three of them ate an evening meal in silence. On point they could not complain:
the food was excellent; Juro kept a fine table.

Finally they were taken
to a guest suite on the second floor of the mansion.

“You’ll be very
comfortable here” said Shin “you have a wonderful view of the ocean from your
balcony. But please, no dramatics. The location of your biometrics is being
constantly monitored and Tabarak will know in a millisecond if you leave this
suite during the night. And just for your information” he added, smiling more
broadly than ever “the mansion will vaporize any non-clan vehicle that
approaches within a hundred meters.”

“What’s more” said Carson after Shin had left them “they’re sure to be listening to our conversations. Come
on, let’s try to get some sleep.”

A short while later they
climbed into the large double bed. Aiyana snuggled up behind Carson’s and
kissed the nape of his neck.

“Goodnight darling, I’m
sure it will all work out for the best” she said, but under the covers her
fingers traced out a different message on this skin of his back.

T-o h-e-l-l w-i-t-h
J-u-r-o

The next morning Carson, Aiyana, Shin, and Juro gathered in a small conference room to hear Tallis’s report.
Tabarak lurked silently in the background.

“All communication with
Ants is difficult” Carson said “but remote communication is even worse. The
company that I rented the tractor from, Formicidae Systems, is supplying
me with a remote controlled interface pre-loaded with my scent.”

He conjured up an image
of an improbable device bristling with antennae, artificial feelers, odor
dispensers, chemical analyzers, and recorders.

“Do you think she can
restore the second cassette?” Shin asked Carson.

“Let’s find out” he
replied putting his hand on a console. The next moment the giant image of a
soldier ant appeared on the display. Carson was delighted to hear Tabarak emit
a stifled yelp.

“Greetings Carson. [untranslatable] Your
smell is not fresh. Are you some distance?”

“Hello Tallis. Yes, I’m near
Cissokho City. Sorry, this will have to do.”

“[untranslatable] No matter. We have progress
to report.”

“The tape can be
recreated?”

“Partially, we have already executed some
sequencing. We are [untranslatable] fragments in linear matrix. They will be
fixed on thin membrane [untranslatable] allowing transportation. Early [untranslatable]
[untranslatable] suggests two layers encoded information.”

The news caused a
sensation in the room.

“This is excellent! How
soon can you complete the work?”

“Difficult [untranslatable] We need your
help Carson. You informed us encoding represents semantic units transmitted by
oscillating atmospheric waves.”

“Yes, it is what humans
call speech, our standard form of communication”

“We require human agency that comprehends
this speech. We understand there are different [untranslatable]. You call this
one
Ancient English
.”

“That is correct.”

“
[untranslatable] You can communicate in
this medium? Your presence will greatly aid sequencing of fragments. My
Ancient
English
is not good.”

The soldier ant banged
its abdomen on the floor. Tallis was making a joke.

“Please wait a few
minutes while I confer with my nest mates.”

He cut the connection.

“She’s right of course. At
the moment she is ordering the fragments using pattern recognition – like a
giant child’s puzzle – plus searching for contiguity in the magnetic signals. There’s
also some sequencing information embedded in the recording that should help,
but all that only goes so far. The ultimate test is to listen to the audio.”