[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

duplicate the Andromedan technology. Perhaps if a living hostage could be studied-but we dare not
touch any that we know of on this planet, because that would give away our knowledge to the
Andromedans and precipitate an immediate crisis that could cost us the war."
The Colonel smiled approvingly. "Not only are you sounding like a Solarian, now-you're talking like a
military man."
"At times thrust has its applications," the Polarian agreed, glowing with distaste. "But circularity will
be required for the resolution."
"Agreed," the Colonel said. "Sorry I butted in."
"It is the nature of your kind," Fltosm said generously. Then, to Melody: "Society calculations indicate
that a hostage can be reclaimed through our existent technology, provided the hostage is rendered
unconscious and laid under siege by a completely superior aura of the same family. Perhaps a different
aural family would succeed also; that is less certain. You understand how auras exist in related types,
apart from intensity, some being compatible and others so diverse as to be incompatible?"
"Yes," Melody said. "This accounts for what was historically known as 'instinctive' attraction or
repulsion between given entities. A parallel could be made to your Solarian or Polarian blood types."
"Yes. But even with a reasonably close match, the margin of superiority would have to be at least four
to one over the besieged aura. The technology of Andromeda has evidently abated this necessity, but
we of the Milky Way must resort to comparatively crude force. Therefore-"
"I believe I understand you at last," Melody said. "You have located a hostage whose controlling aura
is of my own aural type, too high for any other entity to overwhelm."
"Precisely. It is a female hostage governed by an aura of fifty-two times normal intensity."
"So you need an aura of two hundred and eight," Melody finished. "Not many exist."
"This is true. The highest available in Segment Etamin is one hundred fifty-nine, female-and she is of
the wrong type. In fact, there are no female auras above one hundred and eighty in the galaxy-except
for yours. You are thus indispensable. By the time the hostage's aura fades to under forty, enabling
another agent to make the attempt (ignoring for the moment the complication of typing, which may
after all be irrelevant), one hundred and twenty days will have passed-and we shall have lost a crucial
a
a
T
T
n
n
s
s
F
F
f
f
o
o
D
D
r
r
P
P
m
m
Y
Y
e
e
Y
Y
r
r
B
B
2
2
.
.
B
B
A
A
Click here to buy
Click here to buy
w
w
m
m
w
w
o
o
w
w
c
c
.
.
.
.
A
A
Y
Y
B
B
Y
Y
B
B
r r
advantage, perhaps even the war itself. The potential information this hostage possesses is incalculable,
and the element of surprise is also vital. Because she happens to be in a situation in which the
Andromedans are unlikely to suspect any attempt at counterhostaging, we may be able to conquer her
without their knowledge."
"So you will retransfer me into that body, whereupon I will be able to tap the secrets of Andromeda,"
Melody said. "This is the mission for which you originally summoned me, isn't it?"
"True."
"But you cannot require any more of me than this one service. Within one day I'll be home-and
Imperial Outworld won't bother me again, though the galaxy perish."
"True. The welfare of the individual preempts that of society in our Sphere, and the terms of the debt
exchange must be honored."
"Fair deal. Show me your hostage."
"It is a Solarian officer aboard a Sphere Sol ship in space-the flagship of the Segment Etamin fleet. It
will be necessary to mattermit you to a shuttlecraft, that is now completing its voyage to that fleet.
After the mission, we will transfer you directly back to your Mintakan body."
"Very pretty," Melody remarked. "Were I in a Polarian host, I could think of another manner to abate
debt."
Fltosm glowed. She had paid the Polarian the courtly compliment of suggesting it was a suitable
partner for mating. Polarians, like Mintakans and in contrast to Solarians, arranged for mating on
intellectual grounds. It was a system that made sense to the mature mind.
"I am jealous," the Colonel said, smiling. And this was a lesser compliment, for he had seen up her
host-legs and was reacting in the Solarian manner. But it reminded her: In this host, sex was not merely
a mode of reproduction, but a tool of social influence. She must keep that in mind, in case she had need
of it.
Chapter 4 King of Aura
*you missed a council meeting, :: *
:: necessary omission swallowed a hard rock progress? ::
*located focus of resistance in segment etamin it is the society of hosts*
:: that will require a special effort ::
*I am sure dash will make it*
:: with what result remains to be noted ::
The fleet was impressive. It was rather like a great city in deep space, or a miniature galaxy. A
concentration of planetoids, a diffuse globe-no, a cluster, she decided, with the concentration in the
center and thinning bands extending out. Beautiful.
It was of course an anachronism, since such ships were limited to sublight speeds, so could not even
traverse a single sphere, let alone a segment, in a normal sapient lifetime. But the rationale was that it
might one day be possible to transfer spaceships. At such time as that particular technological
breakthrough occurred, the military reasoning went, the Age of Empire would come. So these ships
were built and maintained and operated at phenomenal expense-in a parking orbit around Star Etamin.
The other segments all had similar fleets. Similar follies, Melody thought. But the fleet was
a
a
T
T
n
n
s
s
F
F
f
f
o
o
D
D
r
r
P
P
m
m
Y
Y
e
e
Y
Y
r
r
B
B
2
2
.
.
B
B
A
A
Click here to buy
Click here to buy
w
w
m
m
w
w
o
o
w
w
c
c
.
.
.
.
A
A
Y
Y
B
B
Y
Y
B
B
r r
spectacular, at least in the shuttle's viewscreen.
The shuttle shot toward the center, decelerating with a vigor that caused respiratory discomfort to the
host-body. Melody had been phased in to the travel-velocity of the shuttle, which itself was phasing in
to the orbital velocity of the fleet; now there was a lot of inertia to counter. But Melody insisted on
sitting up so that she could watch the screen. There was also a port, but it was useless; the ships were
not visible to her untrained naked eye. So she braced the sagging mammaries with one forearm,
clenched her jaw to keep it from drawing down painfully, and stayed with the screen. She had never [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

zanotowane.pl

doc.pisz.pl

pdf.pisz.pl

qus.htw.pl