pensively. Vask wished again that he could pick up something of her thoughts. Even close up there was no hint what she was thinking. If he could have gotten inside her head, he would have been surprised.
She had never saved a life before. The feeling was a lot different than taking one.
XXIX
"We have most of it," Daribi reported back. "What Lish is shipping, how it's moving, who's buying, when it arrives. We don't have the drop point yet."
Karuu was pleased. "That is maybe not necessary, if you have the rest. Tell me more."
"This run is big, alright. So big that it's shipping on a regular cargo freighter."
"What is she moving?"
"A strange thing, Sa'adani-built. Borgbeasts."
Irritation wrinkled the soft fur over Karuu's eyes. He hated to admit there was something worth smuggling that he didn't know
about. Yet one more reason to get rid of this unwanted competitor. "What have you found out about borgbeasts?" he asked unhappily.
"The Sa'adani take a neural net unit, like a mech brain," Daribi answered, "and interconnect it to an organic brain. Don't know how it works on humans, or if they're even trying it. They do it with animals, and end up with borgbeasts."
"What is the advantage?" Karuu asked, fascinated.
The Islander scratched his polished brow. "Mostly it makes an animal's behavior controllable and programmable, like putting a guidepack in charge of an organic body. As a side effect it seems to jump up the animal's intelligence. Works best with near-human intelligence, though."
Karuu had a faraway look as he considered the potential in this new technology.
"Would you like the specfile?" Daribi offered.
"Yes, that would be most enlightening. What kind of borgified beast is Lish bringing to lovely R'debh?"
"Cetaceans, Boss. A number of whale-like creatures from some Sa'adani world, supposedly compatible with this ecology. They come with a few handlers to help them adapt and relay orders to their borg units."
"What kind of orders would that be, do you know yet?"
Daribi smirked. "Some kind of political thing is going on. These beasties are intended for people with ties to the AAP."
"The Aqua-Agric Party? Using modified sea intelligences? Well, well. This is becoming more interesting, indeed." Karuu beamed at the Islander. "How does our resourceful friend plan to bring these very large creatures here?"
"The Aqualogy Trade Fair begins next week on Avelar Island and Shelf," the chief reported. "A lot of cargoliners are shipping goods for the event. Her ship is posing as one of the exhibitors. Once it's in unregulated atmosphere, it can take off and head for the ocean drop site."
Karuu was smiling as Daribi finished. "You know the make of freighter she is using?"
"Yes."
"Arrange to buy us a vessel of the same type, my wild native friend, and hide it somewhere safe. At the fringe of the asteroids, perhaps, where its profile will not be noted on sensors. Our freighter will dock at the same time as hers. If you can do that for me, I will handle Customs. Then we will be several borgbeasts the richer for it."
"As you say, Boss."
"Good work, Daribi. There is a bonus in this for you when we are done. Consider if you would like to take over Lish's operation, will you?"
The Islander smiled avariciously. "I'll consider it," he agreed.
"Good day, then."
Daribi signed off, and Karuu leaned back in his chair, content. This was shaping up quite nicely. Borgbeasts! What a thing. Perhaps he would not sell them all to the AAP; maybe he would keep one or two aside for other buyers. It was important, after all, to maintain a balance of power. As long as he could dictate the balance.
Karuu punched up the specfile on his desk console and began to learn more about borgbeasts.
XXX
After their kria encounter at Keshnavar, Vask had invited his saviors to go ice-sailing as his guests. Having had their fill of hunting, the women accepted the offer, and a casual friendship had sprung up among the three. When Lish returned to
She had never saved a life before. The feeling was a lot different than taking one.
XXIX
"We have most of it," Daribi reported back. "What Lish is shipping, how it's moving, who's buying, when it arrives. We don't have the drop point yet."
Karuu was pleased. "That is maybe not necessary, if you have the rest. Tell me more."
"This run is big, alright. So big that it's shipping on a regular cargo freighter."
"What is she moving?"
"A strange thing, Sa'adani-built. Borgbeasts."
Irritation wrinkled the soft fur over Karuu's eyes. He hated to admit there was something worth smuggling that he didn't know
about. Yet one more reason to get rid of this unwanted competitor. "What have you found out about borgbeasts?" he asked unhappily.
"The Sa'adani take a neural net unit, like a mech brain," Daribi answered, "and interconnect it to an organic brain. Don't know how it works on humans, or if they're even trying it. They do it with animals, and end up with borgbeasts."
"What is the advantage?" Karuu asked, fascinated.
The Islander scratched his polished brow. "Mostly it makes an animal's behavior controllable and programmable, like putting a guidepack in charge of an organic body. As a side effect it seems to jump up the animal's intelligence. Works best with near-human intelligence, though."
Karuu had a faraway look as he considered the potential in this new technology.
"Would you like the specfile?" Daribi offered.
"Yes, that would be most enlightening. What kind of borgified beast is Lish bringing to lovely R'debh?"
"Cetaceans, Boss. A number of whale-like creatures from some Sa'adani world, supposedly compatible with this ecology. They come with a few handlers to help them adapt and relay orders to their borg units."
"What kind of orders would that be, do you know yet?"
Daribi smirked. "Some kind of political thing is going on. These beasties are intended for people with ties to the AAP."
"The Aqua-Agric Party? Using modified sea intelligences? Well, well. This is becoming more interesting, indeed." Karuu beamed at the Islander. "How does our resourceful friend plan to bring these very large creatures here?"
"The Aqualogy Trade Fair begins next week on Avelar Island and Shelf," the chief reported. "A lot of cargoliners are shipping goods for the event. Her ship is posing as one of the exhibitors. Once it's in unregulated atmosphere, it can take off and head for the ocean drop site."
Karuu was smiling as Daribi finished. "You know the make of freighter she is using?"
"Yes."
"Arrange to buy us a vessel of the same type, my wild native friend, and hide it somewhere safe. At the fringe of the asteroids, perhaps, where its profile will not be noted on sensors. Our freighter will dock at the same time as hers. If you can do that for me, I will handle Customs. Then we will be several borgbeasts the richer for it."
"As you say, Boss."
"Good work, Daribi. There is a bonus in this for you when we are done. Consider if you would like to take over Lish's operation, will you?"
The Islander smiled avariciously. "I'll consider it," he agreed.
"Good day, then."
Daribi signed off, and Karuu leaned back in his chair, content. This was shaping up quite nicely. Borgbeasts! What a thing. Perhaps he would not sell them all to the AAP; maybe he would keep one or two aside for other buyers. It was important, after all, to maintain a balance of power. As long as he could dictate the balance.
Karuu punched up the specfile on his desk console and began to learn more about borgbeasts.
XXX
After their kria encounter at Keshnavar, Vask had invited his saviors to go ice-sailing as his guests. Having had their fill of hunting, the women accepted the offer, and a casual friendship had sprung up among the three. When Lish returned to
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