us.”
Charlie looked hopeful. “Gee, you think so?”
“Sure. And if the ETs start bombing the planet to get at us, you’ll have plenty of data from all the near misses. That is, if they don’t bomb so hard as to make geophysical analyses of Kithrup moot. I envy you your potential silver lining. In the meantime, I intend to forget about it, and my own frustrating research, and go get some lunch. Coming?”
“Naw. Thanks, though. I brought my own. I think I’ll stay and work for a while.”
“Suit yourself. Still, you might try to see more of the ship, other than your quarters and this lab.”
“I talk to Metz and Brookida all the time on screen. I don’t need to wander around gawking at this Rube Goldberg contraption that can’t even fly any more.”
“And besides…” she prompted.
Charlie grinned. “And besides, I hate getting wet. I still think you humans should have worked on dogs second, after casting your spells on us Pan types. Dolphins are all right—some of my best friends are fins. But they were a funny bunch to try to make into a space-traveling race!”
He shook his head with an expression of sad wisdom. Obviously he thought the whole uplift process on Earth would have been better handled had his people been in charge.
“Well, they’re superb space pilots, for one thing,” Dennie suggested. “Look at how hot a star jockey Keepiru is.”
“Yeah, and look at what a jerk-off that fin can be when he’s not piloting. Honestly, Dennie, this trip has made me wonder if fins are really ready for spaceflight. Have you seen how some of ‘em have been acting since we got into trouble? All the pressure is making some of ‘em unravel, especially some of Metz’s big Stenos.”
“You’re not being very charitable,” Dennie chided. “Nobody ever expected this mission to be so stressful. I think most of the fen are doing marvelously. Look at how Creideiki slipped us away from that trap at Morgran.”
Charlie shook his head. “I dunno. I still wish there were more men and chimps aboard.”
One century, that’s how much longer than dolphins chimps had been a recognized space-faring species. Dennie figured a million years from now they would still hold a patronizing attitude toward fins.
“Well, if you’re not coming, I’m off,” Dennie said. She took her notecase and touched the palm-plate by the door. “See you, Charlie.”
The chimp called after her, before the door hissed shut behind her.
“Oh, by the way! If you run into Tkaat or Sah’ot, have em call me, eh? I’m thinking these subduction anomalies may be paleotechnic! An archaeologist may be interested!”
Dennie let the door close without answering. If she didn’t acknowledge Charlie’s request, she could feign ignorance later. There was no way she would go out of her way to speak to Sah’ot, whatever the significance of Charlie’s find!
Avoiding that particular dolphin was already taking up too much of her time.
The dry sections of the starship Streaker were extensive, though they served only eight members of the crew. The one hundred and thirty dolphins—down by thirty-two since they had left Earth—could only visit the dry-wheel by riding a mechanical walker or “spider.”
There were some rooms that should not be flooded with hyper-oxygenated water, nor be left to the gravity fluctuations of the central shaft when the ship was in space. There were stores that had to be kept dry, and machine shops that performed hot processing under gravity. And there were the living quarters for men and chimp.
Dennie stopped at an intersection. She looked down the hallway where most of the humans had their cabins and thought about knocking on the door two cabins down. If Tom Orley were in, this could be the time to ask his advice about a problem that was growing daily more irksome, the way to handle Sah’ot’s unusual … “attentions.”
There were few people better qualified to advise her on non-human behavior than
Charlie looked hopeful. “Gee, you think so?”
“Sure. And if the ETs start bombing the planet to get at us, you’ll have plenty of data from all the near misses. That is, if they don’t bomb so hard as to make geophysical analyses of Kithrup moot. I envy you your potential silver lining. In the meantime, I intend to forget about it, and my own frustrating research, and go get some lunch. Coming?”
“Naw. Thanks, though. I brought my own. I think I’ll stay and work for a while.”
“Suit yourself. Still, you might try to see more of the ship, other than your quarters and this lab.”
“I talk to Metz and Brookida all the time on screen. I don’t need to wander around gawking at this Rube Goldberg contraption that can’t even fly any more.”
“And besides…” she prompted.
Charlie grinned. “And besides, I hate getting wet. I still think you humans should have worked on dogs second, after casting your spells on us Pan types. Dolphins are all right—some of my best friends are fins. But they were a funny bunch to try to make into a space-traveling race!”
He shook his head with an expression of sad wisdom. Obviously he thought the whole uplift process on Earth would have been better handled had his people been in charge.
“Well, they’re superb space pilots, for one thing,” Dennie suggested. “Look at how hot a star jockey Keepiru is.”
“Yeah, and look at what a jerk-off that fin can be when he’s not piloting. Honestly, Dennie, this trip has made me wonder if fins are really ready for spaceflight. Have you seen how some of ‘em have been acting since we got into trouble? All the pressure is making some of ‘em unravel, especially some of Metz’s big Stenos.”
“You’re not being very charitable,” Dennie chided. “Nobody ever expected this mission to be so stressful. I think most of the fen are doing marvelously. Look at how Creideiki slipped us away from that trap at Morgran.”
Charlie shook his head. “I dunno. I still wish there were more men and chimps aboard.”
One century, that’s how much longer than dolphins chimps had been a recognized space-faring species. Dennie figured a million years from now they would still hold a patronizing attitude toward fins.
“Well, if you’re not coming, I’m off,” Dennie said. She took her notecase and touched the palm-plate by the door. “See you, Charlie.”
The chimp called after her, before the door hissed shut behind her.
“Oh, by the way! If you run into Tkaat or Sah’ot, have em call me, eh? I’m thinking these subduction anomalies may be paleotechnic! An archaeologist may be interested!”
Dennie let the door close without answering. If she didn’t acknowledge Charlie’s request, she could feign ignorance later. There was no way she would go out of her way to speak to Sah’ot, whatever the significance of Charlie’s find!
Avoiding that particular dolphin was already taking up too much of her time.
The dry sections of the starship Streaker were extensive, though they served only eight members of the crew. The one hundred and thirty dolphins—down by thirty-two since they had left Earth—could only visit the dry-wheel by riding a mechanical walker or “spider.”
There were some rooms that should not be flooded with hyper-oxygenated water, nor be left to the gravity fluctuations of the central shaft when the ship was in space. There were stores that had to be kept dry, and machine shops that performed hot processing under gravity. And there were the living quarters for men and chimp.
Dennie stopped at an intersection. She looked down the hallway where most of the humans had their cabins and thought about knocking on the door two cabins down. If Tom Orley were in, this could be the time to ask his advice about a problem that was growing daily more irksome, the way to handle Sah’ot’s unusual … “attentions.”
There were few people better qualified to advise her on non-human behavior than
Similar Books
