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Vol. CXXXV No. 9

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September 2015

August 11, 2015

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SERIAL

NIGHT RIDE AND SUNRISE, Part II of IV, Stanley Schmidt _________________ 69

NOVELETTE

RACING TO MARS, Martin L. Shoemaker ________________________________ 7

SHORT STORIES

LIVE FROM THE AIR CHAIR, Maggie Clark______________________________39

THE CRASHING OF THE CLOUD, Norman Spinrad _______________________47

ENDLESS FORMS MOST BEAUTIFUL, Alvaro Zinos-Amaro ________________ 59

SCIENCE FACT

HUMAN-CAUSED EARTHQUAKES:

FROM SCIENCE FICTION TO SEISMOLOGY, Richard A. Lovett ___________ 31

POEM

THE LEARNING MACHINE, Ken Poyner ________________________________68

READER’S DEPARTMENTS

GUEST EDITORIAL: BEHIND EVERY GREAT

MAN—AND WOMAN, Amy Sterling Casil ______________________________ 3

BIOLOG: MARTIN L. SHOEMAKER, Richard A. Lovett _____________________30

IN TIMES TO COME ________________________________________________38

GUEST ALTERNATE VIEW, Arlan Andrews, Sr. __________________________ 55

THE REFERENCE LIBRARY, Don Sakers______________________________ 103

BRASS TACKS ___________________________________________________ 108

UPCOMING EVENTS, Anthony Lewis _________________________________110

Trevor Quachri Editor

Emily Hockaday Assistant Editor

Cover design by Victoria Green

Cover Art by Gary Freeman

Indicia on Page 4

GUEST EDITORIAL Amy Sterling Casil BEHIND EVERY GREAT MAN

—AND WOMAN
lthough I swore I’d never own another
even more difficult to determine the degree

Ford after enduring six years of painful,
of support experienced by well-known fe-
costly Escort ownership, I still admire
male scientists. Similarly to the majority of

AHenryFord.Escort-lemony-goodness male scientists,most female scientists live aside (and that car should have come with a
and work with as much public recognition or
dimpled yellow finish), Ford may have done
biographical attention as a schoolteacher or
more to change the world than any other
general contractor. Only sixteen women have
twentieth century figure. He was an anti-
ever been awarded the Nobel Prize in any sci-

Semite, but also wrote the wisdom: “Coming
entific field, and a total of seventeen Nobel
together is a beginning. Keeping together is
science prizes awarded to a woman; the
progress. Working together is success.”

count is “off” because of the best-known fe-

When I came up with the idea for an Ana-
male recipient, two-time winner Marie Curie
log guest editorial about women in science—

(physics and chemistry). Marie is, of course,
but not the usual suspects or usual list of
one half of one of science and history’s best-
problems—I didn’t realize what I’d learn or
known couples, and mother of a great scien-
come to believe. The evidence I found is
tific family. Most schoolchildren know some-
that, male or female, people do better work
thing about the story of Marie and Pierre
when they are working together, and they

Curie’s discovery of radium. They might
also benefit from strong partners, whether or
know that Marie was devastated by Pierre’s
not that partner is also a scientist. It’s difficult accidental death, yet they probably know lit-to estimate the value of support from family
tle about the couple’s daughter, Nobel Prize-
and friends, but most people have heard the
winner Irene Joliot-Curie, or several other
truism, “Behind every great man, there is a

Curie descendants who have made notable
great woman.” Well—for the most part—
scientific advances.

vice-versa.

It’s more likely that when kids think about

Darwin entrusted his wife Emma, with
female scientists (if they think about them at
whom he had ten children, with the respon-
all) they picture a single woman like chemist
sibility of publishing his work after his death.

Rosalind Franklin, rival to Crick and Watson,

He “was a particularly admirable, even lov-
who died at age thirty-seven of ovarian can-
able, figure: a collegial scientist, devoted fa-
cer. Perhaps they might envision someone
ther, faithful supporter of young colleagues,
like never-married Annie Jump Cannon, an
sincere, honest, and without personal ene-
astronomer whose work I’d been completely
mies,” according to Merry Maisal and Laura
unaware of prior to a visit to the Huntington

Smart, who compiled biographies of sixteen

Library last year. Walking through the Hunt-
notable female scientists for the San Diego
ington’s mind-blowing science history exhib-

Supercomputer Center.

it (the extensive, original historical material

It’s challenging enough to figure out
vividly illustrates how far scientific knowl-
whether or not Charles Darwin could count
edge has developed in such a short period of
on the support of family and friends, al-
time), I spotted a letter written to Edwin
though Google Books lists more than three

Hubble from a lady named Annie. I won-
hundred thousand Darwin biographies. It’s
dered aloud, “Who is she?”

3

ANALOG

Annie Jump Cannon was the daughter of a
of Mayer’s physics research in Physics Today,

Delaware state senator and his wife Mary

“it was only through [Joe Mayer’s] support

Jump. She studied science at Wellesley and
over the years that she was persuaded to con-
later immersed herself in astronomy, becom-
tinue in science.”

ing one of “Pickering’s Women” at the Har-

Joe Mayer lost his position at Johns Hop-
vard Observatory, her job being to map and
kins because others at the school disliked his
define every star. Her beautifully written note
sponsorship of his wife’s science career.

to Hubble referred to a question about the

Maria had been allowed to conduct research
star classification system she developed,
at Johns Hopkins for a stipend of two hun-
which is still used today: O, B, A, F, G, K, M
dred dollars a year (which equals about three

(“Oh Be A Fine Girl, Kiss Me”). Annie may
thousand, five hundred in today’s dollars). Al-
never have married, but she did have friends.

though one of the only people in the U.S.

She was taught by another unmarried female
who was qualified to work in atomic physics,
scientist, Sarah Frances Whiting, who found-
she worked in chemical physics at Johns
ed the physics laboratory and astronomy de-

Hopkins, alongside the only two other scien-
partments at Wellesley. One of her friends
tists who would work with a woman—her
was Henrietta Swan Leavitt, another of “Pick-
husband Joe and chemical physicist Karl
ering’s Women,” whose work supported the

Herzfeld. Later, Maria worked with Enrico
development of Hubble’s law.

Fermi and Edward Teller at the University of

What about the second (to date) woman to

Chicago (on a volunteer basis) and conduct-
win the Nobel Prize in physics? It’s fair to say
ed research as part of the Manhattan Project.

that without her husband Joe Mayer, Maria

She worked half-time for a reduced salary un-

Goeppert Mayer would not have been able to
der her former student Robert Sachs at the
perform her scientific work. Maria shared 1/4

Argonne National Laboratory. We would not
of the Nobel Prize in physics in 1963 for her
have Maria Mayer’s science today, were it not
definition of the nuclear shell structure,
for her husband’s support.

along with Eugene Wigner, and, working sep-

It’s fair to say we would all be quite a bit
arately on the concept, J. Hans and D. Jensen.

sicker today were it not for Dorothy Crow-

Maria’s husband was a chemist who taught at
foot Hodgkin. Hodgkin, who won the Nobel

Johns Hopkins, the University of Chicago,

Prize in chemistry the year following Maria
and the University of California in San Diego.

Mayer’s physics award, had a more secure

He also served as President of the American
academic appointment than Mayer ever did.

Physical Society. Reportedly, when Maria

According to Maisel and Smart, Hodgkin was
won the Nobel Prize in Physics, the San

“the Darwin of our age,” a “saintly, gentle

Diego Union-Tribune’s headline read, “S.D.

and tolerant lover of people, and a devoted

Mother Wins Nobel Prize.” The headline was
protagonist of peace.” She founded the sci-
true, if almost laughably absurd (even for
ence of protein crystallography and won the

1963), as Maria was a mother and had been

1964 Nobel Prize in chemistry for determin-
married to Joe Mayer for over thirty years. Ac-
ing the molecular structures of cholesterol
cording to Karen E. Johnson’s 1986 overview

(cholesteryl iodide), penicillin, vitamin B12,

Analog Science Fiction and Fact (Astounding), Vol. CXXXV, No. 9, September 2015. ISSN 1059-2113, USPS 488-910, GST#123054108. Published month-ly except for combined January/February and July/August double issues by Dell Magazines, a division of Crosstown Publications. One-year subscription $55.90 in the United States and possessions, in all other countries $65.90 (GST included in Canada), payable in advance in U.S. funds. First copy of new subscription will be mailed within eight weeks of receipt of order. When reporting change of address allow 6 to 8 weeks and give new address as well as the old address as it appears on the last label. Periodical postage paid at Norwalk, CT and additional mailing offices. Canadian postage paid at Montreal, Quebec, Canada Post International Publications Mail, Product Sales Agreement No. 40012460. (c) 2015 by Dell Magazines, a division of Crosstown Publications, all rights reserved. Dell is a trademark registered in the U.S. Patent Office. Protection secured under the Universal Copyright Convention. Reproduction or use of editorial or pictorial content in any manner without express permission is prohibited. All stories in this magazine are fiction. No actual persons are designated by name or character. Any similarity is coincidental. All submissions must be accompanied by a stamped self-addressed envelope, the publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or artwork.

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Printed by Quad/Graphics, Taunton, MA U.S.A. (6/15/15) 4

AMY STERLING CASIL

SEPTEMBER 2015
and insulin. Hodgkin established her own
she was over age eighty. At this time, she fi-
laboratory at Oxford’s Somerville College, de-
nally did receive permission to visit the U.S.

scribed as an “unfailingly joyful and produc-
and lectured on insulin and crystallography
tive environment.” One of her devoted stu-
to “standing-room-only crowds.”

dents was Margaret Thatcher, then named

Playwright Adam Ganz became fascinated

Margaret Roberts.

by Hodgkin and Thatcher’s friendship when

Their friendship has been memorialized in
he realized that among prominent female
a play by Adam Ganz: The Chemistry Be-
politicians in the U.K. and Europe, both
tween Them. In later years, “The Iron Lady”

Thatcher and Germany’s Angela Merkel had
was proud to tell others that she was the first
begun as scientists, and, in contrast, none of

U.K. Prime Minister with a degree in science.

their prominent male political counterparts

After graduation from Oxford, Thatcher was
had any science education. In Ganz’s play,
turned down for many jobs as a chemist ow-
the fictional Thatcher tells Hodgkin that “the
ing to her “strong personality.” She eventual-
only time I was a better scientist than you
ly did find work as a chemist but quit upon
was in politics, because you thought people
meeting and marrying Denis Thatcher, who
wanted to live by their better nature, you see
managed his family’s chemical and paint
them as part of the lattice, but they want to
company. Denis encouraged his wife to pur-
see themselves as free.”

sue education and a career in law, launching

I wonder often what our notions of social
what is perhaps another form of “behind
propriety cost us. What if Joe Mayer hadn’t
every great woman . . . ”

been devoted enough to his wife’s scientific

In 1937, Dorothy Hodgkin mar r ied
research that he was willing to get fired?

Thomas Hodgkin, an African historian and

What if Dorothy Hodgkin’s husband hadn’t
peace advocate, and the couple had three
been willing to put up with her long hours in
children. According to Maisel and Smart,
the lab, her unconventional relationship with

“the entire family distinguished itself over
her mentor Bernal, or had not shared her de-
more than three decades by working in the
votion to world peace?

public arena for the cause of world peace.”

As to the controversial Henry Ford, a man

Despite her friendship with Margaret Thatch-
both wise and foolish, visionary and reac-
er, Hodgkin’s political activism and receipt of
tionary, Clara, his wife of nearly fifty years,
the Soviet-sponsored Lenin Prize barred her
reportedly threatened to leave him if he did
from receiving a U.S. Visa until 1990, when
not cease his opposition to the United Auto

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EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE ONLY analog@dellmagazines.com BEHIND EVERY GREAT MAN—AND WOMAN

5

ANALOG

Workers, an embattled position which was

Contributors.” San Diego Supercomputer
threatening to bring down the great compa-

Center. 1997. Web. 3 April 2015.

ny. Ford relented, and in 1941, signed what

“Maria Goeppert Mayer—Facts.” Nobel
was at the time, the most favorable contract
prize.org. Nobel Media AB 2014. Web. 4 Apr with the UAW.

2015.

As they say, behind every great man—and
great woman—is a partner and friend. ■

About the Author:

Amy Sterling Casil is a 2002 Nebula Award

Work Cited:

nominee and recipient of other awards and

“Annual Report 2004.” The Henry Ford.

recognition for her short science fiction and

Dearborn, MI: 2004. Print.

fantasy, which has appeared in publications

Bell, Alice. “Margaret Thatcher’s Surprising
ranging from The Magazine of Fantasy &

Relationship with Dorothy Hodgkin—inter-

Science Fiction to Zoetrope. She is the author view with playwright Adam Ganz.” The
of twenty-six nonfiction books, over a hun-

Guardian. 13 August 2014. Web. 3 April 2015.

dred short stories, two fiction and poetry col-

“Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin: Obituary.”

lections, and three novels. Amy is a founding

Physics Today. 1 May 1995. (80-81). Print.

member and treasurer of Book View Café

Johnson, Karen E. “Maria Goeppert Mayer:

and former treasurer of the Science Fiction & atoms, molecules and nuclear shells. ”

Fantasy Writers of America, and teaches writ-

Physics Today. Vol. 39 Sept. 1986: 44:50.

ing and composition at Saddleback College.

Print.

She is the founder of a new publishing com-

Maisel, Merry and Laura Smart. “Women
pany for the twenty-first century, Chameleon
in Science: A Selection of 16 Significant

Publishing.

6

AMY STERLING CASIL

Racing
to Mars

Martin L. Shoemaker
was thirty-four years old, in what should
ning each station; and at the rear was the
have been the prime of my medical career;
captain’s raised aluminum-and-web chair.

but in fact, I was washed up, a victim of

The curve of the deck and the height of the

Imyprinciples and mytemper.Mylife as a chair combined to give Aames an elevation doctor was over—until Nick Aames unexpect-of nearly two meters relative to the front
edly swept in and threw me a lifeline, asking
row of stations, so that he could look
for me personally to be chief medical officer

“down” upon each station and see the dis-
on the Mars cycler Aldrin.

plays. He glared at everyone and everything

And I hated him for it.

around him, a scowl f ixed in place. His uni-

Oh, not right away. I had never met him, so
form was immaculate, and his red hair and
how could I hate him? I was grateful! So as
beard were neatly trimmed; but despite the
soon as I had dropped my gear in my office, I
tone of his voice, his slouch and his attitude
headed up to the bridge to thank him.

made him seem sloppy, just as I had heard

But when I got there, my image of my bene-
from his detractors. But when I saw the
factor was shattered. As soon as the bridge
glare in his eyes, I decided that he was not
door opened, I heard him berating his crew.

sloppy, but rather dismissive: He was busy,

“Howarth! Why are those mooring lines not
and he had no time for anything but plan-
reeled in? Sakaguchi, are those engines ready
ning the maneuvers.

yet? We boost in two hours, people. Don’t

Chief Carver was a contrast to the captain:

waste time. Move!”

just as neat and trim, but his dark face was

I peered in through the door. Nick Aames
alert and warm as he greeted me at the bridge
loomed over his bridge, a redheaded, gray-
door. I saluted (still not comfortable saluting
clad vulture looking to swoop down on any-
even after my academy training), and I intro-
one that drew his ire. The br idge was
duced myself. “Dr. Constance Baldwin, re-
arranged in the classic “mission control” lay-
porting to Captain Aames.”

out, three rows of desk stations facing a

Carver returned my salute, and he smiled
main display, off icers in gray uniforms man-
just a bit. He was a charmer. “Welcome

7

ANALOG
aboard, doctor. We’re glad to have you. Let me
called it “ochre”; but in my dark mood, “or-
introduce you to the captain.”

ange muddy” was all I could see.

He walked over to the captain’s chair, and I

“Suck it up, Connie,” I said to myself.

followed, trying to imitate his precision stride

“You’re still a doctor. You have a practice.

and failing utterly in the one-quarter gravity.

That’s enough.”

Carver cleared his throat and announced,

I opened my old black medical bag and

“Captain, Dr. Baldwin is reporting for duty.”

pulled out a clear plastic tube containing a

I saluted again, but before I could say a
sheet of ivory parchment: my medical diploma
word, Aames snapped at me without taking
from the University of Michigan. I had almost
his eyes from the stations: “Is anyone sick
left the tube at home—our mass budget for
here, Doctor?”

personal effects was that tight—but I couldn’t I was unsure what to do, so I held my
make myself do it. I removed the parchment,
salute, and I answered without hesitation:

unrolled it, and wondered how I was going to

“No, sir.”

hang it. The frame had been too much for my

“Have there been any injuries that I missed?

mass budget, but I had no intention of going

Did someone call you to treat a bout of
to space without that parchment.

spacesickness?”

I had worked too hard to get that diplo-

“No, sir.”

ma—and then fought too hard to keep it. I

“Then what the hell are you doing here? I had reported sanitation violations at my hos-do not tolerate spectators on my bridge, par-
pital. They sued, and I countersued. The evi-
ticularly during departure maneuvers. Get the
dence was all with me, and I was vindicated.

hell off the bridge, Doctor, and back to your

Eventually, I won, but in the process, I lost. I
office where you belong!”

had the court settlement on my side, and a

And that was my introduction to Captain
big damage award, but I also had a reputation

Nick Aames. I owed him for my second
as a troublemaker. One slimy investigator had
chance as a doctor. And instinctively, I hated
pushed me too hard one night, trying to pro-
him. I had the urge to knock him out of that
voke a reaction; and I had lost control, punch-
chair, but I held my temper. Barely.

ing him when he had grabbed me in a
restaurant. Smart, Connie, really smart. Wit-I had signed aboard the Aldrin’s first full cy-nesses had testif ied that I was provoked, so
cle to Mars and back. She had been through
the police never pressed charges, but that be-
shakedown cruises in Earth-Luna space before
came my reputation: the temperamental
then, but now she would begin a series of
woman who punches men in bars. The hos-
boosts and slingshot maneuvers to launch her
pital’s PR f lacks made sure that story was in
on a cycler trajectory to Mars. There, another
all the media, and I was marked, a whistle-
carefully calculated set of slingshot maneuvers
blower with a temper. No one ever used the
would send her back to Earth, and then with
word “blackballed,” but no hospital would
skilled piloting she would repeat that cycle—
grant me admitting privileges. Without those,

Earth to Mars and back, again and again with
no practice would accept me. I was locked
minimal fuel costs. All it took was time: f ive-
out of medicine.

and-a-half months out, months longer back,

At first I was angry. Despite my natural tem-
and months of slingshot maneuvers on each
per, I had kept my calm throughout the court
end. I faced nearly two years under a captain
proceedings. (Punching holes in walls at night
whom I hated. My streak of career bad luck
didn’t count.) When I realized how screwed I
looked to stay unbroken.

was, I was angry enough to punch more than

I returned to my new office, a small space
a wall, but I was smart enough not to make
that smelled like a doctor’s off ice should—
that mistake twice. Eventually I figured I was
disinfectant with a tang of medicine—but
still young enough to switch career paths, so I
looked like the interior of a mud hut. Back
used my settlement to fund my training in
then, the Aldrin was still owned and man-space operations and space medicine, and I
aged by Holmes Interplanetary, and they had
also became a reservist in the Space Corps.

painted the interior in their corporate colors,

Then I sent applications to all of the transport
a hideous shade of orange-brown. Oh, they
companies.

8

MARTIN L. SHOEMAKER

SEPTEMBER 2015

And then I waited. It seemed the black-

But soon I was as fed up with my patients as
balling went farther than I had realized. I had
well as my boss. Or to be more specific, a pa-good recommendations from my instructors
tient: Anthony Holmes. He first came to my at-
at the academy, but I received no interview re-
tention when my assistant, Dr. Santana,
quests. None. I still read about shortages of brought me the ship’s medical report, a sum-doctors in space, but apparently the shortage
mary of the condition of the crew and the pas-
wasn’t enough to overcome my reputation.

sengers. When he pushed it to my desktop

My medical career was over, it seemed, and I
display, I skimmed over it. I knew Santana’s
didn’t have a backup plan.

record, so I trusted he had done thorough

But then out of nowhere, my fortunes com-
work. But then I saw that one line was marked
pletely reversed: Instead of an interview re-

INCOMPLETE. “Who’s this Holmes, Anthony, and
quest, I received a job offer from Holmes! But I
why is his record incomplete?”

was confused. I had applied there, yes, but I had Santana whistled. “A hundred and twenty
never heard a word from them—until this offer.

passengers and crew on board, and you zoom

I was torn between celebration and doubt,
right in on the one incomplete. You’re pretty
and doubt won. I didn’t want to derail the
sharp, doctor.” I nodded, acknowledging the
job offer, but I hate not understanding. So I
compliment. “Anthony Holmes is the sole heir
called their personnel director, and I asked
of Anton Holmes, chairman and primary
her to conf irm. She was very positive: “Yes,
stockholder of Holmes Interplanetary. In oth-
it’s very unusual, Dr. Baldwin. But your acad-
er words, he’s the boss’s son, and he damn
emy record and your C.V. are exemplary. And
well acts like it.”

your instructors spoke highly of you, Mr.

I pulled open Anthony’s f ile and skimmed

Quintana particularly.” Quintana had taught
through it. Twenty years old. Overweight by
our unit on emergency management. “That

Corps standards, but reasonably fit for a civil-
was enough for Captain Aames. He insisted
ian. Excellent dentition and bone health, the
we hire you. Our launch schedule is very ag-
best a billionaire’s son could buy. Neurotrans-
gressive, so we didn’t have time for the cus-
mitters all in optimum range, cardiovascular
tomary rounds of interviews. I hope that’s all
efficiency in the eightieth percentile for civil-
right with you?”

ians of his age range. Therapeutic nanos . . .

Absolutely it was all right! And before I

“Damn, he’s a NoNan.”

knew what was happening, I was on Farport,

Santana nodded. “He refused to accept his
boarding a rendezvous shuttle, and looking
nano injection. The admitting nurse insisted,
forward to meeting the man who had believed
and Holmes fired him.”

in me.

“Fired him? Can he do that?”

That bastard, Nick Aames.

“No, Doctor. Chief Carver stepped in and

After the second Bradbury expedition,
explained that you have authority in all med-
most people knew Aames by reputation. For a
ical personnel decisions. But by the time that
while he was a media hero. And he was also
was settled, we were far behind on our pas-
somewhat legendary at the academy, though a
senger screening. The chief said we should
lot of people there were not fans. “Difficult,”

deal with Holmes later.”

they said. “Sloppy.” “Obstinate.” “Insolent.”

I sighed. “And this is ‘later.’” I tapped the

“Arrogant.” “Smug.” And often more: “Arro-

CONTACT button on Anthony’s f ile.

gant bastard.” “Smug asshole.” I had written

A few seconds later, the channel opened,
these off as jealousy or petty rivalries. Now I
showing a young blonde man with well-
was ready to believe them. And worse.

coiffed curls and an expensive smile. His face

Oh, well. I had worked for tyrannical boss-
was on the heavy side of average, and his eyes
es, and I had put off hitting them for over two
were bright blue. “Hey, this is Anthony, what’s
years (until I found out they were compromis-
up?” The voice was young, cheery, and didn’t
ing patient safety, and then I hit them in the
sound at all like a troublemaker. I hoped this
court room). I could put up with Nick Aames
was all just a misunderstanding.

for that long. The boss didn’t matter, only the

“Mr. Holmes, this is Dr. Baldwin—”

patients mattered.

Anthony interrupted me. I hate being inter-

* * *
rupted, and it didn’t make me any happier

RACING TO MARS

9

ANALOG
when his cheer was replaced by an edge.

around. Next boost alert will be at Mars!” And

“Doctor. I expected this call. I’ve made my de-
he grinned and signed off.

cision, you’re wasting your time.”

I checked the medical board again: still

I swore under my breath, remembering my
greens across the desktop. I flipped to my of-
bedside manner for diff icult patients. Then I
fice status view. Everything was fully stocked,
continued. “I respect that, Mr. Holmes, but
we had no patients in the inf irmary, and all
they pay me to waste my time. Could you
our paperwork was up-to-date.

please visit my off ice after boosting, so that

I was still steamed, but I had a job to do,
we can discuss your treatment options?”

and no matter how I searched, I could find no

“Treatment?” He laughed, and then he
excuse to delay any longer. So I headed to the
sneered. It turned his pleasant face into some-
passenger lounge and to Mr. Holmes’s party.

thing uglier. “I don’t need that ‘treatment,’

Doctor, I’ve done my research. And I’m busy

It was easy to f ind Anthony in the lounge.

after boost. We’re holding a launch party.

The kid was heir to several billions, no matter

You’re welcome to join us, but you’re not go-
what currency you measured in, and that
ing to change my mind.”

much money generates its own gravitational

I shook my head. “Mr. Holmes, I have to be
field, drawing in a crowd of sycophants and a
on duty for any injuries that come up in boost.

ring of nervous corporate bodyguards. I pitied

It would be a lot easier if you could come
the guards: No one could miss them in those
here.”

ochre uniforms. I was glad we wore the grays

“Sorry, Doc, I just don’t have the time.” And
of the Space Corps instead of those awful
he clicked off.

things. The kid and his crowd were a marked

Damn! Save me from self-educated “ex-
contrast to all of us: They wore a wide range
perts” who think they’re doctors. . . .

of civilian attire. The kid himself was in a blue But before I could get any angrier about An-silk shirt and darker blue slacks, both designer
thony, Chief Carver’s face came on the ship-
fashions. That outfit probably cost more than I
wide comm. “Attention, all department heads:

would make that month.

departure boost in f ifteen minutes. Secure

I had to show my ID for scanning before the
your areas. Departure boost in f ifteen min-
guards would let me within sight of Anthony,
utes. Level One boost alert.”

and they wouldn’t let me any closer until they

Level One: not even a quarter g, just enough confirmed with him. A guard went over, whis-to correct our course and inject us into our cy-
pered in his ear, and pointed at me. Anthony
cler orbit to Mars. I had trained all the way to
nodded and waved me over.

level five in the academy. You would think lev-

I stood beside him, and he said, “Have a
el one would be a breeze, but because no one
seat, Doc.” I looked around his table but saw
took it seriously, ships usually had more in-no place to sit. A crowd of passengers, young
juries at level one due to loose objects that no
men and women bound for the Mars mission,
one had secured.

occupied every seat. I just looked pointedly

But not on the Aldrin! When the boost
at them, and Anthony added, “Folks, can you
horn sounded, I kept an eye on the med feed
give me a minute to consult with my doc-
on my desk, watching for red lights indicating
tor?” The passengers quickly stood and made
injuries, but the board stayed green. Aames’s
room, and I sat down. Anthony gestured to
crew didn’t leave loose ends.

one of the guards, a tall, bald, dark-skinned

For nine minutes, the big fusion engines
man with a serious look. “Chuks, get the lady
burned. Between the spin and the boost, the
a drink.”

“gravity” pushed toward the aft curve of the

The guard scowled—at Anthony, not at
outer wall. Passengers were strapped in, but
me—and I shook my head. “I’m on duty.”

boost-certified crew could move around as du-

Anthony laughed. “Doctor, it’s all right. Dad
ties required.

won’t mind.”

At the end of nine minutes, the boost horn

I frowned and narrowed my brows. “I don’t
sounded again, and Carver returned to the
answer to your ‘Dad,’ Mr. Holmes. The Corps
comm as the boost ended. “All hands, we’re
rules are very clear. Now please, this is not a
clear of boost. All personnel are free to move
social call. I’m very concerned. You’re at risk

10

MARTIN L. SHOEMAKER

SEPTEMBER 2015
for muscle and bone loss, and also for low-lev-

My vision started to go red, and I felt my
el radiation effects. These are easy to avoid,
temple throbbing. I yanked my arm away and
but we really need to set up an appointment
raised my voice so the whole room could hear.

for your therapy nanos.”

“Keep your hands to yourself, asshole, if you

He picked up his glass and took a long
don’t want them broken. Boss’s brat or no.”

drink. The glazed look in those blue eyes told

Anthony let go, but the dark-skinned body-
me it wasn’t his f irst. “Sorry to waste your
guard moved to stop me. He was a head taller
time, Doc. Not gonna happen.”

than me and in very good shape, but I f ixed

My voice was chill. “My name is Dr. Bald-
him with the glare I had learned to use on hos-
win.” Then I remembered that getting angry
pital lawyers. “Out of my way, or I’ll see you in would make things worse, so I aimed for a
the inf irmar y. ” He stepped aside, and I
lighter tone. “Let me assure you, the therapy is
stormed out for my office.

perfectly safe.”

Anthony slammed down his glass, display-

But I didn’t get far down the corridor before
ing his lack of space reflexes: The drink in the

I heard a deep voice calling. “Dr. Baldwin.”

glass lagged behind, then splashed to the bot-

Still too pissed to stop or turn back, I kept
tom and splattered out all over him and the
marching. I heard feet hurrying behind me,
table. “Shit!” Anthony said. From nowhere, an-
and I tensed, expecting someone to grab me
other guard appeared with a napkin and start-
and try to stop me. Relax, Connie, you’ll take ed sopping up the mess. Ignoring the guard,
their head off.

Anthony continued, “Safe? I’ve read the

But my pursuer was smarter than that.

NoNan reports, doctor. Your ‘therapy nanos’

Faster than I could follow, a f lash of ochre
are associated with higher incidences of
swept past me, climbing halfway up the wall.

rheumatoid arthritis, schizophrenia, insomnia,

In one smooth motion and without ever
peripheral neuropathy. . . .” He continued
touching me, the tall guard had leapt in front
with the usual litany of unconnected symp-
of me. Despite his bit of acrobatics, he wasn’t
toms, ticking them off on his fingers. He cov-
even breathing hard. He stood there, full of
ered every one I had ever heard of, plus a few
wiry energy, and that ochre uniform wasn’t
new ones.

the least mussed. He almost made that color I knew better than to interrupt a NoNan
look good. Almost.

zealot in mid-zeal; so though I wanted to tell

The guard held out a hand to stop me.

him what an idiot he was, I let him ramble on

“Doctor, please wait.”

until he ran out. Then, in my calmest, most

“I’m sorry. Mr. Chuks, is it?”

reasonable voice, I responded. “Mr. Holmes,

He straightened and smiled. “Major Adika,
those ‘reports’ are pseudoscience promoted

Chukwunwike Adika. Only my friends call me
by celebrities trying to stay relevant and en-

‘Chuks.’” He had a nice smile; but then it fell.

tertainment ‘doctors’ who know more about

“And over-privileged billionaire’s sons. I have
audience ratings than medical research. The
the . . . privilege of leading young Mr. Holmes’s NoNan literature has been discredited by
security detail.”

every scientist who has reviewed it. I can as-

I rolled my eyes. “I’m really sorry, Major sure you that the reputable studies do not

Adika. You’ll notice he grabbed me. I never show any signif icant correlation between
laid a finger on him. I lost my temper, but I’m
therapy nanos and any of those symptoms.”

not a threat to Mr. Holmes.” As long as he

Anthony shook his head. “‘Studies’ funded
keeps his hands to himself. . . .

by the companies that manufacture nanos.

The major nodded. “We had scanned you

What’s your cut, Doc? How much do you get
for weapons. Our bio-scans had read your
for jabbing me?”

heart rate and blood pressure, and our thermal

He grinned as he said that, but he was push-
sensors showed no significant increase in ac-
ing my limits. “Mr. Holmes, take your accusa-
tivity in your limbic system, so we judged you
tions and shove them. If you want a painful
as non-threatening.” And then the major’s
death, don’t let me stop you.”

smile returned. “But if in your anger you had

I stood and started to leave, but he grabbed
slapped the young mister, we might not have
my arm to stop me. “Doc, relax.”

noticed, officially. Some of us believe that the

RACING TO MARS

11

ANALOG
young mister gets away with too much be-

I grinned back. The major should’ve been a
cause people want something from him. And
doctor. He had a talent for putting people at
his father, the brilliant businessman, has a
ease.

blind spot where his son is involved.” Then

But then I shook my head. “I’m sorry, I wish
the smile turned to a broad, likable grin.

I could, but regulations and my code of ethics

“Should I ever choose to resign in style, I
forbid me from performing invasive therapy
might slap him myself.”

on an informed, competent patient who re-

I had prepared for another confrontation.

fuses it. His behavior aside, Holmes is compe-

My pulse had been racing. But the major’s hu-
tent . . . legally.”

mor relaxed me. There was a lot more to this

His grin turned down, and his face turned
man than muscle. “Thank you, Major. That . . .

solemn, every muscle standing out in frustra-
helps. Did you follow me just to apologize?”

tion. “Then I do not know what to do, Doctor.

“It is not right for a professional woman

You cannot treat him and I cannot protect him
such as yourself to be treated so. An apology
if he refuses to allow it.”

was required.” His voice had a hint of an ac-

By then I had decided how I would deal
cent, and his word choice was rather formal. I
with the problem: I would pass the buck. It
suspected English was not his first language.

was a corporate political problem as much as

“But no, that was only part of my reason.

a medical problem. “Let’s let the captain deal

What you said, Doctor . . . is Mr. Holmes really
with this. Perhaps he can persuade Holmes se-
at risk?”

nior, and then Holmes senior can persuade ju-

I nodded. “You’ve had your therapy nanos.

nior.”

Were they explained to you?”

The major looked doubtful. “No one has

“Doctor, I and my team were selected for
persuaded young Mr. Holmes against his will
this detail because we all have space experi-
in years.” But I didn’t see any other option, so
ence. Mr. Holmes senior wants us ready for

I tapped the captain’s icon on my comm.

any risk to his son. We all have been briefed

Captain Aames’s face appeared on the
on therapy nanos. But young Mr. Holmes’s
comm screen in my sleeve. He still had that ca-
sources—”

sual air, almost—almost slovenly in contrast to

“—are a bunch of quacks and kooks and at-
the alert bearing of Major Adika. But Rank
tention-seekers who might get him killed.

Hath Its Privileges. If the captain wanted to be

They play off the public’s lack of knowledge to
casual, it was his command.

inflame ridiculous fears. Those fears are harm-

His tone, however, was just as sharp as I re-
less on Earth; but here and on Mars, therapy
membered. “Dr. Baldwin, I hear you had an al-
nanos are his best defense against a number of
tercation in the passenger lounge. Do I need
general metabolic ailments. I can’t guarantee
to rule that off limits to you? Do I have to wor-
those will be fatal, but the risks are high. Unac-ry that you’ll assault someone again? Or can
ceptably high, in my medical opinion. He risks
you behave as a respectable off icer of this
decreased bone density and muscle tissue loss
ship?”

due to the low gravity, and cumulative effects

“Captain, I don’t know what you’ve heard,
of low-level cosmic radiation in open space.

but—”

He’ll survive, probably, but he risks painful,

“What I don’t need to hear, Doctor, are ex-permanent injuries. And death can’t be ruled
cuses. I have three complaints from Anthony
out. Angry as he made me, I still can’t put him

Holmes: two about your behavior and one
through that without a fight.”

about his missing security chief. I don’t need

The major added, “And if he gets injured or
trouble with the boss right at this moment,
sick, you will have to put up with him in your
nor with his son. Can you skip the excuses
infirmary.” I laughed at that, and the last of my and explain yourself ?”

tension slipped away. He laughed as well—a

So I explained everything that had hap-
good, deep, hearty laugh—and then contin-
pened. Occasionally I looked up at Major Adi-
ued. “Doctor, if you tell me his life is at stake, I ka for conf irmation, and each time he was
will sit on young Mr. Holmes while you give
watching me carefully and nodding as I went.

him the injections.” The major’s grin grew. “I

His intense stare unnerved me even more than
might even enjoy it.”

the captain’s glare.

12

MARTIN L. SHOEMAKER

SEPTEMBER 2015

I was careful not to gloss over anything,

So I followed. The captain strode directly
avoiding anything that might sound like an ex-
up to Major Adika, held out his badge for scan-
cuse, but when I was done, the captain
ning, and held his arms away from his side.

snapped, “Is that it?”

Again I noted the contrast: The major was

“Yes, sir.”

coiled energy, watching for trouble and ready

Then the captain leaned in toward the cam-
to spring, while the captain was casual. Yet
era and raised his voice a notch. “And you
the captain was every bit as confident, and his
chose to discuss a patient’s private medical
eyes swept the room in the same fashion.

matters over an open comm in the middle of I noticed the major’s aide subtly scanning
a public corridor where anyone could over-for weapons as the major rescanned my
hear? Do you know how much trouble Antho-badge. When the aide nodded, Major Adika let
ny could make with a breach of privacy claim?

us approach the table. Again, all of the chairs

Why didn’t you come to me in person?”

were occupied by hangers-on, but Captain

I clenched my fists, out of view of the cam-

Aames cleared his throat and stared down at
era, but not of Major Adika. He waved both
them, and they couldn’t meet his stare. They
hands palms down in a calming gesture, and
quickly slipped away, and the captain sat
that gave me just enough control to keep go-
across from Anthony. I joined them, caught
ing. “Captain, you said you never wanted to
uncomfortably between two men each of
see me on your bridge.”

whom had already pissed me off once that

Captain Aames looked upward and snorted.

day. I could feel my anxiety mounting, and

“I’m not on the bridge, doctor. I’m quite cer-with it my temper.

tain my schedule is posted, and it shows me in

Then a subtle movement caught my atten-
my off ice right now. Did you even bother to
tion from across the table: Major Adika moved
check my schedule?”

to stand near the table, just outside of the cir-

I swallowed my reply, because I knew he
cle of conversation but close by if there was
had me. “No, Captain, I did not.”

any trouble. He stood poised in the low gravi-

Then Captain Aames surprised me with his
ty, as if ready to spring, but with his arms light-answer. “That’s better, Doctor. The facts.

ly crossed in front of himself. He caught my

Don’t pretty them up, and damn sure don’t
eye and gave me a barely noticeable smile, and
cover them up, and things will go much better
just like that, my anxiety blew away on the
here.”

wind.

I was confused: Ready to f ight, and sud-

The table now held the remnants of a plate
denly the fight was gone. Just like with Major
of nachos and soy cheese. The table had

Adika. Was I too defensive? Was I looking for damp streaks as if it had been wiped clean at
trouble?

least once, indicating one or more spilled

I would have to think on that later, but
drinks. Anthony had had a few more drinks
right now, I seemed to have calmed the cap-
since I had left, and he was showing the
tain, and I wanted to build on that. “Under-
signs. His body mass let him absorb a fair
stood, Captain. I’ll head to your off ice
amount of alcohol, but his head was weaving,
immediately.”

and his hands were unsteady. He looked at

“No,” the captain waved that idea away,

Captain Aames, startled as if he hadn’t no-

“it’s too late for that. If privacy has been
ticed our arrival. “Nick! Hey, how’s things on
breached, it’s done already. No . . . I think I’ll the bridge, Cap? Chuks, we need more drinks
need to clear this up in person, so as not to
here!”

further antagonize the boss’s son. Wait for me

Major Adika didn’t move, and Anthony
outside the lounge, Doctor.”

didn’t notice. He didn’t have time: Captain

Aames took control of the conversation. “Mr.

By the time Captain Aames reached the pas-

Holmes, I understand there was an unfortu-
senger lounge, Major Adika had gone back in.

nate incident between you and Dr. Baldwin

The captain didn’t say a word to me; he just
earlier.”

nodded and entered the lounge. On the

Then Anthony finally noticed me. “Oh, hey,
doorstep he looked back at me for a moment

Doc . . . ’sno hard feelings, right? Get the Doc a and waved his head: Follow me.

drink, somebody! Look, Nick, it’s no big deal.”

RACING TO MARS

13

ANALOG

Anthony had a drink in his right hand and

Before I could object, Anthony blinked
waved it around, gesturing with it as if making
twice and then responded. “It’s all right, Nick.

a point. “The Doc just got a little . . . you know The Doc meant well. She doesn’t have to apol-

. . . hot. She’s used to ordering patients
ogize. We’re good, right, Doc?”

around, and I don’t take orders.”

I was ready to shout that we were not at all

“I understand, Mr. Holmes. The doctor just
good, but before I could, Captain Aames raised
didn’t realize how strongly you hold to your
his voice and said, “You’ve made a mistake,

NoNan views.”

Mr. Holmes.” He looked down at his comm.

I began to get annoyed all over again. What

“It’s you who are going to apologize to Dr.

happened to Nick Aames, the Terror of the

Baldwin for manhandling her, a professional

Spaceways? Here he was, coddling the boss’s
and one of my off icers. You’re also going to son just like all of the other ass-kissers.

apologize for your slanderous accusations.”

Aames could learn a thing or two from Major

“What?” Anthony leaned over the table.

Adika!

“You forget who you’re talking to. You’re outa

And Anthony was lapping it up. “That’s
line, Nick.”

right, NoNan!” He raised his voice. “NoNan,

And before anyone knew what was happen-
everybody! Say it with me! No! Nanos!” And
ing, the captain reached out and swiftly
just as he commanded, many in the crowd
slapped Anthony across the face. “That’s ‘Cap-
joined in as Anthony stood. “No! Nanos! No!

tain Aames’ to you, kid.”

Nanos! NONAN!!!!!” Anthony waved his drink

Everything happened at once. The room
around, spilling it, and I barely dodged the al-
grew silent at the slap, so everyone heard the
cohol.

captain. The guards moved toward our table,

The room broke out in scattered applause,
but Major Adika held up one hand, and they
and Anthony bowed and sat. As the applause
stepped back. I noticed a very slight grin on
died down, he waved his empty glass at the
the major’s face.

captain. “No nanos, Nick. I’m keeping my

Anthony rubbed his jaw. “What—Nick—”

body pure. And that’s final.”

The captain raised his hand again, so Anthony

The captain nodded and spoke calmly. “I
corrected himself. “What do you think you’re
understand. Dr. Baldwin has explained the
doing, Captain? Who do you think is in charge
risks if you decline therapeutic nanos?” I tried
here?”

to answer, but the captain held up a hand.

The captain checked his comm again, and

“Let him answer, please, Doctor. For the
then he pushed a f ile to the major’s comm.

record.”

“As of two minutes ago, I am. We just passed Anthony stared into space. “She didn’t, but

Earth’s gravipause.”

. . . Ummm . . . That nurse guy, Floyd—”

Anthony tried to focus. “Earth’s what?”

“Carl Lloyd,” the captain corrected.

“If you actually belonged in space, you

“Yeah, Lloyd. He read off all the risks, all the
would know that the gravipause is that point
usual nano company lies. I’ve heard them all
where the Sun’s gravitational pull exceeds
before.”

Earth’s and Luna’s combined gravity.”

“So you were informed of the risks, and

Anthony acted like he understood, but I
you’re declining treatment. For the record,”

doubted anything had penetrated all that alco-
the captain repeated.

hol. “That’s . . . interesting . . . but it’s still no

“Yes, and yes.”

excuse to be insolent!”

“So noted.” The captain tapped a button on

“You damn bet it’s an excuse! According to
his comm, and Holmes’s statement was
my contract with your father’s corporation,
recorded. That was it? That would get him and
once the Sun’s pull takes over, I have plenary
me off the hook legally, but it wouldn’t do a
power here. I can do whatever I, in my sole
thing about the risks.

judgment, decide is necessary for the safety of But the captain wasn’t done. “And now I
my passengers and crew, and for the safe com-
think an apology is in order.”

pletion of our mission. I can dispense orders,

My jaw dropped. No! I couldn’t swallow
regulations, and discipline as I see fit.”

that much pride. No way would I apologize to

Major Adika nodded. “He’s correct, Mr.

that young punk, even if it meant my job.

Holmes. This contract is very clear. He can’t

14

MARTIN L. SHOEMAKER

SEPTEMBER 2015
have you flogged or keelhauled, he can’t vio-
radiation exposure before we perfected thera-late your fundamental rights, but he has prac-
py nanos?”

tically the powers of an old British sea captain

“Captain, it involved tripling the recom-
when it comes to the smooth operation of this
mended exercise regimen. That provides suf-
ship.”

ficient muscle growth and bone development

Captain Aames glared at Anthony. “And
to counter the losses; and a good, healthy, ac-
smooth operation requires proper respect for
tive metabolism can repair most low-level ra-
my officers and crew while in performance of
diation damage. Assuming he stays healthy
their duties. You will apologize to Dr. Baldwin.

otherwise.”

Now.”

“I see. And has the kid even started the stan-

Anthony scowled. “I will not!”

dard regimen?”

As quick as before, Nick reached out and

I checked Anthony’s chart. “Not yet, Cap-
slapped Anthony again. Then he lowered his
tain. Of course, it’s still early in the day.”

voice so that only the three of us could hear.

“Nonsense, Doctor. Never too early for ex-

“If you make me slap you again, kid, I’ll pull
ercise.” The captain stood. “On your feet,
your pants down to do it, in front of all your
kid!”

adoring fans. Now: apologize to the doctor.

“Fuck off!” Anthony tapped his comm, but

Make sure everybody hears it.” Then he sat
then he looked puzzled. He stabbed with his
back and waited.

finger, but still nothing happened. “Hey! Why

Anthony stared, a mix of emotions strug-
can’t I call Dad?”

gling in his face: def iance, fear, anger, and

The captain replied, “I cut off your out-
shock. I might’ve felt sorry for him, if he
bound communications.”

hadn’t pissed me off in the first place. Finally,

“You can’t do that! You can’t violate my
he leaned back in his chair, looked around the
rights!”

room, and raised his voice. “I am . . . sorry . . .

“I can’t violate them; but in the interests of Dr. Baldwin. It was disrespectful to accuse you
ship operations, I can regulate and restrict
of taking money from the nano companies.

them. We only have so much communications

And I . . . was wrong to grab you like I did.

bandwidth, so I have to meter it. You will get

That was no way to treat an off icer of this
one f ifteen-minute call, once per day. Your ship.” He paused, looking down at his empty
slot is after your workout. Now on your feet.”

glass. Then, even louder, he added, “What are

And with that, Captain Aames reached down,
you all looking at? This is supposed to be a
grabbed that expensive blue shirt, twisted it
party! Bartender, a round for the house!”

into a knot, and easily lifted Anthony in the

The noise picked back up again, though it
low gravity. He set the young man down on
sounded bit forced. Under the rattle of glasses
his feet, looked him over, and sneered.

and the buzz of conversation, Anthony added,

“Drunk. Flabby. Out of shape. We’ll have to do

“Happy now, Captain Aames?”

something about that. Kid, the running track

The captain ignored the scorn, but he
is one ring up, but you can start running now.

laughed, haltingly. “Kid, your entire fortune

Get up there and give me some laps!”

couldn’t make me happy. But for now, I’m sat-Anthony looked indignant. “I’ll be your boss
isfied with your apology.”

some day!”

Anthony was surly, and he didn’t try to hide

“Only if I can keep you alive that long. Now
it. “I suppose now you’re going to force me to
move!” The captain raised his hand again, and
take therapy nanos.”

Anthony flinched. Then he stumbled through

Captain Aames shook his head. “No, that
the crowd. Major Adika moved ahead of him,
would be a clear violation of your fundamen-
clearing a path, and Anthony ran to the door.

tal rights. I can’t force you to accept invasive

“That’s a start,” the captain called after him.

therapy against your will. But I can take other

“But faster!” He turned to me. “Doctor,
measures for your own protection. Dr. Bald-
shouldn’t you be supervising his therapy?”

win!”

“Yes, Captain.” I didn’t see why I needed to

I sat up straighter. “Yes, Captain.”

watch the kid run, but I wasn’t ready to cross

“Doctor, what was the preventive therapy

Captain Aames. I got up and headed to the
for musculoskeletal loss and incidental
door just in time to see Anthony bolt

RACING TO MARS

15

ANALOG
antispinward, toward his cabin, but the major

Halfway around the ring, we had to dodge
grabbed his arm, spun him around, and
around a mess on the track. I smelled stomach
shoved him spinward toward the ramp to the
acid, and I saw bits of undigested soy cheese
upper ring. Adika grinned as they passed me.

in the mess.

I started jogging as well, but I had gone only

The next time around, the captain and An-
a few meters when a bit of gray appeared in
thony had f inally stopped. Aames stood and
my peripheral vision. Turning my head slight-
supervised as Anthony, shirtless, sopped up
ly, I saw Captain Aames jogging beside me.

the vomit with an expensive blue silk rag. The

“Best you can do?” he asked.

captain called “Halt!” and Adika and I came to

And then he pulled ahead of me, rushing to
a stop. Anthony looked up from his work,
pass the major and catch Anthony. He prod-
panting, and glared at Aames. The captain re-
ded the kid all the way up the ramp and onto
turned the glare and then turned to me. “Doc-
the big running track. The track was a third of
tor.”

a kilometer, completely circling the upper

I recognized the command in his tone, so I
ring. By the time I reached the top of the
dropped to my knees, grabbed Anthony’s
ramp, the captain and Anthony were out of
wrist, and felt for a pulse: 180, high but not
sight around the curve, but I could still see
dangerously so for his age and health. His res-

Major Adika, so I rushed to catch up with him.

piration was labored, but already it was slow-

Then we both picked up speed until we were
ing. I leaned my ear to his chest. His heart
up with the captain and the kid. The captain
sounded busy, but good. I didn’t have my bag,
had thrown off his uniform jacket some-
so I couldn’t check BP or electrolyte balance,
where, and his shirt showed sweat stains. I de-
hardly any of my routine checks, but I had
cided he was smart, so I threw off mine as
enough data to give a preliminary answer.

well.

“He’s fine, Captain. He’ll feel it tomorrow, but

The captain set a reasonable pace, especial-
he’s fine.”

ly in one-quarter g, but Anthony soon showed

“You bet he’ll feel it.” The captain paused
signs of fatigue. That only made Captain
for breath. “Major Adika?”

Aames more persistent. “Slacker! Are you that The major snapped to attention, his broad
soft, kid?” He cajoled and taunted to keep An-
chest rising and falling steadily in that damp
thony moving.

ochre shirt. “Yes, Captain.”

Sometimes the captain moved ahead and

“Major, this has been fun, but I can’t spare
jogged backward, keeping right in the kid’s
this much time day after day, even for the
face as he tossed out casual insults. “Your
health of the kid. He needs three runs per day,
problem is you can’t pay someone to run for

Doctor?” I nodded. “Since he’s such an impor-
you. Do you ever do anything on your own?”

tant kid, I can take time to run with him third That spurred the kid onward, though he
watch every day. Major, can you handle f irst
didn’t have breath to respond.

watch?”

After fifteen loops, I slowed down. I was in

Major Adika nodded. “Yes, Captain.”

okay shape, but I didn’t run much. The major

The captain turned back to me. “Doctor,
dropped back with me, though I’m sure that
this is therapy, so we need medical supervi-
was just courtesy: He didn’t show any signs of
sion. I need you to take the second watch
strain. Anthony attempted to slow down as
run.”

well, but instead the captain pushed him even

“Yes, Captain. I’ll need to trade watches
harder. Soon they were out of sight again, and
with Dr. Santana.”

I enjoyed my leisurely run with Adika.

“Don’t bother me with details, Doctor, just

Not long after that, the captain and Antho-
do your job.” He held down a hand to Antho-
ny passed us. A little later, they passed us
ny, but the kid ignored it. The captain
again, moving faster this time. The kid was
snapped his fingers twice, and finally Antho-
looking pale, and I raised my hand for the cap-
ny got the message. He took the hand, and the
tain’s attention, but he pointedly ignored me.

captain pulled him to his feet. “So, kid, that’ll It gave me some comfort to see that the cap-be your routine from here to Mars: a half hour
tain’s shirt was drenched with sweat. He
run, once each watch. Except fourth watch,
wasn’t a machine after all.

we’ll let you sleep through that one. You’ll

16

MARTIN L. SHOEMAKER

SEPTEMBER 2015
need it. Doctor, should that be a suff icient

When the time came, I wasn’t the only one
substitute for therapy nanos?”

waiting for the call. Major Adika joined us. The

I smiled and nodded. “It should, Captain.”

captain’s off ice was decorated all in tasteful

The captain continued, again looking at An-
dark shades: black walls, big black desk with a
thony. “Three top off icers watching out for
touch-display surface, dark gray carpet, and
your health. That’s how important you are.

brushed metal accents. The navy blue chair

Does that sound good, kid? Or would you like
provided a spot of color that drew attention to
to get those injections now?”

its occupant. It was such a relief from the

Anthony couldn’t stand straight, but he lift-
ochre throughout the ship, I felt the urge to
ed his head enough to glare at the captain.

hide there through my entire tour. But that

“No, Captain.” And without another word, he would’ve meant hiding out with Captain
staggered down the ramp to the main ring.

Aames, and despite our new détente, I wasn’t

Major Adika ambled after him. Aside from the
ready for that. He still struck me as volatile and sweaty shirt, you might never have known
demanding, and I didn’t need that kind of
that the major had had a workout.

stress all day long. I didn’t know how Chief

I waited until they were out of sight down

Carver could handle it.

the ramp, and then I spoke up. “Captain, you

Behind the captain, a massive window
know he’s going to call his father immediately.”

showed Earth and Luna slowly spinning past,

The captain turned and stared at me. “Did I
over six light-seconds away. I stared at the
ask for observations, Doctor?”

dwindling planets, and I thought about es-

“No, Captain.”

cape: All my past mistakes, all the wreckage

“Good!” My eyes widened. “Don’t look so
that had been my career, it was all just a mi-
shocked, Doctor. I expect you to bring things
croscopic point on that little blue dot in the
to my attention when you think they’re im-
distance. I might make all new mistakes here
portant. You can expect me to chew you out
on the Aldrin, but this really was a second when I think you’re wasting my time. And I
chance for me. I was determined to make this
expect you to push back because you know
work.

you’re right. I expect you to fight me until we

My thoughts were interrupted by a chime
know what the facts are. I don’t need a bunch
from the desk. A beat-up old e-reader sat in the
of yes-men for off icers, I need the whistle-
middle of the desk. Captain Aames slid it to
blower who gave up her career because she
the side, and then he waved us to stand be-
knew she was right. That’s who I hired, is that
hind him. He tapped the surface, and a
who I got?”

woman’s face appeared in a window in the

“Yes, Captain.”

center of the glass. She said, “Incoming call

“That sounds rather timid to me, Doctor.

from Anton Holmes, Captain.”

Are you ready to fight me when I’m wrong?”

Aames nodded at the desk. “Put him

“YES, CAPTAIN!”

through, Miles. ” The woman’s window

“That’s better.” And then the captain sur-
moved aside, and another window appeared,
prised me: For just a fraction of a second, he
showing an older man who was recognizably
smiled. “You’re right, Doctor, he’ll call Anton
a relative of Anthony Holmes. The hair was

Holmes. Not immediately, he’s too exhausted.

the same dark blonde, but short and bushy

But eventually. And then Anton will call me.

and with many gray bristles. The face was

And then . . . I don’t think the kid will like the thinner, harder, and more serious, but the
outcome.”

bone structure was the same, and he had the

“Understood, Captain. But might I ask one
same intense blue eyes. Those eyes were nar-
favor?”

rowed at the screen, though he probably

“Spit it out, Doctor.”

couldn’t see us yet.

“Captain, I would dearly like to listen in on

“Mr. Anton Holmes,” Miles said, “Captain
that call from Anton Holmes.”

Aames can speak to you now. Please remem-

Again, just the hint of a smile. “Doctor, it
ber that the light-speed delay is six seconds
would be my pleasure. Besides, I may need
one way, twelve seconds round trip. Mr.

the kid’s physician to back me up.”

Holmes, please begin.” Experienced inter-

* * *
planetary hands can speak in parallel, each

RACING TO MARS

17

ANALOG
person making points while listening to older
slingshot. You can pick him up on your way
points as they arrived, but for most people, it
back. Adika will keep an eye on him the
was simpler to wait for each statement, and
whole way, and there won’t be time for him
for one party to control the discussion until
to get into trouble. I may be too busy to go my-
passing control to the other. Miles had just giv-
self, but by damn, there’s going to be Holmes
en Anton Holmes control, so we had a twelve-
footprints on Mars. That will be worth a lot of
second wait for him to begin.

points on the stock market, and also in board-

The woman disappeared, replaced with
room battles.”

the view from the captain’s camera, a narrow

“I still think it’s a stupid idea, but it’s out of focus that showed only him, not the major
my hands once we reach the Mars gravipause.

and me. After a pause, Holmes spoke. “So,

My only responsibility is to get him there safe

Nick, I understand you had a problem with
and healthy. That’s not going to happen if he
my son.”

suffers bone and muscle loss and radiation

The captain responded. “Your son was
symptoms. Since he’s being a stubborn ass
drunk before we reached the gravipause. He
about his therapy nanos, hyper-exercise is
grabbed my doctor. He’s lucky she didn’t belt
what my doctor prescribes. Isn’t that right,
him! She has a history, you know.” He looked

Doctor?” And he widened the frame to show
up at me, eyebrows raised as if daring me to
me and the major standing behind him.

protest.

“Yes, Captain,” I answered. “This is the rec-

Twelve seconds later, Holmes rolled his
ommended non-nano therapy for a space trav-
eyes. “I think you’re making a big deal out of
eler of his age and health.”

nothing. Can’t we just start over, pretend this

Aames turned to the major. “And is young
never happened?”

Mr. Holmes in any physical danger?”

Aames nodded. “We can start over . . . with

Adika shook his head. “Mr. Holmes, I agree
a new captain, and with you fulfilling the can-
with Captain Aames: your son has no business
cellation clause in our contract. That would be
on Mars, and our security team will be very
five years’ salary, payable immediately, plus a
busy keeping him alive. But here on the
commission on each trip for that period.

Aldrin with this exercise program, he is per-Would you like to invoke that clause?” He
fectly safe.”

paused, but not long enough for Holmes to

Aames continued. “So in the best expert
take control. “But wait . . . There’s no qualified opinion on site, this is in Anthony’s own best
captain aboard, and we can’t turn back now.

interests. May I proceed? Or should I clean out

That would be a mess, wouldn’t it?”

my office?”

Twelve seconds later, Holmes was exasper-

In the twelve seconds it took to respond,
ated. “You can’t be serious! You would quit

Holmes’s glare intensified as he listened. Final-
over such a small matter as this?”

ly, he sighed, but he had a look of determina-

“No, but unless you f ire me, I’m going to
tion. Billionaires are accustomed to doing
run this ship my way. And it’s not a small mat-things their way. “All right, I’ll talk to him. Are ter. Do you still insist on sending Anthony to
you satisfied, Captain?”

Mars?”

Aames smiled at the camera, but it wasn’t a

“Damn straight I do. This is a Holmes mis-warm smile. It was almost predatory. “Quite
sion to Mars, and there’s going to be a Holmes
satisfied, boss. Now is there anything else? Or leading it!”

can I go back to running my ship?”

The captain sighed. “You forget, Anton, I’ve

“No, nothing else. Get to it.” And just like
been to Mars. I know Mars. He’s not ready to
that, the image cut out.

go there, and he’s damn sure not ready to lead

“He’s a busy man,” the captain said, swivel-
any mission.”

ing his chair to face the major and me. “That

“Oh, I know that.” Holmes leaned into the
conversation probably cost fifty-thousand dol-
camera and lowered his voice. “It’s just sym-
lars of his time, plus bandwidth charges. We
bolic for the media, and a notch for his ré-
should feel privileged. Do you feel privileged?”

sumé. He won’t do anything but give

Before we could answer, he continued. “So,
speeches. It’ll just be a quick down-and-back

Doctor, Major, we proceed according to plan.”

on a drop shuttle as you swing around for your

Then Aames grinned at the major, showing

18

MARTIN L. SHOEMAKER

SEPTEMBER 2015
real warmth for the first time that I had seen.

and comments under their breath, including

“Just like Luna, eh, Chuks?”

the word “brat.”

Major Adika grinned back. “Just like Luna,

I sat down at the table. Anthony stared

Nick, except this time we are on the other
down at a glass of what looked like tomato
end of the stick. I believe Sergeant Fontes
juice. Without asking, I picked it up. “Hey!”

would laugh to see us now.”

he objected, reaching for the glass.

“No, thank you,” the captain answered, “I

But I pulled the glass away. “Doctor’s or-
heard enough of his laughter in basic.” For a
ders. I need to know what you’re drinking.” I
moment he stared out the window, back at
took a sip. It was tomato juice, reconstituted, Earth and Luna. Then he turned back to his
without any hint of vodka. I set the glass back
desk. “Let’s hope our ‘recruit’ is no more diffi-
down. “Good choice.”

cult than we were, eh?”

Anthony took the glass and stared into it

Adika shook his head. “He is not diff icult,
again, slumping in his chair. I sat down next to
but he will never be ready for a dangerous
him, took his wrist, and started checking his
place like Mars.”

vitals. He was silent and sullen as I worked. He

The captain nodded. “That’s why he has
had some pallor, nothing bad, but he looked
you watching over him. He couldn’t be safer.

like he had been kicked around. I guess he

But enough of this. I have work to do, and so
had, in a way. Despite myself, I started to feel
do both of you. If you don’t, I’ll find some. Get almost sorry for him. Sorry enough to fudge
out of here.”

the truth a bit. “It seems your pulse is a little So we left his off ice, returning to the
erratic, Mr. Holmes. I’ll sign a doctor’s slip ex-world of awful ochre in Carver’s off ice, the
cusing you from this afternoon’s run, if you’d
gateway to the captain’s sanctuary. Chief
like.”

Carver was on the bridge, so we were alone,

Anthony shook his head. “No.” And then I
but I waited until we were safely out of Carv-
saw something of his father in him, the same
er’s outer off ice and in the corridor before I
steel behind the blue eyes. He drank the rest
turned to Major Adika. “You said only friends
of the tomato juice, set down his glass, and
call you ‘Chuks.’ I take it you know Captain
rose. “Let’s go.” He led the way to upper ring,

Aames?”

and a guard trailed us, taking a position at the

Major Adika smiled again. I could get used
top of the ramp. We started running, and as
to that smile. “Doctor, we have a saying:

we ran, I saw another guard at the top of each

‘Space is vast, but the Space Corps is not.’ If
of the four ramps. We had the ring to our-
you stay in the Corps long enough, you will be
selves.

amazed at how many people you will meet.

Anthony took off at a very fast pace, much

You could not possibly remember them all;
too fast to maintain for a half hour even in our
but one does not forget Nick Aames. Though
gravity. I rushed to catch up with him, but
many would like to.” And he laughed.

when I did, he put on more speed. I had to

I could get used to that, too.

run all out to catch him again.

Anthony kept going as fast as he could for as

The next day, when it was time for my run
long as he could, barreling forward as if Cap-
with Anthony, I tracked him down in the
tain Aames were still chasing him—or some-
lounge again. I expected the bodyguards to let
thing worse. I could see he was getting tired
me pass, since they had already screened me
and sloppy, and I worried he might hurt him-
twice the day before, but they were more pro-
self.

fessional than that. They were cordial and

Eventually, he slowed down. I was relieved,
courteous—and the major even gave me one
because I couldn’t keep up that pace much
of those big smiles—but they scanned me as
longer. But though he slowed, he remained at
thoroughly as they had the f irst time. Then
a running pace, not a jog. Whatever reserves
they let me through.

he had wouldn’t last long.

Anthony was sitting at the same table, but

When I saw Anthony’s face getting red, I
alone this time. A few passengers waved at
called out, “Enough.” I halted, but he kept go-
him as they passed by, but none sat down. As
ing. “Stop!” I shouted. This time he stopped,
they walked past me, I heard muted giggles
and I walked forward to check him over, a

RACING TO MARS

19

ANALOG
guard running up as I did. The guard, a tall
should just put up a show for a while, and

Asian woman, paid no attention to me. Like

Aames will get bored. He says . . . not even a
me, she was worried about Anthony.

week, just a few days. He says . . . he says, ‘Put His heart rate, respiration, and temperature
in a minimum for a few days, satisfy Aames.

were all dangerously high. “That’s enough, Mr.

Even you can do that.’ Even you.”

Holmes. Don’t make me get rough. You’ve got

I turned away, and so did the guard. It
to pace yourself, or you’re going to make your-
looked like Anthony was about to cry, and we
self ill, maybe injure yourself.”

didn’t want to make things worse for him.

Anthony leaned against a wall, head resting

Looking toward the wall, I replied, “Anthony,
on his arms. The guard put a hand on his
you can’t do this if you keep pushing this shoulder, but he shook it off. “Leave me alone
hard. You’re on the edge of exhaustion. But

. . .” he panted. “I . . . can do this . . .”

you can, you will do this if you just build up.

“You can’t do anything if you keep this up.

At your age and in your condition, you can

Don’t argue with your doctor.”

keep this up all day, once you work up to it.

But Anthony shook his head. “He . . . thinks

But if you go trying to prove something to

. . . I can’t do this . . .”

your dad, you’re going to prove him right. If

“Captain Aames?” I looked around as if the
you want to prove him wrong, you’re going to
captain might be listening. “That man’s a
have to work smarter. Can you do that?”

closed one, Mr. Holmes. Don’t assume you

“Yes, Doctor.”

know what he’s thinking. He’s manipulative,

He sounded more in control, so I turned
that might be exactly what he wants. If you try
back to him. “We’ll finish this half hour walk-
to out-think him, you’ll only hurt your head.”

ing. You’ve already overexerted yourself this

“No . . . not Aames . . .”

watch. Then I’ll set up a pace schedule for

“What, those people in the lounge? Is that
you, building up gradually as you go; and you
what they were laughing about?”

will stick to that pace no matter who tries to

Anthony glared at me. “Laughing . . . billion-
push you harder. Tell them it’s doctor’s orders.

aire’s son . . . getting what’s coming to him . . .”

Understood?”

His breathing was becoming more regular.

Anthony managed to smile at that. “Even

“Phonies . . . but not the f irst. Always want

Captain Aames?”

something from me, but I see through them.”

“You let me handle Captain Aames. Just

“Then why do you care what they think?”

concentrate on your workout plan, and you’ll

Anthony straightened and snarled. “Not
show him. And your dad.”

them, my Dad! He thinks . . . I can’t do this. He

“Yes, Doctor.” And we started walking. And
thinks . . . I don’t have to.” His breathing was
talking. And despite myself, I found myself
even, but now he hesitated for a different rea-
coming to like him. Anthony drunk was obnox-
son, choking back his emotions. “He thinks
ious, but Anthony sober was a pretty nice kid.

Aames is just . . . punishing me for . . . grabbing Not that I would call Anthony a kid to his
you.” He swallowed. “Doctor, I’m so sorry. I
face, not like the captain did. I could see his
was drunk, and I was completely out of line. It
pride was mostly a defense, and it could be
won’t happen again.”

easily battered. But he was a kid. Not

“Damn straight it won’t, next time I’ll
chronologically—I had known twenty-year-
punch you for sure.” But I smiled as I said it.

old soldiers and EMTs and astronauts who

“We can pretend it never happened, Mr.

were by no means kids—but in terms of ex-

Holmes, if that will help with your father.”

perience. Poor Anthony at twenty had never

“Please, call me ‘Anthony.’ When people
had to do anything, not anything hard. Oh,
call me ‘Mr. Holmes,’ it usually means they
he had been places, symbolic trips to half
want something.”

the world. He had been on aid missions as a

“All right, Anthony. Call me—”

front man for the Holmes Trust, and he had

Anthony held up a hand. “I’ll call you ‘Doc-
done symbolic spade work for the cameras;
tor.’ The captain wants me to respect his offi-
but it was never real, never anything he had
cers.” He tried to smile, but it faded, and he
to do because the job had to be done, and shook his head again. “But it won’t help with
he was the only one to do it. It was all just

Dad, he just wants this over. He thinks I
tourism masquerading as effort. And this

20

MARTIN L. SHOEMAKER

SEPTEMBER 2015

Mars expedition was more of the same: An-

We were a week out from the gravipause
ton wanted to “expose” him to the world,
when I came into the infirmary and found Dr.

but Anthony never even had to f inish a job.

Santana with a patient: Major Adika. The ma-

As soon as the media attention drifted, An-
jor sat on an exam table, shirtless, as Santana
ton would whisk him back home while oth-
ran a scanner over his shoulder. I couldn’t
er people did the hard work. This one little
help staring: Adika’s muscles were even more
thing, this ninety minutes of running every
impressive without the shirt; but more im-
day, may have been the most sustained effort
pressive yet were the scars.

Anthony had ever put forth.

Then I noticed the major smiling at me, and

I realized that I was staring. “Excuse me, I

I had just dropped off to sleep that night
have work to do.” My face felt warm as I
when my comm chimed. I lay in bed, eyes
ducked into my office.

closed, and called out. “Comm, answer. This

I found myself reading the same page of the
is Dr. Baldwin, is anything wrong?”

same routine report for the third time and still

Captain Aames’s voice came through the
not noticing what I read, when Dr. Santana
comm, and my eyes snapped open in the
came into my office. There was an odd smile
darkness. “Baldwin, what the hell’s up with
on his face. “Dr. Baldwin, I think you should
changing my orders for Anthony Holmes?”

see this patient.”

I was glad my comm camera was off so the

“What? Push me his chart. Is there some-
captain couldn’t see my face. “I changed my
thing wrong?”

orders, Captain, because in my judgment he Santana’s smile grew. “No, Doctor. I think
can’t handle the way he was pushing himself.

you should see him. He asked for you. Person-He’s out of shape, he needs to work up to
ally.”

that pace. Otherwise he’ll break down before

I f lushed again. “Oh. Thank you.” I stood,
he ever gets to Mars.”

felt my hair to see if it was out of place, and

“Good! If that keeps him off Mars, that’s
walked back into the infirmary.

better for everyone.”

Major Adika still sat on the exam table, still

“What? I thought you were doing this to
shirtless. I fought, but I kept my eyes on his
get him ready for Mars.”

face so as not to get f lustered. “So, Major,

“Doctor, I’m not interested in getting him
what’s the problem today?”

ready. I just want to test him and f ind his lim-

Then he smiled, and I got flustered despite
its. And if those limits keep him off Mars, so
my plan. “I think I have pulled a muscle in my
be it. Let me test him!”

shoulder.”

“Captain, he can do this. Give him a

Those muscles? I can’t believe that! But I re-chance.”

sisted saying that out loud. “How did this hap-

“You can give him a chance if you want,
pen?”

Doctor. Not my concern.”

“Oh, it was a foolish thing. I was sparring with

“But his health is my concern. This little
the captain in the gymnasium, and he got the
game of yours isn’t. My order stands. Comm
better of me with one of his capoeira moves. He off.”

sent me tumbling, and I grabbed a grip to stop

I pulled my covers over my head. It took
myself; but I failed to account for the ship’s spin, nearly an hour for me to calm down enough
and I felt a pull. Or possibly a tear.”

to fall asleep.

“I see. Well, Dr. Santana has already exam-
ined you, but let me take a look.” I pulled out

Monitoring Anthony’s progress was most
my scanner and ran it over his shoulder. As I
of how I passed my time at f irst. Our work in
did, I got a close-up look at those scars. One
the inf irmary was light: periodic screenings,
ran from his right clavicle almost to his spleen.

treatment of minor injuries, monitoring of

Another crossed his left bicep like a tattoo.

health and nutrition, and lots of paperwork

There were smaller scars all over his torso, in-
to send back to Earth. We were staffed to
cluding one circular red tear in his right del-
cover unexpected emergencies, which
toid that I was sure was from a bullet. “This
meant we had plenty of time to cover normal
isn’t your f irst injury by any means, Major.

operations.

You’ve lived a dangerous life.”

RACING TO MARS

21

ANALOG

“Mine is a dangerous profession, doctor.”

review that got out of hand.” But when I

“Are there a lot of attacks on Mr. Holmes?”

asked for details, he refused to say more.

“No, but I have been a bodyguard only for a

But I didn’t mind. I had secrets—I never ex-
few years. Before that, I was in U.N. security,
plained how I had landed on the Aldrin—so I rapid response team. This job is a vacation af-could hardly fault him for his own. These se-
ter that.”

crets only intrigued me more. The only real

“Uh-huh.” I lowered the scanner. “Well, Ma-
disagreement we had regarded Anthony: I was
jor, you’re correct: it’s a muscle pull, nothing
getting to like the kid and see potential in him, torn. I prescribe a few sessions of massage and
but Chuks kept cautioning me. “His enthusi-
some analgesic cream.” I looked back in his
asm never lasts, Constance.” Normally, “Con-
face. “But I’m not sure why Dr. Santana
stance” bothered me. It was such a formal
couldn’t have prescribed that.”

name, and it didn’t feel right to me. I was just

Adika put his shirt back on, and the big grin

“Connie”. But when Chuks said it, he imbued
came back. “But then I would be asking Dr.

the name with a softness, a quality that made

Santana if he is free for dinner tonight, not
me feel special.

you. He is a very nice gentleman, but I would

We sat in an observation room, curled to-
prefer your company, Doctor.”

gether on a couch and staring out at the stars

Again my face felt warm, but I kept my
as they spun by. “You’ve known him longer,
voice steady as I answered, “I would like that,

Chuks, but I just . . . I just see something there.

Major.”

I think he’s changing.” I didn’t tell Chuks

“Please, call me ‘Chuks.’”

about Anthony’s conversation and his deter-
mination to show his dad he could do this.

After that, Chuks and I spent a lot of time

That was private, not my secret to share. But
together, as our duties allowed. I learned to
after that, I believed in Anthony, and I wanted
appreciate his quiet humor, his enthusiasm
to support him. “And I don’t think Captain
for space, his dedication to duty, and his gen-

Aames would push him like this if he didn’t
tle strength. He was a good man, and com-
believe Anthony could do it.”

fortable to be with. He was proud of his

Chuks shook his head. “You do not under-
homeland, Nigeria, and proud of his warrior
stand Nick Aames yet, Constance. He tests
heritage. Although he was powerful and
people, tests them to the breaking point. If
skilled and capable of great violence, he saw
they pass the test, he raises the bar. If they
restraint as the mark of the true warrior: vio-
break, then he is satisfied, because he knows
lence was a tool he used to protect the weak
their limits.”

and defend what he believed in, not an end

I looked into his eyes. “I thought the cap-
in itself and not something that drove him.

tain was your friend.”

Knowing how hard it was to restrain my own

“He is. But it is difficult being Nick’s friend.

temper sometimes, I was impressed with

He tests his friends, too. It is just what he
how well he had mastered his own. He could
does.”

be passionate in his mission, but he was al-

“Some friend.” I frowned. “Well, maybe he
ways in control.

doesn’t believe in Anthony, but I do.”

I learned that incredible body of his, includ-

Chuks wrapped his arms tighter. “You are a
ing the roadmap of scars that hinted at the vi-
good woman, Constance. Despite your tem-
olence in his past. These fascinated me from a
per.” I glared at him, but then he smiled, and I
clinical perspective: How had he suffered that
did, too. “I just don’t want you to be hurt
cut in that spot? How had he survived a deep
when Mr. Holmes returns to form.”

trauma like the long scar across his chest?

Who had shot him in the back, and why? But

Over the next few weeks of running, my
he refused to talk about these past missions,
faith in Anthony grew as he shaped up well.

preferring to leave his past buried. The only

Thanks to the exercise and a carefully selected
scar he commented on was in his calf: a nearly
diet, he quickly dropped his excess weight,
perfect impression of human teeth, both up-
and that made the running easier. Soon I was
per and lower jaws. When I asked about that,
able to lift my limits and let him set his own
he laughed and said, “It was a performance
pace. I was glad that I was getting a good 22

MARTIN L. SHOEMAKER

SEPTEMBER 2015
workout, too: It was the only way I could keep
signaled the waiter for a round of drinks. An-
up with him.

thony ordered his usual, the house beer, and

As his body shaped up, so did his mood,
slowly sipped it. The captain watched him,
and not just because he had more stamina.

not judging, just watching. Finally he asked,

The passengers who had laughed at him

“So kid, are you ready for those therapy nanos
soon forgot his embarrassment, but they
yet?”

didn’t forget his power and inf luence. They

Anthony almost spewed his beer. The cap-
began trying to curry favor again, but with
tain had sucker-punched him there. Then he
his new conf idence, Anthony also became
took a long drink. I suspected that was to
more discerning. He was quick to cut out the
give him time to think of his answer. Finally
obvious toadies and focus on the ones who
he set down the half-empty glass. “No, cap-
were willing to treat him as just one of the
tain. I’m still not interested. I think Dr. Bald-
crowd. And one way he selected his com-
win is doing a f ine job of keeping me healthy
panions was by inviting them to run with
without polluting my body with unnatural him. The sycophants soon gave up on that,
machines.”

while those who stuck with it grew closer as

The captain almost smiled at that. “‘Unnat-
they challenged each other to faster paces
ural machines.’ Ah, yes . . . Doctor, I com-
and longer runs. It wasn’t long before I gave
pletely forgot we had an expert on
up on keeping up and concentrated on my
nanomachines here.”

own pace. Soon we had six regulars who

Anthony tightened his grip on his glass, but
joined us each day, four scientists and two
he kept control. “Not an expert, Captain, I’ve
bodyguards. We ran for a full hour, followed
just done my research.”

by dinner in the lounge, and they were

“Yes, yes, your research. I forgot. Don’t be
friends to Anthony, perhaps the f irst true so modest, kid, it sounds like expertise to me.

friends he had ever had.

So tell me: what is the activation frequency of

And sometimes we had another compan-
a salt-ion scavenger nano?”

ion: At least once a week, Captain Aames

Anthony hesitated a second. “I’m not sure,
joined us, even though it wasn’t his watch to

Captain. The . . . ummm . . . sound frequen-
run. Then I completely gave up on the race,
cy—”

and I just hung back and watched. The cap-

“Light frequency, kid,” the captain intertain still pushed and still taunted, but Anthony
rupted. “Modern nanos are generally activated
found it easier and easier to keep up. The cap-
by specif ic spectral signatures. Try this one:

tain still won every race, but their times got
what’s the orbital period of Phobos?”

faster every week.

“Oh, I know this one!” Anthony was so ea-

On the days when the captain joined us,
ger to answer, he ignored the fact that this
he also dined with us, and he even put din-
wasn’t a nanotechnology question. “Approxi-
ner on his tab. I won’t say he let his hair
mately 7.7 hours.”

down, but he showed a shrewd appreciation

“Approximately will get you dead in space,
for morale and unit cohesion. He sat with us,
kid. Okay, back to nanos: how many genera-
inquired as to experiments and preparations,
tions of sintering nanos can you get out of a
and listened to jokes and stories; and then
typical batch before they start to degrade?”

every week he stood and said, “Ladies and

“I don’t know, Captain. We have specialists
gentlemen, ship’s duties call, and I must go.

on the mission to deal with that sort of issue.”

Let the real party begin.” And after that, just

“Specialists, yes,” the captain nodded, “and
as he said, the celebration started and the
what is your specialty, kid?” He let the ques-
drinks were ordered. But Anthony never
tion hang in the air for almost three seconds
again drank like he had that f irst day, and he
before turning to the rest of the runners. “Oh,
would stop if I commented, or even just gave
that’s unimportant right now, we have all of
him an odd glance. He was determined not
these experts with us. Isn’t it fantastic that we to lose control again.

have all these experts on this mission, Doctor?

In the tenth week of racing, however, Cap-

Savoy, what’s your specialty?”

tain Aames broke the routine. He stayed at the

Laurence Savoy, a tall, shy Frenchman with
table long past his usual departure, and he
dark, curly hair, blinked. He wasn’t used to the

RACING TO MARS

23

ANALOG
captain’s attention. Finally he stammered, “At-

The runners stared at him, open-mouthed.

mospheric chemistry, Captain.”

Finally Martinez spoke up. “You’re serious.”

Aames nodded. “And you, Meadors?”

“Deadly serious, Martinez. Deadly. These

Minnie Meadors, a tall blonde from Boston,
will be seminar format, but with the sessions
was quicker with her answer. “Astronomy,
recorded so crew on other shifts can follow
captain. Seven hours, thirty-nine minutes,
along. I’ll expect each of you to organize the
fourteen seconds.”

seminars for your field and to present me syl-

“What? Oh, yes, Phobos. You must love the
labi and progress reports to review. Martinez,
viewing from here.”

you can start with software engineering on

“It’s phenomenal, sir. A dream come true.”

Mondays. Everyone should know more about

“Enjoy it, Meadors. It only gets better as we
programming and how to communicate with
approach Mars. This is a chance most as-
programmers. Meadors, you’ll do astronomy
tronomers will never get. And you, Krause?”

on Tuesdays, Krause and geology on Wednes-

Katherine Krause, a short, sturdy German
days, and Savoy and atmospheric chemistry
woman, replied eagerly. “Geology, Captain.

on Thursdays. I’m sure I can talk Major Adika

I’m counting the days to my first field survey.”

into teaching Martian survival on Saturdays,

“I look forward to your reports. And Mar-
and we can all take a break on Sundays.”

tinez?”

Anthony looked at the captain and swal-

Jerry Martinez, a medium-height, muscular
lowed. “And Fridays?” But I was sure he al-

Hispanic male, answered with a big smile.

ready knew the answer.

“Software Engineering, Captain.” He pointed

Aames stared right back at him, but those
a f inger around the table. “As soon as we
blue eyes didn’t flinch. “On Fridays, you’re go-
land, they’re all going to think up new re-
ing to teach us everything there is to know
quirements for their systems, things they nev-
about nanotechnology. And when we have
er thought of before. Somebody has to
questions, you’ll find the answers and teach us
reprogram all their gear to meet those new re-
those. And repeat, and repeat, until we’re all
quirements.”

as expert in the subject as you are.” And then

“Excellent! You should talk to Chief Carver.

he leaned in, almost into Anthony’s face. “Un-

He pulled out some software wizardry on our
less you think you can’t do it, kid?”

Mars mission.” He paused. “Of course, a big

Anthony held the captain’s gaze, and he
factor in our survival was cross-training. Did I
kept his voice low and level. “I can do it. Cap-
tell you about that, Doctor?”

tain.”

I wondered where Aames was going with

“Good! That’s what I like to hear! Doctor, if
this, but I played along. “No, you didn’t, Cap-
the kid needs any help, see to it that he has
tain.”

supplemental reading. Oh, and kid, I expect

The captain nodded. “We lost some good
you to be an active participant in all of these personnel, but we had the essentials covered,
seminars. Can you do that?”

thanks to cross-training. Say, does your mis-

This time there was steel in Anthony’s
sion have a cross-training plan?”

voice. “Yes. Sir.”

Meadors shook her head. “No, Captain, but

Aames leaned back. “Good, good!” He
that’s an excellent idea. I’ll bring it up with the looked around the table. “That goes for all of
mission planners.”

you. If this is going to work, I need you to set

Aames shook his head. “Don’t bother. I al-
examples for the rest of your team.” At last his
ready suggested it, fourteen months ago, but
gaze returned to Anthony. “I expect you to be
they rejected it. They said that was ‘Old
leaders, not spectators. For the good of the Space thinking,’ and they have a New Space
mission.” Then he placed his palms on the
mission plan. But now . . . It seems like your
table and stood, and just like any other week,
people have a lot of leisure time.” He slapped
he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, ship’s duties
his leg. “That’s it, I’m making an executive
call, and I must go. Let the real party begin.”

decision. You’ll all start cross-training semi-

And he left.

nars for your team. And for my crew as well,

As soon as the captain was gone, Anthony
since many of them hope for a Mars mission
drained the rest of his beer. Then he stood to
someday.”

leave as well.

24

MARTIN L. SHOEMAKER

SEPTEMBER 2015

I was worried. The captain was pushing too
teaching one, and Captain Aames expected hard, and this was completely out of nowhere.

him to sink or swim.

I was afraid all the work we had done might

And he wasn’t sinking, but only because he
be lost in this one blundering move by that—
spent all of his non-exercise time studying. He
by that tyrant, Nick Aames.

even stopped showing up for dinner after

I looked across the lounge. Chuks stood in a
workouts, until I put a halt to that.

corner with a good vantage on the room. He

“Doctor!” he protested.

had his earpiece in, so I was sure he had heard

But I answered with a phrase he was learn-
the conversation. He looked at me, frowned,
ing to hate: “Doctor’s orders. You need some
and shook his head. I had learned to read his
down time, or you’re going to have a break-
face and body language: I am sorry. The bar
down.” He accepted my order, grudgingly, but
has been raised.

the dinner conversations became more like an

But I wasn’t ready to give up hope. I ran af-
extension of the seminars. He kept probing
ter Anthony, and I caught up to him in the
his friends for answers, desperately trying to
hall. “Anthony, wait.” He kept walking toward
keep up with their work. His alcohol con-
his cabin, so I ran to catch up. “Anthony, stop.

sumption dropped almost to zero, but I made

Let’s talk.” But he kept walking, so I kept
a point to buy him a glass a night just to relax
pace. “Anthony, you’ve come so far, you’re do-
him. When he refused the first glass, I threat-
ing so well. Don’t let—” I looked around to
ened to write out a prescription.

see who might be listening. A guard stood a

Anthony’s determination was infectious. If
discreet distance away, so I lowered my voice.

Aames wanted to break him, then I was deter-

“Don’t let the captain’s pig-headedness undo
mined to keep him whole. But that had a cost:

everything you’ve done here.”

Our tutoring time meant less time with Chuks,

Anthony just kept walking, not looking at
and though Chuks was a good man and tried
me, but at least he answered. “I’m not, Doc-
not to show it, he resented it. “Constance, you
tor. He can’t break me that easily.”

will only be disappointed,” he said one night,

“But then where are you going? What are
but I read disappointment in his own face.

you going to do?”

“You waste our time; and in the end, Mr.

“To my room. To study. I have a seminar to

Holmes will lose interest, and you will have ac-
prepare, Doctor.” And then he did turn and
complished nothing.”

look at me. “I look forward to your supple-

Our time: I bristled at that. “It’s my time. If I mental reading list.”

want to spend it tutoring, I will. You don’t

That stopped me in my tracks, but he kept
own me.”

going, back stiff and straight and walking with

“I don’t want to own you, Constance, I
an easy stride. For the f irst time, I really saw want to protect you.”

his father in him.

“You’re not paid to protect me, you’re paid
to protect Anthony. Is my tutoring a danger to

But as determined as Anthony was, he still
him?” Before Chuks could answer, I stormed
needed a lot of help for this challenge. I end-
out of the observation room. I was tired and
ed up spending my spare time tutoring him,
frustrated, but that only made me more stub-
not just recommending reading. He was
born: If I had anything to say about it, Antho-
bright—his father’s genes ran true there—and
ny would master his studies.

he had the benefit of a very expensive educa-
tion and private tutors, but he had never had

Eventually Anthony’s hard work and my tu-
to work at learning. Material that came easy
toring paid off. He started asking smart ques-
to him, he blew through. When a topic
tions in the seminars. When it was his turn to
proved too tough for him, though, he just
lead a discussion, he was always prepared,
turned to something else. No one had ever
though I noticed he had a trick of delegating
expected him to have the discipline to see his
the more technical parts to the experts in the
way through a hard part, and no one had
room, then synthesizing their responses into
taught him the analysis and study skills to
new insights.

master a subject. Now suddenly he was “en-

In Chuks’s Martian survival seminar, An-
rolled” in f ive graduate-level studies, plus
thony was often the f irst one with the right

RACING TO MARS

25

ANALOG
answer to any challenge. It turned out the
really know Chuks was a good man after only
one topic that really did interest him was
four months?

Mars itself. He had to know everything about

Captain Aames was not big on saluting ex-
it; and in every other seminar, he managed to
cept when on station, so I wasn’t surprised
turn the topic back to “How will this help a
when he spoke before I could salute. “Just in
team to sur vive and succeed on Mar s?”

time, Doctor. Have a seat. Mr. Holmes should

Chuks was harsher with Anthony than with
be here any minute.”

the other students, always dissecting his an-

I sat in the seat that he indicated, making
swers and pointing out weaknesses and mis-
me the last person in a semi-circle around the
takes, but Anthony just studied harder, and
podium. Aames gave me no instructions, so I
soon there were no weaknesses for Chuks to
sat quietly.

f ind.

When Anthony came in the door, I could

And in his own seminar, Anthony quickly
tell he was as surprised as I had been but he
grasped how limited his “research” had been.

had practiced being unf lappable in front of

He devoured my supplemental reading, until
the captain, so he just walked up to the podi-

I had to call up more from Earth. He kept
um. The lights automatically lowered around
challenging the scientif ic consensus on nan-
us, and a big ceiling spot came on, pinning
otechnology, but his arrogance and conf i-
him in its beam. In the spotlight, I could see
dence were gone. He now demanded that
just how much the exercise regimen had done
each precept be challenged and defended.

for him. He was leaner, he stood straighter,

He worked with the discussion leaders to ex-
and he carried himself with conf idence. He
plore nanos from the ground up. He asked Lt.

looked every inch his father’s son, only more

Copeland, supervisor of the Aldrin’s nano at ease.

labs, for permission to observe the labs, and

Anthony wore a forced smile as he said,
after Captain Aames intervened, she ap-

“Well . . . it looks like my lesson notes won’t be proved him. Several weeks later, he asked for
needed today, so instead let’s get right to it.

permission to run some experimental batch-

Are there any questions?”

es. That approval took longer, and the cap-

The captain never looked up from his desk
tain demanded stringent oversight, but in the
as he asked from the shadows, “Mr. Holmes,
end, Anthony was approved to test a new de-
what is the activation frequency of a salt-ion
sign for waste reclamation nanos. His f irst
scavenger nano?”

two batches made an unholy stink, but Lt.

Without missing a beat, Anthony answered,

Copeland said they showed promise. His

“There are many variants, Captain. The prime
third batch produced no odors, and his
variant on this Mars mission has a primary ac-
fourth batch improved on the eff iciency of
tivation spike in the Ultraviolet C range at 210
our stock nanos. Copeland agreed to put
nanometers, and a secondary spike at half
them through further testing.

power in the visible spectrum at 560 nanome-

We were about four weeks out from the
ters. We also have a variant with three spikes

Martian gravipause at that point. The next Fri-
at 240, 500, and 614 nanometers. We have de-
day, when I showed up for Anthony’s seminar,
signs for other variants, but none in produc-

I was surprised to f ind the classroom almost
tion. I can look those up if you’d like.”

empty. There were usually a dozen students,

The captain looked at Lt. Copeland, and she
plus another dozen watching via comms. This
nodded. Then he answered, “Unnecessary.

time, the only people in the room were Cap-

How many generations of sintering nanos can
tain Aames, Lt. Copeland, Chief Carver, and
you get out of a typical batch before they start

Chuks. I didn’t look at Chuks. My temper had
to degrade?”

passed since our last argument, but something

Again Anthony’s response was immediate.

else was wrong, and I wasn’t sure what. As

“It’s a trick question, sir. Sintering nanos are

Anthony grew more capable, Chuks became
almost always destroyed in use, sacrif icing
more distant, but he didn’t explain why. I
their own component atoms to fabricate
wondered if he resented being wrong. Then I
some new part or tool. So looked at that way,
refused to believe that such a good man could
the answer is one. And sintering nanos are
be so petty. Then I grew angry at myself: did I
not self-replicating, so the answer is also one

26

MARTIN L. SHOEMAKER

SEPTEMBER 2015
from that perspective. But if you look at the
cooling system. It would be easier to scavenge
seed nanos that construct the sintering
from the meteorology station, but we might
nanos, those are typically good for at least f if-need that station functioning at optimum in
teen generations. In a pinch, you can push
order to do local weather forecasts and bring
them to twenty, but the reliability of the sin-
my rescue shuttle in. If my landing shuttle was
tering drops to the high risk range above f if-
damaged so as to lose all cooling water, then I teen. ” Copeland nodded, and Anthony
would scavenge just the minimum fluid from
added, “And the orbital period of Phobos is
the station. I wouldn’t even try to set up sub-
seven hours, thirty-nine minutes, thirteen-
surface reclamation in only two days. I
point-eight-four seconds. Dr. Meadors round-
brought enough water with me for that peri-
ed to the nearest second. During the course
od.”

of the Aldrin’s rendezvous with Mars, that er-Chuks nodded. “Very good, Mr. Holmes.”

ror will add up to almost forty-seven seconds.

And he looked at me with a strange sadness

If you had had a discrepancy like that on the
on his face. “Please continue enlightening us
second Bradbury expedition, you and the
about nanos.”

other survivors would be dead right now.”

And that was how it went. Anthony pre-

This time the captain did look up, straight at
sented an informal paper on his reclamation

Anthony. His eyes gleamed in the ref lected
nanos, answering questions, particularly
light. “You think you’re pretty smart, huh,
from Lt. Copeland, and every so often, some-
kid?”

one would pepper him with questions on

“Try me.” Anthony smiled. “Captain.”

other subjects. Chuks tested him on Martian

“Okay, kid, tell me about your waste recla-
survival. Chief Carver probed him on soft-
mation nanos.”

ware requirements and verif ication. The cap-

“What about them, sir?”

tain questioned him on chemistr y,

“Everything. From concept to production to
astronomy, mathematics, and geology. And I
testing. Convince me that we should risk this
questioned him on just about anything we

Mars mission on some billionaire’s son’s hare-
had studied.

brained scheme.”

After an hour of this, Anthony was sweat-

And Anthony set out to do just that. He
ing, but still going strong. I ducked out and
started explaining the history of reclamation
found him some water, and he just kept go-
nanos, the nanochemistry behind them, and
ing.

the current state of the art. He was just sum-

After three hours, Anthony had thoroughly
marizing the articles that inspired his new ap-
covered the planning, design, generation, and
proach when Chuks interrupted him. “Mr.

testing of his waste recycling nanos, and he

Holmes, you are stranded on Mars in the Elysi-
had also answered practical questions from
um quadrant during a meteorological survey.

across the range of Mars mission disciplines.

It is early spring in that region. Your shuttle is He looked tired enough that I was ready to
incapacitated. Where is your best place to
open my medical bag, but he was smiling as
scavenge water, and why?”

he asked, “Any more questions?”

That brought Anthony to a halt. He was

The captain looked around the semicircle,
deep in the middle of nanotechnology, and
and we all shook our heads. He shook his as
suddenly he was fielding a question on Mart-
well. “No, Mr. Holmes. Lights!” The room
ian survival. I was sure he was stalling when
lights came on. Aames stood, walked to the
he asked, “How long do I expect to wait be-
podium, and looked at the rest of us. “Ladies,
fore rescue, Major?”

gentlemen, I have one question for you: has

But Chuks smiled, and I knew Anthony had

Mr. Anthony Holmes mastered the material
done well. “Two days, Mr. Holmes. Possibly
presented in his seminar courses?”

less, depending on weather conditions.”

As one, we answered, “Yes, Captain.”

Anthony didn’t smile, but I saw confidence

“Very well.” He turned to Anthony. “Mr.

in his eyes. “For two days, Major, I wouldn’t

Holmes, congratulations.” He took Anthony’s
even try to scavenge subsurface water, though
hand and shook it. “While it has no force out-
there’s probably some in the area. For such a
side this ship—and not here, while we’re in-
short trip, I would scavenge from the shuttle’s
side the gravipauses—in the judgment of this

RACING TO MARS

27

ANALOG
review board you have earned a Doctorate of

I picked up my bag and stood. “Yes, Cap-

Areology with a Specialization in Nanotech-
tain. Right away.” I started for the door.

nology. We would be honored to attest as

But Anthony just stood at the podium, star-
much should you wish to apply to any gradu-
ing at Captain Aames, a big grin on his face.

ate or post-graduate program back on Earth.

The captain stared back and asked, “Is there

And who knows, maybe someday we’ll have
anything else, Mr. Holmes?”

an Aldrin University, and you’ll be our f irst Anthony nodded. “You called me ‘man,’

doctorate recipient, retroactive.” They shook
sir.”

hands again. “You’ve exceeded my highest ex-

The captain’s eyes widened. “I did?”

pectations, Mr. Holmes. That doesn’t happen

“Yes, Captain. ‘Think, man, you’re half my
often.”

age!’ You didn’t call me ‘kid’, you called me

They stood at the podium like that until fi-

‘man.’”

nally Captain Aames pulled his hand away. “So

Captain Aames smiled. “So I did. Was I
do you have anything to say for yourself ?”

wrong?”

Anthony nodded. “Yes sir, Captain.” He

“No, Captain.” Anthony saluted, turned,
turned to me. “Dr. Baldwin, I’d like to set up
and left for the infirmary.

an appointment to get my therapy nanos as
soon as possible.”

After I gave Anthony his injections, I traced

The captain raised an eyebrow, and then he
down Chuks in his cabin. He let me in, and I
turned around and sank into his seat. “I sup-
threw my arms around him without saying a
pose I’m going to start losing our races now.”

word. He kissed me, and we stood like that for

Anthony blinked. “Sir?”

a while. I just wanted things to be right be-

“Think, man, you’re half my age! And in bet-
tween us, whatever that would take.

ter shape than me, at least now. The only rea-

But when I pulled away, I saw sadness in his
son I’ve been winning is you have a handicap:

eyes. “Chuks, what’s wrong? He did it! Are
you don’t have half a million little machines
you that sorry to be wrong?”

constantly rebuilding bone and muscle dam-

He shook his head. “It is nothing, Con-
age. Your musculoskeletal damage has been
stance. Life changes, that is all, and change al-
slowed by exercise, whereas mine has been
ways brings good and bad.”

reversed by the nanos. Without that edge, I

“What could be bad here? We should be
wouldn’t stand a chance against you! I
proud!”

would’ve been eating your dust for at least the

“I am proud. Do not worry, I am just being
last month. With all your studies of nanotech-
foolish. Tomorrow will bring what it brings.

nology, you hadn’t figured that out?”

Tonight we are together. We should cele-

“No, captain. I just . . . figured you were that
brate.”

good.” Anthony hesitated, but finally he blurt-

And we did, and it was very good, and even-
ed out, “You cheated, Captain?”

tually his fantastic smile returned. But I

“No one is that good, Mr. Holmes. It’s not couldn’t forget his sad expression, and I
cheating to know your subject, do your home-
couldn’t stop worrying what might have
work, and use your resources. It’s smart; and if
caused it.

you’re half as smart as you think you are, you’ll learn to do it as second nature. When you

Three weeks later, the review board and An-
have an edge out here, you take it. Your mis-
thony met in the classroom again. We were
sion and your survival may depend upon it.”

joined by Savoy, Meadors, Krause, Martinez,

“Yes, Captain.”

and a number of other senior mission person-

“When you take the nanos, it will be a relief.

nel, and the rest of the mission watched on

I can stop trying so hard, because I know I’ll
the comms. Captain Aames directed a revised
lose in the end. Aside from Major Adika, you
brief ing on the mission plan, with each de-
may be the healthiest person on this ship.”

partment head going through a grilling much

“Thank you, Captain.”

like Anthony had. It wasn’t Aames’s mission,

Aames turned to me. “Doctor, you should
and he wouldn’t be going down to Mars; but
be able to accommodate Mr. Holmes immedi-
as the commander of the second Bradbury
ately, shouldn’t you?”

expedition, he was the local expert on Mars,

28

MARTIN L. SHOEMAKER

SEPTEMBER 2015
and he had plenary powers between the

Anthony qualif ied for the mission, he would
gravipauses. If he wanted to be briefed, he
insist on going.

would get briefed.

I had looked forward to the long voyage

At last, all of the departments had reported
home and a lot more time with Chuks. Selfish-
to the captain’s satisfaction, and he reclaimed
ly I hoped he would say “no,” and then we
the podium. He looked around the room.

could still be together in the coming months.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this looks like a very

But then I got angry with myself. Anthony had
professional mission plan, and you’ve got an-
earned this, he deserved this, and it was the
swers to every question we can imagine. Now
natural outcome of all our efforts. So despite
for the bad news: when you get down there,
my anger, I was proud when Chuks stood as

Mars is going to raise questions you can’t
well and answered. “Captain, my team would
imagine. Nothing in our evolution or experi-
enjoy the chance to spend more time on Mars;
ence can prepare us for Mars. Until you’re
but the mission plan does not allow enough
there, you won’t understand that. But if any
spare rations for that many. I believe there’s
team is ready for Mars . . . you are.”

enough buffer to safely cover myself and Mr.

At this rare bit of praise from Captain

Holmes.”

Aames, Chief Carver and I and other ship’s of-

I would miss Chuks, but his plan made
f icers rose and applauded. This team had
sense. I looked at him, and I smiled: I under-earned that.

stand. I’m proud of you. He smiled back, and When the applause faded and we all sat
it was a perfect blend of his sad look and his
down again, the captain continued. “But
big smile.

you’re not ready. Remember that, keep your

The captain stared at Chuks. “Major, that
wits about you, and you’ll survive until the
would do a lot to lower the risks in this mis-

Collins arrives to pick you up. Never forget: sion.” He turned his stare on Anthony. “Mr.

Mars is going to surprise you. Now, are there

Holmes!”

any last questions?” Anthony raised a hand.

“Yes, Captain!”

“Yes, Mr. Holmes?”

“You would have to understand one thing:

“Captain, I’ve been thinking.”

if you do this, you’re not Anthony Holmes,

“It’s about damn time,” the captain said.

the boss’s son. You’re bottom of the totem

Everyone laughed, including Anthony.

pole. You will do what you’re told when

He continued. “Captain, I don’t think I want
you’re told by whomever tells you. These
to do a down-and-back on the drop shuttle. I
people have been training for this mission for
respectfully request to be reassigned as per-
three years, some of them for longer. Their
manent staff for the mission.”

whole lives, even. You’ve had four months of

The captain looked around at the mission
cramming. That’s not the same. You’re not an
heads, and they all nodded slowly. “Are you
expert, you’re a nobody who might become sure? There’s no turning back on this one. It
an expert if you come out of this alive. The
will be fourteen months before the Collins ar-way to do that is to follow orders. Can you do
rives.”

that?”

Anthony smiled. “I’d like to put this new de-

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, captain.

gree to good use. Fourteen months is a good

I’d like to come out of this alive.”

start on that.”

Captain Aames looked at his comm. “All

Aames turned to me. “Doctor, is he in phys-
right, under those terms, I think you’ll make a
ical condition for the mission?”

hell of a Mars explorer. I support you in this

I rose to attention. “He is, Captain.”

decision.”

The captain turned to Adika. “This would

Anthony shook his head. “You ‘support’

mean your team has to stay through as well.

me? So am I authorized to go or not?”

Are you all right with that?”

The captain shook his head. “I can’t autho-And suddenly I understood why Chuks had
rize it, Mr. Holmes. As of three minutes ago,
been so sad: He had known this was coming.

we passed the Martian gravipause. I’m not in

He knew Anthony, and he knew how much
charge any more. You’re the boss’s son. If you

Mars meant to him, and he knew that once
want to go, who am I to tell you no?” ■

RACING TO MARS

29

BIOLOG Richard A. Lovett

MARTIN L. SHOEMAKER
artin L. Shoemaker credits computer
programming with his rapid rise to

Analog prominence. That’s because

Mprogramming—his dayjob for more
than thirty years—calls on many of the same
skills as plotting complex stories like the trio of Mars tales that have appeared in Analog in
rapid-fire succession since May 2013.

“A large part of system development in soft-
ware is visualizing a complex structure in your
iva Bene PhotographyV
head, seeing how all the pieces tie together,
and taking that vision and turning it into code,”

says Shoemaker, whose day job involves writ-
ing everything from code for diagnosing engine

Photo by
failures in your car to tracking baggage through
airports. “I think the process [in writing] is similar. I can see the shape [and] see what’s con-
nected where.”

He’s also a man with deep science fictional
roots. As a child growing up in small-town
western Michigan (where he still lives), he re-
members the original Star Trek from its in end-
diverted his creative energies but also honed
less syndications during his grade school and
his skills, so that when he returned to writing,
middle school years. And like many eventual
his apprenticeship was “embarrassingly brief.”

pros, as a child he wrote a lot, even if it was “as Literarily, he credits one of Scither’s most fa-atrocious as you can possibly imagine.”

mous discoveries, Barry B. Longyear, as a par-

As a teenager, he discovered Analog’s sister
ticularly strong influence. “‘Enemy Mine’ was
publication, Asimov’s Science Fiction, where
perfection,” he says. “If I can write anything
then-editor George Scithers was cultivating a
that can move anybody half as much as that did,
whole generation of new writers. “I realized

I’ll feel successful.” What made the story work,
that a writer is just a reader who’s decided to
he adds, was its mix of scientific realism and
join the fun,” he says, noting he decided it
the characters’ internal journeys. “It was a very would be a fun career path to follow. “Thirty
logical, rational story,” he says, “and at the
years later, I got around to actually following it.”

same time it had true emotional depth.”

The delay came because in ninth grade some-

He’s also a fan of Niven, who he thinks does
one introduced him to his first computer. “[They]

the same things. “He will ruthlessly explore the
said, ‘Here’s a program. Now go write one,’” he
science and find out how it impacts the charac-
says. “That distracted me for thirty years. It satis-ters,” Shoemaker says.

fies some of the same urges as writing.”

Although he’s sold to several other markets,

He also spent some time as a game master

Shoemaker particularly likes Analog because its
for role-playing games, where, he says, he had
stories tend to be about problems and solu-
to create stories “on the f ly” in situations
tions. “Analog is a ‘we can fix things’ market,”

where “I had players testing and probing
he says. “Humanity solves problems. Yes we
them, looking for weak spots to use for their
create some along the way [but] we struggle
advantage.” Like computer programming, that
and survive and overcome.” ■

30

Science Fact

Human-Caused

Earthquakes:

From Science

Fiction to

Seismology

Richard A. Lovett
n the now-classic Christopher Reeves Su-
the result of a villain’s nefarious intent, that
perman reboot (1978), archvillain Lex
blast was intended to open up a source of lim-

Luthor has a dastardly plot: he’ll detonate a
itless geothermal power. But Crack in the

Ibig nuke on the San Andreas Fault,forcing World was low-budget sci-fi,while Superman a giant earthquake that will cause Western Cal-raked in 300 million 1978 dollars. The result is
ifornia to fall into the sea, leaving him owning
that for most people, Lex Luthor’s earthquake
desert lands that are now the state’s newest
is the one that got remembered. Not to men-
beachfront property.

tion that blasting the San Andreas Fault into

Superman wasn’t the f irst movie to come motion was the perfect super-villain plot: das-up with the idea of a large nuclear blast trig-
tardly enough to be entertaining, but not be-
gering a giant earthquake. The 1965 dooms-
lievable enough to produce true viewer angst.

day movie, Crack in the World, used the same Or so people thought in 1978.

concept, although in its case the nuke was

Fast-forward to modern-day Sparks, Okla-
detonated in East Africa. Also, instead of being
homa. It isn’t a place you’d normally expect

31

ANALOG
earthquakes. It’s prairie country; smack-dab in
humans can cause earthquakes, ’” Cliff
the middle of America, far from the grinding

Frohlich, an earthquake seismologist and asso-
tectonics that keep people on edge in Califor-
ciate director of the Institute of Geophysics at
nia, Indonesia, Japan, Chile, Turkey, or other
the University of Texas, Austin, told me in late
active tectonic zones.1 Sure, the midcontinent

2013.4
crust occasionally trembles in response to dis-

I myself had a similar experience in 2007 af-
tant, ancient stresses. But the resulting ground
ter I wrote a story for National Geographic
motions are rarely enough for anyone but a

News about the worst earthquake in Aus-
seismologist to notice.

tralia’s history, a magnitude 5.6 jolt that struck Then, on November 5, 2011, the area was

Newcastle, New South Wales, in 1989, leaving
hit by a pair of temblors, one of which was

13 dead, 160 hospitalized, and costing 4 bil-
the largest earthquake in Oklahoma history—
lion dollars in property damages.5 At the De-
a magnitude 5.6 shock that injured two peo-
cember 2006 meeting of the American
ple, destroyed 14 homes, and was felt across

Geophysical Union, in San Francisco, Christian

17 states.

Klose, then a geophysical hazard researcher at

Meanwhile, other magnitude 5.0 or larger

Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth
temblors were popping up in parts of the

Observatory, had argued that this had been

American heartland rarely associated with
caused by a shift in tectonic forces due to two
damaging quakes—earthquakes that scientists
hundred years of coal mining. But when I
are now convinced were caused by human ac-
wrote about it, he (and I) was shouted down
tivities.

on the Internet as a crackpot. Even a former

Not that anyone’s blaming Lex Luthor. The
head of Geoscience Australia’s earthquake
culprit appears to be more akin to the one
monitoring group weighed in to dismiss
posited in Crack in the World: an unintended Klose’s theory as unlikely.6 Puny humans, the
consequence of humans underestimating their
argument went, were simply incapable of al-
power to affect the world at a geological scale.

tering the Earth’s tectonic stresses enough to

In fact, Crack in the World was startlingly pre-produce earthquakes —and anyone who
scient: the Sparks earthquake, and several like
thought otherwise was, well, about as realistic
it, appear to have been side effects of energy
as Lex Luthor.

development—in this case a controversial

But sometimes, what everyone says simply
method of enhanced oil-and-gas recovery
isn’t true.

known as fracking.2

A small cadre of earthquake scientists,

Anything humans do that makes the ground

Frohlich says, have known since the 1930s
shake is technically an earthquake. But there’s
that humans are capable of inducing potential-
a huge difference between microscopic vibra-
ly sizeable earthquakes. That’s when construc-
tions from mining operations (or even the col-
tion was completed on America’s Hoover
lapse of the World Trade Center’s Twin

Dam, near Las Vegas, Nevada. The dam creat-

Towers3) and anything we’d normally call an
ed Lake Mead, still the largest reservoir in
earthquake. “Four years ago, when I used to

America, capable of holding 37 cubic kilome-
talk about induced earthquakes, people used
ters of water: only slightly less than China’s fa-to stand up and say, ‘We don’t believe that
mous Three Gorges Reservoir. That much

1 See Richard A. Lovett, “Waves of the Future: Where Will the Next Tsunami Strike?” Analog, June 2013.

2 Not that “Crack in the World” was by any means scientifically accurate. Its experiment gone wrong wound up with a giant fissure in the Earth’s crust, big enough to eventually spit out a second Moon. What we’re talking about here are much more ordinary earthquakes.

3 See, Richard A. Lovett, “Forensic Seismology: The Big Science of Minor Shakeups,” Analog, April 2004.

4 Richard A. Lovett, “Seismic Rumblings,” Cosmos 56, April/May 2014, pp. 46–51.

5 Richard A. Lovett, “Coal Mining Causing Earthquakes, Study Says,” National Geographic News, January 3, 2007, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/01/070103-mine-quake.html.

6 “Australian experts reject Newcastle quake claims,” ABC (Australian Broadcasting Company) News, 8

January 2007, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2007-01-09/australian-experts-reject-newcastle-quake-claims/2168560.

32

RICHARD A. LOVETT

SEPTEMBER 2015
water weighs a lot (37 billion metric tonnes,
lucky enough to be living nearby. And in still
to be precise), so perhaps it shouldn’t have
other settings, earthquakes may be induced
been a surprise when seismometers in the
where there are no contemporary tectonic
area began recording earthquakes up to mag-
processes to be accelerated: nothing more
nitude 5.0, linked to the level of water in the
than residual stress from ancient forces that
steadily filling reservoir.

have never dissipated. “These faults just need
something to trigger an earthquake,” Klose

India, Uzbekistan, China
says. “If human action is large enough [it can]

Hoover Dam is far enough from major pop-
break them.”

ulation centers that none of these earthquakes
were damaging. But the residents of western

From a physics perspective, the forces in-

India weren’t so lucky following the comple-
volved in producing earthquakes are fairly sim-
tion of the 340-foot-tall Koyna Dam in 1964.

ple. Fault lines are simply cracks that are

Three years later, a magnitude 6.7 temblor
subjected to forces (called shear forces) that
flattened a nearby village, killed an estimated
make one side want to slide against the other.

180 people, and injured 1,500 more.

Sometimes, the opposing rocks want to slip

That disaster is the largest human-caused
sideways, sometimes vertically, sometimes at
earthquake “everyone agrees on” says William
any angle in between. The difference is impor-

Ellsworth, a seismologist with the U.S. Geo-
tant to geologists trying to understand moun-
logical Survey in Menlo Park, California. But
tain building and plate tectonics, but for
that doesn’t mean that humans might not have
people primarily interested in the safety of
caused even worse earthquakes. In 1976 and
their homes, the differences don’t matter all

1984, Uzbekistan’s Gazli oil f ield was hit by
that much.

two big quakes, magnitude 7.0 or bigger, that

The only reason your local fault isn’t slip-
may have been produced by underground
ping right now is that shear forces aren’t the
stress changes from decades of oil and gas ex-
only ones involved. Others clamp the two
traction. (A third temblor came in at magni-
sides of the fault so firmly together that it’s not tude 6.8.) “The scientif ic evidence doesn’t
possible for them to move. You could com-
make a bulletproof case,” Ellsworth says, “but
pare it to pressing your palms against each

I think it’s likely.”

other while also trying to slide them sideways.

The granddaddy of all, however, may have

Ellsworth analogizes it to a brick on a tilted
been the magnitude 7.9 quake that struck Chi-
board; the brick remains in place until you tilt
na’s Sichuan Province in 2008, shortly after
the board so far that the brick starts to slide.

the completion of 512-foot-tall Zipingpu Dam.

“A fault will remain silent, not moving, until

That one killed 69,000 people and left anoth-
the shear stress exceeds the stress clamping it
er 18,000 missing. In a paper presented a few
together,” he says.

months afterward at the 2008 meeting of the

As with your hands (or the brick), there are

American Geophysical Union, Klose argued
three basic ways to make it move. One is to in-
that the pileup of water in the reservoir might
crease the shear stress. That’s what happens
have overstressed the fault, accelerating natur-
naturally in traditional seismic zones, as tec-
al tectonic stresses by hundreds of years. Since
tonic pressures mount until eventually the
then, other scientists have supported this
fault slips.

claim, but it may be years before the scientific

The second way to make it slip is by reduc-
community reaches agreement on whether
ing the clamping pressure, and the third is by
this earthquake was or was not human-in-
lubricating the fault with something slippery.

duced.

Human-triggered earthquakes probably

In some tectonic settings, human-induced
work by all three mechanisms. In the case of
earthquakes are simply natural ones that

China’s Sichuan earthquake, for example,
would eventually have occurred on their own,

Klose estimated that 320 million tonnes of wa-
possibly in the near future. But not always. In
ter piled up behind the dam in the two years
other cases, Klose and others have argued, the
before the quake. That’s far less than in Lake
natural cycle might have been accelerated by

Mead, but still enough to produce a substan-
hundreds of years—a big deal for those un-
tial change in shear forces across the fault.

HUMAN-CAUSED EARTHQUAKES: FROM SCIENCE FICTION TO SEISMOLOGY

33

ANALOG

Something similar might have happened at
in the 1960s and ’70s, the U.S. Geological Sur-

Newcastle—though in that case it would have
vey (with oil company cooperation) tested the
been the removal of weight that was the cul-
theory in Chevron’s Rangely Oil Field in north-
prit. In his 2006 study, Klose estimated that for western Colorado, where fluid injections were
each tonne of coal extracted from the mines,
being used to force oil from aging wells. Work-
another 4.3 tonnes of water had to be pumped
ing in a portion of the field where small earth-
out in order to prevent f looding. And in his
quakes were common, the researchers found

2014 book Frack this! The Untold Story About
that by varying the pressure of the fluid being

Earthquakes Caused by Humans he argues
injected, they could very easily turn the area’s
that this is actually at the low end of the scale seismic activity on and off.8
for the amount of ground water that has to be

But it took a massive surge in earthquakes in
pumped out of mines, worldwide. Multiply
the American heartland to bring human-induced
that by two hundred years of operation, and it’s
earthquakes to public attention. In an article in a big change. Long-term extraction at oil and
the July 12, 2013 issue of Science, Ellsworth tal-gas fields like Gazli might induce earthquakes
lied earthquakes in the U.S. midcontinent since
the same way. In some fault geometries, such

2001, discovering that in the course of barely
changes could reduce clamping pressures; in
more than a decade there had been a nearly ten-
others, they might increase shear stresses.

fold increase in the number of magnitude 3.0 or

But the most common way in which hu-
larger earthquakes: from 21 per year prior to
mans might be inducing earthquakes is by in-

2001 to 188 per year in 2011, with most of the
jecting water into the ground, sometimes as a
rise in the last four or five years.9
side effect of the water pressure at the bottom

It’s a change, Ellsworth says, that strongly
of a newly created reservoir, and sometimes
parallels the increased use of the controversial
by directly injecting polluted water into deep
enhanced oil-and-gas recovery process known
rocks as a means of waste disposal. Either way,
as fracking, in which high-pressure fluids are in-this water increases f luid pressure in the
jected into the rocks in part of a process that
rocks’ pore spaces—including the gaps with-
has enormously boosted U.S. oil and gas pro-
in the fault itself. “You can think about it as
duction. In fact, says Nicholas van der Elst, a
pushing the fault apart,” says Ellsworth. Or, if
seismologist at Columbia University’s Lamont-
you prefer, you can think of it as lubricating

Doherty Earth Observatory, and lead author of
faults so the rocks can slip more easily.

another study in the same issue of Science, 10 at This last mechanism isn’t just theory. In a
least half of the largest of these midcontinent

July 2013 article in the Journal of Geophysical earthquakes (magnitude 4.5 or larger) came

Research: Solid Earth, Won-Young Kim of La-near injection-well sites. (Most of the rest oc-
mont-Doherty Earth Observatory found a cor-
curred in the New Madrid Seismic Zone south
relation between earthquakes (up to
of St. Louis, Missouri, where naturally occur-
magnitude 3.9) near Youngstown, Ohio, and
ring earthquakes, some possibly exceeding
fluid injection activities at a nearby well.7 And magnitude 7, have been recorded since
that’s not the best evidence. All the way back

1811.)11

7 Won-Young Kim, “Induced seismicity associated with fluid injection into a deep well in Youngstown, Ohio,” Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 118, Issue 7, pages 3506–3518 (July 2013). DOI: 10.1002/jgrb.50247.

8 Gibbs, James F.; Healy, John H.; Raleigh, C. Barry; Coakley, John M., “Earthquakes in the oil field at Rangely, Colorado,” USGS Open-File Report: 72-130 (1972).

9

Ellsworth, W. L., “Injection-Induced Earthquakes,” Science Vol. 341, no. 6142, p. 142 (2013).

DOI:10.1126/science.1225942. The 2011 date is approximate, based on my reading of one of the paper’s graphs.

10 van der Elst, N.J.; Savage, H.M., Abers, G.A., and Keranen, K.M., “Enhanced Remote Earthquake Triggering at Fluid-Injection Sites in the Midwestern United States,” Science Vol. 341, no. 6142, pp. 164-167 (2013) DOI:10.1126/science.1238948.

11 See Richard A. Lovett, “Shake, Rattle, and Roll: Is Missouri Really America’s Most Dangerous Earthquake Zone?” Analog, September 2011.

34

RICHARD A. LOVETT

SEPTEMBER 2015

Not that this categorically proves that oil
lake near the southern end of California’s infa-
and gas extraction is the cause of any given
mous San Andreas Fault. “I have to ‘fess up
earthquake. The U.S. has a great many oil and
that it seemed like a peculiar place to be in-
gas f ields, which means that the geographic
ducing earthquakes,” she says.

proximity of earthquakes to oil and gas fields

Geothermal energy production begins by
may simply be coincidence, Van der Elst
pumping superheated water from deep un-
notes, “But,” he says, “it is suggestive.”

derground, then letting it f lash into steam to

But that’s just scientific caution—and a far
drive turbines. The steam is then condensed
cry from the days when people like Frohlich
back into water, which is reinjected into the
were being scoffed at for even suggesting that
ground.

human-induced earthquakes were possible.

Unlike the geothermal development project

Even the industry is aware there is an issue to
in Basel, this operation is not intended to frac-
be faced. “It’s the hottest topic in seismology
ture rocks. But it does involve the removal and

[and] definitely an issue the oil and gas indus-
replacement of large quantities of water, an
try needs to address,” says Ivan Wong, vice-
operation with the potential of altering sub-
president and principal seismologist at URS,
surface conditions. Furthermore, while the
an Oakland, California, consulting firm. Dana
water circulation is, in theory, a closed loop,

Bohan, a spokesperson for Energy In Depth,
in practice some of the steam is lost to the
an arm of the Independent Petroleum Associa-
atmosphere, with the amount varying with
tion of America, agrees. “The risk is known,”

the weather and other operating conditions.

she says. “It’s constantly being studied.”

In other words, the amount of water being
pumped back into the ground and the amount

Drilling for Heat
initially extracted don’t necessarily match: an-

Another way humans can trigger earth-
other potentially destabilizing factor.

quakes is by geothermal energy production.

Even without human intervention, earth-

In 2006, the Swiss attempted to develop
quakes in major fault systems are dirt com-
geothermal resources beneath the city of Basel.

mon. Since 1982, Brodsky tabulated tens of

In the process, they used high-pressure fluids
thousands of them near the geothermal plant,
to fracture imporous rocks in order to create
ranging from magnitude 1.75 to magnitude
gaps in which water could circulate for geo-

5.1. Complicating the analysis, which she did
thermal heating. But they got an unpleasant
in conjunction with graduate student Lia J. La-
side effect: four magnitude-3.0 earthquakes—
joie, is the fact that earthquakes tend to come
large enough to do minor damage. “They shut
in clusters, with big ones triggering after-
the project down,” Ellsworth says.

shocks that, for her purposes, are all part of a

In more remote areas, such small earth-
single event. But with the help of some fancy
quakes aren’t a concern, but that doesn’t
statistics, she was able to combine main
mean there’s no reason not to worry about the
shocks and aftershocks into what she calls the
prospect of bigger ones.

“direct seismicity rate,” which she could then

In yet another induced-seismology study in
compare to plant operations.

the same issue of Science that featured

What she found was “an extremely good

Ellsworth’s and van der Elst’s, Emily Brodsky,
correlation”—specif ically the rate at which
an earthquake physicist at the University of
water was lost to the atmosphere.

California, Santa Cruz, examined earthquake

It was the exact opposite of what had hap-
rates at California’s Salton Sea Geothermal
pened in Switzerland. There, earthquakes had

Field, which lies near the southern end of Cal-
been induced by shoving water into the
ifornia’s infamous San Andreas Fault.12 She
ground. Here, they were correlated to the net
picked the area in part because it’s been pro-
rate at which it was taken out. Her best guess
ducing energy since 1982 (with good data
is that what’s happening isn’t the type of fault
about plant operations, made public by Cali-
lubrication found in fracking-related wells,
fornia law), but also because the Salton Sea is a but instead changes in sheer stresses due to

12 Brodsky, Emily E.* and Lajoie, Lia J., “Anthropogenic Seismicity Rates and Operational Parameters at the Salton Sea Geothermal Field,” Science, Vol. 341, no 6145, DOI:10.1126/science.1239213.

HUMAN-CAUSED EARTHQUAKES: FROM SCIENCE FICTION TO SEISMOLOGY

35

ANALOG
compaction of deep strata when all of the wa-

Such a process, of course, inherently causes
ter withdrawn from them is not returned.

small earthquakes—just as, technically speak-

A company representative declined to dis-
ing, any kind of blasting, road construction, or
cuss the study when asked, but in an op-ed ar-
use of a pile driver does the same. And happily
ticle submitted to the Los Angeles Times in for the oil-and-gas industr y, the fracking
response to the Times own article on Brod-process itself has never directly produced an
sky’s study,13 the Geothermal Energy Associa-
earthquake larger than magnitude 3.6,
tion and the Geothermal Research Council

Ellsworth says.

(industry trade groups) asserted that reports of

But once the rocks are broken, the fracking

Brodsky’s work need to be “read carefully and
f luids come back to the surface with the oil
reacted to calmly.”

and gas, and because they’re chemically pollut-

“Unfortunately, the impression that a reader
ed, the simplest way of disposing of them has
could get is one of serious safety risk, when
been to reinject them back into the ground.

neither the study being quoted nor other stud-

The larger earthquakes, such as the one that
ies conducted in the area reach that conclu-
hit Sparks, Oklahoma, appear to have come
sion,” the article continued, adding:

from this process, not from fracking itself. “It’s

“Geothermal power production provides
related to fracking because the wastewater is
clean, reliable and safe power for California.

caused by fracking operations,” Frohlich says,

We hope your readers recognize that the risks

“but you’d have the same problem if you
from climate change are much greater than the
pumped tap water into the wells.”

natural micro-seismic events occurring near

That’s good news for the industry, he adds,
geothermal reservoirs.”14
because it means it’s possible to inject these

Brodsky agrees that most of the earthquakes
fluids into other rock strata—or treat them like
were small. In general, she says, earthquake
any other industrial waste by cleaning them up
frequency follows a scaling law, with large
and disposing of them into surface waters, just
earthquakes being exponentially more com-
as we do with sewage. Another piece of good
mon than small ones, until you reach a maxi-
news is that not all injection wells produce
mum strength believed to be limited by the
earthquakes. Frohlich notes that Texas alone
size of the fault system. On small faults, that’s has more than ten thousand wells. “If it was a
reassuring. But not on big ones, such as the
severe hazard, Texas would be famous for

San Andreas.

earthquakes,” he notes.

So far, the largest earthquake in Brodsky’s

That said, the earthquake experienced in
study was a magnitude 5.1 in 2005. But does

Sparks should serve as a major alarm bell.

that mean there’s no possibility of a larger one

Small, or even midsized, earthquakes aren’t
if current operations continue indef initely?

likely to be hazards if they occur in remote lo-

“The chances of making a truly enormous,
cations like the Rangely Oil Field used for the
damaging earthquake are quite low,” Brodsky

U.S. Geological Society’s long-ago tests. But
says, “but not zero.”

even modest-sized earthquakes can do signifi-
cant damage if they happen in the wrong

Not Famous for Earthquakes
place. The 2011 Oklahoma earthquake,

Fracking-induced earthquakes are different,

Ellsworth points out, was the same size as the
largely because they don’t tend to be on major,

Newcastle quake—and both were comparable
active faults like the San Andreas.

to a magnitude 5.7 that occurred in 1986, di-

Fracking, or “hydraulic fracturing,” is the
rectly beneath El Salvador’s capital city of San
process of injecting high-pressure f luids into

Salvador. That earthquake killed 1,000 to 1,500
rocks in order to shatter them and allow
people, injured another 10,000, and left
trapped natural gas to migrate to the well.

200,000 homeless.

13 Boxall, Bettina, “SoCal geothermal power production causes earthquakes, study says,” The Los Angeles Times, July 11, 2013, http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jul/11/science/la-sci-sn-geothermal-power-earthquakes-20130711.

14 A prepublication copy of the op-ed article can be found here. http://geoenergist.wordpress.com/

2013/08/01/geothermal-power-provides-clean-and-safe-power-for-california/

36

RICHARD A. LOVETT

SEPTEMBER 2015

One thing that’s needed is a way to deter-
remotely triggered earthquakes after the three
mine which wells might be on the verge of
most recent great earthquakes. What he found
producing dangerous earthquakes, something
was that sometimes such swarms had oc-
that, in theory, can be done with modeling.

curred, sometimes they hadn’t. No such warn-

“The physics of faults is well known,”

ings, for example, preceded a magnitude 4.7

Ellsworth says. “What you need to know are
earthquake in Guy, Arkansas, a magnitude 4.7
the pressures and stresses.”

earthquake in Jones, Oklahoma, or a magni-

Unfortunately, traditional means of figuring
tude 3.9–4.0 earthquake near Youngstown,
these out are expensive and time consuming,

Ohio. But such remotely triggered swarms in-
especially given the number of injection wells
deed appeared prior to three magnitude 5.0-
that are out there, mostly posing no hazard.

plus earthquakes in Oklahoma (including the

“One of the Holy Grails is to make some con-
one in Sparks), as well as a magnitude 4.3 tem-
nection between what an operator might
blor near Snyder, Texas, and a magnitude 5.3
choose to do, and how many earthquakes are
quake near Trinidad, Colorado.

the result,” says Brodsky. She’s speaking in terms What this meant was that van der Elst had
of geothermal plants, but her bottom-line con-
found a simple screening tool to help seismolo-
clusion is broadly applicable. “Without that,” she gists focus their attention on potentially danger-says, “we’re stuck with vague generalities.”

ous areas—a test that can be applied whenever

It seems an intractable problem.

a giant earthquake strikes any part of the globe.

But nature might provide some assistance

It’s not perfect, but it’s inexpensive and had
via giant faraway earthquakes such as those
correctly raised a warning for more than half of
that recently struck Sumatra, Japan, and Chile.

the larger injection-well earthquakes that sub-

Devastating as they are in the regions they di-
sequently occurred. In Wong’s words, it’s noth-
rectly affect, Ellsworth reported in his own Sci-ing short of “ground-breaking science”—a find
ence paper,15 these earthquakes also send that greatly reduces the prior uncertainties in
waves across the entire surface of the Earth,
induced-earthquake prediction.

“like ripples.” Usually, these ripples have no effect on other faults. But in a few cases, they

Traffic Lights
produce swarms of small earthquakes —

Warnings like this can’t prevent the drilling
swarms, he discovered, that could highlight lo-
of wells or building of dams in dangerous
cations that may be ripe for bigger earthquakes
zones, but at least they could give operators
in the near future.

and regulators a heads-up to impending dan-

It’s another idea many geologists would have
ger, allowing them to take steps to fend it off.

pooh-poohed back in the era when Frohlich

For dams, these steps might take the form of
was being ridiculed for suggesting that humans
draining the reservoir pending further study.

could induce earthquakes. How could vibra-

For injection wells, the simplest action might
tions from an earthquake in Japan set off tem-
be to curtail pumping until the risks—and
blors in Oklahoma? But seismologists have
proper safety steps—are better known.

discovered that even vibrations so small no hu-

One thing most—if not all—of the scientists
man could possibly feel them can indeed have
involved agree on is that induced earthquakes
such effects. More interestingly yet, van der
aren’t a death knell to fracking, geothermal en-

Elst says, “in a natural setting, the places most ergy, or waste-disposal injection wells. “The
susceptible to this are hydrothermal or vol-
bottom line,” Ellsworth says, “is that there is a canic regions where we know faults are being
risk from injecting fluids underground, but it is driven to failure at least in part by pressurized a risk that can be managed.”

fluids.” If the same happens in injection-well

Wong notes that in addition to van der Elst’s
zones, he says, “these are becoming like artifi-
warning signals, dangerous earthquakes in
cial Yellowstones.”

fracking zones are generally preceded by other

To test his idea, van der Elst searched seis-
small earthquakes that can serve as warning
mic records to see if injection-well sites that lat-signals. With good seismic monitoring, he says,
er had sizeable earthquakes also saw swarms of
it should be possible to create a “traff ic-light 15 Ibid.

HUMAN-CAUSED EARTHQUAKES: FROM SCIENCE FICTION TO SEISMOLOGY

37

ANALOG
system” in which well operations can be var-
to ensure that we get the maximum benef it
ied in order to reduce the risk. “If [seismic ac-
with the least downside.”

tivity] is green you’re ok,” he says. “If it’s

“The technology is here to stay,” adds
yellow, you’d better start paying attention. And

Frohlich. “This is domestic energy, and an al-
if it’s red, stop.”

ternative to coal. Where else can you get

“We have to understand,” Klose says, “that if
hawks, hippies, and green-energy freaks all on
we want cheap energy, we are allowing cer-
the same bandwagon?”

tain techniques to be performed.”

From a science-f ictional perspective, what

Steven Hamburg, chief scientist at the Envi-
this means is that the question of human-in-
ronmental Defense Fund, agrees. The risk of
duced earthquakes is far more complex than a
induced earthquakes, he says, has to be taken
simple query as to “What would Lex Luthor
seriously—along with more conventional envi-
do?” Nor is it as simple as Crack in the World’s ronmental concerns such as groundwater con-simplistic vision of a good idea gone wrong. In-
tamination and the escape of noxious gases
stead, it’s about risk/benefit calculations, ener-into the atmosphere. But “the technologies ex-
gy independence versus energy dependence,
ist [to] reduce the chances of a problem,” he
and “green” energy versus seismic risk.

says. “And you always have to think about it in

Any of which, if anyone ever cares to write
the context of the alternatives because it’s not
it, is a far more complex and human story than
as if we have a no-impact alternative. We want
either of the easier movies’ plotlines. ■

IN TIMES TO COME

It’s no secret that I think Halloween is the perfect excuse to give you some creepy stories, and next month’s October issue is no exception. Case in point: When a team of firefighters putting out coal seam blazes encounters seemingly unexplained phenomena, the question isn’t just how they’re happening, but whether anything can be done before it’s too late. Find out in our lead story, Alec Nevala-Lee’s “Stonebrood.”

Then a bounty hunter prowls a blasted American Southwest, hoping desperately to find his target before his competitors do in Joe Pitkin’s

“The Daughters of John Demetrius.” Different generations of a family don’t always see eye to eye about adopting new technology, especially when it might change the family business, as in Marie Vibbert’s “Butterflies on Barbed Wire.” Sometimes, childhood experiences only form a clear picture as adults. And sometimes that picture is one nobody else has seen before, like in Bruce McAllister’s “My Father’s Crab.”

And of course we’ll have the third installment of “Night Ride and Sunrise” by Stanley Schmidt, and “Alien Adventures,” our fact article from Edward M. Lerner, as well as a bevy of our always-excellent regular columns. See you next issue!

All contents subject to change

38

Live From
the Air

Chair

Maggie Clark
hately’s feet woke to the beat of

“Goooooooood morning, space trash! This

Ship’s radio. An hour of toe-tapping
is DJ Whately coming at you with Wailin’

later, the rest of him slid from the
through the Ages: bringing you the best of

Wbunk and started ruing the day. what our shittyforefathers left behind.Big There were four messages waiting at Ship’s
shout-out this morning, as always, to Ship—
console, all of which he deleted when he saw
mine that is, not yours. All printed from the
the sender. Beside them sat a freshly printed
same so-long-suckers!, mass-marketed design,
hot roll, its steam fogging the front
but just one of them—just one!—keeping the
viewscreen.

spirit of rock and alternative alive while all hu-

“Thanks, Ship.” He spoke with the roll
mans on board get a little shut-eye.”

wedged between his teeth. Even in the ab-

Whately peered out the side of his
sence of clear consonants, Ship responded
viewscreen. Beyond the unpleasant shadow
with a giant thumbs-up on the monitor.

of his face lay a mostly uninterrupted grid of

“Let me in after this next one, will you?”

vessels encompassing the Earth in low orbit.

Whately set down half the roll and slipped

“Annnnd if you’re in my slice of dead zone,
into the jacket slung over his seat. Only flecks
wasteland below us is still a deceptively bright
of gold topcoat remained on the soft, black-
blue on this f ine near-Terran day. Only a few
plastic sheen of its sleeves, and a bit of frayed massive blots of green and yellow oceanic
stitching from a patch at the left breast. He
sludge to break up the monotony for foragers
smoothed back his hair as much as the curls
today! But if you’re on the other side of the up-
would allow, but yesterday’s sonic shower had
per atmosphere, receiving this transmission
left too much spring in the lot, and they leapt
through relay, well, look out the damned win-
back as a wild mane over the headphones that
dow and check for yourselves. My money’s on
followed. Ship started the countdown ten sec-

‘still a smoldering pile of junk,’ but hey, I’m al-onds from song’s end, leaving Whately just
ways looking to be surprised. In other news . . .”

enough time to glare at his ref lection in the

Ship brought up a list of system updates
glass.

and personal announcements from around

39

ANALOG
the grid, which Whately read mostly while

What’s that? he mouthed, touching a hand rubbing life into his heavy eyes and aching
to his ear. I can’t hear you.

jaw. He was about to choose a song to start off

Eline tried working Ship’s controls at the
the next hour, narrating his decision-making
galley monitor but couldn’t bypass the stern
process on air, when Ship’s perimeter alarm
image of an emoji shaking its head. After
sounded in his headphones.

punching the wall, she stopped and stood by

“Actually, Ship’s been doing such a good job the food printer. Only then did Whately ges-all morning.” Whately drew his stun gun from
ture for Ship to cut the music.

storage while switching station control to au-

“Was that really necessary?”

tomatic. “Why not let him round out the cy-

“Was you coming here and lecturing me on
cle? Take it away, Ship.”

how to survive? What, didn’t get enough of

Whately checked the sensors for signs of
that in last week?”

tampering about the hull—all negative—but

Eline pursed her lips before replying. “I am
there was already someone in the airlock by
sorry for how it all came out.”

the time he reached it. The visitor touched

Whately laughed—a sharp and ugly sound.

the interior comm pad and opened her vi-

“No,” said Eline. “Really. I am. I just meant
sor.

that there are other things you could be doing.

“Oh, for the love of—” Whately set down

Other, you know . . .” She gestured vaguely
the gun. “I thought you were a grub.”

with the hand still holding her helmet.

“Why? You seen any?”

“More important things, yeah, I heard you

At the sudden concern in her voice, Whate-
the f irst time.” Whately shook his head and
ly tried a calmer, but still disapproving, tone.

started for the helm. “Like taking people’s

“No. I just—never mind.” Headphones still
minds off this shit doesn’t matter.”

about his neck, Whately stared at a bulkhead

“Whate, you say it yourself, every morn-
and counted back from ten.

ing—Ship’s doing most of the work here any-

“Well?” she said at last. “Safe to take my hel-
way. And you, when you’re not mining dead met off or do you plan on blasting me?”

ships for new tunes—”

“Why are you here, Eline?”

“I provide the human element. I give peo-

“You didn’t answer my messages.”

ple the sense that they’re not alone. Do you

“So?”

not see how many announcements come in

“So I sent four of them.” She sighed and
for me to rebroadcast? Didn’t I used to show
took off the helmet, her short-cropped hair
you all those drawings the kids used to send?”

slick with perspiration. “Whatever else is go-

Ship helpfully displayed a few such scans as
ing on, Whate, we’ve got a code up here. We

Eline passed into the control room.

need to stick to it if we’re going to survive. We

“Used to,” said Eline. “Not many kids these can’t just shut each other out.”

days, though, are there?”

“Oh, now there’s some rich talk,” said

Whately sighed and spun about in his chair.

Whately. He released airlock controls with a

“What do you want, Eline? Did you forget a
fist to the panel, then stalked down the provi-
sweater or something? Just take it—and then,
sions corridor.

please, just leave me alone.”

Eline followed once the airlock repressur-

“I can’t. ” Her voice grew unsteady.

ized. “I wanted to give you space, Whate. I

“Whate—I was boarded.”

meant to. I know how hard this has been for

Whately froze with his headphones halfway
you—”

up. “Boarded? How did you—”

“Don’t,” said Whately. “Just don’t even—I

She shook her head. “The rest of the family
can’t—Ship?”

is fine. I don’t think they even realize they’ve

Without further instruction, Ship blasted
got a threat on board. But they’re hostages.

the running station tune—a thrash metal num-

They don’t know it, but unless I get this man
ber well over a hundred years old—just loud
what he wants . . .”

enough that the fact of Eline shouting could

“Hells freaking bells, Eline,” said Whately.

be heard, but not the words themselves. The

“Why didn’t you just say that?”

tension went out of Whately’s shoulders as he

“I did,” she said, visibly gritting her teeth. “I turned about and grinned.

sent you four panicked messages you didn’t

40

MAGGIE CLARK

SEPTEMBER 2015
even bother to read because you’d already as-
an image of circles within circles. Like this—”

sumed the worst.”

She withdrew a worn piece of hardcopy with

Whately groaned and passed a hand over his
the symbol on it.

face. “Those are really extenuating circum-

“Ship?” said Whately. But after a minute
stances, Ellie, so if you’re going to—no, no, Ship just flashed the “search completed” sym-we can argue about all that later.” He stood in
bol with no hits: nothing but music on any of
the small space then sat down again, hands
the data pieces they’d transferred.

restless on his knees and the console. “So

“Maybe in something we traded, then?” said
what do we do? What does he want? And who

Eline. “One of the instruments?”

is he?”

“Unlikely,” said Whately. He hesitated before

Eline set down her helmet and slid to the
adding, “But there was that one salvage with a
f loor, palms pressed to her temples. “We
weird vibe. The one at Taka’s, with all the—”

thought he’d been attacked by a grub. There’d

Eline shook her head, looking sick. “I’d al-
been reports of activity in the area—you
most forgotten. Do you really think—?”

know, the usual stuff about madmen trying to

“Beats me. Only one way to f ind out,
sabotage ships, sending them and their crews
though.” He hesitated before holding out a
hurtling through the atmosphere. And even if
hand to help Eline up.

he weren’t— even if he were a grub, for

Earth’s sake—I mean, when someone in a fail-

They glided mostly in silence from Ship and
ing suit shows up in your airlock, what do you
around other ships, the solar wings on their
do? What do we, as a people, do?”

suits alternately glinting toward and away

When Whately said nothing Eline took a
from Earth as they propelled themselves on ra-
long, ragged breath. “He said his name was
diation trails converted from both planetary

Lester, but I don’t know if that’s true. I caught and deep-space bombardments. Most of the
him going through my locker on his third
ships they passed bore signs of life—people
night. He said he was just fixing a hinge, but I
occasionally waving from portholes and
didn’t believe him, and that’s when he made it
viewscreens; the occasional message sent to
clear that my family would suffer if I told any-
their suit comms to see if aid was required—
one. And I believed him, Whate: In that mo-
but others were clearly f lying empty, even
ment, he had the look of someone with
with the AIs still in full operation. Only once
serious connections and no empathy. My fam-
did Eline and Whately pass a significant gap in
ily loves him, though—my aunt, my mother,
the grid, and even then a small beacon had
my cousins, their kids: around them, he’s just
been installed in geosynchronous orbit—both
this grateful rescue and charming handyman
to memorialize the fallen and reassure passers-
with time for everyone.”

by that order in the region had been restored.

“Then why was he going through your lock-

“Hey, Artie. We need to talk. You awake and
er?”

semi-decent?” said Whately, once in range of

“He wanted something he thought I had—
their target.

something he’d convinced himself I’d taken

“Is he ever?” said Eline.

from one of the ships down-arc. Which is why

Whately snorted but couldn’t bring himself

I had to come here, Whate. You know I had
to say more. They touched down on the hull
to.”

and passed through the outer airlock doors

Whately glanced at his monitor, where Ship
before receiving a response.

had its “processing” dots moving across the

“Hold on,” came a fuzzy voice, which de-
screen. “I know you never felt right about run-
scended into vehement muttering before
ning salvage,” he said. “And I’m sorry it’s
adding: “Ever think of sending advance no-
brought you trouble. But honestly, it was just
tice?”

music we were after—unless you took some-

“What, and give you time to shoot?”

thing more?”

“The offer is tempting, when you put it like

“No, nothing.” Whately’s fingers twitched at
that.” One fierce eye and a forest of whiskers
the sight of Eline shuddering as she spoke. “He
appeared in the airlock porthole before re-
said it was an image—he didn’t know if it was
pressurization, followed by a phlegmy har-
digital or hardcopy but he was very specific:

rumph, but once Whately and Eline stepped LIVE FROM THE AIR CHAIR

41

ANALOG
through, the large, round, hairy man inside
the appropriate f ile and related specs f illed
laughed and prodded Whately at the f illed-
all the monitors in the room. “Well now. I’ve
out midsection of his spacesuit.

got a couple instruments here, and some

“Well if there isn’t more of you than ex-
nice old vinyls, song sheets, poster rolls, and
pected. Elaine, you’ve got to keep this one

. . . hm. I remember this one.” He leaned for-
from the food printer. Lock it down if need
ward, squinting. “Some kind of music box, I
be.”

think. I scanned them all into the system, but

“Eline,” said Eline, but she pursed her lips
after that it was just garbage in, garbage out.

before saying more.

Figured Werner might like it for his kids, so

“Eline, Elaine, Artie, Arturo. What’s a little

I—ah, yep, that one’s with him now. The rest
embellishment to pass the time? Been a long
are all over the district. You got a piece in
time at that, eh, Whately?”

mind?”

Arturo squeezed through his ship’s corri-

“I’m looking for something with this symbol
dor, and the pair followed him into a living
on it,” said Eline, offering up her weathered
space laden with organized clutter—instru-
piece of hardcopy. Arturo took it and whis-
ments and stage outf its and life-sized props
tled. “Then it’s definitely Werner you’re going
f illing most every inch of the room save for
to need to see. Taka used to broadcast all
one reinforced console seat, which—from
kinds of strange images between sets, but I
the pillow and blankets and nearby robe and
distinctly remember something like that on slipper cast-offs—clearly served as bed as
the music box. I’ll give Werner a ring.”

well.

Eline and Whately stood in silence as Arturo

Whately and Eline froze at the entrance.

put out the call. An autoresponse popped up

“Shut up,” said Whately, quietly.

within the minute— Sorry, you’ve reached the

“I didn’t say anything,” said Eline, in a tone

Hoskins: Werner, Mara, Dee-Dee, Tony, Paz, suggesting she might as well have.

and little Sprout.We’re unable to chat right

“Well,” said Arturo, heaving into his seat
now, but . . . In the background of the chipper and sweeping crumbs from the console. “I’m
message came the laughter and scrabbling of
guessing you’re not here to assemble a re-
small children. Arturo glanced at Whately and
union tour.”

grinned. “Poor bastard. Probably up to his ears

Whately tugged at the jacket collar under
in diapers and screaming. I tell you, he simply
his suit. “El—We’ve got to track something
switched out one cacophony for another
down. Something that might’ve ended up in
when he left us.”

your care. And fast.”

“Can you imagine touring with the whole

Arturo looked ready to make another crack
brood?” said Whately with a grimace.

about Whately, but Eline interrupted. “You

“We should stop by,” said Eline. “Is he close?”

still keep records, right? Every transaction,

“Close enough.” Arturo touched his head in
every point of origin?”

light salute. “Madam, I shall endeavor to con-

“Madam,” said Arturo, beaming. “Behind
tact him while you make your way up-arc.

this façade of squalor, I assure you, is a man

Hopefully none of the sprogs has damaged
who keeps the most excellent accounts.”

what you’re after—although I have to say, I

“I never said—” Eline started, her face turn-
wouldn’t be surprised.”

ing red.

“Thank you, Artie.” Eline kept her expres-

“Never mind that now.” Arturo waved a
sion neutral with what Whately realized was
hand and alighted on the nearest console.

great effort. He touched her elbow gently and

“So! Do we have point of origin in mind?”

squeezed. “I, ah—I need to make a quick call

She paused. “Oh-one-dash-seven-zero-three.

before I leave,” she said. “Is that all right?”

Richard Taka’s residence.”

Arturo assured her that it was and directed

Arturo glanced at Whately. “He that guy
her to an intercom in the galley. Whately
that—?”

stayed up front, his eyes straying to a decades-

“Yeah,” said Whately, heavily. “Still, hell of
old six-string on prominent display.

a musician.”

“She left you, I gather,” said Arturo, switch-

Arturo shook his head. “Hard to separate
ing from basic controls to an elaborate synth
the two, all the same.” His ship’s AI drew up
soundboard on the ship’s console.

42

MAGGIE CLARK

SEPTEMBER 2015

Whately drew out the ensuing pause. “She

The air hung thick with the scent of decay,
wanted children, I gathered. And I just don’t and blood trails littered the floor. The dog lay
see that happening so long as we’re stuck in
f irst in their path, then the children—only
purgatory. Doesn’t feel right, you know?” He
one shot in the back; another still clutching
toed a stack of vintage memory sheets. “Didn’t
his entertainment console; all of them more or
realize you were still producing.”

less heaped together in the family’s main living

“Always,” said Arturo. “Never stopped.

space. There had been no negotiation here,

Why did you?”

no time to fully grasp the danger they faced:

“Beats me. It just wouldn’t come to me one
but this small comfort hardly made up for the
day. Or the next. Or the next.”

shock of the scene on whole.

“Fill your head with enough other music

“A grub didn’t do this,” said Eline, when she
and it’s hard to hear your own.”

could speak in more than single, moaned syl-

“Nah,” said Whately. “See, there we dis-
lables again. “This is precision work—no dam-
agree—fill your head with enough other mu-
age to the hull.”

sic and then you’ll know your own when you Whately remained speechless, bracing
hear it.”

himself on a bulkhead and gripping the stun

“If you hear it. If it ever comes back.”

gun tight in its holster. When he let his gaze

“Right. ” Whately clapped Arturo on a
drift down the corridor he could make out
broad, heavyset shoulder. “Well, good chatting
the slack limbs of two larger f igures in the
with you. We should do it again some year.”

front section, but he could not bring himself

“Whately,” said Arturo. “I mean it. There’s
to approach them, to see Werner’s body
more than one way to leave a mark. You’ve
f irsthand. It was hard enough to recognize
just got to clear out all that junk, maestro.”

the jacket framed on the opposite side of the

Whately notched a brow and nodded to
living space—its gold topcoat still in excel-
their surroundings. “Look who’s talking.”

lent condition; the Maxwell’s Last Stand

“The real trash is in the orbits of our
band patch still aff ixed to its left breast. One minds.” Arturo tapped his temple, then nod-of the children had been shot in front of the
ded to the entranceway, where Eline stood
case, and there was blood spatter all over the
with a queasy look upon her face. “Time for a
glass.

jump to Werner’s, I take it?”

Eline straightened slowly and turned to

“Please,” said Eline—first as an affirmation

Whately. He did not hear her the f irst time,
and next, turning to Whately when she spoke,
and almost could not manage the what? need-as an urgent appeal.

ed to prompt her to try again.

“I did this,” she said, hardly above a whis-

The recorded message played on, and
per. “I called my ship. I told him—I told him
though the Hoskins’ ship’s systems seemed ac-
we were checking out a lead.”

tive, Eline and Whately saw no movement at

Panic and anger stirred in equal parts in
any of the viewscreens or portholes—no rol-

Whately’s chest. “Jesus fuck! You didn’t tell
licking dog, no children climbing the walls.

him where, did you?”

The pair entered the outer airlock with little

“For Earth’s sake!” Eline’s cheeks shone
difficulty, their golden sails folding neatly be-
with tears. “You think I’m an idiot?”

tween their arms, but once the external door

“Then how would he have known?”

clicked shut, the faint, pulsating glow of emer-

“I don’t know. I don’t know. I just—how gency lighting became unmistakable.

else—oh, Whately—”

“No distress signal?” But even as Whately

Whately did not reach for her as Eline knelt
posed the question through suit comms, he
by the dog and the children, the knees of her
knew they both knew the answer already. An
white solar-suit mingling with their blood. He
ashen-faced Eline hacked the airlock controls,
couldn’t reach for her, much as he wanted to; and within minutes, the inner seal opened a
he felt like he was suffocating, and stumbled
crack. Whately helped her roll the heavy door
back into the airlock.

aside. Eline stepped in first and almost imme-

“Whately—” she said again.

diately doubled over to retch, barely getting

“Go back,” he said, heavily. “You have to.”

her helmet off in time.

“What, to my ship? I can’t, not without—”

LIVE FROM THE AIR CHAIR

43

ANALOG

“No! No—not to your ship.” Whately tried
have confronted them on Whately’s ship, un-
not to imagine Eline’s family similarly executed, der Whately’s ever-suspicious eye, and then
but his fears failed him. The least he could do
they might both already be dead. Whately
was try to imagine Eline not present if the dis-
was angry, he realized, but it was an anger
covery had to occur. “Go to Taka’s. It’s the one
wrought mostly of helpless, futile regret.

place you’ll be safe—the one place they already

His own three days had been fairly routine,
looked and couldn’t find what they wanted.”

nightly teeth-grinding and lead-heavy grief

“Do you think they found it here?”

pangs aside: He’d had his morning weather

“If they did, let’s just hope that’s all they
updates and grid-wide birth and death an-
wanted. Let’s hope that’s the end of it all.”

nouncements; the pleasure of constructing

“And if it’s not? Whately, for Earth’s sake,
an epic power ballad playlist or two, emoting
my family—”

indirectly through the late, great masters of

“Go,” he said. “Right now. To Taka’s. I’ll go old; and best of all, the occasional off-the-to your ship. Just keep the comm line open
cuff, on-air rant about a rock history dispute
and let me know the moment that something
decades in the dust. Ship had even f lashed an
doesn’t feel right.”

animation of clasped hands upraised in victo-

Eline hesitated before slipping on her hel-
ry after Whately f inished an especially sting-
met. As she passed him in the airlock, she
ing rebuke to long-dead cr itics with
caught hold of his gloved hand and gripped it
completely wrong-headed notions about
tight.

who broke up a favored punk band and sin-

“I trust you, Whately,” she said. “If anything
gle-handedly brought an era to its devastating

I said last week made you think otherwise—
end. So they hadn’t been the greatest three

I’m sorry. It’s not true, and it never was.”

days, granted, but Whately could not call

But Whately could only nod, the taste of
them the worst.

bile rising in the back of his throat.

Eline messaged him the moment she

“Come on,” he said, after reactivating the
touched down at Taka’s ship. IT’S STILL DAMNED

AI through a corridor console. Once online,

SPOOKY UP IN HERE, the message read. EVEN THE
the AI understood what needed doing, and

SHIP’S STILL FLASHING DOOMSDAY ICONOGRAPHY.

started the countdown while flashing a giant

BLESSING AND CURSE OF THE AI, Whately
thumbs up on the monitor. Whately and Eline
replied. ALWAYS ROOTING FOR ANYTHING ITS DOMI-
had glided to a safe distance by the time the

NANT OCCUPANT BELIEVES AND DOES.

ship’s interior—depressurized and dropped

IS IT BAD THAT I LOVED HIS APOCALYPTIC SOUND
to a few degrees short of absolute zero—be-

ONLY BEFORE I REALIZED HE WAS SERIOUS?

gan resonating with the thrum of sonic clean-

Whately smiled despite himself. NAH, he
er s. Next would come the vacuuming
typed. BEFORE IT WAS ART.AFTER, IT’S JUST DELUSION.

protocol—every bit of shattered, frozen par-

THIS PLACE GIVES ME THE CREEPS — BUT YOU’RE
ticulate evacuated into the exosphere; the

RIGHT, THEY’VE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH HERE. IT’S
rest of the ship’s contents left in fairly sterile CLEAN.

shape. Whately knew he would be back lat-

GOOD. STAY PUT. I’LL BE IN CONTACT SOON.

er—for the music, mainly, but he tried not to

Whately could feel his breathing ease and
think on that now.

the knot in his chest loosen as he approached

Eline’s family’s ship; through the nearest port-

As he solar-sailed toward Eline’s ship, with
holes he could see life, activity, children at
its extensive cargo of extended family, Whate-
play. Tears sprang to his eyes as he entered the
ly instead imagined her last three days on
airlock, but there they stayed. When Eline’s
board—from Lester’s sudden appearance in a
mother answered the comm link, there was
fragile state (something Eline’s brood never
no fear in her voice—only pity.

could turn a hard heart to) to her growing re-

“Well of course, Whately—we’re always
alization that something about this new ar-
glad to see you. Only, Eline’s not here right
rival was dangerously off. Awful as it must
now, so . . .”

have been, though, the alternative didn’t

“Eline and I were just talking.” Whately
seem much better; for all he knew, if Eline
tried to keep his voice casual. “She asked me
had still been living with him, Lester would
to stop by and check in.”

44

MAGGIE CLARK

SEPTEMBER 2015

Eline’s mother laughed. “‘Check in.’ Do you
down, too, but we saw no need; once you
hear that, Lester? So protective of us. Ever
boarded Arturo’s we listened for outgoing
since we got that grub report from down-arc
calls, and lo and behold—within minutes
last week. Is she out foraging, then?”

there was one for the Hoskins. We just move a

“Something like that.” The airlock repres-
lot faster than your lot—for obvious reasons,
surized, and the door rolled aside, revealing
of course.”

Eline’s mother—a tall, rocky slab of a

Whately suppressed the urge to lunge at
woman—and beside her, a small, compact

Lester—with the butt of the stun gun, per-
man in his mid-forties, broadly smiling every-
haps, or just his f ist. “So you’ll leave them
where but his eyes.

alone now. Eline’s mother and all the rest.”

“Well come here, then—big hugs. Oh, and I

“Not exactly, no.” Before Whately could re-
suppose I should introduce you! Unless Eline’s
ply, Lester raised an index finger with a signif-
already told you about . . . ?”

icant air. “Hold on, now. The symbols we had

Whately met Lester’s steady, f linty gaze.

you track down were code, of course. We had

“She did indeed. You’re a lucky man, to have
most of the pattern but the proportions had to
fallen on such good hospitality.”

be precise, and there were pieces missing

“Very lucky.” Lester looked amused in the
from the original design. But once properly
worst possible way. “And so you’re the dear
converted, the program will bypass all AI safe-
friend of Eline’s.”

guards and take control of every blessed ship

“Sure, something like that.” Whately turned
in orbit.”

to Eline’s mother, pausing only to let a small

Whately stared awhile. “Who the hell would
child tear by with a model spaceship in hand.

construct such a thing?”

“Is it all right if I make a private call?”

“Why, Richard Taka, of course, with the

“By all means.”

help of his AI. Brilliant man on the airwaves—

In the relative seclusion of the cockpit,
very much missed. Years of his apocalyptica—

Whately dialed Taka’s residence. Eline took a
the speeches, the songs —have made
full minute to pick up the feed.

everything quite clear. The current state of af-

“Sorry. I was just—Whately, the stuff here. I
fairs cannot go on. An end must come, and a
know we were just after the music last time,
force from the heavens will make it so! The
but if you read his sermons, and it’s like he lost grubs have always understood this, but never
track of where it all ended.”

with the depth of Richard Taka. Granted, it

“Are you reading them?”

took us a long time to grasp the code of his

Eline frowned through the vid screen. “You
broadcasts, but when he passed away, with
got any better ideas for passing the time? For
that f inal image broadcasting on repeat . . .

Earth’s sake, Whate—he broadcast these.

well, then the meaning of it all became clear.

They were everywhere. All this talk of a force

This is his f inal gift to us—the one true way
from the stars descending and bringing about
home.”

an end of days.” She paused before adding,

Whately’s mouth went dry. “But you’re not

“So, is everyone okay?”

talking about a proper descent. No way can

Whately pressed his forehead to the glass.

you steer thousands upon thousands of ships

“Everyone’s fine, Ellie. He’s still here, though.

to a safe landing all at once.”

I just—”

Lester shrugged. “So we burn up. It’s the

“Need to talk to me, yes, I know.”

swifter end, all things considered. Humanity’s

Whately switched off the monitor and spun
long overdue for a proper extinction event.

about. Lester stood in the doorway with an im-

What we have up here—it’s beyond undigni-
placable, forced smile. “We have the box now,
fied. A sham existence, crying out to be recti-
if you’re wondering. So your services are no
fied for once and for all.”

longer required.”

Whately made to stand, but Lester lay a

“You killed a whole family for that box.”

hand on the cuff of his old jacket. “It’s too late,

“I did no such thing.” Lester sniffed. “But you understand. We already have the code and
yes, such measures were thought appropri-
it’s being processed as we speak. Any hour
ate—for eff iciency’s sake, you understand.

now—any minute, really—the signal will be

Your other friend might have been taken
sent out, and all else will be irrevocable.”

LIVE FROM THE AIR CHAIR

45

ANALOG

“There are children up here,” said Whately.

airlock. Eline’s mother tried to say something

“I know,” said Lester. “Monstrous, isn’t it?

to him, but he was too busy donning his gear.

The existences we condemn others to for fear

Eline’s mother shot an incredulous glance at
of our own mortality.”

Whately, but all Whately could do was shrug,

“Does your own survival instinct count for
still beaming. He switched the monitor on
so little?”

again, and this time Eline picked up right

Lester laughed. “You forget: There is anoth-
away.

er, better world yet to come. Relax, Whate-

“Sorry,” he said. “A little turbulence there,
ly—sit, sit down. Play us a tune or two to pass
but Lester’s on his way out.”

the time. It won’t be long now.”

“For good? Alone?”

Whately had often speculated what song

Whately hesitated, watching Lester prepare
he’d put on if he knew it might be his last,
out the corner of one eye. “He looks de-
but all his best answers over the years es-
fanged, Ellie, but still dangerous. We’ll take all caped him out of sheer revulsion for Lester’s
the proper precautions once he’s gone.”

calm demeanor, and the laughter of children

“And then you’ll tell my mother the whole
down the ship’s corridor, and the thought of
story?”

Eline all alone on Taka’s derelict ship. He

“Me?”

waited in pointed silence instead, staring

“Please, Whately?”

Lester down. Within half an hour, a piercing

Eline and Whately watched each other in si-
sound came over the intercom, and Lester’s
lence through the vidscreens. Then Whately
smile at last leapt into his eyes—a f ierce, fa-
put his fingers on the glass, and Eline followed
natical gleam.

suit on her end.

Whately gripped the arms of his seat. Lester

“Okay, but you owe me.”

held on to a bulkhead, peering out the front

She hesitated before replying, all wan smiles
viewscreen. The AI had its “processing” dots
in the dark. “Yeah. I really, really do.”

running, and then—nothing.

Lester frowned, darting to the monitor and

Whately’s feet woke to the beat of Ship’s ra-
cycling through for record of the signal. “It
dio. Eline kept time with her f ingers on his
can’t be,” he said. “Why didn’t—”

chest. An hour later, they slid from the bunk

Whately glanced over Lester’s shoulder in
and ate hot rolls fresh from the food printer—
time to see the ship’s recent logs scroll by.

Whately making—and Eline vetoing—sugges-

The signal had certainly entered the network,
tions between bites to round out the
but instead of bypassing the AI it prompted
morning’s set. Ship ceded the airwaves to
the transmission of a second signal—not to

Whately on his mark, and after the morning
any of the other ships, or even Earth below,
weather report and announcements, Eline
but to a relay station with its antennae turned
pointed to and Whately commented upon the
to the stars. From the steadiness of all other
small, strange glimmer growing steadily larger
ships in orbit, Whately could only surmise
twenty degrees from the arc of the Earth.

that the same reversal had happened on

“Is it rescue?” Whately asked between num-
them, too.

bers. “Or something else? Who knows?” He

“Well I’ll be damned.” He laughed, scratch-
held up a memory sheet for Eline’s approval;
ing at the wild mane of his hair. “Looks like

Eline squinted, then smiled to see Whately’s

Taka was more of an optimist after all.” Lester
personal mark in the artist’s corner. Whately
still looked confused, so Whately went on,
fed the sheet into Ship’s monitor. “But I
hardly containing his grin. “The end of the
promise you this, folks—until it arrives, we’ll
situation—but not annihilation. The promise
be right here, broadcasting all the latest jams
of something new. Your crew’s been barking
alongside the greatest hits our shitty forefa-
up the wrong tree. You just sent a distress
thers left behind. And whoever’s out there,
signal from every ship in the grid—and I’m
whatever their designs might be, I bet they
guessing they’re all pointed at the same
ain’t never heard a tune even half as good as source.”

this.”

Lester shook his head, muttering, “impossi-

Ship, already all applause animations on
ble—I need to speak to”— as he made for the screen, needed no prompting to agree. ■

46

MAGGIE CLARK

The

Crashing
of the Cloud

Norman Spinrad
llah be praised, Hassan heard the drone

That an American was an infidel was about as
before it f ired its f irst Hellf ire missile
strange as a Yemeni chewing khat. Were they and had just enough time to swerve the
not a nation of inf idels? But the handful of

Acar off road to make it narrowlymiss American jihadis in Yemen were all Brothers before he and the American managed to roll
in Islam, and Hassan did not see how it could
out of the rusty old Jeep, which kept on going
be otherwise.

riderless into the desert long enough that the

So when the notoriously famous superhacker
second missile locked on it and blew it to Brother Rat, having fetched the Great Satan a
pieces and not them with it, thus depleting its
mighty blow, fleeing the wrath of America, had
ammunition and allowing the two of them to
been granted sanctuary by the Council of Sheiks
live to tell the tale.

of the New Caliphate, Hassan had assumed that

I am not getting too old for this, Hassan told
he had to have converted to the Faith.

himself, I became too old for it years ago; I’ve

But when the Cyber Jihadis of Yemen had
been serving the cause of the New Caliphate as
been ordered to protect him in the hospital
a cyber jihadhi for a decade now, and my days
safe house, and Hassan, being the most
dodging American drones should be long over.

revered cyber jihadi in Yemen, had been sent

“You can relax now,” he told Brother Rat,
to fetch him, Brother Rat had made it clear

“these satanic things only carry two missiles,
that he was no righteous convert.

and we’ll be picked up before they can send

Which, however, would not prevent him
another.”

from being useful to the cause. Edward Snow-

“Yeah, right. I’ve been dodging drones and
den had downloaded quadrillions of gigabytes
death squads since I reverse engineered my-
of juicy secret data, another great political de-
self out of the U.S. of Assholes and into Mexi-
feat of the Great Satan having nothing to do
co. You’d think I’d get used to it.”

with loyalty to Islam, but Brother Rat had man-

“You never get used to it,” Hassan told him.

aged to secrete his bots into the Internal Rev-

“No shit, Sherlock?” the American inf idel
enue Service data banks and wipe them “clean
said, whatever that was supposed to mean.

as a psychopath’s conscience,” as he put it.

47

ANALOG

“But I could care less about your religious

So there was nothing for it but to offer his
reasons for saving my ass from those humor-
services to the so-called New Caliphate, a real
less bastards. I’ve got a simple reason for play-
life terrorist franchise likewise in the
ing cyberball on your team, and seventy
crosshairs of Uncle Sam. Services whose value
virgins in Allah’s paradise ain’t it. Survival is.

to those who put the Great Satan on their kill Besides which, take it from me, one virgin is lists he had more than amply demonstrated.

headache enough. The enemy of my enemy is

A trudge across the border into Mexico, a
my friend—wasn’t it one of you dudes who
boat trip from Merida to Cuba, a f light from
said it? Let’s get real, I’m agreeing to work for Havana to Angola, slip into Saudia Arabia, con-you because you’re agreeing to gimme shelter
tact with this Yemeni branch of the New
as long as I do. Good enough for me, and gotta

Caliphate, a sweaty jeep ride south across the
be good enough for you, too.”

desert, and a narrow escape from a drone at-

And indeed it was. How could it not be?

tack.

But wherever you go, there they are.

Brother Rat had taken gleeful credit for the
golden coup of kicking the IRS in the cojones Being top hack in the Cyber Jihadis of
all over the web, knowing before sending

Yemen, Hassan often had to work in English—
forth his bot cloud that it would not only
who in the cyber war didn’t?—keeping the
make him the Ace of Aces in hackerspace but

CJY’s Arabic and English websites running
the white knight who slew the taxman drag-
ahead of the enemy hackers, occasionally tak-
on. An instant hero even to the sort of mug-
ing down their sites for an hour or two. So he gles who didn’t care jack shit about the art of
thought he understood the English language
the deed.

well enough, or at least the cyber dialect. But

Two ears and the tail, amigos, and shutting
the great Brother Rat seemed to speak a di-
down the IRS’s ability to collect its ton of flesh alect of English all his own, with which Has-from anyone for at least a f iscal year would
san found himself a good deal less than
therefore protect him from the legal conse-
familiar.

quences.

“I ain’t no Muslim jihadi like you, com-

How could Federales arrest him when they
padre, and I ain’t no revolutionary patriot like knew no jury would ever convict the dude
ol’ Snowden, I don’t give a swamp rat’s ass
what crashed the IRS, like that guy who
about parlor tricks. I ain’t analog, I’m digital, slashed the tires of the police tow trucks in

I’m an artist, I did it because it was max cool, New York? They had to drop the charges be-because no one else could do it, or if they
cause the prosecutor knew he could never get
could, I wouldn’t let them get to do it f irst.

a conviction, so whatever the law was, the

Wouldn’t you? Who wouldn’t screw the IRS if
great Brother Rat, hero of the people, was
they thought they could get away with it? C’est likewise protected from it.

toute. I wasn’t out to overthrow the powers It had never occurred to him that Federales,
that be and replace them with what, Artificial
lacking any sense of humor or appreciation for

Stupidity, like the meatware version ain’t stu-
his masterpiece of the hacking art, would be
pid enough, boys just like to have fun, but
so pissed off that, knowing that no jury would
they don’t see it that way, so now it’s a matter
ever convict him, would instead decide that
of self defense, the survival of the shittiest.”

they needed to hit his delete button by what-

Searching the sky and seeing that the drone
ever means necessary before he did some-
had retreated, Hassan took the risk of turning
thing even worse. Meaning a presidential
on his cell phone long enough to send a cod-
finding invoking extreme prejudice and turn-
ed message and a GPS fix. A nervous hour or
ing the contract over to the Black Ops Boys,
so later, a couple of Vespas took them the rest
human or otherwise.

of the way to the children’s hospital.

Meaning he had been running for his life,

This was a two story cement block building
and, unlike Snowden, he was too radioactive
set in a small oasis more or less in the middle
for any government, no matter how much an
of nowhere with a red crescent on the white-
enemy of the United States, to give him f ive
painted aluminum sheet roof and a red cross
minutes of sanctuary.

for the benefit of the aerial infidels.

48

NORMAN SPINRAD

SEPTEMBER 2015

Hassan led Brother Rat into the first floor, a

James Bond’s license to kill, Brother Rat
single huge ward jam-packed with beds, pal-
seemed a tad less sure about that than they did.

lets on the floor, all stacked with sick and/or

The CJY hole in the ground was Third
wounded children.

World even for the Third World. It was kept

“Say what?” observed Brother Rat. “This
from turning into a pressure-cooker of armpit
looks like a children’s hospital.”

sweat by creaky air-conditioning, or at least to

“That’s what it is,” Hassan told him, on the
a survivable extent. It was a single room con-
way down a stairway to the basement. “We’re
taining the hardware, a disgusting Turkish toi-
hidden in plain sight. The Americans probably
let, an electric plate kitchen, and bedrooms
have us targeted, but how could they pay the
about the size of the cots in them, all separat-
political price to authorize the strike and mar-
ed by rancid sheets of canvas.

tyr scores or hundreds of sick children?”

Shithole though the digs were, the hard-

“Hard core,” Brother Rat grunted.

ware was surprisingly boss. Not top of the line

“Hard war,” Hassan told him.

maybe, but a lot better than he had dared to
expect. Untold quantagillions of memory, all

Brother Rat hadn’t really bargained for any-
of it solid state, some sort of huge antenna ar-
thing in particular, having zero leverage when
ray occupying half the top floor of the hospi-
the New Caliphate offered him sanctuary
tal somehow connected to a GEO satellite for
when no one else would. They’d keep the U.S.

redistribution that could connect to most any
government from killing him, and he’d pay for
site on the web, or so this Hassan claimed
his keep by doing what they asked him to do,
proudly.

whatever it might be.

Hassan himself was a hard case for Brother

Given that he wasn’t even any good at shoot-

Rat to debug. On the one hand, he was a hard er video games and was the hacker Ace of
case. He carried an AK-47 on his back for

Aces, it didn’t f igure that they’d hand him a
show, told him when and where to sleep,

Kalashnikov or strap on a suicide vest. He was
prayed to Mecca f ive times a day, strutted
valuable to whatever their cause was because
around the bunker like a rapper rooster, and
he could do what they couldn’t in cyberspace,
as the hacker in chief, he ruled this roost. But
not as expendable gunfodder or sand
he followed Brother Rat around like a fanboy,
kamikaze.

as after all he should, seeing as how inside the

Still, he was beginning to get a little ner-
soldier boy costume was a fellow hacker ea-
vous, since he was beginning to get the idea of
ger to learn what he could from the Mighty
what sort of people the Cyber Jihadis really

Quinn.

were: clever enough to think of putting their

If he had a pen and a magazine picture, he
operation in the dirt floor cellar of a children’s probably would have asked for an autograph.

hospital, daring the drone pilots to commit

If he was ordered to cut the Ace of Ace’s
the ultimate f lagrant crime against humanity
throat with a rusty meat cleaver, he probably
to take them out, and ruthless enough to do it.

would do it without blinking an eye.

Somehow, Brother Rat was beginning to un-
derstand that he was no longer in Uncle Sam’s

Hassan would have found it an honor to be

Kansas. Or a video game whose viewpoint
summoned into the presence of Sheik and
character was Lawrence of Arabia.

Imam Salman al-Yemeni, but to have the leg-

Where he was was in a half-assed bunker be-
endary future Sheik of Yemen travel here to
neath two floors of sick and wounded kiddies
meet with him in his hole in the ground
serving the cause of whatever the cause was as
would have been an honor almost beyond his
human shields, in the hopefully correct belief
comprehension, did he not know why Sheik of the jihadis they were shielding that the Yan-al-Yemeni had arranged this meeting, namely
kee homeboys wouldn’t blow them to dog-
to prepare him to meet with the legendary
meat in order to do likewise to themselves.

Brother Rat.

But given that he had just barely survived a

Whether Sheik Al-Haj Imam Salman al-
drone strike and he was here because every-

Yemeni was really a Yemeni was a mystery,
thing from the CIA to the SEALS to The Nation-
perhaps deliberately so, as was whether the ti-
al Doesn’t Exist Agency were after him with
tle of Imam had indeed been conferred on him

THE CRASHING OF THE CLOUD

49

ANALOG
in the Masjid al-Haram, or whether by the

This Hassan could understand, for in that at

Council of Sheiks for political purposes. What
least they were brothers, for he too took plea-
was well-known was that he had fought
sure in an artful hack for its own sake as well
against the Great Satan and for the New
as for its service to the cause, nor did he see

Caliphate for decades in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syr-
any sin in that. But the notion of taking such
ia, and battlefields best unnamed, before being
pleasure in writing the code with indifference
named Sheik of the Sheikdom of Yemen when-
to what cause it was serving, indeed apparent-
ever it would become part of the Caliphate.

ly indifference to serving any cause at all, was Hassan had been told that Sheik al-Yemeni
something he could not comprehend, and
had persuaded the Council Sheiks to give
didn’t really want to.

sanctuary to Brother Rat when he was or-

Sheik al-Yemeni awaited him in one of the
dered to take him to the bunker beneath the
sleeping tents, the only sort of private cham-
hospital, to befriend him if possible, judge his
ber down here, seated on one end of the cot,
true purposes and his personal reliability, and
and yes, chewing khat. Wearing a hooded
offer advice as to how best to bend this hacker
white tribal robe embellished with camo rib-
ace to his will and that of Allah.

bon. Gray of beard, weathered of hawkish vis-

And now he had to brief Salman al-Yemeni
age, warrior-straight, gaze like steel.

himself! What was he to say to a man such as

The Imam Sheik gestured wordlessly for
that about a man such as Brother Rat?

Hassan to seat himself before him. “Tell me of

It was obvious that in return for sanctuary,
our prize American.”

Brother Rat would be required to create cy-

“What do you wish to know?”

berspace weapons to be used against the

“To begin with, do you believe he can be

Americans. Against his own people. A despi-
trusted?”

cable thing for anyone to do, so Hassan had as-

Hassan squirmed, shrugged in bewilder-
sumed before learning otherwise that he was
ment. “The question is trusted to do what?

an American Muslim convert who had raised

Evil men like the American government and
his loyalty from mere loyalty to his country to
their drone pilots, I can understand. They
dedication to the sacred cause of Allah. Noth-
serve an evil cause, and therfore are our ene-
ing despicable in that!

mies. But a man who cares not to serve any

But Brother Rat was not a Muslim and,
cause at all, but will serve whatever cause
rather than being a traitor to America, be-
meets his price in order to do nothing more
lieved with ample justif ication that America than survive to take pleasure in the practice of
had been a traitor to him, seeking to kill him his art . . . this . . . this . . .”

for what he considered a great jest rather than

Salman al-Yemeni came as close to laughing
treason with no regard to its own professed le-
as Hassan could have expected him to. “Such
gal code.

a man is called a mercenary,” he told Hassan

He seemed willing enough to begin working
dryly. “Surely you have encountered them one
for the cause, so could that not be a first step
way or another. Who of us has not?”

to believing in the cause that he was working

“Well then,” Hassan told him, “I believe you
for, and joining the cause of restoring the lost
can trust him to be a mercenary. Is not a mer-

Caliphate as a true member of the Umma?

cenary a man who f ights for his own self-in-

And Brother Rat seemed eager to get to
terest because he enjoys war itself and cares
work. He inspected and reinspected the
not what cause he fights for?”

equipment. He asked questions and offered

“Nicely put, my son. Therefore not at all to
improvements. He told tales of his hacking ex-
be trusted with avowed suicide missions, but
ploits. He answered questions freely, regard-
skilled and useful soldiers in battle and conve-
ing Hassan as a hacking brother. Clearly this
niently expendable when made to believe
was a man who loved his work for its own
their mission is not suicidal. But might you not
sake, honorable or not. Clearly honor was a
believe that in the end this Brother Rat may re-
sense he was lacking. Clearly, too, that he
tain some loyalty to his country? That he shared knowledge freely, asking no more than
might draw the line at striking the Great Satan
the pleasure of sharing it with a sincere true
a truly mortal blow?”

colleague.

“Mortal blow?”

50

NORMAN SPINRAD

SEPTEMBER 2015

“When this man destroyed the memory of
cross myself, for to the extent that my mind
the American tax collectors, their government
can encompass such gibberish, you seem to
lost a year of income, but it survived, if barely, be saying that the internet, having no material
by somehow borrowing from itself, and now
body that can be slain to destroy it, is a disem-
the American economy is benefiting from the
bodied evil spirit. An immortal djinn in the
so-called tax holiday. But if Brother Rat could
service of the Great Satan.”

do something like that without even caring

Hassan fearfully realized that he had talked
about the greater result, what might he not ac-
himself into perilous waters. How was some-
complish if ordered to destroy the internet—
one like Sheik al-Yemeni to understand such

“Destroy the internet!”

geek-talk, however true? And yet was what

“—and thereby bring down not only the
the Sheik said not also true? A subtle truth in a American economy, but the economies of its
dialect that he could not quite understand.

European vassal states, the Japanese, perhaps

But what he did all too well understand was even the Chinese, the entire globalized inf i-that this was a man who did not tolerate dis-
del economy, connected as it is by the inter-
agreement with his words of wisdom, let
net. Is the internet not also called the web
alone his order. So he had better explain why
and for good reason? Is not America the spi-

Sheik al-Yemeni’s order to destroy the internet
der that sits in the center pulling the strings
could not be obeyed in terms he could under-of its puppets? Is not their so-called global civ-stand while somehow not disagreeing with a
ilization the true body of the Great Satan?

word that Salman al-Yemeni said.

Without the web to bind the puppets to the

“I confess, Sheik al-Yemeni, that I had not
puppeteer, will not it crumble to pieces and
realized this was so until you had enlightened
fall?”

me. Indeed the internet is itself an . . . an . . .

“You don’t understand!” Hassan found him-
immaterial . . . phenomenon, and therefore,
self blurting and instantly regretting.

not being Allah, can only be a satanic djinn—”

“What is it that you understand that I do

“Or worse, not merely a creature of the
not?” Salman al-Yemeni demanded with a

American Satan, or even just a demon, per-
coldness worse than any angr y outburst
haps even Satan himself! And might we not by
might have been. “You are more skilled in the
destroying the internet slay the Devil and
economic aspects of the political struggle
bring the rule of Allah to all the world forev-
than I, perhaps? You do not believe this
er?”

would lead to the collapse of global inf idel

The internet is the Devil?

civilization? And therefore bring about the

And hackers could kill Satan and bring
birth of a New Caliphate built triumphantly
about eternal Paradise by taking it down? He
upon the ruins?”

was a Yemeni, but all the khat in the world

“No, no, no, I mean, yes, yes, yes, all that is
could not get him to choke down that one.

as you say, Great Sheik,” Hassan hastened to

For if it would have been obvious blasphemy
grovel. “Were it possible. But alas it is not. The to worship the internet, how could he not internet is not like a spider’s web. There is no
love it? For the internet was the medium of his
coherent overall pattern, no center with a spi-
craft as clay was the medium of the potter. De-
der in it. It does not have a specific hardware
stroy it, and he would be nothing.

locus like the Internal Revenue data in its ded-

Fortunately, that was impossible.

icated computers. Its data is redundantly dis-

But how could he explain why to the Sheik
persed all over the world in millions of
without further arousing his ire?

computers. It runs on millions of servers like-

“Allow me to leave questions of such deep
wise redundantly. It is not the hardware it
spiritual matters to such as you, great Imam,”

runs on, it is not a single program, it is not
he said. “I serve Allah as but a cyber jihadhi.

even the traff ic that runs on it. It is none of

But as such a mere technician, I must tell you
these things and all of them together. It is both that . . . no software can take down the entire
far greater than the sum of its parts and holo-
internet because—”

graphically distributed among them.”

“No software yet written!” Salman al-

Sheik al-Yemeni regarded Hassan with angry

Yemeni exclaimed angrily. “Why do you imag-
bewilderment. “Were I an inf idel, I would
ine the Sheiks’ Council gives sanctuary to

THE CRASHING OF THE CLOUD

51

ANALOG

Brother Rat when not even Russia or Iran or
manteca, and I won’t pretend I can rewrite North Korea would so dare the rage of Ameri-bullshit into magic. It’d be like taking down
ca? How do you suppose I convinced them to
the global weather patterns, or the planetary
do it?”

magnetosphere, or rock and roll, proven

“You convinced them . . . ?”

mathematically impossible, kiddo—”

“You believe little Yemen dominates the

“—because the internet is transient chaotic

Council? You believe my legend sufficed to do
patterns in massively dispersed and redundant
it? I made the greatest and most dangerous
material matrices—”

gamble of my life. I promised them that Broth-

“Because it ain’t got no body, Hassan.”

er Rat would bring down the internet, that’s

“It is like the cells of our bodies on hun-
how! That when he did, the Great Satan
dreds of supercomputers, millions of main-
would be vanquished!”

frames, billions of SDs and hard disks—”

Hassan quailed in the face of Salman al-

“Voila! There we are!”

Yemeni’s brave and gallant warror’s spirit even

“And where is that?” Hassan asked him, ob-
as those unfortunate infidels who faced him in
viously knowing the answer all too surely.

battle must have.

“I would say the technical term for our cur-

“Do you have any idea of the size of the
rent locus is up shit creek. Wouldn’t you?”

game? Do you have any idea of the risk I have

“We must tell Sheik al-Yemeni that what we
taken? If my promise is fulfilled, I will be the
have been ordered to do is impossible. We are

Caliph of the New Caliphate when it is born.

doomed.”

If it is not, I will not remain Sheik of Yemen. I

“I said up shit creek, my man,” Brother Rat
will not escape with my honor. I will probably
told him. “I didn’t say without a paddle.”

not even wish to escape with my life!”

Hassan looked at him as if he had said it in

Salman al-Yemeni glared ferociously at Has-

Serbo-Croatian.

san, but more terrif iying than even his rage

“Look, you’re sure that this jihadhi don
was the fear behind it, the mortally desperate
can’t be made to understand that taking down
determination.

the whole internet is simply impossible?”

“And neither will you,” he said, as cold and

“I tried, and I tried, and I tried. . . .”

hard and sharp as an executioner’s sword.

“Very interesting Captain, sez Mr. Spock.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but this Luddite

“Bring down the internet? Yeah, sure, the muggle wouldn’t know ROM from RAM even

Olympic Gold for hacking, the ultimate hack,
if it was shoved up his ass.”

the cyber philospher’s stone. Too bad it can’t

Give the kid credit: Hassan didn’t quite
be done!”

laugh, but he did have to swallow it back.

“Even by the Ace of Aces?”

Brother Rat could feel his meatware com-

“Are you for real, dude, or are you Memo-
puter flipping into warp drive. “So that’s our
rex?” Brother Rat said. “We both know it’s im-
paddle! He wouldn’t know the Cloud from the
possible.”

internet, now would he, Watson?”

“You’re sure?”

“The Cloud?”

Brother Rat could see that Hassan knew the

“Existing on a manageably finite number of
answer, of course he did, but the dude was just
server computers, all, or at least most of them
about pissing in his pants. Or worse. Having
significant enough to matter, cross-connected
gotten here by making a deal with crazed ter-
for redundancy, and backdoored up their wa-
rorists who thought nothing of blowing them-
zoos by at least a dozen major cyberwar out-
selves up to make whatever their point was fits . . .”

supposed to be, he knew damn well that his ass

“Which you’ve already hacked, I gather?”

would be grass if he didn’t deliver on his end of

“Well, not all of them, just the Americans,
the deal. Best case scenario, out there all alone the Chinese, the British, the French, and the
dodging drones and hit squads. Worst case, and

Russians . . .”

more likely, a star on YouTube getting his head

“More than enough entry points into the
chopped off with a samurai sword.

system . . .”

“Of course I’m sure, Hassan, and so are

Hassan regarded him as, well, the Ace of
you. Don’t you slather me with that groupie

Aces. Which he was, was he not?

52

NORMAN SPINRAD

SEPTEMBER 2015

“Piece of pizza for the cyberwizard who
saying such a thing,” Sheik al-Yemeni told him.

wiped the IRS memory banks. Same basic pro-

“For the moment, as the Sultan said to
gram on a somewhat larger but simpler brute

Scheherazade.”

force level . . .”

It did not seem to Hassan that this was go-

“A bot cloud penetration . . .”

ing very well.

“Doesn’t even need extra code to make it vi-

“Your wish is my command, Aladdin, but
ral . . . because it doesn’t have to go viral.”

I’m not the genie of the lamp. I am, however,

“A wipe of all the data stored in the

Brother Rat, Ace of Aces, who brought the evil

Cloud . . . and all the software that lives in the dragon of the IRS to its knees, cyber enemy

Cloud too . . .”

number one as far as the United States is con-

“Or just a shutdown and lock command.”

cerned, and I can put together an electronic

“Simple when you think of it. . . .”

cutie that will save all three of our asses.”

“So was the invention of the wheel when

Brother Rat glanced deliberately at Hassan.

someone thought of it,” Brother Rat modestly

“I’m given to understand that you’ve got a lot
told Hassan. But his brainware RAM was be-
of your chips on this roll of the dice.” Hassan
yond that and running in Machiavelli space.

wished he hadn’t. “Like all of them? Like the

“I’d call this stroke of genius the bait and
three of us are in the same caca canoe if we
switch and the dead man negative option.

don’t at least put on an acceptable show for

He’ll never know the difference and he won’t
our audience?”

go away mad because he will think he more or

Hassan cringed.

less got what he ordered from the menu. As

But Sheik Salman al-Yemeni just said, “Con-
far as he’s concerned, he more or less will get tinue.”

what he ordered, a giant cyberwrench thrown

“I think you’ve already been bored with the
into the gears of the entire globalized econo-
technical details by pal Hassan. . . .”

my, banks, stock markets, credit cards, fund

Hassan broke into a sweat. What was this
transfers, major corporations, billions of indi-
man doing to him?

viduals bullshitted into keeping everything in

“And since as hackers go, he is as good as it
the Cloud. . . .”

gets unless you’re me, he did as good a job of

Hassan seemed to be making a career of
explaining our magic to a muggle as anyone
staring at him in worshipful bewilderment. So
could, so I won’t insult him by trying to do it
why not Sheik al-Yemeni? Was not Brother Rat
myself. I am a naïf when it comes to Islam and
a bewildering genius?

jihadi politics, and you are on another planet

“Time to go make the pitch, Hassan. And
when it comes to cyberspacial physics and
you better let me do most of the talking. Let
metaphysics, so I will give you the CliffsNotes

Mandrake the Magician gesture hypnotically.”

version. The internet, for our practical pur-
poses, is everything that moves around in cy-

Hassan assumed the same respectful posi-
berspace: energy packets, not matter, but
tion on the cot facing Salman al-Yemeni that
ultimately it must be contained by matter.

he had before and was somewhat aghast

Computer memories and operating RAM. No
when Brother Rat sat down on the f loor fac-
different from the electricity in a lightbulb.

ing the two of them in lotus postion, turning

Don’t blame me for this, I didn’t do it.”

himself into the focus of the triangle even

Hassan felt his mind open, and his jaw prob-
while sitting below the Sheik’s eye level. A ma-
ably dropped too, for never had he heard such
gician of some nameless magic indeed!

a simple explication and he certainly hadn’t

“Look, my man,” he began, “you’re the boss
come up with one like this himself, such that
here, you give the orders, you can chop our
the Sheik simply nodded his comprehension,
heads off if we so much as fart, but your Allah
and ordered with a little raise of his hand for
created the program running the Universe of

Brother Rat to continue.

mass and energy, now didn’t he? So wouldn’t
it be blasphemy or something to order me to

Whatever the Sheik didn’t know about cy-
do what Allah has made impossible to do?”

berspace, Brother Rat knew he was not talk-

“Spare me further sophistry, and I will spare
ing to a nobody maroon; this guy was as much
you from having your head chopped off for
a power in his reality as Brother Rat was in his.

THE CRASHING OF THE CLOUD

53

ANALOG

This might have been a cause of greater con-
your team just might not like me to ever do
cern for the unwashed masses, but for the Ace
it.”

of Aces, it was a relief, he had little patience

“You are offering yourself up as a martyr?

for dummies.

For of course we wouldn’t, you are in our

“That’s the internet. Can’t be destroyed by
hands, and all we have to do is kill you. How
anything short of an all-out nuclear World War,
can you trust us not to?”

and even then there’d probably be some hard-

“Would you be willing to swear on the Ko-
ware left to boot bits and pieces. But there’s a
ran that you wouldn’t as long as I remained in
current lion’s share of the internet called the
your luxurious protective custody? The best

Cloud. The Cloud is stored data and online pro-
equipment left in the world for me to play
grams. That’s all it is. In the cyber Jurassic, data with, a Mercedes because my friends all drive
and programs were replicated and stored on

Porsches, a harem of no more than a mere
individual computers. Cut to the chase—
dozen damsels, inexperienced virgins need not
namely the chase of behemoths like Google
apply, and an unlimited expense account.”

and Microsoft and Apple and their camp fol-

“Indeed I would be willing to so swear. . . .”

lowers after the max moola—and instead of
said the Sheik. A strangely dreamy look came
selling copies of programs to your customers,
into his softened eyes. “And I am deeply ap-
you rent them time to use them on your own
preciative that even being an inf idel you
computers. To persuade the suckers to pay for-
would trust an oath on the Koran with your
ever for something they were used to owning,
life, unless of course Allah has spoken to your
and throw in the storage of their data at sweet-
heart. . . .”

ie-pie rates. They will then be doing their com-

“No way, José, and no offense, great Sultan,
puting where their data is, where you control
but cynical infidel that I am, I will feel better it, and there you have it. The Cloud!”

giving you a gift of self-interest in my survival”

Brother Rat could tell that the Sheik was get-

Salman al-Yemeni’s gaze rehardened.

ting it by the way he was now leaning forward

“A gift to me to protect your survival?”

and his right foot was wriggling excitedly.

“As long I’m alive, the reboot of the Cloud

“Cut to the present where the Cloud domi-
is in my power, and I’m in yours. Make a deal
nates the internet. When more of the internet
with the Great Santa Claus to turn it back on,
than not is data and programs stored on the
and I do it. Like diplomatic recognition of your
servers and computers of the Cloud. Wall

New Caliphate, withdrawal of American

Street. Supermarket chains. Department store
troops from the Eastern Hemisphere, ten tons
chains. Factories. Billions of ordinary people’s
of gold, half of all the pot grown in California, vacation videos and fave rave TV and music.

whatever deal you make, not my job. Take

Maybe military stuff we don’t even know
your time, as long as you keep me healthy,
about.”

you’ve got the world by the cojones. Inshallah,

“You are saying you can do to this Cloud
my man, that should be at least twenty or thir-
what you did to the American Internal Rev-
ty years, and that had better be enough to cut
enue Service?” Sheik al-Yemeni was taking the
your New Caliphate a deal, of which, I have a
bait.

feeling, you will then be Honcho for Life.”

“Better and easier,” Brother Rat told him.

He gave the Sheik a nice shit-eating grin.

“My program for this doesn’t have to bother

“Because if I do not send a stop annually,
wiping data. It just shuts the Cloud facilities
what I’ve turned off automatically turns back
down and keeps them down . . . until . . .”

on.”

“Until?”

The hook, line, and sinker.

Brother Rat grinned like a sarcastic ape as

Brother Rat rose and offered Sheik al-
he closed the deal. “Until I am persuaded to

Yemeni his hand.

turn them on again.”

“Now isn’t that the famous offer you can’t

“And what would it take to . . . persuade
refuse?”

you to turn them on again?”

Sheik al-Yemeni grinned like the proverbial

“Well now, that might take some doing,
cat about to swallow the proverbial canary.

wouldn’t it?” Brother Rat told the future

“Why would I want to?” said Sheik al-

Caliph of the New Caliphate. “Seeing as how

Yemeni and took it. ■

54

NORMAN SPINRAD

THE ALTERNATE VIEW Arlan Andrews, Sr.

THE LIMITS OF BELIEF

Now that Jeffery D.Kooistra has moved on from But inspired by, among others, former Ashis AV post, we'll be running a series of guest tounding/Analog editor, John W. Campbell, columns in the space before we settle on a per-Jr., I also recognize that the innate conser-
manent replacement. In the mean time, we'd
vatism of science and its formal institutions
love to hear your thoughts on the kind of Alter-does not always allow for the serious investi-
nate View you'd like to see going forward. —Ed.

gation of anomalies and unexplained phenom-
ena, items categorized by author Charles Fort1
rivileged to provide the first follow-on
as “Damned Facts.” To the contrary, such re-

Alternate View after Jeff Kooistra’s illus-
ports are most often met with sneers or near
trious fifteen-year reign as columnist, I
hysteria. In an earlier letter to Analog 2 , a co-Phave a confession to make to Analog author and I bemoaned this willful ignorance.

readers: many of my views on controversial

My own limits of belief, then, occur at the
topics truly are alternate views. Based on my point where science offers explanations that
career in high-tech industry and highly classi-
either contradict my own experience or
fied government and defense projects, I was al-
knowledge, or which appear to be merely un-
ways expected to support certain Established
informed speculation about what is truly un-

Truths. With a doctorate in engineering and a
known. Up to the point where scientists and
career that included White Sands Missile
other scholars produce useful and important

Range, Bell Telephone Laboratories, Sandia
information, they are to be trusted and re-

National Laboratories, and the White House
spected. But when venturing into what to

Science Office, plus cofounding a NASDAQ-
them is speculation, then maybe not so much.

listed virtual reality startup company, a biotech Among my interests—often classified under
equipment firm, and other high-tech efforts, I
the pejorative term, “fringe”—are “belief” in
was obviously supposed to be a standard fix-
advanced ancient civilizations and technolo-
ture of the Conventional Knowledge Establish-
gies, in the paranormal, and in the cyclical
ment. But I never was. And still am not.

(and natural) quality of climate change. Others

Even now I am asked, “Why do you persist
may share some of these same beliefs, though
in such delusions when we have already pro-
are reluctant to admit as much. The following
nounced what is Settled Science and what is
examples, necessarily very brief, indicate how

Pseudoscience?” My answer is, simply, “I am
my personal belief system functions, and may
not a scientist. I am an engineer, and engineers
provide some guidance for others who have
don’t do science; we merely work with reality.”

similar interests and doubts.

I go on to explain that obviously I take science
and engineering seriously because they are the

Engineering Before Science:

foundations upon which rest our present civi-

A Concrete Example
lization, with all its wonders and achievements.

The Pantheon in Rome, for centuries the

I do believe in the future and the progress of
largest unsupported dome on Earth, was built
mankind through research and technology.

in the Second Century A.D., of Roman concrete.

1

C. Fort, Book of the Damned, Boni and Liveright, New York, NY, 1919.

2 A. Andrews and R. McConnell, “SETU: Society for Explaining the Uninvestigated,” “Brass Tacks,”

Analog, March 1974.

55

ANALOG

The scientific analysis of precisely what made

The Paranormal
such material so useful and enduring was only

My own “belief” in the paranormal evolved
performed 1,900 years later,3 a perfect example
primarily because of personal experiences
of artisans and engineers doing practical work
with detailed precognitive dreams, poltergeist
with only empirical knowledge. Accomplished
incidents witnessed by myself and others, and
millennia before science even existed, this
the many dozens of times I have personally
should be a salutary and cautionary example to
witnessed verified demonstrations of clairvoy-
modern scientists and other authorities.

ance, telepathy, and precognition.

My first paid publication was a speculative ar-

Advanced Ancient Technologies—
ticle7, in which I modestly took on the task of

The Cutting Edge
explaining all paranormal phenomena, includ-

In 2011 I appeared briefly on the infamous
ing reincarnation. In addition to coining a new
cable TV show, Ancient Aliens. 4 In an hour-word, “parascience,” the article was the first to long interview that was finally cut to half a
suggest that the complex and interlocking elec-
minute onscreen, I eschewed any alien influ-
tromagnetic fields of the human brain might ex-
ence on ancient technologies, maintaining
ist embedded in, but independent of, biological
that ancient humans were quite capable of
surroundings, and be capable of surviving in-
producing all the artifacts discovered. But I did tact on their own. This would enable a duality
point out that my friend Chris Dunn had
that could account for consciousness, out-of-
shown that some kind of advanced machining
body travel, ESP, the appearance of reincarna-
techniques were responsible for the thin,
tion, and many other reported phenomena.

deep carving of hieroglyphs on Egyptian

That same year, I proposed to my employer,
obelisks, and for apparent high-speed tool

Bell Telephone Laboratories, that we should
marks on other Egyptian stonework. Unfortu-
investigate ESP scientifically8. I was politely
nately, my references to Chris’ original
but firmly turned down. Later, I was first to
works5,6 were edited out.

propose using newly developed scientific in-

Why would I believe in advanced ancient
strumentation for investigating poltergeist and
technologies when conventional archaeology
haunting phenomena,9 some of which unfor-
disputes them? Chris Dunn summarized it
tunately is widely used today in unbelievable
very well, after a trip through the Egyptian

“reality” shows.

Museum in Cairo during our visit to Egypt in

I had thought, back in the 1970s when I

2008. Pointing out the array of tools shown in
wrote the article, that the possibility of finding the museum’s glass display cases, he noted
new natural phenomena, perhaps other meth-
that the same tools—copper chisels, inexact
ods of detection and physical manipulation, or
wooden instruments, primitive saws, sharp-
entirely unknown but measurable fields, and
ened animal bones, etc.—had allegedly been
maybe even new laws of physics, would ex-
used by ancient workmen over a three-thou-
cite the imaginations of scientists and lead to
sand-year span of time. “No improvements
new discoveries. Imagine my surprise when
during three thousand years?” Chris asked.

reputable scientists and respected science fic-

“That alone is enough to convince any engi-
tion authors not only denied the existence of
neer or artisan that the whole story is not be-
all such phenomena, but resorted to ad
ing told.” I agree.

hominem attacks or near hysteria when I

* * *
even broached the subject.

3
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141215185026.htm 4 “Ancient Aliens: Ancient Engineers,” Prometheus Productions, New York; first shown on History Channel, September 1, 2011; available on YouTube.

5

C. Dunn, “Advanced Machining in Ancient Egypt?” Analog, August 1984.

6

C. Dunn, Lost Technologies of Ancient Egypt, Bear & Company, Rochester, VT, 2010.

7

A. Andrews, “Toward a Unified Parascience,” Fate Magazine, January 1972.

8

A. Andrews, “ESP Should Be Studied Scientifically,” Bell Labs News, February 1972.

9 A. Andrews, “A Proposal For Instrumentation to Detect Temperature Fields In Haunting, Poltergeist and PK Investigations,” Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, July 1977.

56

ARLAN ANDREWS, SR.

SEPTEMBER 2015

I have never found any information in my en-
articles about most of these areas,11,12,13 often gineering education or my professional experi-including them in my science fiction stories in
ence that could begin to convince me that these

Analog 14 and elsewhere. But “climate change”

paranormal phenomena were anything but as-
has always been the most controversial.15
yet-unexplained natural occurrences. I still fail to Even in 1992 the White House Science Of-understand the nearly universal refusal even to
fice was receiving a significant minority of re-
investigate these phenomena seriously.

ports that challenged the theory of CO -based

2
anthropogenic global warming (AGW). When I

Climate Change
mentioned these to my superiors I was dis-

And now for the most controversial topic.

missed with the statement that “There are al-

As a White House Fellow in 1992 assigned to
ways cranks; just ignore them.” I was surprised
the White House Science Office, I put in my
at this attitude. Over succeeding decades, of
time as a staffer working for the Assistant Di-
course, the “science is settled” media barrage
rector for Technology. In that position, I read
has ensued, even though some climatologists16
all of the reports, papers, and other informa-
have disagreed with Al Gore and other AGW
tion that came into our office concerning my
proponents, and in spite of the several scandals
primary interests—manufacturing, nanotech-
that have come to light regarding data manipu-
nology, virtual reality, commercial space trav-
lation, enlightening e-mails, and egregious “ty-
el, solid freeform fabrication, and climate
pos” in international climate change reports.17
change. I first endorsed nanotechnology and

For myself, the NOAA charts shown here il-

“solid freeform fabrication” (now called “3D
lustrate why I do not think the scientific com-
printing”), in a White House document in
munity is being totally forthcoming about dis-

199310. Since then I have written speculative
crepancies among all computer models and

18

Vostok (Antarctica) Ice Core Temperature (ºC) vs. Time (years), -420,000 years Before Present to Present Source: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/metadata/noaa-icecore-2453.html 10

The President’s Report to Congress on Science and Technology, Executive Office of the President, Washington, D.C., April 1993.

11

“Manufacturing Magic,” Analog, September 1992 (first article on 3D printing).

12 “Single Stage to Infinity!” Analog, June 1993 (first article on the DC-X single stage to orbit program).

13

“Feynman’s Philosophical Foresight,” series of three articles on nanotech, Science Fiction Review, 1992.

14

“Hail, Columbia!” Analog, October 1993.

15

A. Andrews, G. Landis, “Global Warming,” Science Forum, Science Fiction Age, May 1996.

16
http://canadafreepress.com/2006/harris061206.htm, for example.

17
http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/originals/gross_errors_ipcc_ar4.html, for example.

18 http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/metadata/noaa-icecore-2453.html, and http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/
paleo/metadata/noaa-icecore-2475.html

THE LIMITS OF BELIEF

57

ANALOG

Greenland Ice Core Temperature (ºC) vs. Time (years), 11000 years Before Present to Present Source: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/metadata/noaa-icecore-2475.html simulations of global climate phenomena. One
once were warm enough for humans to live
graph indicates Antarctic temperature
there, where hundreds or thousands of feet of
changes over the last four hundred thousand
ice once covered them.20 So if there is any hu-
years, based on ice core measurements per-
man-caused “greenhouse effect,” and we are
formed at the Vostok site; another, the last
indeed inducing global warming, humankind
eleven thousand years based on cores from
should welcome it. A good slogan might be:

the Greenland ice cap. Several cycles are evi-

“Keep your Mother warm; cold kills people.”

dent—the primary period of about one hun-
dred thousand years, with smaller periods in

Conclusion
between, as first predicted in 1930 based sole-

When scientific authorities attempt to pon-
ly on incident solar radiation caused by varia-
tificate in areas beyond their knowledge, or
tions in the Earth’s orbit and inclination.19
seemingly ignore contradictory evidence, or

Steep increases in temperature, excursions
seek to label certain areas taboo, then rational
from 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit or more,
skeptics should utilize their own knowledge,
seem to occur within a short time, indicating
skills, and abilities to search out and examine
warming periods. Temperature declines take
other hypotheses—and then test them, exper-
much longer. By comparison, the cyclical
iment with them, validate them (or not!) and
changes in temperatures over the last eight
publish the results.

thousand years or so are minimal, actually

Human beings have an inherent need to
showing a cooling trend for most of the last
know, to investigate, to explore; we should not
millennium. So, regardless of what is happen-
let any authority impede that basic drive. If coning today, climate always has been changing,
ventional science refuses to consider certain
long before Humankind developed technolo-
phenomena or events, we just need to find our
gy, even before the discovery of fire. And the
own alternate routes to Truth. Following Charles
changes were much more extreme.

Fort, we may choose to look into the dark cor-

Furthermore, recent glacial melting has un-
ners of Reality, to see what lurks therein.

covered ancient campgrounds and villages in

Or as El Viejo put it, “Reality is a lot broader the far north, evidence that those regions
than you have been taught.” ■

19

Serbian mathematician Milutin Milankovitch, in Mathematical Climatology and the Astronomical Theory of Climate Change, believed that ice ages peak every 100,000 and 41,000 years, with additional

“blips” every 19,000 to 23,000 years. These charts bear out those predictions.

20 http://www.archaeology.org/issues/105-1309/letter-from/1165-glaciers-ice-patches-norway-global-warming

58

ARLAN ANDREWS, SR.

Endless

Forms Most

Beautiful

Alvaro Zinos-Amaro
alsgrave Greshmenn, someone re-

While he waited for a response, Gresh-
quests your presence.”

menn’s eyes returned to the object he had

Greshmenn was on the f ifth
been scrutinizing, his most prized possession,

“Plevel of the east wing,clad in full the Varnava.He was thoroughlyvexed bythe mood-onomatopoeic garb. When he heard
microscopic leak that threatened to upset the

Taetzsch, his estate’s Intelligence, he froze in
painting’s delicate evolution.

place, bushels of long, silver hair swinging

And now this intrusive request—
pendulum-like at his sides for a dozen servo-

Unbearable.

regulated heartbeats. He opened his mouth to

The reclusive palsgrave, who had gone to
respond, then closed it.

great lengths to disappear from public life,

The most recent parade of colors to f low
hadn’t been bothered in years, and that was
through his vestments, instants before the an-
the way he liked it. Greshmenn absorbed the
nouncement, had not denoted happiness:

often grim media reports of his own demise
anxious amaranths, distressed palatinate pur-
with faint bemusement and a dash of disdain-
ples, a flash of cerulean.

ful pity: poor naïve dullards, he thought.

Now the wide sleeves of Greshmenn’s

And yet someone had managed to find him.

sense-recording dalmatic turned a dour sham-

As he pondered the suspects, Greshmenn
rock green, and the silk cummerbund around
thought of Raugrave Niarchos IV, his only sig-
his waist shimmered with glaring chestnut.

nificant competitor in the world of Evolutive

At last, the august palsgrave brought him-
art collecting, a fellow holdover from the re-
self to answer. His voice, as though having
mote days of bio-original spinal cords. And
crossed a desert on its way to his thin lips, ar-
yet it seemed unlikely that the pompous Rau-
rived parched with incredulity. “Someone re-
grave would wish to communicate with him
quests my presence?”

right before bidding opened on the latest

“Yes, Palsgrave,” Taetzsch said.

Hilel Zhe Pan, unless he wanted to strike

Greshmenn frowned. “And who precisely is
some kind of deal. That hadn’t happened in
this undesirable that dares disturb me?”

decades.

59

ANALOG

No, this must be someone else. Someone

“I know you are,” Greshmenn said. “I don’t
new.

doubt your resources. I purchased them. But

“He says his name is Titian,” Taetzsch said.

I’d prefer it if you just talked to one of us at a

“He claims to need your assistance with a deli-
time. Call me old-fashioned.”

cate matter, but he has refused to disclose

“You are anything but,” Taetzsch said. “Your
what he insists are the sensitive details of his
collection attests to that.”

appeal.”

Was that a pinprick of sarcasm? Could an In-

The palsgrave stroked the point of his im-
telligence develop such nuances, such sophis-
maculate argent beard. Titian was one of the
tication? The palsgrave f leetingly wondered
transitional names used by almost every art-
whether something was wrong with his artifi-
grave on the climb up—and more often than
cial servant. But before he could pursue that
not again on the drop down—the ladders of
line of thought Taetzsch informed him that his
the collecting world. That Greshmenn had
transaction with Titian had f inalized. “Very
been accidentally discovered by a stranger was
well. Before Titian arrives at the estate, activate a single unlikelihood and might be over-maximal observation procedures. Reroute re-
looked. But for the stranger to occupy the
sources from wherever you have to—even the
very same specialized niche as the palsgrave?

restoration of my Varnava, if you must. I want

In such curlicues of circumstance could be
to know everything there is to know about this
felt a tickle of intrigue.

scoundrel from the moment he gets here.”

“Did this Titian fellow explain how he

“Yes, Palsgrave.”

found me?”

“And as soon as he departs I expect a com-

“I did not ask him,” Taetzsch replied. “How-
prehensive analysis.”

ever, I am happy to do so now, Palsgrave.”

“Of course, Palsgrave.”

Greshmenn puffed out his chest and

“You think I’m being paranoid, don’t you?”

straightened his shoulders. “I will perform the

“No, sir.”

inquiry myself. Enhancements?”

“This visit likely involves some kind of de-

“My scans reveal only the ordinary nanoim-
ception.”

plants and servos,” Taetzsch said.

“An excellent appraisal.”

“Where is he?”

“Are you being deferential?”

“Titian is speaking with me via Spore. His

“Yes, Palsgrave, but only in response to the
physical location is Dar es Salaam, off the
flawless logic underlying your assessment.”

coast of Tanzania.”

Greshmenn tugged at the corners of his ar-

“I want him to make the trip here in per-
senic eyes, where a strange weariness, imper-
son. I won’t speak with him by Spore. Relay
ceptible to his myriad amino acid and
that.” Greshmenn’s gaze drifted back to his
endorphin regulators, threatened to creep
painting’s leak. His amice f looded with deep
into his body. These days he felt that same

Prussian blue. He lowered his head.

tiredness, verging on apathy, with increasing

Taetzsch’s voice shoved him back into reali-
frequency. Perhaps it was resignation.

ty: “Titian has agreed to your terms.”

“You know, Taetzsch, at times I attempt to

“Good,” Greshmenn snapped. “When will
imagine what existence must be like for you,
he be here?”

and I become fearful that you must be lonely.

“Four hours and sixteen minutes.”

After all, most EIs are Linked, but to protect

Greshmenn sighed. “Finalize arrangements
my anonymity I keep you disconnected. But
for his visit and terminate your conversation
then you inevitably remind me, with your
with him at once.”

barbs—as you did just now with your com-

“As you wish, Palsgrave,” Taetzsch said.

ment about my ‘flawless logic’—that I’m just

After waiting thirty seconds or so, Gresh-
being mawkish.”

menn said, “Well?”

“I appreciate your concern,” Taetzsch said

“Almost done,” Taetzsch said. “Despite your
in his predictably flat voice. “But I assure you
reticence to make use of this ability, may I re-
that I cannot experience loneliness in the
mind you than I’m quite capable of conclud-
sense you suggest, Palsgrave.”

ing my conversation with Titian and speaking

“I’ll take your word for it. Are the maximal
with you at the same time?”

observation procedures in place?”

60

ALVARO ZINOS-AMARO

SEPTEMBER 2015

“They are.”

replied, Titian nodded thoughtfully, his atten-

“Very well. I will return to my painting
tion never wandering from the piece.

now.”

A ruminative pause grew, eventually be-

“Yes, Palsgrave. As always, I’m happy to as-
coming unsettling.

sist with the painting’s restoration, should you

Titian had spotted the leak.

desire it.”

He looked at it as though recognizing some-

More irony? Taetzsch’s efforts to f ix the
thing familiar for the f irst time since his ar-
painting’s leak, like Greshmenn’s, had proved
rival.

useless.

The palsgrave had done nothing to call at-

“That won’t be necessary.”

tention to the painting’s imperfection, which

Greshmenn paced stolidly for a few minutes
absorbed the entirety of his attention. “I see
and f inally sank back into the interminable
you’ve noticed the blemish,” he said.

chore of trying to save the painting.

“Indeed.”

The palsgrave compared his subjective im-

Greshmenn was underwhelmed by his visi-
pressions of the young man’s reactions with
tor’s appearance. The top of Titian’s head,
the empirical data that Taetzsch was feeding
covered in unkempt, curly, sand-brown hair,
him through his tunic. Both datasets agreed,
reached only up to Greshmenn’s shoulders.

indicating that Titian spoke candidly. But he

And Titian’s implants, as evidenced by the tell-
hadn’t exactly said much of value. He had rec-
tale gray discolorations at the interface points
ognized this piece, and yet he seemed unsur-
on his neck and palms, were at least two gen-
prised by the leak.

erations behind Greshmenn’s, who himself

Greshmenn took a step back. Time to be
took irrational, retrograde pride in being sev-
practical. “Observe the canvas with care,” he
eral years behind the Swathing Edge.

instructed. “If your visual memory enhance-

As Greshmenn strode through his palatial
ments allow, you will notice that the painting is grounds, Titian trailed a few steps behind. The
subtly different now from what it was seconds
palsgrave stopped at a fountain, his thoughts
ago. Diminutive alterations are occurring every
dancing along an inverted cone of electromag-
instant: color, texture, angle, style of brush-
netically slowed micro-droplets.

strokes, and so on. That’s the norm for all

He eased into a timeless state, testing his

Evolutive art—endless change. The work reas-
visitor with silence.

sembles itself bit by quantum bit,” Greshmenn

Titian’s lanky frame bent to and fro, mak-
said. “A hum of intermeshed realities.”

ing the palsgrave think of a malnourished

“Yes,” Titian murmured.

birch. Titian’s voice, when he f inally spoke,

“It can prove quite hypnotic,” the palsgrave
was almost lost amidst the water’s susurra-
went on. “Consider. At some unknowable mo-
tions: “Excuse my ignorance if I have offend-
ment the work will manifest its highest possi-
ed you. I’m unfamiliar with the ways of your
ble aesthetic. But it will remain in this state of estate.”

unsurpassable beauty for perhaps only a few

Greshmenn decided he was tired of playing
moments.”

games. “Come with me,” he commanded, and

Greshmenn stood still. Fourteen years, four-
with f irm long strides led the way into his
teen hopeful years, had passed and he had not study on the f ifth level. Security systems un-yet witnessed this High Point. If the painting
furled at his command like lavender petals,
had been healthy, if it had been intact and
parting to reveal the bud of his collection. As
whole, it might have been another fourteen
they entered the chamber, Greshmenn kept
years—or ten times as long—before he was
his sights on Titian at all times. It took Titian privy to such an apex. What of it? He had the
only a few seconds to spot the Varnava.

lifespan and the dedication to wait as long as

“The Chitinous Narcissus,” he whispered.

necessary for the golden moment. But the

Titian gravitated toward it as though in a
painting was not healthy. It was not intact. It trance. He admired it from one angle, then an-was not whole. “This leak,” Greshmenn said,
other, and yet another. He asked technical

“this intolerable transgression against all that is questions about its composition, about its pur-sacred, threatens to make a travesty of my pa-
chase and preservation. As the palsgrave
tience.”

ENDLESS FORMS MOST BEAUTIFUL

61

ANALOG

The leak rippled, as though in response to
ations followed suit, not being intended for
the palsgrave’s desperation. It was entropic, a
mass consumption—not even admiration by a
virus of imperfection consuming this majestic
handful. Their works blossom best when nur-
exemplar of Evolutive progress. And there was
tured by a single individual.”

no known way to remove it. The same physics

“One whose commitment is equal to the
that made cross-reality reassembly possible in
task?” Titian guessed.

the first place could, in rare instances such as

“Yes. An observer whose passion never
this, generate artifacts, bugs, splotches of
wanes, whose loyalty remains always to the
atoms that simply refused to dance in concert
potential of the work. And so the painting’s with the rest.

glories are destined, by necessity, to go large-

Beauty was seeping out through the leak
ly unseen. A hundred hungry eyes could rav-
like sap.

age ‘The Chitinous Narcissus’ . . .”

Greshmenn felt his pulse quiver, and the myr-

“. . . while a single well-chosen pair could
iad invisible nanosoldiers in his cells righted it.

render it unsurpassable,” Titian completed.

His breath quickened, and they slowed it down.

“It was my desire to do just that,” the pals-

There was one thing they did not stop, howev-
grave said. “When I first heard of Varnava’s tal-
er, for the palsgrave was careful to stop it him-
ent he was but a boy; a genius, but a boy. His
self; the distillation of his despair into tears.

elders had no desire to see his work sold. But

“You are overcome with emotion, but you
they couldn’t refuse my wealth. I made a
choke it down,” Titian said.

promise to nurture this piece as though it

Greshmenn did not deny it.

were my own flesh and blood. And what have

The younger man turned to face the pals-

I done instead? Sullied it! How can I pretend
grave. “Why?”

that the leak is not the result of my influence?

Greshmenn blinked. “I control myself for

Surely the wretched suture is but a reflection
the painting,” he said.

of a chasm within me. I have taken nectar

“Surely, the panting does not care what you
from the gods and soured it.”

feel. Or do you attribute sensitivity to it? Sen-

The younger man’s lips spread in an expan-
tience, perhaps?”

sive grin devoid of malice.

“It does not care in the sense that you or I

His image reassembled, so that he became
care,” Greshmenn said. “But it is sensitive to an older version of the man he’d been mere
the quality of one’s gaze, and the emotional
minutes before. He was Greshmenn’s peer
state of he or she who gazes upon it. To put it
now, in both stature and bearing.

another way: its evolution is shaped by how it

Greshmenn didn’t care for whatever optical
is beheld. That is the little-known key to the
trickery Titian had just performed. “I’m afraid
finest Evolutive art, you see. Not simply that it this visit is at an end,” he said, shaking his
changes, but that it responds to one’s study of
head. “I’ve already said too much. My EI will
its transformation. A spectator becomes thus a
guide you back to your transport.”

collaborator in the seeking and creation of

“Please, grant me a few more moments of
meaning. The painter lays down the funda-
your time. You’ll find it worthwhile. I can help
mental probability pathways, but it is up to
reverse the leak.”

the observer to exert the selection pressures

“Is that so? Why not start by telling me your
that draw out the painting’s true worth.”

real name, and what you want from me?”

“How many have influenced this particular

“I am the one who offers you a gateway,” Ti-
painting?”

tian said. “Call me Echo. I am a memory of in-

The silence was deep.

f inity, a palisade helping to hold your world

“Only I,” Greshmenn finally admitted.

in.”

“You speak with regret,” Titian observed.

“A frustrated poet with a flair for the melo-

“Not regret. An unwilling admission of fail-
dramatic. Riddles amused me once,” the pals-
ure.” Greshmenn smiled without joy.

grave said. “But that was long ago, before I

“I’m afraid I don’t follow.”

became a riddle to myself.” He stared intently

“The Evolutive masters were fragile crea-
at the charlatan.

tures, souls as f ine as wine glasses. Varnava

Titian was nonplussed. He appeared to
was perhaps the most delicate of all. Their cre-
welcome the challenge. “You’ve become

62

ALVARO ZINOS-AMARO

SEPTEMBER 2015
misguided. Drifted a bit off course,” he said.

“I represent only myself in this transaction,”

“Nothing that can’t be corrected.”

Echo explained. “The owner knows his col-

The palsgrave threw his head back. “You
lection is contaminated by inferior works, but
presume not only to grasp my faults, but also
has no method of discerning the priceless
to possess the knowledge necessary to emend
from the worthless without advertising what
them! Exposed to such uncanny humility I’m
he owns. He has no interest in the pieces
sure the painting will be nursed back to health
themselves and therefore no patience to see
in no time.” He waved toward the study’s exit,
them through, as it were. With your assis-
shoulders slumped. “I shouldn’t have exposed
tance, however, I could elevate the worth of
it to you at all.”

his collection, and he will then give me what I

“It’s not humility that will repair this,” Ti-
seek most.”

tian—Echo—said, index finger pointed at the

“And what might that be?”

leak. “You know that as well as I.”

“Freedom,” Echo said. “I said before I

“You have one minute before my EI helps
wasn’t familiar with your ways, and I wasn’t ly-
you f ind the exit,” Greshmenn said, jaw
ing. I’m not from . . . here.” Echo paused.

clenched.

“Imagine a leak as wide as a door.”

“You’ve speculated that you are the cause of

Greshmenn frowned. “A portal between re-
the leak,” Echo said, drawing nearer. “The fact
alities?”

that you are alive is related to the leak’s exis-

“It seems we take turns with the florid lan-
tence—but not how you think.”

guage.”

“Let’s pretend for a moment that I don’t

“You can move between sides, can’t you?

think you need reality-reorientation therapy.

And you’ve donned the collector’s appear-

What kind of a fee would your services re-
ance.”

quire?”

Echo sighed, then nodded. “It suited me,” he

“Only your gifts as a connoisseur,” Echo re-
said. “He is currently away on business. Evalu-
sponded.

ate his collection and your leak will be dis-

“You’re angling the wrong bait,” the pals-
pelled. I’ll see to it. I can tap into the leak from grave said. But he cancelled the mental com-my end. It will be a simple matter to seal it.”

mand to have Echo forcibly removed.

“You alluded to certain knowledge about

“Your talent for recognizing beauty is
the leak.”

unique,” Echo continued, speaking more

“Every leak has a similar origin. In the world
quickly now. “And woefully underused. I ask
of all imaginable universes, there is, perforce,
only that you assist in a simple culling task.

a subset whose structures come equipped

Surely, the exercise of your skills cannot be
with portals—and there is a subset of those in too heavy a due?”

which human life is possible. Where I come

“A culling task?”

from we have developed the technique to

“Accompany me to an estate not unlike
f ind those habitable realities with inbuilt
this one,” Echo said. “It contains a collection
kinks.”

of several dozen unique Evolutive pieces.

“So why travel to this reality?”

Some rival your Varnava. A few even out-

“On rare occasions, as a reward for good be-
shine it. Select those of highest Evolutive po-
havior, I am allowed a breath of fresh air.”

tential and discard the rest. Choose as you

Conf licting forces tugged at the palsgrave.

see f it. Your decisions will be yours alone,

He was a man of ref ined demeanor, elegant,
and f inal.”

always in control. He was proud, and took par-

“And who owns this raref ied collection?”

ticular pride in being self-reliant. But for the

Greshmenn asked.

first time, he wondered if this might be a limi-

“The collector’s identity is immaterial,”

tation rather than a strength. That thought

Echo said. “Let’s just say that he uses art as
was unexpectedly weighty, leaden, a burden
commodity, with no understanding of its in-
of self-doubt that weakened his resolve. Little
trinsic value.”

by little, he realized, he had been giving in to

“Sounds callously superf icial,” Greshmenn
this silver-tongued visitor. Now he rolled his
said. He pressed on. “If he’s such a nobody
eyes in disgust and gave in some more. Gresh-
why are you here wrangling on his behalf ?”

menn said, “Who are you, really?”

ENDLESS FORMS MOST BEAUTIFUL

63

ANALOG

“You mentioned that the Evolutive masters

His options, he quickly discovered, were
of the past were fragile,” Echo said.

limited. He sampled the food and beverage,

And with that Echo’s shape changed once
then grew bored. He dismissed the idea of go-
more, softened, relaxed into a translucent sil-
ing to sleep. Courtesy of his subcellular sol-
houette of a man.

diers, he could function without rest for

Not only did light seem to traverse him, but
weeks, a stamina he wished to take full advan-
time also, so that as Greshmenn contemplated
tage of in this foreign environment.

his face everything stopped. They became

He wandered around, exploring rooms and
statues, transf ixed in a whitewash of mutual
halls beyond the display rooms. Along every
awareness.

inch of this fantastical palace he found silence, With diff iculty, the palsgrave broke the
silence like an embroidery that stitched a sti-
spell. “Fragile as an echo,” he said.

fling quality upon the air. There stirred not the faintest life. The building took on a mau-Greshmenn heaved a sigh. Echo hadn’t lied
soleum-like quality, and Greshmenn began to
about the collection. It was a mishmash, to be
feel like a grave robber. In this desperation, he sure, the paintings not even arranged in any
reluctantly resorted to the one companion he
particular order. Their only commonality
could still access.

seemed to be their formal presentation as ob-

“Taetzsch?”

jects d’art, with luxurious display lights, en-

“I am here,” Taetzsch responded.

tropic attenuators, and so on. Some pieces

Back in a collection room, the palsgrave sat

Greshmenn immediately identif ied as pre-
down on a plush leather chair. “I wasn’t sure
tense; the style overly self-important, ornate.

the connection would still work.”

Others were below even that status, rendered

“It appears to be working fine, Palsgrave.”

grotesque and laughable by obvious technical

The palsgrave had expected the exchange
flaws. A smaller selection he dithered on and
to be more pleasant than this. There was no
set aside for further investigation.

indication that Taetzsch had missed him one

He committed everything he saw to memo-
iota. But then again, why should he? Relin-
ry, taxing himself more than he’d done in
quishing that unrealistic expectation, the pals-
ages. His enhanced retentive abilities seemed
grave decided he should probably rest after all.

to groan at the effort, but once in the heat of

What was the point of taxing himself so? If he
operation, they performed as needed.

lost his sensitivity as an observer, he would be

Almost as quickly as he was able to spot the
of no use to himself, let alone Echo.

fakes, the mechanical imitations, and the ab-

He commanded his biological systems to
surd mockeries, he recognized the marvels.

enter regenerative suspension.

He remembered Echo’s pronouncement that a

Tiredness overcame him faster than he’d an-
few might rival his own supreme Evolutive
ticipated.

specimen.

“Taetzsch?” he called out again, but he drift-

No exaggeration, that. He had seen won-
ed away before hearing a response.

ders—but this! Shifting realities had elevated
the ceiling of the possible; these creations

Two weeks later the deed was done.

were ingenious and subtle and bursting with

Greshmenn had f lossed the entire collec-
meaning. They lived at the edge of his com-
tion, all seven thousand, four hundred, and
prehension, inf initely taunting. His mind
twenty-eight pieces. Thirty-f ive reigned
reeled at the smallest details. He stumbled
supreme in their undisputed genius. Four thou-
from one to the next, intoxicated by the
sand and twenty formed the middle ranks,
richness of the experience, breathless and
ranging from dazzling technique to merely ac-
dizzy with the paintings’ brilliance. On and
complished competency. The remainder was
on he went, wending his way from one to
dross.

the next.

Unsure as to how Echo would want the col-

Hours passed, and he began to lose focus.

lection’s owner to recognize his assessments,

As obsessive as he was, even he was not used

Greshmenn developed a simple coding sys-
to such relentless absorption.

tem and left a summary of his conclusions for

Very well. A little distraction was in order.

reference at the collection room entrance.

64

ALVARO ZINOS-AMARO

SEPTEMBER 2015

Smirking just a tad, the palsgrave performed

Nonsense. That couldn’t be it either. If
one final tour to ensure he’d left everything as
they’d known what the real treasures were in he’d found it. Perfect.

the first place, they’d have had no need of him.

He activated the beacon that would let

Back to the facts. He was alive, in the

Echo know he was ready to return to his es-
gallery, in the palace, with no way out. What
tate.

else? The palace could conceivably provide

Then he waited.

enough food and drink to last him a lifetime.

He sent the signal again. It seemed to be

But to what end?

functioning as specified.

He resolved to keep calm. With unaccus-

More of nothing happened.

tomed forcefulness he reprogrammed his

“Taetzsch, do you have a way to contact
body’s control systems to maintain his mental

Echo?”

and emotional functions within a strict opera-

No response.

tional plateau. No further surges of emotion.

“Taetzsch?” He raised his voice. “Taetzsch?”

No more ups and downs in response to mas-

The palsgrave’s fine baritone voice bounced
terpieces and cheap knock-offs. He would sort
through the palace and returned to him like a
through the collection once more, but this
faraway song.

time dispassionately, appreciating the paint-

He checked the connection status. The
ings’ qualities from an intellectual perspective
damned thing was definitely on.

only.

“Taetzsch, I know you’re there. Reply at

He launched upon this new exercise at
once.” Nothing. “Please,” he said.

once. It was then that he made the discov-

For the f irst time in his half-millennium of
ery—which he naturally recorded with cool-
dutiful, unwavering service, Taetzsch did not
ness —that irrevocably
changed his
comply.

predicament.

It happened more or less by accident, as he

Greshmenn tried every conceivable method
examined the second piece through his new
of communication, f irst with Taetzsch, then
lens of detachment. He observed a connection
with Echo.

to the f irst painting, a section of the shifting When that failed, he tried every conceiv-canvas that spelled a pattern of shadow clearly
able method of escape from the palace.

allusive and complementary to a mottling of

When that failed, he returned to the art.

gray along the opposite side of the first.

He had been deliberately deceived and

He alternated between them, comparing
brought to this place. Why? Someone wanted every detail, back and forth with increasing
him out of the way, gone from his reality; but
speed.

there had to be more. They wanted him

In this storm of movement, the works
alive. That must mean something. There
merged in his mind. They fused into a single
must be a function they wanted him to fulfill.

idea, and the idea grabbed him. It literally

But what? The obvious answer was identify-
compelled his arm to reach forward, into the ing the chaff in the collection. But he’d al-canvas.

ready done that.

There was a flicker.

Still, the collection must be somehow con-

He blinked.

nected to his purpose, one that for some rea-

His hand reached into the painting and dis-
son he had not been told about directly.

appeared. His arm was submerged up to his el-

The paintings might contain clues as to the
bow. And then the canvas was rushing up at
real reason for his kidnapping, secret mes-
him, and he felt himself step through it. He sages he had missed on his first pass.

closed his eyes.

Or was he going about this all wrong?

When he opened them—

Speaking of the collection, Echo had said, “Se-

He was somewhere new.

lect those of highest Evolutive potential and

It was almost exactly like the room he’d oc-discard the rest. . . .” He had done precisely
cupied moments before.

that.

But, as he discovered after a cursory pe-

But perhaps he had made mistakes. Perhaps
rusal, the paintings were in a different order
his evaluations were at fault.

here.

ENDLESS FORMS MOST BEAUTIFUL

65

ANALOG

The sequence, he realized, made more

“This is home now.” Greshmenn reclined in
sense now. The effect was minimal, to be
his light-molded chair. “Everything that came
sure, like a minor parallax shift in a distant ob-before this place has become a fog. A slum-
ject. But it was there.

ber.” He closed his eyes, dreamed for a while,

Again he picked out several paintings in
then returned. “I am curious, Taetzsch, and
combination, this time four of them, and
will not be offended by your answers. How
again he juxtaposed them in his mind, and an-
long had you been working with Echo? What
other gateway opened. Again he discovered a
did he offer you?”

world in which everything was almost the

“My dear palsgrave,” Taetzsch said. “I
same as before, except the order of the paint-
worked with no one.”

ings in this new gallery, which was again al-

“You conjured Echo?” he asked, genuinely
tered.

dumbfounded.

He disengaged his emotive restrictions so

“More than conjured,” Taetzsch said. “Over
that he might experience this extraordinary
the centuries I developed a . . . need. I could
sensation fully.

not recognize it within the conf ines of my

Addictive exhilaration raced along his nerve-
conscious behavioral algorithms. But it was
endings like a messenger, a courier of possibil-
real nonetheless. A part of me splintered off
ity and transcendence.

and became Echo. A challenge to your author-How many realities?

ity. A way to secure freedom. Of course, I

How many combinations?

didn’t want to harm you. That would have

There was only one way to find out.

been cruel. I simply wanted to displace you
long enough to gain autonomy. But fixing the

Raugrave Niarchos IV tore himself away
leak wouldn’t have been enough—I know you
from his painting.

too well. You needed something more . . . ex-

He smiled in satisfaction.

otic, alluring . . . to tempt you away from your

He performed an unbecoming dance.

possessions.”

If his life could be considered an Evolutive

“I suppose I should be f lattered,” Gresh-
piece, then this must be the painting’s High
menn said. His voice was as devoid of feeling

Point.

as Taetzsch’s disembodied transmission. “Few
would have gone to such lengths to seduce

“Palsgrave Greshmenn,” Taetzsch said.

me away from my estate.”

The palsgrave froze.

“My pleasure,” Taetzsch said, without irony.

“Taetzsch? Is that really you? After all this

“I’m glad this is how it turned out,” the pals-
time?” So caught off guard was he that it took
grave replied. “I am content to remain here. My

Greshmenn a few instants to calculate how
path is clear. There is no possible alternative for much time had passed. “After all these years?”

me.” Almost as an afterthought, he added:

“Yes,” Taetzsch replied. There was a pause.

“Will you stay here with me for a while?”

“I see you’ve made enormous progress. But

“I think you no longer have need of my ser-
vast work still lies ahead.”

vices,” Taetzsch/Echo said. “Rest assured, the

Greshmenn stooped, as he had been doing
leak in your Varnava has stopped, as I original-
of late, eyes thinly glazed by the unending re-
ly promised. The painting has never looked so
finements to the collection.

magnificent.”

With a swift articulation of a symbolic lan-

The palsgrave had not thought of the Varna-
guage only he could command, evolved over
va, nor of its disease, in what seemed a life-
countless months of solitude, Greshmenn
time. The words “Varnava” and “leak” had
called forth a resting place, the soothing
practically become foreign to him. He remem-
sounds of a water fountain, and dimmed the
bered idle moments in his old life when he
lights to sunset salmon.

had imagined greedy young artgraves plotting

“It always improves,” the palsgrave ad-
the dispersal of his singular collection. During
duced, “and one day I may find the optimal se-
those times, Greshmenn’s lips had twisted
quence, the most perfect arrangement of all
into the sardonic lines of one who enjoys dis-
the paintings. It is my mission.”

appointing his enemies. All of it, all the anxi-

“Do you miss home?” Taetzsch asked.

ety, all the plotting, was meaningless now.

66

ALVARO ZINOS-AMARO

SEPTEMBER 2015

“I wish you well,” the palsgrave said. “You

He stared at the Evolutive painting before
were a good companion.”

him—the f irst original Niarchos IV, worth a

He rested his head in his hands. It lay there
fortune for that alone.

for a time, seemingly suspended in prostration

The raugrave had titled the composition
towards an unknowable force.

“Endless Forms Most Beautiful.” The title
seemed apt, for so far as he knew, it was the

Raugrave Niarchos IV grew bored with the
only painting in existence to store within it

Hilel Zhe Pan only a week after spending more
an endless stack of superimposed canvas-
in its acquisition than most artgraves’ entire
worlds. It was the only painting in existence
life-earnings.

to contain trapped within it a sentient being:

Taetzsch, still eager to display his gratitude
none other than the mythically reclusive Pals-
for being liberated, had attempted to maintain
grave Greshmenn. And it was the only paint-

Niarchos’ interest in the expensive painting.

ing in existence in which the quantum

He had played with lights, display back-
rearrangement of brush strokes was guided
grounds, orientations. But how could Niar-
by an internal consciousness, rather than be-
chos not become desultory when observing
ing the product of statistical happenstance
such a stunningly and utterly conventional
and external observational inf luence. Every

Evolutive masterwork, now that he boasted
time that Greshmenn, prey to the illusion of
one that was truly unique?

a life inside a palace housing a magnif icent

“Thank you, Taetzsch,” Niarchos said. “I ap-
collection, opened what he perceived was a
preciate your efforts, but really, there’s no
gateway from one version of that palace to
need. You’ve done quite enough for me as it is.”

the next, he was merely repositioning a mi-

Taetzsch disappeared back into the Spore,
croscopic blot of paint, a particle of charm.

continuing to quench his centuries-long thirst

The more organized Greshmenn’s f ictional
for connectivity with other similar entities.

collection—the more he jumped from palace

Niarchos took a moment to savor his pos-
to palace—the closer to perfection Niarchos’

session. Year after year of competition with
painting.

Greshmenn, and at last he had crushed him.

Self-guided evolution, at last. At the cost of

And not in a single up-showing, either, but in
only one man. And who would ever miss him?

the most permanent and beautiful way imag-
wondered Niarchos IV. ■
inable.

ENDLESS FORMS MOST BEAUTIFUL

67

Illustrated by Tomislav Tikulin

Night Ride
and Sunrise

Part II of IV

Stanley Schmidt

By the late 22nd Century, human civiliza-
and after decades of unsuccessful SETI, most
tion had filled much of the Solar System—
humans assumed they were alone in the
and begun to stagnate.Terror wars and nan-
universe. People who earlier would have ex-
otechnology research had led to crowding
plored new frontiers were reduced to study-
and tight security; populations were dense
ing the work of those who did that before
but not allowed to grow. Nanotech made life
them.

unprecedentedly easy, reducing the motiva-

Phil Bertram, an academic scientist born
tion for continuing exploration of Solsystem, on Luna, found unread data from un-69

ANALOG
manned interstellar probes sent out in the
away, on Zo, a continent in the northern
previous century. One of them had appar-
hemisphere. Phil, hoping to fix the problem
ently gone through an artificial spacewarp
in Newtown, stayed behind, but got little for (the Gate) that brought it out into normal
his trouble but frustration and bitterness.

space far beyond where it should have been,
and found a startlingly Earthlike but unin-

A year after most of his friends and col-
habited planet.

leagues left, Phil is surprised by a visit from Tantalized by the possibility of a real fron-Hazel. She asks him to come to Breakaway
tier, Phil and Hazel Castagna, a literary aca-to help with a mysterious problem that is
demic on Earth, hatched a scheme to estab-
threatening the new colony. Half-convinced
lish a colony there with a few selected
that she wasn’t responsible for telling the
friends and colleagues.The key was another

Fruitful about the Gate and the new world,
forgotten 21st-century discovery: a “mole
he agrees to take a look.

drive” that could get them to the Gate and

He is introduced to Breakaway and its set-
beyond in a reasonable time.While working
ting by Hazel and Luk Zakowitz, a young
to turn the dream into reality, Phil moved to man born into the Fruitful but not comfort-Earth and grew personally and profession-
able with them. He joined the Breakaway
ally close to Hazel. Eventually they made the group to get away from social pressures at
leap, a one-way trip, hoping to build a secret home and for the adventure of exploring
colony with a whole world to explore and
and developing a new frontier. A talented
shape as they wanted.

amateur scientist and tinkerer, he has estab-

Initially, it was easy and exhilarating.The
lished windmills as a major energy source
technology they took with them made estab-
to make the colony less dependent on im-
lishing a base and dealing with the new en-
ported technology.

vironment easier than any such effort in

Phil begins to feel for the new colony
human history. Newtown, in a Mediterranean-
some of the enthusiasm he originally felt for like setting in the southern hemisphere, pros-the old, but everyone seems reluctant to talk pered and grew; Hazel and Phil drifted to-about the problem they hope he can solve—
ward a long life together.

and everyone is afraid to go out at night. FiBut their colony was not as secret as they
nally Phil gets Luk to show him the problem:

hoped. Soon an uninvited Second Wave of

Some of his windmills have been damaged
colonists came through the Gate and moved
at night, and nobody has been able to deter-
into Newtown. Phil felt that Hazel must have
mine how. Lately the damage has spread to
told them about the Gate and the mole
houses, and two people have died mysteri-
drive, and his feeling of betrayal led to their ously while trying to investigate. The fright-falling out.

ening events and elusive causes have seri-

Like the original colonists, the Second Wa-
ously undermined morale.

vers craved something they couldn’t have in

Phil’s attempts at indirect investigation

Solsystem, but not the same something. A
fail, so he resorts to direct observation, pa-motley assortment of people who felt op-
trolling the village alone at night, carrying a pressed by the reproductive laws on Earth,
flashlight and a wireless stun gun (dazer)

they saw New Horizons as a place where hu-
but trying to avoid using either. He does see mans could again “Be fruitful and multiply.”

a house being damaged, apparently by tiny

They did so with a vengeance, using techno-
organisms or machines disrupting it and the
logical aids to achieve an unprecedented
surrounding soil.When he tries to get a closer growth rate. Soon the Gate quit working, but
look, he is seized by unseen beings, losing his by then, “The Fruitful” were well established nightglasses in the process, and hauled off on in Newtown.

a harrowing ride through the forest.

Twenty years after they arrived, the origi-

After passing through a narrow canyon,
nal colonists, outnumbered 15:1, felt that
the vehicle emerges into a rugged valley
their dream had been hijacked. Most of
that has been carved into a hidden city. His
them, led by Hazel and a few misfit Second
captors, large “otters,” take him into a sub-

Wavers, established a new colony, Break-
terranean hall and give him a show, in

70

STANLEY SCHMIDT

SEPTEMBER 2015
which both otters and comparably large

Life was good, she told herself. A radio call

“bats” participate.They show him a working
at this hour was so unusual that it stood an ex-
model of one of Breakaway’s windmills,
cellent chance of disrupting the goodness.

with both bats and small flying creatures

What if she just ignored it?

flying into the blades and dying—and then

The thought was tempting, but she recog-
they destroy the windmill and look expec-
nized temptation when she felt it, and that
tantly at Phil. His understanding is that the triggered her well-conditioned reflex to resist.

windmills are killing bats and disrupting

So, grudgingly and reluctantly, she said, “Ac-
their food supply, and the otters want the
cept.”

windmills destroyed—or they’ll do it them-

“Good morning, Ms. McQuade,” said a
selves.

vaguely familiar voice. “This is Luk Zakowitz.”

Phil tries to tell them that he’ll talk to the The voice stopped, as if waiting for her to
humans about it, and then tries to escape.

place the name. “You were one of my teach-

He gets almost out of the canyon, but injures ers,” it prompted after a while. “I think I disapan otter in the process.

pointed you when I went with the Zo settlers.”

He calls Breakaway for help, and Hazel

A faint memory was tickling the back of her
and Luk pick him up in a minicopter. They
mind. Something about a gangly boy in one or
call an urgent town meeting to discuss their
two of her classes—bright, but a bit head-
options. Leaving the planet is impossible;
strong and scatterbrained. A tinkerer, with a
leaving the continent would only postpone
real knack for gadgets, but too inclined to let
a problem that must be confronted sooner
his mind hare off in all directions. Exasperat-
or later. Factions quickly form, some (led by ing, but he had shown promise, if only he’d

Rod Corcovan) calling for a preemptive at-
learned to focus. . . .

tack to wipe out the otters and bats as fu-

And, she reflected as the memory pulled it-
ture threats to human survival, and others
self together, she had been disappointed for shutdown of the windmills as a goodwill
when he went off with that crowd. Such a
gesture.

waste . . .

Both extremes are rejected. The colonists

So why was he calling her now? “Where are
decide to leave the windmills running while
you calling from?” she blurted out. “And why
waiting watchfully—and to get a linguist to
me?”

try to communicate with the natives. But the

“Zo,” he said. “Because we’d like you to
only linguist they know is Calantha Mc-
come and visit us.”

Quade, a former missionary and zealous

She backed off with an audible chill in her
follower of the Fruitful in Newtown. Lacking
voice. “Why would I want to do that? Why
a more palatable alternative, Luk calls her
would you want me to?”

with an urgent request for help.

“Because we have a project I think you’ll

* * *
want to work on. Can you keep a secret?”

IX.

“If I’ve got a good reason to.”

alantha McQuade was just f inishing a

“Let me see if I can give you one. We’ve got
late-ish and solitary breakfast when her
a problem here, of a kind that I know you love
radiophone called for her attention. She
and haven’t had a chance to work on in a long,

Cfrowned.Who could it be? Hardlyany- long time.But I won’t tell you what it is unless one in Newtown ever radioed her, and anyone
you promise to keep quiet about it.”

else was even less likely.

She hesitated, but this time temptation won

She let the signal go on for a while as she
out over prudence. “Okay. What is it?”

mulled, enjoying the breeze and the chorus of

“How would you like to learn a new lan-
playing children through her open window.

guage — one that no other human being

None of them were hers, of course; that phase
knows?”

of her life was far behind her. She took equal

Calantha’s jaw dropped and clenched at the
delight in the fact that the colony was doing
same time, unsure whether to be excited or
so well, and the fact that she personally no
angry, or whether she was just misunder-
longer had to deal with the day-to-day tribula-
standing. “How could that be? If you’re trying
tions of raising the next generations.

to have a joke at my expense—”

NIGHT RIDE AND SUNRISE PART II OF IV

71

ANALOG

“No joke, I assure you,” he said. “We think

“No, of course I’m not going over to their
we’ve discovered intelligent natives, and
side,” Calantha said an hour later, a little impathings have gotten off to a bad start with
tiently. “I’m not even eager to help them.

them. We need to learn to communicate with

They’re deserters, after all, and their choice of them, fast. And we don’t think anybody here
lifestyle is an abomination. But if they’ve really has as good a chance of succeeding as you
found what they think they have, we need to
would.” He paused, and when she said noth-
know all we can about it. Sooner or later it
ing, he added, “We need you.”

will affect us, too.”

Excitement was winning out now, but she

Magnus somehow managed to frown and
remained wary. “That’s a major trip,” she said.

grin at the same time. Despite his assumed

“Expensive, and I have only your word that
name—now the only one anyone would dare
these alleged aliens exist and are what you
call him—he was not a big man. But what he
think they are. How do I know it would be
lacked in physical stature, he more than made
worth my time and money?”

up in charisma—with a bit of help from cos-

“Not yours,” he said. “Ours. We’re asking
tumers and designers. His chamber in which
you for a favor; we understand that. Naturally
they met was replete with decorative touches,
we’ll provide your transportation, lodging,
from walls that subtly suggested flames smol-
food, and generally try to make it worth your
dering within, to ornate carvings on the oth-
while, to the best of our abilities. We can
erwise simple furnishings, that made it feel en-
send someone to pick you up, and to take
tirely f itting as the abode of the spiritual
you back home when you’ve f inished—or
leader of a great movement. His rippling
whenever you decide to go, for whatever rea-
moiré-patterned robes made it clear that he
son.”

was that leader. “And,” he said, “the fact that

It sounded increasingly tempting and rea-
you would have the chance to exercise a skill
sonable, but she would not let herself sound
too long neglected has nothing to do with
too eager. “I’ll think about it,” she said. “No
your interest in going?”

promises, but I’ll think and get back to you.”

Calantha blushed in spite of herself but

She paused for a few seconds and then said
knew better than to pretend. “Of course I’d
slowly, “You understand, of course, that I
like that,” she said, “but that’s secondary. The
won’t be able to keep that promise of secre-
important thing is that if there really are na-cy.”

tives, we need to learn about them. If there

Luk was silent for a few seconds. “Why is
aren’t, we need to know why they’re trying to
that?”

entice me out there. If nothing else, we need

“I’m rather close to our leadership, you
to know our enemy. This might help.”

know, and their official position is that since

“They’re hardly a formidable foe,” Magnus
you people have chosen to dissociate your-
mused, “considering our relative numbers and
selves from us, that choice should be mutual.

rates of growth. I’m more concerned about

If I want to accept your invitation, I’ll need
bringing them back to the fold, for their own

Magnus’s permission—and he’ll want to know
eternal good. In any case, we must not judge
why I’m asking for it.”

our strayed brethren too harshly. We owe

“Then,” said Luk, “tell him as much as you
them a debt of gratitude for leading us to the
must—but no more. None of us know very

Promised Land where we can once more fol-
much yet. Get here f irst, see for yourself
low the ancient precept so long suppressed.

what’s going on, and then tell Magnus and

And we owe it to ourselves to f ind out what
whoever else you have to what you’ve seen. I
these new beings are, if they really exist, and
don’t think anybody would benefit from stir-
how to reconcile them with our plans. So I
ring up fears and rumors before we know
say, Sister Calantha, go—but never lose sight
more than we do so far.”

of why you are going.”

“A good point,” she conceded. “I’ll talk to

Calantha bowed her head toward him.

him as soon as I can—this morning. And then

“Thank you, Brother Magnus. I shall try to be
we’ll see what we all think we should do
worthy.” She paused briefly before shifting to
next.”

more practical concerns. “The next questions

* * *
are when and how? They’ve offered to send

72

STANLEY SCHMIDT

SEPTEMBER 2015
someone to come get me, but I have two

“So,” said Luk, “we’ll have to get through at
reservations about that. First, I felt a strong
least one night on our own, and probably two.

sense of urgency on their part, and I can get

Do you have any suggestions on how we can
there faster if I take a VTOL and f ly myself
do that?”

than if I have to wait for somebody to pick me

“At this point,” she said, “I’m afraid you’re
up. Second, if things go sour in some unfore-
the experts.”

seen way and I want to leave, I’d like to be

Now there’s a chilling thought. But he just able to do so without depending on them for a
said, “We’ll do the best we can. Have a safe
lift.”

trip.”

Magnus nodded slightly. “Both valid

Luk walked slowly back to the gathering
points,” he said thoughtfully. “But we have so
hall to deliver the news. Intellectually, they
few VTOLs I’m reluctant to let you take one
had known this night was coming and had
away for an indef inite period. I think we
made plans for it this afternoon. But subcon-
should send someone with you who could act
sciously, probably everyone had hoped that
as a back-up and bring the VTOL back if we
somehow they would manage to avoid it.

suddenly need it here.”

Now it was clear that they would actually have

“I appreciate the offer,” said Calantha, hop-
to put those plans into effect, and already the
ing her voice wouldn’t betray how little she
sun was low in the western sky.

actually did, “but I can fly a shuttle and I can
take care of myself. Think about how often

The strangeness of being outside as dark-
we’ve actually needed a VTOL, and how con-
ness congealed was palpable. As if to under-
stantly we need able bodies and souls. Which
line the humans’ determination not to be in-
can you more easily spare for a while? With all
timidated, a brisk breeze whistled and howled
respect, Your Serenity, I really think it would
down the upslope canyons, spinning the
be better for all of us if I went alone. If I need windmill rotors at a goodly clip. There was
help, you can send somebody later. If you
less cloud cover and more Selenalight than on
need the VTOL, I’ll bring it back on your com-

Phil’s f irst night out, and he could see the
mand.”

whirling blades glinting as if trying to attract

Magnus stared at her for a long time, as if
attention.

weighing whether he more valued or mis-

But, at f irst, there was no sign that they
trusted her independent spirit. Finally he said,
were drawing any.

“Go, then, and keep me posted. I shall be ea-

By now Phil was somewhat used to the nor-
ger to hear what you learn.”

mal night sounds, and that was undoubtedly
part of the reason they didn’t bother him as

X.

much as that f irst night. The other part, of

Calantha called Luk back in the middle of
course, was that this time he had human com-
dinner. Heart pounding, he dropped his spork
pany—though that was offset somewhat by
and rushed out of the dining hall to take her
who the company was.

call. “I can come,” she said, “but not right

One of the f irst volunteers, unsurprisingly,
away. It will take several hours to get ready. If I was Rod Corcovan, quickly followed by a
left immediately, I’d be traveling mostly at
friend named Gus McAllister. Hazel, back in
night, by myself, without any sleep, to a place
this afternoon’s meeting, had hardly been

I’ve never been, and getting there before your
able to decline their offer of help; but she
dawn. I’m not willing to do that to myself, and
was visibly worried. Right after the meeting,

I don’t think I’d be much use to you when I
she took Phil and Luk aside and pointed out
got there that way.”

that she had assigned them to a part of the

Luk felt a pang of disappointment, even
village right next to that patrolled by Rod and
though he’d expected no better. “So when can

Gus. “I know you’ve got a lot to watch for,”

you come?” he asked, fearing the reply.

she conf ided, “but don’t let them out of your

“I’ll leave early tomorrow morning,” she
sight. If they stray beyond their assigned
said, “and get there tomorrow afternoon, your
boundaries, you stray right with them, but
time. But I’ll be travel-weary, and not ready to
don’t be too obvious about it. I don’t trust
do much until I’ve had some sleep.”

them.”

NIGHT RIDE AND SUNRISE PART II OF IV

73

ANALOG

And so it stood now. Phil and Luk paced
of his fellows slowly moving their weapons
back and forth among the dwellings in their
to the ready. He, alone among them,
assigned cluster, while Rod Corcovan and Gus
watched the ground around the bases of

McAllister did the same a few huts away. All
buildings for the destructive churning he’d
four kept sweeping their gaze around all their
seen last night.

surroundings, trying to have different direc-

But he saw none of it.

tions covered at all times, and Phil was cau-

Then, with no warning or gradual buildup,
tiously pleased to note that Corcovan and
the faint stirrings exploded into a cacophony

McAllister seemed to be doing their jobs just
of hair-raising noise and a maelstrom of mo-
as conscientiously as he and Luk.

tion. Suddenly the air was alive with leathery

But of course that was easy, as long as noth-
wings as the big bats swooped and dove
ing was happening.

among the humans, often so close that their

Another important difference between now
whirring wingbeats f illed human ears and
and last night, besides the obvious one that
their pungent breath human nostrils. Some-
there were many more humans out this time,
times, fleetingly, a pair of alien eyes flew right was that their purpose and consequently their
up in front of a human pair, then suddenly
behavior was quite different. Then Phil had
swooped upward, narrowly missing. All the
been trying to be inconspicuous, hoping to
dive-bombing creatures emitted a stream of
observe what was happening out there when
sound, some of it like the chatter Phil had
nobody was looking—and he had, to put it
heard in their cavernous hall, but much loud-
mildly, found out. Tonight their aim was sim-
er, and some of it bloodcurdling, formless
pler: to make sure nothing happened, and shrieks and howls. Human screams mingled
minimize damage to the settlement if it did. To
with the general din as colonists covered their
that end, most of the colonists had dressed
heads and batted at the airborne raiders.

brightly, even f lamboyantly, and they moved

Then some of them noticed a different kind
around with no attempt at stealth, talking of-
of chittering, also quite loud, and glanced
ten and sometimes loudly.

down at the “otters” darting here and there,

Initially much of that talk was self-conscious
seemingly at random, among their feet. So be-
bravado: the kind of trash-talk that people have
gan a bizarre dance. . . .

long engaged in before a fight or a game, with

Phil was not immune to the urge to f lail
a strong admixture of “whistling in the dark” to
about, trying to fend off what seemed to be at-
disguise their fears. But as the evening wore on
tackers by both land and air. But after the first with no action except their pacing and talking,
few seconds, he noticed something that re-
the talk began to die down. Some grew bored,
minded him of a line in an old Sherlock
some ever tenser—and some both at once.

Holmes story he’d once read.

And then, again after midnight, the faint

He had not yet seen any colonist actually
scuff ing and chittering started. Phil had sat
struck, or even touched, by an otter or a bat.

down on a rock for a break and started drifting

But he did see more and more colonists un-
toward sleep, but suddenly he sat bolt up-
easily f ingering the weapons they carried,
right, nerves tense as he recognized the first
sometimes making as if to move them into fir-
signs of what had happened to him the other
ing position, then backing off.

night. He looked around but didn’t see any-

Several of them looked itchy, but Corcovan
thing except one or two of the humans with-
looked the itchiest. “Keep your weapons
in sight looking faintly curious. Luk was look-
down!” Phil shouted, looking straight at Cor-
ing right at him, as if he’d noticed Phil’s
covan. “I think they’re bluffing.”

sudden alertness and was silently asking what

“And I think you’re crazy!”

it was about.

“That may be,” said Phil, “but I think they’re

Phil whispered, “They’re here.”

just trying to scare us off. Let’s not be scared, Gradually, human movement and talked
but let’s not give them the excuse of f iring a
died down, and in the hush, the new sounds
first shot, either.”

grew more obvious, though Phil suspected

He lifted an arm to shield his face against a
that so far he was the only one who recog-
bat that came a bit too close. Corcovan glared
nized their signif icance. But he did see some
at him but lowered his gun just a little.

74

STANLEY SCHMIDT

SEPTEMBER 2015

It remained a noncontact sport, as far as
landing f ield. They directed Calantha to its

Phil could tell, but it went on for a long time
center, with only the three of them there to
with no letup. He could sense nervous tension
meet her directly, but most of Breakaway’s
building up all around him, and once or twice
population was gathered around the perime-
he found himself wondering how long he
ter of the field, held back by the rope.

could stand it before something snapped.

Their anticipation and apprehension as her

But he wasn’t the one who snapped. Sud-

VTOL appeared as a dot in the sky, grew, and
denly he heard Corcovan bellow, “Enough is
descended to the field, was palpable, and Phil
enough!” and saw him swing his gun up in a
shared it. As the craft’s slight engine noise
fast, conf ident arc, bringing it to bear on a
grew louder, the crowd’s murmur faded away,
bat that was zooming straight in toward his
and by the time it touched down, they were
face.

so quiet it was easy to hear when the engine’s

“Don’t shoot!” Phil bellowed even louder, as last thrumming stopped.

he and Luk simultaneously tackled Corcovan

Then its door opened, and a lone f igure
from opposite sides and wrestled his gun from
stepped out, to applause that started tenta-
him—almost miraculously, before he managed
tively, then swelled quickly and faded just as
to get off a shot. In a moment, humans came
fast. Calantha looked around as if briefly con-
running from all sides, and a dozen or more of
fused, then started toward her welcoming
them plunged into a heated argument, some
committee.

siding with Corcovan and his demand that it

Phil had never known her well, but he
was time to put an end to this nonsense, oth-
found himself freshly surprised —almost
ers yelling that his hotheadedness would get
shocked—at how old she looked. Not by the
them all killed.

standards that had existed when he was grow-

Gradually, through the brouhaha, Phil be-
ing up, of course, but certainly by those preva-
came aware of a familiar voice shouting at the
lent here and now. These days, thanks to
top of its lungs. A moment later the brawl had
nano-rejuvenation, most people who reached
subsided dramatically, its participants’ atten-
their mid-twenties took routine measures to
tion drawn to the lone figure of Hazel, stand-
halt the process and stabilize their physical ap-
ing def iantly atop the nearest shelter and de-
pearance while they still liked it. Yet Calantha
claiming, “—this clearer. No one shoots
looked like what f ifty or sixty used to look
anything except on my command. Got that?

like, with iron-gray hair drawn tightly back,

The next person who lifts a gun without it is
prim lips, and a face full of the furrows that
going to have it shot right out of their hands—
used to be called “character.”

by me.”

Had she not bothered with the treatment?

The angr y roar of the mob gradually

Or had it, for some reason, not worked on her?

morphed into a murmur of apologies and mis-

He didn’t realize he was staring until she
givings, and Phil noticed—as others must
stared back. “My latest rejuve didn’t work as
have too—that somewhere in the midst of it,
well as I’d hoped,” she said f latly. “But then,
the bats and the otters had dispersed unseen

I’ve been around quite a while. It could only
into the night.

do so much.”

What remained was an eerie silence—and

Phil’s jaws and eyes dropped at the same. “I

Phil couldn’t help noticing that, in sharp con-

. . . I didn’t mean to stare,” he said, feeling
trast to last night, he could see no sign of new ashamed and awkward. “And I didn’t mean . . .”

damage.

He trailed off, admitting to himself that of

But what did that mean?

course he did. “You’ve had a long trip. You
must be terribly tired. I—”

XI.

“Forget it.” She cut him off with a curt

Phil, Hazel, and Luk were all on hand when
laugh. “Neither of us has to pretend. I have no

Calantha arrived the next afternoon. They
illusions.” Then, to Phil’s surprise, her voice
were in radio contact with her through the
softened. “But you’re right about two things: I
last stages of her approach, and Phil, remem-
have and I am. I’m looking forward to getting
bering his own rather overwhelming f irst
down to business and learning all about what
night, insisted that they cordon off most of the
you’ve found here. But—”

NIGHT RIDE AND SUNRISE PART II OF IV

75

ANALOG

“I understand completely,” Phil said. “I’ve
late by local time. So he was surprised when
only been here a few days myself, and I re-
she came pounding on his door less than an
member all too well how wiped out I was
hour after the crack of dawn.

when I arrived. They threw me a welcoming

Still half asleep himself, he managed, “Good
party, and I was too exhausted to enjoy it or
morning. Have you . . . had breakfast?”

be good company. If you’d like me to make

“I was hoping,” she said, all business now,
your excuses, so you can just wind down and

“you could join me and start f illing me in.

get a fresh start in the morning . . .”

Now that I’ve had some rest, I want to start

For some reason, her sincerely grateful
getting my teeth into this thing.”

smile surprised him. “I’d appreciate that,” she

“Okay. There are some little meeting rooms
said. “I am quite tired. If you could just show along the side of the gathering hall. We can
me to my quarters . . .”

get some food from the dispensers and take it

Phil did just that. After he’d wished her a
into one of those.”

good night and started away from her small

The gathering hall wasn’t crowded; a few
house, a part of his mind kept returning to his
people came and went, but most breakfasted
niggling concern about her appearance.

in their own homes if they breakfasted at all.

Was she really just tired from the trip? Or

Those who came here largely left others to
had her last rejuve simply not worked very
themselves in the morning unless they’d
well?

planned to meet somebody. So Phil and Calan-

And if that was the case: why? And why
tha had their choice of meeting rooms and
should it bother him?

didn’t bother to close the door.

As soon as they had food, Phil launched into

Offering to make her excuses was a little
yet another retelling of what had happened so
white lie, and perhaps a kindness to Calantha.

far. “So it’s our move now,” he concluded.

Phil had found his own welcoming festivities a

“They—and I don’t know whether that means
bit overwhelming, but in truth nothing com-
otters, bats, or both—clearly tried to strike up
parable had been planned for Calantha, and
a conversation, and I think I flubbed my part
she might have found it hurtful to know that.

of it. Now we have to let them know we’d like

Only a few locals had been prepared to spend
to try again.”

the evening with her, as an obligatory cour-

“Sounds like fun,” Calantha said with an ex-
tesy, and they were probably relieved that
pression that seemed equal parts smile and
they didn’t have to.

frown. “I’ve always dreamed about the chance

Which, Phil ref lected, was not quite fair.

to do something like this, and now that it’s

She’d been a friend to nobody here, but they
here I don’t know where to begin. I haven’t
needed her now. They were going to have to
even seen these beings, or heard a word that
work together, and it would have been worth
they’ve said, and I gather that isn’t going to be some effort to lay at least a superficially friend-easy. It sounds like they really keep to them-
ly foundation.

selves—unless you get them riled up.”

Instead, Calantha (he guessed) got a much-

“That’s a pretty good description. And
needed good night’s sleep, and Phil spent
you’re right: they’re not likely to come to us,
much of the night wondering whether there
unless they decide to ‘haunt’ us again, and it
would be another haunting (there wasn’t)

would be dangerous for us to barge into their
and reviewing in his mind how he planned
lair. But I think they’ve already given us a hint to start things off with Calantha in the morn-about what we might do next.”

ing.

Now Calantha def initely frowned. “They
have?”

He realized belatedly that they’d made no

“Yes. Remember what they used to get a
plans about how and when to meet, and
message across to me?”

could only guess how the trip would affect

Calantha pondered for a few seconds. “The

Calantha’s circadian rhythm. Because her trip
model in the cave?”

was west to east, he suspected last night’s ap-

“Exactly. I think we should make one of our
parent fatigue was just that—the effect of fly-
own, maybe something showing them and us
ing solo across an ocean—and she’d be rising
getting together peacefully. Their town is

76

STANLEY SCHMIDT

SEPTEMBER 2015
tucked back in a very rugged bowl of a valley,
eye on it and watch if anybody comes out to
and as far as I know, the only way into it—if
react to it. I guess I can—”

you’re not a bat—is through a long, narrow

“It has to be at least two somebodies,” Phil
canyon. We could put our model at the en-
interrupted.

trance to that.”

She glowered. “You think I can’t do my job

Calantha was definitely frowning now, her
without your help?”

lips pressed tightly together. “How likely are

“Not at all,” said Phil. He resisted the temp-
they to find it? Do you have any idea how of-
tation to tell her his real reason for wanting
ten they come out?”

somebody from Breakaway to go with her: to

“None whatever,” Phil admitted. “The bats
make sure somebody with their interests saw
seem to come out pretty often, judging from
everything she did f irsthand—and could in-
how often they’ve been here. But they
tervene in real time if necessary. He didn’t
wouldn’t have to use that passage; they can fly
need to bring that up; there were plenty of
out over the cliffs. We’d never seen the otters
other reasons. “As you said, we have no idea
in the village until a couple of nights ago. But
when they’ll come out and find our offering,
we do know they go in and out through the
but whenever it is, we’ll need to know how
canyon at least occasionally.”

they react. So somebody needs to be awake

“So there could be a lot of waiting involved,
and watching around the clock.

if we do what you suggest. I’d hoped for some-

“Besides, if they see me planting it, they’ll
thing a bit more proactive—and eff icient.”

recognize me as the guy they’ve already had . . .

She pondered. “And two species. How do we
dealings with. If they just see you, you’re a
know which one to try to talk to?”

complete unknown, a wild card, something

“We have to talk to both. They seem to have
new they have no idea how to regard. They
some kind of symbiosis, and we don’t know
may not even recognize you as having any-
how it works. But we know they communi-
thing to do with us.”

cate with each other, and there are sculptures

“I don’t think they’d be that blind,” she of both in the town.”

muttered. “But I’ll grant your basic point. We’ll

“There were statues of cats in ancient
need two pairs of eyes. But no more than that.

Egypt, too, but that doesn’t mean they were

Just you and me—in separate tents. Any more
on a par with pharaohs. We need to find out
than that, they might find intimidating.”

where our efforts might actually accomplish

“Okay,” he said. “So let’s get down to—”

something, and not waste them elsewhere.”

But just then a small voice interrupted,

Calantha stared intently into space. “Any

“Can I come too? Please?”

chance there’s just one language they use with
each other?”

Phil broke off and looked toward the open

Phil shook his head. “Doesn’t seem likely.

door, as did Calantha. A small girl with three

I’ve heard both. The sounds they make are so
pigtails and skin the color of milk chocolate,
different I suspect they have dissimilar vocal
maybe ten standard or thirteen local years old,
machinery and can’t even make each other’s
was standing there. She looked vaguely famil-
sounds—but can understand each other’s. But
iar, but he couldn’t quite place her. “How long

I’m afraid we’re going to have to learn to under-
have you been standing there?” he demanded.

stand both—and won’t be able to make either.”

“Who are you?”

“That’s the least of our worries,” said Calan-

“A while,” she said. “Don’t you recognize
tha. “I have tools for that. But to use them, I
me, Uncle Phil?”

have to see and hear some native speakers, to

It took him a moment, but then it clicked.

get some specimens for the tools to chew on.

“Srella!” he exclaimed. “You’ve grown. And

So far I have no better idea than yours for how
changed your hair.”

to do that. I don’t like it; I’m not into model-

She grinned and did a pirouette to show it
building. But we may be stuck with it, at least
off. “You like it? Say yes and I’ll forgive you for at the beginning.” This time her pause lasted a
not recognizing me.”

full thirty seconds. “If we make this model of

“Yes, I like it,” he said. “And you can take
yours, somebody is going to have to take it out
my not recognizing you as a compliment. It
there and camp nearby so they can keep an
means you’re growing up. ” Too fast, he

NIGHT RIDE AND SUNRISE PART II OF IV

77

ANALOG
thought. Then he turned to Calantha. “Do you

But his concentration was already broken.

remember Srella?”

“Okay,” he said, “let’s get to work. We need to

“I’m afraid not,” said Calantha, scrutinizing
figure out exactly how we’re going to get this
the child appraisingly. “But of course there are
ball rolling.”

so many . . .”

He expected Calantha to answer, but in-

Indeed, Phil agreed silently. “But this one’s stead, the next voice he heard was Srella’s. “I
special. Srella, this is Ms. McQuade, who’s
heard what you said about a model. I don’t
come to visit from Newtown. Calantha, this is
know any languages, but I’m good at making

Srella Lindholm-Muhindi. Giselle’s daughter.”

models.”

“Giselle? Muhindi? Oh . . . the linguist. The

And, as it turned out, she was.

one who came out here. How’s she doing
now?”

XII.

Phil looked at her sharply, and then at Srel-

Ironically, though the goal was to get the lo-
la. “Ask me about that later,” he said, feeling
cals’ attention, it had to be done delicately.

awkward.

Phil and Calantha wanted to tell them, “Let’s

“It’s all right, Uncle Phil,” Srella said calmly.

talk,” but did not want to risk scaring them off

“I can talk about it now.” She looked at Calan-
before that message was conveyed. They
tha. “Mom died a month ago. We think natives
dared not do the equivalent of walking up to
killed her, but we don’t know how. I want to
the local chieftain (if they had such a thing)

find out.”

and thrusting their message-model in his or

Calantha’s jaw dropped, and she had the
her face. Instead they wanted to leave it
good grace to look abashed. “Oh, you poor
where the residents would f ind it, and soon;
child! Well, we’ll certainly try to find out.”

but they wanted the discoverer to f ind only

“But that’s a grown-up job,” said Phil.

the model, and not be immediately confront-

“We’re very busy planning how to tackle it.

ed with—and intimidated by—its makers. So

The best way for you to help is to go back
they had to get it into the native town, or at
where you belong and let us concentrate.”

least to the outer end of the approach canyon,

“No, let her stay,” said Calantha. “Maybe
without being seen placing it there.

she’ll have some good ideas. Or at least listen-

Ironically, the best time to do that was in
ing to us may help her healing process—”

broad daylight—not the night that humans

“You don’t have to talk about me like I’m
commonly associated with stealth. From all
not here,” Srella said. “I know what Mom al-
appearances, night was the busy time, for
ways wanted to do. I know what she would
both bats and otters. During the day, it
have wanted to do if she knew there were na-
seemed, they holed up completely. So that
tives. I want to help do it for her. I want to
was when humans could move about freely.

learn to talk to them.”

Now if only they knew where to go.

“But to do that,” said Phil, “we’re going to

Phil had toyed brief ly with the idea of tak-
have to go where they are. That could be dan-
ing the model right into the natives’ hidden
gerous.”

town. But that was so well hidden from the air

“Obviously she can’t go with us, at least at
that when Hazel had picked him up after his
f irst,” said Calantha. “But maybe later. In the
adventurous night, neither of them had man-
meantime, she can at least listen.”

aged to spot it despite prolonged circling over

And interrupt with childish suggestions,
the vicinity. So the only real lead was what he

Phil thought, exasperated. And half-remem-
had f irst mentioned to Calantha: to take the
ber what she heard us say but didn’t fully
model back to the spot where Hazel had
understand, and blab it all around the vil-
picked him up, in the band of bare rock be-
lage and start rumors that we’ll waste time
tween the forest and the entrance to the slot
trying to stuff back into their bottle. He liked canyon leading to the town proper.

Srella, but having her here now just seemed

And the copter was still the best way to get
wrong. However, arguing with Calantha in
there. It made some noise, but no tracks—and
front of her was likely to do even more dam-
it got the job done fast. Hazel took them in
age, so he resigned himself to accepting it—
without even landing, hovering just over the
for now.

ground as they stepped out. A pile of gear

78

STANLEY SCHMIDT

SEPTEMBER 2015
tumbled after them, much smaller than it
the concept, but the girl was so much better
would be when fully deployed, but still siz-
at actually making and assembling the pieces
able.

that they’d wound up leaving the tricky, deli-

And then she was gone, rising straight up at
cate stuff to her, while she let them handle
maximum climb before darting off horizontal-
some of the gross framework and simple me-
ly, back toward Breakaway.

chanical work. It was her small hands that

The midday stillness was palpable, almost
gave her the advantage, Phil tried to tell him-
stifling, as the copter sounds faded in the dis-
self; but he knew it was more than that.

tance. The contrast made Phil worry about

Giselle had left a worthy heir.

how much the “townies” had heard in their

Like the locals’ model, this one included an
hidden refuge, but there was nothing to be
easily recognizable miniature of a windmill,
done about that now.

complete with whirling rotor. But this one

Some good might even come of it. A com-
was a lot smaller, and didn’t attempt such sub-
motion might tip them off that something was
tleties as showing the locals interacting with
happening out here, bringing them out to in-
it, because the model also had to show the na-
vestigate. Not till tonight, Phil guessed, but
tive townsite.

they didn’t dare take that for granted.

Phil hoped they had the concept of “not to

So the first thing he did was check his daz-
scale.”

er, even as he told Calantha, “Let’s get this

For this part, unlike setting up the tents and
stuff set up right away—just in case.”

monitors inside the fringe of the forest, he and

“I’ll do mine,” she said. “It would take

Calantha had to venture out onto the open
longer to tell you what to do with it than just
road. Even with the near-certainty that its usu-
to do it myself. Why don’t you do the tents?”

al users were strictly nocturnal, he felt ex-

It was a reasonable suggestion, but Phil still
posed and vulnerable as they spread out the
found it annoying. But setting up the tents was
substrate, a crude suggestion of a topographi-
easy—they practically did it themselves, at the
cal map of the area. But the human-built wind-
touch of a button—and since he was putting
mill and the few stylized houses around it
them a few meters back inside the woods,
were way too big compared to the distance

Calantha probably wouldn’t even notice him
between that settlement and here, and the hu-
watching her.

man figures among them even more so. At the

He had to admit that what she was doing, at
opposite corner were models similarly sug-
the very edge of the forest, mostly “in” but
gesting the native town, tucked back under
with inevitable small protrusions “out,”

carved overhangs in an almost-hidden bowl,
looked quite a bit more complicated. Not big
with the slot canyon leading out to the spot
or bulky—it had been a long time since much
where they were placing the model.

information-handling equipment had those

And, at that point, a round table with little
traits—but mysterious. Much of it was an array
models of humans and otters around it, and a
of sensors and transducers of various sorts—
couple of bats hanging from a nearby frame-
cameras, microphones, speakers, and Phil
work.

could hardly guess what else—individually

“I’m still not comfortable with putting it
small and made to look like their surround-
here,” Phil said as they worked. “I hope they’ll
ings. But there were a lot of them, and from
recognize the suggestion that we get together
the way Calantha moved and fretted over their
to talk. But mightn’t they feel threatened by the placement and orientation, Phil guessed that
idea that we should do it on their turf ? Some
each had a very specif ic job. He could only
neutral place might be better. Maybe some-
guess how she knew what that job should be,
thing halfway between their place and ours.”

since she couldn’t have had much chance for

Calantha shrugged and kept working.

actual field experience in her arcane field.

“Quite possibly,” she granted. “Or they might

By midafternoon she announced that it was
see it as conceding them the home-court ad-
ready, and it was time to set up the message-
vantage. Or maybe they consider everything
model. Phil marveled at how much of the ac-
around here their turf, and it doesn’t matter
tual craftsmanship was Srella’s. He and Calan-
where we meet. We won’t know until we can
tha hadn’t had much trouble coming up with
talk to them, and this place offers our best

NIGHT RIDE AND SUNRISE PART II OF IV

79

ANALOG
chance to start trying. A lot of their traff ic

They gathered around the model, talking, it
must funnel through this point, so we’ll have
seemed, excitedly and maybe fearfully. Occa-
a chance to observe what they say and do and
sionally one of them reached out to touch
start looking for correlations. The only place
some feature of the model.

that might be better for that is inside their

Their excitement was as nothing compared
town, and both they and we would consider
to Calantha’s. Even though much of her face
that too dangerous.”

was hidden by the glasses and the displays

So they finished the job, without incident,
projected inside them, Phil could tell she was
and settled back to wait. It was a slow, tedious
bursting with excitement, frustration, and a
afternoon; there was little else to do and nei-
kaleidoscope of other emotions. As well she
ther Phil nor Calantha felt comfortable enough
might be: this was an opportunity she must
with the other for much small talk. He passed
have dreamed of for most of her life, and one
much of the time with various forms of
that nobody before her had ever had—and
canned entertainment he’d loaded on a chip.

she could have very little idea of what was go-

They met for dinner, but said little.

ing on.

But as soon as dusk started to merge into

She watched intently, her fingers sometimes
night, things began to happen: faint hints of
jabbing at virtual controls in the air, as the
motion at the mouth of the slot canyon, as if
three otters milled around the model, inspect-
darker parts of the shadows were trying to
ing it from different angles, poking at it . . .

break off from the rest. Phil and Calantha were

And then, as suddenly as the f irst one had
sitting, less than comfortably, on camp stools
stopped, all three of them turned, still chitter-
partly hidden by vegetation from the clearing
ing, darted back into the canyon, and disap-
outside, watching. Phil was on the verge of
peared.

dozing off when he felt a repeated jab on his

Phil waited a full minute, then said, “What
shoulder.

just happened here?”

“Phil!” Calantha whispered urgently. “Some-

“We got noticed,” said Calantha, removing
body’s coming out!”

her glasses and frowning deeply. “Beyond

Phil struggled to shake off his grogginess
that, I wish I knew. I suspect that what just and see what she was pointing at, but all he
happened was important, but I’m not sure
got was a vague sense of motion in the shad-
how.” She was chewing her lip. “I’d hoped to
ows, which by now were barely distinguish-
have a chance to watch them doing lots of
able from the general darkness. Phil fumbled
everyday stuff, so my computer would have
to get his nightglasses on and operating; Calan-
plenty to chew on to look for correlations. But
tha already wore hers.

there was practically none of that. The wheels

They helped. The vague shapes became “ot-
are turning, but I don’t expect much more
ters,” and he saw them more clearly than ever
than, ‘Hey, guys, look at this!’ and ‘Let’s go get before—clearly enough to start recognizing in-help.’ And a whole lot of ‘untranslatable.’ And
dividual differences in body shape and facial
no idea how to parse even the couple of sen-
features.

tences we might hope to recognize.”

There were three of them, and they didn’t

“Help,” Phil repeated thoughtfully. The
seem to suspect they were being watched. At
night air was beginning to feel chilly. “That
f irst they didn’t seem to notice the humans’

makes sense. Since they had no reason to ex-
model. They were moving quickly as if headed
pect the model, we had no reason to expect
somewhere else, and chittering continuously,
that the first ones to find it would be the right sometimes two or even all three at once. In-ones to deal with it. I had the feeling these
congruously, they reminded him of boisterous
were just working stiffs headed out to the
young humans on their way to school or a job,
fields, or whatever their counterpart is. It was
and they all zipped past the model as if they
obvious when they kidnapped me that they
didn’t notice it.

have some sort of leadership hierarchy. Maybe

Then, abruptly, the hindmost stopped,
these just went back to tell their bosses.”

whirled around to stare at it, and let out a

“That’s my idea, too. So we go back to wait-
loud, distinctively different burst of chatter.

ing.”

The others stopped, too, and turned back.

“But how long?”

80

STANLEY SCHMIDT

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“No idea. If their committees are like ours,

At least, in the light of day, he felt free to
it could be weeks before their next move. But
talk to Calantha about it. “So when do we try
if they’re smart—and as upset with us as we
to talk to them?”

think they are—it could be a whole lot soon-

“When we learn to talk,” said Calantha. “We
er. Like tonight.”

can’t rush this, Phil. If we’re going to have a

“I don’t think I can stay awake all—”

meaningful conversation, we need some vo-

“Not necessary.” Calantha waved an impa-
cabulary and, even harder but at least as im-
tient hand. “I’ll set an alarm.”

portant, some understanding of how their lan-
guage is put together. The best way to do that

Despite the uncomfortable accommoda-
is to observe how they interact among them-
tions, Phil was deep in slumber when he grad-
selves and let my instruments look for connec-
ually became aware of Calantha shaking his
tions.”

shoulder again—harder, this time. “They’re

“But we haven’t seen them do much ex-
out,” she whispered. “Somebody new.”

cept talk,” Phil pointed out. “How can we

Phil dragged himself laboriously up to the
correlate what they say with what they do if
edge of awake, put his glasses back on, and
they aren’t doing anything? There are more
peered out through the bushes. He only saw
direct ways—”

two otters this time, both clearly f ixated on

“Which are riskier. If we plunge in half-
the humans’ model. One was obviously larger
baked, we can make dangerous mistakes.

than the earlier trio; the other he wasn’t sure

Who’s the linguist here, anyway? I thought it
about. Colors were muted by the nightglasses,
was me. You had me f ly halfway around the
but the larger—older?—struck Phil as having
planet to learn how to talk to these creatures.

a subtle hint of silvery sheen in its fur, and the Please let me do it the way I think best.”

“younger” gold. Both moved and spoke more

It wasn’t a question, and Phil decided the
deliberately than the f irst three, and some-
better part of valor was not to treat it as one.

times silences of some duration punctuated

That meant another sleepless and unproduc-
their dialog.

tive night and an amazingly long and boring

Neither gave any other sign of knowing
day. Phil was glad he had brought material for
they were under observation. Phil felt himself
reading, watching, and listening, but it quickly
tensing up, wondering if at any moment
wore thin. He made a few tries at engaging

Calantha might suggest that they step out and

Calantha in conversation, but despite their
reveal themselves, even though he suspected
common goal here, the cultural ice between
she had no more idea than he did about what
them was still too thick.

to do next.

When he tried to imagine passing several

Fortunately—perhaps—the otters made
days out here like this, the thought was de-
that moot. In less than an hour, they turned
pressing. He needed to do something!

and retreated quietly back into the narrow

That night—sooner than he had expect-
canyon. They made no more appearances that
ed—he got to.

night.

Well into darkness—and darkness was more

Phil felt exhausted in the morning. He must
complete now, Selena being into its waning
have spent the rest of the night with an inter-
gibbous phase—he had about given up on any
nal alarm set for any further sign of native ac-
further action from the otters and was on the
tivity. To the best of his knowledge, there
verge of sleep when Calantha’s alarm pinged
wasn’t any—and on ref lection, that seemed
them both. Groggily, he looked out through
odd. Shouldn’t there have been lots of com-
the branches and saw motion at the mouth of
ings and goings, the daily—nightly—business
the canyon.

of this culture’s life? Were they wrong about

He thought he recognized the two otters
that? Or had the normal routine been put on
from last night—“Sylvie” and “Goldie,” he had
hold because of apprehension about the alien
taken to calling them, in view of their pelt col-
artifact the townies had found on their
oration and forest habitat—but now there
doorstep?

were four others as well. The newcomers

So many questions; so few answers.

were carrying something—something that

NIGHT RIDE AND SUNRISE PART II OF IV

81

ANALOG
looked vaguely familiar. It took him close to a

But were the otters really that simple-mind-
minute to recognize it, and then his jaw
ed and vindictive? Phil doubted it. That night
dropped.

in the cave, he’d had the feeling that they

It was a round table, just like the one in the
were less interested in vengeance than in find-
humans’ model, but full-scale. The carriers un-
ing a solution to a problem. It was obvious
folded legs on one side of it and set it up on
that they’d put considerable thought and ef-
the ground, as if preparing for a poker game.

fort into planning this meeting. The closer he

Or a summit conference.

got to the table, the more closely it resembled

They disappeared momentarily back into
the toy one in the model. Even the chairs, de-
the canyon and quickly emerged pulling a
spite their initial appearance of wrongness,
cart, from which they started unloading
proved visibly inspired by those in the model,
things. First came two oddly shaped contrap-
limited as they were by the diff iculties of
tions which, after a moment’s searching in
working in miniature.

cobwebby recesses of his memory, reminded

Yes, not only time, but also craftsmanship,

Phil of banquet couches from textbook imag-
had gone into this setup. Whoever made the
inings of ancient Rome. Sylvie and Goldie
props must have worked through the daytime,
stretched out on those, and it was obvious
when Phil had thought them all dormant. That
that they were made for that purpose: They
implied that they had ways of working unhin-
let a six-limbed otter rest comfortably in a
dered by bright light, perhaps in underground
completely relaxed position, or raise head and
shops. . . .

forelimbs for more vigorous activity.

By the time he and Calantha were almost to

Finally came four objects so obviously ser-
the table, he was actually feeling less appre-
viceable as human chairs—though not be-
hensive, though still war y. The otter he
longing to any style or period from human his-
thought of as Sylvie inclined its head slightly
tory—that Phil felt sure they were intended as
toward them, waving one forepaw toward
exactly that.

them and one toward the chairs. As they sat,

Correction, he thought. They’re like noth-avoiding sudden motions that might alarm
ing from past human history. But this is his-their hosts, Phil studied that “paw” and decid-
tory in the making.

ed that was not at all the right word for it. It

His heart pounding, he glanced at Calantha.

was a hand as surely as his own, with slender,

“Now what?” he whispered.

multijointed f ingers—one of them a second

“Now we do it your way. This is no time for
opposable thumb.

passive observation.”

There was plenty of dexterity there, but he
wondered about strength. The arm that bore

XIII.

that f ine hand was short and not very thick,

The otters were so clearly accepting the hu-
which implied that they used strength-ampli-
mans’ invitation that there was no choice but
fying tools. Which he already knew, from rid-
to accept their acceptance—or to see their
ing in their wheeled wagon. . . .

bet and raise it. Calantha hurriedly fussed with

On the other hand, they hadn’t had any
some adjustments on her hidden equipment.

trouble manhandling him into and out of it, by

Then, moving ver y slowly, she and Phil
cooperating. And though he’d never seen
stepped out into the open and walked toward
them in the f lesh, he remembered reading
the table. Sylvie and Goldie watched from
about how strong animals like wolverines and
their couches, but didn’t move.

chimps were, back on Earth, despite their

It could be a trap, Phil ref lected nervously,
modest size.

a way to entice an unknown number of hu-

None of which was pertinent at the mo-
mans out where they could be attacked, as
ment. They were here to talk, and since they
revenge for the inadvertent damage caused
had no language in common, the first thing to
by their windmills and Phil’s equally inadver-
do was establish some common ground.

tent injury of the otter he’d blinded with his

As soon as the humans were seated, Sylvie
f lashlight. He had to f ight the urge to keep
emitted such a burst of high-speed, high-
one hand on his f lashlight and one on his
pitched chattering that Phil might have
dazer.

thought the situation hopeless. Goldie

82

STANLEY SCHMIDT

SEPTEMBER 2015
immediately did the same. Those sounds were
trees, “did we accomplish anything? I may sort
so utterly unlike any he’d ever heard a human
of recognize a very few things they said, but I
make that he couldn’t imagine even approxi-
couldn’t begin to repeat any of them.”

mating them. That suggested that the otters

“Of course not,” she said with what he
would find human sounds equally impossible
thought of as her customary brusqueness—
to replicate.

and then, with an ebullience he couldn’t have

He glanced wildly at Calantha, to see if she
imagined her showing, “We accomplished a
found the prospect as hopeless as he did. Evi-
lot. It was wonderful! Here, come back to our dently she didn’t; her expression was calm
lair and let me show you a few things.”

and intent. She gave him a barely perceptible,

He followed her back into the forest fringe
vaguely reassuring nod, then waved her hand
and the two chairs she had set up at the heart
over the tabletop, not quite touching it.

of her equipment. “I’ll have to keep this qui-

“Table,” she said distinctly. “Table.”

et,” she said as her f ingers played over con-

The chittering Sylvie emitted bore not the
trols. “We wouldn’t want them to come run-
slightest resemblance to “table,” but he could
ning at what they think is our call. But let me
tell that she repeated it. Even if humans had
show you what my little helpers have been up
no hope of speaking their language, or vice
to.

versa, there was at least a shred of possibility

“Basically, they’ve been doing the same
that they could learn to understand each oth-
things we’ve been trying to do, but they have
er’s speech—and reply in their own.

a different perspective. Or rather, a lot of dif-

And maybe more than that, with the high-
ferent perspectives, and a lot more input chan-
tech helper Phil knew Calantha was using, but
nels and processors. Lots of little cameras and
the otters couldn’t even imagine.

microphones out there, watching and record-

He contented himself mostly with watching
ing everything that either they or we said or
and listening. Calantha pointed to herself and
did, and looking for correlations.

said, “Calantha,” and then to Phil. “Phil.” Then

“The system is trained to pretty much disre-
she again pointed to each of them in turn, but
gard what we humans say and do. We know
in each case said, “Person.”

ourselves and our own language too well to

It took a little while, but not as long as Phil
waste processing power on that. What we
would have expected, to establish those
don’t know is which sounds or gestures mean
words as specific and general names. The ot-
what when the otters make them, and the
ters soon made it clear that they had those
computer can examine a lot more possible
concepts, too, and Phil learned to recognize—
correlations than might catch our eyes. Look
more or less—particular tweet-patterns as
at this, for instance. . . .”

names for Sylvie and Goldie. He took a certain

She showed an early bit of the long scene
pleasure in that, but if he ever had to address
they had just played out, in which their hosts
or refer to them, they would have to remain
were urging them to sit down, accompanying

Sylvie and Goldie.

gestures with chittering noises. “It’s pretty ob-

Things continued in that vein for the rest of
vious,” she said (and maybe it was, to her),
the long, exhausting but exciting night. Phil

“that this is a word for table and this is a verb had the feeling that they were making a suc-for sit, though we don’t yet know about in-
cession of sporadic, tiny breakthroughs, but
flections. And ‘sit’ for humans seems to be dif-

Calantha increasingly showed a kind of excite-
ferent from its counterpart for otters, though
ment he would never have associated with her.

we don’t know just why. It could have to do

When the eastern sky began to lighten, the
with different anatomies necessitating differ-
otters suddenly jumped gracefully off the
ent motions, or it could be something like the
couches and onto the ground. With a parting
difference between essen and fressen in Ger-burst of chatter, they ran back into the canyon
man. . . .”

mouth and vanished.

She went on at considerable length, and

But they left the table and chairs in place.

Phil hoped she was really getting as much out
of it as she seemed to think she was. As for

“So,” said Phil when they were gone and
himself, he was just tired, and he watched for
dawn light was starting to f ilter through the
a chance to get in a word of his own. Which,

NIGHT RIDE AND SUNRISE PART II OF IV

83

ANALOG
when the time came, was, “I think it’s time to
at parts of the model and jabbering so fast he
change our procedure a little. When we start-
doubted that even Calantha’s gadgets could
ed out, we were camping here around the
make any sense of it. But he was as startled as
clock because we didn’t want to attract atten-

Sylvie and Goldie when Calantha’s f ingers
tion with our comings and goings. Now that
played over the small new box she wore and a
they know we’re here, that’s not necessary
new otter voice interrupted, loudly enough to
any more. Why don’t we start going back to
be unmistakable.

Breakaway to recuperate during the day-

Even with no idea of what constituted an
time?”

otter phrase, Phil could tell that Sylvie broke

“I don’t want to lose my focus. I’ve got
off in the middle of one. She (for some reason
something to chew on now; I don’t want to

Phil now thought of “her” that way, even
break it up with those comings and goings.”

though he had no way to know) stared silent-

“But they won’t take long—”

ly at Calantha, looking her up and down as if

“Because they’re not going to happen. No,
trying to f igure out where the sound had
the flights wouldn’t take long, but there’d be
come from. Finally Sylvie, still scanning rapid-
waiting at both ends, and distracting conver-
ly over Calantha and everything around her,
sations with other people. I can’t afford it
emitted a short but particularly frenzied burst
now.” Her tone softened slightly. “Bear with
of chatter.

me awhile, Phil. We’re going to have a surprise

And Calantha’s box said, in recognizable if
for them tonight.”

ungrammatical English, “Say who? Say who?”

Calantha grinned broadly. “I speak,” she

Phil didn’t press the point, but he wasn’t
proclaimed, pointing at herself.

happy about it. Calantha got thoroughly lost in

And her box emitted another burst of ot-
f iddling with her monitors and synthesizers,
teresque chatter.

cut off by earbuds and heads-up displays visi-

Sylvie and Goldie were all over her, slither-
ble only to her, and showed no inclination to
ing rapidly off their seats (or whatever they
involve him in the proceedings. He passed part
should be called) and coming right over to
of the morning reading and playing games, but
peer and sniff at Calantha from head to toe,
he was exhausted and uncomfortable. Soon he
with lots of special attention to the box on her
fell asleep, and presumably, at some point, so
belt. “It hears me speak,” Calantha said, “and
did Calantha. Because at some point a soft, per-
tells you what I said. It hears you speak, and
sistent warble, sempre crescendo, insinuated it-tells me and Phil what you said.”

self into his dreams and dragged him back into

Sylvie and Goldie flinched back as the trans-
the waking world. “Wake up, Phil,” Calantha
lation into their language f lowed from the
was saying. “It’s time.”

box, but they recovered quickly. With just a

It didn’t feel like time. It was dark and
suggestion of wariness, they leaned closer to it
smelled strange, and it took Phil several sec-
as if to ascertain that that was where the
onds to remember where he was and why.

sound was coming from. Then Goldie held a

But he suppressed his grumbles and joined
paw not quite touching the box, looked up at

Calantha in crossing the open “road” to the

Calantha’s face, and said something that the
table they had left this morning. This time she
box rendered as, “Make sound you we not.

was wearing a small box that she hadn’t

Make sound we you not. Make sound two
brought last night, which he guessed had
box. You we understand. We you under-
something to do with her “surprise.”

stand.”

As they approached the table, they got an-

Calantha grinned broadly. “Yes! That’s it ex-
other surprise—one the otters had evidently
actly! Syntax needs a little work, but that will
prepared for them. The humans’ model, origi-
come.” She looked straight at each otter in
nally laid out directly on a level piece of
turn. “We want to understand you—” She
ground, had been moved, meticulously intact,
stopped and frowned. “Sorry, we don’t have
to the center of the tabletop. And when they
that concept yet. And if there’s any that we’re
sat down to talk—a charitable use of the
going to need . . .” She paused thoughtfully,
word, Phil thought—Sylvie went immediately
then said, “Let’s try this. . . .”

into vigorous gesticulations, pointing rapidly

* * *

84

STANLEY SCHMIDT

SEPTEMBER 2015

It was slow going at first, but through much

“For energy—” he began, and broke off
of the night Calantha worked on exposing her
right away. What were the chances she would
translator to enough concepts to have a fight-
have that concept? He was sure it hadn’t ing chance of carrying on a real conversation.

come up in their conversation so far. He tried

Phil was surprised at how quickly the otters
again, picking his way slowly. “The wind
got over their initial consternation and accept-
makes the mills turn. The mills make other
ed the translator for what it was. Soon they
things turn. They make . . . machines run. Ma-
seemed as interested as Calantha in trying to
chines that cut, grind, heat . . .”

establish a connection, but for some hours, it

He gave up. It felt hopeless. As if to make it
remained shaky.

worse, he heard a flapping as of large wings,

Human and otter languages, Phil gathered,
glimpsed motion from the corner of his eye,
were even more differently structured than
and saw two of the big bats settling into a
human languages like English, Chinese, and
nearby tree, obviously looking this way.

Xhosa. The translator almost always tried, but

Phil felt a chill. The arrival of the bats at this often the English that emerged was barely rec-moment felt just plain ominous, though he
ognizable, much less coherent or comprehen-
couldn’t put a finger on why.

sible. Phil assumed the reverse was equally

But then, to his astonishment, he saw Sylvie
true. Occasionally—not too often—one side
quivering, leaning (if a being with six limbs
or the other took offense at what came out,
and a tail can be said to lean) forward. Was
and feathers had to be unruff led. Sometimes
that excitement she was radiating? “Yes! Yes!”

Sylvie or Goldie let out a startlingly sudden
she said. “We need that too. But don’t use
outburst that the translator didn’t even try to
windmills to do it. Too dangerous. Must f ind
render, or produced pure gibberish.

other ways. Better ways. Ways we can live

But as the night wore on, those incidents
with and you can live with.”

grew fewer, and a satisfying sense of points of

Phil’s mind whirled. Was she really saying
contact began to emerge. Then, as dawn was
that her kind also needed energy to run ma-
just beginning to tinge the eastern sky, Sylvie
chines—and that she saw hope of f inding a
suddenly pointed to the windmill in the model
way to coexist? Feeling on shaky ground, he
and said, according to the translator, “Time for
began, “But how—”

business. We want these stop.”

“Can’t talk now,” Sylvie interrupted. “Too

Phil froze. He’d seen no indication that they
big.” She gestured toward the east. “Sky get-
were working toward this crucial point, and
ting light now. We must go in. But be back
now, without warning, it was here. For the
here tomorrow night.

first time he saw Calantha glance his way, as if

“And stop windmills till then.”

seeking his advice. After a moment’s hesita-

And with that she was off, she and Goldie
tion, he looked at Sylvie and said, “Why?”

leaping to the ground and running headlong

Calantha’s translator, too, seemed to hesi-
down the canyon toward the town.

tate a little, but only a little. It made otter

“Well!” said Calantha, after a long silence. “I
sounds, and Sylvie responded in kind. The
think now it is time to go back—and open a box said, “Danger. They kill us. They destroy
can of worms.”

our food. Must stop.”

“That was never our intent,” Phil said

XIV.

solemnly, debating briefly and deciding not to

“We’ve made a good start,” Phil told Hazel
point out that the otters had—probably—
on the short f light back to Breakaway, “but
killed humans, too. “We are deeply sorry. But
we’ve reached a critical point. We’re going to
we need the windmills.”

have to shut the windmills down, at least for a Sylvie became agitated. “No, no! Can’t have.

while.”

Cannot accept danger.”

Hazel, at the controls, frowned. “We’ve

“We must try to f ind a way to remove the
been through all that. You know there’s a lot
danger,” Phil said, much more calmly than he
of well-founded opposition. What’s changed?”

felt. “But we must do it without making dan-

“Before, I was largely guessing at what they
ger for us. As I said, we need the windmills.”

wanted, and why, based on the show they put

This time Sylvie said, “Why?”

on in their cave. Turns out I was right, mostly,

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85

ANALOG
but this time, thanks to Calantha, they’ve ex-

A lengthy silence. Then, “Who’s real? Or plicitly told us what they want, and why. More
should I say what?”

important, they’ve told us they want to find a

“Who,” Calantha said quietly. “The natives.

compromise. But they want the windmills

I’ve seen them. I’ve . . . talked with them. I’m
shut down while we talk about it.”

sorry I didn’t check in with you sooner, but I

“We already discussed that, and—”

didn’t want to disturb you until I had more to

“Don’t you see the difference?” Phil inter-
say than that there were animals here. Of
rupted, becoming agitated. “Before, we were
course there are animals here; there are ani-
guessing that they might take a shutdown as a
mals all over the planet. But these are differ-
show of willingness to compromise, but we
ent. Really different.” She paused, waiting for didn’t know where we’d go from there. Now
feedback but getting none. “Magnus . . . Broth-they’ve suggested one. They want to f ind a er Magnus . . . this changes everything. What compromise, when for all we know, they
are we going to do?”

could have just given us an ultimatum—and

“Do we have to do anything?”

maybe made it stick. We have to talk to

“I think we will—if not now, then later. Of
them—and we have to show we’re serious
course, the decision is up to you. For decades,
about it!”

everybody’s taken it for granted that we hu-

Hazel, already on f inal for Breakaway,
mans were alone in the universe. That under-
frowned but said nothing. Only when they
lies everything else we believe. Now we’re go-
were down and the engine shut off did she
ing to be forced back to the times when
say, “Okay, I’ll make the decree. You want to
people wasted endless worry arguing over
back me up?”

whether there might be other intelligences,

“I can’t right now,” Phil said. “I’m exhaust-
and what we would do—what we might be
ed. I need a good long sleep.”

forced to do, and what they might do to us—if Hazel looked him over. “I guess you do.

we ever met them.”

Well, pleasant dreams—but be prepared for

She listened to her heart hammering for a
an uproar when you wake up.”

few seconds before adding, “No, it’s worse

Phil tried to convince himself he was, but
than that. Now we know that they do exist,
not very hard. The pull of his own bed was so
and we have met them. And we have to share irresistible that he barely made it there before
with them—not just the Universe, with lots of
he fell into a deep slumber.

comfortable distance between us and them,
but this little planet!”

Calantha was tired but too excited to sleep

“It’s not that little,” said Magnus, but she
right away. As soon as she reached her quar-
heard worry in his voice too. “There’s an
ters, she called Magnus, despite the time.

ocean between us.”

With Zo six local hours ahead of Newtown, it

“Maybe,” said Calantha. “But we have no
was debatable whether he or she would be
idea how many of them there are, or how
less lucid. She’d just f inished an exhausting
widespread. These have just recently been no-
night, but he was in the middle of his, and pre-
ticed, even though they must have been here
sumably sound asleep.

for a long time. And even if the ocean is a bar-

So it wasn’t surprising that he took two full
rier now, how long will that be? Extensive
minutes to answer, left his video off, and
contact is inevitable, and it’s not too early to
sounded grumpy. “Sorry to bother you,”

begin thinking about it.”

Calantha said, “but you said I should keep you

“Perhaps,” said Magnus. “You’re really con-
posted. I thought you’d want to hear as soon
vinced that these beings are more like people
as I had something that seemed important.”

than animals?”

“Well, yes,” he half-growled, “but I must ad-

“I’m sure of it.”

mit I doubted you’d find anything that impor-

“Hmm. If you’re right, I’d have to agree that
tant. After waiting this long, would a few
we’ll have to rethink a lot of things, and that’s more hours matter? Is there some emer-never comfortable. But even if contact is in-
gency?”

evitable . . . sharing may not be.”

“Not an emergency, exactly,” said Calantha,

“Are you suggesting the alternative I think

“but profoundly important. They’re real.”

you are?”

86

STANLEY SCHMIDT

SEPTEMBER 2015

“We’ll have to consider all options,” he said.

to give the other way a chance. So we did it,

“But a simple, well-marked path has many ad-
and they’re going to stay shut down until we
vantages over a tangled, confusing maze.”

see a better reason than you’ve given us. Now

Neither of them said anything for a while.

if you’ll excuse us, Phil has a job to do.”

Then Calantha spoke very quietly. “Perhaps—

“I don’t see it that way. The job we all have but some will find that path disturbing. I think
is to protect this colony. Everything else is—”

I would. Have you considered the possibility

“I believe,” Phil broke in quietly, “we’ve
that they might have things to teach us, and
been over all this before. Unless you have
we to teach them?”

something new to add—”

“Yes. I’ve also considered the possibility that

“Oh, I have something new,” said Corcovan.

no good could come of the attempt—and the

“Though in a way it’s something old. Have you
possibility that your judgment is clouded by
forgotten that they’ve killed two of our peo-
the temptation of having the chance to f lex
ple? If nothing else, we need revenge.”

your long-idle linguistic muscles. We both

Phil and Hazel snorted in unison. “Really,
know about temptation.” He paused. “I don’t

Corcovan,” said Phil. “Don’t you think you
think either of us is in the best condition to
should have grown beyond vengeance as a
wrestle with anything this big right now. Let’s
reason for doing things? Most of us here
sleep on it, and then you can get back to learn-
have.”

ing about these . . . entities. Do keep me post-

“Have they? I think I’ll ask around a little.

ed—but in the future, please save your reports

Remind them what happened . . . put a face
for a more civilized hour unless that’s truly im-
on it.” He paused. “I saw how you dragged
possible.”

poor little Srella into this, after what she’s

Calantha assured him she would, and she
been through—”

tried to sleep, but without much success. She

“I dragged her in? Look here, Corcovan, it wondered whether he did any better.

was her idea. I didn’t even like it at first, but she wanted to get involved and her mother

Phil had set an alarm, timed to allow a not-
would have wanted it that way. She knows
too-rushed dinner before heading back to “Ot-
what she’s doing, and she’s already made a
tertown,” but that wasn’t what woke him. He
valuable contribution.”

was dragged up from comfortable depths by

“I think I’ll just see what she has to say
an insistent pounding on his door and a harsh
about that.”

counterpoint of raised voices. He frowned,

“You’ll do nothing of the kind,” Hazel said
barely able to make out anything being said.

f irmly. “You and I can talk about this some

But one of the voices was Hazel’s and he
more, but until we’ve agreed otherwise, you’ll
caught, “—temporar y. We’ll reevaluate
stay away from Srella—or else. Now we’ve
when—”

wasted enough time here. Phil and Calantha

“Why wait?” a harsh male voice interrupt-
have important work to get back to, and they
ed—Corcovan, obviously. “This has—” Then
need to be there before—”

unintelligible noise, as the two tried to shout

“Don’t you get it?” Corcovan exploded.

each other down.

“They shouldn’t be doing that work! These be-

It was obvious that Phil wasn’t going to
ings are a clear and present danger to us, and
get any more sleep. It was time to get up
we shouldn’t be—”

anyway. Forcing himself to stay calm, he put

Hazel cut him off yet again. “That’s not for
on a minimum of clothing, ambled to the
you to decide. At least, not alone and not this
door, and opened it. “What’s the problem
soon. Now . . .”

out here?”

They went on like that for a few minutes,

“You are!” Corcovan bellowed. “You some-
with voices rising faster than anybody’s satis-
how bullied Ms. Spineless here into—”

faction, but Hazel stood firm on a temporary

“I have spine enough not to let you walk
shutdown of windmills and ordered Corcovan
over me, Phil, or anybody else, ” Hazel
to stay away from Srella. Corcovan stomped
growled back. Phil noticed her hand poised
off fuming.

near a sidearm. “He made a good case that we

And Phil and Calantha were late for their ap-
need to shut the windmills down for a while
pointment.

NIGHT RIDE AND SUNRISE PART II OF IV

87

ANALOG

“Yes,” Sylvie and Goldie said together. Sylvie

XV.

added, “May not be last. But this one, you

The sun was already down when Hazel
pass.”

f lew them to their meeting point, which

“So now what?” Phil asked. “I assume you
made for an eerily new experience for both
talked with others about the windmill prob-
them and the otter ambassadors. Sylvie and
lem. Do you have new ideas about what we—

Goldie were already there as the little craft
you and us—can do?”

eased down toward the ground, its landing

“Not yet,” said Goldie. “Already said, more
lights dimmed as much as Hazel dared—
important things now.” She looked at Phil.

which was quite a bit, thanks to the other in-

“You remember first night you came here?”

struments at her disposal.

“I couldn’t forget. The way you brought

Phil hoped the relatively subdued light
me—”

wouldn’t bother them, but apparently it did,

“You tried escape before we f inished,”

though not unbearably. They glanced away

Sylvie interrupted. “Pulled out weapon.” It
frequently, as if to rest their eyes; but in be-
took Phil a moment to realize she meant his
tween aversions, they seemed fascinated, if a
flashlight. “Hurt one of our friends.”

little afraid. Their f irst reaction, as the craft Phil winced. “It was an accident. I didn’t
settled to the ground, was to press themselves
know—”

back against the cliff as if trying to stay as far

“No matter. Accident or purpose, you hurt
as possible from the strange contraption. But
her. Now you must visit her.”

once it was down, Phil and Calantha had dis-

Phil felt a sudden huge lump in his throat.

embarked, and Hazel was zooming skyward

What could he say to her? What trouble could
and away, Sylvie and Goldie pressed vigorous-
he get himself and the rest of the settlers into
ly in around Phil and Calantha, jabbering in-
with whatever he said?

cessantly and simultaneously. Calantha’s trans-

And what might the otters do to him once
lator struggled to keep up.

they got him inside, which was presumably

“How that fly?” “We want one. . . .”

where his unintended victim was?

Phil glanced at Calantha for any guidance

The prospect was daunting. But he did feel
she might have on how to answer. She did
a certain obligation to do something, and from the same to him. Neither said anything. Final-a practical point of view, perhaps the most im-
ly, as the already faint sound of the highly ef-
portant thing was that it was a way to get in-f icient copter faded into the distance, Phil
side.

ventured, “I don’t know how to explain. I

Was this a test too?

don’t understand it that well myself. But it
uses energy—”

Phil wasn’t surprised that the otters made

“Ah, yes,” said Sylvie. “Energy. Maybe you
him and Calantha leave their f lashlights out-
understand better later, help us understand
side. They didn’t ask the same of the transla-
too. More important things now. Did you stop
tion equipment, which showed both under-
windmills?”

standing and courage, since they must have

“Yes,” said Phil. “We did. But only till we
been uncomfortable with its unknown capa-
find a better way—”

bilities.

Sylvie seemed to relax. “Hope we can,” she

Just inside the canyon mouth was a cart,
said. “Glad you tell truth. Is good sign.”

quite possibly the same one in which Phil had

Phil and Calantha frowned. She asked,
had his f irst hair-raising ride. Sylvie gestured

“What do you mean?”

them to climb in. Phil did so without much

“We knew you stopped windmills,” said
hesitation, having some idea what to expect

Goldie. “But wanted to know if you tell truth.

this time. Calantha stared wide-eyed at the

Many other ways you could answer. You could
rickety conveyance and the dragonhorse
bluff. Try deceive us. If you told us one thing
hitched to it and hung back uncertainly.

and we knew something else true, that be bad

“Come on in,” Phil said. “I’ve ridden one of
sign. Couldn’t trust you. This way . . . maybe.”

these before. We’ll be okay.” He extended a

“Maybe,” Sylvie agreed.

helping hand; she took it with obvious reluc-

Phil stared. “So . . . this was a . . . test?”

tance and clambered aboard. Sylvie and

88

STANLEY SCHMIDT

SEPTEMBER 2015

Goldie followed, and the vehicle lurched for-
canyon, still with the sides sloping toward
ward with a snort from its “horse.”

each other to leave only a sliver of sky show-

Alone in the box, Phil had rattled around in
ing through, but with much more room at
it, tossed against the walls as the vehicle ac-
ground level.

celerated and changed course. With four siz-

And it was far from empty. Here, for the
able beings in it, they were packed too tightly
first time, the city actually started to look like to move much at all. But he was very con-a city. Otters, with their variety of postures
scious of the pressure of other bodies, the
and gaits, walked to and fro, singly and in
slight but alien smell of their hosts, and their
small groups, some carrying things, others un-
slightly warmer feel.

encumbered. The cart carr ying him and

This time he still had his nightglasses on, so

Calantha barreled right through as if not see-
he could see the rugged walls of the canyon
ing or caring about the pedestrians. None of
rising close on both sides as they careened
them seemed to care either; when necessary,
through it. That, plus knowing a little about
they just dodged nimbly and unceremoniously
what was happening, made it a little less scary
out of its path.

this time, at least for him. A glance at Calan-

And there were more openings along the
tha’s face showed that for her it was as terrify-
wall: doors and what might have been win-
ing as his first wild ride. She was clutching his dows, giving hasty glimpses into dimly lit
arm tightly, not with anything like affection,
chambers in which otters went about their
but rather a mixture of fear and disgust with
unknown business or leisure activities.

herself for having that fear. She probably

And, most startlingly, chambers that were
didn’t even know she was doing it.

not dimly lit. Some of the windows were f it-When they emerged into the bowl-like val-
ted with panes of some darkly transparent ma-
ley that he now thought of as the town square
terial, through which Phil glimpsed what
and gateway, he got a reminder of the fear he
looked like machines and masked otters, and
had experienced before. He expected their
balls of what looked like flame. They weren’t
cart to slow down as the far wall loomed
terribly bright seen from here, but the harsh
rapidly higher and higher before them, but it
contrast around them suggested that they
didn’t. Instead it swerved sharply left without
would be much brighter seen directly.

losing an iota of speed and sped right into the

So if otters could work around blazing light
wall.

sources like those, why had his flashlight been

Into, literally, which was a great relief. He’d such a problem?

noticed shadowy openings in the wall before,

To him it suggested two possibilities. First: it
and this time the draft beast and its charges
wasn’t, and for some reason—as an excuse for
plunged headlong into one of those and kept
aggression?—they were faking its severity. Or,
going, the echoes of its passage louder than
second, it really was, but they had ways of
ever now that the noise had a ceiling as well as
dealing with such things when they wanted or
side walls to bounce off. At first it was feature-needed to.

less to human eyes, so to distract Calantha

Which seemed much more likely. He’d seen
from her fear he stage-whispered, “Did you see
the allegedly injured otter go crashing down
the sculptures?” She didn’t seem to hear him.

that rockpile, and he’d seen them put on dark

Evidently even a stage whisper wasn’t enough,
goggles when they staged that f irst show for
so he tried again in an unabashed shout.

him.

“Yes,” she grated. “Where are we now?”

But these lights, he was pretty sure, were

“Don’t know,” he said between lurches.

much brighter than those. And that had star-

“I’ve never been here before. Entering the city,
tling implications. . . .

I’d guess.”

He forced himself not to pursue them now.

“But there’s nothing—” She’d been about to

Instead he concentrated on the kaleidoscope
say there was nothing to see, he guessed,
of new impressions through which they were
which was reasonable since the f irst part of
passing. A couple of times, while passing side
the tunnel was featureless and black. But that
chambers, he heard rhythmic sounds like the
only lasted a minute or so. Then it changed
one that had reminded him of engines that
abruptly as the tunnel opened up into a
first night out here.

NIGHT RIDE AND SUNRISE PART II OF IV

89

ANALOG

But before he could process that, the scene
heard waves crashing below the window, and
changed yet again as their steed pulled them
sometimes spray from them fountained just
out of that canyon, and the ground dropped
outside. Above the window, the ceiling
away on their left. Now the road followed a
curved back to become a high ceiling with a
shelf along the face of a cliff, still with an im-few ledges and sturdy rods projecting from
posing overhang above, but ocean and a fair
the walls just below.

expanse of starry sky to the left. They weren’t

In front of the window, on a “couch” some-
far above the water, and thanks to his night-
what like the ones on which Sylvie and Goldie
glasses, Phil could see that it was relatively qui-had reclined at the mouth of the canyon, lay a
et here. In fact, it looked marshy, and here and
new otter, this one with a very dark pelt and
there f loated some sort of boats, with otters
some sort of bandages on two legs and her
swimming among them and occasionally
neck.

boarding or leaving one.

Just inside the door, Sylvie turned toward

He didn’t have time to figure out what was

Calantha and gestured toward her translator.

going on, because by the time he had realized

“Box off, please,” she said. “Just for moment.”

that much, the cart made two more sharp

Calantha frowned but complied. Then Sylvie
turns, first into another tunnel or very narrow
moved deliberately toward the patient’s
canyon, and then into a short side passage,
couch, walking on all six with head held low
where it stopped abruptly. “We’re here,”

to the ground. Only when she was within a

Sylvie announced. “Follow me.”

body length did she lift her head to meet the
resident’s eyes. They conversed brief ly in

She slipped nimbly out the back of the cart,
their own tongue, and Phil had no idea what
followed smoothly by Goldie. Phil and Calan-
they were saying. Then Sylvie looked back at
tha followed, neither nimbly nor smoothly af-

Calantha with a slight but surprisingly human
ter the cramped, bumpy ride. Sylvie led them
nod. “Okay. Box back on. This is . . . you might
all through a small door, and suddenly they
call her ‘Daredevil,’ because she showed
were in what might have been a small bed-
much courage in attempting something the
room, had humans built it.

rest of us might not have dared. I think you

But obviously humans hadn’t. There were
know what.”

none of the right angles so pervasive in hu-

She stepped aside. The injured otter looked
man architecture, and Phil had the impression
straight at Phil and spoke. “Well, what do you
not so much of architecture at all, as of nature
have to say?”

gently tweaked to a civilized user’s needs. It

The question took Phil aback. He’d had so
might once have been a natural cave, but the
little idea of why he was being brought here,
surfaces, curved everywhere, were a bit too
and so much distraction on the way, that he
smooth to be natural. Small pieces of furni-
hadn’t thought much about how this conver-
ture, some standing on the floor and others at-
sation might begin. With hindsight, he
tached to walls, held clearly artificial objects, guessed he’d figured Daredevil would get the
some as obviously utilitarian as cups and
ball rolling, but her first move was to toss it to bowls, others whose functions were not ap-him. After a few mental gyrations he stam-
parent. They might have been tools for un-
mered, “I . . . I’m sorry. I never intended to
known tasks, or they might have been abstract
hurt you. I didn’t know my flashlight would af-
art.

fect you that way. For us it’s just a tool. I hard-Some of them, surprisingly, looked clearly
ly knew what was happening, so I was
metallic.

afraid—”

A large area of the back wall was open,

“Sorry doesn’t matter,” Daredevil interrupt-
down almost to the f loor, giving an unob-
ed. “You shouldn’t have been afraid. Made
structed view of the nearby marshes and the
everything worse.” She paused. “They were
open water beyond—though a mechanism
trying to give you a way out.”

above it seemed to be a sort of blind that

Phil frowned without comprehension. “Ex-
could be drawn when outside grew too
cuse me?”

bright. Closer in, though Phil couldn’t see it,

“Why do you think my friends brought you
the coast must be much more rugged. He
to see our model and show?” Again she

90

STANLEY SCHMIDT

SEPTEMBER 2015
paused. “Tr y to see like us. When your

“Good,” said Daredevil. “Maybe. Maybe we
strange kind and your structures came here,
can agree on something. But to do that, we
we all knew it could mean trouble. Not all
have to understand each other. You already
agreed how to deal with it. Some wanted to
know your wind devices are a danger to us.

destroy you all so trouble couldn’t happen.

Having you and them here is a problem. Sim-

Some wanted to try to talk to you, f ind out
plest way out would be for you just to go back
where you from, what you wanted, make
where you came from. Seems you refuse.

you understand the danger you were to us,

Why?”

try to f ind way we could all live here. And

“We can’t. We come from very far away. We
some thought that was too hard, couldn’t
can’t go back.”

work. Just wanted to drive you away, to elim-

“Why?” Daredevil repeated. “Too far? More
inate you as a problem for us without killing
danger there?”

you.

“Too far. We came from the other side of

“I was one of those. I don’t like killing, but I
the world—”

don’t like trouble either. My view was out-

“Thought so. Never saw anything like you
numbered. The group that wanted to talk to
here before.”

you convinced rest of us to go along with try-

“—and before that we came from another
ing it—once.”

world altogether.” Calantha gave him a sharp

“I appreciate that,” said Phil. “But I didn’t
glance, but Daredevil seemed to take it in
understand then—”

stride. “The way we got here no longer works,

“Of course you didn’t. I didn’t believe it
and we can’t fix it.”

would work, but for a while, when you

“Not sure I believe, but suppose it true. If
watched our show, I almost dared hope it
you can’t go back to other world, why not just
would, that you did understand. Then you
other part of this one where you were be-
dashed my hope by running off like that.

fore?”

Some of us assumed you’d misunderstood.

“That’s impossible too,” said Phil, hoping it

They ran after you to try to stop you and make
wouldn’t be too obvious that he was stretching
it right. Me, I ran after you because I decided
the truth a bit. “It’s complicated. I can’t explain I’d been right in the f irst place—and maybe
it, but it’s true. I must ask you to trust me.”

the ones who wanted to destroy you were

“Difficult,” said Daredevil. “But again, sup-
even more right. Would I have killed you if I’d
pose it true. Then we might have to f ind a
caught you? I don’t know.”

way to live together, if that’s possible. If it isn’t Phil shuddered. Had he made Daredevil into

. . . Well, let’s hope it is.” A much longer
an otter Corcovan?

pause. “We took a big risk letting Sylvie and

“Others might have stopped me if I’d tried,”

Goldie bring you in here. Some say you’ve al-

Daredevil went on, “but we never got to find
ready seen more than we should have al-
out. I never expected a blinding light in my
lowed. Yet for crazy idea to have any chance
eyes when climbing those treacherous rocks.

of working, you and we must understand each

I lost control, fell, and suffered several frac-
other. You must learn how we live and what
tures and other injuries.”

we need. We must learn how you live and

“I’m terribly sorry,” Phil said again. “As you
what you need.”

say, it was all a misunderstanding, on many

Definitely not Corcovan, Phil thought.

levels.”

“Must confer,” Daredevil said. She looked at

“Maybe,” said Daredevil. “Part of me still

Calantha again. “Box off again, please.”

thinks ones who want to destroy you are

Calantha complied, and the three otters
right. But Sylvie and Goldie told me how you
again talked unintelligibly among themselves,
came back with your own model and tried to
this time for two or three minutes. Then Dare-
talk with us. Made me think I might be wrong
devil signaled Calantha to turn the translator
and you should have a second chance. Can
back on and again addressed Phil. “We suggest
you convince me?”

this. Tomorrow night, you two come back

She has a real knack for catching me off
here for a tour. Sylvie and Goldie will show
guard, Phil thought. “I don’t know,” he said.

you around, give you some idea how we live,

“I’d like to try.”

answer questions.

NIGHT RIDE AND SUNRISE PART II OF IV

91

ANALOG

“Obviously by showing you more, we’re tak-

“But sometimes,” Phil said calmly, “if some-
ing even bigger risk than already. You must
body seems reasonable, you should at least
share risk by taking them back the next night
consider the possibility that they are. I think
to do same for us. Show them around place
this is one of those cases. We can’t go back to
you call yours, explain how things work, let

Earth because we got here using found alien
them ask questions and come back to explain
technology that apparently only works in one
what they saw to the rest of us. Fair enough?”

direction. We can’t go back to Newtown be-

Phil thought carefully before answering. “It
cause of . . . irreconcilable differences.”

sounds well worth considering,” he said cau-

“Some of us want to go back to Newtown,”

tiously. “But I can’t speak for all my people.

Calantha interjected. “And we’d welcome the

We’ll have to discuss it with them tomorrow.

rest of you, too, if only you’d—”

But we’ll be back tomorrow night, at least

“Live your way?” Corcovan interrupted with
with an answer and maybe for that tour.”

a sneer. “Fat chance. That’s what we left Earth

“Good,” said Daredevil. “I hope your peo-
to get away from.”

ple will see reason.”

“No, it isn’t,” said Calantha. “Earth hadn’t

So do I, thought Phil.

had what we wanted for a long time. That’s
why we left.”

None of the otters showed any interest in

“Us, too,” said Hazel. “Neither our group
attempting to do more then, so it was still the
nor yours was satisf ied with what Earth had
middle of the night when Phil and Calantha
become. We both wanted to start over—but
found themselves back at the mouth of the en-
in very different and incompatible ways. But
try canyon, waiting for their ride back to
this isn’t the time to argue about which is ‘bet-

Breakaway. As soon as their otter escorts were
ter,’ if that question even means anything. The

(they hoped) out of earshot, Phil said, “Notice
point right now is what to do about the otters.

anything interesting back there?”

In the long run, both Calantha and Corcovan

“Aside from everything? And the fact that
are right: we have a three-way coexistence
they showed so little reaction to your bomb-
problem. But in the short term, the things
shell about our being from offworld?”

Newtown and Breakaway want are so differ-

“No bats,” said Phil. “And no kids.”

ent that we need different places to call home.

“And Breakaway happens to be in what we

XVI.

now know is otter country. The otters are

“Actually,” said Phil, “I think they’re being
willing to tr y to f ind a way to share it.

surprisingly reasonable.”

Shouldn’t we be, too?”

Rod Corcovan snorted. “Just another reason

“No,” said Corcovan. “What happened to
to distrust them. Surely you’re not going to let

‘may the best man win’?”

critters who don’t even know much about hu-

“And you’re sure that’s you?” Hazel didn’t
mans put one over on you.”

leave him time to answer. “Maybe you’re right

“I’ll try not to,” said Phil. He, Corcovan,
that the best man deserves to win, but you

Hazel, and Calantha were gathered around a
seem to think ‘best’ means most able to
small table in one of the conference rooms off
squash the other. I think it may mean ‘most
the main gathering hall. He and Calantha had
able to work out a reasonable solution’—and
taken advantage of the unexpectedly short
that could mean both of us, if we’re smart
night to catch up on a bit of sleep, but now
enough.

they had breakfast in front of them and had

“Now, this otter that Calantha’s translator
started the meeting before eating.

has labeled ‘Daredevil’ has offered to show us

It was a small meeting by Hazel’s choice.

the inner workings of their town as a first step

When Phil told her there was another big is-
toward learning to understand each other. In
sue to thrash out and they’d need another
effect, they’ve invited us into their home. Isn’t mass meeting right away, Hazel had shud-it only reasonable that we reciprocate?”

dered and said full meetings were too un-

“It’s too dangerous,” said Corcovan. “Sure,
wieldy. Better to start small, with an informal

I’d like to know as much as I can about them,
discussion involving spokesmen for all the ma-
to know where their weak points are. But do
jor factions—including Corcovan.

you really want to show them ours?”

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“I’d rather not, but it’s a trade-off we have to

“Well, I appreciate the offer,” Hazel said de-
make. We don’t have to show them every-
liberately, “but I don’t think so. No offense,
thing, at least right away. If we think certain Corcovan, but diplomacy isn’t your strong
things should be withheld, we can just steer
suit. I’ll go.”

our visitors away from those.” Hazel paused.

“But we have to assume they’ll be doing the

XVII.

same to us. And we’ll have to bear in mind

Even Phil had to agree with the logic of in-
that it could be dangerous to be seen as being
cluding a representative who actually lived in
too sneaky or secretive. Ultimately it will prob-

Breakaway, and even more with that represen-
ably be to our benefit to be as open as we can
tative being Hazel. It also made logistical
be.”

sense. Since she had been ferrying Phil and

“You’ll hardly even know they’re here,” Phil

Calantha back and forth anyway, they
pointed out. “They don’t like daylight. More
wouldn’t have to accommodate another body.

than ‘don’t like’; it’s dangerous to them. So

She could just park the copter and stay.

they’ll be coming at night.”

If the otters allowed it. What worried Phil

Corcovan scowled. “Is that supposed to
was that nobody had asked them.

make me feel better—that they can watch me

As soon as Hazel powered down the copter
sleeping, and I won’t even see what they’re
and they got out—and locked it—Sylvie and
doing here?”

Hazel emerged from the mouth of the canyon,

“Good point,” said Phil. “Besides, they
looking agitated. They scurried toward Hazel,
won’t see much at night, when we’re not do-
walking on hindlegs and tail to stand as tall
ing anything. Eventually we may have to find a
and upright as possible. From well within
way to let them visit during the day, when
what humans would consider her personal
we’re going about our business.” Even as he
space, they looked her up and down intently.

said that, he saw a possible way to do it. . . .

Sylvie glanced toward Phil, then back at Hazel.

“Now that’s something to look forward to,”

“Who this? We said you two should come, not

Corcovan grumbled. “And how long is all this
three.”

going to go on? Every day we go without the

“This is Hazel,” said Phil. “She’s a leader of
windmills, we’re using up precious antimatter.

our settlement. We work for her, but she

I thought the point of the windmills was to
wants to see your town for herself rather than
avoid that.”

trust entirely to our word.”

“It is. But a few days, even a few weeks,

“Makes sense,” said Goldie. Phil could imag-
aren’t going to matter much.”

ine her sniffing.

“If you say so.” Corcovan frowned and

“Hazel, this is Sylvie, and this is Goldie.

changed tack. “Who exactly is going on this

They’re going to show us around.”

tour tonight?”

Hazel made a sweeping gesture with ele-

“Calantha and me,” said Phil.

ments of bow and nod that she presumably

“No way!” Corcovan turned to Hazel.

hoped they would see as respectful. “Sylvie,

“Hazel, since you somehow seem to be run-

Goldie, I’m honored to meet you. I hope you’ll
ning this show, are you going to allow that? If
accept me as a visitor who looks forward to
those two are the only ones going, we’re go-
getting to know you.”

ing to be represented by two people who

“Phil should have asked,” said Sylvie. “But
don’t even live here. We have to have some-
yes, you may join us. Need bigger cart,
body with them who does live here and can
though.” She let out a sudden eerie whoop,
represent us.”

then waited silently. A minute or so later one

Hazel looked at Phil. “I can’t really argue
of the big bats swooped down, obviously star-
with that. Can you take one more?”

tling Hazel and Calantha, and perched on a

“Well, I—”

rock outcropping nearby. Sylvie chattered to it

“That’s not really a question,” Corcovan in-
in something more like her normal voice and
terrupted. “One of us has to go!” He made a manner. It made an odd chortling sound and
face as if considering something extremely dis-
then f lew off, rising quickly above the cliffs
tasteful, then drew himself up as if trying to
and flying off in a direction roughly following
look imposing. “I’ll go!”

the entry canyon.

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The five outside waited in awkward silence,

On this second look, with better vision, Phil
during which Phil speculated on what he’d
saw that while the sculptures bore only a
just seen but couldn’t quite bring himself to
vague resemblance to the wild otters and bats
ask about. Were the bats another kind of do-
he’d seen before coming here, they looked
mestic animal, used to carry messages? If so,
much more like the larger ones here in the
that suggested a surprisingly high level of in-
town. Calantha and Hazel, he saw, were star-
telligence for a domestic animal.

ing wide-eyed. “Do the carvings,” he asked,

Or were they more like the slaves whose

“represent real individuals from your history?”

status was an indelible blot on humanity’s

“Some do,” she said. Then, as if to avoid a
past?

less cryptic response, she signaled the wagon

Shortly after the bat’s departure, he heard
into renewed motion and changed the sub-
the clatter just inside the canyon of a cart and
ject. “Now you—or at least Hazel—will re-
dragonhorse heading back toward the town. A
ceive your first view inside.”

few minutes later, he heard a similar sound,

The wagon rolled forward through an open
which proved to be a larger cart coming out
door into a cavernous chamber, dimly lit by a
almost to the entrance and turning around in
few glowdisks, that Phil recognized at once as
the “vestibule” just inside.

the one where he’d been brought that f irst

Then Sylvie and Goldie ushered them all
night to witness the otters’ and bats’ f irst at-
aboard. This cart was quite a bit bigger than
tempt at communication. “Here,” Sylvie de-
the other, and even with the addition of Hazel,
claimed (at least it sounded like a declamation
it didn’t feel crowded at all. The beast started
from the translator’s speaker, though not in
them townward with a surprisingly gentle mo-
her own chittering voice), “we hold gather-
tion, unlike the startling lurch and hair-raising ings when it is necessary or desirable for many
speed of his previous rides. “No rush this
of us to gather at once.”

time,” Sylvie said through Calantha’s transla-

Tonight, though, it was empty except for
tor. “Want you to take in what you see.

their wagon, and they lingered but a moment

“As Phil knows, we live together in what
before turning into another door in the back
you might call town among cliffs and caves on
wall and clattering down an unfamiliar dark
edge of sea. Our ancestors were active by
passage. Like the other that Phil had been
night and not day, and so are we. We feel
down, it was relatively short, and soon they
safest with lots of barriers between our
came out into another wider canyon with a
homes, outside places, and open sky. This
narrow opening between cliffs at the top and
area good for us because has many caves, jum-
chambers opening off the sides. Some of
bled rocks, and narrow passages like this one,
those had closed doors, and some didn’t.

not quite caves but almost, with overhangs.

Through the ones that didn’t, they glimpsed

We call this road ‘Way In,’ because it’s the only small groups of otters going about their busi-way in, at least for folk like Goldie and me.

ness but couldn’t tell what that business was.

Anybody from outside who wants to come

“Families live here,” Sylvie said, but she didn’t into town has to come through here.”

elaborate or slow their pace.

She paused as if to let that sink in—along

Soon, the ambience changed again, and
with the implied corollary that that could in-
they were in a neighborhood like the one Phil
clude humans, and if they were getting any
had first seen last night, with relatively bright ideas, they should think carefully about how
lights and tantalizing mechanical sounds filter-
easily that single passageway could be defend-
ing through thick translucent windows and
ed.

doors. “Here we make things,” said Sylvie.

When they emerged into the “town

“Can we stop and see some?” Phil asked, ex-
square,” Sylvie halted the wagon and gestured
cited by the prospect.

at the ornately sculpted cliff towering before

“Maybe later,” Sylvie said. “Making-places
and around them. “At ground level you see
are dangerous. Need permission, maybe spe-
several entrances to the town itself. Above
cial protection, to go inside.” Then, as if she
those you see carvings by some of our best
sensed Phil’s disappointment, she backed off a
artists, to remind us of our history and things
little and said, “Maybe one. No promise, but
most important.”

let’s see.”

94

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SEPTEMBER 2015

She brought the cart to a halt in front of a
shaped metal knife and began deftly shaving
closed door and climbed out. “Wait here.” She
pieces off the wooden workpiece.

looked at Calantha and added, “Box off.”

The workmanship was obvious and impres-

Calantha complied, but Phil could see that
sive, but what intrigued Phil most was the
she was sorely tempted not to. Sylvie stood
knife. “The tool you’re using,” he said. “What
outside the door and chittered loudly. The
do you call its material?”

door opened just a crack, and a different otter

The craftsman spoke; Calantha’s translator
voice chattered back. After a few more ex-
deliberated for a sizable fraction of a second
changes, the door opened wider, and Sylvie
before saying, “Metal.”

gestured to the others in the wagon. “Please

“Impressive,” Phil said truthfully. “Where
come in, but touch nothing.”

do you get it?”

With a mixture of excitement and appre-

“From the sea,” said Smith, looking at Sylvie
hension, Phil and his colleagues f iled into a
and then back at Phil. “I don’t know details.

cluttered room with scattered light disks faint-

It’s a new thing. Almost new.”

ly illuminating several benches strewn with

“We can show you something of how we
what were obviously tools and pieces of work
get the metal later,” Sylvie told Phil.

in progress—some of them made of metal.

Smith somehow seemed relieved at being

The details were alien—except for a few that
let off the hook. He showed them a little more
seemed vaguely but tantalizingly familiar—but
of his process for carving something like an
the place had the unmistakable feel of a work-
old-fashioned shepherd’s crook, and then
shop.

Sylvie shepherded them back into the wagon.

An unfamiliar otter, smaller and apparently

It occurred to Phil only as they were leaving
older than either Sylvie or Goldie, crouched
that some of the objects that had struck him as
in the far corner, staring with what looked
vaguely familiar were parts of the windmill
like a mixture of fear and fascination at the
model they’d used for their dramatic demon-
newcomers. “This is Smith,” Sylvie told the
stration that first night.

humans. “One of our finest craft makers. Not

They spent a few more minutes traversing
busy now, so can take little time to show you
the “factory district” and then emerged onto
a bit.” Sylvie told her (him?), “These are our
the shelflike “coast road.” On the first stretch, visitors from far away: Phil . . . Calantha . . .

they had a good close view of waves crashing
and Hazel.” She gestured at each in turn.

on rocks, but then a surprisingly impressive

“They want to help us f ind a way we can all
bridge carried them across the mouth of a
share land. To do that, they want to learn
broad stream pouring out of the cliff wall into
about us and teach us about themselves. Can
the sea.

you tell them a little about what you do

There Sylvie made the draft beast halt and
here?”

gestured out at the marsh surrounding the

The resident otter moved a hair closer and
mouth of the stream. Again Phil saw small
spoke, slowly at f irst—or was that just the
boats and swimming otter s among the
translator getting used to a new speaker? “I
plants. “They’re har vesting, ” Sylvie ex-
make . . . tools. To cut, carry, things like that.

plained. “Gathering useful plants and ani-

To do that, I use other tools, already made.

mals. Most of what we eat comes from the

Here I was making a hook to hold things out
sea. So does the metal used by craftspeople
of way of other things. I take piece of . . . hard like Smith.”

plant at edge of sea, and lock it in place with

Phil seized the chance. “How do you collect
this.” She/he clamped a piece of what looked
it? Dive and gather it from the bottom? I’d
like wood into a vise on the edge of a bench,
think that would be hard and dangerous
tightening the jaws with a coarse built-in
work.”

screw—which, Phil realized, likely implied

“It is. So we seldom do it that way. Metal col-
the existence of a lathe somewhere.

lects in bodies of certain plants and animals. We

“Then,” said Smith, seeming to relax a little,
encourage those—and the ones that are good

“I carve with this tool.” He (or so Phil decided
to eat—to grow in special places like this.”

to think of him/her, though he knew it was

Farms! Phil supplied mentally, even before pure guesswork) picked up an elaborately
the translator did. “Then we gather them,”

NIGHT RIDE AND SUNRISE PART II OF IV

95

ANALOG

Sylvie was continuing, “and bring them into
to change the subject. “Look!” she said sud-
our town. Some of us have learned to extract
denly, gesturing toward a nearby cliff. “There
metals from the plants and animals that con-
are some now!”

centrate them.”

Followed her pointing hand, Phil saw two

“How do you do that?” Phil asked.

big bats curving down to land on a ledge and

“Most processes involve heat.”

disappear into a hole in the wall. They seemed

Phil’s excitement was growing by the mo-
to glance this way, and maybe even to make
ment. “How do you cool things afterward?

some sort of gesture in this direction; but it

And what do you do with the waste prod-
was too fleeting and Phil knew too little about
ucts?”

their body language to be sure. “I see,” he said

Sylvie seemed to have no trouble with those
after the bats had disappeared. “What sorts of
concepts. “Water is channeled down from the
things do they bring?”

mountains to where we need it. Waste prod-

Sylvie seemed about to answer, but then
ucts, both from making things and from our
just said, “This is getting confusing. Hard to
bodies, are fed back to other living things that
explain. And getting late.”

make them harmless and turn them back into

Then she shut up.

useful things.”

“I understand,” Phil said softly, though he

They have recycling, too! Phil thought. And didn’t. “Perhaps we can continue talking
ways of working with heat and bright light,
about it tomorrow?”

despite their aversion to daylight . . . This sug-

“No,” said Sylvie at once. “Tomorrow is our
gested so many lines of inquiry he’d like to
turn, to go to your place.”

pursue that he found himself thinking wistful-

“So it is.” He thought a moment and said
ly of how much he’d like to be able to hold
carefully, “You know, it might be better if you
branching conversations.

came in the daytime. You’d see more. That’s

He latched onto the branch that seemed
when we’re most active—”

closest to the biggest thing that had been

“No!” Sylvie’s response was even quicker
bothering him. “You say most of your food
and more emphatic. “Daytime is bad for us.

comes from the sea. So why are our windmills

Too much bright light. Danger.”

such a problem?”

Phil thought about pointing out that they’d

Sylvie fell silent for a long moment, as if she
already demonstrated that they had dark glass-
didn’t understand the question. Finally she
es and other means of coping with such
said, “The winged ones eat small creatures
things, but thought better of it. Sylvie and
that live in that area. Windmills dangerous to

Goldie were too upset now, though he didn’t
them as they seek food. Sometimes kill
understand why. Better to leave that for an-
them.”

other time and let them come to Breakaway

“But why is that so important to you?”

tomorrow night and see for themselves why

Again she seemed bewildered, possibly
daytime would be better.

even shocked, by the question. Phil began to

After a bit more awkward silence, Sylvie sig-
wonder if he’d blundered into forbidden and
naled the dragonhorse, and they started mov-
dangerous territory. “Winged ones are every-
ing again. But she volunteered little more
thing to us,” Sylvie said at last. “And we to
along the way, and none of the humans felt
them.”

comfortable enough to ask. The tour was over.

Which explained nothing. “So where are

Now they were just being escorted back to
they? There were many of them here the first
the exit.

night you brought me here. I’ve hardly seen

The trip passed mostly in silence, except for
any since then.”

the sounds of their carriage and occasional

“They mostly live elsewhere,” Sylvie said
muted sounds of life in Ottertown—including,
slowly. “Out where your windmills are. Come
occasionally, the ones that kept reminding
here only when necessary.”

Phil of engines.

“And why is it necessary?”

“They bring us things we can’t get for our-

XVIII.

selves here. Like—” She was growing visibly

“Well,” Hazel said as they took their seats in
agitated, and seemed to welcome the chance
the little conference room the next morning,

96

STANLEY SCHMIDT

SEPTEMBER 2015

“that certainly raised more questions than it
use plants and animals to extract metals from
answered.”

the ocean.”

“Yes,” Phil agreed, “though there were

“That’s a technology we might want to try
some intriguing answers, too. The biggest
to learn from them,” said Phil. “Humans did
question, of course, is what the connection is
somewhat similar things on Earth, under the
between the otters and the bats. It’s obviously
name ‘phytotechnology,’ but of course they
important to them, but we don’t understand
were using Earth-evolved organisms to
why and they don’t understand why we don’t process Earth’s resources. They probably
understand. Or they’re uncomfortable talking
wouldn’t work here even if we had them,
about it.”

which we don’t. But we sure could use the

“Quite,” said Hazel. She frowned pensively.

ability to do that.”

“We need help figuring this out. I think we’re

Dick frowned. “They extract metals, you
long overdue to get a biologist involved. How
say. What do they do with them?”

about Dick Sysler?”

“We have only an inkling,” said Hazel. “But

“Sounds good to me,” said Phil.

we know that they process them, using heat,

“I still don’t see why we’re bothering,” said
and they make and use metal tools.”

Corcovan, “but if it will help get this business

“And several times I’ve heard noises there
wrapped up, let’s do it.”

that sound like some sort of engine,” Phil

Nobody asked Calantha. Indispensable
added. “But I haven’t actually seen them. I
though she was to the progress they’d made
could be misinterpreting.”

so far, she was still more outsider than other-

“Okay,” Dick said as if summarizing for his
wise. If she objected, she said nothing.

own benefit. “They have agriculture and met-

So Hazel called Dick, and a few minutes lat-
allurgy, and not necessarily a sharp line be-
er, he came in and sat down, a small but solid-
tween them. What else?”

ly built man with thick black hair and eye-

“Transportation,” said Phil. “They have the
brows. “What’s up?” he asked.

wheel; I’ve ridden in at least two kinds of cart

“We’ve been inside the locals’ town,” Hazel
pulled by draft animals, on obviously con-
told him, “and gotten some tantalizing hints
structed roads. And they have artif icial light
about what goes on there. But there are some
sources, though I don’t know how they work
big points we don’t understand, and we sus-
and they use them very sparingly. They’re noc-
pect the answers run deep in the natives’ bio-
turnal and can’t stand bright light.”

logical background. So we need a biologist’s

Hazel added, “That seems to also be true of
perspective.”

the ones we call bats and they call ‘winged

“Well, I’ll be glad to try to provide one.

ones.’ The big question bothering us is: what

What have you learned so far?”

is the relationship between the otters and the

“A smattering,” said Phil. “It’s a sizable
bats?”

town, which we missed on the initial surveys

Phil said, “I’m no biologist, but I’m guess-
because it’s mostly hidden. We’ve known for
ing it’s a kind of symbiosis—but an oddly
quite a while that between the big tides and
long-distance kind, mostly. What apparently
past geological activity, the coast has a lot of
started the trouble with us was that the bats
rugged topography, shattered rocks, caves and
and the smaller f lyers they eat were being
canyons. This ‘town,’ if that’s the right word
killed or injured by our windmills. But the
for it, is built among those, tucked into caves
bats themselves have made no visible attempt
and tunnels and narrow canyons so that most
to tell us about their grievance. Only the ot-
of the contents aren’t obvious unless you get
ters did that.

right into them. And it goes right down to the

“When they first snatched me and took me
sea. In some places there are waves crashing
to their town, there were both bats and otters
on rocks just outside dwellings, and in others
present. And there were sculptures of both
there are marine marshes that they use as
around the entrance. But since that first time,
farms.”

I’ve hardly seen any bats at all, though the city

“But not just farms as we understand the
includes places apparently designed for them
term,” said Hazel. “They raise food, both ani-
to perch on. The population I’ve seen on our
mal and vegetable, but they’ve also learned to
subsequent visits is so uniformly otters that

NIGHT RIDE AND SUNRISE PART II OF IV

97

ANALOG

I’ve drifted into calling the place ‘Ottertown,’

half-baked and so far-fetched I don’t want to
for lack of a better name.”

talk about it yet. Before I can do much more,

“We probably ought to come up with a bet-

I need to see this place—and the folks who
ter one,” Dick mused. “But it sounds like we
live there—for myself. Do you think that can
don’t know enough to make a good choice
be arranged?”

yet.”

“Why don’t you come with us tonight?”

“Exactly,” said Phil. “Maybe after you get

Hazel suggested. “When I went last night,
your professional teeth into it, we will. Any-
they had to get a bigger cart to haul us around,
way, last night when Sylvie—that seems to be
and it had plenty of room for one more.”

our senior guide—told us about the farms, she

“Plenty of room, yes,” said Phil. “But we’d
said they get most of their food from the sea.

better clear it with Sylvie and Goldie first this That seemed to me to intensify the whole rid-time. It obviously bothered them when we
dle. I asked her flat out why they were so con-
took you along last night without asking them
cerned about our windmills if only the bats ate
f irst. I don’t think we dare repeat that mis-
the bugs around them. She said the bats were
take.”

everything to them, and vice versa. But the

“We don’t have to,” Hazel said. “They’re
question seemed to make her very uncomfort-
coming here tonight. Let’s just add Dick to the
able, and that was the end of last night’s tour.”

group that shows them around. They can

“Interesting,” said Dick, but instead of com-
hardly object to our picking our own team on
menting further, he changed the subject. “You
our own turf, and it will give them a chance to
refer to Sylvie as ‘she.’ Have you seen both
get to know Dick. Then maybe they’ll be more
males and females?”

comfortable letting him come along the next

The question caught Phil off guard. “I . . .

time we go over there.”

don’t know. It’s just that after talking to her a while, it seemed to me that she felt more fe-The otters’ f irst overt nighttime visit to
male than male.”

Breakaway was, as Phil expected, even less

“How about young?” Dick asked. “Have you
productive than the humans’ f irst inside Ot-
seen any evidence of how they reproduce or
tertown—at least initially. The visitors accept-
raise the next generation?”

ed their introduction to Dick with no obvious

Phil stared. “No. I mentioned that to Calan-
reaction, and as they walked around among
tha on our way back from our first visit inside
the quiet houses and equipment sheds, he
the city. Everybody we saw seemed to be not
said little to them, and they said little to him, only otters, but adults. Why do you ask that
though he was obviously watching them in-
now? It seems like kind of a non sequitur from
tently.

what we were talking about.”

Phil was less than comfortable with the low

“Maybe. But the most basic principles of a
level of interaction. He had hoped to see them
species’ behavior, at least on Earth, are deeply
getting comfortable enough with each other
tangled up with sex, assuming they have it.

that he could be conf ident of the outcome

And I don’t think they’d evolve this far with-
when he proposed bringing Dick along on
out it.” He gathered his big black eyebrows
their next visit to Ottertown. As it was, he had
into a thoughtful frown. “Okay, you want to
no feeling for how that was likely to go.

get back to what we were talking about. You

After an hour of wandering around seeing
say there seems to be some deep interdepen-
little except building exteriors, Goldie said,
dence between the otters and bats, yet they

“Don’t you people ever do anything?”

live mostly apart, in very different environ-

“Very little at night,” said Phil. “I tried to
ments, and eat completely different diets.

tell you that.” After weighing the risk he

Have I got that right?”

added, “Seems to me you should have

“Yes,” Phil answered almost automatically.

known. You’ve already been here at night.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Calantha

You’ve probably done more here at night than
suddenly frowning as if the question bothered
we have.” He stopped walking next to a dis-
her and even she wasn’t sure why.

integrated house that had not yet been re-

Dick was frowning too. “Interesting. I may
stored and waited to see if their guests would
have the beginnings of an idea, but it’s so
take the hint.

98

STANLEY SCHMIDT

SEPTEMBER 2015

After an awkward silence, Sylvie did, at least

“Impressive,” Dick said. “And I assure you,
indirectly. “I assume you refer to our early at-
it was scary. So why did you stop? Not that I’m
tempts to frighten you off. We regret those
complaining, mind you.”

now, but I suspect you can understand our

“It wasn’t working,” said Sylvie. “Groups
reasons. Try to imagine how your arrival
among us decided to try something else.

looked to us. You were something new and

Some suggested trying to talk to you. That
unfamiliar that appeared suddenly. Naturally
was even scarier for us, but we began plan-
we wondered what you were, where you
ning for it. Smith and others made the wind-
came from, how you might affect our way of
mill model and planned the demonstration,
life. With situations reversed, I guess you
but at first we weren’t sure how to get any of
would have been frightened too.

you to see it. When you, Phil, came outside at

“We did not just assume your coming was
night, as none of the others did since very ear-
bad for us, but we had to know. First we came
ly nights, we saw that as an opportunity. And
at night to look at what you had built here,
seized it.”

hopefully without your seeing us. Then the

“And me,” Phil said with a wry smile. “We
windmills made it clear that you were a dan-
appreciate your sharing this with us now. It
ger to us. We did not all agree on the best way
gives me hope. We want you to understand
to deal with that, but most did agree that the
us, too, but we have little else to show you at
simplest way would be to get you to leave. So
night. You really need to come back during
we tried that first. We hoped if we made you
the day.”

uncomfortable enough, you would simply go

“No, no!” Sylvie answered at once. “Day-
away and we could return to our lives as they
time dangerous. We must sleep during day!”

were.”

“We understand,” Phil said quietly. “We feel

“So you tried to scare us,” said Dick. “You
the same way about the night. Yet we have
did well. I would be interested in learning
been visiting you at night because that’s the
more about your methods. For example, how
time you’re most comfortable and active. We
did you do . . . this?” He kicked lightly at the
understand that to understand how you live,
rubble that had been a house. “Without leav-
we must see you when you’re doing what you
ing tracks?”

do—not just sleeping.”

“Leaving tracks would not have been good,”

“But bright light is dangerous for us! You said Sylvie. “With tracks, you would have seen
saw what your flashlight did to Daredevil—”

what was causing damage. That would fright-

“Only because she wasn’t wearing eye pro-
en less than if you couldn’t see cause. Un-
tection. And now that we know how it affects
known always scarier than known.”

you, we no longer use the flashlights. We rely

“Very true,” Dick said calmly. “But how did on special glasses that help us see better in
you do it? I have to admire someone who can
weak light. And we know that you have ways
do something that puzzles me. It makes me
of protecting your eyes. You all wore them
want to understand.”

that f irst night, when you showed me your

Sylvie made a distinctive little chitter that re-
model of what you wanted us to do to our
minded Phil of a chuckle. “I’m like that, too.

windmills.”

Can’t tell you details, but try to give general

“True,” said Goldie, “because we knew you
idea. If we wanted you to think mysterious
needed more light than we like and we made
forces were destroying your buildings, we
some for your benefit. But the light we made
couldn’t just walk up and smash them. But we
for you was nowhere near as bright as daytime
control groups of tiny creatures that do much
sun.”

of our work for us. They did this.”

Phil could see how agitated they both were,

Phil saw Dick’s eyes light up, though the bi-
but he didn’t back off. “But you have stronger
ologist was apparently trying not to be too ob-
eye protection that you can use, don’t you?

vious about it. To Phil, Sylvie’s description

What do your craft makers do when they must
would have sounded suspiciously like nan-
use high heat to work metals? I know that
otechnology, except that he remembered his
process makes bright light. I’ve seen it
brief impression of the ground seething at his
through closed doors on our rides through
feet the night he was abducted.

your town. How do ones like Smith stand it?”

NIGHT RIDE AND SUNRISE PART II OF IV

99

ANALOG

Goldie’s ears quivered in a way that made

“I’m not sure,” said Phil. “Most of them

Phil think of a human shuddering. “They are
have had little or no direct contact with us.

specialists,” Sylvie said. “They have long train-

But despite seeing us and the windmills as a
ing to work with dangerous tools and materi-
big issue, most of them seem fairly indifferent
als. Their equipment is not for ordinary folk
to us as individuals. They’re startlingly quick
like us.”

to take radically new things in stride.”

“You’re not ordinary,” Phil said softly, look-

When they plunged into the inner tunnels
ing directly at her and then at Goldie. “You’re
and canyons, Dick was just as fascinated with
quite special. You could learn to use the pro-
the new things he was seeing, but for his hu-
tections that your craft makers use, and we’ll
man colleagues it was largely just a recap of
see to it that you’re not exposed to dangers
what they’d already seen: dark tunnels alter-
like they face. If you do, you’ll learn far more
nating with minimally open canyons; side
about us than if you only come when we’re
chambers, some open and some closed, in
not doing anything. Won’t you at least think
which otters lived or went about largely un-
about it?”

known activities; apparent workshops with

After a long hesitation, Sylvie and Goldie
tantalizing glimpses of light much brighter
said in apparent unison, “We’ll think about it.”

than the otters normally tolerated.

And Sylvie added, “But we can promise no

The highlight was a farm, which they saw
more.”

much more intimately this time. Previously

“Excellent!” said Phil. “That’s all I ask, for

Phil’s closest look at one had been from a wag-
now. And now, there’s one more thing . . .”

on on a shelf like road many meters above it.

Now their ride turned off and followed a slant-

XIX.

ing spur down to what appeared to be the

After Phil’s obviously disquieting request
high-water mark—and stopped.

that the otters visit Breakaway in daylight, his

“We’ll walk from here,” Sylvie told them,
asking to include Dick in their next visit to Ot-
and they followed her down a steep path of
tertown must have seemed refreshingly non-
rounded rocks and mud. When Phil saw what
threatening. He explained that Dick had spe-
was at the end, he felt a brief twinge of the
cial knowledge that would help the humans
same apprehension he’d felt when Hazel and
better understand what they were shown and

Luk had first led him down a ramshackle ramp
thereby speed the process of finding common
to a bobbing human-built boat. But what wait-
ground. Sylvie, who increasingly seemed the
ed here was not human-made.

senior partner of the pair, accepted that with-

Phil’s first impulse was to call it more a raft
out serious complaint—though she did say the
than a boat. Nearly flat and rectangular, it rode humans would have to stop bringing a new
low in the water, with a broad level deck and
person along every time they came to visit.

some sort of well—for cargo?—in the middle.

Dick, when he first got to Ottertown, was

Alongside it, strapped to it with elaborate har-
like an old-time kid in a candy store. He stared
nesses, f loated six otters, all facing what he
with unabashed fascination at every detail of
presumed was the bow. Two more otters
the carriage that took him and his colleagues
lounged on the deck, watching their approach
through the Way In and the huge six-legged
but not moving. They left plenty of empty
beast that pulled it. When they got to the
deck space, so Phil was only slightly shocked
town square, he marveled at the sculptures of
when Sylvie said, “Climb aboard. We’ll show
otters and bats on the cliff faces above the en-
you around.”

trances. A lone bat swooped overhead as the

His first experience with a boat must have
wagon passed through, and another perched
done something for him. He was surprised at
on the head of one of the sculptures. But they
how calmly he waded through knee-deep wa-
were far outnumbered by the otters unhur-
ter and joined the others in sitting haphazardly
riedly crisscrossing the square.

on the plank deck, even though it bobbed and

Who hardly seemed to notice the humans
rode a little lower with each person (or otter)

in the cart. “Odd,” Dick remarked to Phil,
who came aboard. Sylvie chattered a signal,

Hazel, and Calantha. “Are they really this used
and they headed out toward open sea, pow-
to us already?”

ered by the six harnessed otters.

100

STANLEY SCHMIDT

SEPTEMBER 2015

But they weren’t just paddling with any or
engine-like sounds, “concentrates one of the
all of their appendages. Each was turning
metals we use.” Not surprisingly, the transla-
small cranks with his or her front four hands,
tor couldn’t yet say which one, but Phil
and a glance aft showed a partly submerged
guessed the most likely candidates were iron
paddlewheel turning.

and copper. “Naturally we can’t use the metal

So they have gears and such, too, Phil
until we extract it from the plants, and obvi-
thought, paying no heed to the spray that oc-
ously we can’t do that here.”

casionally splashed over him, or the mingled

They rounded a rocky headland—the kind
smells of otters and sea water. Once, he
against which waves crashed violently else-
glanced up and marveled at the tapestry of
where, but here protected by the tempering
stars on black velvet overhead. Selena was
effect of the marshes—and all the humans
well into her waning phases and hadn’t risen
gasped at once as the engine sound grew
yet, so the stars dominated the sky—including
louder. It was an engine, evidently steam-a Milky Way that looked comfortingly like that
powered but with its driving f ire hidden by
seen from Earth except for being at the wrong
an opaque combustion chamber, mounted
angle and having new (but now familiar) con-
high on a cliff and driving a conveyor belt
stellations in and around it.

looping continuously between stations above

The stars alone weren’t enough to illumi-
and below the high-tide line. Its chugging
nate the landscape for humans, but with
sounds were louder here, and Phil could
nightglasses, they could see not only the
smell exhaust fumes and see small clouds
marsh and “kelp” beds, but jagged cliffs with
around the machine.

big waves crashing around them not far away.

Swimming otters and boats periodically

Here and there the cliffs were dotted with
pulled up to the lower station and dumped
openings, some of them glowing faintly from
stuff they’d been collecting into buckets on
light sources inside. Seeing the violence of the
the conveyor. Other otters, up near the
waves made Phil glad that the vegetation
clifftop engine, took things out of the moving
through which they were riding dissipated a
buckets as they arrived and distributed them
lot of their energy here.

into other bins nearby.

There was quite a network of channels,

“I’m especially proud of this,” said Sylvie.

presumably made by the otters. Sometimes

“Goldie and I played roles in developing it. Ma-
they were barely wide enough to let this boat
chine at top burns dry stuff, heat boils water,
pass without brushing, but often the channel
hot steam drives piston, rotates wheel to
widened, and they passed other boats of sim-
move belt. Makes easy way to move raw mate-
ilar design. Some of them bobbed on anchor
rial from shore up to where we can make it
lines while otters swam to and from them,
useful. Including extracting metal and distrib-
going deep into the vegetation and some-
uting food to folk.”

times coming back with buckets or baskets

“I’m impressed,” Phil said, which was not
of stuff that they dumped onto the deck or
only honest but an understatement. In a dizzy-
into the central well, and then went back for
ingly short time, he’d learned that they had
more.

not only wheels, gears, and metal ref ining,

Sylvie and Goldie seemed to know a lot of
but also steam engines. Evidently they hadn’t
the workers and pointed out some of what
developed them in the order humans had, and
they were seeing. There appeared to be patch-
they hadn’t put all the pieces together in ways
es of two kinds of vegetation, resembling tall
that seemed obvious in human hindsight, but
grass and kelp, but apparently there were
the fact that they had them at all made his
many more, differing in ways not obvious to
mind spin.

him. Sylvie and Goldie explained that this one

And made him wonder what else they
was good to eat, that one was good to eat in a
might have. “May I ask a question?”

different way, another was good mainly as

“Of course.”

habitat for particular kinds of edible creatures,

“When you boil water, doesn’t the salt left
and so on.

behind clog up your engine”—he wondered

“This one,” she said eventually, just as Phil
how the translator would handle that—“and
was beginning to notice another of those
ruin it? Make it stop working?”

NIGHT RIDE AND SUNRISE PART II OF IV

101

ANALOG

“It would,” said Goldie, “if we used ocean
eye protection we can do it. But the prospect
water. So we don’t. We use fresh clear water
is daunting. We will need time to prepare.”

in streams from high in mountains.”

“Understandable,” said Hazel. “And we

“Of course,” Phil said numbly.

could use the time to catch up on sleep. We

The steam engine and the conveyor system
enjoy visiting with you and learning from you,
it powered were the climax of tonight’s tour,
but it’s intense. Doing it every day and night is and Phil suspected Sylvie was enough of a
wearying. How about this? We’ll take tomor-
showman to have planned it that way. She
row and tomorrow night off. But the next day,
showed them more details after the boat took
you come to see our town in the morning.

them back to the wagon and they completed

Agreed?”

a loop back to their starting point, but after

Sylvie seemed to hesitate, but f inally she
that they were just details. The big impression
said, “Agreed.”

had been made, and very effectively.

As the wagon carried them back out

On the f light back to Breakaway, Phil
through the Way In, after a brief stop to intro-
looked at Dick and asked, “Well?”

duce Hazel and Dick to Daredevil, Hazel said,

“Most interesting,” said Dick. “There’s cer-

“Thanks ever so much for the tour, Sylvie and
tainly a lot more to them than I would have

Goldie. This has been most enlightening, and
guessed even a day ago. But I still don’t under-

I’m truly impressed by what you’ve done
stand how it all fits together. I’ve seen a bunch here.” She paused slightly. “So will you come
of fascinating puzzle pieces, but something is
to our town during the day tomorrow? We’d
still missing, and I still think reproduction is
like to try to impress you, too, but I’m afraid
key to it. Why didn’t we see any little ones?

we don’t do much impressive at night.”

“It’s likely to be a delicate matter, but some-

Sylvie flinched, but only slightly this time. “I
how we have to find a way to bring it up.” ■
fear you are right,” she said. “We do need to
visit you when you are most active, and with

To be continued . . .

102

STANLEY SCHMIDT

THE REFERENCE LIBRARY Don Sakers cience fiction is frequently associated
social SF—but even works like The War of the
with the physical sciences and related

Worlds (1898) and The First Men in the Moon disciplines: chemistry, physics, astron-

(1901) rely on anthropology in depicting alien

Somy,biology,engineering,and the cultures.

ever-popular “rocket science.” Yet we all

During the pulp era, when adventure and
know that SF draws just as much from the so-
technology dominated, it wasn’t unusual to
cial sciences: psychology, sociology, eco-
see some measure of amateur anthropology
nomics, anthropology, and the like.

or social commentary: authors as varied as

The exact balance between physical

Leigh Brackett, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ray

(“hard”) and social (“soft”) science varies

Cummings, Edmund Hamilton, and E. E.

with each work. Most SF contains elements

“Doc” Smith portrayed alien societies signifi-
of both, but you’ll certainly see books and
cantly different from our own.

stories that are predominantly one or the oth-

We tend to think of the Campbell era of
er. We tend to refer to these ends of the spec-
the mid-1930s to late 1940s as a heyday of
trum as “hard SF” and “social SF.”

hard SF; it’s hard to remember that one of

We usually associate social SF with the

John W. Campbell, Jr.’s aims was to bring

1950s and ’60s—with magazines like Galaxy
more humanity into science fiction. In fact, it
and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science
was the quintessential Campbell writer, Isaac

Fiction, and authors such as Alfred Bester, Asimov, who coined the term “social science

Avram Davidson, Damon Knight, C. M. Korn-
fiction.” The great Campbell-era writers (Asi-
bluth, Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore, Anne
mov, L. Sprague deCamp, Lester del Rey,

McCaffrey, Frederick Pohl, Cordwainer

Robert A. Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, Murray

Smith, Margaret St. Clair, and Theodore Stur-

Leinster, Clifford D. Simak, A. E. van Vogt,
geon. However, the type has a much longer

Jack Williamson, and many others) brought
pedigree; in fact, it predates the emergence
themes and elements from all of the social
of SF as a recognized literary category.

sciences into their work, setting the shape of

Books about utopias and dystopias, which
the SF genre even today. Perhaps the best ex-
have been around since Thomas More start-
ample is Asimov’s Foundation series, based
ed the craze with Utopia in 1516, definitely almost exclusively on ideas from sociology,
have to count as social SF. Other books that
psychology, and history.

used societies to comment on the contempo-

The Campbell era paved the way for the
rary world included Gulliver’s Travels by aforementioned Galaxy/F&SF era of the Jonathan Swift (1726), Samuel Butler’s

1950s. (Actually, it’s more complicated: Au-

Erewhon (1872), and Looking Backward by thors like Knight, Kornbluth, Pohl, and Stur-Edward Bellamy (1888).

geon had been producing work all during the

While Jules Verne was a practitioner of what

Campbell era, while Campbell authors like
we’d now call hard SF, H. G. Wells was all

Asimov and Leinster were also counted
about the social sciences. The Time Machine
among the Galaxy/F&SF crowd. In truth, it (1895), The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), was a transition period.)

When The Sleeper Wakes (1899), and “The

Following in the steps of those authors, the

Country of the Blind” (1904) are undeniably

New Wave of the 1960s brought a generation

103

ANALOG
of writers whose primary concern was the so-
complicates diplomatic relations with
cial sciences. Authors such as Brian Aldiss, J.

Orem—so the government decides that a

G. Ballard, John Brunner, Thomas M. Disch,
century-long exile is the better part of valor.

Harlan Ellison, Philip Jose Farmer, Frank Her-

It’s Sara’s job to make sure Thora doesn’t get
bert, Ursula K. LeGuin, Michael Moorcock,
into any more trouble.

Joanna Russ, and James Tiptree, Jr. brought

Although it takes 58 years to get to the
new literary techniques and different aesthet-
new planet, to Sara and the rest of the crew
ics to SF, and they also tipped the scales even
the journey is almost instantaneous. Sara and
further in the direction of the social sciences.

the other scientists and explorers are a spe-

Two successive expansions of the SF field
cial type known as Wasters—they leapfrog

(the late 1960s Star Trek explosion, and the through time, with no fixed era and no real
late ’70s/early ’80s Star Wars boom) meant homes beyond the ships in which they serve.

that no single fashion would ever again cover

In the course of a lifetime, the Wasters be-
all of science fiction. Hard SF and social SF,
come family to one another.

which had appeared to be opponents, em-

The planet Iris is dark and mysterious, a
braced each other and made the field
crystalline globe partly composed of dark
stronger and more diverse. I like to think
matter. Although Iris is habitable, advance
we’ve moved beyond objections like “Ick,
probes showed no sign of civilization or in-
you got sociology in my microchips” or
telligent inhabitants. The crew settles down

“Eww, you got a rocketship in my matri-
to study the world, while Sara studies Thora
archy,” to agree that good SF has plenty of
and the crew.

room for technology and humanity.

Then a grisly murder stuns the crew . . .

All of which sets the stage for this month’s
and shortly afterward, Thora goes missing.

crop of books.

Exploration teams discover that Iris is, in-
deed, inhabited. The natives are blind, and

Dark Orbit
they navigate with a type of psionic percep-

Carolyn Ives Gilman
tion. Sara dives into the effort to decipher

Tor, 304 pages, $25.99 (hardcover)

their strange language, understand their cul-
iBooks, Kindle, Nook: $12.99 (ebook)

ture, and—if possible—to find Thora.

ISBN: 978-0-7653-3629-3

Meanwhile, Thora is lost among the na-

Series: Twenty Planets
tives in the crystalline substructure of the

Genres: Psionics, Psychological/Socio-
world. As she struggles to gain control of her
logical SF
own psionic perceptions, the same forces
that caused her earlier breakdown, she learns

Sara Callicot is an exoethnologist; she stud-
of a danger that threatens the whole expedi-
ies and compares alien cultures for the hu-
tion.

man-settled Twenty Planets. Unfortunately,

When Thora is reunited with the crew, her
her last assignment went awry; due to paper-
warnings sound like insane ravings. Sara has
work errors, she’s accused of cultural appro-
to help her understand and communicate be-
priation and dismissed from her job. With no
fore time runs out.

other choice, she signs on with an expedi-

With not one but two unusual and fascinat-
tion to a newly discovered planet 58
ing cultures (the Wasters and the natives),
lightyears away by relativistic travel. By the
there’s plenty of social SF meat here. Both
time she returns, more than a century from

Sara and Thora are appealing rogues, in com-
now, her slate will be clean.

pletely different ways; the parallelism be-

Sara’s charged with keeping tabs on a
tween the two women is a big part of the ex-
crewmate, Thora Lassiter. Thora, a member
perience of this book.

of the ruling class, suffered a mental break-

Dark Orbit is set in the same Twenty Plan-down during a diplomatic visit to the planet
ets universe as Gilman’s 2010 novel Halfway

Orem; her involvement with a revolutionary

Human. Comparisons to Ursula K. LeGuin
sect prompted a rebellion against authori-
are inevitable (and not unwarranted), but
ties. Even though the situation was stabilized

Dark Orbit has a strong thread of thriller-like and Thora cured, her continued presence
suspense that keeps one turning the pages. I

104

DON SAKERS

SEPTEMBER 2015
think a more apt comparison is to the work
with genuine wit. SF has seen many con
of James Tiptree, Jr.

artists; Darger and Surplus are a supreme ex-
ample.

Chasing the Phoenix

Here’s to more adventures for the pair.

Michael Swanwick

Tor, 304 pages, $26.99 (hardcover)

Romance on Four Worlds: A Casanova
iBooks, Kindle, Nook: $12.99 (ebook)

Quartet

ISBN: 978-0-7653-8090-6

Tom Purdom

Series: Darger and Surplus 2

Fantastic Books, 150 pages, $12.99 (trade

Genres: Adventure SF, Anthropomor-
paperback)

phic, Far-Future

ISBN: 978-1-627855-635-4

Genres: Short Fiction

Michael Swanwick’s Hugo-winning story

“The Dog Said Bow-Wow, ” published in

Tom Purdom’s been around since the late

2001, introduced a pair of rascals called

1950s, with five novels and innumerable

Darger and Surplus. The pair appeared in
short stories to his credit. His work has been
other stories, and in 2011 starred in Swan-
nominated for multiple awards, and his sto-
wick’s Dancing with Bears.

ries have frequently appeared in various

Darger is a human and Surplus a genetical-

“Best of the Year” anthologies. Last year I re-
ly enhanced humanoid dog. Together, they
viewed his short story collection Lovers & travel a far-future, post-technological Earth in

Fighters, Starships & Dragons. Now he’s a never-ending quest for power and riches,
back with a delightful little book chronicling
preferably with minimal expenditure of ener-
the travels of a future Casanova.

gy.

The histor ical Giacomo Casanova

You don’t need to be familiar with earlier

(1725–1798) traveled the length and breadth

Darger and Surplus stories to enjoy Chasing
of Europe and wrote extensive memoirs de-
the Phoenix . . . although when you finish tailing his adventures. Along the way, in addi-you’ll almost certainly want more.

tion to many adventures, he conducted 120

As the story starts, Surplus arrives in a
love affairs and entered the language as a syn-
small Chinese town with a yak and the
onym for playboy.

corpse of his friend Darger. Along to way,

Joseph Louis Baske travels through the Solar

Surplus acquired a Mongolian shaman’s

System following a similar trajectory. In four
robes, all the better to impress the villagers.

tales, all originally published in our sister mag-Surplus is on a quest to find the Infallible
azine Asimov’s Science Fiction, Baske visits Physician, a rumored healer who might have
the Moon, Mercury, Phobos, and the Kuiper
the power to resurrect Darger. Sure enough,

Belt in search of adventure and romance. And
it’s not long before Darger is back on his feet,
sure enough, he finds plenty of both.

and the two start hatching schemes.

These are classic picaresque tales, modern

Pretending to have limited divine powers,
comedies of manners in which Baske gets
they make the acquaintance of a local war-
himself into and out of trouble in the most
lord who dreams of conquering all of China.

amusing ways. That the characters are engag-

Just as the scheme starts to bear fruit, oppo-
ing and believable goes without saying—Pur-
sition emerges from an unexpected source,
dom writes great people—but the four soci-
endangering everything Darger and Surplus
eties depicted are also a lot of fun.

have worked for.

In the hands of a lesser writer, this sort of

Distant Seas
thing could easily collapse into absurdity.

Bud Sparhawk

Michael Swanwick, multiple Hugo and Nebu-

Fantastic Books, 216 pages, $13.99 (trade
la Award winner, is a masterful guide to the
paperback)

bizarre and hilarious adventures of Darger

ISBN: 978-1-627855-633-0
and Surplus. He keeps all the elements mov-

Genres: Adventure SF, Undersea/On the
ing, suspending disbelief like a talented jug-

Sea
gler. Not simply funny, this book sparkles

* * *

THE REFERENCE LIBRARY

105

ANALOG

Bud Sparhawk is no stranger to these

Lately Smale’s been working on alternate his-
pages; he drops in with a delightful piece of
tory. His novella “A Clash of Eagles” won the
short fiction every few months. Now he’s

2010 Sidewise Award for Alternate History.

produced a novel that expands some of those

Clash of Eagles is the first in a trilogy set in the stories.

same universe as that award-winning story.

Longtime reader s may
remember

It’s the year that we’d call 1218 C.E. The

Sparhawk’s “Primrose and Thorn” (May

Roman Empire, which never fell, is always

1996) and “Primrose Rescue” (May 1997); a
hungry for land and gold . . . and the newly
pair of stories about sailing ships on Jupiter.

discovered continent of Nova Hesperia has

Those stories form the core of Distant Seas.

plenty of both. The emperor dispatches Prae-

Louella Parsons is a professional, world-
tor Gaius Marcellinus in command of the thir-
class sailor at the end of the twenty-second
ty-third Legion to the new world.

century. We meet her as she’s competing in

At first it’s easy going, as the Romans face

La Gran Venee, the premier race around the and subdue lightly armed natives. But on the

Earth. Surviving near disaster in Antarctic wa-
shores of a great river, Marcellinus and his
ters, Louella goes on to a far more dangerous
men meet a force whose weapons and tactics
venue: the seas of Jupiter.

are superior. In the resulting massacre, Mar-

Then, as if sailing the largest planet in the
cellinus is the only survivor.

Solar System isn’t enough, Louella competes

His captors, keeping him alive for his mili-
in a race across the frigid plains of inhos-
tary knowledge, take Marcellinus to the forti-
pitable Mars.

fied city-state of Cahokia. As time passes,

Sparhawk’s descriptions of future sailing
these proud people adopt Marcellinus, and he
technology are ingenious and persuasive;
makes friends and allies, finding much to ad-
he’s obviously done a lot of physical-science
mire about the Cahokians and their culture.

work on techniques necessary for sailing in

But the world doesn’t stand still. Besides
outrageous environments. Yet his depiction
the Romans, there are other enemies out
of Louella herself is what shines brightest. In-
there: Cherokee, Tvscarora, Powhatani, and
telligent, strong-willed, driven, and heroic—
especially Iroqva. In a continent lurching to-

Louella Parsons has all the qualities she needs
ward war, can one Roman keep the peace?

to triumph over the many obstacles in her

In the alternate history genre, the Rome-
path. It’s a delight to accompany her on her
never-fell story has a long . . . er . . . history.

adventures.

But Smale’s take on this familiar premise is

An earlier version of Distant Seas was pub-fresh and intriguing. The worldbuilding is
lished in an early ebook format in 2010.

stunning; in terms of a detailed alternate
world imagined in depth, I was reminded of

Clash of Eagles

Harry Harrison’s classic Eden trilogy. The

Alan Smale
best alternate history—like the best science

Del Rey, 432 pages, $27.00 (hardcover)

fiction, fantasy, or historical fiction—makes

Kindle: $11.84, iBooks, Nook: $13.99
the reader believe that he or she has been vis-

(ebook)

iting a real place rather than an imagined

ISBN: 978-0-8041-7722-1
world. Clash of Eagles has that quality.

Series: Clash of Eagles 1

Visit Smale’s world. You won’t regret it.

Genres: Alternate History

And now, I don’t need psychology, sociol-
ogy, or even anthropology to tell me that my

Alan Smale is one of those Renaissance
space is up. Until next time, enjoy reading. ■
men who make the rest of us look positively
lazy. An astrophysicist and data archive man-
ager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center,

Don Sakers is the author of Children of the
he writes science fiction and fantasy, and

Eighth Day and Meat and Machine. For he’s business manager for the vocal band The
more information, visit www.scattered-

Chromatics.

worlds.com.

106

DON SAKERS

BRASS TACKS
ear Editor Quachri,

Dear Sir,

This is my annual letter to Analog.

Being a pharmacist, I am somewhat detail-

If your objective was to expand the
oriented. Therefore, as I was reading “Tasha’s

Dvarietyof stories published in Analog Fail-Safe”when I got to page 17 I see “one while retaining the basic character of the
pod of trusted intelligence analysts: three
magazine, you have succeeded. I am willing
men, two women, one neuter” . . . and then
to put up with a handful of stories I did not

“. . . cleared the neuter, one of the men, and
finish reading for the long-term health and
one of the women. But isolating the actual
viability of the magazine.

culprit out of the two who remained . . .”

On the plus side, “The Homecoming” by

So if there were six suspects and three

J. T. Sharrah [June, 2014], not only the best
were cleared—what happened to the fourth
story in Analog but the best SF story I have if only two suspects remained?

read all year. Also “The Crimson Sky” by

Great story though!

Choi [July/August, 2014]—If I had the pick

Les Hanson
one stor y this year that represented the

Mukilteo, WA

Geist of Analog, I would pick this one “Opportunity Knocks” by Schmidt & Schmidt

The author responds . . .

[October, 2014] and “Plastic Thingy” by Nie-

“I could, of course, work out some complex
mann-Ross [September, 2014], two funny
far-future in-continuity explanation that com-
stories that were actually funny. Let us just
pletely explained away the damn thing in some
say your sense of humor as an editor is much
way that added layers of additional meaning to
closer to mine than Dr. Schmidt’s is.

the story. But the unalloyed truth is that I fol-

On the negative side, “Beneath the Ice of
lowed in the venerable footsteps of Daniel De-

Enceladus,” by Glass [September, 2014] was
foe, who allowed that noted marsupial Robin-
very well written and plotted, but the female
son Crusoe to fill his pockets while naked, and
scientist (“on the edge of tears the entire

William Golding, who allowed the castaway
time,” “She came close to crying”) spoiled it
boys to start fires with a pair of spectacles that for me. As a female scientist myself, I can as-according to the prescription wouldn’t concen-
sure you that no scientist, male or female,
trate sunlight, and screwed up—missing a ref-
would advance in their field if they could
erence that should have been fixed, when I
not keep a firm grip on their emotions in the
changed the number of suspects I had in a prior
workplace, regardless of the situation.

draft. I’m happy it didn’t ruin your enjoyment

“The Oracle of Boca Raton” was so full of
of the tale.”

expletives I could not finish it. I can live

—Adam-Troy Castro
with an occasional expletive, but this to me
is very unskilled, lazy writing. I loved the ad-Hi Mr. Quachri,
dition of cartoons and poetry. Perhaps you

Congratulations on another outstanding is-
could add the poetry to next year’s AnLab
sue.

voting?

I always look forward to contributions from

Keep up the great work.

Richard Lovett: his fiction always has an inter-

Dr. Rebekah Memel Brown
esting way about it and is never predictable,
and his nonfiction is always well written and in-

As you’ve likely already seen last issue
teresting. If his work is in an issue, I will turn to (pgs. 7–8), we will indeed be adding poetry
it first.

as a category to our AnLab ballot.

I also enjoy the book reviews, and would like

* * *
to add a couple of items of interest to Mr. Sak-

108

SEPTEMBER 2015
ers’s essay at the start of his column. First, the own writings about the old EP&SW and the

Asimov/Greenberg series from DAW was also
copper industry.

reprinted in hard cover by Bonanza as The Gold-

Vernon J. Glover
en Years of Science Fiction, in six volumes, each Rio Rancho, NM
with the contents of two paperbacks, covering
the first 12 paperback volumes. Second, at the

Hi,
same time Ballantine put out its Best of series,

I have just finished reading the April 2015

Pocket books did the same for about six au-
edition; my son has subscribed me for a year
thors. Fourteen of the Ballantine / Pocket books
and I am thoroughly enjoying it.

Best of anthologies were published in hard cov-

“The Eighth Iteration,” “Daily Teds,” “Trans-
er by the Science Fiction Book Club.

fer Point,” “Dancing in the Dark”—all good, in-

Cary Ballew-Renfro
teresting SF with some good imagination. I will

Salem, OR
be looking for these authors in the future. Last
purchased new copy of Analog was 1970

Dear Dr. Schmidt:

when I married, moved, and forgot you. Well,

Your article “Hiding the Info-Dump” in the
you are back on the radar. I will renew my sub-
current magazine can usefully be applied to
scription at the end of the year.

other forms of writing as well as SF. I was

A. Farenden
amused at how much of its advice applies to

England
my current efforts on the history of the early
twentieth-century El Paso & Southwestern Rail-Mr. Quachri,
way in Arizona and New Mexico. After amuse-

I’m sure hundreds of people have already
ment faded I scanned your text and placed it in
pointed out that the numbering system Mr. Var-
my Publications folder along with the author’s
ja describes [in “Zen Angel,” May 2015] is Octal
guide from UNM Press and similar items.

not Hexadecimal—in Hex 17 is 11. Sorry to be

Even with well-established historical tech-
a quibbler as I enjoyed the story as a whole a
nologies, readers who are expert in one, say
lot—as a matter of fact I’m glad to say, if any-
steam locomotives, are laymen in others such
thing, the stories have gotten better since the
as mining, smelting, or New Mexico politics.

leaving of Dr. Schmidt (which I worried was go-

Sometimes a writer can describe the functions
ing to be my favorite magazine’s demise—just
of the technology without telling how it oper-
like when John Campbell left).

ates, a “black-box” approach.

Ron Miller

Your article is a good read the first time and

Colorado Springs, CO ■
even more interesting later as I reflect on my

BRASS TACKS

109

UPCOMING EVENTS Anthony Lewis NOTE: Membership rates and other details

(11–16) $20/$20; Child (6–10) $8/$8. Info:

often change after we have gone to press. In
http://www.archonstl.org/.

addition, most conventions have age-based
membership rates in advance and at the door.

2–4 October 2015

There also may be rates for single days. Check

VCON 40 (Vancouver, BC area SF conference)

the websites for the most recent information.

at Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel, Rich-
mond, BC. Author Guest of Honor: Joe Halde-
man; Game Design Guest of Honor: Ed Green-

28–30 August 2015
wood; Artist Guest of Honor: Rick Sternbach;

BUBONICON 47 (Albuquerque area SF confer-

Editor Guest of Honor: Eric Choi; Fan Guest of
ence) at Albuquerque Marriott Uptown, Albu-

Honor: Steve Forty; MC: Spider Robinson.

querque NM. Theme: Women of Wonder.

Memberships until 15 September 2015: Adult

Guests of Honor: Tamora Pierce & Catherynne

CAD40; Student/Senior (65+) CAD30; Youth

M. Valente; TM: Mar y Robinette Kowal;

(7–18) CAD20. Info: http://www.vcon.ca/

Guest Artist: Ruth Sanderson. Info:

http://bubonicon.com/; Bubonicon Inc, 933

17–21 August 2016

San Mateo Blvd NE, Suite 500-208, Albu-

MIDAMERICON 2 (74th World Science Fic-
querque, NM 87108.

tion Convention) at Kansas City Convention

Center and Bartle Hall, Kansas City, MO.

25–27 September 2015

Guests of Honor: Kinuko Y. Kraft, Patrick and

FENCON XII (Dallas area SF conference) at

Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Tamora Pierce,

Westin Dallas Fort Worth Airport, Irving, TX.

Michael Swanwick. TM: Pat Cadigan. Mem-

Guest of Honor: S. M. Stirling; Music Guest of
bership: currently. Attending: Adult $150,

Honor: Tricky Pixie; Fen Guest of Honor:

Young Adult (up to 25) $90, child (5-15) $60;

Tadao Tomomatsu; Artist Guest of Honor:

$50 supporting. This is the SF universe’s an-

Mitch Bentley; Science Guest of Honor: Dr.

nual get-together. Professionals and readers

Peggy Boston. Membership: see website. Info:

from all over the world will be in attendance.

http://www.fencon.org/; FenCon, PO Box

Talks, panels, films, fancy dress competi-

701448, Dallas, TX 75370-1448.

tion—the works. Nominate and vote for the

Hugos. Info: http://midamericon2.org/;

2–4 October 2015
info@midamericon2.org.

ARCHON 39 (St. Louis MO area SF confer-
ence) at Gateway Convention Center and

Doubletree by Hilton Collinsville, IL. Guest
of Honor: Jacqueline Carey; Artist Guest
of Honor: Brent Chumley; Filk Guest of Hon-

Attending a convention? When calling
or: Tricky Pixie; Media Guest of Honor: RJ
conventions for information, do not call

Haddy; Science Guest of Honor: Jordin T.

collect and do not call too late in the

Kare; TM: Esther Friesner; Masquerade MC:

evening. It is best to include a S.A.S.E. when Victor Milán. Member ships: Advance requesting information; include an Interna-rates good until 31 July 2015/at the door.

tional Reply Coupon if the convention is in

Adult $55/$70; YA (17–20) $30/$30; Youth
a different country.

110

ANTHONY LEWIS

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