The third M-5 world was not yet dead but in such ecological imbalance that only immediate action could reverse the process. I have the right-ordinates and I suggest that an expedition be mounted – joint if that is politically sound – to save what could be a habitable world.
Hivers were there, two small buildings remained but in ruins. The fourth world is being colonized by Hivers.
Was that probe seen?
Negative.
Thank you, Kincaid. You’ve done more than you were required and we very much appreciate your efforts. Prime Laria, you are to be certain this man is completely recovered before he is required to take his position in the Tower.
You can count on me, Earth Prime.
I know I can, dear child. Now both of you get back to your beds.
Especially you, Kincaid.
Laria, still merged with Kincaid, felt him starting to reach out with another sentence and deftly, and as painlessly as possible for even the merge had caused his mind distress, eased away `You heard my grandfather. Enough is enough.
Kincaid had swung himself sideways on the couch, burying his head in his hands, body sagging.
`Glutton for punishment, aren’t you?’ she said, a trifle annoyed with such dedication even as every ounce of her heritage approved it.
`You realize how important the messages are.
`Yes, indeed. But, now, my friend and she paused just long enough to cause him to make eye contact at her use of the word. She smiled down into his tired eyes. Friend Kincaid dano of Altair, you’re going to sleep yourself out.’ Then, without asking, she gently `ported this long man friend back to the bed in his quarters, amused at her maternal attitude but keeping that amusement well screened. He made neither protest nor resistance to such manipulation. Too exhausted to, she thought. When she passed his room on her way back to her own, she `peeked’ in. He had turned on his left side, cradling his head on one am. She flipped the light cover over him.
Dawn brought a cool breeze no matter how hot the night had been or the day would be. She didn’t want him coming down with a ridiculously humanoid cold.
Kincaid roused late the next evening and was instantly served a nourishing meal which Laria and Lionasha had spent some time concocting.
Thanks whoct’erse’it thk, he said when he had finished every scrap on the tray. He was asleep again before anyone working in the Tower could respond.
Whatever did they do to the poor guy?’ Lionasha asked.
`More than a T-2 should be required to do, I’d say, Laria replied with some asperity.
`Like your brother, huh?’ Vanteer asked.
Laria shook her head. `For one thing, Kincaid is a T-2 and didn’t have the capacities either Thian or Rojer have, but he did a lot more than he should have. Pretty far off even for just normal catch and shove.’ Vanteer looked up at the tri-d galactic globe that was being updated almost monthly by the various squadrons, human and Mrdini, exploring in every direction. `Yeah, he would have been dangerously close to his limit, even with the generators those Galaxy class ships have.
Lionasha gave a sigh. `We are going to need his heist soon, Laria,’ she said, patting one sheaf of the heavier materials to be sent to the moon spaceyards. `Those are big daddies.
Laria had tested the state of Kincaid’s sleeping mind and was reassured by the return of a healthy resilience.
`Another twenty-four hours and he won’t know himself’ `Then we can schedule the party for the day after tomorrow?’ asked Lionasha with just a hint of the eagerness she had for the project.
Vanteer and Laria laughed, knowing just why she was eager.
Since the early days of the Clarf Tower, when Yoshuk and Nesrun had managed however they could in the strange environment, many more humans had moved to take up administrative or consultancy posts on Clarf, and on the two Moon bases. Close to three thousand humans, some with varying degrees of Talent, though that was not a prerequisite, now formed a loose but agreeable social unit. Specialists came, integrated briefly, or stayed on as their work required them. The Tower facilities had been enlarged several times and into several levels to accommodate transients. A large tract of land, near the sea, had been allotted the more permanent human colony. Lately Lionasha had been seeing a young Denebian servo-mechanics engineer, Buzbeth Hawk. While he was a T-5, he was only just marginally empathic with humans.