“We are still exploring possible ways to synthesize the substance, Captain, and to utilize it in a controlled fashion outside its native environment.”
“That’s okay,” Becker said. ” ‘Cause the truth is, there’s nothing wrong with using it in its native environment. See, it’s this vine world, full of these big plants that secrete the sap that eats through the Khieevi shells. The way I figure it, if Hafiz here can make use of his holos to make the vine world appear to be like a Linyaari outpost or something,‘and Mac can persuade the Khieevi that he’s one of their guys who survived in the shuttle we’ve been-well, Mac’s been-studying, and we can set up drones and such to make it seem inhabited, then the Khieevi will maybe leave the Niriians to come to the vine world, and the vines will attack ‘em, sap ‘em, and no more Khieevi.”
Everyone agreed that it was a brilliant plan. Almost all of it could be carried out by remote control, once the vine world had been prepared to look inhabited. The only danger was that the vine world was closer to both the Moon of Opportunity and to narhiiVhiliinyar than the Niriian homeworld, but they could not, of course, let that weigh too heavily against the lives of any Niriians still surviving the initial Khieevi attack.
The Niriians listened anxiously to the translations, their faces stoic, but when they spoke at last their words sounded urgent.
“Time is of the essence,” Neeva interpreted. “They implore us to begin implementing the plan immediately.”
The Moon of Opportunity shut down its recreational functions and trade centers. Personnel were reassigned to emergency functions. If the plan worked as everyone hoped it would, security, medical, and reconstruction teams would be sent to Nirii following the destruction of the Khieevi.
Aboard the ConSor, Mac reassembled the Khieevi shuttle.
Kaarlye and Miiri continued their experimentation with the sap and their studies of Khieevi anatomy and physiology in the laboratory.
The children were assigned to either the AcaBecki or the Haven for evacuation. However, Annella Carter, Markel, and Jana were remaining as long as possible in order to help Hafiz prepare the necessary holograms.
“We must simulate a civilization sufficiently luscious to induce salivation among the Khieevi,” Hafiz instructed his pupils. “We shall transfer the holos of Linyaari pavilions to nestle them among the vines. We will also need to use the Baiakiire as a model for simulating other Linyaari vessels of different designs.”
“Oh, goody,” Annella said. “It will be like decorating giant Easter eggs!”
“Also, we must have holos of individuals-Linyaari and the Nirnans. We can do several sims of each of the Linyaari guests and hope the Khieevi will not be aware of the duplication.”
“We already have done ones of Aari and Acorna,” Annella told Hafiz.
“Have you?” Hafiz asked. “That is excellent. Excellent indeed.”
“Yes, and we can do me and Thariinye next,” Maati said. “Except I want my holo to be really large and fierce.”
“Why bother?” Thariinye said. “All they have to do is make an ^altered holo of Liriili and she’ll probably frighten the Khieevi into leaving a slime trail all the way back to their homeworld.”
Seventeen
The first invasion of the vine world was both human and Linyaari. Acorna, moving gently among the fragrant vines, felt remorseful for what her people -were about to bring upon this self-contained ecology.
The plants felt far less alien this time, and far more friendly, now that she knew what their sap could do to Khieevi. She had scarcely noticed before how exquisitely beautiful the flowers were, with their petals shaded from cream to ivory to milky white and translucent, with the barest hints of pink near the stamen.
The scent did not seem so overpowering as it had before. Instead it was rather hypnotic, permeating her other senses so strongly that it seemed to be a color, a taste, a voice, as well as a smell. As technicians and scientists barged through the vines so quickly the plants whipped back and forth as if in a strong wind, Acorna merely held her hand aloft and the ropes of leaf and flower parted for her like a curtain. Perhaps she was thinking of these vines as saviors, champions, defenders of her kind against Khieevi kind, but they were altogether more attractive to her than on her last visit.