Motion carried. Tell your engineer he may start his project.
High Reaches Weyr,’ and he turned to G’don. Telgar,’ and he included
K’vin now, can you supply transport?” Both Weyrleaders agreed. If a
new hold was to be establislied, as many riders as possible from their
Weyrs should become familiar with its landmarks.
There won’t be that much extra to protect against Threadfall,’ Kalvi
said, with a grin for the dragon riders It’s all underground or within
the cliff caverns. We’ll use hydroponics for fresh food from the
start.” Any more new business?” Paulin enquired.
Clisser raised his hand, was acknowledged and stood, glancing at the
assembled: falling into his lecture mode, K’vin thought.
Lord Chalkin’s attitude may not be that unusual,’ he began, startling
them into attention to his words. At least, not in times to come. We,
here and now, are not too distanced from the events of the First Pass.
We have actual visual records from that time with which to check on the
approach of the rogue planet. We know it is a rogue because we know,
from the excellent and exhaustive reports done by Captains Keroon and
Tillek, that the planet was unlikely to have emerged from our sun. Its
orbit alone substantiates that theory since it is not on the same
ecliptic al plane as the rest of Rukbat’s satellites.
I am assiduous in training at least six students in every class in the
rudiments of astronomy and the use of the sextant, as well as being
certain that they have the requisite mathematics to compute declination
and right ascension and figure accurately the hour circle of any star.
We still have three usable telescopes with which to observe the skies,
but we once had more.” He paused. We are, as I’m sure we all must
honestly admit, losing more and more of the technology bequeathed us by
our ancestors. Not through mishandling,’ and he raised a hand against
objections, but from the attritions of age and an inability, however
much we may strive to compensate, to reach back to the same technical
level our ancestors enjoyed.” Kalvi grimaced in reluctant agreement to
that fact.
Therefore, I suggest that we somehow, in some fashion, with what
technology we have left at our disposal, leave as permanent and
indestructible a record as possible for future generations. I know that
some of us,’ and Clisser paused, glancing significantly to the door
through which Chalkin had so recently passed, entertain the notion that
our ancestors were mistaken in thinking that Threadfall will occur
whenever the Red Planet passes Pern. But we can scarcely ignore the
perturbations already obvious on the surface of our planet the extreme
weather, the volcanic eruptions, the other cosmic clues.
Should it so happen in centuries to come that too many doubt – not
wishing to destroy a flourishing economy and happy existence – that
Thread will return, all that we have striven to achieve, all we have
built with our bare hands,’ and dramatically he lifted his, all we have
around us today,’ and he gestured towards the music faintly heard
outside the Hall, would perish.
The denials were loud.
Ah,’ and he held one hand over his head, but it could happen.
Lord Chalkin is proof of that. We’ve already lost so much of our
technology. Valuable and skilled men and women we could ill-afford to
lose because of their knowledge and skills have succumbed to disease or
old age. We must have a fail-safe against Thread! Something that will
last and remind our descendants to prepare, be ready, and to survive.
Is there any chance we could find that administration building then?”
Paulin asked S’nan.
Too close to Threadfall now,’ M’shall answered. And it’s going into
the hot season down there which makes digging anything enervating.
However, I most emphatically agree with Clisser. We need some sort of a
safeguard. Something that would prove to doubters like Chalkin that
Thread isn’t just a myth our ancestors thought up.” But we keep records
. . . said Laura of Ista Weyr.
How much plasfilm do you have left?” Paulin asked pointedly. I know
Fort’s stock is running low. And you know all that happened to our