"We don't have time!" Mirrim said, speaking through clenched teeth. It was her offering that Aivas had just rejected. Then she brightened. "Of course, we could keep some around to study and learn from, couldn't we?" She saw the horror and disgust of some of her colleagues. "No, I guess we couldn't. Ah, well, back to the microscope. My ninety-eighth batch of trials today. Maybe we luck out at a hundred!"
"Twenty-two more days?" Oldive said with a massive sigh as he, too, turned back to his station.
Afterward, when Lytol wrote up the history of the Aivas years, he would remember the results, not the frenzy that accompanied them, though he gave full credit to everyone involved in the different projects.
At last all the preparations had been completed-two full days before the date Aivas had set them.
Two hundred suited riders on two hundred gloved dragons awaited the signal in their Weyrs. Another nine suited riders were ready to do their part in this great enterprise, scattering the "disimproved" ovoids. The three leaders, F'lar, N'ton, and Jaxom, were in the Yokohama cargo bay. Lessa was there with Ramoth, who was breeding, and Jaxom did not dare ask how F'lar and Mnementh had timed that so precisely. She had accepted the fact that she would not take part in this venture, but she didn't like her exclusion one bit.
Master Fandarel and Belterac were about to proceed with the separation of the Yokohama's engine shaft from the main sphere. Bendarek was aboard the Bahrain, and Evan was on the Buenos Aires to perform the same operation. Once that was done, the dragons would be called up to take their places.
Aivas had appointed F'lar to take the Yokohama's unit and deposit it in the approximate center of the great Rift on the Red Planet. Jaxom was to take his group to one end of the Rift, while N'ton was to take his to the other, more or less, close to the immense craters. Only Jaxom knew what had caused those craters-and when. The trick would be to keep N'ton from guessing.
Each section would be accompanied by three brown, blue, and green dragons, Mirrim included, who would scatter the sacks of disimproved Thread toroids in a low-altitude flight across the bleak Red Planet's surface and across the flat ring of ovoids orbiting above the planet's equator. Oldive and Sharra had just barely accomplished their part of the undertaking. Mirrim's one hundredth attempt had indeed been the crucial one.
With careful fingers and a frown of concentration, Master Fandarel pressed in the code words that would activate the appropriate sequence to disengage the engines. Aivas had had to delve deeply to find the secret ciphers in the captain's private files. '
"There," the Mastersmith said with an air of triumph.
The monitor displayed lights, and then a message lit up-but not the one that Fandarel expected.
"There is a problem," he said. "The computer refuses to activate."
"The appropriate code word was given, the necessary sequence was provided. Separation should be initiated," Aivas said crisply.
"The screen says 'Unable to activate.' "
"Unable to activate?" There was genuine surprise in Aivas's voice.
"Unable to activate," Fandarel repeated, wondering what the problem could possibly be. The Yokohama's machinery, though it had lain dormant for many centuries, had always complied with the proper action for every operation requested. "I will try again."
"A scan is being run to ascertain if there is any computer malfunction," Aivas replied.
"Master Fandarel?" Bendarek queried from the Bahrain on the ship linkup. "Shall I proceed now?"
"We do not have separation here yet," Fandarel said, keenly feeling the failure and hoping it would be momentary.
"Should I not see if the Bahrain is more responsive?" Bendarek could not quite suppress his eagerness to begin.
"Aivas?" Fandarel was always a generous man. If Bendarek could proceed, it would be as well.
"No malfunction in the program can be discovered," Aivas said. "It is recommended that the Bahrain proceed with separation."
Bendarek had a little more luck than Fandarel. "My screen says 'dysfunction discovered.' Dysfunction of what?"
Evan, on the Buenos Aires, initiated the program in his turn and received MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION as his message.
"Which one is correct?" Fandarel asked, feeling somewhat vindicated by the failure of all attempts.
"They may all be correct," Aivas replied. "Reviewing."
Fandarel thought that seemed a good idea for himself as well, and rehearsed, without actually pressing the keys down, the sequence he had inserted.
"It is a mechanical malfunction," Aivas announced.
"Of course!" Fandarel bellowed as he realized what it had to be. "These ships have been in space for over twenty-five hundred years. The mechanical parts have had no maintenance."
"You are correct, Master Fandarel," Aivas replied.
"What's the delay up there?" F'lar asked from the cargo bay.
"A minor one," Fandarel answered. Then paused. "Where?" he asked Aivas.
"The clamps have locked, due to cessation of timely servicing "It's not just frozen, is it?" Fandarel asked.
"You have learned much, Master Fandarel. Fortunately the clamps can be lubricated on the inside, through an access, a narrow one." The screen lit up with the schematic of the area between the skins of the Yokohama. "It will, however, be necessary to use a special lubricant, for there is little heat in that area, and the oils you ordinarily use will be ineffective. A mixture of liquid neon, liquid hydrogen, and liquid helium must be made with a tiny amount of silicone fluid. That is the equivalent of penetrating oils for use in these very cold conditions. The low molecular weight of gases causes them to evaporate first, but their viscosity is quite low and carries the heavier silicone oil into very thin spaces. That should effect the solution to this minor problem."
"Minor problem?" For once, Fandarel lost his patience. "We do not have those liquids."
"You have the means to produce them, if you remember the liquid-helium experiments."
Fandarel did. "That will take time."
"There is time," Aivas said. "A wide window was allowed for this transfer. There is time."
The dragonriders were not pleased with the delay-they had built themselves and their dragons up to this incredible effort and were impatient to go.
"If it isn't one thing, it's another, isn't it?" N'ton said with a wry grin.
"Tomorrow?" Jaxom asked, grinning to allay F'lar's irritated frown. "Same time, same stations?"
F'lar pushed back the lock of hair that never seemed to stay in place and acknowledged the unanticipated delay with a flick of his finger. ,
"We'll speak to the riders, Aivas."
Despite his lightheartedness, Jaxom had experienced an Incredible letdown at having the expedition postponed. More than anyone else, he had had to fortify himself for the tremendous effort required of him and Ruth.
A day makes little difference to me, Jaxom, Ruth said encouragingly. The meal I had yesterday will last long past tomorrow.
That's good, Jaxom replied, more grimly than the circumstances warranted-but he had been primed for action today! Well, let's get back to Eastern and tell my wings to relax.
It was, in fact, several days before the penetrating oil could be manufactured. Jaxom had Ruth eat at least one small wherry each evening, and Ruth complained that he would be so full he wouldn't be able to complete one jump, let alone two.
"That's preferable to having you fade out on me when we're stuck between times," Jaxom replied.
He waited out the delay at Cove Hold with Sharra, who was recovering from intensive hours in the laboratory. She had lost weight and had deep circles under her eyes. At least he could occupy himself with seeing to her needs. And his. And Robinton's.