Their motto! Think of the second line first: "The path of power lies through truth.' It's the key to everything."
"A key to you, maybe," Wellington stated flatly. "It's still gibberish to me."
"Visualize the main floor of the monastery," Ursis said, ignoring her sarcasm. "That gold cone of Truth that reflects the energy beam from the G-seed. If somebody removed it from the center of the floor, what would happen?"
"I... I think I remember you claiming something crazy like lifting the whole monastery into space at escape velocity, or something." Brim interjected.
"It's exactly what I said, Wilf," Ursis said evenly. "Take that reflecting cone away and the energy from the Kaptnor G-seed would flow directly from the Power lens into the floor. It would lift the monastery. I know it."
"But then what?" Wellington interjected. "How does that get power to the old space cannon?"
"Patience, Dora, my friend," Ursis said excitedly. That is the one part of which I have no proof. But do any of you remember the egg-shaped chapels built into each of the space forts-and how each of them is always oriented toward Hador?"
Brim nodded. "Yeah," he said with a grin. "I can still remember thinking that if the Gradygroats went to all that trouble, there had to be something worthwhile about their teachings. I actually thought of going back to the library someday to read about them. And maybe I still will-provided the xaxtdamned Leaguers don't blow it up first."
"If I am correct, Wyilf Ansor," Ursis declared, "you probably will never get the chance." He held up a slender finger. "That is where the first line of the Gradygroat motto comes into play: 'In destruction is resurrection.' Because when that monastery lifts off from City Mount Hill, it will be programmed to fly directly into the surface of Hador."
"Into the surface of Hador?" Wellington interjected suddenly. "Nikolai Yanuarievich Ursis, what have you been smoking in that foul Zempa pipe of yours?"
Ursis grinned and tamed in his seat. "Dora, my dear," he implored. "Listen for a moment.
We have very little time to act. I believe it was you who once said that it would take a power source the magnitude of a solar flare to run those cannon. Well, when the monastery-and its G-seed-crashes into the photosphere of Hador, a solar flare is precisely what you will have.
And, as the Gradygroats say, 'The path of power lies through truth.'"
"Great thundering Universe," Wellington exclaimed suddenly. "Of course. The energy from the flare will flow into the space forts through Power windows that always face Hador....
But then what? How will it get to the cannon?"
Ursis grinned. The Gradygroat gunners will first remove the Truth cones from the floors of their chapels. This will in turn uncover the crystal lens in the floor that opens into the fort's disk structure. The flare's energy will actually be distributed by those inner cones-the ones whose use we could not fathom when we inspected the disk structures. They work in the same manner as the central cone in the monastery. Where that one reflected the G-seed's energy to specific 'star' locations in the ceiling, these are shaped to direct individual beams through the windows under each cannon-and finally into the angled breech fittings on the weapons themselves."
Wellington only shook her head. "Universe, Nik," she whispered. "I think you're right-you've got to be right. We've seen everything but the guidance system in the monastery with our very eyes. And, right now, I'm willing to take that on faith." Then she put a hand to her helmet. "But how do we get all those Truth cones removed from way out here?"
"That is a problem," Ursis asserted with a frown. "Captain," he said, swiveling toward Collingswood, "you've been listening. Where would you start? We must at least get the monastery off the ground before it is damaged beyond its ability to fly-or the G-seed is released and by itself destroys Atalanta."
"I've been trying to think of something while you talked," Collingswood answered. "The Gradygroats ordered everybody out of the monastery early in the attack, so there's no one there to help." She shook her head. "I suppose we might try Operations in Atalanta. Perhaps they could send someone up the hill...." She called up the COMM center. "See if you can raise anybody in the OPS room back at the Fleet base."
Long cycles passed silently until a rating's voice reported that she had been unable to contact anyone. With the base under direct space attack, only immediate operational messages were getting through.
"Try again with a 'Captain's Priority Immediate,'" Collingswood suggested.
"Beggin' the Captain's pardon," the COMM room answered, "but that's the priority we had to use to get 'em to talk long enough so they'd turn us down."
"Pretty busy there, then, eh?" Collingswood asked.
"Aye, Captain. They sound very busy."
"Thank you, COMM," Collingswood said. "Any other ideas here on the bridge?"
After an interminable moment, Brim broke the silence. "How about that Intelligence unit on Atalanta that helped run the Payless operation? I'll bet they'd have someone to send."
"You're right," Collingswood said, nodding her head, "but I wouldn't have any idea how to get in touch with them. They always called us, if you remember." Then she paused. "Even if we could raise them," she continued after a few moments, "is there any reason to think that they would even believe us?"
"Borodov would believe us," Ursis interrupted quietly. "One finds it easy to forget that he is in the Intelligence Command, but he will also know how to contact the unit at Atalanta."
"Try it, Nik," Collingswood said tensely. "COMM room-see if you can get set up a scrambled two-way KA'PPA to Captain A.A. Borodov. Try the central research center in Avalon."
Only a few cycles passed until the COMM center announced, "We have him, Captain."
Moments later, the characters BORODOV HERE. BEST REGARDS AND GLAD YOU ARE ALIVE, flashed across Brim's COMM console.
"You'd better explain it to him, Nik," Collingswood said.
"Aye, Captain," Ursis replied. "I am ready." He touched his console. "COMM center, please send the following: 'Regards from Collingswood, Wellington, Brim, and Ursis. Ursis sends presently. Situation follows:...'" With that, he summarized their discoveries concerning the Gradgroat-Norchelite monastery, its orbital forts, and Collingswood's inability to contact Atalanta. "'Can you put us in touch with anybody at the base who might help?" he asked in conclusion.
Clearly, he had caught the older Bear flat-footed. Long moments passed before an answer passed across Brim's display. VOOT! Borodov began, then followed with a KA'PPA socket address. THESE PEOPLE WILL HELP, he concluded. DELAY TEN CYCLES BEFORE CONTACTING. I SHALL PERSONALLY TRANSMIT YOUR AUTHENTICATION.
The short interval passed like ten years. Then KA'PPA rings glimmered out from Defiant's mast. Almost immediately, a reply flashed across Brim's display. REGARDS TO
PAYLESS COLLEAGUES. ATALANTA UNDER EXTREME HEAVY ATTACK.
DISPATCHING TWO TEAMS BY SEPARATE ROUTES TO MONASTERY WITH
PORTABLE KA'PPAS. WILL CONTACT DEFIANT ON ARRIVAL. EXPECT HEAVY
BOMBARDMENT WILL HAMPER SPEED. WHERE DO YOU BERSERKERS COME UP
WTTH ASSIGNMENTS LIKE THESE?
Collingswood smiled sympathetically. "COMM room," she ordered, "you will please transmit the following: 'Idle fingers are the evil playthings of Voot-we have only your best interests at heart.'" Then she nodded. "Follow that with 'Good luck and Universe speed your steps, brave friends.'" Afterward, she looked around the bridge. "My colleagues," she said, "I believe we may just have a miracle on our hands."