Stephen Thomas had never been able to tell if Gerald patronized his colleagues deliberately, or if it was just the effect of his upper-class British background and accent. Stephen Thomas ignored academic hierarchies on principle, but even he thought it was not a survival characteristic for an assistant chancellor to patronize a Nobel laureate. Beyond that, he felt an enormous respect for Dr. Thanthavong, and he felt himself fortunate to work with her. Gerald's attitude annoyed him.
"I think I can tell the difference between a normal governmental screwup and a conspiracy!" Thanthavong exclaimed.
"I'm always astonished when you criticize your adopted country with such severity," Gerald said.
"It's bad enough when other Americans expect blind loyalty, but—"
"What's the matter?" Stephen Thomas said, before Thanthavong could finish. Having found a topic that could ruffle Thanthavong's usual restraint, Gerald managed to bring it into conversation whenever possible.
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Stephen Thomas joined them. Thanthavong glared at Gerald for another moment, then broke away and turned toward Stephen Thomas. The tension eased just perceptibly.
"You haven't heard." Thanthavong blew out her breath in annoyance. '*No, I suppose not. Gerald came over to be sure I got the news in person, as he's been so kind to point out."
"All I've heard this morning is that the moon's going to pass without crashing into us." "Distler has impounded the United States' share of Star-farer's operating funds."
"Maybe it was the only way your president could think of to get your attention," Gerald said.
Stephen Thomas looked at him with disbelief. When the expedition first came together, Gerald had been as enthusiastic as anyone, as convinced of Starfarer's necessity. His attitude had changed recently, with the arrival of the new chancellor. He had not quite said out loud that he agreed with the idea of sending Starfarer into lower orbit, or even dismantling the ship. Stephen Thomas had given up arguing with him, because the arguments never went anywhere. Since Gerald never acknowledged anyone else's points, discussions began and ended in the same place. Besides, Stephen Thomas had finally realized that Gerald liked to argue, and would do it for fun. Arguing was not Stephen Thomas's idea of a good time.
"How can you be surprised?" Thanthavong asked Stephen Thomas. "Didn't you see it coming?"
"No. I didn't. The idea never crossed my mind."
"Something like this," Thanthavong said. "It had to happen."
"This isn't 'congressional shenanigans,' Gerald," Stephen Thomas said. "This is a serious attack."
"Yes, in the most vulnerable American area—the pocket-book."
Stephen Thomas let the jab fly past.
' 'It would be easier to prepare the expedition without any money than to continue without half our personnel," Thanthavong said.
Stephen Thomas frowned, trying to put a hopeful spin on the news. "Maybe it's not as bad as it looks. We're supposed to be self-sufficient eventually ... "
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"He's suspended the salaries of all U.S. citizens," Thanthavong said. "They*!! send out enough transports to pick people up, but they won't send supplies beyond what are already in preparation."
"That isn't quite true," Gerald said. "We can have anything we want, as long as we pay for it ourselves."
"Does he think he can starve us out?" Stephen Thomas said. "How long can it take to grow, I don't know, potatoes?"
"Somehow," Gerald said, "I cannot see you holding out for long on a diet of potatoes. You're looking at the situation from a far too personal point of view. Our civilization is faced with problems much bigger than ours—" "And the problems of one starship don't amount to a hill of beans," Stephen Thomas said.
"This isn't funny, Stephen Thomas," Thanthavong said.
"Yeah. I know."
"Putting off the expedition for two or three years," Gerald said, "might make the difference between survival and destruction."
"Starfarer cannot fill the new role the president suggests." Thanthavong said. "If the ship moves to a lower orbit, it will never leave the solar system. And I believe you know it."
She left the conference room,
"The same thing could happen to Europe and Britain as happened to half of Asia and Africa," Gerald said. "Perhaps it can't happen in North America—note that I place emphasis on 'perhaps.' I don't expect any native-born Americans to have a conception of what that means, but surely a naturalized citizen—"
Stephen Thomas remembered some of the stories Victoria's great-grandmother told about her friends and the Mideast Sweep. He felt distressed and off balance, unable to counter Gerald's arguments.
"Gerald," Stephen Thomas said, though it was hardly a survival characteristic for a professor to antagonize an assistant chancellor, "shut up." He followed Thanthavong out of the main room and went to his lab.
"Stephen Thomas!" His two grad students and his postdoc converged on him.
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"Give me a few minutes," he said. He went into his office and shut the door.
Stephen Thomas came out of his office and into the deserted lab. He wondered where everyone had got to. He wanted to talk to them; he had spent the whole morning with Arachne, and he thought he had figured out a way to keep the lab going. At least for a while.
The president's announcement had completely disrupted everything he had planned for today. In addition, the staff and faculty had put in enough recommendations to schedule a general meeting. Even Stephen Thomas had joined in that proposal, though he hated meetings. It would eat up the evening.
Stephen Thomas left the genetics building and headed for the park. As he walked, he set up another problem for Arachne to work on. Every twenty paces or so, his stride faltered as he rejected the results, changed a variable, and started another report cycle.
He barely noticed the blossoms that had opened since his last visit to the park. A kitchen AS stood next to a round table, waiting patiently with lunch. Otherwise, the meadow was deserted. In normal times every picnic table by the stream would be in use.
Stephen Thomas waited for Victoria and Satoshi. He pillowed his head on his arms. The bento boxes breathed a warm smell, but Stephen Thomas had no appetite. He was still linked up with Arachne, juggling numbers and trying not to see the pattern they insisted on producing.
"Stephen Thomas."
Stephen Thomas started when Satoshi touched his shoulder.
"Sorry."
"I was thinking."
"Yeah."
Victoria joined them. They embraced. Victoria and Satoshi looked as somber as Stephen Thomas felt. They had probably been doing the same calculations as he had.
Satoshi set the bento boxes out on the stone table, then sat on the rock-foam bench beside his partners.
"So," Victoria said.
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"They've really done it this time," Stephen Thomas said.
"How many graduate students are you losing?" Satoshi said.
"No one has bailed out yet," Stephen Thomas said, adding, to himself. As far as I know.
"All mine are Canadian," Victoria said. "The temps plan to stay as long as they can be sure of a transport home. But with the supply runs curtailed, my kids are scared."
Most of the researchers on board had several graduate students and post-doctoral students: till now, at least, it was considered quite a coup to win a position helping prepare the expedition. Most of the students were temps, permitted to stay only while the starship remained in range of the transports. Some had applied for positions on the expedition itself:
the ultimate make-or-break dissertation project.
"Leaving now sounds kind of shortsighted to me," Stephen Thomas said. "They wouldn't lose that much—unless somebody raised grad salaries when I wasn't looking." He tried to grin.