The Ashes of Worlds

“As you said, I am the Theron ambassador. I helped Estarra and Peter escape. I arranged for Nahton to send messages about their plight, and to warn Theroc.” She lowered her voice. “Can you guess what the Chairman would do to me if he knew what I’m telling you?”

The green priest softened somewhat. “I’ll send your messages.” She touched the treeling, and within moments she was lost in telink, her lips moving quickly and silently as she described all her news. Sarein waited anxiously, sure that the guards would come back and see what they were doing.

When Nira withdrew, Sarein pressed her. “And what is the news? Do you have anything to tell me?”

“They are rebuilding on Theroc. Many died in the faeros fire, but most were saved. Yes, Celli is now a green priest. Yes, Peter and Estarra are now the proud parents of a little boy. They named him Reynald.”

Tears welled up in Sarein’s eyes.

Nira’s brow furrowed as Sarein hid the treeling again. “Now all the Confederation has to worry about is what foolish action Chairman Wenceslas will take next.”

42

Orli Covitz

Deafening alarms rang through Kotto’s research dome. An enormous EDF Juggernaut streaked overhead, spitting fire, while clan ships darted in and out like wasps. So far, the Roamers’ defense didn’t seem to be having much effect.

“It’s all right. We’re safe here — I think.” Kotto looked up at the broad skylights. “I don’t see why anyone would target this particular rock.”

“They seem to be shooting at everything.” Mr. Steinman’s eyes darted from side to side.

The three compies clustered together not far from the hydrogue derelict. “If we are safe here, shall we continue working?” GU suggested. “Or have we finished with our research for today?”

DD suggested, “I can organize and collate the previous results so we do not duplicate efforts.”

KR seemed to be the only compy who understood their precarious situation. “This is quite a conundrum.”

Through the dome skylight, Orli watched Roamer cargo ships and armored courier vessels harass the Mantas. One of the EDF cruisers soared directly above their nondescript laboratory station, firing jazers at any reflective metal. An energy bolt struck a nearby floating fuel tank, which erupted in a silent fireball.

Even the lab’s reinforced dome could not withstand the shrapnel hurled by the shockwave. Three of the transparent triangular panels cracked, splintered, and finally shattered. In the sudden outrush of air, four more of the geometric panels failed, blasting out into space.

Orli’s ears popped. The roaring and whistling air seemed deafening, though some of the Roamer mitigation films snapped into place. But not enough. Trying to protect her, Mr. Steinman tackled her to the smooth floor. Caught directly beneath one of the gaping holes in the dome, GU was drawn into the vortex of evacuating atmosphere. He lost his footing and rose into the air, but KR shot out a polymer hand and caught his companion by the ankle. The compy yelled for help as GU continued to be sucked toward the open ceiling. When KR lost his footing, as well, and began to fall upward, DD claspedhis foot. The Friendly compy also had the foresight to grasp the lip of the sphere’s open hatch to anchor them. The waterfall of wind tugged at the chain of three compies who continued to call for help.

Kotto staggered across the floor and grabbed Steinman by the back of his shirt, propelling him and Orli along. “Get into the derelict,” he shouted, but his words were barely audible in the thinning air.

Steinman got to his knees, pushing the girl ahead of him. “Come on — seal the hatch.”

The air was disappearing rapidly and the chamber was growing very cold, but Orli stopped at the doorway. “I won’t leave DD out there.”

“He’s a compy, kid. He’ll survive,” Steinman said.

“Not if he gets blasted by those weapons. DD, can you get inside?”

“I would have to release my grip on KR.”

“I have another idea,” GU announced. At the end of the chain, dangling close to the jagged hole in the dome, he bent over to clasp the second compy’s arm on his ankle. Then he began pulling himself back to the floor like a man climbing an upside-down rope. When he could reach far enough, GU grasped DD’s shoulder and clambered toward the open hatch. Orli helped pull the battered compy into the derelict, while KR followed GU’s example. Everyone wrestled to bring them closer. Finally, all three compies collapsed inside the derelict chamber.

Kotto had already run to the central controls in the small sphere, where he stood trying to figure out how the derelict worked. “We used vibrating membranes to open the hatch in the first place, but now I can’t remember how to shut it!”

“All of the control documentation should be in the database,” GU said, getting to his feet. Roamer analytical equipment sat beside the incomprehensible crystalline nodules that the hydrogues had used to control the vessel. Together, KR and GU quickly found the correct systems. With a thump, the diamond hatch anchored itself into place.

Orli crumpled to the floor. Mr. Steinman’s hair floated around his head like a dandelion puff. Thin streaks of blood came out of his ears, and the whites of his eyes had hemorrhaged.

A second fuel tank exploded outside, but they were unharmed inside the transparent sphere. GU pointed out, “King Peter and the Hansa engineers left us with enough information to fly this ship, if we wish.”

“There’s a transportal, too,” DD pointed out, “though I am reluctant to go through to unidentified coordinates. In order to operate it, I would require all of my memory capacity and perhaps the capacity of KR and GU as well. Shall I tell you the story of how I — ”

“Not now, DD,” Orli said.

“No transportal for me,” Mr. Steinman said. “I’d rather just fly out of here.”

“Let’s test the engines,” Kotto said. “KR and GU, you may take the helm.”

Riding the current of the last evacuating air, the diamond-hulled derelict floated up through the twisted framework and transparent plates that had formed the dome. The portable comm system squawked with overlapping shouts, accusations, and commands.

Once free of the ruined dome, they had an excellent view of the half-lit gas giant, the expanse of the rings, and the predatory EDF cruisers. Dozens of Confederation ships flitted about, trying to protect the primary habitation complexes and main admin facilities. They looked quite insignificant.

“The story of David and Goliath is the exception to the rule,” Mr. Steinman observed. “Most times with odds like this, the little guy just gets squashed.”

43

Tasia Tamblyn

During the EDF bombardment of the ring shipyards, Roamers evacuated from numerous orbiting rocks and industrial complexes, sealing themselves inside boltholes. The clans knew how to plan for crisis situations, because they had so much practice with things not going right.