He added ten new sims to Vonnie’s display. The first two showed the same quartet of females sketching on fresh surfaces of ice. The other sims were a conglomeration of ’sound bullet’ medical imaging, EEG, and infrared scans of four- and eight-member groups surrounded by dozens of normal sunfish.
What differentiated the few from the many was the bioelectric force in their brains, which spread through both hemispheres, unlike the unihemispheric activity among the majority of the tribe.
“Tom is one of them,” Vonnie said.
—In retrospect, that’s probably why he survived the amputation of his arm. He’s been able to outthink the savages and continually prove his worth.
“Why would the smart ones let you listen while they were developing their strategies?” Ash said.
—The sunfish do everything in the open. Sex. Defecation. Sleep. Murder. Mostly I believe that’s due to their group nature, but they can write or hold council in front of their weakest members because those individuals are deaf or insane. Any sunfish incapable of participating in higher logic may as well not be listening.
Vonnie highlighted a quartet of single-brained sunfish in one sim. “This is interesting,” she said. “These four are trying to form their own council. They’re joined in the same way, but their arm movements aren’t as rapid, and they’re emitting less than thirty percent as many sonar calls.”
—If you study their electroencephalographic activity, those are four of the most intelligent single-brained members of the tribe. They’re mimicking the others’ behavior even if they’re unable to comprehend why.
“That’s awful,” Ash said. “It’s pathetic.”
Vonnie shook her head. “They’re trying their best. They want to live like any of us.”
Ash made a harsh, mocking sound. “Von, I want to prove they’re intelligent, too. That might keep us out of jail. But you’re never going to make me feel warm and fuzzy for these disgusting little freaks.”
“Fine.” Vonnie spoke to Lam instead. “You think the smart ones influence the tribe.”
—As much as possible, yes. I’m still trying to assess how thoroughly they’re undermined by the majority.
“Let’s identify them. I want a file. Break down their movements and sonar calls, too. If we’re going to communicate with anyone, it’s them.”
—Roger that. Shall I assign numbers or names?
“The smart ones get names. We can use numbers for the rest until we have more time.”
Lam opened a new file with images of three female sunfish, identifying them by EEG scans of their brain activity. He also used detailed radar exams of their bodies, their scars, and any tendencies they favored in their individual shapes and postures.
—These are Annette, Brigit, and Charlotte. Annette is approximately fifteen Earth years. She’s one of the ranking females, although she’s physically debilitated due to age. Brigit and Charlotte are younger. I…
Koebsch reappeared on Vonnie’s display, hurrying through Lam’s datastreams. He began to smile. “What are the sunfish writing?” he said.
—Unknown. The samples are too small. It appears to be a mode of shorthand derived from the full body carvings. They may be counting their supplies or the new, combined size of the tribe.
“Some of them are intelligent after all.”
—Using both hemispheres, they may be smarter than the average human being.
Koebsch paused at that. For an instant, his eyes were troubled. He said, “I’m forwarding your data to Berlin. Keep working. Let’s get all hands on deck. I’ve ordered Metzler and Johal back to your lander. Somebody wake up O’Neal. He’s the best linguist we’ve got now. Frerotte and Gravino are standing by to help with our mecha.”
He didn’t mention Dawson, and Vonnie didn’t ask. “What about the FNEE? They’ll trace our signals to the colony.”
“Yeah. Ribeiro asked for access to our grid, but I told him I need permission first.”
“Can we jam their spy satellites?
“Not without risking all of the promises and agreements we’ve made. I won’t do it, Von. They’ve already seen our rovers above Lam’s position.”
“I gave the colony away,” she said.Damn it, she thought.
52.
Ash woke O’Neal as Metzler and Johal reached the air lock. They would enter the ready room in moments.
Lam continued naming the sunfish and creating individual files while Vonnie watched them end their dance. Two of the intelligent females left the pack first, including Charlotte. Others noticed their separation and followed them, two here, a foursome there, until the entire group skittered up toward the funnel-like aperture in the rock. They bounced into the hole.
Lam kept himself in the middle of the pack as O’Neal and Ash took seats on either side of Vonnie. “How the hell did…” O’Neal said, blinking at his display.
“Lam, where are you going?” Vonnie said.
—Too many in the group are hungry. The females ended their lessons before there was any fighting. Watch. We’re approaching the heart of the colony.
“It’s warmer.”
—As far as I can tell, there have been no geysers or magma eruptions in this region for decades, but the sunfish have tapped a network of gas vents which raise temperatures enough for liquid water to form around some of the rock islands.
As the pack’s speed increased through the tunnel, their shrieks and cries brought answering calls from above. More sunfish were waiting.
Vonnie heard Metzler and Johal emerge from the air lock. They clattered into the ready room, murmuring as they helped each other remove their pressure suits.
“I’ve seen four retaining walls and a section that looks like it was cemented with feces and gravel,” Vonnie said to Lam. “Why would they invest so much effort in maintaining this gap if it leads to a dead-end? Why go there at all?”
—Habit. Routine. Most of the sunfish probably don’t know why they make this trek every day. For the intelligent few, there’s real purpose. The dead-end is rich with years of biochem. It’s small and enclosed. The smell calms the agitated and the insane. They enjoy it. They become more receptive.
“The intelligent females have addicted them to that dead-end,” O’Neal said.
—Yes. There’s an element of sexual gratification in the lessons. Both males and females who perform well are more likely to be nursed to pubescence.
“They control their endocrine glands so well?” Johal asked, striding through the hatch from the ready room.
—There is a high failure rate. Many undesirables reach puberty on their own, then mate. In two days, I’ve seen four males neutered and one female spayed as Top Clan Two-Four merged with Top Clan Eight-Six.
Metzler appeared behind Johal. He stopped at Vonnie’s chair and touched her shoulder. Without looking, she set her fingers on his hand.
—The needs of the tribe changed with their consolidation. Their lives are one adjustment after another. They have their instincts and their traditions, but the best of them are always ready to improvise. They expect problems and surprises.
“That’s good, isn’t it?” Vonnie said. “They might forgive us if we can make reparations. Food. Tools.”
—Opening a dialogue may be easier than that.