Read Online Crystal Soldier by Steve Miller, Sharon Lee - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Steve Miller, Sharon Lee
Tags: Science-Fiction
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carrying what appeared to be travel cases.
"We're set," he said to the elder. "When the interview is over, we go."
Jela's interest was piqued: For many days it had been as if the only concern of this place was him and his training. To see outside necessity now so much in view . . .
"Please," the elder instructor said to Jela. "Sit and eat. We're outbound in short order."
The meal was decidedly more ambitious than he'd been expecting, given the apparent imminence of the instructors' departure, and Jela fell to with more enjoyment than he usually found in dining hall food. The initial discussion was near commonplace—questions about which information he'd thought most useful, which databases might as well be left out if the information were to be shared elsewhere . . .
There was, amazingly, real coffee to finish the meal, which suggested his instructors to be even more out of the ordinary than he'd thought. High-rank officers, then, or independent specialists beyond the direct control of the military—
"And so," the younger said at last, "as you have had an extra bit of time in which to consider, would you care to share with us your analysis?"
Eyebrows up, Jela glanced about the room, and the several tables occupied by quiet-speaking folk.
The elder instructor smiled. "Of the secrets here, this is—like every secret here—the most important."
The younger moved a hand for attention.
"What we have is a series of potentially cascading situations," he said seriously. "Some discuss this type of event in terms of catastrophe. Things beyond our control and possibly beyond our ken have been set in motion and will continue in motion. And we? We are in a precarious spot, as if we stand on a high ridge of sand capable of sliding either to the right or to the left.
"The motion—let's call it a wind—may set off a slide, or it may not. If the wind carries more sand, the slide might go to the right. If the wind carries moisture, the slide may be delayed—or it may be to the left. If the winds gain strength slowly, an equilibrium may be reached for some time. If the winds, they bluster—well then, we may have an avalanche—and still we are unsure if we will slide left or right."
"So our words, heard or unheard," the elder said after a moment, "do not move us from the ridge. They may or may not permit us to jump in the most advantageous direction at the correct time. And that we know the wind is blowing—it is of no moment. The wind cares not."
Jela, from an impulse which felt oddly tree-like, saluted the instructors.
"In that case, yes, I have found patterns. Many of them. They perhaps point somewhere useful; they raise questions I would pursue if my time were my own."
"Have some more coffee, my friend," suggested the elder, pouring as he spoke.
Jela sipped appreciatively and placed the cup carefully on the table.
"I would summarize this way: the basic patterns of the settled worlds were such that trade peaked at about the same time for all of them. This makes some sense, after all, when one compares the ebb and flow of galactic economics and populations, and when one looks at what these worlds offered for trade. None of them ever rose above mid-level—but they're all somewhat removed from the most profitable of the trade routes.
"The pattern of the unsettled worlds was that traffic to and from peaked at about the same time as the settled worlds in question." He paused to look at the instructors, seeing only serious attention in their faces.
"These are misleading patterns," he continued. "There's a far more interesting underlying connection; and one far, far older.
"As near as I could tell, the star systems in question were all very nearly the same age. I mean this with an accuracy I can't properly express. Though listed in some catalogs as having a range in birth of several millions of years, it appears that they may have been more closely linked than that. My guess would be that they
"We're set," he said to the elder. "When the interview is over, we go."
Jela's interest was piqued: For many days it had been as if the only concern of this place was him and his training. To see outside necessity now so much in view . . .
"Please," the elder instructor said to Jela. "Sit and eat. We're outbound in short order."
The meal was decidedly more ambitious than he'd been expecting, given the apparent imminence of the instructors' departure, and Jela fell to with more enjoyment than he usually found in dining hall food. The initial discussion was near commonplace—questions about which information he'd thought most useful, which databases might as well be left out if the information were to be shared elsewhere . . .
There was, amazingly, real coffee to finish the meal, which suggested his instructors to be even more out of the ordinary than he'd thought. High-rank officers, then, or independent specialists beyond the direct control of the military—
"And so," the younger said at last, "as you have had an extra bit of time in which to consider, would you care to share with us your analysis?"
Eyebrows up, Jela glanced about the room, and the several tables occupied by quiet-speaking folk.
The elder instructor smiled. "Of the secrets here, this is—like every secret here—the most important."
The younger moved a hand for attention.
"What we have is a series of potentially cascading situations," he said seriously. "Some discuss this type of event in terms of catastrophe. Things beyond our control and possibly beyond our ken have been set in motion and will continue in motion. And we? We are in a precarious spot, as if we stand on a high ridge of sand capable of sliding either to the right or to the left.
"The motion—let's call it a wind—may set off a slide, or it may not. If the wind carries more sand, the slide might go to the right. If the wind carries moisture, the slide may be delayed—or it may be to the left. If the winds gain strength slowly, an equilibrium may be reached for some time. If the winds, they bluster—well then, we may have an avalanche—and still we are unsure if we will slide left or right."
"So our words, heard or unheard," the elder said after a moment, "do not move us from the ridge. They may or may not permit us to jump in the most advantageous direction at the correct time. And that we know the wind is blowing—it is of no moment. The wind cares not."
Jela, from an impulse which felt oddly tree-like, saluted the instructors.
"In that case, yes, I have found patterns. Many of them. They perhaps point somewhere useful; they raise questions I would pursue if my time were my own."
"Have some more coffee, my friend," suggested the elder, pouring as he spoke.
Jela sipped appreciatively and placed the cup carefully on the table.
"I would summarize this way: the basic patterns of the settled worlds were such that trade peaked at about the same time for all of them. This makes some sense, after all, when one compares the ebb and flow of galactic economics and populations, and when one looks at what these worlds offered for trade. None of them ever rose above mid-level—but they're all somewhat removed from the most profitable of the trade routes.
"The pattern of the unsettled worlds was that traffic to and from peaked at about the same time as the settled worlds in question." He paused to look at the instructors, seeing only serious attention in their faces.
"These are misleading patterns," he continued. "There's a far more interesting underlying connection; and one far, far older.
"As near as I could tell, the star systems in question were all very nearly the same age. I mean this with an accuracy I can't properly express. Though listed in some catalogs as having a range in birth of several millions of years, it appears that they may have been more closely linked than that. My guess would be that they
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