[Black Fleet Crisis(65)

Lobot could no more have explained how he listened to the stream of data that passed through his consciousness in the next few seconds than a blind man could describe fireworks, or a droid could describe giving birth. In the early days of his training, he had imagined himself creating a sieve to place in the torrent, a sieve that would catch only the information he sought.

But that crude metaphor no longer sufficed. Now he immersed himself in the flow and somehow let himself see all of it, not just the pieces of a certain size or shape that fit his preconceptions. Even the flow was under his control-the depth, the speed, the temperature, the colors.

But all metaphors ultimately failed. In the end, all he could say was that he sent out his thoughts, and brought back an answer.

“Long, unique nonrandom sequences are found in most genetic codes, ” said Lobot. “The code for a single distinctive molecule would suffice to meet your conditions. “

“A genetic code? But it would only have four different pairs. “

“Only if it were human. The number of code pairs varies from one planet’s life-forms to another. “

“How many pairs are there in the fragment? “

“Eighteen. “

“How many species have eighteen different molecular pairs in their genetic code? “

Lobot lowered his eyes for a moment, searching for the answer. “There are six recorded species with eighteen-pair genetic structures. But genetic information is not available for all known species, or for unknown species. “

“Do any of the six have a pitch-based language? “

“One, ” Lobot said. “The Qella. I am passing the genetic sample library marker to Artoo-Detoo for analysis. “

Attoo’s dome rotated left and right as the droid aligned its processors for the task. Lights flickered on and off across the function panel.

After several seconds the droid responded with a single high-pitched beep.

“What? ” demanded Lando. “What is it? “

“Master Lando, I believe the closest translation would be ‘Bonanza. ‘ “

” Lando’s face broke into a broad grin. “It matches? “

He clapped Lobot on the shoulder enthusiastically. “Son of a-You did it, old buddy! “

Artoo burbled electronically.

“What’s he saying? ” Lando demanded.

“Artoo says that there is a ninety-nine-point-nine percent certainty that the signal from the ship is a representation of a segment of the genetic code of the Qella, ” said lobot. “But the sequence ends in the middle-it’s not complete. “

“Of course not, ” said Lando. “That’s the answer they’re expecting-the rest of the sequence. Is this thing a vocalization, or synthesized? Artoo, can you sing the next fragment? “

Artoo’s coo in response sounded almost sorrowful.

“Master Lando, an R2 unit has only a simple vocabulator, ” said Threepio. “But if I may offer my assistance-“

“Offer away. “

“Sir, in order to fulfill my primary function as a protocol droid, I was constructed with the capacity for polyharmony. I believe that I can sing the sequence, with Artoo’s help. “

“Give it a try. “

For several seconds Threepio and Artoo huddled together and conversed silently over the droid transmission channel, passing information in binary far faster than Basic or Artoo’s own idiosyncratic dialect would allow.

Then Threepio straightened up, looked toward Lando, and cocked his head.

Almost at once the room was filled by an eerie echo of the vagabond’s hailing signal-distinctively different, but unmistakably the work of the same composer.

“All right, ” Lando said, punching the air with a fist. “That’s the key. We’re going in the front door. Threepio, Lobot, tell me all about the Qella. Maybe we can get an edge. “

“Master Lando, for some reason I do not understand, I do not have any information on the language and customs of the Qella, ” said Threepio.

“But now that we know the owners of this vessel, we must return it to them. It would be a serious breach of etiquette to enter it without an invitation. “

“Are you saying you’d refuse to send the response-“

“One moment, Lando, ” said Lobot. “I have been accessing all records available to me, and I believe I know the reason, Threepio.

The best-established fact seems to be that the Qella have been extinct for more than one hundred fifty years. “

“Extinct? ” Lando said in surprise. “I guess we can’t hang that one on the Emperor. What happened to them? “

“According to a report in the Galactic Survey, ” Lobot said, “their planet appeared to have been struck by several large asteroids, and its ecosystem destroyed. “