Playing God(142)
“I know,” said Arron, and he was shocked to realize he really did.
Keale handed the paper to Arron. “Great stuff, paper. Learned about it from the Dedelphi. Humans used it once upon a time. I've got no idea why it was abandoned. Absolutely no way to cut into it or tap it through the web. No wandering backups and no shadow records.”
Arron read down the list quickly and felt a chill growing inside him. There was a paragraph about lowering the city-ships into the atmosphere and shifting the angle on the artificial gravity to shake the cities apart There was a paragraph about letting loose engineered molds to blight an entire harvest and leave the Dedelphi dependent on Humans for their food, delivery of which would be contingent on their good behavior.
Finally, there was the paragraph about landing, taking whatever would pay for Bioverse's considerable losses, putting the PR dervishes to work on tales of unspeakable barbarity versus brave Humanity, and leaving.
Arron folded the paper into thirds and put it in his pocket “You've already arrested Cabal, haven't you?”
“Yes.” Keale's voice was mild.
“He only did it because I paid him to.”
“I thought so.” Keale stood. “We'll be trying you with him when we get back.”
“I thought so,” said Arron in a reasonable imitation of Keale's negligent tone. “When do we leave, Commander?”
“In one hour, Dr. Hagopian. We want to meet me Ur as far away from Dedelph as possible.”
“Of course.” Arron stood up. “I'll meet you in the hangar in an hour.”
When the word came down of what had been decided about the Ur, Lynn was snatching a prefab, flash-cooked meal in her cabin with David. He'd taken the opportunity offered by need to get medical supplies and report on what was going on aboard the Cairo with the Paeccs Tayn and the Ui Shai to steal a couple of hours with her, and Lynn was grateful.
She'd been trying to tell herself that Keale would find a solution to the “Ur problem.” That there was absolutely no question about it. He was in consultation with the admiral, and the Ur's captain, and there'd be a plan, and they'd put it into play and everything would work out.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make herself believe it. Work had ground to a halt The spy satellites had been reoriented to track the Ur’s flight as it swung out in its wide elliptic. Nobody had the least doubt that Keale and Esmaraude had made a correct prediction. The Getesaph were going to drop the Ur on their ancient enemies.
Lynn had quickly squashed the notion of telling the t'Therians. What good would it do? Was there any way they could evacuate even some of the population of t'Aori in the time remaining? Not that they were going to have to, of course, but they couldn't even if they thought they might have to…
And even with David holding on to her, Lynn had felt cold fear sink in and numb her to the bone.
Then, the comm station lit up with a message from Keale, about the solution to the problem, and about Arron's part in it.
Lynn looked helplessly at David.
“Go,” was all he said.
Lynn went. Double-damning Bioverse propriety, she ran through the pleasantly designed wood-paneled, full-spectrum-lit corridors. She ran through the bulkheads flanked by stands of bamboo and beds of ferns. She ran through the flower gardens and rock gardens and summery arbors until she crossed into the plain, angled, metal-and-ceramic hall that led to the hangar deck.
She leaned on the bulkhead, breathing hard and scanning the white chamber. Arron stood next to one of the shuttles, looking around himself half-expectantly, half-worriedly. When he saw her, his face smoothed, and he crossed the shining floor to the doorway.
Lynn just looked up at him.
He held his hand out, but let it fall. “I'm sorry,” he said.
“For what?” You're going out there to kill yourself; do not expect me to make this easy on you. The thought was irrational, and she knew it. He was doing this for himself, for her, for the Dedelphi, for his friends, for Bioverse. She should be thanking him. She should be … She should be doing anything but what she was.
“For everything.” He waved both hands helplessly. “For not being able to talk to you. For not being able to explain. For…” Arron took her in his arms and kissed her, long and warm and deep. She kissed him back, for all the old love and lost friendship they held between them.
He let her go. She had nothing to say. There was nothing left to say, not until he came back, if he came back.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper folded in thirds. “Here,” he handed it to her. “These are real. I got them from Keale in exchange for my help. I don't know what you want to do with them, but…” He paused. “But I thought you should see them.”