not
much of a payoff. It’s not worth your life.”
She kind of had a point as well, even if I proved without a
doubt in my mind my theories were right when I read their souls, I still
doubted I’d be able to make any meaningful communication. Plus, the
scientific community would hardly accept my assurances based on a sense that
had no scientific proof of any kind. Even the other Knomen might not take
me at my word. There was no point, and it would be a stupid gamble.
Except of course, I would know I’d been right, for
myself. Plus, there was always the possibility they would read me and
figure out how to talk to us instead of the other way around. But would
they want to? It was just too risky, there was a high possibility they’d
never even let me land anyway.
Chapter 9
Senna asked, “So that’s it? Has this been a waste of
time?”
I frowned, “It was a long shot to begin with. Plus, at
the very least we have a new science to look into. If we can figure out
that, contact will be possible.”
Ellis nodded, “More than that, the bug threat won’t be a
threat anymore.”
Perhaps. I had a feeling that issue would be decided
long before we figured out the science behind the Drenil’s technology.
I said carefully, “We have no theories or math to describe
the phenomena we’ve seen them capable of. All we really know is that it’s
possible to take a ship into subspace, and to create some kind of wave that is
capable of destroying ships. Our only starting point is radiation we have
no idea the source of.”
I wasn’t giving up, just being realistic. It would
take time, and a lot of experiments. Perhaps if I started with what we
knew of wormholes. We needed to open a hole in that other subspace layer
or dimension, instead of a tunnel that ended up somewhere else in ours.
Easier said than done.
Then I suspected, we would have a whole new universe to
explore of sorts, with its own laws. Understanding would not be quick, or
even all at once.
Ellis agreed, “No doubt, it’s the work of a lifetime.”
We were silent as we got off the shuttle and back onto the
ship and I went to my quarters. I wondered if I was suicidal, because I
was still tempted to jump in the sports shuttle and go say high to the Drenil
in person on the planet. But really, it was just curiosity on my part so
I suppressed the urge.
Al interrupted my thoughts, “I have an update on the
Gelnott.”
“Go ahead.”
Al briefed me, “They are holding position outside Earth’s
solar system, and only four ships completed the trip. They have contacted
the council, though that information isn’t part of what I can access. The
other two ships left the convoy after detecting the Nairan home world.”
I felt tense for a moment, but forced myself to relax.
It wasn’t my responsibility anymore to protect pre-FTL societies.
“Has the council sent ships?”
Al replied, “Not yet. I estimate a high probability
they will try a diplomatic solution before interceding directly. So far
according to the Stealth net, the two Gelnott ships are undetected by the
Nairan, and they’re merely running scans. We finally have a visual of the
Gelnott, and it is somewhat of a surprise.”
“In what way?” I asked patiently.
“The Gelnott are humanoid like all the rest, but saurian in
appearance. Perhaps what would have been on Earth, had the dinosaurs not
reached extinction.”
That was new. I wasn’t sure what to think about it,
had the seeders made a mistake, or were the people of Earth a random
happenstance due to the asteroid strike, and our planet’s inhabitants should be
similar? They were pretty close to Earth, just five thousand light years
away, and I wondered when we found more humanoids toward the rim, if more would
be this way. Al continued the summary.
“Their skin tones seem to vary between dark green and light
brown, possibly an indication of age, and the skin itself is
much of a payoff. It’s not worth your life.”
She kind of had a point as well, even if I proved without a
doubt in my mind my theories were right when I read their souls, I still
doubted I’d be able to make any meaningful communication. Plus, the
scientific community would hardly accept my assurances based on a sense that
had no scientific proof of any kind. Even the other Knomen might not take
me at my word. There was no point, and it would be a stupid gamble.
Except of course, I would know I’d been right, for
myself. Plus, there was always the possibility they would read me and
figure out how to talk to us instead of the other way around. But would
they want to? It was just too risky, there was a high possibility they’d
never even let me land anyway.
Chapter 9
Senna asked, “So that’s it? Has this been a waste of
time?”
I frowned, “It was a long shot to begin with. Plus, at
the very least we have a new science to look into. If we can figure out
that, contact will be possible.”
Ellis nodded, “More than that, the bug threat won’t be a
threat anymore.”
Perhaps. I had a feeling that issue would be decided
long before we figured out the science behind the Drenil’s technology.
I said carefully, “We have no theories or math to describe
the phenomena we’ve seen them capable of. All we really know is that it’s
possible to take a ship into subspace, and to create some kind of wave that is
capable of destroying ships. Our only starting point is radiation we have
no idea the source of.”
I wasn’t giving up, just being realistic. It would
take time, and a lot of experiments. Perhaps if I started with what we
knew of wormholes. We needed to open a hole in that other subspace layer
or dimension, instead of a tunnel that ended up somewhere else in ours.
Easier said than done.
Then I suspected, we would have a whole new universe to
explore of sorts, with its own laws. Understanding would not be quick, or
even all at once.
Ellis agreed, “No doubt, it’s the work of a lifetime.”
We were silent as we got off the shuttle and back onto the
ship and I went to my quarters. I wondered if I was suicidal, because I
was still tempted to jump in the sports shuttle and go say high to the Drenil
in person on the planet. But really, it was just curiosity on my part so
I suppressed the urge.
Al interrupted my thoughts, “I have an update on the
Gelnott.”
“Go ahead.”
Al briefed me, “They are holding position outside Earth’s
solar system, and only four ships completed the trip. They have contacted
the council, though that information isn’t part of what I can access. The
other two ships left the convoy after detecting the Nairan home world.”
I felt tense for a moment, but forced myself to relax.
It wasn’t my responsibility anymore to protect pre-FTL societies.
“Has the council sent ships?”
Al replied, “Not yet. I estimate a high probability
they will try a diplomatic solution before interceding directly. So far
according to the Stealth net, the two Gelnott ships are undetected by the
Nairan, and they’re merely running scans. We finally have a visual of the
Gelnott, and it is somewhat of a surprise.”
“In what way?” I asked patiently.
“The Gelnott are humanoid like all the rest, but saurian in
appearance. Perhaps what would have been on Earth, had the dinosaurs not
reached extinction.”
That was new. I wasn’t sure what to think about it,
had the seeders made a mistake, or were the people of Earth a random
happenstance due to the asteroid strike, and our planet’s inhabitants should be
similar? They were pretty close to Earth, just five thousand light years
away, and I wondered when we found more humanoids toward the rim, if more would
be this way. Al continued the summary.
“Their skin tones seem to vary between dark green and light
brown, possibly an indication of age, and the skin itself is
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