Invaders (a sequel to Vaz, Tiona and Disc) Read Free

we’ve been able to reproduce the interstellar wormhole technology of our ancestors. The first of our two missions went back to Ican to ask whether it or any of the other older systems have found a way to control their populations.” He waved his muzzle in negation, saying only, “They have not.” After a pause, his wings drooped a little and he continued, “We sent the second mission to Mato. That star did not have any oxygen bearing worlds.”
    A rustle of unease went around the rest of the counselors. Prenaust’s old friend Jaelon, now the Minister of Logistics, said, “Are you thinking that we won’t be able to find an oxygen world?”
    “No,” Explorer said, “we’ll find one. It’s just disappointing that there wasn’t one at Mato. We’re prepping a trip to Obi, but it’ll take a year or two to refurbish, repair and fuel the ship. In addition, we must train a crew for it, training’s not inconsequential.”
    “Train a crew? Why not use the experienced crew from the other trips you’ve sent out so far?”
    “It’s been almost impossible to get any of the crew from those trips to sign up for another trip.”
    Logistic tilted his head curiously, “Why’s that?”
    “Transition is incredibly painful.”
    Logistic looked surprised, “Even in hibernation?”
    Explorer shrugged, “The ones in hibernation feel horrible when they wake up. And not everyone survives.”
    Habitat gave an alarmed look, “What if we can’t get anyone to leave this system for the next?!”
    “It won’t be a problem,” Historian said. “Once crowding gets bad enough, they’ll happily suffer the agony and brave the death just to get away from the rest of us. It’s always been that way, and probably always will…”
     
    ***
     
    Vaz had his arms crossed the over his chest and stared out the front windshield unhappily. “Why are we driving way up here?”
    The car slowed, then turned left off the main road onto a little lane. Deciding she couldn’t put off telling Vaz where they were going any longer, Lisanne said, “You remember how you wanted to have more room around our house so that we could be safe?”
    He turned toward her, puzzlement in his eyes. “Yeah?”
    “You were going to do it by buying the houses around us in our neighborhood so you could put an electronic monitoring system on their grounds.”
    Vaz shrugged irritably, “Yeah. We can afford it. Besides, I can use their basements for research space.”
    Lisanne said, “Sure, but all those buildings… They’d provide hidden pathways between them where people coming after us could sneak in.” Lisanne hoped that was true. She didn’t really know much about defending your property and wondered whether the surrounding homes could serve as some kind of protective wall against invaders instead. It didn’t seem like that was possible to her, since they all had quite a bit of space between them.
    “I’d put monitors to watch the areas between them,” Vaz said.
    Their car was pulling up to a farmhouse. “But suppose,” Lisanne said, “we lived in a building on some open land where you could see a long ways in most directions.”
    Giving her a surprised look, Vaz said, “Tear down the houses?”
    “No,” Lisanne said patiently. “Like here,” she waved a hand around.
    Vaz suddenly got rigid like he did when he was really uncomfortable, “You mean, if we moved ?!”
    Soothingly, Lisanne said, “Up here we wouldn’t really even have neighbors.” She paused a moment to let that sink in, then calmly continued, “You could go outside without running into anyone… The approaches to the house would be open and easy to monitor… It’d be peaceful…”
    For a moment Vaz looked around at the open fields and Lisanne thought he might be drawn into her vision, but then he set his chin and turned his eyes back down to the floorboards, “But I wouldn’t have the surrounding homes’ basements to put research stuff into.”
    Despite a flash of