Tides of Light Read Free Page A

Somethin’ pranged it good. A real mess it is here.—
    “Back off, then.”
    —You want I should skrag the mainmind?—
    “Yeasay. Leave a charge on it.”
    —Doin’ that now.—
    “Get clean clear before you blow it.”
    —I’ll put it close, be sure.—
    “No contact, just leave it—”
    Killeen’s ears screamed the horrible sound of circuit ringing—a long high oscillating twang as a load of electrical energy
     bled off into space, acting as an involuntary antenna as raw power surged through it.
    “Gianini! Gianini! Answer!”
    Nothing. The ringing wail steepled down into low frequencies, an ebbing, mournful song—and was gone.
    “Cermo! Suit trace!”
    —Getting nothing.—Cermo’s voice was firm and even and had the feel of being held that way no matter what.
    “Damn—the mainmind.”
    —Figure it was on a trigger mine?—
    “Must’ve.”
    —Still nothing.—
    “Damn!”
    —Maybe the burst just knocked out her comm.—
    “Let’s hope. Send the backup.”
    Cermo ordered a crewman out to recon the mech vehicle. But the man found Gianini floating away from the wreckedcraft, her systems blown, her body already cold and stiff in the unforgiving vacuum.

THREE
    Killeen walked stiffly down the ceramo-corridors of the
Argo
, his face as unyielding as the walls. The operation against the mech was a success, in the sense that a plausible threat
     to the ship was removed. They had detonated the charge Gianini had left behind on the mech, and it had blown the vehicle into
     a dozen pieces.
    But in fact it had been no true danger, and Killeen had lost a crewwoman discovering that fact.
    As he replayed their conversation in his mind he was sure he could have said or done nothing more, but the result was the
     same—a second’s carelessness, some pointless close approach to the mainmind of the vehicle, had fried Gianini. And had lessened
     Family Bishop that much more, by one irreplaceable individual.
    Numbering fewer than two hundred, they were perilously close to the minimum range of genotypes which a colony needed. Any
     fewer, and future generations would spiral downward, weighed by genetic deficiencies.
    This much Killeen knew, without understanding even a smattering of the underlying science.
Argo’
s computers held what they called “DNA database operations.” There was a lab for biowork. But Family Bishop had no Aspects
     who knew how to prune genes. Basic bioengineering was of marginal use. He had no time and even less inclination to make more
     of such issues.
    But Gianini, lost Gianini—he could not so brusquely dismiss her memory by seeing her as simply a valuable carrier of genetic
     information. She had been vibrant, hardworking, able—and now she was nothing. She had been chipstored a year ago, so her abilities
     survived as a spectral legacy. But her ghostly Aspect might not be revived for centuries.
    Killeen would not forget her. He could not.
    As he marched stiffly to his daily rounds—delayed by the assault—he forced the somber thoughts away from him. There was time
     for that later.
    You are acting wisely. A commander can feel remorse and can question his own orders—but he should never be seen to be doing
     that by his crew
.
    Killeen gritted his teeth. A sour bile settled in his mouth and would not go away.
    His Ling Aspect was a good guide in all this, but he still disliked the calm, sure way the ancient Cap’n laid out the precepts
     of leadership. The world was more complex, more darkly crosscurrented, than Ling ever allowed.
    You assume too much. I knew all the tides that sweep you, when I was clothed in flesh. But they are often hindrances, not
     helps .
    “I’ll keep my ‘hindrances,’ little Aspect!”
    Killeen pushed Ling away. He had a role to fulfill now and the small chorus of microminds that he felt calling to him could
     be of no help. He had followed Ling’s advice and decided to continue with the regular ship’s day, despite the drama of the
     assault.