Freedom's Choice by McCaffrey Anne

Author:McCaffrey, Anne [McCaffrey, Anne]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, azw3
Tags: Science Fiction, Action & Adventure, Fiction
ISBN: 0606155376
Publisher: Ace
Published: 1997-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 8

The Eosi Mentats had deliberated: had examined the reports from both satellites with infinitesimal attention to detail. With each fresh review, their agitation grew. Two separate concerns were identified: Firstly, the Eosi were not, as they had assumed, the only highly intelligent species in the galaxy, and why had they never encountered the Others when they had been assiduously exploring this arm of the Milky Way? Secondly, how did the Others arrive at a technology so far superior to their achievements and how soon could they match and then surpass it?

Mentat Ix called to their attention the brief glimpse its shell had had of a comunit. Logically, an investigation should be made of the extant equipment for insights into the construction of the machinery situated on the colony planet.

Mentat Ix was assigned, with two younger Mentats which had technological skills and inventiveness to inspect and analyze the installations. The warship AA1 would take them there and also provide guards against any demonstrations by the indigenous population, who were known to be volatile.

As the superb new warship reached the ionosphere of the subject planet, its new propulsion system developed a fault, an oddity indeed, which resulted in a shock wave passing over the vessel from bow to stern. Gauges on detection equipment went off the scale for a nanosecond, then returned to normal positions, and the engines resumed operation as if they had never faltered. System analyses were run and damage reports undertaken, but no fault was found in any department of the AA1. Even the Ix Mentat was confounded. It liked that no better than the other shocks this wretched backwater system had given it.

The captain activated every safeguard provided by this latest example of Eosi-Catteni engineering and technology as he continued into the atmosphere of the third planet. There were no more life-forms detected than there should be, according to the numbers of prisoners sent there, and the numbers of lesser creatures previously assessed. There were 2,003 fewer humans than the records of removal but there would have been some casualties both in transport and since landing.

The Eosi had stipulated that they land at the point where most of the drops had been made, easily identified by the wrecked transport vessel.

Teams of guards trotted out of the AA1, to make a quick surveillance of the immediate area and the wreck. They were halfway across the field when they were suddenly attacked by aerial creatures. These were shot down with the accuracy for which such crack troops were famed. And identified as indigenous life-forms, previously recorded by the original survey team.

Reaching the wreck, they reported signs of intense heat and fire damage in the propulsion section. That, of course, was consonant with the reports from both the Drassi in command of the transport and the rescuers who had subsequently lost their lives in the second accident.

“Third,” Mentat Ix corrected the captain.

“Lord?” the captain asked nervously.

“The scout ship also disappeared after landing on this planet.”

“My pardon. I didn’t know of that incident, Lord.

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