The quantum rose by Catherine Asaro

Author:Catherine Asaro [Asaro, Catherine]
Format: epub
Tags: Skolian Empire (Imaginary place), Fiction, Science Fiction, Adventure, Life on other planets, General
ISBN: 9780812568837
Publisher: New York : Tor, 2002, c2000.
Published: 2002-01-31T08:00:00+00:00

file:///C|/3226%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/Catherine%20Asaro%20-%20Quantam%20Rose.txt

"Is he here now?"

"No. The war took him away."

Kamoj lifted her hand, meaning to touch him, to offer comfort. Then she hesitated, unsure what he needed or wanted. Uncertain, she dropped her hand again.

"I have a lot of brothers," he continued. "Althor. I always admired him. Looked up to him. He joined ISC too. Jagernaut."

"Jagernaut?"

"Cybernetically enhanced star fighter pilot. Like Kelric. Like those new bodyguards Colonel Pacal gave me."

"Althor is a soldier too?"

"Was." In a wooden voice, he said, "ISC gave him a beautiful funeral."

"Hai, Vyrl. I'm sorry."

He kept on, as if unable to stop. "There's my sister. Soz. We were closest in age, out of ten children." He finally turned to Kamoj. "You look a little like her."

"She is also a soldier? Like Dazza?"

"Dazza served under her."

"Where is she now?"

"Blown to dust."

"Vyrl, I-I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" His words came like leaded rain. "My brother Eldrin is still alive. The Traders captured him. You know what they do when they catch one of us? No, never mind. You don't want to know. My aunt and her son, they're gone. Prisoners, maybe. Dead, probably. Then there is Kurj, my uncle.

War leader before Soz. She took over after the Traders killed him."

"I'm so sorry." It sounded useless, saying that over and over. She had lost only her parents and that had torn apart her world. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose most of a large family.

He walked away, across the room. Bathed in pale light from the Far Moon and the aurora borealis, he climbed the dais. Then he turned to face her. "I'm a good farmer. You want crops with better yields? Bi-hoxen that can better survive your winters? I can work it out. That's what I wrote my doctorate on, the application of genetic engineering to crop and livestock development. I've had

Morlin running DNA simulations here."

"I don't understand what you're trying to tell me," she said.

"Farming." He stood in the moonlight like a statue, the planes of his chest stark in the colorless radiance that filled the room. "I've always loved it. You know where I got that? From my father.

He loved the land. And he loved us. His children." His voice broke. "At least I was there when he died."

She went to him then, joining him on the dais. Gently she said, "How did it happen?"

He rubbed his palm over his cheek, seeming surprised to find tears there. "Old age. Old wounds."

Dropping his hand, he said, "My father spent his last days with his family, in our family house, on our home world. The Allied military let us have that much."

"Allied?"

"The Allied Worlds of Earth." Bitter now, he said, "They were 'kind' enough to let us live in our file:///C|/3226%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20.../Catherine%20Asaro%20-%20Quantam%20Rose.txt (59 of 111) [1/3/2005 12:30:58 AM]

file:///C|/3226%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/Catherine%20Asaro%20-%20Quantam%20Rose.txt own homes. Of course, Earth now controls the entire planet where we live."

"Earth? I don't understand."

"I told you this afternoon. Our 'allies' betrayed us. They won't let my family go." In a quieter voice he said, "They believe that without my family to power the Ruby machines, ISC won't risk another war.

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