"Piemur, I would like you to accompany Jaxom," Aivas said when the group rea.s.sembled.
"I"m not supposed to go with him this trip," Piemur exclaimed.
"Originally, no. Two men will be needed for what should now be the first project. To demonstrate proper respect for Sallah Telgar, it is fitting that her mortal remains be brought back to Pern and properly interred. No doubt, Lord Larad would like to attend to whatever burial rituals are currently practiced."
A profound silence prevailed until Robinton cleared his throat.
"Yes, that would be not only respectful and appropriate, but a long-overdue honor for such a valiant lady. I"ll inform Lord Larad immediately."
"Would her s.p.a.ce suit be usable after all this time?" Piemur asked, curious. When he saw the shocked expression on Jancis"s face, he belatedly realized how callous that sounded and, groaning, hid his face against his arm. Farli curled her tail consolingly around his throat.
"With some minor repairs, it is to be hoped that the s.p.a.ce suit is usable," Aivas replied so calmly that Robinton was certain that recovery of both body and suit had been planned from the start. "You are both to dress as warmly as possible, as the bridge temperature currently reads ten degrees below zero."
Jaxom was unmoved by that information, since he was used to the absolute cold of between, between, but Piemur gave a dramatic shudder and hunched his shoulders as if already warding off the chill. but Piemur gave a dramatic shudder and hunched his shoulders as if already warding off the chill.
"Can Farli come, too?" he asked.
"That would be advisable," Aivas said. "If Jancis"s Trig will accompany Farli, there would then be two fire-lizards who understand this sort of between between transfer." transfer."
Despite an obvious reluctance, Jancis instructed her young bronze Trig to settle himself on Piemur"s right shoulder. Jaxom and Piemur left the buildings by themselves so as not to suggest to anyone outside their small group that this journey was anything unusual. The bulky tanks of oxygen, which Aivas had insisted they bring in case of emergency, had already been secured to Ruth"s back, but Jaxom checked the ropes before he and Piemur mounted.
"Ready, Piemur?" Jaxom asked over his shoulder.
"As ready as I"ll ever be," the harper replied, resettling his grip on Jaxom"s wide belt. "But I"m awfully glad Ruth"s already been there."
Tell Piemur not to worry. It"s fun fun to float! to float! Ruth remarked as he launched himself. Ruth remarked as he launched himself.
As Jaxom pa.s.sed on that encouraging message, he felt Piemur"s spasmodic tug on his belt and knew that the harper was also nervous. Not that he didn"t trust Ruth to get them there. It was just such a long way!
Between never seemed so cold nor the transfer so long, yet Jaxom, counting silently, reached ten seconds just as they emerged onto the bridge deck of the never seemed so cold nor the transfer so long, yet Jaxom, counting silently, reached ten seconds just as they emerged onto the bridge deck of the Yokohama. Yokohama.
"Are we there yet?" Piemur asked. His hands were rigid on Jaxom"s belt. As Jaxom looked over his shoulder to rea.s.sure the harper, he realized that Piemur had his eyes squeezed shut.
Rather than laugh at his friend, he cleared his throat and turned his head forward-and began to slide sideways off Ruth"s neck.
"Shards! What"s happening?" Piemur exclaimed, opening his eyes as he and Jaxom continued to slide to their right until they came up against the cold wall.
Don"t make sudden moves, Ruth warned both of them. Ruth warned both of them.
"I heard you, I heard you," Piemur replied. The freezing wall seemed to burn through the leather of his helmet and his jacket. "It is cold up here!"
Jaxom only nodded. "I"m going to pull us back up on Ruth, Piemur," he said. Carefully grabbing a neck ridge, he slowly righted them. Farli unwrapped her tail and peered up at Jaxom, chirping encouragingly.
"That"s all I need," Piemur said wryly. "My fire-lizard telling me how to handle free-fall! " Farli pushed off from his shoulder and floated upward. Trig squeaked; when Farli answered him in an encouraging tone, he let go of his perch and, following her example, also drifted away. The two came to rest on the ceiling, chittering animatedly.
"That"s enough, the pair of you," Piemur said, disgusted.
"They"re not coming to any harm," Jaxom said, "and Ruth says if we move slowly enough, we"ll be all right. We"ve got a lot to do. Look, Piemur, I"ll dismount-carefully-and then you can untie the oxygen tanks. Ruth says the tanks are bulky and he doesn"t move until we"ve untied them. He He wants to look out the window." wants to look out the window."
"He would!" would!"
Jaxom heard the note of self-disparagement in Piemur"s voice and grinned. "They did have some practice, you know."
"Hmmmm! The air here smells peculiar, sort of dead."
"It"ll probably improve with the fresh tanks," Piemur said cheerfuly.
Cautiously, Jaxom dismounted on the right-hand side of the white dragon. Keeping between Ruth and the wall might prevent him from floating about.
Your placement is perfect, Ruth, he told his weyrmate approvingly, hanging on to a neck ridge as he judiciously lowered himself. he told his weyrmate approvingly, hanging on to a neck ridge as he judiciously lowered himself.
It"s the only place I"d fit, Ruth remarked, slowly turning his head to his right to observe the margin. I"ll Ruth remarked, slowly turning his head to his right to observe the margin. I"ll hook my tail so I won"t drift when you unload me. hook my tail so I won"t drift when you unload me.
Now I know why dragons have tails! Jaxom replied, giving a nervous chuckle. Jaxom replied, giving a nervous chuckle.
"Don"t laugh," Piemur warned. He had just swung his leg over and had to clutch at Ruth"s wing joint to keep from floating upward.
"I wasn"t laughing at you, Piemur. Ruth"s just found out how to anchor himself. Watch his tail. And dismount to the right, not the left. Don"t grab that wing joint so hard. Wings are fragile."
"I know, I know. Sorry, Ruth." But as Jaxom watched anxiously, he could see that Piemur had to make a considerable effort to effort to relax his grip. "I"ve done some crazy things in my life, stealing fire-lizard eggs, crawling into carry-sacks, scrambling along sh.o.r.elines-but this is undoubtedly the craziest," Piemur muttered to himself as he eased off Ruth"s back, following Jaxom"s example. At last his feet touched the deck. "Made it!" he exclaimed. relax his grip. "I"ve done some crazy things in my life, stealing fire-lizard eggs, crawling into carry-sacks, scrambling along sh.o.r.elines-but this is undoubtedly the craziest," Piemur muttered to himself as he eased off Ruth"s back, following Jaxom"s example. At last his feet touched the deck. "Made it!" he exclaimed.
Wedged between the wall and his dragon, Jaxom began to untie the ropes that secured the oxygen tanks to Ruth"s back.
"Huh!" Jaxom exclaimed in surprise as the tiniest push sent the first tank drifting toward the deck. "Well, easier off than on!
As Aivas said." He grinned at the young harper, who was gaping in surprise. "No weight at all." With one finger, he pushed the second tank after the first.
"Hey, I could get to like a place where work is play," Piemur said with a grin as he began to relax.
"Here-let"s stack them against the wall. By the first Egg!" Jaxom inadvertently used more force than necessary to lift the tank and nearly launched it over Ruth.
"Wow!" Piemur stretched out to restrain the tank and found himself rising. But he was quick enough to grab Ruth"s wing and correct the reaction. "Yeah, this free-fall stuff has distinct advantages! I"ll tend to the others."
While Jaxom watched in surprise, Piemur took a firm hold of Ruth"s shoulder neck ridge and executed an effortless flip over the white dragon"s back.
"Whee!" The exclamation was part laugh and part surprise that his unorthodox maneuver succeeded in guiding him neatly into the narrow s.p.a.ce between the dragon and the railing around the upper level of the bridge. "This is fun!"
"Watch it, Piemur. We don"t want those tanks crashing into anything."
"I"ll just tie these down."
"It is safest to secure any loose object on board a s.p.a.cegoing vessel," Aivas agreed, as calm as ever. "You are doing well. Bridge temperature is still rising, and all proximity alarms are quiescent."
"Proximity alarms?" Piemur asked, his voice rising in surprise.
"Yes, this facility is now receiving function reports and damage a.n.a.lysis," Aivas went on. "Considering its length of time in s.p.a.ce, the fabric of the Yokohama Yokohama has not had a significant breach. The solar-powered deflector shields display no operational damage. As you will remember from your studies, these panels provide power to the small thrusters that keep the ship in its geosynchronous...o...b..t. There has been minor penetration of some of the outermost sectors of the main sphere, but these were automatically sealed off. None of those sections are now required. The doors on the cargo bay are still open, and a malfunction light is on. However, your a.s.signed tasks take precedence. Please proceed. Oxygen remains at a normal level, but you will shortly feel the effects of the low temperature, decreasing manual dexterity. Gymnastic displays should be curtailed." has not had a significant breach. The solar-powered deflector shields display no operational damage. As you will remember from your studies, these panels provide power to the small thrusters that keep the ship in its geosynchronous...o...b..t. There has been minor penetration of some of the outermost sectors of the main sphere, but these were automatically sealed off. None of those sections are now required. The doors on the cargo bay are still open, and a malfunction light is on. However, your a.s.signed tasks take precedence. Please proceed. Oxygen remains at a normal level, but you will shortly feel the effects of the low temperature, decreasing manual dexterity. Gymnastic displays should be curtailed."
Jaxom smothered a laugh and hoped that only he had heard Piemur"s insolent mutter about all work and no play.
Moving carefully, Jaxom ducked under Ruth"s neck and took a firm hold on the railing. To his surprise, he saw that Piemur was hovering motionless on the wide steps down to the command level of the bridge. Looking up from his circ.u.mspect movements, Jaxom, too, was transfixed by what had stunned the harper. Below them lay Pern; its blue seas glistening to port; while to starboard was visible the coastline and vivid greens, browns, and beiges of the Southern Continent.
"By the Egg, it"s just like the pictures Aivas showed us," Piemur murmured reverently. "Magnificent!"
Unexpected tears p.r.i.c.ked his eyes, and Jaxom swallowed hard as he viewed his world as his ancestors had once seen it at journey"s end! That must have been a triumphant moment, he thought.
"It"s big!" Piemur added, daunted by the prospect.
"It is a whole world," Jaxom replied softly, trying to reorient himself to the incredible size of it.
With great majesty, the scene was imperceptibly altering as the planet swung toward the dusk line.
"Jaxom? Piemur?" Aivas recalled them to their duties.
"Just admiring the view from the bridge," Piemur said briskly. "Seeing"s believing." His eyes still on the wide window, he floated over to the flight of stairs and pulled himself hand over hand along the railing down to the flight deck. From there he used every available handhold to make his way to the console he was scheduled to program. At last he wrenched his gaze from the spectacular view and studied the job at hand.
"I got more red lights than I like," he told Aivas as he strapped himself into his seat.
Jaxom, making his way around the upper level to the science positions, could see the red lights on those boards, as well. He pulled himself into a seat and strapped in.
"I"ve got them, too!" he said. "But not on the telescope settings."
"Jaxom, Piemur, key in the override commands and then go to manual."
Jaxom"s board was immediately cleared of over half of the red dysfunction lights. Three remained, along with two orange lights. But none of those would interfere with the program he was to initiate. A quick glance told him that Piemur was already tapping away at his a.s.signed keyboard.
Jaxom set to work, stopping now and then to flex his fingers and gaze wonderingly at the fantastic view of Pern. Nothing could detract from that spectacle, not even the comical antics of two fire-lizards cavorting in the weightlessness. Oddly enough, their excited squeakings and chitterings as Farli dared Trig to more and more outrageous maneuvers helped dispel the unreality of this bizarre environment.
Once Jaxom began to concentrate on setting the program for the telescopes, Ruth released his tail anchor and drifted with great dignity toward the wide bridge windows, where he could indulge his fascination in Pern and the starlit blackness. The fire-lizards continued their chittering conversation.
I don"t know what they are, either, Ruth said. Ruth said. But they"re pretty. But they"re pretty.
What"s pretty? Jaxom asked, looking Jaxom asked, looking up. Can you see the other two ships? up. Can you see the other two ships?
No. There are things flowing past us.
Things? Jaxom craned across his console to see what Ruth was seeing. However, his view was blocked by the bodies of the dragon and fire-lizards, who had their faces pressed against the far right of the bridge viewport. Jaxom craned across his console to see what Ruth was seeing. However, his view was blocked by the bodies of the dragon and fire-lizards, who had their faces pressed against the far right of the bridge viewport.
Suddenly all three creatures flung themselves back, away from the window, the motion sending them careening toward Piemur and Jaxom.
"Hey, watch out!" Jaxom ducked as Ruth zoomed overhead. At the same moment, there was a distinct rattling sound.
"Something"s. .h.i.tting us! " Piemur cried. Unstrapping quickly, he pushed himself off to the viewscreen.
"What is. .h.i.tting you?" Aivas demanded.
Piemur b.u.mped against the viewscreen, looking right and left. "Jaxom, ask Ruth what he saw. I can"t see anything." Pressing his left cheek to the plasglas, he tried to see beyond the thick curve of the window.
Things-like fire-lizard eggs-coming straight at us, Ruth replied. Ruth replied.
"Well, there"s nothing out there now," Piemur said. He headed back to his station, grabbing the back of his chair just as he was about to overshoot it.
"Aivas?" Jaxom asked.
"The pinging indicated the screens deflecting a small shower of objects," Aivas replied calmly. "No damage is reported. As you will have learned from your studies, s.p.a.ce is not a barren void. Minute particles are in constant motion through s.p.a.ce. Doubtless a shower of some sort startled Ruth and the firelizards. You would be wise to continue your tasks before you.
Jaxom noticed that Piemur, too, was not completely rea.s.sured by that explanation. But it was true that the icy cold was seeping through their layers of clothing and so, as Ruth and the firelizards cautiously, with much chirping and twittering, returned to their positions at the window, the men returned their attention to their consoles.
Jaxom worked as fast as he could, but still the cold increasingly penetrated the down-lined gloves that had always kept him warm through hours of Threadfall. Maybe s.p.a.ce was colder than between, between, he thought, flexing frozen fingers. he thought, flexing frozen fingers.
"Aivas, didn"t you say there"d be heat on the bridge?" he complained. "My hands are getting numb with cold."
"Readings indicate that the bridge heating is not working as efficiently as possible. It is probable that the resistive ceramic of the units has crystalized. This can be repaired later."
"That"s good news," Jaxom said as he double-checked his entries. Then he straightened up. "Mine"s done-program ready."
"Activate," Aivas ordered.
Jaxom punched that key with some trepidation-though the Egg knew how he could have gotten it wrong with the endless drills Aivas had put him through in learning the sequences of att.i.tude, exposure, and sectors. With considerable personal satisfaction, he watched the fast-forward scroll of the display as it confirmed his plotting.
"This board"s much faster than the ones we"ve been using," he remarked.
"The equipment on the Yokohama Yokohama was state-of-the-art when the ship was commissioned by the Pern Charter Group," Aivas said. "High-speed computations would have been essential in astronavigation." was state-of-the-art when the ship was commissioned by the Pern Charter Group," Aivas said. "High-speed computations would have been essential in astronavigation."
"I told you we were using baby stuff," Piemur murmured.
"Before the infant walks, it must learn to crawl," Aivas said.
"Is everyone hearing all this?" the harper demanded with some indignation.
No.
"I thank your mercy for that! And my program"s up and running, too, by the way."
"That is correct. You must now begin phase two of the schedule. You will find the auxiliary oxygen storage behind Bulwark B-8802-A, -B, and -C," Aivas instructed.
Piemur was shaking the fingers of his gloved hands. "My fingers have never been this cold! I"ll give you Bitran odds this bridge is colder than between." between."
"In point of fact," Aivas remarked, "it is not. But you have been in that very cold temperature far longer than you have ever remained between. between."
"A point," Jaxom reminded Piemur as they pulled themselves up along stair rail. "Remarkable feeling, this weightlessness," he said with a comradely grin at the harper.
Piemur gave him a happy grimace of agreement. Just then Farli and Trig came tumbling end over end above their heads, making them duck-which sent them bouncing off the steps.
"Careful! " Jaxom cried, reaching for the railing as smoothly as he could.
"Ohohohohoh!" Piemur continued to float on up to the ceiling.
By the time Jaxom, securely holding on to the rail with one hand, had grabbed the floating Piemur by the ankle and hauled him down, neither was sure whether to laugh or swear at their clumsiness. However, the slight mishap made them all the more circ.u.mspect in their motions. They located, opened, and examined the auxiliary oxygen compartment, then carefully removed the one empty tank, maneuvered the four they had brought with them into the s.p.a.ce available, and made the necessary connections to bring the replacements into the system.