abcnovels
Book 3: Chapter 11: Remains
Book 3: Chapter 11: Remains
Book 3: Chapter 11: Remains
Bill
March 2223
Epsilon Eridani
I was making some modifications to Bullwinkle when I got a ping from Mario. I gave my roamers instructions that would keep them busy for a while, and rematerialized my VR.
Mario popped in a moment later. He turned to Jeeves, who had appeared at his elbow, and requested a coffee, then sat down and gazed at me.
“Okay, Mario, I know you well enough to realize the inscrutable act always means trouble. What’s up?”
He looked down and smiled, acknowledging the score. “Yeah, okay. Uh, I’m not sure where to begin.” Mario took a sip of his drink, then put it down and laced his fingers together. “You know we’ve been continuing to scout the stars around GL 877, trying to map out the Others’ depredations.”
I nodded. “I’m guessing the dramatic pause isn’t to give me good news.”
“Hah!” Mario shook his head. “If anything, they’ve been more active in the other direction. Probably a combination of luck and proximity of the stars in that area. Anyway, we’ve found five other life-bearing planets that they’ve depopulated, including another civilization. Late industrial, early atomic era. About equivalent to Earth in the mid-twentieth.”
“Wonderful. So the Others have yet another notch on their collective holster.”“And another nail in their coffin. Bill, I know I’m probably preaching to the choir, but I don’t see any resolution to this that involves the Others continuing to exist.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s been discussed. You know it has. And we’re the ones who will have to do it, assuming we even can.”
“There’s Daedalus and Icarus…”
“Long shot.” I waved a hand at Mario. “What about you and your clones? You’re closest. Anything you could do?”
Mario smiled without any humor. “Sure. Except, by some enormous coincidence, there’s no metal to be had anywhere around GL 877.”
“Okay, got it.”
Mario was right, of course. The home system of the Others was out at the periphery of explored space. By definition, since exploration had pretty much stopped once we’d discovered them.
“Claude and a large number of the Bobs from the Delta Pavonis defense are heading for Gamma Pavonis. Maybe you can arrange something with them.” Mario looked at me with one eyebrow raised.
I nodded, then grimaced. “I’ll do that, Mario, but I think Claude took the defeat really hard. I’m not sure he’s going to be entirely rational where the Others are concerned. His talk was all about defending Gamma.”
“Well, you have a few more years until his group gets to Gamma. Maybe come up with a sales pitch.”
I sighed. If there was a hell, it was in sales.