Resurgence
( Heritage Universe - 5 )
Charles Sheffield
A few years after the disappearance of the mysterious Builder Artifacts salted throughout the inhabited regions of the universe, a new phenomenon appears in the unexplored Sagittarian Arm of the galaxy, a force with the power to destroy planets. Capt. Hans Rebka and his team of galactic troubleshooters travel to the threatened Marglot system only to find themselves directly in the path of destruction.
Resurgence
by Charles Sheffield
Before we begin a systematic exposition of Theories of the Nature of the Builders (of which theories there appear to be at least one hundred and seventy-seven) it seems appropriate to provide what may be termed the Facts of the Builders. This is far easier than any enumeration of theories, since the facts are few in number: Fact 1: No living being, and no dead being whose word carries any semblance of validity, has ever seen or met a Builder. Fact 2: Various inorganic constructs possessing some form of intelligence have been found on, in, or in conjunction with objects created and left by the Builders. These constructs all claim to be of great antiquity. They also claim a full understanding of the Builder purposes in creating them. There are reasons to doubt the validity of all such testimonies, not least the fact that no two testimonies agree. Fact 3: The Builders made and left behind in the Orion Arm of the galaxy, and possibly in other galactic arms, a variety of constructions which are generally referred to as Builder Artifacts. More than a thousand of these are scattered around the Orion Arm alone. The purpose of many or most of them remains obscure. They range in size from a few meters, to lightyears across. The technology that went into their creation is beyond that achieved by any other species, living or dead, inhabiting these regions of our galaxy. Fact 4: There is no evidence that any Builder Artifact was constructed to be specifically inimical to organic life forms. Large numbers of deaths have been reported associated with different Builder Artifacts; however, in every case these deaths resulted from the unwise curiosity of beings seeking to explore, understand, or exploit the Artifacts. Fact 5: With one notable exception, every Builder Artifact was completed and set in position at least three million years ago. Any changes in Artifacts more recent than three million years appear to have been planned as part of their original design. Fact 6: Four years ago, there was unmistakable evidence of new, rapid, and unprecedented change in many if not all of the Builder Artifacts. Fact 7: At the same time, a completely new Artifact, named as Labyrinth by its discoverer Quintus Bloom, appeared near the star known as Jerome’s World. Fact 8: Soon after the appearance of Labyrinth, every other Artifact in the Orion Arm quickly vanished. Labyrinth itself was the last to disappear. Fact 9: Since the disappearance of Labyrinth, no evidence of any kind of Builder Artifact or Builder activity has been found in the Orion Arm. These, and these alone, are the facts concerning the Builders and the Builder Artifacts. We now proceed to the Theories themselves, which are legion.
A SURFEIT OF NOTIONS: Theories of Builder origins, activities, nature, and artifacts.
Author: Professor Darya Lang, Artifact Research Institute, Sentinel Gate.
This is an advance publication copy, and may be subject to additions and amendments.
CHAPTER ONE
On Candela, in the Phemus Circle
As a last meal it left a lot to be desired.
Hans Rebka stared down at the mess on his plate, then up at the guard.
“Kolker, what’s this supposed to be?”
Rebka was naked. He was shackled at the ankles and his hands could move only far enough from the iron chair’s arms to allow him to eat. Even so, the guard took a step back at the prisoner’s scowl.
“Isn’t it what you asked for, Captain?”
“I requested as my last meal the best that the planet could provide. Take a look at that plate. I’ve seen more inviting pig shit. Smell it for yourself, and tell me what happened.”
“Wait a minute. I’ll try to find out.” Kolker did not take up the offer to smell the plate of food. That would have brought him within reach of Rebka’s hands. He took another step back, close to the room’s bare stone wall, and his lips moved. Through his implant he was in contact with more senior officials. After a few seconds he nodded.
“Captain, that meal was provided on instructions from Minister Schramm. Apparently it is the best that the planet can provide. But not this planet. It is the best that can be had on your home world, Teufel.” The guard hesitated. He knew that every word and gesture was being recorded. “The minister thought that you would appreciate a little joke.”
“Did he?” Hans Rebka picked up the spoon. It was, like the plate and little tray that it sat on, made of a thin and flexible plastic that no amount of treatment or hardening could turn into a weapon. “I must be losing my sense of humor. But the terrible thing, Kolker, is that he’s right. I’ve been away from Teufel so long, I’m spoiled. Do you know what they say about Teufel?”
“Yes. I have heard it many times.”
“Then I won’t bother to repeat it.” Rebka dipped the tip of the spoon tentatively into the black goo on his plate. He tasted it, grimaced, and laid down the spoon. “Once I’d have gobbled this up and gone back for seconds. The minister knows what’s what in the worlds of the Phemus Circle . This is as good as it gets on Teufel.”
“Are you going to eat it?” In the weeks that Rebka had been in captivity, a peculiar relationship had developed between guard and captive. Rebka had done his best to become friendly, and he was good at that. But Guardsman Kolker, who suspected—rightly—that given half a chance Hans Rebka would kill him and try to escape, had remained respectful but aloof.
“I told you,” Rebka went on. “I’ve become picky these past few years. I’d rather die hungry than eat that.” Hands chained together, he waved the plate away. “It’s all yours. Do what you like with it.”
The guard approached warily and snatched the tray out of Rebka’s reach. “I can’t bring you anything else, you know.”
“I understand. And you can’t share your food with me, either, right? Don’t feel bad. I’ve been hungry before. And people waiting to be executed are not expected to enjoy their final night.”
Kolker nodded and retreated to the metal door. He pushed the tray through a narrow horizontal opening at waist height, then stood motionless. He seemed to be listening. At last he nodded, turned to Hans Rebka, and said, “Minister Schramm asks if you have any last request.”
“Certainly. Tell the minister that I would like to be allowed to write my memoirs.”
The guard frowned. Finally he said, “You are joking, are you not? Excuse me, Captain Rebka, but I do not think it would be a good idea for me to transmit that message.”
“Very wise of you. It’s my impression that Minister Schramm only like little jokes that come from him.” Rebka glanced around the bare, dimly lit and windowless cell. “So. What now, Kolker my friend? Dinner is over and death is twelve hours away. We have the whole night ahead.”
“I am to remain here with you. If you would like to talk, or if—”
The rest of Kolker’s words were cut off by a metallic rattling at the door of the cell. The guard spun around, pulling his weapon from its holster. He stood poised to fire as the door swung open.
The four men who entered were equally wary. They wore guards’ uniforms, and all held drawn guns.
“Stay right where you are, all of you.” Kolker, part of his attention still on Hans Rebka, backed up against the stone wall. “I have absolute orders to admit no one. If you do not leave this room at once, I must shoot.”
“You got orders? Well, so do we.” The biggest of the newcomers held an envelope out to Kolker. “I’m Colonel Toll. Check with Gu
ard Central if you don’t believe me.” Toll stared at Rebka. “He’s the one who caused all the trouble? He sure don’t look up to it. Anyway, we’ve come for him.”
“For Captain Rebka? I cannot allow that. I have orders from Staff Advisor Lanski to remain here with the captain until morning, when he will be taken away for execution.”
“And we have orders from Minister Schramm to take Rebka away with us. Do I need to tell you who’s higher in the line of authority?”
“I was warned that there might be some kind of rescue attempt. If I do not obey my orders—”
Kolker was interrupted by a laugh of disbelief from Rebka and by an impatient, “Read the bleeding papers, mister. We don’t have all night,” from Colonel Toll.
“They seem to contain the right authorization.” Kolker was trying at the same time to scan the document he was holding, keep one eye on Hans Rebka, and train his weapon on the quartet of guards standing in the doorway. “But this makes no sense at all. The prisoner is scheduled for execution at dawn, on the basement level of the building where we are now. This instructs you to take him to 132-B. That’s above surface.”
“More than just above surface. 132-B is Minister Schramm’s suite, up at rooftop level.” Colonel Toll waved his gun at Rebka. “Can you walk?”
“Try me.”
“Right. Get him out of those shackles, Guardsman Kolker. We’ll take over from here. Anything that happens to him after he leaves this cell will be my problem, not yours.”
* * *
Down in the basement cell there was no day-night change of lighting. Hans Rebka had been chained in near-darkness for more than three weeks. The elevators were almost as dimly lit as his cell, and sudden emergence into the brilliance of evening sunlight of Candela made him flinch and throw up his forearm to protect his eyes.
A familiar and outraged voice said, “He is naked! How dare you bring a prisoner naked into my quarters?”
Rebka lowered his arm and blinked away tears. His eyes could see only fuzzy outlines in the large, windowed room, but the voice told him that the figure a few paces away was Minister Schramm.
“I’m sorry, Minister.” That was Colonel Toll. “I was ordered to bring him here at once. No one mentioned clothing.”
“Did no one also tell you to use your common sense? Find clothes for him at once—or give him your own.”
“Don’t worry on my account, Minister.” Hans was beginning to see more clearly. “Once I’m executed I doubt if I’ll care what I’m wearing.”
“You will not be executed.” Another figure standing behind Schramm swam into focus. “Is that not correct, Minister?”
“It is correct.”
Schramm was a tall, fleshy man in a style of dress that for the impoverished worlds of the Phemus Circle represented extreme opulence. He spoke without enthusiasm, but Rebka paid him little attention. The man at Schramm’s side held his eye. He wore the shimmering white suit with gold epaulets and light-blue trim of an inter-clade Ethical Councilor. If any such councilor had ever before made a visit to Candela, or any other world of the Phemus Circle other than Dobelle, that was news to Hans.
“Though I should point out,” went on Schramm, “that the execution of this prisoner is more than justified. He attempted to bring down the authorized government of the Phemus Circle —”
“I am aware of the charges against him.” The councilor stepped forward, placing himself squarely between Rebka and the minister. “Don’t push your luck, Minister Schramm. There are those of the Council who believe that such a change to the Phemus Circle is long overdue. However, that is not my business today. Captain Hans Rebka?”
“Speaking.”
“I am Inter-clade Councilor Jeremiah Frole. I am here to inform you that you are needed on Miranda, and that you will leave with me.”
“As simple as that?” Rebka waved a hand toward Schramm. “With no objection from your friend the minister?”
“I provided the necessary . . . explanation.” Jeremiah Frole nodded toward a wall screen. Hans Rebka glanced across at it for the first time and realized that it showed a view of Candela as seen from space. The whole planet wore a circlet of bright points of light.
“Armed ships,” the councilor went on. “Two hundred of them. We had a previous unfortunate experience with the Phemus Circle . We sent for one of their political prisoners, rather than coming to collect her in person. She suffered, we were told, a fatal accident before she could leave the surface of Candela. We did not want that to happen again. We brought forces designed to discourage such a possibility.”
Schramm said, “Councilor, the previous case was no more than a regrettable—”
“Just so, Minister. I feel sure that nothing similar will happen this time.” Jeremiah Frole turned to Rebka. “Captain, how soon can you be ready to leave after you have clothing?”
“Forget the clothes. I’m ready to go right now.”
“Don’t you have possessions that you want to take with you?”
“Not one thing. Since we’re leaving, I guess I can do without this, too.” Rebka had been standing with his fists clenched. Now he opened his right hand palm upward, turned it over, and allowed a gram or so of blackish powder to fall to the floor. While the others stared, he said, “Pepper. The best I could manage. Took me nearly three weeks, saving it from my food.”
“What did you plan to do with it?”
“Whatever I could. At the very least, I’d give somebody a faceful. I wouldn’t go down without a fight.” Rebka turned to face Schramm. “I can’t say I’m sorry to be leaving—but don’t worry, I’ll be back.”
“If you have any thoughts of starting up another rebellion against the Phemus Circle government—”
“Of course I don’t. At least, not as my top priority. I’ll want to settle a few personal scores first with the people who sentenced me to death and locked me away. From now on you’d better watch your back, Minister. Every minute of every day.”
Rebka turned away without waiting for Schramm’s reaction, but Jeremiah Frole saw the instinctive movement of hand toward belt.
He shook his head. “Not this time, Minister, or you may not care for the result. We’ll be clear of Candela orbit and make our first Bose transition in half a day. After that you can do as you like—but it won’t be to this prisoner.”
He followed Hans Rebka out of the room. As they moved along the corridor he noticed for the first time the condition of the naked man’s legs and bony back.
“You were tortured!”
“I was?” Rebka turned his head and saw what the councilor was staring at. “Oh, you mean the sores. That wasn’t torture.”
“Then what was it?”
“Just what you expect when you have no clothes on, and they chain you to sit in an iron chair for a few weeks.”
“They did that to you? That is torture.”
“Not by Phemus Circle standards it isn’t. I’ve slept in worse beds. But don’t get the wrong idea, Councilor, I’m really happy that you came along when you did. I was beginning to wonder just how I was going to make it out of there. Gratitude doesn’t begin to express it.”
They had reached ground level and begun walking to a waiting car. They passed half a dozen men and women, but only Jeremiah Frole seemed concerned about Hans Rebka’s nakedness.
“We will provide you with clothing as soon as we are on board the ship,” he said. At the car he hesitated. “Your file describes you as a problem solver and troubleshooter. I hope that remains true.”
“Why? Seems to me you just got me out of trouble.”
“Perhaps. I notice that you have not asked why I came here to take you to Miranda. That is just as well. For if you were to ask, I am not at liberty to tell you.”
The councilor held open the car door for Rebka. “However, when you do learn the reason why you are being removed from Candela, I hope that your feeling toward me and the Council will still be one of gratitude.”
CHAPTER TWO
On Xerarchos, at the far end of the Zardalu Communion
For the full three weeks while Hans Rebka sat naked in a rusty iron chair, Louis Nenda had lived the good life. Thirteen hundred lightyears away from Candela, he sat now in lordly ease and surveyed the arid surface of Xerarchos.
True, the planet beyond his ship’s ports was not most people’s idea of a garden world. The dust storms came every season and raged worldwide for months on end. The air was thin and dry and tasted like powdered iron. If you went outside without a suit, fine grit worked its way into your teeth and eyes and every body cavity. Water was so scarce on the scoured surface that no gemstone or precious metal could match it in value, ounce for ounce. The natives were warlike and bloodthirsty. An honest man was defined as one who stayed bought for more than a day or two.
But now you had to look on the good side. Louis Nenda had come here voluntarily, knowing that his ship was well-armed and if it came to a fight he could kick the ass of any native group. He did not have to breathe Xerarchos air, or eat food grown on Xerarchos. Best of all, the water generators on board the Have-It-All made him the richest being on the planet. The locals would die to learn their secret. And if that’s what it took to keep control, Nenda was quite willing to let them do it.
He placed his boots on the lip of the rounded observation port, leaned back, and scratched his hairy rib cage. He yawned. A few more weeks, to squeeze out the limited best that Xerarchos had to offer, then the Have-It-All would lift off and seek another source of commercial advantage. The local arm of the galaxy was full of them. There was a new sucker-world born every century.
Pleasant thoughts were interrupted by a faint sound from behind. He jerked around, and confronted a nightmare. The creature stood on one pair of its six dark-brown legs, rearing twice the height of a man. The segmented underside was dark-red, rising to a short neck banded by scarlet-and-white ruffles. Above that sat a white, eyeless head, twice the size of Nenda’s own. A thin proboscis grew out from the middle of the sightless face and curled down to tuck into a pouch on the bottom of the pleated chin. Yellow horns in the middle of the broad head constantly scanned whatever stood before them. A pair of light-brown antennas, long even in comparison with that great head, were unfurled to form two meter-long fans that quivered delicately in the ship’s warm, moist air.
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