Deshan stepped to the parapet as well and heard the man at his side take a deep breath. "Isn't it magnificent?" Paronn asked. "It's as though the world is born again each morning, endowed with new possibilities."
That was something else that astonished Deshan about this man: there was a romantic side to him hidden in the shadow of his dynamism, and sometimes it emerged into the light.
The following minutes passed in silence as Apsu climbed higher and the city awoke.
And then Paronn's little morning ritual came to an end. He turned around. "A new day has begun," he said. "Let's get to work."
Even though Deshan was not directly involved in events and, in truth, experienced them only from the perspective of an observer and listener, he felt as though the hours flew by. He knew that Levian Paronn had two important meetings today, but Paronn apparently did not allow that fact to make him neglect the many other things that required his attention. His work was like a complicated mosaic that had to be assembled from scratch each day and consisted of many small pieces: documents that had to be reviewed, reports that had to be read and analyzed; conferences of all kinds; suggestions and proposed solutions when problems arose; the delegation of tasks since Paronn did not make the error of trying to accomplish everything himself; and many other only seemingly small things that could not be squeezed into any particular category.
The midday meal was not a break, but part of the work. Today Paronn used it for the first of the two important meetings. They sat at a table in the shade of a tautly stretched awning over the guest section of the roof terrace restaurant: Levian Paronn, Deshan Apian, and Mepha Hatan, director of the Spaceflight Solidarity of which Impetus was a part. Hatan was an older, dignified man with many gray strands in his hair and a strikingly large nose. He did not wear any symbols on his shirt, but Deshan knew of his high Merits and so greeted him with due respect.
After the customary exchange of polite phrases, during which Paronn seemed very relaxed, Hatan came to the point. "The progress that Impetus has made is indisputable," the Solidarity director said as he deftly cut up the roasted fish on his plate with a knife and fork, "but it has not escaped my notice that Impetus is undergoing a shift in focus. The production of replacement and expansion components for Orbital One and Two are becoming secondary in favor of developing new propulsion systems."
Deshan watched the two men and listened attentively as he ate.
"In the last half-year, we have produced more components for the two space stations than in the previous year," Paronn replied evenly.
"In absolute numbers, yes. Production capacity has increased. But within the facility, the percentage of resources allocated to the orbital stations has fallen, while more is being provided to the various development departments than ever before."
Paronn let his knife and fork sink. "I know where you're going with this," he said, and Deshan heard the tone of a man who is choosing his words carefully. "The means of the Great Solidarity must be employed so that they have the greatest utility for all forty-nine Solidarity Communities."
"Yes. We cannot afford to waste economic potential."
"But it would be just as wrong not to invest in the future. The space stations are a step, a permanent settlement on the Moon another. But if we want to reach the planets, we need considerably more powerful propulsion systems, or else the ratio of costs and returns will look very bad. Think of all the raw materials in our solar system. If we had transport systems that were cheap and above all efficient enough at our disposal, the Lemurian economy could grow enormously. But new propulsion systems don't just fall into your lap. We have to research and develop today so that we have them tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."
Mepha Hatan chewed slowly and nodded. "I quite agree with you. Assuming that things stay within these boundaries. Now, I wanted to clear this up with you so we can represent a common position tonight. The Solidarity Taman will address exactly this point: the usefulness of spaceflight and all its associated projects in the context of overall economic development. Like you and many others, I am of the opinion that our future lies in space, but we must explain to the many people out there that we are not wasting the portion that we employ of our society's economic potential, but are putting it to good use. That applies to the Solidarity Taman, too. We owe him and the community of the Great Solidarity an accounting."
"I have nothing to hide," Levian Paronn said.
Which sounded a little odd to Deshan's ears.
The afternoon passed as quickly as the morning, and the Chronicler was amazed by the number of documents that Levian Paronn received and within a few hours passed on. Among them was an approval of the concept that Kaho Tiraha had presented to him that morning. The sun was sinking towards the western horizon when Paronn made a tour through the most important laboratories of Impetus. He spoke with department heads and scientists, and had them report the progress they had achieved as well as their difficulties. On this occasion, Deshan saw faces that were already familiar along with some new ones—Levian Paronn was constantly searching for capable technicians and creative innovators.
Before Deshan left Impetus to pick Mira up for the reception, he went to his Chronicler's room in the office section. There he composed the first draft of a new report that he would submit to Marroar's media as well as add to Paronn's chronicle.
When he had finished it, it was quiet in the office area and darkness had fallen outside. He left his room and noticed that the light was still on in Levian Paronn's office, spilling out of the open doorway into the corridor. Deshan glanced inside and saw that Paronn was not there.
He hesitated briefly before entering the room. It was not forbidden for him to be here—as an official Chronicler, he was allowed access to all areas of Impetus—but to look around alone in Paronn's office ... Deshan felt almost as though he was violating his private space by doing that.
Even so ... he could not resist the temptation.
In the display case on one side of the room lay several Merit insignia. But their presence seemed almost casual; they were not there to show off their possessor's achievements. Deshan had already noticed that Paronn had little regard for such things, which amazed him since Merit counted as one of the driving forces in Lemurian society. He used the Merit symbols only when he encountered administrative or economic problems in his work.
Deshan turned from the display case and was about to leave the office when something on the large, flat vidscreen next to Paronn's desk attracted his attention. He stepped closer and saw schematic diagrams of enormous tubes, each of them several kilometers long. They were divided into individual modules that simulated gravity by rotating. Deshan interpreted the symbols and bent over to examine the details. He saw hydroponic installations, generators, reactors, engines without technical details, passenger quarters—no, living areas, with complex, self-regenerating water circulation systems and self-sufficient biological environments. What were these supposed to be? Models for future space stations?
Deshan was familiar with the connection between industrial potential, technological level, logistics, and the possibilities of spaceflight. After the first manned Moon landing, five years had been required to build two space stations in orbit around Lemur. The largest of them had a maximum diameter of thirty-five meters. These stations were hundreds of times larger as well as considerably more complex and equipped with far more advanced technology. What industrial-economic potential was required to build such orbiting stations?
He took a closer look.
No, these were not construction plans for space stations. They were designs for kilometers-long spaceships that could take thousands of people to the stars.
The evening reception took place in the festively decorated Merit House in the middle of Marroar, and at the center of attention stood Solidarity Taman, Darhan Gephelos. He had come from Pataah and along with six other Solidarity Tamans he was part of the Coordinating Council of the Great Solidarity.
"It's very
illustrious company," Mira Deshan whispered. They sat at a side table together with Levian Paronn, Mepha Hatan and his mate-companion, and several Meritworthy individuals from the Spaceflight Solidarity. The central table was reserved for those persons who enjoyed an especially high Merit status and they came from all parts of Lemuria: economic administrators, economic planners, social administrators, Curates, and all manner of conflict arbitrators. The economic sector clearly stood out in the foreground. Science also played a part, but not as dominant a role.
Mira enjoyed spending an evening in such honorable company, and Deshan was glad for her while he remained concentrated on his work and gave priority to the Chronicler in him.
Waiting staff hurried here and there, serving drinks and culinary specialties while dignitaries from Marroar gave introductory speeches. Finally the Solidarity Taman stepped to the podium at the front of the hall and the room grew quiet.
Deshan scrutinized the older, rather short man. He wore inconspicuous clothing that displayed only the symbol of the Great Solidarity and no Merit medals. Everything about him emphasized modesty, and the attentive Deshan thought he could sense the weight of responsibility that lay upon that man who, along with six others, largely guided Lemur's history. Darhan Gephelos's calm and soft voice matched his appearance, but one could also sense from it decisiveness and the firm determination to lead Lemur in the right direction.
He spoke of Lemuria's economic progress, of new industrial facilities that had been built underground in order not to overburden the natural environment, and of growing cities in the planet's cold regions.
"Our goal is to increase the prosperity of all and to utilize our growing economic potential so that everyone will benefit," he said. Deshan suspected what was coming. He remembered the exchange between Paronn and Hatan. "In this connection, there are differing opinions. Some communities consider it promising to employ considerable resources investing in attempts to initiate a global climate change that will banish the ice and reclaim the continents buried beneath as new land to live on. Others would like to increase our efforts in the field of genetic technology. And a very influential group is reaching out into space."
At this point, Darhan Gephelos allowed himself a smile that made him appear like an understanding father. "They are all correct when one views these things from their respective standpoints. They are all concerned with the well-being of our Solidarian community. But who shall receive more resources? Which projects are of the greatest use to us? For several years, the Spaceflight Solidarity has been expanding and laying claim to ever more economic resources. It has not lacked for successes. I recall the first landing on the Moon five years ago and the two continuously manned space stations in orbit. But there are also critical voices that maintain we should concentrate more on our own world instead of wasting a not insignificant portion of our economic capacity on extraterrestrial activities."
Here and there murmuring voices grew louder, and the Solidarity Taman waited until it became still again. "For this reason I would like to give the Spaceflight Solidarity an opportunity to answer the criticism in front of all of us and explain what practical value the program has for all our lives."
Mepha Hatan had been waiting for that cue. He rose, walked to the podium, and stood next to Darhan Gephelos.
"I thank the Solidarity Taman for giving me the possibility of explaining to you why the space program is an important investment from which we are already profiting even today and which will bring us even greater returns in the future. But if you will permit me, I will turn the floor over to my colleague, Levian Paronn, who is head of Impetus. I believe he is the one who can best explain why we need the space program."
As Levian Paronn stood up and took his place at the podium in turn, Mira bent over to Deshan. "Was this planned?" she whispered.
"I don't know," he replied.
Hatan and Gephelos moved aside and Levian Paronn stepped to the microphone. He did not seem at all surprised or uncertain—if this really had not been agreed on in advance, he had prepared himself even so.
He spoke more loudly and with more emphasis than the two speakers before him as he listed the space program's successes and gave a detailed account of the benefits for the Lemurian Solidarian community. Those included satellites for monitoring the weather and for communications, space stations in which numerous scientific experiments took place, among them the development of new materials and innovative manufacturing processes, and in the relatively near future a base on the Moon for beginning the extraction of extraterrestrial raw materials.
"All these efforts cause dynamic continued progress in various technological fields, which in turn stimulates the growth of our economic potential and makes all of our lives easier. But there is yet another reason why the space program is so important."
Levian Paronn paused and let his gaze sweep out across the many people in the hall.
"Our survival," Paronn said, and Deshan noticed that his voice had changed in some subtle way. He spoke in a somewhat lower tone than before, forcing his listeners to listen more closely, and his words expressed a new earnestness. "The Konos took us to the edge of oblivion once already—our race was almost annihilated. Such a danger must never threaten us again, and that is why we must go out into space and settle on other planets. Only then will it be assured that we Lemurians survive as a species. That is the great benefit it has for all of us. Our survival."
Levian Paronn bowed, then stepped back from the podium.
For a few seconds, there was complete silence in the hall. Deshan had the feeling that everyone present was holding their breath.
Then Darhan Gephelos raised his hands and clapped. Mepha Hatan followed his example, and the people at the tables did likewise. Everyone applauded, including Deshan and Mira.
"He's a good speaker," Mira said as they went home after the reception late that night. They walked down an avenue on the edge of the central Merit District and the wind whispered in the treetops above them.
"Darhan Gephelos?"
"Paronn," Mira said. "He found the right words at the right time. The secret of every good speaker. Shall we sit down?"
They found seats in a small sidewalk cafe at the end of the avenue and the Merit District. Beyond reared skyscrapers, one of them where they lived with their daughter Tamaha. Lights shone and sparkled in the pleasantly warm night, and Deshan once more felt privileged when he thought of Torhad and the people who lived there in the cold. The thought reminded him of something.
After a waiter had brought their drinks, Deshan leaned forward and asked in a low voice, "Have you been able to make inquiries?"
Mira took a swallow. "I've sent artificial intelligence search programs into the DataNet," she said. The digital information they've found shows that Trui Paronn and Kaila Rinauro died almost thirty years ago in a traffic accident in Kanrar and their son survived."
"Why did you emphasize the word 'digital'?"
"Three analog information sources reported the end of a family in this connection," Mira continued. "An entry in a House Memorial and two different printed periodicals."
"What do you conclude from that?"
Mira brushed her black hair back. The light from the nearby streetlamp made her large brown eyes sparkle. Deshan felt enchanted by her beauty once again and thought, I'm privileged in this respect, too.
"In my opinion, there isn't any reason to doubt Levian Paronn's claims. Why are you so suspicious?"
He leaned back and considered. "I don't know," he admitted at length. "It's not my rational mind that's suspicious. It's just ... "
"Instinct? Intuition? A hunch?"
Deshan shrugged. "Let's assume for the moment that not only Trui Paronn and Kaila Rinauro died, but their son as well. Would it be possible for someone to take his place? Without anyone noticing anything?"
"I'd be tempted to consider something like that impossible, but it isn't completely out of the question. Someone could plant data that describe the cou
rse of a lifetime: school records with pictures, test scores, training, the first steps in a professional career ... "
"Could such data be created after the fact?"
Mira laughed briefly. "The answer should really be 'no' here, too. But absolute data security doesn't exist, and you can't tell from digital information how old it is. Somebody who's good enough with Zephalons ought to be capable of adding this or that to existing databanks without being noticed. After that, it's just data among more data."
"A fictitious life story ... " Deshan murmured.
"Possible, but extremely unlikely," Mira said. "And besides, why should Levian Paronn lie?"
"To that I have to give you the same answer as before: I don't know." Deshan suddenly felt like a fool; his mere suspicion seemed absurd to him.
As they later continued their way home arm in arm through the mild night, Deshan's unease faded away and he simply enjoyed having Mira at his side. She would accompany him on his way through life, and that was reason enough for him to be happy.
14
Jorgal
Jorgal felt the slight tingling of a new Uncertainty in his body, but this problem seemed trivial in comparison to the situation in which they found themselves.
"Hilaila is dead," Darhel said in a low voice.
The Machine Whisperer lay in a dark corner of the adjacent room, far from the light that he now perceived as disturbing and unpleasant. Such a feeling went along with almost all Uncertainties.
"Hilaila ... " he murmured. "It's too bad." His left hand felt to the side and touched the soft skin down of the sleeping Memerek.
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