Wine of the Gods 4: Explorers Read online

  They handed Never and Question some baskets leaking delicious food odors before studying the gyps.

  "This is Harry Traveler, Lady Gisele and Sir Romeau Ayres." Never plumped a basket down on the hood of the gyp and started unloading it. "And yes, they too are gods."

  Lefty cleared his throat. "These people are from a place they call Earth, and have opened a trans-dimensional gate to our world. We've been studying them while they study us for the last month or so. Question and Never spent two weeks on Earth." A bit of exasperation leaked into that last. The four "gods" looked amused, but sobered as they studied the Earthers.

  Hastings stepped up with what sounded like a canned speech. "We bring you greetings from the United Earth Government. We are a powerful people, but peaceful. We hope to be your friends."

  The first god snorted. " 'We're from the Government. We're here to help.' The scariest words ever spoken by man. Why don't you tell us all about it over dinner?"

  ***

  Never handed over her books, and watched worriedly as the four gods read about dimensions.

  The Earthers had all laid out their bedrolls in a group, away from the natives. Gisele had magically reinforced their sleep. Romeau had taken Lefty to Karista, to report, and then returned.

  To read. Genetic engineering. The history of the universe and the human race as it splintered with every major change that both did, and did not, happen. Never opened Ancient History. Looked sideways at Suzy Explores the Dimensions.

  "I like this theory," Harry poked one book. "That reality is a mental average of about a hundred parallel 'branes', and that only a serious difference will separate a membrane enough that you can't see it, or see out of it. The wider the consequences, the larger the separation. Like a blister, small or large, but all coming back together where the change doesn't matter. Big enough difference, the whole universe splits. Small difference and it all comes back together again. The larger the difference, the longer before it all rejoins."

  "So there's all these thousands of universes, and they're all just right here we just can't see or touch them." The Auld Wulf had his head clutched in his hands. "I don't like what this is doing to my digestion. I have memories of growing up in a very different sort of place than this. What happened in between?"

  Lady Gisele was reading her way through the medical book, unresponsive to any questions.

  Sir Romeau tapped the history book. "I think maybe we've conflated our real Old World with the 'Old World' of the other hemisphere."

  Never nodded at the gates book. "They've found something like fifty worlds with humans living there. Seven of them, the natives speak something descended from their language. Which was why we picked up theirs so easily, and can read these." She picked up The Mysteries of the Past and turned to the mystery of the disappearing genetically engineered people and held it under the Auld Wulf's nose. He snatched it and started reading.

  Romeau leaned to read over his shoulder. "Look at the timing. Thirteen hundred years ago they got rid of several million genetically engineered people in a horrible genocide—except they never found any physical evidence of the deaths, no eye witnesses when they regained some perspective and started feeling guilty half a century later."

  Never shifted. "Maybe those seven—eight or even more now—worlds that speak their language are where they stuck the genetically engineered."

  The Auld Wulf nodded, then looked back at the book. "And there was a big explosion, possibly nuclear, that destroyed the corporation and the mutants. Why would there be a nuke in the middle of Wisconsin?" He rubbed his temples.

  Romeau raised his head. "So they couldn't just cook up a bunch of our clones. So they couldn't find us. They couldn't work gates back then without us."

  Harry frowned at the Auld Wulf. "I know you were trouble, but where the hell would you have gotten a nuke?"

  Gisele snorted and closed the medical book. "Do you remember what it was like? The terrorists? We always worried what they'd do if they ever got one. Wolfgang was Special Forces, remember? The Senate threw a fit when they learned that one of us was so well trained in mayhem."

  The Auld Wulf was frowning.

  Never shifted. "Were you exiled, or did you escape?"

  Harry chuckled. "They exiled everyone else. Then we thirteen, the last gods they had in hand, we escaped, slid through the gate with the last of the exiles. And now that they've found us, we find that they've also almost forgotten us."

  "And they don't need us, according to all this. I think perhaps we should be a bit reticent about our personal pasts, until we understand these people a bit better." The Auld Wulf frowned.

  Romeau sighed. "I think I was happier not knowing this. I can almost remember it. Most of the engineered just had problems fixed, a few had improvements. But we gods, we were experiments. We had everything. We were virtual slaves. The term god referred to our abilities, not our social status." He looked around the desolate wastes. "I think we should get together, far away from other people, the collective subconscious, more often. You lot now know enough that you're enabling our memories, not suppressing them." He glanced toward the sleeping Earthers. "I can barely feel them. They have almost no magical ability."

  Gisele snorted. "Will we remember all of this tomorrow, once we're back in civilization?"

  Romeau wrinkled his nose. "I suppose we'll find out. I'll go fetch Lefty again tomorrow, see if the government is ready to talk to these people. This is such an . . . interesting opportunity. I don't think we can ever go back to Earth, so the question is, can they accept us for what we are and trade and deal with us as equals, or are they always going to consider us second class, if not third, and abrogate treaties as they become inconvenient?"

  "They were all a bit shaken up by the traveling. I think they won't be too inclined to write us off as mere savages." Dydit yawned. "I'm going to sleep so I'll be conscious when introducing this lot to the King and Council."

  They all settled down in short order, and Dydit didn't flee when Never unrolled her blankets just bare foot away from his.

  Chapter Thirteen

  20 May 3477

  Dallas Twelve fifty-three

  "With so much static, we need to go to security protocol three three." Lon listened to the crackle and hiss and heard nothing. "Security Protocol three three. Security Protocol three three. Security Protocol three three. Security Protocol three three. Security Protocol three three." He glared at the equipment. Protocol three three involved compressing triple copies and burst sending three times. "At least we'll be able to understand you, and the security radio protocols of the DONA people ought to be able to handle it."

  He sat back and stared at the radio trying to hear an acknowledgement. Had he been right to rush this trip? He'd feared the Gate Authority would show up and arrest Dydit and Lefty. If he could just initiate friendly relations . . . Get an agreement to mine on this continent, and leave them alone . . . Perhaps they'd have time to analyze the genetic engineering, research their history. Not over react and assume they were the enemy.

  But he was nearly at the limit of what he could do, and it was time to remember his responsibility to his cadre and his company. This would be a good time to think about shifting to Twelve-forty, after he was finished with Seventeen. Leave the astronomers here for a month or two to check out the comets' orbits and assess the risk of an impact. Come back in six weeks and see if the contact group had returned. In fact, this would be a good opportunity for everyone to take some home leave. Pack up the equipment and abandon the boxes. Order new boxes, hire some hunters with big guns and go check out the Pleistocene animals of Twelve-forty.

  He called everyone in for a meeting.

  The astronomers and Nelson's young geologists, off to collect soil and core samples, were the only ones who couldn't make it.

  "I'm being recalled to deal with a problem on Twelve-seventeen. We're about at the limit of what we can do here until we have a treaty with the native government. So, it is time to pack
up and head for Twelve-forty?"

  "But, but . . . " Nelson looked shocked.

  "If we just play along quietly, not mentioning a major find, and leave a token presence to hold the lease, we can start up again, when the legal stuff is done. Then we can come back and make all sorts of wonderful discoveries." He eyed the people seriously. "Dee, all your genetic work needs to be kept quiet for a bit. I know you don't like the idea, but think about it, the other two prospects are in the same band, you can date their splits, check their plants and animals and see what comes of it. Publish in a year or three when you've got it all wrapped up solidly, and hopefully we know whether or not Lefty and Dydit are Oners. If we get back here, we can find more of the natives. Six is a pretty damn small sample."

  Dee nodded. "If Rae can collect samples from both people and domestic animals we'll be able to test our theories."

  "You can check all those samples in your lab on Twelve-forty. Maybe we can get the analysis of plants and animals from Twelve-seventeen. Assuming they got any work done at all, while JJ was screwing up. If I go there, I'll collect samples for you. Dallas has swapped interests with several other companies, so I may be able to get you several other worlds' samples as well."

  Kia Farr drummed her fingers. "Can I be part of the token presence? I want to study this damned gravity . . . thing."

  "I was thinking about asking the astronomers to stay." Lon chew his lip. "I'd rather you leave recording equipment here, and analyze it from Twelve-forty. I suppose it depends on how the Government reacts to the possibility of Oners here. If they send in a science team, I may be able to sub-contract you to them. But let's leave you as chief geophysicist for the cadre, for now.

  "So. Everyone box up all your movables for a gate on the eighteenth. Take a couple weeks leave, visit your families. I'll leave notices on the Company Board, to keep you updated. George, you're in charge of packing and moving. We'll leave the large stuff in place, hoping to come back and finish this job. I'll leave most of my gear here, for now."

  They all broke up to go various directions, and Lon grabbed a scout to drive him to the astronomers. It was an impressive mountain, especially in contrast to the plains it rose above, standing alone, removed from the taller mountains to the north and south. But the bulldozers had created a pretty straightforward path that got Lon there as the sun set.

  The astronomers, Howser and Jameson where surprised by his visit, and shocked at the thought of shutting down now. "We have years of observations to make. This world is about forty years out of sync with Earth, so we know right where to look for novas, supernovas and gamma bursts. This place is a treasure trove of ways to check for large scale distant differences between Universes. And that's on top of tracking all the comets and near earth asteroids. It's a real mine field up there."

  "I see. Well, in that case I'll consider you a part of the caretaker operation, and make sure the camp gets you food and supplies regularly."

  And that was that. Javier put the charger on the wheels and cruised slowly down the slopes. He was whistling and relaxed, so Lon refrained from apologizing for keeping him working so late.

  George dropped a very early breakfast in front of Lon.

  "The astronomers are going to be staying, so I need at least one person here long term to order food from home and get it to them. You interested, or would you rather come with us, and leave someone else in charge?"

  "Hmm. I'm inclined to stay. I heard about the mosquitoes on Seventeen, and dire wolves on Forty. I'm getting near to retirement anyway. Not that I want to retire now, mind you, but a small camp to run and feed for a few years sounds kinda nice. Get Broxford for Forty, if he's available. He's not the snotty nosed kid you remember from Middleford."

  "All right. I'll promote you to Camp Manager as soon as Ray's officially switched to Forty. I still don't know how far the DONA people will get. I suppose we'll see soon enough whether you'll have enough people to keep you busy, or whether you'll be bored to tears."

  He checked the radio log and found the recommended triple triple and waited while the computer decompressed, compared and finally spit out an almost static free communication.

  "We should get to Karista tomorrow, to meet Lefty's King Rebo. I think Lefty went ahead to give him a complete brief on how Earth treats natives. We'll follow our usual methods and should be back in six weeks, give or take the way they travel around here!" Jerold Hastings sounded nice and healthy. Chatty. "Your people are just delighted with the villagers we met today. Very high literacy rate here, and Rae said to tell Dr. Odessa that everyone is almost as healthy as Dydit and Lefty. That is apparently not universal. We've been talking with their wives Never and Question, who are interested in medicine, and are talking about making magic potions for everyone. We may be able to swap antibiotics for your mineral rights."

  Lon thought that over and recorded his own message. "See if the King is interested in a hospital. We could build one, distribute vaccines and antibiotics in exchange for mining rights. Unless the One World has beaten us there. Try to find out." He sent the message to the computer for replication, compaction and transmission.

  Lon made a note to schedule a gate time in seven weeks. He'd check on their progress, and either leave them here or remove them and terminate the linguists' and sociologists' contracts.

  Nelson looked over his shoulder. "Damn! I should have sent drones up over the ice cap. If they are there already, there must be an ice free area north of the Mongolian uplift. Southern Siberia over to the Pacific, probably. That actually makes more sense than a canyon across the arctic to North America."

  Lon nodded. "Good point. Bit of a relief, to not have to think about an eight thousand kilometer long rift, isn't it? Unfortunately it puts a native government on the same continent as our big discovery."

  Nelson shrugged suddenly. "Remember we've got two other prospect worlds. We can always just sell the lease here, probably at a profit, based on the crater samples. No matter what problems there are, those assays will make it worth the effort."

  Lon nodded. That would take care of everything but my conscience. "I'd rather we keep it ourselves and swap medicine for mining rights. We'll see. I'll talk to George about checking up on them daily."

  He'd learned years ago to travel light and never really unpack. He hustled Ray and they lined up to head back to Earth.

  ***

  Roxy eyed the city laid out before them and admitted to being impressed. Sir Romeau had teleported them to a hill top inside the city, that gave them a good view to the west and north, toward the center of the City. Behind them, the ruins of what looked like a church sat in overgrown bushes and lawn. The main entrance was half collapsed, and marked by smoke streaks. Bet there's a story behind that.

  Lefty pointed. "See those two palaces on hills, facing each other across the park? The one to the east, our right, is the Council Hall. The one on the left is the Royal Palace. The two tall towers further left are part of the King's College. Closer to us, that red brick complex is the Main Council Hospital, on East Wind Street. If you have any medical problems while you are here, just ask a taxi to take you to the East Wind Hospital."

  Farnsworth snorted. "We have our own medicine along. Much better. Strong medicine."

  Roxy winced. Did they have to keep talking like the natives were idiots? Did they have a clue what they sounded like?

  Lefty raised an eyebrow. "Well, come along. If you see anything that interests you along the way, just ask." His new horse jogged off, and Roxy slipped in behind him. Jerry followed, everyone looking around as they crept through the town at the horse's pace. No matter. Roxy turned off her engine and switched to electric drive. At this pace the solar cells in the hood could probably handle the load, without tapping the batteries.

  They'd split up, with Ivan Kolnavik riding with them and some of the company people riding in the other gyp. They been getting looks as they sat and talked. Now people were stopping on the street, everyone gawping at the horseless wagons.
Probably take awhile for them to get used to the gyps and trucks of a modern society. Horses snorted and tossed their heads, but didn't seem unduly alarmed. There was a lot of foot traffic, but also wagons and carts, all rather small. Like what she'd have called a buckboard from old western flicks, and a few boxed in, closed wagons not unlike Dydit and Lefty's wagon. None of the big six draft horse hitches she'd seen in parades at home. Plenty of lightweight, single horse wagons. Carts. Whatever they called them. Obviously made to carry a few people each, pulled by speedy, fast trotting animals. Perhaps a quarter of the horses in sight were ridden. The streets were moderately clear of horse manure; there were carts out collecting it from the stone paved streets.

  Lefty turned on to a broad street and picked up the pace. Still slow by Earther standards. People were still stopping and staring, a few stepping up to get a good look at the gyps. Fascination and avarice, damn little awe or fear. Roxy caught a snatch of comment. " . . . not a steam engine, must be . . . " She wondered a bit just how to classify a civilization that used teleportation as their main long distance travel method. It had obviously cut down on innovation. But if steam engines were known, they'd still be early industrial . . . The batteries swung to discharge as they climbed a hill, and she recognized the Royal Palace.

  From the gyp behind, Jerry raised his voice. "Why not the Council Hall?"

  Lefty looked back. "Because I answer to the King first. However, I suspect several of the Councilors will be on hand."

  Ivan perked up, but kept his voice down. "Divided leadership is always an easy way to take down a government. We'll need to cultivate people in both the Royal and Council sides, then we can play them against each other for concessions."

  Roxy followed Lefty through the gates that swung open as they approached. He stopped at the base of the broad marble steps and handed his horse off to a waiting teenager. She waffled, half wanting to stay with the gyps, but finally walked up the broad steps with the others. After all, she'd worked for the company longer than the others. Lon had authorized her to speak for the Company.