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carbon-based life: two sets of twin worlds, one set at the sunward side
of the region, the other just within the farthest, coldest limits.
All four worlds possessed the unmistakable signs of living systems. More
than that, all four worlds cradled civilizations.
Victoria's elation and her apprehension fought each other to a draw.
"Wow," she said.
"Don't get carried away with excitement," Awaiyar said dryly.
Satoshi laughed. "That's pretty excited, for a Canadian."
They grinned at each other. Then Satoshi sobered.
"We can't stay here, you know."
Victoria stared at the system map, wishing she could argue with him, but
knowing he was right. If they stayed,
METAPHASE 335
the cosmic string would withdraw. Starfarer would cause 61 Cygni-and all
its inhabitants-to be cut off from the interstellar community. How could
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they sentence other civilizations to the punishment they were trying to
avoid?
"But Starfarer's ecosystem She stopped.
"You're right. I know you're right."
She reluctantly set Arachne to work on a new solution to her transition
algorithm.
"We're going to have to change the name of the ship," Satoshi said.
"To Murphy's Law, " Victoria said, repeating a wisecrack Stephen Thomas
had made.
"I was thinking, Flying Dutchman.
"Oh, god. Goddamn! Europa must have known the risk! Why did she lead us
here?"
"To take advantage of our good natures, so we'd give up and leave?"
"That makes . . . a certain amount of perverted sense." She laughed
bitterly. "Does Europa believe we have good natures?"
"Maybe she wanted some help driving us away," Jenny said, floating beside
her.
That, too, was a possibility, one that sounded rather more like the alien
human's style.
Infinity stood on the inspection net below a fissure in the rocky outer
surface of Starfarer's wild side. Nearby, clinging to the cylinder-hanging
upside down, from Infinity's point of view-a silver slug probed the
fissure, touched the strange iridescent mass, and withdrew again. The slug
moved back and forth, confused, uncertain.
The stars spun past behind and below Infinity; the surface of the
cylinder loomed overhead, marred by the weird growth.
"What do you think?" he asked Esther.
Still bewildered and awestruck by the voyage through transition, Esther
stared upward in silence.
336 VONDA N. McINTYRE
Infinity sent his image, and an image of the growth, to Victoria in the
sailhouse.
"We picked up something kind of strange, in transition," he said.
There was a long silence.
"It wasn't there before," Infinity said.
"Are you sure?" Victoria asked.
"You can look at the scans if you don't believe me!" he snapped.
Esther glanced at him, startled. Infinity looked away, embarrassed by his
own outburst.
"I didn't mean Victoria said. "I'm just sur
prised."
"Yeah. Join the club."
"Maybe it's interstellar trash," Esther said. "You know . . .
Civilization's landfill?"
It was Infinity's turn to give Esther a skeptical glance. She shrugged and
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grinned.
"Just-a suggestion," she said.
She stretched up and laid her gloved hand on the bulging surface.
"Be careful!" Infinity said.
"It's kind of hot," Esther said. "And it's moving."
"It's one of Nerno's egg cases!" Zev's voice appeared out of nowhere,
followed by his image.
"Oh, nonsense," Victoria said.
441t is.,,
"How could it be, Zev? It resembles one, but Nerno's egg cases are back in
the Sirius system."
Griffith's image appeared. He and Kolya perched precariously on the
inspection web of Starfarer's campus cylinder.
"I think we should get rid of it," Griffith said. "I'll go over and pry it
loose-"
"No!" Victoria said. "Don't do anything. Do you hear me? Kolya, tell
hirn-!"
"It might destroy the ship!" Griffith exclaimed. "It's a risk I-"
"Petrovich, Victoria's right."
METAPHASE 337
"if it's one of the egg cases," Zev said, "J.D. will hate us if we kill
it."
"We aren't killing anything," Victoria said. "Whatever it is, I think we
should watch it for a while before we decide what to do. I wish J.D. .
. ~ " She stopped speaking for a moment. "Infinity, would you set Arachne
to watch it? To keep an eye on it? Please don't you and Esther put
yourselves in danger!"
"We'll be careful," Infinity said.
Starfarer disappeared from J.D.'s perception.
She gasped, first frightened, then hopeful. Starfarer must already have
reached normal space on the other side of its flight path.
She waited impatiently to follow it across the border at the edge of
transition.
Instead of fleeing, the alien starship decelerated. Soon Starfarer was
gaining on it. The details of its surface grew clearer. Arachne displayed
the pattern of its islands and lakes, confirming Victoria's judgment of
its identity.
Unless, Victoria thought dryly, the interstellar community only makes its
starships in a few models. . . .
Arachne's warm touch notified her of an emergency message. She accepted
it.
The maze of the alien humans formed itself, twisting and complex, as
fascinating and beautiful as ever. And as uncommunicative.
I hate that maze, Victoria thought, startling herself with her vehemence.
The maze faded; Europa's image appeared in its place. The Minoan was
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exquisitely beautiful, her cinnamon-colored skin clear and perfect
despite her age, the brightness and blackness of her eyes enhanced by
narrow lines stroked onto her eyelids, her graying hair in perfect
ringlets, dressed with strands of silver so artfully crafted that they
moved like living things.
338 VONDA N. McINTYRE
"It's beginning to look a little crowded in here," Jenny said.
The alien human, survivor of the Minoan civilization, smoothed her homespun
skirt and smiled at Victoria as if she were a beloved, errant child.
"Hello, Victoria," Europa said. "I'm very glad to see you.
"Hello, Europa," Victoria said, astonished. "I didn't expect such a warm
welcome."
"We have things to talk about."
Androgeos appeared beside her. He was as beautiful as Europa, though he
maintained himself at a much younger apparent age. They were both small,
about Victoria's height, narrow-waisted, and muscular, especially in the
thighs. Victoria always wondered if they practiced bull-leaping.
"Is Alzena all right?" Victoria asked.
"Alzena is no concern of yours anymore," Androgeos said. His tone was
nowhere near as friendly as Europa's. "Alzena is gone to you."
"Is she all right?"
"She wants her privacy," Androgeos said. "Can't you understand that?"
"Certainly I can. Thank you for answering my question."
"Now answer mine," Androgeos said. "Do you intend to turn the Four Worlds
into an empty system, the same as you've done to Sirius? There are people
here, not just squidmoths."
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