Right now, though, it's not my main worry. My main worry is human, small and blonde, she's on the viewscreen now, she's from Temporal Investigations, and she's not helping.
"Ah've bin readin' yon data ye've sent me," says Captain Caird, "and, tae be honest, it's way over mah heid, hen. But Ah've passed it on tae th' science types, an' they're - weel, I willnae say they're nae worried, but it's nae over temporal incursions."
I don't know what's wrong with the universal translator. "So what are they concerned about?"
"Yon anomaly's got potential tae be a source o' temporal disruptions," says Caird. "'Course, that's nae tellin' ye much, onything's got that potential. But yer man Vansittaert is right, it's spittin' oot antichronitons among all th' other stuff, and that cannae be guid."
"Is there any possibility that he's right? That the anomaly is causing the conditions for its own origin?"
Caird purses her lips. "Onything's possible, hen, but Ah widnae have thocht so. If yon anomaly's in the middle o' a predestination paradox, that is the sort of thing that'd show up on oor radar. No, Ah reckon yer man's tellin' ye a bunch o' porkies, there."
I think I grasp her meaning. Maybe. "All right. I'll keep passing on the data I get, and if you can do anything -"
"Ah'll keep ye posted, fair enough, hen. But ye ken that one's a big if?" She gives me a kindly look. "Sae many things we cannae tell ye aboot.... But if we can help ye, we will."
"I suppose I can't ask any more than that," I say. "All right. Thank you."
"Ye're welcome. An' guid luck, Admiral, ye'll need it. Caird oot." The screen goes blank. I heave a sigh.
I only just have time to sigh, before the door of the ready room chimes at me. "Come in," I say.
Marya Kothe comes in. "Sir -" she begins, and then she is pushed aside, and T'Shal marches in.
"I am here to request an explanation," the Vulcan scientist says. I'm not an expert on Vulcans, but it seems clear that the emotion she's currently repressing is anger.
"That'll be all, Commander Kothe, thank you," I say. Marya snaps to attention and backs out. "Take a seat, please, Professor T'Shal," I continue. "What can I do to help?"
She advances into the room, stops just before my desk, and sits down. She's a middle-aged Vulcan academic, small and slight... but I know Vulcans; if her emotional control snaps, I'll be lucky to get out of this room in one piece. "You are questioning the integrity of my research project," she says. "I wish to know why."
"Because your research project is highly suspect," I say. Bluntness helps.
"Specify your concerns."
"Gladly. Galactic Object 4704 is not a Sokek object. Your research is predicated on the idea that it is. That makes your research suspect."
She does the eyebrow thing. That's a good sign. It means she's interested, now, as well as angry. "How have you reached the conclusion that GO4704 is not a Sokek object?"
"Very easily. And you should have reached the same conclusion, which worries me. It's the wrong shape. It's a toroid."
She opens her mouth, but seems to think better of whatever response she's about to give. I just look at her. She closes her mouth again. There is a pregnant silence.
"I am unable to fault your logic," she says, eventually.
I don't say anything. I just watch her.
"A denatured singularity... could not assume a toroidal shape, without some intervening influence being applied. And I am not aware of anything which could so modify the collapsed space-time of a singularity point. It is logical, therefore, to assume you are correct, that GO4704 is some other class of anomaly." She closes her eyes for a moment, then opens them again. "Wait. An ancillary line of speculation becomes important. Why did I not take account of this fact?"
"That's the key issue, to me," I say.
"Have you formulated a hypothesis?"
"I'd be interested to hear yours."
"I... have none. As yet." She closes her eyes again. "I am not trained in the Kolinahr or related forms of mental discipline. To assess one's own mental status, without such techniques, is problematic."
"And that makes a whole lot of sense," I say, "in terms of my - hypothesis. I'd guess you haven't had any particular training in resisting mental influence, either?"
Her eyes open and fix themselves on mine. "Mental influence? As in, hypnosis or telepathic coercion?"
"You're working with Karabadian. A crank from a virtually unaccredited institution - but there's no guaranteeing he doesn't have psi ability. Some humans do. And not all of them are ethical." I lean forward, keeping my gaze fixed on hers. "That's my hypothesis. Whatever GO4704 is, it's something that Karabadian wants. Or maybe Karabadian and Vansittaert. One of them might be using the other... and both of them are using you."
She looks down, suddenly unable to meet my eyes. "This is... perturbing," she says. "And... mortifying."
"I didn't realize the importance of the object's shape until I was off Vansittaert's ship," I say. "Outside Karabadian's psionic range, if I'm right. They have some plans for the object, and they do need your expertise in subspace field theory to gain control of it. Possibly Shemosh's, too, he's a genuine expert like you."
"Conceivably." She looks me in the eye again. "You do not believe Academician Shemosh to be the source of this... influence?"
"I doubt it. Deltan emotional influence is pheromonal, and it's kind of focused on one thing. And Shemosh knows his stuff - I've read his papers, and yours."
"Vansittaert's stated intention is to use the anomaly as a source of unlimited material wealth. A cornucopia. If he is able to control that exclusively, perhaps -" She shakes her head. "I do not see how this would benefit him. He is already immensely wealthy. Besides, it is inconsistent with my knowledge of him as a person. I have not always been with him in Karabadian's company - I have known Vansittaert for some years. I believe him to be quite genuine in his desire to do good."
"Desire's one thing. Results can be quite another. Besides, we don't know that his desires are at the back of this."
"I see." She takes a deep breath. "Regrettably, I must concede that I am far less sure of Karabadian's good intentions. But it is necessary to know what their plans are."
"I know. I've been trying to backtrack, to go through your existing data and find our what they might be applying it for. Maybe you can help, now."
"Conceivably. Though I would be concerned over falling under mental influence again.... It is possible - indeed, probable - that Karabadian wishes to find, or invent, data supporting his triaxial hypothesis. To gain personal and academic prestige by simple fraud."
"Possible. But that's very much the best-case scenario." I've had time to think about this, and to worry. "The potentialities of that anomaly - well, we don't know what they are. And if Karabadian, or Vansittaert, were to abuse them in some way... that might not be something we could survive. Worst-case scenario, it might not be something anyone could survive."
No comments:
Post a Comment