Wolfgang lost his detached and casual manner. He looked hard at Sy. “Quite right, sport. We started with the same idea. But now we think half the Universe communicates on those long frequencies. Like our friend there. We call that a Kermel Object, but that’s only a name. It’s still a major mystery. We think it’s a sort of big brother to the Gossameres. They all send signals to each other, multi-kilometer wavelengths.”
The displays showed a full three-hundred-and-sixty degree field of view. Sy moved quickly from one to another, checking for the dark, spidery shapes. “The screens show Kermel Objects in all directions,” he said. “How far away are they?”
“Good question,” said Wolfgang. “A long way — a damned long way. We estimate the nearest one at two thousand light-years, and even that nearest one is out of the plane of our galaxy. They’re not galactic objects, generally speaking — they’re intergalactic objects. Unless you get to a quiet place like this, you can’t hope to detect them at all. Come on. You’ll have plenty of opportunity to find out more about the Kermels, but for now I want you to get the ten-cent tour. I’ll tell you one more thing, though: You’re looking at possible intelligence there — and it’s an intelligence that seems to be older than this galaxy.” He continued around the outside of Gulf City, making a circuit that was more than five kilometers long. Sy did not speak again. Elissa asked questions about everything, and Gibbs did his best to answer. Once inside Gulf City, any secrecy toward outside inquirers appeared to vanish.
They saw billions of cubic feet of power generation equipment, and massive drives sufficient to allow Gulf City to cruise where it chose in interstellar space. Near the center of the structure there were food production facilities enough to feed tens of thousands. Most of them stood idle. According to Wolfgang Gibbs, the current population of Gulf City approached seven hundred, though the capacity was more than ten times that.
Finally, after showing them corridor after corridor of living accommodation, Gibbs stopped and shrugged his shoulders. “It will take you a month to see everything, but you should have enough now for a first impression. Take a break, and make yourselves comfortable here. All these suites are fully equipped. The information system will tell you most things about the city that I haven’t covered. I’ll make sure the service robots will accept your voice commands — but don’t expect instant response, we’re always short of service. We have an appointment in JN’s office in three hours. I’ll see you there.”
“Where is that?” asked Elissa.
“Ask the info-system if you want to go there on foot. If you’re feeling lazy, just give the command. If you want me, use the call system.” Wolfgang Gibbs winked at Elissa, manipulated a control on his belt, and vanished. * * *
“So. What do you think?” asked Peron.
Elissa looked up at the ceiling. They were alone at last. Sy had left them a few minutes after Wolfgang Gibbs, saying he needed time to think. Peron and Elissa had wandered for a while along the endless corridors, poking their heads into kitchens, entertainment areas, and exercise rooms. All were deserted. Finally they found a set of living quarters that appealed to them, and decided they might as well move in. Now they were lying side by side on a huge, cloud-soft floor area.
“What do I think?” she said at last. “I think we’re being monitored.” “When in doubt, assume we are. But does it make any difference?”
“I guess not. But I think we’re going to see sparks fly here at the next meeting. Did you notice the way that Sy and the Director General looked at each other?”
“Judith Niles? It was hard to miss it. She’s probably used to a lot of respect. You know old Sy, he’d be rude to the devil.”
“I told him to go easy.” Elissa laughed. “He said she was arrogant.” “Coming from Sy, that’s a bit much. What does he think he is?”
“I told him that. He says that maybe he has ‘the natural suspicion of youth for age’ but that she has the ‘intolerable arrogance of unquestioned authority.’ According to Sy, she’s surrounded by yes-men and yes-women, and she thinks she knows all the answers.”
“When in fact, he does?” Peron was irritated. He was still slightly jealous of Sy — particularly when Elissa sounded admiring.
“No. He says he has a hundred unanswered questions, but he didn’t want to go into them with Gibbs. He’s waiting for a shot at Judith Niles.”
“So am I. But there’s really only one question to be asked. Why does Gulf City exist?”
“You heard what Wolfgang said: to study the Kermel Objects.”
“Sure — but that’s nonsense.” Peron rolled over to face Elissa. “Look, I can imagine a group of pure scientists arguing that it was worth the enormous effort of setting up a research station out here in the Gulf, to decide the nature of the Kermel Objects. But you’ve met Judith Niles. Can you see her swallowing that argument? She’d throw them out of her office in two minutes. I think Sy will ask her the main question — and rather him than me. But if he doesn’t, you and I must do it.”
Peron sounded unhappy but resolute. Elissa said no more, but she snuggled closer to him and took him in her arms.
Almost a mile away, in a secluded area on the other side of Gulf City, Wolfgang Gibbs was engaged in his own secret meeting with Charlene Bloom. They lay side by side in an empty room, in darkness and with all monitors turned off. “You noticed the difference, didn’t you?” he said softly. “I think we caught a new breed of fish this time. Sharks, maybe, instead of guppies.”
“I agree. JN certainly thinks so, too. You could feel the tension between all four of them. Especially with the dark-haired kid — he didn’t give her an inch. I’m not sure I want to be at the next meeting. She’ll have her hands full.” “I sure as hell hope so.” Wolfgang Gibbs smiled bitterly in the darkness. “You know the trouble with the two of us, Charlene? We’re outgunned. JN’s the boss, and we know it, all three. We just can’t argue with her, even when we’re on the right side of the issue. She has too much firepower. I’m sick of this place, and I’m beginning to hate S-space life, but I still can’t tell her I want out.” “You mean leave? Leave Gulf City and JN completely?” Charlene Bloom pulled away from him. “We couldn’t do that. We’ve all been together since the beginning.” “Yeah. And that’s too long. Over fifteen years, most of them in S-space. God, Charlene, don’t you think we need a new look at things here? And I don’t believe we can provide it. Maybe those three kids can. You and I should be off, out to pasture, running a planet contact group or a Sector Headquarters. Maybe we should go to Pentecost, where they came from.”
“Did you tell them about their three friends?”
Gibbs scowled and shook his head. “Not yet. I couldn’t do it. They’re expecting them to roll up here at Gulf City. I’m leaving it to JN to break the news. They’ll hear it soon enough. That’s going to be hard for them.”
There was a long silence.
“Wolfgang?” said Charlene at last.
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry you feel the way you do.” Her voice was unhappy and tentative. “I know it’s frustrating here, sometimes. But I’ve been very happy, all these years. I know my limitations. I could never have done what Judith has done, pulling us together and holding us together. Nor could you. And you can say what you like about living in Gulf City, but we’re working on humanity’s biggest problem. If we don’t find a solution, it’s the end of the road for homo sapiens. And if you’re making a sacrifice, JN is making one that’s just as big.” “I know it. But she’s calling the shots. Suppose we’re off on the wrong tack? JN thinks we’re making progress, but as far as I’m concerned we’re in just the same position as when Gulf City was created — that’s over fifteen thousand Earth-years ago. What have we accomplished in all that time? And how long do we have, before it’s all over?”