"So how do we get back?" Broghuilio demanded.
Estordu shook his head bleakly. "The energy concentration that it took could only be created by systems with the capacity of VISAR and JEVEX focusing through the h-grid. There is nothing like that here. We have no way of getting back." Broghuilio's face colored and began to swell. "You can shout as much as you want, Excellency, but it won't change anything," Estordu said. "What we should be thinking about are the options we have here. There is no other choice."
Such talk from the normally obsequious Estordu was so out of character and unexpected that Broghuilio stopped as he was about to speak, deflated, and for a moment just stared. Maybe Estordu was still more traumatized than he showed. The Captain and other officers within hearing, and other members of Broguilio's staff who had appeared, digested the information somberly.
Wylott had a mild gash on one cheek but nothing worse apart from a bruise or two. "So we are without primary h-grid power?" he concluded. "Just the auxiliary system?"
"So it appears, General," the captain said.
"We will need to put down somewhere soon," Wylott observed.
A barb congratulating Wylott on his brilliance began forming reflexively on Broghuilio's lips, but then died. Sarcasm would get them nowhere. "Captain, convey the situation to the commanders of the other vessels," he ordered. "Have them stand by for further instructions."
"Aye, aye, Excellency."
Broghuilio paced across the floor to stand staring up at the main display, still showing the view of Minerva, while he thought. He still needed to keep a hand on one of the consoles to steady himself, he found. He wished now that he had made the effort to learn as much as was known about precataclysm Minerva when the opportunity had been there. But he had concentrated on the Earth surveillance program, managing the information reported to the Thuriens, and secretly building up the Jevlenese military capability. His face was turned toward the future, he had been fond of telling his subordinates. What was past was past and didn't concern him. The words had an ironic ring to them now.
He had talked about Earth as the new power base of the Cerians, but that was more for the propaganda value. He really didn't know that much about the Cerians, other than that they were one of the two superpowers whose eventual catastrophic war had destroyed Minerva. The Thuriens had taken the survivors of the other side, Lambia, back to their own part of the Galaxy, eventually installing them on Jevlen. That made the Jevlenese "Lambians"; it followed that the Cerians were the enemy. Broghuilio's historical analysis and any ideology stemming from it had never really gone a lot deeper than that. He looked at the moon, half lit behind Minerva's disk.
"JEVEX." The prompt was a mental reflex. There was no response. Of course, JEVEX wasn't there. He turned his head to speak over his shoulder. "Advisor Estordu. What can you tell me about the Lunarians' technical capabilities at this time? Military organization and weapons capability in particular."
"The most we have to go on is the events of the final war-which obviously hasn't happened yet. But even by that time, the phase they were at was still primitive-rudimentary nuclear and beam weapons; off-planet capability just sufficient to contest near space and establish long-range bombardment installations on their moon, and some robot surveys sent to Earth. But indication are that most of the advances necessary to produce even that occurred toward the end, as militarization on both sides accelerated."
"So they're probably still in the early stages down on Minerva," Broghuilio said, his eyes still fixed on the screen. "They aren't present on the moon to any significant degree yet."
"Possibly so, Excellency. A telescopic survey of the surface would tell us more. Also a profile of communications traffic."
Broghuilio stared up at the image for a minute or so longer. Although ostensibly Jevlen-based transports, his five ships were fitted with armaments that the Thuriens never knew about. Also, they were still holding cargos of the kinds of weapons that he had been bringing in from Uttan as part of his buildup. Between them they were carrying somewhere between two thousand and three thousand of his supporters, most of them trained and with experience of the war games staged in remote places-the exact number was uncertain, due to the haste in evacuating from Jevlen. He turned, his hands clasped behind his back. "Very well. You have all had time to consider the situation," he told his aides. "What plan do you recommend?" He looked at Estordu.
"What? I… That is…"
Broghilio's eyes shifted to Wylott. "General?"
"Well, it's hardly… I mean, in view of the suddenness of the changed situation."
Broghuilio took in the rest of the company. "The experts do not have a plan," he informed them. "I, however, do have a plan. We do not know at this stage how effective the Minervan space surveillance systems might be. Since they don't have any interplanetary activity worth talking about, I would expect them to be minimal. But let us not take chances. Until we have formed a clear strategy, we would prefer our presence not to be known. Out here in space, we are vulnerable to detection. Assuming that the moon turns out to be still sparsely occupied-which I predict will be the case-we will put down there and effect a temporary camouflaged base. A small landing party will be dispatched to Earth to reconnoiter the situation and make contact with such authorities as seem advantageous to our interests. If they are in the early phases of growing hostilities, working to develop weaponry and tactics, it isn't as if we have nothing of potential value to bargain with. I trust you take my point, Gentlemen?"
Wylott began nodding slowly. "Ye-es. Of course."
"Advisor Estordu, commence arrangements at once for a survey of their moon," Broghuilio ordered. "I want a report of any visible surface installations and communications activity."
"Yes, Excellency."
"Captain, send orders to all craft to maintain orientation with minimum radar profile toward Minerva in the meantime. General Wylott, we need an inventory of the weapons complement we are carrying, along with a personnel count and breakdown by skill rating and specialty category. Also a schedule of equipment to be readied for a surface base."
"Sir."
As the seniors relayed orders and the bridge area began bustling into life, Broghuilio felt himself slipping back into his familiar role. So those amateurs down on the planet thought they knew something about war preparations, eh? Maybe he could introduce a few concepts they hadn't thought of yet. And who knew? It seemed that the ambition he had nursed to become the warrior overlord of Jevlen had been frustrated. If there was no going back, then there was nothing to be done about that. But, maybe, a different world instead, perhaps? His face was to the future. What was past was past. He surveyed the scene around him with satisfaction.
"Evaluation completed," the bridge deck computer announced proudly. "We are at the system of Sol, positioned eight hundred thousand miles from the planet Minerva, time-shifted negative fifty thousand years."
"Turn that idiot thing off," Broghuilio snarled.
CHAPTER THIRTY
The Gate controller recited the by now familiar line.
"Sequencing out… Transferring."
But this time it was the real thing. The huge disks of the Gate projection bells went to blue, from blue to blue-indigo, and then were gone. A different starfield surrounded the ship.