Stu stood, and spoke regretfully. "We can't do that, Carolyn. Geographic has life support for about twenty colonists for about a week. Then the oxygen recyclers will go to shit. You forget—we've been disassembling the ship for almost two years... "
"Cryogenics. We can freeze—" Her mouth worked wordlessly, then the realization hit her. "Oh, no. Hibernation Instability."
Phyllis reached up to Carolyn's shoulder. "Sit down, hon."
Carolyn shook the hand off. Her shoulders trembled.
Zack's face had something of the old strength in it, and even a grimly humorous curl to his lips. "This is it, Carolyn. No Fort Apache to reach. No bugle call. No way home. We fight and win, or we all die. And it's time to turn to the experts. Colonel Weyland?"
Carolyn collapsed into her seat. The room was swept by a flurry of whispers. The implications of putting Cadmann Weyland in charge of civilization were obvious.
Cadmann stood, and he felt that mantle of responsibility falling back across his shoulders. So be it. A job to be done, and at least the priorities seemed clear enough. "Sir."
"Please take the podium."
"Yes, sir." Suck up that gut. Get your back straight. Cadmann marched to the podium. My job. And what in hell do we do? Doubtless something will suggest itself. First things first. "Tomorrow morning we start running the Minervas in shuttle mode. Up and down at three-hour intervals. Pregnant women and children first. Then indispensable skills. Zack goes up, and Rachel with him. Next, if there is still space, the wounded. We need to make up a priority list: there isn't going to be much room.
"Meanwhile, all Colony defenses go into effect. All the other women will retreat to the Bluff with enough tools and equipment to improve fortifications there. Get to packing."
The room was silent for a long moment. "Without the crops here, we'll starve," Jerry said.
True, but you didn't have to say it. "There's food in Geographic. We found some things to eat in the highlands. The trick now is to get through the next few weeks." After which there won't be as many mouths to feed.
Sylvia raised her hand. "We need to capture a few grendels. Get them up to Geographic, where we can work on biological weapons."
"Sure you can handle a live grendel? Damn dangerous thing to do."
"We'll work on cages. Maybe we can catch samlon that are just changing. We need the information."
"Agreed if you can do it. Stu—handle that? Report to me before we try anything. Nobody risks a Minerva or the ship without direct approval from me. Nobody. Zack, you confirm that?"
"Uh—yes. Yes, he's right."
"What's the point?" Carolyn screamed shrilly. "Everything we do just makes it worse. What's the point in fighting? There's no safety—" Tears streamed hotly down her face.
Mary Ann stood, and scanned the room uncertainly. "No... no, that's not true."
She was taking it in with immense calm. She held Jessica tightly. The child's thin, short blond hair was as pale as spun glass.
"How can you know?" Carolyn shouted. "Mary Ann, you're like me! You can't depend on your thoughts. Or anything."
"I can sometimes," Mary Ann said. "Carolyn, think. We have Joes.
They're alive."
"By God," Sylvia said. "She's right. It means—"
Mary Ann was triumphant. "That's what the Joes mean—it means that the grendels can only climb so high."
"They don't travel far from the water," Jerry added. "They'd cook themselves. We've seen how much heat their bodies give off when they're on speed. There's more than hope—as long as we don't panic."
We're a lot bigger than Joes. More meat.
"Now then," Zack said firmly, "it's time to make some decisions. If we're going to have any chance of surviving, we need total cooperation. We can do this, but only if we operate at peak efficiency. No holding back, no dissension. There's no time for that. First of alclass="underline" Colonel Weyland will take charge of defense, and we're on a war footing. If you have any objections to that, make them now. Do I hear objections?"
"What do you mean, take charge?" Omar demanded.
"I mean, he says ‘Frog,' you jump first and ask how high afterwards,"
Zack said. "If you want justification, look in the contracts we all signed. It isn't even fine print. It says that in the event of a threat to Earth or the Colony as a whole the normal rules are suspended and the Administrator has plenary authority. Anyone still think we don't have a threat to the Colony?"
Someone smothered a lone giggle.
"So. You signed a contract that makes me God. I'm handing that to the archangel Cadmann. Objections? I hear none. So ordered. Colonel?"
"Thank you. People, this meeting is too large to get anything decided. Some things are obvious. We'll have to evacuate this place. As soon as you leave this meeting, go pack. Divide things: essential, important, frivolous, waste.
"Jerry, you're in charge of the technical stuff. Mary Ann, take him to the Bluff. Sylvia goes too. You'll work on defenses."
"Why your house?" someone demanded.
"It's the most defensible place on the island," Carlos said. "Cabron," he added softly so that only Cadmann and those in the front of the room could hear.
"Stu Ellington takes charge of the Minervas. They're the most important things we've got. Stu, we'll need to work schedules, evacuation versus power requirements for the Colony, but the most important thing is that we don't risk one Minerva and for God's sake we never risk both."
"Right," Ellington said.
"We'll want power as long as possible, but the first threat to a
Minerva and that ship is off, " Cadmann continued. "Which means precautions about loading and unloading. Plan that as if the ship might go at any time. Any time. Even with people waiting to get aboard."
"Whew. Right," Stu said. "That's not the most pleasant thought you ever gave me."
"Donovan. We'll need a communications link between the Bluff, the town, and Geographic. Maintain constant input from Geographic's telescope and the Skeeters."
"Got it."
"In your spare time, keep the Skeeters charged up, and on patrol.
Ferry the wrecked one off to the Bluff." Cadmann passed his hand through his hair. "I'll need a staff meeting as soon as this breaks up. All department heads. We've got a hell of a lot of details to plan. Questions?"
"Only one," Zack said. "I'll ask it for all of us. You're talking like we have to abandon the Colony. Are you sure of that?"
"Sure, no. But it's the way to bet it," Cadmann said. "Remember what one grendel could do? Now think about thousands of them. If there's a way to defend the Colony against that threat, I don't know it. Anyone have suggestions?"
There was silence. They knew more now, and Cadmann could smell the fear building. From the buzzing a voice rose. "Hydrogen. Liquid hydrogen. Burn them."
Interesting, Cadmann thought. "Jerry?"
"We don't have a lot, and the Minervas will need it. Containers.
Transportation. I like the notion, but there are problems."
"Think about it," Cadmann said. "I won't have time. Next?"
"Come on, citizens, they're only animals," Terry said. His hands were clenched, white-knuckled, on the wheelchair arms. He wants to be standing up, Cadmann thought. "We came across ten light-years, and we came as conquerors! It's... it's funny, is what it is. Star travelers chased off by animals."
Carolyn cried, "You can say that? You?"
"I'm not the first man in history to be mauled by an animal. We're still king of the beasts."