Gundhalinu watched the guard raise a callused hand to make him a grudging salute. He returned it, keeping his equal reluctance to himself. Waves of heat reflected up from the pitiless, glassy pavement beneath his feet. He remembered how once he had watched hands like those casually break all the fingers of a would-be prospector, in a bar called C’uarr’s.
“Commander Gundhalinu,” he said, too brusquely, “to see Agent Ahron “
“And them?” the guard asked, intentionally insulting, as his black, hooded eyes darted at the three other men.
Gundhalinu felt Kullervo frown beside him. “Them too,” he said gently. He took a step forward, forcing the guard to take one step back; the guard turned and started away without another word. Kullervo glanced over at him, a brief, measuring glance; but he said nothing as the guard led them toward the administrative complex where Agent Ahron waited.
Inside they were loaded into a secured tram and sent like human baggage through the characterless repetitions of the complex to their destination. The distance was short, but Gundhalinu was still grateful that they did not have to walk, under guard, like criminals. Ananke sat beside him, staring at the identical doorways as if they were a revelation. Gundhalinu looked across at Kullervo, who sat frowning and pulling at his ear, at the crystal-beaded ear cuff that was one of the more obvious manifestations of his unpredictable personal style.
Nibum sat beside Kullervo; his short legs jutted from the seat like a child’s. Gundhalinu imagined that Niburu felt more relieved even than he did not to have to walk this distance, since Niburu was always pressed to keep pace, in a body that was instantly inconvenienced by the conventions of others. He had dared to mention the natter to Niburu one day, as he had watched him standing on a chair to access a simple data run that Kullervo had left for him to confirm. Niburu had only shrugged in apparent resignation, and murmured that on board his ship the proportions were to his specs, and not anyone else’s.
Gundhahnu stole another glance at Niburu and Ananke. They watched the color-washed walls pass, sitting in an unlikely symmetry of pose. He had wondered to himself whether Kullervo had chosen his staff simply for their shock value. He suspected it was possible. And yet he was almost certain that it was not because of their appearance, but rather in spite of it, that Reede had hired them.
The tram spat them out directly into the mouth of a doorway that was more like an airlock leading into an isolation chamber. The security was hardly this elaborate at the Project itself.
“Overkill,” he heard Kullervo mutter to Niburu, behind him. “What do these shitheads think this is saving them from?”
Gundhahnu glanced back at them, his mouth curving slightly. “Spontaneity,” he murmured. Kullervo said something unintelligible, as the inner doorscreen demate rialized before them.
A thickset middle-aged woman with golden skin and iron-colored hair looked up at them from across the barren expanse of room. Gundhalinu recognized her as Agent Ahron, who had approved his departure permits and itinerary on several previous journeys to Fire Lake. She wore a variant of the same uniform they had seen on almost everyone they passed, and an expression that was as familiar to him as her face: alert without being at all interested in what she saw. There were three men with her; he knew without having to be told why they were here. “Commander Gundhalinu,” Ahron said, managing to give his name a slight querulous lilt, as if she wasn’t certain she remembered his face.
“Yes,” he said, as ingratiatingly as he could, “back for one more try. For the last time, I hope, thanks to my colleague here.” He gestured at Kullervo, who stood stiffly beside him, eyeing the room and its inhabitants.
She said nothing, still gazing at him without the slightest trace of curiosity. The three men stood silently behind her, like afterthoughts.
“We believe we’ve found a way to control the stardrive. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what that means—”
“Yes, Commander, I’ve reviewed your documents. Also your permits and supply lists,” she said, glancing away at the display surface of the dust-colored desk/terminal beside her. “Everything seems to be in order here, for once. There’s no reason that I can see why you shouldn’t be able to depart as planned.”
He realized with a prick of irritation that the “for once” referred to his input and not Security’s response to it. “I’m very glad to hear it,” he said, with excruciating politeness. He felt Kullervo begin to relax, infinitesimally, beside him.
“How much time do you expect this expedition to take?”
“It’s hard to say. If the tests are successful—”
“I need a precise length of stay.” She tapped impatiently at the display.
“Yes, of course. One week.” They should know whether Reede’s restructuring Program worked or not almost immediately. Even with the question of systems setup ^d the vagaries of time around Fire Lake, that should give them enough slack.
“That’s all? You realize that you will have to return in one week, whether your work is finished or not—”
“Two weeks, then,” he said, with faint impatience, “make it two weeks.”
“All right. But in that case, should you finish your study in less time, you will have to notify us that you are returning ahead of schedule.”
“Yes, of course.”
“Would you please input your security clearance code, then, to indicate your personal testimony that the data is accurate to the best of your knowledge.”
He nodded, touching the remote on his belt, silently transferring the code numbers to the waiting document. After a moment he heard the piercing tone that indicated the security databank had accepted his verification.
“These will be your crew,” Ahron said, gesturing toward the three men waiting like stones behind her—her first acknowledgment that there was anyone else in the room.
Gundhalinu nodded, stepping forward as the three government troopers came reluctantly to life. But Kullervo’s hand closed over his arm, pulling him back.
“What is this—?” Kullervo whispered, suddenly angry. “You didn’t say anything about anyone else coming with us!”
Gundhalinu looked at him, surprised by his vehemence. “It’s all right,” he murmured, trying to find the right words to make Kullervo ease off. “It’s government policy. They always provide the pilot and two troopers for security.”
“We’ve already got a pilot,” Kullervo snapped, nodding at Niburu. “And we have all the assistance we need. This is a risk-filled project. We don’t need bumbling total strangers getting in the way. You said yourself that the more people we have with us, the more dangerous the Lake is.”
“It’s a regulation,” the agent said flatly.
Gundhalinu watched the expressions harden on the faces of Ahron and the three troopers. If Kullervo lost his temper, they could very quickly lose the clearance he had so painstakingly put together too. “Agent Ahron,” he said, sending a sharp glance of warning at Kullervo. “Dr. Kullervo is right when he points out that a larger group would be potentially dangerous, given the unstable nature of the Lake. We’ve lost several teams out there in the past two years, as you know. We have a full team this time already—”
“It’s a regulation,” she repeated. She folded her arms. “A certified pilot and two troopers for security.”
“It’s bullshit,” Kullervo muttered. This time it was Niburu who caught at his sleeve and murmured something. “Security from what,” he added sourly, “ourselves—?”
Gundhalinu turned back to face him, said softly and swiftly, “This is the way it’s done here. I have no problem with this.” He put a hand on Kullervo’s arm, made Kullervo meet his gaze, and keep it. “What is your problem—?”