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NOTE: If you purchased this book without a cover you should be awarethat this book is stolen property. It was reported as "unsold and destroyed'* to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this "stripped book."This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are either products 4 the author's imagination or are used fietit:iously.HELMCopyright (D 1998 by Steven GouldAll rights reserved. including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.A Tor BookPublished by Tom Doherty Associates, Inc.175 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 100 10Tor Books oii the World Wide Web: http://\vwvv.tor.comTor' is a reg istered trademark of Toni Doherty Associates, Inc.ISBN: 0-812-57135-@;First --dition: April 1998 First mass market edition: February 1999Printed in the Unitcd States of America0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1ACKNOWLEDCMLNTSThanks are due to my sempai, Ron Druva, for screening the aikido, scenes in this book for accuracy. Any mistakes that remain are my fault. More general and heartfelt thanks are due to all my teachers and fellow students at Southwestern Aikikai and in the Western Region of the United States Aikido, Federation.Depending on the circumstance, you should be: hard as a diamond, flexible as a willow, smooth-flowing like water, or empty as space._MORIHEI UESHIBALemmuel de Laal (Deceased)Landon de Laal (Deceased) & Carmen de Cantle (44)Ricard de Laal26Dulan de Laal (52) & Lillian Saxe (Deceased)Dillan de Laal27Dexter de Laal24Anthony de Laal21Leland de Laal17Lillian de LaalI IPROLOGUEKATSU JIN KEN: THE SWORD THAT SAVES LIFEThey huddled on the floor, shoulder to shoulder, in a rock pocket off the main corridor, moving their heads carefully to avoid banging them on the low roof. A single low-wattage light shone down on dirty hands clutching notes and data screens. Unkempt hair floated above wrinkled brows and sunken cheeks. The fresh, sharp tang of acetic acid from caulk-covered cracks mixed with the ever-present smell of sweat, ammonia, and feces.Those crowded into the corridor outside envied them. "Is the recorder on?" "Yes." "This meeting of the executive committee is in session. Minutes are accepted as filed. The only item on the agenda is the emigration vote."A minor quake shook the rock slightly and Dr. Herrin stopped talking. Eyes widened and down the corridor somebody started screaming and thrashing around.2 - STEVEN GOULDDr. Herrin ignored the noise and concentrated on her breathing.She was sitting seiza, on her shins, composed, her shoulders relaxed, a sharp contrast to the others, who were sitting cross-legged or leaning back against the rough rock walls. Many of those clutched their knees and squeezed their eyes shut.If the section was holed badly, there wasn't anything that could be done. There weren't enough pressure suits to go around. She hoped that the panic in the corridor wouldn't spread. They had to keep the pathway clear so that the emergency squads could get to smaller leaks-the ones that could be repaired.The month before they'd lost forty-nine men, women, and children when a quake holed a corridor. Vacuum decompression is a violent death, and any death was hard to face after so many dead on Earth. Two of the cleanup crew went back to their niches and poisoned themselves.The quake subsided and the screams down the hall died to violent sobbing.Dr. Herrin continued. "There is high confidence in the accuracy of this data?"Novato, a woman wearing a faded pair of NASA/ESA coveralls, nodded.Herrin swallowed convulsively, then put her fingertips to her temples and closed her eyes. "Let's reiterate. She opened her eyes and held up five fingers. "The probe data is more than conclusive. Epsilon Eridani has an Earth-sized planet with a CO 2 nitrogen/water vapor atmosphere. The probe has initiated phase one seeding and initial results are excellentthe tailored bacteria are reproducing exponentially and already producing detectable oxygen. And, as you know, these results are twenty-five years old. Based on this data, current estimates indicate that by now, though there are still toxic levels of CO, the atmosphere is at least ten percent oxygen.H E L M - 3"However, in the hundred and thirty years it will take the ship to reach the system, the bacteria will finish the job. The atmosphere will be fully breathable. Resulting temperatures will be in the Earth-normal range. "These are not only encouraging results-they're optimal."Stavinoha, a middle-age man with a shaved head, said, "It's certainly better than we can get from this solar system." Stavinoha had been the last person off Planet Earth, launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in a converted ICBM six weeks after the Earth's mantle was breached at Tehran and, miraculously, snagged at the peak of his ballistic arc by an American Epsilon-Class orbital tug. Unlike the rest of them, he knew firsthand how bad conditions were on the planet.The temperatures at Earth's equator hovered around4 degrees Centigrade. Snowstorms and high-altitude dust clouded the planet.Herrin continued. "There are seven thousand humans on the moon in facilities designed for six hundred. If we don't do something about reducing the load on our current resources, everyone will die. Given our current status, we might die even if we do reduce the load."More nods. "So, we send four thousand in the ship in cold sleep for one hundred and twenty-five years. However, since it was desianed for one thousand, we'll have to use cargo space as well. This is acceptable because we can't afford to send all that equipment and supplies away. We need it here to survive on Luna and, eventually, to rehabilitate the Earth." "But they'll need that equipment!" said the NASA/ESA rep. "It was in the original mission specs!"Dr. Herrin shook her head. "Yes and no. They'll need that equipment if they're to have a high-tech society at that end. It's been estimated that they won't need4 - STEVEN GOULDit to survive. It's a certainty that we do need it here to survive."She paused to look around the room. "So . . . our main problem is how to insure they have the highest chances of survival given a low-tech environment." Dr. Herrin looked now at Dr. Guyton, a small man wedged into the corner outside the circle of the executive committee. "I'd like the Focus Committee to summarize the proposal."Dr. Guyton, an anthropologist, leaned forward and cleared his throat. "We feel that there are three areas we must concentrate on: nutrition, hygiene, and literacy. As you know, the ship already holds a comprehensive and nearly indestructible library. If we can get the colony to retain literacy while surviving the initial colonization effort, we think they can build back to a comparable technology within three hundred years. In the meanwhile, maintaining good hygiene and nutrition will take care of ninety percent of their health problems. Other problems can be taken care of by practical nursing, but, no matter which way you stretch it, they'll lose people that we could save with our current technology."He looked around to make sure everyone understood. "What is needed is a strongly enforced code of behavior that will insure good nutrition and hygiene as well as keep succeeding generations literate. "Codes of this kind have been a part of every viable culture in our planet's history, but the most striking example is that of the Talmudic Laws followed by Judaism. Not only do they provide specific instruction on nutrition and hygiene, they also require a Jew to demonstrate literacy as he comes of age," "We don't have four thousand Jews on the moon," said Spruill of Logistics. "No, of course not. Besides, we need a much more abbreviated version than the Talmud. It contains much that is inapplicable and, frankly, countersurvival underH E L M - 5these circumstances. My staff has prepared the basic tenets, and we are fleshing them out. We will he ready by the time the ship is."Bauer, a fort-ner congressman from Connecticut, spoke. "What's to make them follow your code? When they're scrambling to stay alive on that distant world, what's to make them take the time to teach it to their children? Are you going to hand it down to them on clay tablets?" "No." Dr. Guyton exchanged glances with Dr. Herrin. "We propose using the imprinter."Bauer recoiled. "Jesus Christ!" Another voice said, "You want to do what?" There was a moment of chaos as everybody tried to speak at once. It subsided almost immediately, but faces betrayed rage and fear.Herrin raised her hand and let the silence stretch a bit before she spoke. "Consider carefully, please. Everything depends on what we decide here today." She waited a moment. "Bauer, you object to the imprinter?" "Our fellow humans destroyed each other because of the imprinter! I'm outraged that there's even one on the moon! How could this happen?"Dr. Guyton shook his head. "There isn't an imprinter on the moon ... but we know how to make them." He leaned forward and held out his hands. "Look, it's true that the French dropped Mag Bottle Seventy-four on Tehran because the Iranians were using the imprinter to forcibly convert Muslims and non-Muslims to their particular brand of Shiite fundamentalism. But this is an argument against antimatter as much as it is against the imprinter. We can't ignore the fact that it could make the difference between life and death for the human race! If we imprint the tenets on the colonists, they'll adhere to them automatically-with almost religious fervor. This will assure that they pass it on to their children at the earliest age.6 - STEVEN GOULDIt's not as if we're inducting t... [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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NOTE: If you purchased this book without a cover you should be awarethat this book is stolen property. It was reported as "unsold and destroyed'* to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this "stripped book."This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are either products 4 the author's imagination or are used fietit:iously.HELMCopyright (D 1998 by Steven GouldAll rights reserved. including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.A Tor BookPublished by Tom Doherty Associates, Inc.175 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 100 10Tor Books oii the World Wide Web: http://\vwvv.tor.comTor' is a reg istered trademark of Toni Doherty Associates, Inc.ISBN: 0-812-57135-@;First --dition: April 1998 First mass market edition: February 1999Printed in the Unitcd States of America0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1ACKNOWLEDCMLNTSThanks are due to my sempai, Ron Druva, for screening the aikido, scenes in this book for accuracy. Any mistakes that remain are my fault. More general and heartfelt thanks are due to all my teachers and fellow students at Southwestern Aikikai and in the Western Region of the United States Aikido, Federation.Depending on the circumstance, you should be: hard as a diamond, flexible as a willow, smooth-flowing like water, or empty as space._MORIHEI UESHIBALemmuel de Laal (Deceased)Landon de Laal (Deceased) & Carmen de Cantle (44)Ricard de Laal26Dulan de Laal (52) & Lillian Saxe (Deceased)Dillan de Laal27Dexter de Laal24Anthony de Laal21Leland de Laal17Lillian de LaalI IPROLOGUEKATSU JIN KEN: THE SWORD THAT SAVES LIFEThey huddled on the floor, shoulder to shoulder, in a rock pocket off the main corridor, moving their heads carefully to avoid banging them on the low roof. A single low-wattage light shone down on dirty hands clutching notes and data screens. Unkempt hair floated above wrinkled brows and sunken cheeks. The fresh, sharp tang of acetic acid from caulk-covered cracks mixed with the ever-present smell of sweat, ammonia, and feces.Those crowded into the corridor outside envied them. "Is the recorder on?" "Yes." "This meeting of the executive committee is in session. Minutes are accepted as filed. The only item on the agenda is the emigration vote."A minor quake shook the rock slightly and Dr. Herrin stopped talking. Eyes widened and down the corridor somebody started screaming and thrashing around.2 - STEVEN GOULDDr. Herrin ignored the noise and concentrated on her breathing.She was sitting seiza, on her shins, composed, her shoulders relaxed, a sharp contrast to the others, who were sitting cross-legged or leaning back against the rough rock walls. Many of those clutched their knees and squeezed their eyes shut.If the section was holed badly, there wasn't anything that could be done. There weren't enough pressure suits to go around. She hoped that the panic in the corridor wouldn't spread. They had to keep the pathway clear so that the emergency squads could get to smaller leaks-the ones that could be repaired.The month before they'd lost forty-nine men, women, and children when a quake holed a corridor. Vacuum decompression is a violent death, and any death was hard to face after so many dead on Earth. Two of the cleanup crew went back to their niches and poisoned themselves.The quake subsided and the screams down the hall died to violent sobbing.Dr. Herrin continued. "There is high confidence in the accuracy of this data?"Novato, a woman wearing a faded pair of NASA/ESA coveralls, nodded.Herrin swallowed convulsively, then put her fingertips to her temples and closed her eyes. "Let's reiterate. She opened her eyes and held up five fingers. "The probe data is more than conclusive. Epsilon Eridani has an Earth-sized planet with a CO 2 nitrogen/water vapor atmosphere. The probe has initiated phase one seeding and initial results are excellentthe tailored bacteria are reproducing exponentially and already producing detectable oxygen. And, as you know, these results are twenty-five years old. Based on this data, current estimates indicate that by now, though there are still toxic levels of CO, the atmosphere is at least ten percent oxygen.H E L M - 3"However, in the hundred and thirty years it will take the ship to reach the system, the bacteria will finish the job. The atmosphere will be fully breathable. Resulting temperatures will be in the Earth-normal range. "These are not only encouraging results-they're optimal."Stavinoha, a middle-age man with a shaved head, said, "It's certainly better than we can get from this solar system." Stavinoha had been the last person off Planet Earth, launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in a converted ICBM six weeks after the Earth's mantle was breached at Tehran and, miraculously, snagged at the peak of his ballistic arc by an American Epsilon-Class orbital tug. Unlike the rest of them, he knew firsthand how bad conditions were on the planet.The temperatures at Earth's equator hovered around4 degrees Centigrade. Snowstorms and high-altitude dust clouded the planet.Herrin continued. "There are seven thousand humans on the moon in facilities designed for six hundred. If we don't do something about reducing the load on our current resources, everyone will die. Given our current status, we might die even if we do reduce the load."More nods. "So, we send four thousand in the ship in cold sleep for one hundred and twenty-five years. However, since it was desianed for one thousand, we'll have to use cargo space as well. This is acceptable because we can't afford to send all that equipment and supplies away. We need it here to survive on Luna and, eventually, to rehabilitate the Earth." "But they'll need that equipment!" said the NASA/ESA rep. "It was in the original mission specs!"Dr. Herrin shook her head. "Yes and no. They'll need that equipment if they're to have a high-tech society at that end. It's been estimated that they won't need4 - STEVEN GOULDit to survive. It's a certainty that we do need it here to survive."She paused to look around the room. "So . . . our main problem is how to insure they have the highest chances of survival given a low-tech environment." Dr. Herrin looked now at Dr. Guyton, a small man wedged into the corner outside the circle of the executive committee. "I'd like the Focus Committee to summarize the proposal."Dr. Guyton, an anthropologist, leaned forward and cleared his throat. "We feel that there are three areas we must concentrate on: nutrition, hygiene, and literacy. As you know, the ship already holds a comprehensive and nearly indestructible library. If we can get the colony to retain literacy while surviving the initial colonization effort, we think they can build back to a comparable technology within three hundred years. In the meanwhile, maintaining good hygiene and nutrition will take care of ninety percent of their health problems. Other problems can be taken care of by practical nursing, but, no matter which way you stretch it, they'll lose people that we could save with our current technology."He looked around to make sure everyone understood. "What is needed is a strongly enforced code of behavior that will insure good nutrition and hygiene as well as keep succeeding generations literate. "Codes of this kind have been a part of every viable culture in our planet's history, but the most striking example is that of the Talmudic Laws followed by Judaism. Not only do they provide specific instruction on nutrition and hygiene, they also require a Jew to demonstrate literacy as he comes of age," "We don't have four thousand Jews on the moon," said Spruill of Logistics. "No, of course not. Besides, we need a much more abbreviated version than the Talmud. It contains much that is inapplicable and, frankly, countersurvival underH E L M - 5these circumstances. My staff has prepared the basic tenets, and we are fleshing them out. We will he ready by the time the ship is."Bauer, a fort-ner congressman from Connecticut, spoke. "What's to make them follow your code? When they're scrambling to stay alive on that distant world, what's to make them take the time to teach it to their children? Are you going to hand it down to them on clay tablets?" "No." Dr. Guyton exchanged glances with Dr. Herrin. "We propose using the imprinter."Bauer recoiled. "Jesus Christ!" Another voice said, "You want to do what?" There was a moment of chaos as everybody tried to speak at once. It subsided almost immediately, but faces betrayed rage and fear.Herrin raised her hand and let the silence stretch a bit before she spoke. "Consider carefully, please. Everything depends on what we decide here today." She waited a moment. "Bauer, you object to the imprinter?" "Our fellow humans destroyed each other because of the imprinter! I'm outraged that there's even one on the moon! How could this happen?"Dr. Guyton shook his head. "There isn't an imprinter on the moon ... but we know how to make them." He leaned forward and held out his hands. "Look, it's true that the French dropped Mag Bottle Seventy-four on Tehran because the Iranians were using the imprinter to forcibly convert Muslims and non-Muslims to their particular brand of Shiite fundamentalism. But this is an argument against antimatter as much as it is against the imprinter. We can't ignore the fact that it could make the difference between life and death for the human race! If we imprint the tenets on the colonists, they'll adhere to them automatically-with almost religious fervor. This will assure that they pass it on to their children at the earliest age.6 - STEVEN GOULDIt's not as if we're inducting t... [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]