Larry Niven - The Warriors

Im sure they saw us coming, the Alien Technologies Officer persisted. Do you see that ring, sir?

The silvery image of the enemy ship almost filled the viewer. It showed as a broad, wide ring encircling a cylindrical axis, like a mechanical pencil floating inside a platinum bracelet. A finned craft projected from the pointed end of the axial section. Angular letters ran down the axis, totally unlike the dots-and-commas of Kzinti script.

Of course I see it, said the Captain.

It was rotating when we first picked them up. It stopped when we got within two hundred thousand miles, and it hasnt moved since.

The Captain flicked his tail back and forth, gently, thoughtfully, like a pink lash. You worry me, he commented. If they know were here, why havent they tried to get away? Are they so sure they can beat us? He whirled to face the A-T Officer. Should we be running?

No, sir! I dont know why theyre still here, but they cant have anything to be confident about. Thats one of the most primitive spacecraft Ive ever seen. He moved his claw about on the screen, pointing as he talked.

The outer shell is an iron alloy. The rotating ring is a method of imitating gravity by using centripetal force. So they dont have the gravity planer. In fact theyre probably using a reaction drive.

The Captains catlike ears went up. But were lightyears from the nearest star!

They must have a better reaction drive than we ever developed. We had the gravity planer before we needed one that good.

There was a buzzing sound from the big control board. Enter, said the Captain.

The Weapons Officer fell up through the entrance hatch and came to attention, Sir, we have all weapons trained on the enemy.

Good. The Captain swung around. A-T, how sure are you that they arent a threat to us?

The A-T Officer bared sharply pointed teeth. I dont see how they could be, sir.

Good. Weapons, keep all your guns ready to fire, but dont use them unless I give the order. Ill have the ears of the man who destroys that ship without orders. I want to take it intact.

Yes, sir.

Wheres the Telepath?

Hes on his way, sir. He was asleep.

Hes always asleep. Tell him to get his tail up here.

The Weapons Officer saluted, turned, and dropped through the exit hole.

Captain?

The A-T Officer was standing by the viewer, which now showed the ringed end of the alien ship. He pointed to the mirror-bright end of the axial cylinder. It looks like that end was designed to project light. That would make it a photon drive, sir.

The Captain considered. Could it be a signal device?

Urrrrr Yes, Sir.

Then dont jump to conclusions.

Like a piece of toast, the Telepath popped up through the entrance hatch. He came to exaggerated attention. Reporting as ordered, sir.

You omitted to buzz for entrance.

Sorry, sir. The lighted viewscreen caught the Telepaths eye and he padded over for a better look, forgetting that he was at attention. The A-T Officer winced, wishing he were somewhere else.

The Telepaths eyes were violet around the edges. His pink tail hung limp. As usual, he looked as if he were dying for lack of sleep. His fur was flattened along the side he slept on; he hadnt even bothered to brush it. The effect was far from the ideal of a Conquest Warrior as one can get and still be a member of the Kzinti species. The wonder was that the Captain had not yet murdered him.

He never would, of course. Telepaths were too rare, too valuable, andunderstandablytoo emotionally unstable. The Captain always kept his temper with the Telepath. At times like this it was the innocent bystander who stood to lose his rank or his ears at the clank of a falling molecule.

Thats an enemy ship weve tracked down, the Captain was saying. Wed like to get some information from them. Would you read their minds for us?

Yes, sir. The Telepaths voice showed his instant misery, but he knew better than to protest. He left the screen and sank into a chair. Slowly his ears folded into tight knots, his pupils contracted, and his ratlike tail went limp as flannel.

The world of the eleventh sense pushed in on him.

He caught the Captains thought: sloppy civilian get of a sthondat and frantically tuned it out. He hated the Captains mind. He found other minds aboard ship, isolated and blanked them out one by one. Now there were none left. There was only unconsciousness and chaos. Chaos was not empty. Something was thinking strange and disturbing thoughts.

The Telepath forced himself to listen.

Steve Weaver floated bonelessly near a wall of the radio room. He was blond, blue-eyed, and big, and he could often be seen as he was now, relaxed but completely motionless, as if there were some very good reason why he shouldnt even blink. A streamer of smoke drifted from his left hand and crossed the room to bury itself in the air vent.

Thats that, Ann Harrison said wearily. She flicked four switches in the bank of radio controls. At each click a small light went out.

You cant get them?

Right. Ill bet they dont even have a radio. Ann released her chair net and stretched out into a fivepointed star. Ive left the receiver on, with the volume up, in case they try to get us later. Man, that feels good! Abruptly she curled into a tight ball. She had been crouched at the communications bank for more than an hour. Ann might have been Steves twin; she was almost as tall as he was, had the same color hair and eyes, and the flat muscles of conscientious exercise showed beneath her blue falling jumper as she flexed.

Steve snapped his cigarette butt at the air conditioner, moving only his fingers. Okay. What have they got?

Ann looked startled. I dont know.

Think of it as a puzzle. They dont have a radio. How might they talk to each other? How can we check on our guesses? We assume theyre trying to reach us, of course.

Yes, of course.

Think about it, Ann. Get Jim thinking about it, too. Jim Davis was her husband that year, and the ships doctor full time. Youre the girl most likely to succeed. Have a smog stick?

Please.

Steve pushed his cigarette ration across the room. Take a few. Ive got to go.

The depleted package came whizzing back. Thanks, said Ann.

Let me know if anything happens, will you? Or if you think of anything.

I will. And fear not, Steve, somethings bound to turn up. They must be trying just as hard as we are.

Every compartment in the personnel ring opened into the narrow doughnut-shaped hall which ran around the rings forward rim. Steve pushed himself into the hall, jockeyed to contact the floor, and pushed. From there it was easy going. The floor curved up to meet him, and he proceeded down the hall like a swimming frog. Of the twelve men and women on the Angels Pencil, Steve was best at this; for Steve was a Belter, and the others were all flatlanders, Earthborn.

Ann probably wouldnt think of anything, he guessed. It wasnt that she wasnt intelligent. She didnt have the curiosity, the sheer love of solving puzzles. Only he and Jim Davis

He was going too fast, and not concentrating. He almost crashed into Sue Bhang as she appeared below the curve of the ceiling.

They managed to stop themselves against the walls. Hi, jaywalker, said Sue.

Hi, Sue. Where you headed?

Radio room. You?

I thought Id check the drive systems again. Not that were likely to need the drive, but it cant hurt to be certain.

Youd go twitchy without something to do, wouldnt you? She cocked her head to one side, as always when she had questions. Steve, when are you going to rotate us again? I cant seem to get used to falling.

But she looked like shed been born falling, he thought. Her small, slender form was meant for flying; gravity should never have touched her. When Im sure we wont need the drive. We might as well stay ready til then. Because Im hoping youll change back to a skirt.