Ishtar Rising (Book 2) - Michael A. Martin [18]
“And if a spanking new moon really has just plotzed itself up out of the belly of Venus,” Gold said, “then maybe you won’t have to tow Mercury out of its orbit after all. Scratch one more huge item off the ‘to-do-later’ list, Pas.”
“I imagine Captain Scott will be delighted to hear that particular detail,” said Saadya.
“There you go. Terraforming while you wait.”
Saadya chuckled, though his mood remained dour. “There’s still no denying the fact that this was a near-catastrophe. Or that I bear complete responsibility for it. I’m sure that’s how the Federation Council and your Captain Scott will interpret the day’s events. That was certainly how the Central Processor Pair on Bynaus reacted. They’ve decided that Project Ishtar is ‘a waste of their finite time and scarce resources.’ In fact, 1011 and 1110 have already been reassigned, and will return to Bynaus just as soon as the transportation arrangements are made.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Gold said. The little Bynar who stood beside him appeared anxious to speak, but held his tongue.
“You still have the rest of Team Ishtar,” Paulos said. “We’ve gathered a lot of good atmospheric data to guide us through the next ‘blowoff’ attempt. The Federation Council is sure to be interested in tha—”
Saadya interrupted her. “It’s possible that Bynaus is right about Ishtar, Adrienne. Perhaps what happened here today was a sign that my approach has been all wrong from the beginning.”
“With respect, Dr. Saadya,” Soloman said, finally interposing himself into the conversation, “I believe that Bynaus can be persuaded to resume its support for your efforts to remake this planet. My homeworld stands to learn a great deal from the geological information gathered by your ground stations during the crisis. Should you choose to share it with them, that is.”
Saadya suddenly realized that he’d been concentrating so intently on the Venusian sky that he hadn’t given adequate thought to whatever secrets still lay beneath its immobile, atectonic crust.
He resolved to review those data in detail as soon as possible—and discover precisely what it was he had to bargain with. There was so much to do….
“If you’re looking for signs and portents, Pas,” Gold said with a gentle smile, “maybe you should consider today’s events as a hint that only one major change needs to be made to Project Ishtar.”
“And what’s that?” Saadya asked.
“Slow it the hell down. Even God takes billions of years to cook up planets. And it’s not as though there’s been any sudden shortage of galactic real estate, the Dominion War cleanup efforts notwithstanding.”
Saadya mulled over Gold’s suggestion, and wondered what Dr. Seyetik would have said to such advice. Slow down. Not a bad idea, perhaps. I could start by not rushing to the holodeck so often for brow-beatings by Seyetik’s ghost.
Of course, without a pair of Bynars crunching numbers for Team Ishtar, a severe slowdown would be the project’s only option—other than closing up shop entirely. To his surprise, Saadya felt great reluctance to consider that final option. His gathering despair warred briefly with his omnipresent desire to tinker as the gods themselves might do.
The gods appeared to be winning. Gods, after all, could afford to be patient.
“Perhaps,” Saadya said, “I only need to make sure I’m headed forward. Regardless of the speed of my progress.”
He paused, turning to gaze once more upon the clump of coalescing, impact-heated matter that was now growing noticeably near the western horizon’s edge. He decided to indeed dub the nascent satellite Victrix-Felix, as a reminder that luck had prevented catastrophe today just as surely as had anyone’s skill. Even that of Soloman.
Gods and planetologists alike sometimes have to bend knee at the altars of chaos, luck, and even ahftseloches. As did starship captains, Saadya suspected.
When Saadya finally spoke, his voice was lowered nearly to a whisper. Gesturing toward the scene of primordial creation outside his window, he said, “Perhaps what happened here today is a sign that new beginnings are in order.