Scattered Suns - Kevin J. Anderson [108]
Isolated, Jess stared through the curved film of his ship’s hull; the water shifted like a lens, and he viewed the other ships, thought of the people aboard, remembered their eager faces when he’d told them his strange story. They had all been filled with awe when Jess took them to the first wental-infused ocean world and gave them their samples of the living water entities.
He also remembered when they had all been simple merchants or workers or pilots, doing the business of their clans. Roamers had never had an easy existence, but they had traditions and connections; they had made tolerable, even pleasant lives for themselves under harsh conditions—until both the hydrogues and the EDF had used them as targets.
Jess longed for those days, even though his heart had been heavy with his supposedly secret love for Cesca. If he succeeded in this quest, perhaps those times would return. Eventually.
When all the water-bearer ships were gathered beneath the living comet, transmitting a whirlwind of messages, greetings, and dire announcements, Jess slid through the bubble wall of his vessel and drifted free across open space to the largest ship, where the meeting would take place.
For the first hour, the volunteers shouted and commiserated about the destruction of Rendezvous. Nikko Chan Tylar, announcing the invasion of the Chan greenhouse complex, was distraught. Other water bearers delivered embellished stories about further EDF atrocities. Jess wondered where Tasia was and if she’d had anything to do with the attacks...
The volunteers were incensed. “Four Roamer ships have disappeared. Who knows how many the Eddies have simply destroyed?”
“The clans are scattered. There’s no accurate counting of ships. We don’t have a clue how many are missing.”
Another volunteer offered a suggestion. “Jess, we’ve seen what you and the wentals can do. Why not turn yourself loose as a weapon against the Earth military? Go smash a few Juggernauts and show them we can fight back too!”
The rest of the volunteers cheered, clearly enthusiastic about the idea.
Jess stood isolated on the far side of the room, a thin sheen of moisture covering his skin and his pearly white garment. The other water bearers kept their distance, knowing how much power would be released if they brushed against him.
“I could fly in with my ship and surprise the Eddies, but I have no weapons. I could startle them, but I could never attack them. From what you’ve all described, the EDF sends in a whole battle group, strikes fast, seizes prisoners, and destroys the facility. I could never arrive in time to help.”
One volunteer whose entire family had disappeared after the obliteration of Rendezvous looked haggard and furious. “Then go to Earth. Set your big ship right down in front of Hansa HQ and tell them we won’t take any more of this crap! They’ll get the message.” His eyes narrowed. “In fact, why don’t you offer to shake hands with the Chairman himself? If what you say is true, then you’d give him enough of a jolt to snap him out of this nonsense!”
The volunteers hooted, but Jess shook his head. “The wentals won’t allow it. It would be an abuse to turn my powers against my own race, and such a selfish action would taint the wentals. They’ve seen what can happen if the life force turns bad. You don’t want to imagine it.”
One of the volunteers scowled with disappointment. “Have you given up being a Roamer then, Jess? Are you no longer a member of the clans? We can’t just sit by and let the Big Goose do this.”
Though he wasn’t sure the wentals understood the nuances of political conflicts between humans, Jess certainly felt the turmoil inside him. “I want to help, but my mission to revive the wentals is all-consuming. Remember, the hydrogues are our real enemy.” A shudder of anger pulsed through Jess, an instinctive reaction from the water-based entities.
“Doesn’t seem like they’re the only enemies anymore,” Nikko answered bitterly. “How can we keep spreading wentals