The Garden - Melissa Scott [52]
"Oh?" Janeway looked at Keyward, but it was Adamant who answered.
"Yes. But I think this is part of our possible dealings together."
Then he was ready to start trading. Janeway suppressed a sudden, unworthy glee, and said, "Indeed?"
"I believe you said you were interested in foodstuffs," Adamant said.
"Yes." There was no point in going into more detail yet, Janeway thought, not until she knew what the Kirse might want in return. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the rest of the away team gathering, Tuvok dependably austere despite the piece of comb that dripped blue light over his hand, Kim licking the last flecks of honey from his fingers, but focused her attention on Adamant.
"And there is much here that you might want," the Kirse leader went on. "And I have no objection to trade with people, as long as the trading is fair and open. I am certainly willing to offer both food itself and even rootstock if that is within your desire and if your ship can tend it properly, and my price in return is simple. I wish only the information I would need to re-create your transporter."
Janeway hesitated, aware of Tuvok's sudden, focused stare. The Vulcan had been right-no surprise there-but she still had not decided how she would answer.
Adamant tipped his head to one side. "It is an issue of security here. Thilo mentioned to you the Andir-rim, who are the principal problem, though other animals have tried attacking from time to time. You have also seen our defense band."
"The platforms," Revek said, and Adamant gave him a sharp, unreadable look.
"They need regular and nearly constant maintenance," Adamant went on, "and, unfortunately, the Andirrim have discovered this. They lie in wait for the service shuttles, and attack them, and then use the weaknesses lack of maintenance creates in the band to attack the planet." He smiled, suddenly and briefly. "As you will have noticed-" He faltered then, made a whistling trill, and looked at Revek.
"Silver-Hammer," Revek said.
"So. As you will have noticed, Silver-Hammer has made a beam that can move some matter, but not all, and it is not sufficient to move a living object at all- not and have it remain living." Adamant tipped his head to the side again. "So I am more than willing to trade for the food you want, Captain, but that is the price I require."
"I see," Janeway said, and decided to delay. "Frankly, this wasn't something we expected-we assumed your transporter functioned according to your desired specifications."
"I am also surprised," Tuvok said, "that Mr. Revek was unable to provide the information you required."
Revek laughed. Adamant said, matching Tuvok's austerity, "Thilo's skill is in computers, not in the hardware and theoretical foundations of your transporter system. And his ship was badly damaged on landing."
"If I'd had a working transporter," Revek murmured, "I wouldn't have had to land it."
Adamant ignored the interruption. "He has done what he can, but our transporter has not progressed beyond this point."
"I see," Janeway said. "Certainly we're interested in pursuing an agreement-your food is excellent-
tasting as well as nutritious for our people-and I can see that we might be able to offer, say, the technical specifications for our system in exchange for re-supply."
Adamant frowned slightly. "I would prefer to trade for actual hardware, as well as the specifications."
"I don't think that will be possible," Janeway answered. "At most, we might be able to replicate some of the crucial parts for you-and from what we've seen of your technology, you should have no trouble duplicating the rest of the system."
"Perhaps-" Adamant began, and Keyward leaned close to him, murmuring in the Kirse language. Adamant nodded, and looked back at Janeway. "Clearly the details will have to be worked out, but can I take it that we have an agreement in principal?"
Janeway nodded slowly. "We need to resupply