tz.cobra strike-第53章

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　〃That's　not　how　the　arrangement　began；〃　said　Telek。　〃It　was　originally　for　defense　against　predators　and　evolved　into　a　personal　bodyguard　system。〃
　〃And　now　shows　itself　easily　adapted　to　warfare；〃　Stiggur　said。　〃The　history　doesn't　concern　us　as　much　as　the　current　situation　does。〃　He　turned　to　Jonny。　〃Is　there　any　way　you　know　of　to　make　the　Cobra　equipment　better　able　to　deal　with　the　mojos？　Some　change　in　the　targeting　mechanism；　for　instance？〃
　Jonny　shrugged。　〃The　targeting　procedure　is　designed　to　allow　fast　target　acquisition　while　minimizing　accidental　lock…ons。　Make　it　any　easier　and　faster　and　you'll　automatically　get　more　misfires。〃
　〃Then　how　about　reprogramming　the　nanoputer　to　identify　mojos　as　hostile？〃　Fairleigh　suggested。　〃That　way　at　least　the　next　generation　of　Cobras　could　handle　them。〃
　Vartanson　snorted。　〃If　that　could　be　done；　don't　you　think　we'd　already　have　something　like　that　for　the　Caelian　Cobras？　Shape　recognition　just　takes　up　too　much　puter　memory。〃
　〃It's　actually　more　basic　than　that；〃　Jonny　shook　his　head。　〃The　minute　you　put　some　kind　of　automatic　recognition　targeting　into　the　Cobras；　you　rob　them　of　their　versatility　and；　ultimately；　their　effectiveness。　Once　the　Qasamans　figured　it　out；　they　could　throw　birds　by　the　hundreds　at　us；　and　while　we're　helplessly　shooting　down　ones　who　couldn't　even　get　near　us　for　three　minutes；　the　Qasaman　gunners　shoot　us　at　their　leisure。　Automatic　single…purpose　weapons　are　fine　in　their　place…and　you're　using　them　quite　effectively　on　Caelian…but　don't　try　to　make　them　out　of　Cobras。〃
　There　was　a　moment's　silence。　〃Sorry；〃　Jonny　muttered。　〃Didn't　mean　to　lecture。〃
　Stiggur　waved　the　apology　aside。　〃The　point　was　reasonable　and　well　taken。　I　don't　think　anyone　wants　to　have　specialized　cadres　of　Cobras。　So。　Is　there　some　other　way　to　reduce　the　mojos〃　effectiveness？〃
　〃Excuse　me　for　changing　the　subject；〃　Hemner　spoke　up　hesitantly；　〃but　there　are　still　some　points　about　Qasama　generally　that　bother　me。　History；　Brom；　you　implied　wasn't　important；　but　I'd　like　to　know　a　little　about　the　colony's　background。　Specifically；　how　and　when　it　came　to　be。〃
　〃I　didn't　mean　history　wasn't　important。〃　Stiggur　poked　at　his　board。　〃Only　that…oh；　never　mind。　Let's　see。　The　historians〃　report　indicates　the　original　Qasamans　left　the　Dominion　circa　2160；　probably　as　colonists　bound　from　Reginine　for　Rajput。　The　direction　vector　is　about　right；　and　the　various　historical　references　and　language…not　to　mention　the　name　Qasama　itself…all　point　to　one　of　Reginine's　basic　subcultures。〃
　〃The　name　Qasama？〃　Vartanson　frowned。
　〃You've　got　this　report　yourselves；〃　Stiggur　said；　a　bit　tartly。　〃
　〃Qasama〃　is　an　Old　Arabic　word　meaning　〃to　divide。〃　It's　e　into　Anglic　through　a　couple　of　different　languages　and　changes　to　bee　〃kismet；〃　meaning　〃fate〃　or　〃destiny。〃
　〃
　〃Divided　by　destiny；〃　Roi　murmured。　〃Some　linguist　aboard　the　original　ship　had　a　strange　sense　of　humor。〃
　〃Or　sense　of　manifest　destiny；〃　Telek　said；　half　to　herself。　〃I　never　saw　a　scrap　of　evidence　the　Qasamans　had　any　humor　whatsoever。　They　took　themselves　incredibly　seriously。〃
　〃Fine；〃　Hemner　said。　〃So　Qasama's　been　in　existence　for　something　under　three　hundred　years；　and　in　that　time　the　mojos　and　humans　have　bee　symbiotically　entwined。　Correct？〃
　〃Correct；〃　Stiggur　nodded。　〃Though　〃symbiosis〃　might　be　too　strong　a　word。〃
　〃Oh？〃　Hemner　raised　an　eyebrow。　〃The　people　kill　the　tarbines〃　protector　bololins　so　that　the　mojos　can　breed　more　easily；　in　turn　the　mojos　protect　their　owners　from　attack。　What's　that　if　not　symbiosis？　But　my　real　question　is　what　did　the　mojos　do　before　humans　came　along？〃
　All　eyes　shifted　to　Telek。　〃Lizabet？〃　Stiggur　prompted。　〃Any　ideas？〃
　〃Not　offhand；〃　she　answered　slowly；　a　frown　creasing　her　forehead。　〃Huh。　Never　even　occurred　to　me　to　wonder　about　that。　Have　to　be　a　predator；　certainly…a　big　one；　to　deal　with　the　bololins。　I'll　have　to　check　the　Troft　records；　see　how　many　likely　candidates　there　are。〃
　〃If　you'll　forgive　me；〃　Roi　put　in；　〃I　don't　see　that　this　is　a　vital　part　of　Figuring　out　how　to　stop　the　mojos　now　that　they　are　riding　around　on　the　Qasa…mans〃　shoulders。〃
　〃If　you'll　forgive　me；〃　Telek　shot　back；　〃one　never　knows　in　this　business　where　a　key　fact　will　show　up/She　launched　into　a　mini…lecture　abut　the　interdependence　of　biological　structure　and　function　with　ecological　position；　but　Jonny　missed　most　of　it。　Skimming　the　Qasaman　biological　data；　he　hit　a　small　sentence　that　brought　his　eyes　and　mind　to　a　screeching　halt。　He　backed　up　and　read　the　section　carefully　。。。　and　a　not…quite…understood　shiver　went　up　his　spine。
　Stiggur　was　saying　something　mollifying　when　Jonny's　attention　returned　to　the　group。　He　waited　until　the　governor…general　was　finished　and　then　spoke　up　before　anyone　else　could　do　so。　〃Lizabet；　have　you　had　time　to　study　the　fauna　records　the　Menssana　brought　back？　Specifically；　the　ones　from　the　planet　Chata？〃
　〃I　glanced　through　them。〃　Her　expression　said　you　know　I　did；　but　the　thought　remained　unsaid。　〃You　driving　at　anything　specific？〃
　〃Yes。〃　Jonny　tapped　keys　to　send　the　two　pages　he'd　been　looking　at　to　the　others〃　displays。　〃On　the　left　is　our　profile　of　the　flatfoot　quadruped　of　Chata；　on　the　right；　yours　of　the　Qasaman　bololin。　If　you'd　all　take　a　moment　to　scan　the　two　pages；　I　think　you'll　see　what　I　mean。〃
　〃Interesting；〃　Vartanson　nodded　a　minute　later。　〃A　lot　of　similarity　there。〃
　〃In　particular　the　use　of　magnetic　field　lines　for　navigation；〃　Telek　agreed。　〃Highly　unusual　for　large　land　animals。　Probably　a　classic　example　of　the　Trofts〃　so…called　mon…stock　theory…you　know；　the　same　argument　as　to　why　we　get　similar　flora　and　fauna　on　Aventine；　Palatine；　and　Gaelian。〃
　〃Uh…huh；〃　Jonny　said。　He'd　found　the　other　two　pages　he　needed　and　now　put　them　on　the　displays。　〃Okay；　then；　how　about　the　mojo　on　the　right　and　this　bird　on　the　left？〃
　Fairleigh　snorted。　〃From　a　binocular　photo　and　puter…generated　views？　Even　/　know　you　need　more　than　that　for　a　similarity　study。〃
　Jonny　kept　his　eyes　on　Telek。　〃Lizabet？〃
　〃Both　predators；〃　she　said　slowly。　〃Beaks　and　wing　coverts　very　similar。　Feet　。。。　not　enough　detail；　but　。。。　interesting。　Those　short　filaments　ing　off　the　crown　and　lore…here　and　here？　The　mojo's　got　some　sort　of　vibrissae　there；　too；　tied　somehow　into　its　auditory　system；　we　think。　Unless　that's　a　false　construct　generated　by　the　puter。　Where　did　you　spot　this…oh；　there　it　is。　Tacta。　The　last　planet　on　your　survey；　right？〃
　〃Right；〃　Jonny　said　absently。　So　the　mojos　were　apparently　close　cousins　to　the　strange　bird　whose　behavior　had　spooked　them　off　its　world。　Which　meant　。。。　what？
　〃For　the　moment；　at　least；〃　Stiggur　said；　〃Lizabet　is　right　that　the　mojo　data　needs　more　detailed　study　before　we　can　discuss　a　counter　to　them。　So　I'd　like　to　move　on　to　a　strategic　discussion　of　the　society　itself；　particularly　the　structural　aspects　that　we　already　know。　Uh　。。。　let's　see　。。。　right：　page　162　is　where　it　starts。〃
　The　discussion　lasted　nearly　an　hour；　and　despite　the　relatively　raw　state　of　the　data　a　picture　emerged　which　Jonny　found　as　depressing　from　a　military　standpoint　as　it　possibly　could　have　been。　〃Let's　see　if　I've　got　all　this　straight；〃　he　said　at　the　end；　trying　to　go　as　easy　as　he　could　on　the　heavy　sarcasm。　〃We　have　a　society　whose　members　all　regularly　carry　firearms；　whose　population　is　largely　spread　out　in　small　villages；　whose　light　industry　is　also　solidly　decentralized　and　whose　heavy　industry　is　buried　deep　underground；　and　whose　exact　technological　level　is　still　unknown。　Does　that　pretty　well　cover　it？〃
　〃Don't　forget　their　willingness　to　use　brain…boosting　drugs　and　to　hell　with　the　personal　consequences；〃　Roi　growled。　〃And　all　of　them　hellbent　paranoids　on　top　of　it。　You　know；　Brom；　the　more　we　get　into　this；　the　less　I　like　the　idea　of　them　sitting　out　there　ready　to　explode　across　space　as　soon　as　they　reinvent　the　stardrive。〃
　〃You　sound　as　if　they'll　be　orbiting　us　the　next　morning；〃　Hemner　said。　He　coughed；　twice；　the　spasms　shaking　his　thin　shoulders；　but　when　he　continued　his　voice　was　firm　enough。　〃Qasama　is　forty…five　l