{"data":{"id":13078,"title":"A Human Perspective - Episode 5 - Roberts Space Industries","rsi_url":"\/web\/20140712004924\/https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/spectrum-dispatch\/13078-A-Human-Perspective-Episode-5","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/13078","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/13078","channel":"Spectrum Dispatch","category":"Lore","series":"A Human Perspective","images":[{"id":29099,"name":"HumanPerspFI_Clean.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/cmjxxjf2qh8uzr\/source\/HumanPerspFI_Clean.jpg","alt":"","size":3441449,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2013-07-18T18:33:50+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/29099","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/29099\/similar"}],"images_count":3,"translations":{"en_EN":"The Banu agricultural world Shyewhea, in the Ophos system, stank like nobody\u2019s business. The fact that it had a fairly thin atmosphere turned out to be a blessing: it forced them (him, Angela, even the Banu who lived there) to wear a simple breathing device whenever they were out on the planet\u2019s surface, which cut the stench considerably, but not entirely.\n\nTo Charl it was just like any other ag world, and he\u2019d seen plenty of them: flat farmland as far as the eye can see, field upon field, livestock yard upon livestock yard, hatchery upon hatchery, all gridded off with mag-lev rail lines. Productive, efficient and boring as hell.\n\n\u201cYou don\u2019t mind the smell so much?\u201d he asked Angela on their first day on Shyewhea\u2019s surface. Her light blue jacket matched both her eyes and the twin-mooned sky.\n\n\u201cNo. You find it unpleasant?\u201d she asked innocently, putting gear into the back of their ATV.\n\n\u201cYou\u2019ve got to be kidding,\u201d he exclaimed, scrunching his face. \u201cThat\u2019s quite a stink. I suppose you\u2019ve been on a lot of ag worlds, though, being a bio tech.\u201d\n\n\u201cNot really,\u201d she replied simply, voice only slightly muffled by her breathing apparatus.\n\n\u201cNo field work? That\u2019s strange, I would have thought \u2026 here, those are kind of heavy, let me help you \u2026\u201d he began, but Angela managed a pair of heavy field packs without his aid. \u201cStrong little thing, aren\u2019t you?\u201d\n\n\u201cWe should make the Welshwar Ridge by midday,\u201d she pointed out. \u201cThe hwasheen wranglers will meet us there.\u201d\n\nAll business, then, he thought. I can handle that. They drove along dirt roads for hours that day, mostly in silence, which suited Charl just fine. They kicked up dust past kilometer after kilometer of endless crops. It was more than enough to keep fleets of cargo ships busy feeding nearby Banu industrial worlds.\n\nThe Banu wranglers in charge of the hwasheen herds made Charl grin. They were rugged fellows, wheel- and grav-bike riders who managed the thousands of animals that ranged over hundreds of hectares. They wore leather clothes and wide-brimmed hats to keep off the orange sun. Banu cowboys, indeed.\n\n\u201cTry some, Charl-Grissom,\u201d one wrangler offered, gesturing toward a plate of steaming hwasheen meat on their chuck wagon table. Give them credit, he thought: they walk the walk out here. Quickly, he whipped up an excuse. \u201cI\u2019m not due to sample the meat for another few days,\u201d he said, stretching the truth just a bit. The Banu cowboys all spit and trembled. Jolly jokers.\n\nUnlike on the Banu yacht Shuulyear (which, he was happy to hear, was also to be their ride back off this backwater planet), Angela\u2019s quarters were clear across the compound from his. A couple of days ago he would have thought that preferable, but today \u2026\n\nTry as he might, he found himself eager to see her smiling face every morning. Charl helped Angela gather bio samples (as disgusting as that was sometimes), run tests, and generally gather data. They wandered among the hwasheen, bonding with a couple of them, he guessed, though it was really hard to tell if the beasts reciprocated at all.\n\nTry as he might, he couldn\u2019t get them to play fetch.\n\nAfter a couple of days of gentle ribbing, Charl finally sat down to the plate of hwasheen meat the wranglers offered him. They gathered close to watch his reaction, while he steeled himself and made the mental commitment to chew and swallow, no matter what it tasted like.\n\n\u201cHere goes,\u201d he said, tearing off a small piece off and popping it in his mouth (no forks here). The Banu watched expectantly. Had they placed bets, he wondered? It wasn\u2019t awful, even when he drew the odor through his nostrils. Ultimately, it was kind of bland, tough but with a sort of wormy consistency. He swallowed and shrugged, sending the wranglers into some kind of tizzy. He ate the remainder, suffered a minor belly ache that night, and that was the end of it.\n\nThe next morning he shared his opinions with Angela.\n\n\u201cI suppose it\u2019s all in the preparation,\u201d he suggested, leaning against an instrument table they had set near the fence perimeter. A handful of hwasheen gathered around, probably because they got occasional treats, he supposed. Angela examined slides under a microscope. A light breeze played along her gathered hair and long skirt.\n\n\u201cA little butter and pepper can do wonders. I wouldn\u2019t say it was bad tasting, but it was nothing to vid home about. When are you going to give it a try?\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m \u2026 I\u2019m not really sure,\u201d she said, distracted by her slide work.\n\n\u201cTry to get some right from the chuck wagon, the same way I had it. Then we can compare apples to apples, or whatever it is they eat around here.\u201d Still, no reaction, and Charl sighed. He realized that he had been pretty cold and distant to her, especially at first, but he was strangely disappointed that Angela showed no interest in being friendlier. Sure, he didn\u2019t care for Humans in general, but perhaps it was Humans in their billions he despised. Taken one at a time maybe they weren\u2019t so bad.\n\nBut for whatever reason, she must not think of him as her type. Plenty of stars in the galaxy, he reminded himself \u2026 but, he realized with a small grin, she was the only \u2018star\u2019 for a few hundred light years.\n\n\u201cI suppose if the hwasheen are easier to raise,\u201d he continued, resolved to make the most of the morning, \u201cmore efficient or something.\u201d He picked up a MobiGlas and flipped through some of their accumulated data. \u201cAre these the latest figures?\u201d\n\n\u201cYes,\u201d Angela replied, never looking up from her microscope.\n\n\u201cWell, if these figures are right, then the hwasheen are way harder to raise than even cows. Look, here \u2026 their feed consumption is higher, and their water consumption is a lot higher.\u201d He scratched his head. \u201cI don\u2019t know for sure, but I can\u2019t see people giving up beef for hwasheen meat that\u2019s not as tasty and twice as expensive.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ll have to put that into our report,\u201d she said simply. \u201cI\u2019ve got some other instruments to gather on the north range.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll come with you,\u201d he offered.\n\n\u201cNo, I\u2019d prefer to go alone.\u201d\n\n\u201cOh,\u201d was all he managed.\n\nLater that evening, as he attended to his scant few duties, Charl saw that their ATV was back. Angela had returned and not even bothered to let him know. He cursed and lamented being out of rye and Banu beer.\n\nThe next morning, he opened a vid line with Lyshtuu, hoping if he filed his report early they might come and get him off this rock. He was surprised to get real-time communication. His Banu friend must be in-system on some other business, Charl supposed.\n\n\u201cThose are the figures,\u201d he said, sharing the preliminary data through the conference channel. \u201cThese hwasheen are pretty hard to raise and are way off the charts on profit and loss for livestock animals.\u201d\n\n\u201cI observe, Charl-Grissom,\u201d Lysthuu replied, scanning the data at his end.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve tasted the meat, and it is not appetizing. I\u2019m sure most Humans would not enjoy it.\u201d\n\n\u201cPerhaps processed for nutritional purposes \u2026\u201d\n\n\u201cPerhaps, but, again, the efficiencies are substandard. Also, if Torreele is thinking of importing these things as pets, they can forget it. They\u2019re not particularly friendly, and they don\u2019t bond or play well. Honestly, I think Torreele\u2019s way off the mark on this one.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou should continue,\u201d the Banu trader suggested.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m not sure why, Lyshtuu. There just doesn\u2019t seem to be any point to it. If it\u2019s a matter of money, I can take a cut on the contract \u2026\u201d\n\n\u201cTransport unavailable now, Charl-Grissom. Fulfill acquaintance desired.\u201d Charl understood. There was no shortening the mission. He was stuck here for another five standard days, like it or not. He assured Lyshtuu he would finish things and ended the transmission. Solemnly, he laced up his boots and wandered out into the livestock yard where Angela was back going through her slides.\n\n\u201cAngela!\u201d he cried, \u201cYour breather!\u201d It was sitting on the table beside her microscope. She could go maybe a minute without it, but \u2026 Charl rushed across the livestock yard toward her. She reacted strangely, looking up slowly from the microscope \u2026 so she heard him, at least \u2026 and picked up the breather like she\u2019d never seen the thing before.\n\n\u201cPut it on!\u201d he yelled, astonished, but she just stood there, as if frozen. By the time he reached her so did a handful of Banu in yellow lab coats who burst out of Angela\u2019s quarters.\n\n\u201cWho the hell are you?\u201d he asked as one shoved him aside. \u201cYou guys aren\u2019t wranglers! Where did you come from?\u201d Two of them now interposed themselves between him and Angela, holding out their hands, babbling some Banu nonsense, blocking his view. Two more descended upon Angela, grabbing her by the shoulders and easing her to the ground, apparently motionless.\n\n\u201cGet out of my way! Angela!\u201d Charl reared back and punched one of his lab-coated interveners right in its mouth. But the other produced a small aerosol canister and sprayed him with a sweet-smelling gas, and he remembered nothing more for some time.\n\n\u201cWhere are we?\u201d Charl insisted eventually, rubbing his aching temples. Two Banu in yellow lab coats stood with him in a modest waiting room. They were not the ones who had subdued him. How many of these guys are there?\n\n\u201cAre you listening? Tell me where we are!\u201d Charl was an experienced-enough spacer to know the gravity here felt different and artificial. The place had that air-tight resonance, too. They were in space \u2014 somewhere. The Banu eyed him studiously and the smaller of them responded.\n\n\u201cSafe. Affirmative. Safe.\u201d Great, they\u2019re literalists. He was not restrained in any way and he figured he could get to the door before they stopped him, though there might be a dozen armed guards just outside for all he knew. He tossed his head back, took a deep breath, and tried to think.\n\n\u201cCharl-Grissom desire food or drink?\u201d the other Banu offered.\n\n\u201cNo,\u201d he growled, barely keeping his temper in check. \u201cWhere \u2026 is \u2026 Angela?\u201d The techs looked at their comps and at each other.\n\n\u201cAngela repair,\u201d Little-tech answered, eliciting in Charl an unexpected protective response. He stood up suddenly and towered over the cringing techs.\n\n\u201cShe\u2019s injured!\u201d he shouted, and one fumbled in his pocket for something, probably more knock-out gas. \u201cYou spray me and I\u2019ll strangle you both! If you\u2019ve hurt Angela I\u2019ll \u2026\u201d\n\n\u201cAngela broken.\u201d Little-tech explained again. Charl\u2019s throbbing mind raced. She must have suffered oxygen deprivation from the ag planet\u2019s thin atmosphere. Did they know how to treat that? What do a bunch of Banu know about treating a Human, anyway?\n\n\u201cTake me to Angela! Right now!\u201d he insisted, but Little-tech shook his head no \u2014 they knew that Human gesture, anyway.\n\n\u201cOrbital station,\u201d the tech said, pointing to all three of them in turn and gesturing to the surrounding space. \u201cOrbital station Shyewhea, Ophos system.\u201d\n\n\u201cIs Angela here, too?\u201d\n\n\u201c Hanroyth Angela.\u201d\n\nHanroyth? But that\u2019s a word for machines \u2026\n\nTo Be Continued \u2026","de_DE":"Die Banu-Agrarwelt Shyewhea im Ophos-System stank, als ginge es niemanden etwas an. Die Tatsache, dass die Atmosph\u00e4re dort ziemlich d\u00fcnn war, erwies sich als Segen: Sie (er, Angela und sogar die Banu, die dort lebten) waren gezwungen, ein einfaches Atemger\u00e4t zu tragen, wenn sie sich auf der Oberfl\u00e4che des Planeten aufhielten, wodurch der Gestank zwar erheblich, aber nicht vollst\u00e4ndig reduziert wurde.\n\nF\u00fcr Charl war es wie jede andere Agrarwelt, und er hatte schon viele davon gesehen: flaches Ackerland, so weit das Auge reicht, Feld auf Feld, Viehhof auf Viehhof, Br\u00fcterei auf Br\u00fcterei, alles mit Magnetschwebebahnlinien vernetzt. Produktiv, effizient und verdammt langweilig.\n\n\"St\u00f6rt Sie der Geruch nicht so sehr?\", fragte er Angela an ihrem ersten Tag auf der Oberfl\u00e4che von Shyewhea. Ihre hellblaue Jacke passte sowohl zu ihren Augen als auch zu dem zweimondigen Himmel.\n\n\"Nein. Finden Sie ihn unangenehm?\", fragte sie unschuldig, w\u00e4hrend sie die Ausr\u00fcstung in den Kofferraum ihres Gel\u00e4ndewagens lud.\n\n\"Sie machen wohl Witze\", sagte er und verzog das Gesicht. \"Das ist ein ganz sch\u00f6ner Gestank. Ich nehme an, Sie waren als Biotechniker schon auf vielen Ag-Welten.\n\n\"Nicht wirklich\", antwortete sie einfach, wobei ihre Stimme durch ihr Atemger\u00e4t nur leicht ged\u00e4mpft war.\n\n\"Keine Feldarbeit? Das ist seltsam, das h\u00e4tte ich mir denken k\u00f6nnen ... hier, die sind ziemlich schwer, lassen Sie mich Ihnen helfen ...\", begann er, aber Angela schaffte ein paar schwere Feldrucks\u00e4cke ohne seine Hilfe. \"Sie sind ein starkes kleines Ding, nicht wahr?\"\n\n\"Wir sollten den Welshwar Ridge bis zum Mittag erreichen\", erkl\u00e4rte sie. \"Die Hwasheen-Z\u00e4nker werden uns dort treffen.\"\n\nDann ist ja alles in Butter, dachte er. Das schaffe ich schon. Sie fuhren an diesem Tag stundenlang \u00fcber unbefestigte Stra\u00dfen, meist schweigend, was Charl ganz recht war. Sie wirbelten Staub auf, w\u00e4hrend sie Kilometer um Kilometer endloser Ernten hinter sich lie\u00dfen. Es war mehr als genug, um Flotten von Frachtschiffen damit zu besch\u00e4ftigen, die nahegelegenen Banu-Industriewelten zu versorgen.\n\nDie Banu-H\u00fcter, die f\u00fcr die Hwasheen-Herden verantwortlich waren, brachten Charl zum Grinsen. Es waren robuste Kerle, Rad- und Grav-Bike-Fahrer, die die Tausenden von Tieren h\u00fcteten, die sich \u00fcber Hunderte von Hektar erstreckten. Sie trugen Lederkleidung und breitkrempige H\u00fcte, um sich vor der orangefarbenen Sonne zu sch\u00fctzen. Banu-Cowboys, in der Tat.\n\n\"Probieren Sie mal, Charl-Grissom\", bot einer der Wrangler an und deutete auf einen Teller mit dampfendem Haschischfleisch auf dem Tisch ihres Chuck Wagon. Das muss man ihnen lassen, dachte er: Sie gehen hier drau\u00dfen auf dem Zahnfleisch. Schnell hatte er eine Ausrede parat. \"Ich werde das Fleisch erst in ein paar Tagen probieren\", sagte er und dehnte die Wahrheit ein wenig. Die Banu-Cowboys spuckten alle aus und zitterten. Lustige Witzbolde.\n\nAnders als auf der Banu-Jacht Shuulyear (die, wie er erfreut feststellte, auch ihre R\u00fcckreise von diesem Hinterw\u00e4ldlerplaneten sein sollte), befand sich Angelas Quartier genau gegen\u00fcber von seinem. Vor ein paar Tagen h\u00e4tte er das noch f\u00fcr besser gehalten, aber heute ...\n\nSo sehr er sich auch bem\u00fchte, er konnte es kaum erwarten, jeden Morgen ihr l\u00e4chelndes Gesicht zu sehen. Charl half Angela beim Sammeln von Bioproben (so ekelhaft das manchmal auch war), bei der Durchf\u00fchrung von Tests und beim Sammeln von Daten im Allgemeinen. Sie wanderten zwischen den Hwasheen umher und schlossen mit einigen von ihnen Freundschaft, wie er vermutete, obwohl es wirklich schwer zu sagen war, ob die Biester das \u00fcberhaupt erwiderten.\n\nSo sehr er sich auch bem\u00fchte, er konnte sie nicht dazu bringen, mit ihm zu spielen.\n\nNach ein paar Tagen des sanften Rippens setzte sich Charl schlie\u00dflich an den Teller mit Hwasheen-Fleisch, den die Wranglers ihm anboten. Sie standen dicht beieinander, um seine Reaktion zu beobachten, w\u00e4hrend er sich fest vornahm, zu kauen und zu schlucken, ganz gleich, wie es schmeckte.\n\n\"Hier ist es\", sagte er, riss ein kleines St\u00fcck ab und steckte es sich in den Mund (hier gibt es keine Gabeln). Die Banu sahen ihn erwartungsvoll an. Hatten sie Wetten abgeschlossen, fragte er sich? Es war nicht schlecht, auch wenn er den Geruch durch die Nase einatmete. Letztendlich war es irgendwie fade, z\u00e4h, aber mit einer Art wurmiger Konsistenz. Er schluckte und zuckte mit den Schultern, was die Wranglers in helle Aufregung versetzte. Er a\u00df den Rest, litt in der Nacht unter leichten Bauchschmerzen und das war's.\n\nAm n\u00e4chsten Morgen teilte er Angela seine Meinung mit.\n\n\"Ich nehme an, es ist alles eine Frage der Vorbereitung\", meinte er und lehnte sich an einen Instrumententisch, den sie in der N\u00e4he des Zauns aufgestellt hatten. Eine Handvoll Hwasheen versammelte sich um sie, wahrscheinlich weil sie gelegentlich Leckerbissen bekamen, vermutete er. Angela untersuchte Objekttr\u00e4ger unter einem Mikroskop. Eine leichte Brise spielte an ihrem gerafften Haar und ihrem langen Rock.\n\n\"Ein bisschen Butter und Pfeffer k\u00f6nnen Wunder bewirken. Ich w\u00fcrde nicht sagen, dass es schlecht geschmeckt hat, aber es war nichts, wor\u00fcber man sich freuen konnte. Wann probieren Sie es denn mal aus?\"\n\n\"Ich... ich bin mir nicht sicher\", sagte sie, abgelenkt von ihrer Diaarbeit.\n\n\"Versuchen Sie, etwas direkt vom Chuck Wagon zu bekommen, so wie ich es hatte. Dann k\u00f6nnen wir \u00c4pfel mit \u00c4pfeln vergleichen, oder was auch immer sie hier essen.\" Immer noch keine Reaktion, und Charl seufzte. Ihm war klar, dass er ihr gegen\u00fcber ziemlich kalt und distanziert gewesen war, vor allem am Anfang, aber er war seltsam entt\u00e4uscht, dass Angela kein Interesse zeigte, freundlicher zu sein. Sicher, er mochte die Menschen im Allgemeinen nicht, aber vielleicht waren es die Menschen in ihrer Milliardenh\u00f6he, die er verachtete. Einer nach dem anderen waren sie vielleicht gar nicht so schlecht.\n\nAber aus welchem Grund auch immer, sie hielt ihn wohl nicht f\u00fcr ihren Typ. Es gibt viele Sterne in der Galaxie, erinnerte er sich ... aber, so stellte er mit einem kleinen Grinsen fest, sie war der einzige 'Stern' im Umkreis von ein paar hundert Lichtjahren.\n\n\"Ich nehme an, wenn die Hwasheen leichter aufzuziehen sind\", fuhr er fort, entschlossen, das Beste aus dem Morgen zu machen, \"effizienter oder so.\" Er nahm ein MobiGlas in die Hand und bl\u00e4tterte durch einige der gesammelten Daten. \"Sind das die neuesten Zahlen?\"\n\n\"Ja\", antwortete Angela, ohne von ihrem Mikroskop aufzublicken.\n\n\"Nun, wenn diese Zahlen stimmen, dann sind die Hwasheen viel schwieriger zu z\u00fcchten als K\u00fche. Sehen Sie, hier ... ihr Futterverbrauch ist h\u00f6her und ihr Wasserverbrauch ist viel h\u00f6her.\" Er kratzte sich am Kopf. \"Ich wei\u00df es nicht genau, aber ich kann mir nicht vorstellen, dass die Leute Rindfleisch f\u00fcr Hwasheen-Fleisch aufgeben, das nicht so gut schmeckt und doppelt so teuer ist.\"\n\n\"Das m\u00fcssen wir in unseren Bericht aufnehmen\", sagte sie schlicht. \"Ich muss noch ein paar andere Instrumente auf der Nordkette sammeln.\"\n\n\"Ich komme mit Ihnen\", bot er an.\n\n\"Nein, ich m\u00f6chte lieber allein gehen.\"\n\n\"Oh\", war alles, was er sagen konnte.\n\nSp\u00e4ter am Abend, als er seinen sp\u00e4rlichen Pflichten nachging, sah Charl, dass ihr ATV wieder da war. Angela war zur\u00fcckgekehrt und hatte sich nicht einmal die M\u00fche gemacht, ihn zu benachrichtigen. Er fluchte und bedauerte, dass er keinen Roggen und kein Banu-Bier mehr hatte.\n\nAm n\u00e4chsten Morgen \u00f6ffnete er eine Vid-Verbindung zu Lyshtuu, in der Hoffnung, dass sie ihn von diesem Felsen herunterholen w\u00fcrden, wenn er seinen Bericht fr\u00fchzeitig einreichte. Er war \u00fcberrascht, dass er Echtzeitkommunikation erhielt. Sein Banu-Freund muss sich wegen einer anderen Angelegenheit im System befinden, vermutete Charl.\n\n\"Das sind die Zahlen\", sagte er und teilte die vorl\u00e4ufigen Daten \u00fcber den Konferenzkanal mit. \"Diese Hwasheen sind ziemlich schwer zu z\u00fcchten und liegen weit au\u00dferhalb der Gewinn- und Verlustrechnung f\u00fcr Nutztiere.\"\n\n\"Ich beobachte das, Charl-Grissom\", antwortete Lysthuu und scannte die Daten an seinem Ende.\n\n\"Ich habe das Fleisch gekostet, und es ist nicht appetitlich. Ich bin sicher, die meisten Menschen w\u00fcrden es nicht genie\u00dfen.\"\n\n\"Vielleicht wird es zu Ern\u00e4hrungszwecken verarbeitet...\"\n\n\"Vielleicht, aber auch hier ist der Wirkungsgrad mangelhaft. Und wenn Torreele daran denkt, diese Dinger als Haustiere zu importieren, k\u00f6nnen sie es vergessen. Sie sind nicht besonders freundlich, binden sich nicht und spielen nicht gut. Ehrlich gesagt, glaube ich, dass Torreele in diesem Fall weit daneben liegt.\"\n\n\"Sie sollten fortfahren\", schlug der Banu-H\u00e4ndler vor.\n\n\"Ich bin mir nicht sicher, warum, Lyshtuu. Es scheint einfach keinen Sinn zu haben. Wenn es eine Frage des Geldes ist, kann ich einen Anteil am Vertrag nehmen...\"\n\n\"Transport jetzt nicht m\u00f6glich, Charl-Grissom. Erf\u00fcllen Sie den Wunsch nach Bekanntschaft.\" Charl verstand. Es gab keine M\u00f6glichkeit, die Mission zu verk\u00fcrzen. Er sa\u00df hier f\u00fcr weitere f\u00fcnf Standardtage fest, ob es ihm gefiel oder nicht. Er versicherte Lyshtuu, dass er die Sache zu Ende bringen w\u00fcrde und beendete die \u00dcbertragung. Feierlich schn\u00fcrte er seine Stiefel und ging hinaus auf den Viehhof, wo Angela wieder ihre Dias durchging.\n\n\"Angela!\", rief er, \"Ihr Atemger\u00e4t!\" Sie lag auf dem Tisch neben ihrem Mikroskop. Sie konnte vielleicht eine Minute ohne ihn auskommen, aber ... Charl rannte \u00fcber den Viehhof auf sie zu. Sie reagierte seltsam, schaute langsam vom Mikroskop auf ... also h\u00f6rte sie ihn zumindest ... und hob das Beatmungsger\u00e4t auf, als h\u00e4tte sie es noch nie gesehen.\n\n\"Ziehen Sie es an!\", rief er erstaunt, aber sie stand einfach nur da, als w\u00e4re sie erstarrt. Als er sie erreichte, kam auch schon eine Handvoll Banu in gelben Laborkitteln aus Angelas Quartier gest\u00fcrmt.\n\n\"Wer zum Teufel sind Sie?\", fragte er, als ihn einer zur Seite schob. \"Ihr seid keine Wranglers! Wo kommen Sie denn her?\" Zwei von ihnen stellten sich nun zwischen ihn und Angela, hielten die H\u00e4nde auf und brabbelten irgendeinen Banu-Quatsch und versperrten ihm die Sicht. Zwei weitere st\u00fcrzten sich auf Angela, packten sie an den Schultern und lie\u00dfen sie scheinbar regungslos zu Boden sinken.\n\n\"Gehen Sie mir aus dem Weg! Angela!\" Charl b\u00e4umte sich auf und schlug einem seiner Laboranten direkt ins Maul. Doch der andere z\u00fcckte eine kleine Spraydose und bespr\u00fchte ihn mit einem s\u00fc\u00dflich riechenden Gas, und er erinnerte sich f\u00fcr einige Zeit an nichts mehr.\n\n\"Wo sind wir?\" beharrte Charl schlie\u00dflich und rieb sich die schmerzenden Schl\u00e4fen. Zwei Banu in gelben Laborkitteln standen mit ihm in einem bescheidenen Warteraum. Sie waren nicht diejenigen, die ihn \u00fcberw\u00e4ltigt hatten. Wie viele von diesen Typen gibt es?\n\n\"H\u00f6ren Sie zu? Sagen Sie mir, wo wir sind!\" Charl war ein erfahrener Raumfahrer genug, um zu wissen, dass sich die Schwerkraft hier anders und k\u00fcnstlich anf\u00fchlte. Der Ort hatte auch diesen luftdichten Nachhall. Sie waren im Weltraum - irgendwo. Die Banu be\u00e4ugten ihn aufmerksam und der kleinere von ihnen antwortete.\n\n\"Sicher. Best\u00e4tige. Sicher.\" Gro\u00dfartig, sie sind Wortk\u00fcnstler. Er war in keiner Weise gefesselt und er glaubte, dass er es bis zur T\u00fcr schaffen w\u00fcrde, bevor sie ihn aufhielten, obwohl vielleicht ein Dutzend bewaffnete Wachen vor der T\u00fcr standen, soweit er wusste. Er warf den Kopf zur\u00fcck, holte tief Luft und versuchte zu denken.\n\n\"M\u00f6chte Charl-Grissom etwas essen oder trinken?\", bot der andere Banu an.\n\n\"Nein\", knurrte er und konnte sein Temperament kaum unter Kontrolle halten. \"Wo ... ist ... Angela?\" Die Techniker blickten auf ihre Komps und auf einander.\n\n\"Angela reparieren\", antwortete der kleine Techniker und l\u00f6ste damit bei Charl eine unerwartete Schutzreaktion aus. Er stand pl\u00f6tzlich auf und \u00fcberragte die zusammenzuckenden Techniker.\n\n\"Sie ist verletzt!\", rief er, und einer fummelte in seiner Tasche nach etwas, wahrscheinlich mehr K.O.-Gas. \"Wenn Sie mich bespr\u00fchen, erw\u00fcrge ich Sie beide! Wenn Sie Angela verletzt haben, werde ich ...\"\n\n\"Angela gebrochen.\" Little-tech erkl\u00e4rte wieder. Charl's pochender Verstand raste. Sie musste durch die d\u00fcnne Atmosph\u00e4re des Ag-Planeten Sauerstoffmangel erlitten haben. Wussten sie, wie man das behandelt? Was wei\u00df ein Haufen Banu \u00fcberhaupt von der Behandlung eines Menschen?\n\n\"Bringen Sie mich zu Angela! Sofort!\", beharrte er, aber Little-tech sch\u00fcttelte den Kopf - sie kannten diese menschliche Geste sowieso.\n\n\"Orbitalstation\", sagte der Techniker, deutete auf alle drei und gestikulierte in den umgebenden Raum. \"Orbitalstation Shyewhea, Ophos-System.\"\n\n\"Ist Angela auch hier?\"\n\n\" Hanroyth Angela.\"\n\nHanroyth? Aber das ist doch ein Wort f\u00fcr Maschinen ...\n\nFortsetzung folgt ...","zh_CN":"The Banu agricultural world Shyewhea, in the Ophos system, stank like nobody\u2019s business. The fact that it had a fairly thin atmosphere turned out to be a blessing: it forced them (him, Angela, even the Banu who lived there) to wear a simple breathing device whenever they were out on the planet\u2019s surface, which cut the stench considerably, but not entirely.\n\nTo Charl it was just like any other ag world, and he\u2019d seen plenty of them: flat farmland as far as the eye can see, field upon field, livestock yard upon livestock yard, hatchery upon hatchery, all gridded off with mag-lev rail lines. Productive, efficient and boring as hell.\n\n\u201cYou don\u2019t mind the smell so much?\u201d he asked Angela on their first day on Shyewhea\u2019s surface. Her light blue jacket matched both her eyes and the twin-mooned sky.\n\n\u201cNo. You find it unpleasant?\u201d she asked innocently, putting gear into the back of their ATV.\n\n\u201cYou\u2019ve got to be kidding,\u201d he exclaimed, scrunching his face. \u201cThat\u2019s quite a stink. I suppose you\u2019ve been on a lot of ag worlds, though, being a bio tech.\u201d\n\n\u201cNot really,\u201d she replied simply, voice only slightly muffled by her breathing apparatus.\n\n\u201cNo field work? That\u2019s strange, I would have thought \u2026 here, those are kind of heavy, let me help you \u2026\u201d he began, but Angela managed a pair of heavy field packs without his aid. \u201cStrong little thing, aren\u2019t you?\u201d\n\n\u201cWe should make the Welshwar Ridge by midday,\u201d she pointed out. \u201cThe hwasheen wranglers will meet us there.\u201d\n\nAll business, then, he thought. I can handle that. They drove along dirt roads for hours that day, mostly in silence, which suited Charl just fine. They kicked up dust past kilometer after kilometer of endless crops. It was more than enough to keep fleets of cargo ships busy feeding nearby Banu industrial worlds.\n\nThe Banu wranglers in charge of the hwasheen herds made Charl grin. They were rugged fellows, wheel- and grav-bike riders who managed the thousands of animals that ranged over hundreds of hectares. They wore leather clothes and wide-brimmed hats to keep off the orange sun. Banu cowboys, indeed.\n\n\u201cTry some, Charl-Grissom,\u201d one wrangler offered, gesturing toward a plate of steaming hwasheen meat on their chuck wagon table. Give them credit, he thought: they walk the walk out here. Quickly, he whipped up an excuse. \u201cI\u2019m not due to sample the meat for another few days,\u201d he said, stretching the truth just a bit. The Banu cowboys all spit and trembled. Jolly jokers.\n\nUnlike on the Banu yacht Shuulyear (which, he was happy to hear, was also to be their ride back off this backwater planet), Angela\u2019s quarters were clear across the compound from his. A couple of days ago he would have thought that preferable, but today \u2026\n\nTry as he might, he found himself eager to see her smiling face every morning. Charl helped Angela gather bio samples (as disgusting as that was sometimes), run tests, and generally gather data. They wandered among the hwasheen, bonding with a couple of them, he guessed, though it was really hard to tell if the beasts reciprocated at all.\n\nTry as he might, he couldn\u2019t get them to play fetch.\n\nAfter a couple of days of gentle ribbing, Charl finally sat down to the plate of hwasheen meat the wranglers offered him. They gathered close to watch his reaction, while he steeled himself and made the mental commitment to chew and swallow, no matter what it tasted like.\n\n\u201cHere goes,\u201d he said, tearing off a small piece off and popping it in his mouth (no forks here). The Banu watched expectantly. Had they placed bets, he wondered? It wasn\u2019t awful, even when he drew the odor through his nostrils. Ultimately, it was kind of bland, tough but with a sort of wormy consistency. He swallowed and shrugged, sending the wranglers into some kind of tizzy. He ate the remainder, suffered a minor belly ache that night, and that was the end of it.\n\nThe next morning he shared his opinions with Angela.\n\n\u201cI suppose it\u2019s all in the preparation,\u201d he suggested, leaning against an instrument table they had set near the fence perimeter. A handful of hwasheen gathered around, probably because they got occasional treats, he supposed. Angela examined slides under a microscope. A light breeze played along her gathered hair and long skirt.\n\n\u201cA little butter and pepper can do wonders. I wouldn\u2019t say it was bad tasting, but it was nothing to vid home about. When are you going to give it a try?\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m \u2026 I\u2019m not really sure,\u201d she said, distracted by her slide work.\n\n\u201cTry to get some right from the chuck wagon, the same way I had it. Then we can compare apples to apples, or whatever it is they eat around here.\u201d Still, no reaction, and Charl sighed. He realized that he had been pretty cold and distant to her, especially at first, but he was strangely disappointed that Angela showed no interest in being friendlier. Sure, he didn\u2019t care for Humans in general, but perhaps it was Humans in their billions he despised. Taken one at a time maybe they weren\u2019t so bad.\n\nBut for whatever reason, she must not think of him as her type. Plenty of stars in the galaxy, he reminded himself \u2026 but, he realized with a small grin, she was the only \u2018star\u2019 for a few hundred light years.\n\n\u201cI suppose if the hwasheen are easier to raise,\u201d he continued, resolved to make the most of the morning, \u201cmore efficient or something.\u201d He picked up a MobiGlas and flipped through some of their accumulated data. \u201cAre these the latest figures?\u201d\n\n\u201cYes,\u201d Angela replied, never looking up from her microscope.\n\n\u201cWell, if these figures are right, then the hwasheen are way harder to raise than even cows. Look, here \u2026 their feed consumption is higher, and their water consumption is a lot higher.\u201d He scratched his head. \u201cI don\u2019t know for sure, but I can\u2019t see people giving up beef for hwasheen meat that\u2019s not as tasty and twice as expensive.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ll have to put that into our report,\u201d she said simply. \u201cI\u2019ve got some other instruments to gather on the north range.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ll come with you,\u201d he offered.\n\n\u201cNo, I\u2019d prefer to go alone.\u201d\n\n\u201cOh,\u201d was all he managed.\n\nLater that evening, as he attended to his scant few duties, Charl saw that their ATV was back. Angela had returned and not even bothered to let him know. He cursed and lamented being out of rye and Banu beer.\n\nThe next morning, he opened a vid line with Lyshtuu, hoping if he filed his report early they might come and get him off this rock. He was surprised to get real-time communication. His Banu friend must be in-system on some other business, Charl supposed.\n\n\u201cThose are the figures,\u201d he said, sharing the preliminary data through the conference channel. \u201cThese hwasheen are pretty hard to raise and are way off the charts on profit and loss for livestock animals.\u201d\n\n\u201cI observe, Charl-Grissom,\u201d Lysthuu replied, scanning the data at his end.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve tasted the meat, and it is not appetizing. I\u2019m sure most Humans would not enjoy it.\u201d\n\n\u201cPerhaps processed for nutritional purposes \u2026\u201d\n\n\u201cPerhaps, but, again, the efficiencies are substandard. Also, if Torreele is thinking of importing these things as pets, they can forget it. They\u2019re not particularly friendly, and they don\u2019t bond or play well. Honestly, I think Torreele\u2019s way off the mark on this one.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou should continue,\u201d the Banu trader suggested.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m not sure why, Lyshtuu. There just doesn\u2019t seem to be any point to it. If it\u2019s a matter of money, I can take a cut on the contract \u2026\u201d\n\n\u201cTransport unavailable now, Charl-Grissom. Fulfill acquaintance desired.\u201d Charl understood. There was no shortening the mission. He was stuck here for another five standard days, like it or not. He assured Lyshtuu he would finish things and ended the transmission. Solemnly, he laced up his boots and wandered out into the livestock yard where Angela was back going through her slides.\n\n\u201cAngela!\u201d he cried, \u201cYour breather!\u201d It was sitting on the table beside her microscope. She could go maybe a minute without it, but \u2026 Charl rushed across the livestock yard toward her. She reacted strangely, looking up slowly from the microscope \u2026 so she heard him, at least \u2026 and picked up the breather like she\u2019d never seen the thing before.\n\n\u201cPut it on!\u201d he yelled, astonished, but she just stood there, as if frozen. By the time he reached her so did a handful of Banu in yellow lab coats who burst out of Angela\u2019s quarters.\n\n\u201cWho the hell are you?\u201d he asked as one shoved him aside. \u201cYou guys aren\u2019t wranglers! Where did you come from?\u201d Two of them now interposed themselves between him and Angela, holding out their hands, babbling some Banu nonsense, blocking his view. Two more descended upon Angela, grabbing her by the shoulders and easing her to the ground, apparently motionless.\n\n\u201cGet out of my way! Angela!\u201d Charl reared back and punched one of his lab-coated interveners right in its mouth. But the other produced a small aerosol canister and sprayed him with a sweet-smelling gas, and he remembered nothing more for some time.\n\n\u201cWhere are we?\u201d Charl insisted eventually, rubbing his aching temples. Two Banu in yellow lab coats stood with him in a modest waiting room. They were not the ones who had subdued him. How many of these guys are there?\n\n\u201cAre you listening? Tell me where we are!\u201d Charl was an experienced-enough spacer to know the gravity here felt different and artificial. The place had that air-tight resonance, too. They were in space \u2014 somewhere. The Banu eyed him studiously and the smaller of them responded.\n\n\u201cSafe. Affirmative. Safe.\u201d Great, they\u2019re literalists. He was not restrained in any way and he figured he could get to the door before they stopped him, though there might be a dozen armed guards just outside for all he knew. He tossed his head back, took a deep breath, and tried to think.\n\n\u201cCharl-Grissom desire food or drink?\u201d the other Banu offered.\n\n\u201cNo,\u201d he growled, barely keeping his temper in check. \u201cWhere \u2026 is \u2026 Angela?\u201d The techs looked at their comps and at each other.\n\n\u201cAngela repair,\u201d Little-tech answered, eliciting in Charl an unexpected protective response. He stood up suddenly and towered over the cringing techs.\n\n\u201cShe\u2019s injured!\u201d he shouted, and one fumbled in his pocket for something, probably more knock-out gas. \u201cYou spray me and I\u2019ll strangle you both! If you\u2019ve hurt Angela I\u2019ll \u2026\u201d\n\n\u201cAngela broken.\u201d Little-tech explained again. Charl\u2019s throbbing mind raced. She must have suffered oxygen deprivation from the ag planet\u2019s thin atmosphere. Did they know how to treat that? What do a bunch of Banu know about treating a Human, anyway?\n\n\u201cTake me to Angela! Right now!\u201d he insisted, but Little-tech shook his head no \u2014 they knew that Human gesture, anyway.\n\n\u201cOrbital station,\u201d the tech said, pointing to all three of them in turn and gesturing to the surrounding space. \u201cOrbital station Shyewhea, Ophos system.\u201d\n\n\u201cIs Angela here, too?\u201d\n\n\u201c Hanroyth Angela.\u201d\n\nHanroyth? But that\u2019s a word for machines \u2026\n\nTo Be Continued \u2026"},"links_count":0,"comment_count":40,"created_at":"2013-07-01T00:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"12 years ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-05-10 02:41:30","valid_relations":["images","links"],"prev_id":13077,"next_id":13079}}