Surebleak
In which Korval is keeping its head down.
Oh, yeah. And the survey team. I’d forgotten about them, what with so much else going on.
I knew as soon as the narration mentioned the scanner being on that there was going to be a distraction from the direction.
I wasn’t expecting a Turtle, though.
I wonder what Clutch-speak is for “it’s kind of complicated”…
I had been wondering…because blurbs for the book spoke of all the story threads being converged in this book…when the Turtles were going to join them. I had expected it to be much sooner, but I admit that this “cliffhanger” leaves me impatient for the next one!
I wonder if it is still the same day that Val Con read Tocohl’s and Jen Sin’s message – just a few hours later?
@ Turtles
The clutch ship identifies itself as Emissary twelve – does this mean it is not the Knife Clan of Middle River but the less tall Ambassadors? That would indicate the ship came directly form Clutch homeworld. Since the Clutch have some similarity with the Tree I wouldn’t be surprised if Ren Zel’s fight for the Universe was felt by or somehow involved the Clutch Elders.
@Terran Trade survey team – Surveyor Veloz
Kamele Waitley would ask him if he hadn’t ever learned to do proper research. Especially interviewing sources.
Also if he isn’t fluent in Liaden and familiar with the Liaden’s tendency to use language as weapons how is he to understand what the Liaden newspapers say or to be sure the translations he properly saw were anywhere close to what happened at all.
Also with all the Clutch and Yxtrang ambassador converging on Surebleak – it is questionable if Surebleak has to rely on trade as its main reason for port upgrade. Diplomacy and military (like a new merc hiring hall) might trump it. If Surebleak hosts the only Clutch embassy in Terran-Liad space – that alone might be an incentive to Traders visiting Surebleak!
And with Aelliana Caylon polishing again, it will be only a matter of month till Korval yards will be able to upgrade ships – so they all might do that fancy jumping that Bechimo does. But I bet this upgrading will first go to the AI ships that visit Tinsory Light. But Korval yards on Surebleak might also do so – at least to ally ships.
Should Veloz and his opinions prevail, someone should warn those Commissioners that politicking against Korval might have unforeseeable consequences. The ships that visit Surebleak will regard the Port as regional – no matter if some bureaucratic Commission officially say so or not. And who knows – if the Terran Trade Commission keeps on ignoring facts because of politics – Pilots and Trades might regard the Terran Trade Commission as a chancy information resource. Especially if Carresens-Denobli Trades take an unequivocal stand and decides to make internals public. But if that happens – Terran Trade Commission will splinter.
So even if the Surveyor Team will speak against upgrading – I don’t think it will hold. With Carresens-Denobli Korval gains an important ally and they will not support such short sided politicking.
@Arl Fed pen’Uldra
I also wonder if the Carresens-Denobli also have a connection with the Divers Trade Association – and thusly with Daav’s father’s grandfather. Or may Arl Fed have a connection to Bechimo’s first crew?
I reckon it is the same day: Miri’s comment that they have to open the Road Boss office today ties in with an earlier comment that they can only afford to take one day off Road Boss business to focus on family drama.
We never found out what vision Nova was having, of Cantra. Right?
Not in detail. I presumed that, having been asked by Val Con to fly Cantra’s ship to a more long-term berth, her gift had supplied her with Cantra’s memories of how to fly the ship (and how to bypass all the traps Cantra had set for anybody who tried to fly it without her knowledge).
That would have been a cool scene
Othin– We think alike to this: Since the Clutch have some similarity with the Tree I wouldn’t be surprised if Ren Zel’s fight for the Universe was felt by or somehow involved the Clutch Elders.” My thoughts exactly.
The next book has a title, now, according to Baen Bar. It’s called Accepting the Lance — which is one of the martial arts moves in L’apaleka, the Clutch regime that keeps thoughts and body in alignment. Val Con danced L’apaleka, so slowly, to knit together his shattered self (Carpe Diem and Agent of Change). He specifically danced “Accepting the Lance” used it to defeat Agent sig’Alda at Winterfair in Carpe Diem.
I guess the Terra Trade survey team doesn’t worry me. I figure all these things will work out. Somehow. I do like Othin’s idea — get Professor Waitley involved!
Speaking of Kamele…Starting a secondary school, and possibly a university, will also add to Surebleak’s prestige. Becoming part of “the universal conversation” as the scholars like to say.
Comments, Quibbles, and Questions with Neogenesis:
Having had time to digest things….
1. The Uncle set the Bedel in motion. Is that all we get? How does that statement fit in with everything else we know? I know I said that I appreciate the fact that Lee and Miller do not spoon feed their readers, but in this case….
2. Val Con judged that Bechimo is NOT made of any old tech?? That directly contradicts what Uncle told Theo at the end of Saltation. He said Bech was a mix of Old Tech and New. And he BUILT him.
3. Age of Bechimo. Directly contradicts Bechimo’s statement that he’s been alone for 500 years. Ghost ship. So maybe just an authorial slip. Not a big deal….but…I liked it better when I thought him so ancient. Putting him in sinc with Trade Secret diminishes his mystery in my eyes. A personal reaction.
4. Tinsori Light. Why does it have to be stuck in that dark edge of space? The short story said it has the ability to move itself.
5. My predictions or hopes: Theo needs to hug her niece, baby Talizea.
Little tree in hydroponics needs to be greatly welcomed. Maybe planted on Surebleak…the grove grows….or maybe it will stay on Bechimo. A mascot.
Pathfinders could stay with Bechimo. Seems to me that crew could really use a few “Stronglines” — and the Pathfinders would learn their new Galaxy / universe first hand.
I hope Daav and Aelli will select Spiral Dance. Would be perfect. They can put the new translation jump into her….and everyone else that Othin mentioned.
I am eagerly awaiting whatever surprise will be found in the holds on Spiral Dance. I thought it was a tease the way the authors mentioned a thorough walk through was interrupted (?)…or didn’t mention it…it’s been too long for my memory to serve.
Nova delivered spiral to Korval yard with no problem, as far as we were told
No. No problems. But they still haven’t been “searched.” It may be just a detail of incontinuity that got by. There are pleny of others, as we know. Maybe my mind is too much on what would be waiting if this were a horror flick .
Belated, I just found this site. It’s incredible. I’m in awe of the author:)
Skip, re: the Bedel being set in motion by the Uncle. It would explain their facility with Old Tech, particularly the ability to recognize dangerous artifacts, as seen in “Elutherios.” Tie-back also to Jethri’s tweaked gene-set (increasing sensitivity to fractins/timonium) and its synergy with Seignur Veeoni’s directive to build New Universe-based clean fractins… and Arin’s similar, earlier experiments but with Old Universe fractins… Such a web!
I would imagine that the Uncle might have thought it prudent to set a group in play which, being wanderers by culture, might find more dangerous Befores in strange places? That was my thought process, but the Uncle is a subtle man and surely has more irons in the fire than we’ve seen in-text.
Hi, Elf! Glad to see another current poster/commenter. I enjoy everyone’s ideas and input…so happy Paul decided to record his journey!
Hi Elf,
glad to see you join in.
I always wondered whether it was just coincidence that the Bedel happened to come to a timonium rich planet at the time it was being opened up – of if that was careful planning and choosing. Maybe looking for some old tech dump planet/place similar to Vanehald in the old universe and making sure it was cleaned out before being settled. But we haven’t been told what the Bedel mission is jet.
Also all the scout old tech dump places could use being looked over by some Bedel group.
Othin: I always wondered whether it was just coincidence that the Bedel happened to come to a timonium rich planet
I posted somewhere one of my questions: Do the Bedel use timonium in their own creations. I believe it is Rys(?) who suggests that the Bedel copy Old Tech devices after “pulling their teeth” so they cannot hurt people. Even if they remove the influence of the Enemy, that does not mean that they don’t use timonium. Inquiring minds want to know!
Does anyone know how long it will be after the manuscript for Accepting the Lance is delivered to the publisher next January, that the book will actually be published?
Skip: Val Con judged that Bechimo is NOT made of any old tech?? That directly contradicts what Uncle told Theo at the end of Saltation. He said Bech was a mix of Old Tech and New.
On re-reading Val Con’s judgement, I think what we may have is an imprecision in the meaning of “Old Tech”.
Val Con’s judgement is that Bechimo is not Old Tech in the sense that his construction does not incorporate any Befores, devices built in the old universe. The construction records show that every part of Bechimo was built new. That being so, what the Uncle presumably meant was that part of Bechimo was designed using old technological principles, like how Seignur Veeoni’s new fractins are old technology but not Befores, unlike most fractins which are Old Tech in both senses.
(Though, having carefully wended my way through that puzzle, I have to admit that the way the Uncle talks about “Old Tech that was fading of age” does rather make it sound as if they incorporated Befores.)