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be; Hub took responsibility for the remaining external conditions.
The Bowl was one of six, all specifically constructed to provide venues for
events which needed to
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be held outside. They were distributed across the world so that there ought
always to be one in the right place at the right time, no matter what the
required conditions.
Though of course, Kabe felt bound to point out, you could have just one,
and then slow down or speed up the whole Orbital, to synchronise.
Been done, the avatar said sniffily.
I rather thought it might.
The avatar looked up. Ah ha. Directly overhead, just visible through the
morning haze above, a tiny roughly rectangular shape was glowing with
reflected sunlight.
What is that? .
That is the Equator Class General Systems Vehicle Experiencing A Significant
Gravitas Shortfall,
the avatar said. Kabe saw its eyes narrow fractionally and a small smile
formed about its lips and eyes. It changed its course schedule to come and
see the concert too. The avatar watched the shape grow bigger, and frowned.
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It ll have to move from there though; that s where my air-burst meteorites
are coming through.
Air burst? Kabe said. He was watching the glowing rectangle of the GSV
enlarge slowly. That sounds, ah, dramatic. Danger- ous might seem a more
suitable word, he thought.
The avatar shook its head. It too was watching the giant craft as it lowered
itself into the atmosphere above them. Na, it s not that dangerous, the
avatar said, apparently but presumably not actually reading his mind. The
shower choreography is pretty much all set up. There might be a few bits of
soft stuff that could still outgas and need retrajectoring, but they all have
their own escort engines anyway. The avatar grinned at him. I used a whole
bunch of old knife missiles; reactivated war stock, which seemed appropriate.
Reckoned they needed the practice.
They looked back up into the sky. The GSV was now about the same size as a
hand held out at full arm s stretch. Features were starting to appear on its
golden-white surfaces. All the rocks are fully set up; fired up and forgotten
long ago, the avatar continued, sliding in simple as rings on an orrery. No
danger there either. It nodded at the GSV, which was close and bright enough
now to be casting its own light over the surrounding landscape, like a
strangely rectangular golden moon floating over the world.
That is the sort of thing Hub Minds can t help get worried about, the avatar
said, hoisting one silvery eyebrow. A trillion tonnes of ship capable of
accelerating like an arrow out of a bow coming close enough to the surface for
me to feel the curve of the fucker s gravity well if it wasn t fielded out.
It shook its head. GSVs, it said, tutting as though over a mischievous but
cute child.
Do you think they take advantage of you because you used to be one? Kabe
asked. The giant craft seemed to have come to a halt at last, filling about a
quarter of the sky. Some wispy clouds had formed underneath its lower surface.
Concentric shells of field showed up as barely visible lines around it, like a
set of cavernous nested bubbles floating in the sky.
Damn right, the avatar said. Any native-to-Hub Mind would be baking its
fuses at the very thought of letting something that big come inside perimeter;
they like ships on the outside where if anything ever did go wrong they d just
fall away. The avatar laughed suddenly. I m telling it to get the hell out
of my jet stream now. It is, of course, being rude.
The clouds forming underneath the giant ship started to flow in and flute
upwards; the
Experiencing A Significant Gravitas Shortfall was starting to draw away.
Clouds boiled up around it like a million contrails forming at once, and
lightning flickered between the blossoming towers of vapour.
Look at that. Ruining the whole morning. The avatar shook its head again.
Typical GSV. That little display had better not stop my nacreous clouds
forming this evening or there ll be big trouble. It looked at Kabe. Come on;
let s ignore this show-off and go below. I want to show you the engines on
this thing.
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But, Cr Ziller; your public!
Is back on Chel and would probably pay good money to see me hung, drawn and
burned.
My dear Ziller, that is exactly my point. I m sure what you say is a gross if
understandable exaggeration, but even if it were remotely true, quite the
opposite applies here; on Masaq there are huge numbers of people who would
gladly give their own lives to save yours. It is them I was referring to, as
I m sure you well know. Many of them will be at the concert tonight; the rest
will all be watching, immersed.
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They have waited patiently for years, hoping that one day you might feel
inspired to complete another long work. Now that it has finally happened they
cannot wait to experience it as fully as possible and pay you the homage they
know you deserve. They are desperate to be there and hear your music and see
you with their own eyes. They crave to see you conduct Expiring Light this
evening!
They can crave all they like but they re going to be disap- pointed. I have
no intention of going, not if that suppurating piece of desk-fodder is going
to be present.
But you won t meet! We ll keep you separate!
Ziller stuck his big black nose up towards Tersono s pink- blushed ceramic
casing, causing the drone to shrink back from him. I do not believe you, he
told it.
What? Because I m from Contact? But that s ridiculous!
I bet Kabe told you that.
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