Free The Phoenix Project by Kris Powers

despite my
objections. I wish it was a different story. Why did you suggest the name Phoenix, anyway?”
         “It’s from a poem my wife
loved. It seemed appropriate.”
         Nelson smiled politely with a
brief look to the ground in memory of Lillian before saying: “Dismissed.”

 
 
 
         Ranik placed a number three
card to his total on the square, black table.
         “I’ve got twenty—five.”
         Lathiel pulled another card
from the deck and placed a four in front of his cards, bringing his hand to a
total of twenty—seven.
         “I’m over, you win,” Lathiel said.
         Ranik took the chips from the
center of the table and got up to pour himself another drink. He opened a small
coral blue cabinet on one wall and pulled out a bottle of Ruby Brandy.
         “Would you like another?”
Ranik asked while he poured himself a glass.
         “Anything to pass the time.”
         “I don’t know what’s worse,”
Ranik said, as he sat down with two glasses of glowing liquor, “the waiting or
your poor playing.”
         “I’ve got another twenty
sterling that says you’re wrong.”
         “Done,” Ranik said. He watched
Lathiel shuffle the cards. “I wonder: what do you think they’ll be like?”
         “Who?” Lathiel asked as he
dealt the first two cards.
         “This new species. I’m a
little worried about what kind of people they are,” he said. Ranik looked at
his card lying face up on the table. “Another card.”
         “I just hope they’re
friendly.” He gave Ranik a second card. Lathiel put one in front of himself as
well.
         “That’s what has me worried.
You saw the sensor data. Their Faster Than Light drives are inferior to ours.
We can get to their system in a few days and it would take them how long?”
         “About a decade.”
         “A decade,” Ranik repeated and
looked at the two cards in front of him. “I’ll take an alternate.”
         Lathiel nodded and removed the
second card from Ranik’s hand only to replace it with another from the deck. He
took a look at his hand and decided to keep what he had.
         “What’s your point?”
         “That’s how far behind us they
are in propulsion. But did you look at the sensor data on their weapons
systems?”
         “It has to be at least fifty
years beyond ours.”
         “Closer to a hundred and I’m
concerned about that. Next card.”
         “They may have a lot to teach
us,” Lathiel said. He took another card from the deck and placed it with
Ranik’s hand. Ranik looked at his cards and pondered his next move.
         “Do you think they can teach
us about war?”
         “If they could outfit our
ships with their weapons,” Lathiel began.
         “Then we would have a
considerable advantage over the Nevargh. Yes, I’ve thought about that.”
         “It would strengthen us
considerably.”
         “I’ll hold with this,” Ranik
said. Lathiel took another card for his hand. “What if they don’t want to part
with their technology? What if they don’t want to part with us?”
         “I’ll keep these. I take it
you mean that we’re going into a trial, right?”
         “Next card. Yes, we do have
something to answer for. No matter how unintentional our actions, we’ve still
put them in danger.”
         Lathiel placed a third card in
front of him.
         “I’ll take an alternate.”
         “Two is the maximum.”
         “I know.” Ranik received a
different card. “I’ll stay with this.”
         He had twenty—four. Lathiel
took another card from the deck and placed a ten with his other cards, for a
total of twenty.
         “There isn’t just that, Lathiel.
Advanced weaponry can mean advanced hostility. Do you have any idea what their
reaction to us will be?”
         “We still need to make
amends,” Lathiel said, and took