Free Dark Foundations by Chris Walley Page B

we reconsider?”
    â€œWhen it’s all over?” She smiled. “Yes. But not until. . . . We might be old by then.”
    Or dead . Vero sat back against the tree. Work is a good cure for a frustrated love affair, and I’ve got plenty of work .
    â€œOkay,” he said. “Let’s put it behind us.”
    â€œAgreed. But not without sadness.”
    There was a protracted silence that seem filled with regret.
    Finally, Perena shook herself. “To work. Do you have any bright ideas about saving us from further intruders?”
    â€œI’m hoping for some clues from the various reports—Merral’s especially. But we need an army, P.” He hesitated. “It’s not easy to make one of those. So, you think more intruders will get through any defenses that we can come up with in space?”
    â€œMore than likely. We might take out 5 percent of an attack force if we’re lucky. But no more.”
    â€œSo they’ll end up in orbit around us. Is it possible that they’ll just blast us into dust using nuclear weapons or even a polyvalent fusion bomb?”
    Perena gazed eastward across the greenery of the park before answering. “It’s possible. We know so little about them. And from the nastiness on the ship Merral hinted at, we can’t rule it out. But I don’t think it’s likely. It’s a hunch, that’s all.”
    â€œExplain.”
    â€œWe’ve scanned the worlds beyond ours. There is no other star system that has any indication of anything other than a trace of water. Not for at least three hundred light-years. At that point we lose resolution. This place—” she gestured to the trees and the grass—“is valuable. Good planets are hard to find.”
    â€œSo they might try and occupy us?”
    â€œThe most likely scenario.”
    Occupation . A word I have met in many documents having to do with war. Occupation, though, was sometimes defeated by resistance. I must do some studying fast.
    Vero became aware that Perena was watching him. “Thanks, P. You’ve helped me.”
    â€œI can’t see how.”
    As he rose, she followed, carefully brushing a few strands of grass off her clothes.
    â€œP., can you take me to Planetary Affairs? I need to start some things going. Gather my aides. But the first step is to see Corradon in his office. There is work to do.”
    â€œOf course.”
    â€œI gather there are offices already being made ready for Merral and the FDF. But I need some space. Preferably private. . . . Yes, hidden. Somewhere in the city. Any ideas?”
    â€œWhat’s wrong with the Walderand water project site you used before?”
    â€œIt’s too far and it’s an obvious target.”
    â€œHow many people are you thinking of?”
    â€œMaybe a hundred.”
    â€œTalk to the city engineers.” Perena gestured toward the buildings that were the heart of Isterrane. “This is the first city. Do you understand what that means?”
    â€œOnly that it was here that the first settlement on the planet was founded. But what does that have to do with anything?”
    â€œOh, Earther—” he heard amusement in her voice—“you people don’t understand the Made Worlds, do you?”
    â€œExplain.”
    â€œWhen Farholme was settled, oh, around three thousand years ago, it was so inhospitable that, as with all Made Worlds, the first city was built underground. And then, as the stabilization of Farholme progressed, a new city was built on top of the first one.”
    â€œYou mean there is an old city beneath this one?” It sounds too good to be true .
    â€œWell, maybe a lot of old tunnels and chambers. That’s all I know. Every few years there are trips down to the foundations for the curious. I’ve never been.”
    â€œRight. I’ll get a guided tour. Thanks for the information.”
    As they walked slowly on to the