All The Weyrs of Pern

Considerable consternation was roused when it became more widely known that a Thread ovoid had been procured. Aivas obliged with scenes of it reposing in Airlock A. It remained there unchanging for several days, proving that in its present state it posed no danger to anyone.

More importantly, Lessa and F'lar reported favorably on the reduction of Thread density during the largest Fall over Nerat. There had been three long columns entirely free of the deadly rain. So Lessa and F'lar came to Landing to discuss adding that task to the on-board duties. Aivas had a tape of the incident so that Benden Weyrleaders could view it, which they did several times.

"Incredible to think Thread can be destroyed without dragon assistance," Lessa murmured in a low voice.

"Too bad there aren't a dozen more colony ships up there," Piemur said.

"Then dragons wouldn't have been needed, and that doesn't bear thinking of, " Lessa snapped back at him.

"I spoke as a harper, Weyrwoman," Piemur said courteously, "as I, for one, am very glad dragons do exist."

"I think, F'lar, that we should go to the Yokohama," Lessa remarked. "There's enough oxygen for Ramoth and Mnementh in the cargo bay by now. isn't there, Aivas?"

"There is. It is essential that the larger dragons become accustomed to the conditions of space," Aivas replied. Lessa and F'lar exchanged meaningful glances. "The next stream should intersect with the Yokohama's orbit in three days' time, at precisely 1522 hours ship time."

"That's late morning, isn't it, Benden time?" F'lar asked, turning to Lessa. "We'll go then, direct from Benden."

"Who's going to take me then?" Robinton asked, sitting straight up in his chair and looking aggrieved.

"I will," D'ram said. "Surely there's enough air for three big dragons, isn't there, Aivas?" The old Weyrleader's tone implied that there had better be.

"Certainly," was Aivas's prompt assurance.

"Well, then," Robinton said, brushing his hands together in complete satisfaction, "that takes care of that."

13

Lessa was just a trifle put out when Ruth, with Jaxom, Sharra, and Oldive astride, joined the three big dragons the morning of their first ascent to the Yokohama.

"Sharra and Oldive volunteered to dissect the Thread egg," Jaxom said without apology, "and I'm to man the telescope and give Aivas fore and aft views of the Thread stream."

What Jaxom did not say was that Ruth might need to give the big dragons a few helpful hints on how to manage themselves in free-fall. So far, none of the green dragons had experienced any difficulty with the unusual sensation of weightlessness. The fire-lizards had been totally fearless and almost casual about coming up to see what the dragons, especially Ruth, were doing on the Yokohama. Mirrim was scheduled for algae-farming on the other two vessels that day, so that would give the party two dragons suitable for bridge-to-bridge transfer.

Going between from the brilliant sunlight and balmy air of Landing to the big, dimly lit cargo bay on the Yokohama brought exclamations from all the initiates.

"Jaxom, I thought you said there were lights," Lessa said.

"There are," he replied, agilely dismounting and expertly pushing himself toward the main switches on the wall by the lift. He was rather pleased that, with such an audience, he arrived effortlessly at the exact spot. Being well aware of the load soon to be taxing the solar panels, he activated only the ring lights, not the power-eating overhead globes.

"Amazing!" Master Robinton exclaimed, staring around the immense, empty facility.

Ramoth made an odd little noise in her throat as she viewed her surroundings, her eyes idly whirling. Mnementh lowered his head, sniffing at the scarred deck plates, peering into the corners, his eyes calm. D'ram's Tiroth stretched his neck until his head reached the ceiling. At that point, his feet lifted slowly from the floor, startling the big bronze into a bellow of protest.

You are in free fall, Tiroth, Ruth said casually. Every action has a reaction. Gently push yourself back to the floor with your snout. See? That was easy.

Then Ramoth swung her head too rapidly about to see what was happening to Tiroth and started to drift.

Don't fight the motion, Ramoth, Ruth said, just relax and let yourself go with the movement. Now, easily swing your head back. See, it's not hard at all. Look at me.

"Ruth!" Jaxom said repressively, "don't you dare show off."

I'm not showing off, I'm showing! Ruth executed a slow backflip, careful to keep his wings tight against his spine where they would not interfere with his progress. We weigh no more than a fire-lizard up here! And then he twirled around on his tail end.

"Ruth!" Jaxom bellowed, his voice echoing off the walls of the bay.

"I think you've made your point, Lord Jaxom," F'lar said, a ripple of suppressed amusement in his voice. "Easy does it, right?" Moving carefully, F'lar swung out of his accustomed perch between Mnementh's neck ridges and found that he had propelled himself deckward. "An incredible feeling! Try it, Lessa. I know you don't weigh much under any circumstances, but I just drifted down! Amazing sensation! No strain for you, Robinton."

There were a few misjudgments as the passengers experimented. Sharra, discreetly assisting Masterhealer Oldive to the deck, made for the lift to start their day's project: a close examination of the egg in the airlock. Aivas has recommended that they take the Thread to the medical station on the top coldsleep deck. Laboratory facilities were still in place there, including a microscope more powerful than anything they had yet managed to build. The section had sufficient air but was not yet too warm, Aivas assured them. For an unemotional piece of machinery, Aivas was exhibiting an odd insistence for what Sharra would have thought a relatively unimportant element of the total project.

When the others had grown somewhat accustomed to the vagaries of free-fall, Jaxom escorted them to the bridge. Certainly he was as eager to show Lessa, F'lar, Robinton, and D'ram his familiarity with the Yokohama's bridge as Ruth was to discreetly supervise the big dragons. Standing in the open lift, Jaxom's novices did not disappoint him: they were as genuinely awestruck by the view of Pern as he could wish. He gave them time to absorb the wondrous sight of the sunlit continent and the brilliantly blue sea, then gently shooed them into the room so that the lift door could close. They clung for a while to the guardrail, coming to terms with their experience.

Propelling himself smoothly to the captain's chair, Jaxom fed the telescope program, checked the ready room, where Sharra was helping Oldive into a space suit, and tuned one of the ceiling screens in to the laboratory.

F'lar dragged his gaze away from the riveting view of Pern to eye the specimen. "It's not as big as I thought it'd be," he said.

"No, it's not. That's why it'd be interesting to see how a big, long Thread fits into such a confined envelope," Jaxom replied.

Lessa shot one glance at it before turning back to the more compelling panorama. "Can we go to the window?" she asked.

"Just push yourself off gently-don't worry," he added when she started to float and tried to stop herself. "Just flow. Don't struggle." She went by him, rotating, and he reached up and halted the motion. Then, with a gentle shove, he aimed her at the window.

Robinton, having observed her mistakes, did not repeat them, and shortly he was beside her at the window, his feet dangling a handspan above the floor. D'ram gave a grunt and went handover-hand down to the nearest console, where he strapped himself into the chair.

"How long before the stream starts to intersect the Yokohama's path?" he asked.