The Uplift War Read online

  PRAISE FOR DAVID BRIN’S UPLIFT NOVELS

  THE UPLIFT WAR

  “An exhilarating read that encompasses everything from breathless action to finely drawn moments of quiet intimacy. There is no way we can avoid coming back as many times as Brin wants us to, until his story is done.”

  —Locus

  “Shares all the properties that made Startide such a joy. The plot fizzes along … and there are the wonders of the Galactic civilizations (which have all the invention and excitement that SF used to have.”)

  —Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine

  SUNDIVER

  “Brin has done a superb job on all counts.”

  —Science Fiction Times

  “Brin has a fertile and well-developed imagination … coupled with a sinuous and rapid-paced style.”

  —Heavy Metal

  STARTIDE RISING

  “Startide Rising is an extraordinary achievement, a book so full of fascinating ideas that they would not have crowded each other at twice its considerable length.”

  —Poul Anderson

  “One hell of a novel … Startide Rising has what SF readers want these days; intelligence, action and an epic scale.”

  —Baird Searles, Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine

  BOOKS BY DAVID BRIN:

  EARTH

  GLORY SEASON

  THE HEART OF THE COMET

  (with Gregory Benford)

  OTHERNESS

  THE POSTMAN

  THE PRACTICE EFFECT

  THE UPLIFT BOOKS

  SUNDIVER

  STARTIDE RISING

  THE UPLIFT WAR

  BRIGHTNESS REEF

  INFINITY’S SHORE

  HEAVEN’S REACH

  CONTACTING ALIENS

  An Illustrated Guide to

  David Brin’s Uplift Universe

  Available

  from Bantam Books

  THE UPLIFT WAR

  A Bantam Spectra Book

  PUBLISHING HISTORY

  Bantam edition published July 1987

  Bantam reissue / September 1995

  Grateful acknowledgment is made for permission to reprint the excerpt from

  EVELYN, A MODIFIED DOG by Frank Zappa,

  © 1975 Munchkin Music. Lyrics reprinted by permission.

  SPECTRA and the portrayal of a boxed “s” are trademarks of Bantam Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

  All rights reserved.

  Copyright © 1987 by David Brin.

  Maps copyright © 1987 by Jaye Zimet.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  For information address: Bantam Books.

  eISBN: 978-0-307-57535-7

  Bantam Books are published by Bantam Books, a division of Random House, Inc. Its trademark, consisting of the words “Bantam Books” and the portrayal of a rooster, is Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Marca Registrada. Random House, Inc., New York, New York.

  v3.1

  To Jane Goodall, Sarah Hrdy,

  and all the others who are

  helping us at last to learn to understand.

  And to Dian Fossey, who died fighting

  so that beauty and potential might live.

  Contents

  Cover

  Other Books by This Author

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Glossary and Cast of Characters

  Tymbrimi Words and Glyphs

  Map

  Prelude

  Part One - Invasion

  1 - Fiben

  2 - Athaclena

  3 - Galactics

  4 - Robert

  5 - Fiben

  6 - Uthacalthing

  7 - Athaclena

  8 - Fiben

  9 - Uthacalthing

  10 - Robert

  11 - Galactics

  12 - Athaclena

  13 - Fiben

  14 - Uthacalthing

  15 - Athaclena

  16 - The Howletts Center

  17 - Fiben

  18 - Uthacalthing

  19 - Athaclena

  20 - Galactics

  21 - Fiben and Robert

  22 - Athaclena

  23 - Exile

  Part Two - Patriots

  24 - Fiben

  25 - Galactics

  26 - Robert

  27 - Fiben

  28 - Government in Hiding

  29 - Robert

  30 - Fiben

  31 - Galactics

  32 - Athaclena

  33 - Fiben

  34 - Athaclena

  35 - Robert

  36 - Fiben

  37 - Galactics

  38 - Fiben

  39 - Gailet

  40 - Fiben

  41 - Galactics

  42 - Robert

  Part Three - The Garthlings

  43 - Uthacalthing

  44 - Galactics

  45 - Athaclena

  46 - Fiben

  47 - Athaclena

  48 - Fiben and Gailet

  49 - Galactics

  Part Four - Traitors

  50 - Government in Hiding

  51 - Uthacalthing

  52 - Athaclena

  53 - Robert

  54 - Fiben

  55 - Uthacalthing

  56 - Galactics

  57 - Athaclena

  58 - Robert

  59 - Fiben

  60 - Uthacalthing

  61 - Athaclena

  62 - Galactics

  63 - Fiben

  64 - Gailet

  65 - Fiben

  66 - Gailet

  67 - Fiben

  Part Five - Avengers

  68 - Galactics

  69 - Government in Exile

  70 - Robert

  71 - Max

  72 - Athaclena

  73 - Uthacalthing

  74 - Gailet

  75 - Galactics

  76 - The Caves

  77 - Fiben and Sylvie

  78 - Galactics

  79 - Gailet

  80 - Robert

  81 - Athaclena

  82 - Uthacalthing

  83 - Fiben

  84 - Uthacalthing

  85 - Athaclena

  86 - Galactics

  87 - Fiben

  88 - Gailet

  89 - Galactics

  90 - Gailet

  91 - Fiben

  Part Six - Citizens

  92 - Galactics

  93 - Robert

  94 - Galactics

  95 - Athaclena

  96 - Sylvie

  97 - Galactics

  98 - Uthacalthing

  99 - Galactics

  100 - Athaclena

  101 - Galactics

  102 - Major Prathachulthorn

  103 - Athaclena

  104 - Galactics

  105 - Robert

  106 - Gailet

  107 - Galactics

  108 - Athaclena

  109 - Galactics

  110 - Athaclena

  Part Seven - Wolflings

  111 - Fiben

  Postscript and Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Glossary

  and

  Cast of Characters

  Anglic—The language most commonly used by the Terragens—people descended from Earth humans, chimpanzees, and dolphins.

  Athaclena—Daughter of the Tymbrimi ambassador, Uthacalthing. Leader of the Irregular Army of Garth.

  Fiben Bolger—A neo-chimpanzee ecologist and lieutenant in the colonial militia.
<
br />   Bururalli—The last prior race to be allowed to lease Garth; a newly uplifted race which reverted and nearly ruined the planet.

  “Chen”—Anglic term for a male neo-chimpanzee.

  “Chim”—Anglic term for a member of the neo-chimpanzee client race (male or female).

  “Chimmie”—Anglic term for a female neo-chimpanzee.

  “Fem”—Anglic term referring to a female human.

  Galactics—Senior starfaring species which lead the community of the Five Galaxies. Many have become “patron” races, participating in the ancient tradition of Uplift.

  Garthling—A rumored native creature of Garth—a large animal survivor of the Bururalli Holocaust.

  Gubru—A pseudo-avian Galactic race hostile to Earthlings.

  Ifni—“Infinity” or Lady Luck.

  Gailet Jones—Chimmie expert on Galactic Sociology. Holder of an unlimited birthright (“white card”). Leader of the urban uprising.

  Kault—Thennanin ambassador to Garth.

  Library—An ancient storehouse of cross-referenced knowledge. One of the major foundations of the society of the Five Galaxies.

  “Man”—Anglic term referring to both male and female human beings.

  Mathicluanna—Athaclena’s deceased mother.

  Lydia McCue—An officer in the Terragens Marines.

  “Mel”—Anglic term referring specifically to a male human.

  Nahalli—A race that was patron to the Bururalli and paid a great penalty for the crimes of their clients.

  Megan Oneagle—Planetary Coordinator for the Terran leasehold colony world on Garth.

  Robert Oneagle—Captain in the Garth Colonial Militia Forces and son of the Planetary Coordinator.

  Pan argonostes—Species name of the Uplifted client race of neo-chimpanzees.

  Major Prathachulthorn—A Terragens Marine officer.

  “Ser”—A term of respect used toward a senior Terran of either gender.

  Soro—A senior Galactic race hostile toward Earth.

  Streaker—A dolphin-crewed starship that has made a critical discovery far across the galaxy from Garth. The repercussions of this discovery have led to the present crisis.

  Suzerain—One of three commanders of the Gubru invasion force, each in charge of a different area: Propriety, Bureaucracy, and the Military. Overall policy is decided by consensus of the three. A Suzerain is also a candidate for Gubru royalty and full sexuality.

  Sylvie—A “green-card” female neo-chimpanzee.

  Synthians—One of the few Galactic species openly friendly toward Earth.

  Tandu—A Galactic starfaring race of frightening rapacity and hostility toward Earth.

  Thennanin—One of the fanatic Galactic races involved in the present crisis. Humorless, but known for a sense of honor.

  “Tingers and tumb”—The small and large toes of a neo-chimpanzee, which retain some grasping ability.

  Tursiops amicus—The species name of Uplifted neo-dolphins.

  Tymbrimi—Galactics renowned for their adaptability and biting sense of humor. Friends and allies of Earth.

  Uplift—The ancient process by which older starfaring races bring new species into Galactic culture, through breeding and genetic engineering. The resulting “client” species serves its “patron” for a period of indenture in order to pay off this debt. The status of a Galactic race is partly determined by its genealogy of patrons, and by its list of clients Uplifted.

  Uthacalthing—Tymbrimi ambassador to the colony world of Garth.

  Wolflings—Members of a race which achieved starfaring status without the help of a patron.

  Tymbrimi

  Words and Glyphs

  fornell—Glyph of uncertainty.

  fsu’usturatu—Glyph of sympathetic hilarity.

  gheer transformation—The surge of hormones and enzymes which allows Tymbrimi to alter their physiologies quickly, at some cost.

  k’chu-non—Tymbrimi word for patronless wolflings.

  k’chu-non krann—An army of wolflings.

  kenning—Sensing glyphs and empathy waves.

  kiniwullun—Glyph of recognition of “what boys do.”

  kuhunnagarra—Glyph of indeterminacy postponed.

  la’thsthoon—Intimacy in pairs.

  lurrunanu—A penetration glyph, for enticing another to become suspicious.

  l’yuth’tsaka—Glyph expressing contempt for the universe.

  nahakieri—A deep level of empathy on which a Tymbrimi can sometimes sense loved ones.

  nuturunow—Glyph that helps stave off gheer reaction.

  palanq—A shrug.

  rittitees—Glyph of compassion for children.

  sh’cha’kuon—A mirror to show others how they appear outside.

  s’ustru’thoon—A child seizing what she needs of her parent.

  syrtunu—A sigh of frustration.

  syulff-kuonn—Anticipation of a nasty practical joke.

  syullf-tha—Joy of a puzzle being solved.

  teev’nus—The futility of communication.

  totanoo—Fear-induced withdrawal from reality.

  tu’fluk—A joke unappreciated.

  tutsunucann—Glyph of dreadful expectation.

  usunltlan—Web of protection while in close contact with another.

  zunour-thzun—Glyph remarking on how much there is left to experience.

  Prelude

  How strange, that such an insignificant little world should come to matter so much.

  Traffic roared amid the towers of Capital City, just beyond the sealed crystal dome of the official palanquin. But no sound penetrated to disturb the bureaucrat of Cost and Caution, who concentrated only on the holo-image of a small planet, turning slowly within reach of one down-covered arm. Blue seas and a jewel-bright spray of islands came into view as the bureaucrat watched, sparkling in the reflected glow of an out-of-view star.

  If I were one of the gods spoken of in wolfling legends … the bureaucrat imagined. Its pinions flexed. There was the feeling one had only to reach out with a talon and seize …

  But no. The absurd idea demonstrated that the bureaucrat had spent too much time studying the enemy. Crazy Terran concepts were infecting its mind.

  Two downy aides fluttered quietly nearby, preening the bureaucrat’s feathers and bright torc for the appointment ahead. They were ignored. Aircars and floater barges darted aside and regimented lanes of traffic melted away before the bright beacon of the official vehicle. This was status normally accorded only royalty, but within the palanquin all went on unnoticed as the bureaucrat’s heavy beak lowered toward the holo-image.

  Garth. So many times the victim.

  The outlines of brown continents and shallow blue seas lay partly smeared under pinwheel stormclouds, as deceptively white and soft to the eye as a Gubru’s plumage. Along just one chain of islands—and at a single point at the edge of the largest continent—shone the lights of a few small cities. Everywhere else the world appeared untouched, perturbed only by occasional flickering strokes of stormbrewed lightning.

  Strings of code symbols told a darker truth. Garth was a poor place, a bad risk. Why else had the wolfling humans and their clients been granted a colony leasehold there? The place had been written off by the Galactic Institutes long ago.

  And now, unhappy little world, you have been chosen as a site for war.

  For practice, the bureaucrat of Cost and Caution thought in Anglic, the beastly, unsanctioned language of the Earthling creatures. Most Gubru considered the study of alien things an unwholesome pastime, but now the bureaucrat’s obsession seemed about to pay off at last.

  At last. Today.

  The palanquin had threaded past the great towers of Capital City, and a mammoth edifice of opalescent stone now seemed to rise just ahead. The Conclave Arena, seat of government of all the Gubru race and clan.

  Nervous, anticipatory shivers flowed down the bureaucrat’s head-crest all the way to its vestigial flight feathers, bringing
forth chirps of complaint from the two Kwackoo aides. How could they finish preening the bureaucrat’s fine white feathers, they asked, or buff its long, hooked beak, if it didn’t sit still?

  “I comprehend, understand, will comply,” the bureaucrat answered indulgently in Standard Galactic Language Number Three. These Kwackoo were loyal creatures, to be allowed some minor impertinences. For distraction, the bureaucrat returned to thoughts of the small planet, Garth.

  It is the most defenseless Earthling outpost … the one most easily taken hostage. That is why the military pushed for this operation, even while we are hard-pressed elsewhere in space. This will strike deeply at the wolflings, and we may thereby coerce them to yield what we want.

  After the armed forces, the priesthood had been next to agree to the plan. Recently the Guardians of Propriety had ruled that an invasion could be undertaken without any loss of honor.

  That left the Civil Service—the third leg of the Perch of Command. And there consensus had broken. The bureaucrat’s superiors in the Department of Cost and Caution had demurred. The plan was too risky, they declared. Too expensive.

  A perch cannot stand long on two legs. There must be consensus. There must be compromise.

  There are times when a nest cannot avoid taking risks.

  The mountainous Conclave Arena became a cliff of dressed stone, covering half the sky. A cavernous opening loomed, then swallowed the palanquin. With a quiet murmur the small vessel’s gravitics shut down and the canopy lifted. A crowd of Gubru in the normal white plumage of adult neuters already waited at the foot of the landing apron.

  They know, the bureaucrat thought, regarding them with its right eye. They know I am already no longer one of them.

  In its other eye the bureaucrat caught a last glimpse of the white-swaddled blue globe. Garth.

  Soon, the bureaucrat thought in Anglic. We shall meet soon.

  The Conclave Arena was a riot of color. And such colors! Feathers shimmered everywhere in the royal hues, crimson, amber, and arsene blue.

  Two four-footed Kwackoo servants opened a ceremonial portal for the bureaucrat of Cost and Caution, who momentarily had to stop and hiss in awe at the grandeur of the Arena. Hundreds of perches lined the terraced walls, crafted in delicate, ornate beauty out of costly woods imported from a hundred worlds. And all around, in regal splendor, stood the Roost Masters of the Gubru race.

  No matter how well it had prepared for today, the bureaucrat could not help feeling deeply moved. Never had it seen so many queens and princes at one time!