"So the ship says!"
Oakes gave it a bit more volume by a touch on his wand's controls. "The facts are open to other interpretation."
"The fact...."
"What have we experienced?" Oakes drowned him out and then reduced the volume. "What have we experienced?" Lower volume still. "We found ourselves on the ship with other people whose origins are not clear, not clear at all. Some clones, some naturals. The ship taught us its language and controlled our history lessons. We learn what the ship wants us to learn. And what are the ship's motives?"
"Blasphemy!"
Oakes waited for the stir of this outcry to subside, then: "The ship also trained me as a doctor and a scientist. I depend on facts I can test for myself. What do I know about Shipmen? We can interbreed. In fact, this whole thing could be a geneti...."
"I know my origins and so does everyone else!" It was Rachel Demarest breaking away from Murdoch and leaping to her feet. She still was not using her wand, but she fumbled with it as she moved toward Oakes. "I'm a clone, but I'm fro...."
"So the ship says!"
Again, Oakes hurled that challenge at them. Now, if Lewis and Murdoch had read the Colonists correctly, suspicions had been placed like barbs where they would do the most good when the vote was called.
"So the ship says," Oakes repeated. "I do not doubt your sincerity; I merely am aghast at your credulity."
She was angered by this and, still fumbling with her wand, failed to give herself enough amplification when she said: "That's just your interpretation." Her voice was lost on all but the first rows.
Oakes addressed the audience in his most reasonable manner: "She thinks that's just my interpretation. But I would be failing you as your Chaplain/Psychiatrist if I did not warn you that it is an interpretation you must consider. What do we know? Are we merely some cosmic experiment in genetics? We know only that the shi...." He gestured upward with his left thumb. "...brought us here and will not leave. We are told we must colonize this planet which the ship calls Pandora. You know the legend of Pandora because it's in the ship's educational records, but what do you know about this planet? You can at least suspect that the name is very appropriate!"
He let them absorb this for several blinks, knowing that many among them shared his suspicions.
"Four times we failed to plant a Colony over on Black Dragon!" he shouted. "Four times!"
Let them think about their lost loved ones.
He glanced at Rachel Demarest, who stood three paces to his left, staring at him aghast.
"Why this planet and not a better one?" Oakes demanded. "Look at Pandora! Only two land masses: this dirt under us which the ship calls The Egg, and that other one over there which killed our loved one - Black Dragon! And what else has the ship given us? The rest of Pandora? What's that? A few islands too small and too dangerous for the risking. And an ocean which harbors the most dangerous life form on the planet. Should we give thanks for this? Should w.... ?"
"You promised to take up the entire petition!"
It was Rachel Demarest again and this time with her amplifier turned up too far. The intrusion shocked the audience and there were clear signs that many found the shock offensive.
"I will take it up, Rachel." Very soft and reasonable. "Your petition was a needed and useful instrument. I agree that we should have better procedures for work assignments. Calling this deficiency to my attention strengthens us. Anything which strengthens us meets my immediate approval. I thank you for it."
She got her wand under control.
"You imply that the 'lectrokelp is the most dangerou...."
"Rachel, I already have started a project which will try to determine if there is something useful to us about the kelp. The director of that project and one of his assistants are sitting right down there."
Oakes pointed down at Thomas and Waela, saw heads turned, people craning to see.
"Despite the dangers," he said, "very potent and obvious dangers, as anyone will agree who has studied the data from these oceans, I have started this project. Your petition comes after the fact."
"Then why couldn't we have learned this whe.... ?"
"You want more open communication from those of us making the decisions?"
"We want to know whether we're succeeding or failing!" Again, she had her amplifier turned too high.
"Reasonable," Oakes said. "That is one of the reasons I have moved myself and my staff permanently groundside. In my hea...." He tapped his skull. "...is the complete plan to make Pandora into a garden planet fo...."
"We should have Council members o...."
"Rachel! You propose having your people at key positions? Why your people? What record of success do they have?"
"They've survived down here!"
Oakes fought to conceal anger. That had been a low blow. She implied that he had remained safely ensconced shipside while she and her friends risked Pandora's perils. A reasonable tone was the only way to meet that challenge.
"I'm down here now," he said. "I intend to stay. I will submit to your questions at any mutually acceptable time, despite the fact which we all know - time taken to debate our problems could be used to better advantage for Colony as a whole."
"Will you answer our questions today?"
"That's why I called this meeting."
"Then what's your objection to having an elected Council whic.... ?"
"Debating time, just that. We don't have the time for such a luxury. I agreed with those who objected that this meeting took us away from more important work, from food. But you insisted, Rachel."
"What're you doing over on Black Dragon?" That was the objectionable perimeter guard down in the audience, taking a new tack now.
"We are attempting to build another foothold for Colony over on Dragon."
Reasonabl.... reasonable, he reminded himself. Keep your voice reasonable.
"Dividing your energies?" Rachel Demarest demanded.
"We are using new clones provided by the ship's facilities," he said. "Jesus Lewis is out there now directing the effort. I assure you that we are risking only new clones who fully understand the nature of their involvement."
Oakes smiled at Rachel Demarest, recalling Murdoch's jocular admonition: "A few lies don't hurt when you've given them some truth to admire."
Turning back to face the audience, Oakes said: "But this diverts us from the orderly resolution of our meeting. Rather than waste our time this way, we should take the issues one at a time."
His announcement about the attempt at Dragon had served its purpose, though. His listeners (even Rachel Demarest) were absorbing the implications with varying degrees of shock.
Someone away in the right rear quadrant of the room shouted: "What do you mean new clones?"
Silence followed his demand, a waiting silence which said it spoke a question in the minds of most.
"I'll let Jesus Lewis speak to that at another meeting. It's a technical question about matters which have been under his direct supervision. For now, I can say that the new clones are being bred and conditioned to defeat the perils we all know exist out on Dragon."