Based on what Osmore saw, and Jonas and Mandalay experienced, the combined first- and second-wave task force decided that rushing into the HX itself was not going to be our best strategy. What Osmore proposed was mopping up after other ships had disasters.
It was a joint war council of captains shortly after the second wave arrived that gave Osmore his terrible reputation. This transcript is accurate.
Musso projected a section of it between us and we read down it together.
Osmore, Burroughs. I think we’re all agreed on a couple of points. First, these other ships around the HX object are all both self-sufficient and deadly. They maneuver and fight for themselves, and all of them are tougher than we are. Until we dramatically improve our equipment, there’s no one here we can bully. However, if we find and take home virtually anything from here, that dramatic improvement will happen.
Van Damme, Mount Wilson. Certainement, bon capitaine. [Murmurs of agreement from others.]
Osmore, Burroughs. Second, there is one difference that we may be able to take advantage of over the long term: Unlike humans in similar situations, these aliens aren’t game players. They’re all solos. There are no long-term alliances we can detect, not even between ships that look nearly identical to us, and we’ve never even seen two or more temporarily gang up to beat one or more other players.
[Additional noises of agreement.]
Osmore, Burroughs. So what I see as our winning strategy for now, with “now” meaning until we have any dramatic improvements installed in our fleet, is to clean up after a fight has created a helpless loser. We can overwhelm the loser and scavenge what the winner doesn’t take away.
Hendrix, Gan De. You want us to be fucking lowlife scavengers?
Osmore, Burroughs. Well the fucking and lowlife aren’t necessary, but the scavenger part is right on.
That mild sally was greeted by complete silence in the virtual room. Osmore was telling us, the Solar System’s boldest, that we should become skulking thieves who took advantage of others’ deepest misfortunes when they were incapable of shooting back. The fact that those others were lethal alien ships didn’t count. When I could see that he wasn’t going to say any more without prompting, I finally broke the silence.
Musso, Magellan. Are you serious, Osmore?
Osmore, Burroughs. Think of it this way: You’re at a gunfight. All you’ve got is a big rock. How do you bring back anything from the gunfight? You wait until someone gets shot, badly, then you crush his head with your rock and take his gun—unless the guy that shot him does that. Then you take his bullets, or boots, or whatever the winner leaves behind! That’s what I’m saying. … Does anyone have a better strategy to offer?
Nobody did. Nobody started any round of applause, either.
And one ships’ morning two weeks later, a half dozen crew from Hendrix’s Gan De arrived to visit friends and slight acquaintances on the Magellan. By the time I’d established that the Sextant, the Farouk El-Baz,and the Bradford Jolie were also hosting several Gan De people, Hendrix and her remaining bolder, or more foolhardy, crew were trying a dash for the Sphere. They didn’t suffer the Zheng He’s fate, not quite … there were several hundred kilos of identifiable wreckage left. About the time we got the gallows humor out of our systems, mostly about aliens liking Chinese food, Jonas decided he was ready to head back with his battery. After some crew transfers, including Czernak, the Lucky Jonas V headed back significantly overstaffed while the rest of us stayed, and learned, … and scavenged.
Musso got a real sour look on his face.
Even now I hate talking about that. Let’s leave it until next time.