His voice shook like his hands. "If Calm Horizons Calm Horizons uses her matter cannon, I can keep her from hitting us once. We have a dispersion field-it breaks up that kind of blast. But we can"t face a super-light proton beam. We"ll have to run." uses her matter cannon, I can keep her from hitting us once. We have a dispersion field-it breaks up that kind of blast. But we can"t face a super-light proton beam. We"ll have to run."
"Run where!" where!", Mikka snapped back.
Davies had no idea. "Anywhere. Out past Punisher. Punisher. Maybe she"s on our side. Maybe she"ll try to cover us." Maybe she"s on our side. Maybe she"ll try to cover us."
"From a proton cannon?" Mikka rasped. "No chance. One good hit, and that gun"ll smash both of us."
Nevertheless she bent to her console and began designing hypothetical trajectories, hunting for a viable route through the last rocks; a course which would allow Trumpet Trumpet to emerge from the swarm as much as possible in to emerge from the swarm as much as possible in Punisher"s Punisher"s shadow. shadow.
The gap scout truly could not fire at Soar: Soar: scan and targ agreed on that. Too many obstacles. The same stones which protected her also paralyzed her. scan and targ agreed on that. Too many obstacles. The same stones which protected her also paralyzed her.
But Soar Soar must have spotted her by now; must have spotted her by now; must must have. And Sorus Chatelaine worked for the Amnion. Even if reflection distorted the precision of her instruments, she could transmit what she knew of have. And Sorus Chatelaine worked for the Amnion. Even if reflection distorted the precision of her instruments, she could transmit what she knew of Trumpet"s Trumpet"s position to position to Calm Horizons. Calm Horizons.
Then the Amnioni would be able to triangulate- What was the lag? A second? Less? How much time did Trumpet Trumpet have before have before Soar Soar talked talked to Calm Horizons! to Calm Horizons! Before the defensive acted on Sorus Chatelaine"s information? Before the defensive acted on Sorus Chatelaine"s information?
"That rock!" Davies croaked suddenly. "The biggest one!" He pointed frantically at the scan display. "Get behind it! Before Calm Horizons Calm Horizons fires!" fires!"
Maybe Mikka understood him. Or maybe she"d already grasped the danger for herself. Hard and fast, she stabbed at the helm keys. Thrust kicked through the ship, roaring like a furnace, as Mikka scrambled for the occlusion of the largest remaining asteroid.
An instant later the Amnioni"s proton cannon spoke.
During the s.p.a.ce between one nanosecond and the next, the asteroid shrugged, staggered, and transformed itself to scree.
Debris tore at Trumpet"s Trumpet"s shields like a barrage. When it pa.s.sed, it left the gap scout exposed to open s.p.a.ce; effectively naked in the face of another onslaught. shields like a barrage. When it pa.s.sed, it left the gap scout exposed to open s.p.a.ce; effectively naked in the face of another onslaught.
For a moment Davies couldn"t comprehend why Calm Horizons Calm Horizons didn"t fire again immediately. Then he understood. If she turned her other guns away from didn"t fire again immediately. Then he understood. If she turned her other guns away from Punisher Punisher, the cruiser would smash her. And she needed time to recharge her proton cannon.
A minute? Two?
Trumpet had that much longer to live. had that much longer to live.
SORUS.
It could be done. The helm first was good; one of the best. Even though the ship had lost a 30 arc of navigational thrust as well as one of her main tubes, he performed miracles with the jets she had left. And her surviving enemies were out of scan range; beyond knowledge. If either Trumpet Trumpet or or Free Lunch Free Lunch still lived, they weren"t near enough to pose a threat. still lived, they weren"t near enough to pose a threat. Soar Soar would be able to reach the coordinates Milos Taverner had provided; take up the position would be able to reach the coordinates Milos Taverner had provided; take up the position Calm Horizons Calm Horizons wanted. wanted.
Limping and sputtering, close to ruin, she moved tortuously through the long seethe of the stones like a cripple looking for death.
Sorus Chatelaine had her own ideas about that, but she kept them to herself; hid them in her heart and wrapped silence around them so that they wouldn"t show.
Taverner stood in front of her, as uncompromising as a statue. For the time being, he"d finished talking to Calm Horizons. Calm Horizons. Instead of attending to his SCRT, he watched Sorus and the bridge: absorbing everything scan, data, and helm showed on the screens; noting every order Sorus gave. Nevertheless his fingers continued to tap the keys of his odd device as if he were recording a Jog of what was said and done. Maybe he was preparing the testimony he would present to the Amnion Mind/Union so that his actions could be judged. Instead of attending to his SCRT, he watched Sorus and the bridge: absorbing everything scan, data, and helm showed on the screens; noting every order Sorus gave. Nevertheless his fingers continued to tap the keys of his odd device as if he were recording a Jog of what was said and done. Maybe he was preparing the testimony he would present to the Amnion Mind/Union so that his actions could be judged.
Sorus snorted to herself. She was sure that she and her ship would be judged long before the Mind/Union learned what had happened here.
Once again she checked her maintenance status readouts. Some time ago one of the ship"s lifts had moved-the one nearest the breached cargo bay. More stress damage? Probably. Like thruster tubes and scan vanes-like Sorus herself-lifts could malfunction or break under enough pressure.
Casually, dishonestly, she asked Taverner, "How does that thing work? It"s hard for me to believe you"re in instantaneous contact with Calm Horizons." Calm Horizons."
Intervening rock would have baffled any ordinary transmission. According to Taverner, however, his SCRT was far from ordinary. It sent messages back and forth, he"d claimed, without measurable delay. without measurable delay. And he"d said it had a range of 2.71 light-years. And he"d said it had a range of 2.71 light-years.
The way he looked at her suggested that he"d forgotten how to shrug. "It functions by means of crystalline resonance," he answered without inflection. "Do you doubt that I have described its capabilities accurately?"
She shook her head. "You aren"t stupid enough to lie to me about it." Not under these conditions. "I"m just-amazed. I didn"t know that kind of communication was possible." She may have been looking for an oblique rea.s.surance that Calm Horizons Calm Horizons was indeed "heavily engaged" by a UMCP cruiser. was indeed "heavily engaged" by a UMCP cruiser.
To disguise her intentions, she added, "This whole job would have been easier if we"d put one of those boxes aboard Trumpet. Trumpet. Then we would have known where she was all the time. We could have forced that poor kid to tell us what she was doing, instead of expecting him to sabotage her." Then we would have known where she was all the time. We could have forced that poor kid to tell us what she was doing, instead of expecting him to sabotage her."
She was morally certain that Ciro Vasaczk would have tried to carry out her orders, if he"d had the chance. Still she suspected that he"d been betrayed by his own distress. Trumpet"s Trumpet"s people had noticed his terror and prevented him from doing what she"d instructed. people had noticed his terror and prevented him from doing what she"d instructed.
"That was not possible, Captain Chatelaine," Taverner replied. "Such devices are"-language failed him momentarily-"difficult to produce. Calm Horizons Calm Horizons could not have supplied us with another, and this one could not be spared." could not have supplied us with another, and this one could not be spared."
Apparently he"d taken her comments literally. Very little of his former humanity remained accessible to him.
She was counting on that.
"How"re you doing, helm?" she inquired so that the Amnioni wouldn"t say anything else. "Is it getting any easier?"
"Not bad, Captain," the man replied, stolid with concentration. "I wouldn"t say it"s getting easier, but I"m getting better at handling it."
"Do you need rest? I don"t want to relieve you, but your second can probably cope if you want a break."
"I"m fine, Captain." He glanced up from his board long enough to meet her gaze, smile faintly. "This isn"t easy. I wouldn"t wish it on anyone else."
Sorus c.o.c.ked an eyebrow. Some hint in his eyes, some echo in his voice, gave her the impression that he, too, understood, that she and the woman on scan weren"t the only ones who"d begun to hope.
If targ understood as well- Hiding grimly from Taverner"s scrutiny, Sorus turned to scan. "Anything I should know about?"
"It"s not clear yet, Captain." Like helm, scan kept her attention fixed on her board. "But we"re close enough-I think I"m getting hints of a battle. Some of my readings don"t look like static. If Calm Horizons Calm Horizons and that UMCP warship are firing their matter cannon, maybe what I see are discontinuities leaking into the swarm. and that UMCP warship are firing their matter cannon, maybe what I see are discontinuities leaking into the swarm.
"I"ll know in another five minutes."
"Calm Horizons and the UMCP warship are firing," Taverner p.r.o.nounced unnecessarily. and the UMCP warship are firing," Taverner p.r.o.nounced unnecessarily.
"In that case, targ," Sorus said quietly, "it"s time to charge the guns."
The targ first nodded without speaking.
Five minutes. Less?
Yes, less.
"Captain," scan announced abruptly, "that"s definitely battle emission. We"re almost there. We should reach the fringe of the swarm in"-she tapped keys-"call it twenty minutes. We"ll be able to see Calm Horizons Calm Horizons and the cruiser from there." and the cruiser from there."
If Trumpet Trumpet was alive, maybe they would be able to see her as well. was alive, maybe they would be able to see her as well.
Sorus touched her intercom; warned her people that they were going back into battle. Taverner wanted her to help Calm Horizons Calm Horizons against the cruiser. And to help kill against the cruiser. And to help kill Trumpet. Trumpet. She intended to show him that she was ready to obey. She intended to show him that she was ready to obey.
"Captain," communications called suddenly, "we"re receiving a transmission!"
Memories of Succorso"s attack tightened around Sorus" heart. "Source?" she demanded.
Succorso had outplayed her in the swarm. She hadn"t forgotten that-and she hadn"t forgiven him.
"Can"t tell," the woman replied. "There"s too much reflection. We"re picking up the signal from three or four directions at once."
A transmission from an EVA suit wouldn"t bounce. It would be too close- Sorus let herself breathe for a moment before she asked, "What does it say? Is it coded?"
"For compression, not encryption," communications said. "There"s a lot of data here." A moment later she tensed. "Captain, it"s from Vector Shaheed! Aboard Trumpet." Trumpet."
Taverner turned away from Sorus as if he pivoted on oil, faced communications and the rest of the bridge. His fingers sped on the keys of his SCRT.
So the gap scout had escaped the black hole. Taverner was right. Under other circ.u.mstances, Sorus would have hated that. But now It pleased her.
It suited her hopes.
Studying a readout, communications summarized the transmission as her computer decoded it.
"He says he"s developed the formula for a mutagen immunity drug." Involuntarily she glanced at Taverner; s.n.a.t.c.hed her gaze back to her board. "My G.o.d, the formula"s here! here! He He included included it. And a whole series of test designs to prove it works." it. And a whole series of test designs to prove it works."
Swallowing hard, she concluded, "Captain, Trumpet Trumpet must be trying to get this to VI." must be trying to get this to VI."
"Triangulate," Milos ordered flatly. He moved to the communications station as if to ensure that he would be obeyed.
"I can"t," communications snapped at him. "I already said there"s too much reflection."
"Scan," Sorus put in, "is the swarm thin enough for that transmission to leak out?"
The scan first chewed her lip. "Hard to tell, Captain. Are they ahead of us? Behind us? Maybe-"
"This signal," Taverner intoned like a sentence of death, "can be received beyond the swarm. Calm Horizons Calm Horizons has heard it." has heard it."
Disaster. The ruin of everything the Amnion had risked by sending Soar Soar after the gap scout; by committing after the gap scout; by committing Calm Horizons Calm Horizons to an act of war. to an act of war.
From the communications station, he confronted Sorus again. "Captain Chatelaine, Trumpet Trumpet must be stopped." must be stopped."
"Why?" she sneered. "We can"t exactly erase that transmission. It"s out there now. You ordered me not to kill her when we had the chance. This whole exercise has been wasted."
He didn"t hesitate. Calm Horizons Calm Horizons had already given him his answer. had already given him his answer.
"Gap drive implosion," he p.r.o.nounced pa.s.sionlessly, "emits electromagnetic static sufficient to disrupt all microwave coherence. The volume of s.p.a.ce affected is limited only by the power and hysteresis settings of the drive imploded. Because the static crosses the gap, the area affected is many times greater than the distance a waveform travels in a comparable time.
"When Trumpet Trumpet has been destroyed, has been destroyed, Calm Horizons Calm Horizons will implode her gap drive." If he felt any emotion, his alien voice was unable to show it. "This transmission will be effaced from the Ma.s.sif-5 system." will implode her gap drive." If he felt any emotion, his alien voice was unable to show it. "This transmission will be effaced from the Ma.s.sif-5 system."
Calm Horizons intended to commit suicide. intended to commit suicide.
When she did, Sorus" hopes would die in a burst of inconceivable static.
"You would have been instructed to perform this function," Taverner remarked inflexibly. "Damage deprives Soar Soar of any future use to the Amnion. However, your gap drive lacks the necessary power." of any future use to the Amnion. However, your gap drive lacks the necessary power."
Then he repeated heavily, "Trumpet "Trumpet must be stopped." must be stopped."
If Sorus didn"t act in time, she would lose her only chance.
She met his alien gaze. A harsh smile bared her teeth.
"You heard him, helm," she drawled. "We"d better reach the fringes fast. So we can see."
"Right, Captain," helm replied.
At once unsteady thrust multiplied through the ship, doubling and then tripling Soar"s Soar"s velocity; nudging Sorus back into her g-seat. velocity; nudging Sorus back into her g-seat.
"Scan," she continued, "this rock should be thinning out. Find Find that ship. She"s still in the swarm somewhere. Otherwise her transmission wouldn"t bounce. And if she tried to leave, she would already be dead." that ship. She"s still in the swarm somewhere. Otherwise her transmission wouldn"t bounce. And if she tried to leave, she would already be dead."
Calm Horizons" super-light proton cannon would see to that. super-light proton cannon would see to that.
"I"m on it, Captain," scan acknowledged. She faltered momentarily, then said, "But we"ve got so much damage-Some of our instruments don"t work for s.h.i.t. The rest aren"t adequate. They weren"t designed to function alone."
She was offering Sorus an excuse, in case Soar"s Soar"s captain wanted to miss captain wanted to miss Trumpet. Trumpet.
But that wasn"t what Sorus wanted. Not at all. On the contrary, she needed to know exactly where Trumpet Trumpet was. was.
She needed to know immediately.
"Do your best," she ordered. "This is vital. If we don"t spot that ship, we won"t have anything to hope for."
Are you listening, Taverner? Do you understand?
You would have been instructed to perform this function.
She was sure that he was too alien to understand anything as human as what she had in mind.
"Forget it!" a raw voice barked behind her. "You"ve got nothing nothing to hope for. You f.u.c.kers are all to hope for. You f.u.c.kers are all finished!" finished!"
Stung by surprise, Soar"s Soar"s people wheeled their stations. The Amnioni jerked his attention away from Sorus. people wheeled their stations. The Amnioni jerked his attention away from Sorus.
Panic and recognition and a kind of cold, absolute rage took hold of her. She turned her head to look past the edge of her g-seat.
Nick Succorso stood in the entrance to the bridge.
Of course.
Scan gasped, "Christ!" No one else made a sound.
Succorso wore a battered, nearly ruined EVA suit, but he"d discarded the helmet. Above his bare teeth, his eyes seemed to cry out like small shrieks of madness. The scars Sorus had given him were as black as gangrene; slashes of rot eating fatally into his face. Despite the barely palpable g of Soar"s Soar"s rotation, he appeared to wobble as if he could hardly stay on his feet. rotation, he appeared to wobble as if he could hardly stay on his feet.
In his hands he held the biggest laser rifle she"d ever seen. Its muzzle pointed straight at her head.
He may have been almost too weak to stand, but he held his rifle steady.