Davies had said, The cops are coming after us. The cops are coming after us. Angus had heard that. Angus had heard that. We"re sending out a Cla.s.s-1 homing signal. We"re sending out a Cla.s.s-1 homing signal. Then Davies had asked as if he thought Angus had the answer hidden away somewhere, Then Davies had asked as if he thought Angus had the answer hidden away somewhere, Whose side is that cruiser on? Whose side is that cruiser on?
What the f.u.c.k was going on?
He decided to move. But he couldn"t: the table"s restraints held him. He flexed against them, then remembered what they were for. To keep him still while sickbay-and Davies-operated on him. To protect him from g.
"If you"ll let me out of these d.a.m.n straps," he croaked, "I"ll sit up."
If you trust me that much.
While he waited, he asked his computer for a status report.
Internal diagnostics informed him that he"d suffered a dislocated hip (corrected), severe dehydration (treated), and ma.s.sive hemorrhaging (stopped). Blood chemistry a.n.a.lysis reported appropriately high levels of metabolins, coagulants, a.n.a.lgesics, antibiotics. Prognosis: complete recovery in forty-eight hours.
All of his welded resources were functional. If he had to, he could cut his way out of the restraints.
But Morn had already begun to tug awkwardly at has fetters, releasing them one after another. The moment he was free, he rolled over and swung his legs off the table.
Pain lanced through his hip as he moved. Maybe he shouldn"t have tried to use his suit jets against the singularity"s pull. Or maybe that small extra support was all that had saved him.
Almost instantly his zone implants m.u.f.fled the sensation. Only a residual throbbing ache remained to remind him that he needed more time to heal.
Anch.o.r.ed on the edge of the table, he looked at Morn for the first time since he"d left the bridge to risk EVA in the swarm.
She floated an arm"s length away. "We let you sleep as long as we could," she said at once. Anxiety complicated her tone. She seemed to speak quickly so that she wouldn"t freeze; so that her loathing wouldn"t get the better of her. "But we"re out of time. There"s another ship on scan. Resumed tard five minutes ago. We"ve got id.
"It"s Punisher. Punisher. A UMCP cruiser. The same ship we pa.s.sed when we first reached human s.p.a.ce." She faltered, then finished, "The same one that ordered you to give Nick your priority-codes." A UMCP cruiser. The same ship we pa.s.sed when we first reached human s.p.a.ce." She faltered, then finished, "The same one that ordered you to give Nick your priority-codes."
She appeared to think Angus would consider that detail significant; but he didn"t. He wasn"t listening.
Rest had done her some good: he saw that at a glance. The young woman"s beauty of her face was gone, permanently eroded by suffering and desperation. Stark against her pale features, her eyes were as dark as caves. Nevertheless sleep or food-or both-had improved her skin tone and restored some of the elasticity to her muscles. It had eased the deep-cut lines around her mouth, between her brows, at the corners of her eyes.
He dismissed those details as soon as he noticed them, however. His attention was caught by the cast which encased her right arm in acrylic from shoulder to wrist; by the straps which closed her arm against her chest.
At the sight, black rage came to fire in him as suddenly as the explosion of an incendiary grenade. Only his zone implants kept him from launching himself at her, grabbing her, shaking her to learn the truth.
Nearly choked by dark flame, he demanded harshly, "Who did that to you?"
In about a minute the b.a.s.t.a.r.d responsible was going to find himself strangling on his own b.a.l.l.s.
A small wince plucked at the side of her face. "I did it to myself," she answered thinly. "That"s how I controlled my gap-sickness. While I was at the command board."
To herself. He swore through his teeth. To herself? herself? He believed her instantly. And he wanted to slap her. He believed her instantly. And he wanted to slap her.
"You"re crazy, you know that?" he rasped. "Out of your G.o.dd.a.m.n mind. You know what g does to you. How many times"-he started shouting, had had to shout so that he wouldn"t hit her-"did I tell you to to shout so that he wouldn"t hit her-"did I tell you to leave the f.u.c.king bridge?" leave the f.u.c.king bridge?"
Her forehead knotted into a frown. She was afraid of him, always afraid of him. But she was also stronger than he was. Even when she was terrified, she knew how to concentrate.
"Angus," she p.r.o.nounced distinctly, "we don"t have time for this. A lot"s been happening. You"ve been asleep for-"
"I know." His computer supplied the information. "Six hours." More than enough time for every enemy he"d ever had to line up and take shots at him. "And before that I was unconscious. In stasis."
His fury needed a better outlet. He hungered for violence. Anything that hurt Morn hurt him, and he wanted to repay it. repay it. Nevertheless he made an effort to match her. Nevertheless he made an effort to match her. We need you. We need you. With the support of his zone implants, he imposed calm on the avid fire crackling inside him. With the support of his zone implants, he imposed calm on the avid fire crackling inside him.
"Punisher is after us," he went on. "You said that already. And Ciro sabotaged the drives. Davies said that." Beyond question the thrusters were dead. He couldn"t hear the muted hull-roar of an active drive. "Tell me something I don"t know." is after us," he went on. "You said that already. And Ciro sabotaged the drives. Davies said that." Beyond question the thrusters were dead. He couldn"t hear the muted hull-roar of an active drive. "Tell me something I don"t know."
Where are we? How did we get here?
I saw Free Lunch Free Lunch die. Where"s die. Where"s Soar? Soar?
What do you want from me?
Morn caught her lip between her teeth as if she were restraining a retort. With a visible effort, she swallowed her impatience. After a moment she nodded slowly.
"I"m sorry. I forgot how much I need to tell you. And we"re out of time-" She grimaced. "But I can"t very well ask you to help us if I don"t explain what kind of help I want.
"I was asleep myself for most of it. But Davies, Mikka, and Vector told me the story."
Angus wrapped artificial calm around his black fires and braced himself to listen hard.
"We got away from that black hole," she reported flatly. The strain of suppressing her urgency made the darkness in the caves of her eyes seethe. "I guess that"s obvious. We knew you were still alive because we could hear you breathing over your suit pickup. By then I was"-she referred to her arm with a glance-"finished, so Vector brought you in. Mikka and Davies took us out to the edge of the swarm.
"But we were stuck. Both Punisher Punisher and and Calm Horizons Calm Horizons were there. How were there. How Calm Horizons Calm Horizons found us I don"t know." found us I don"t know." Punisher Punisher had followed had followed Trumpet"s Trumpet"s homing signal, of course-at least until Nick had turned it off. "The same way homing signal, of course-at least until Nick had turned it off. "The same way Soar Soar did, I guess. did, I guess.
"Punisher and and Calm Horizons Calm Horizons blazed at each other the whole time. According to Davies, blazed at each other the whole time. According to Davies, Punisher Punisher was trying to cover us. But was trying to cover us. But Calm Horizons Calm Horizons has that super-light proton cannon. And she knew where we were. We were hidden by asteroids, but she still fixed our position somehow. There was nothing Mikka and Davies could do. But just when has that super-light proton cannon. And she knew where we were. We were hidden by asteroids, but she still fixed our position somehow. There was nothing Mikka and Davies could do. But just when Calm Horizons Calm Horizons was about to smash us, was about to smash us, Soar Soar showed up and opened fire on her." showed up and opened fire on her."
Morn raised her hands to ward off questions. "I can"t explain that either." Angus didn"t try to interrupt, however. He a.s.sumed she was telling the truth. If she lied, he could learn the truth by looking at Trumpet"s Trumpet"s log. And for right now he cared only about the facts. Explanations meant nothing to him unless they helped him predict what his enemies would do. log. And for right now he cared only about the facts. Explanations meant nothing to him unless they helped him predict what his enemies would do.
Tensely Morn continued, "I guess Calm Horizons Calm Horizons couldn"t handle both couldn"t handle both Punisher Punisher and and Soar. Soar. She used her proton cannon to destroy She used her proton cannon to destroy Soar Soar.
"Then she needed time to recharge. That gave us a chance. Before she could fire again, Mikka burned out of the swarm and hit the gap, got us away from Ma.s.sif-5. We"re 1.4 light-years out in the middle of nowhere."
Triggered by numbers, Angus" computer began mult.i.tasking seamlessly. Involuntary astrogation databases scrolled through his head, extrapolating possible positions. Nevertheless he missed nothing Morn said; nothing she appeared to feel.
She sighed. "So far, so good. Unfortunately no one knew what Ciro was doing. He must have thought he still had to obey Sorus Chatelaine. He found his way into the drive s.p.a.ces somehow. Whatever he did to the drives knocked them out right after we resumed tard. Since then we"ve been coasting. Living on the energy cells.
"Now Punisher"s Punisher"s found us. And she"s overtaking us fast. Give her thirty minutes, and we"ll be in point-blank range. If she wants to, she can catch us in two hours-if she"s willing to put off deceleration that long and brake that hard." found us. And she"s overtaking us fast. Give her thirty minutes, and we"ll be in point-blank range. If she wants to, she can catch us in two hours-if she"s willing to put off deceleration that long and brake that hard."
Through his datalink, damage-control schematics overlaid potential starfields. Diagnostic parameters and repair protocols marshaled themselves for use. But he also noticed the particular tightening of Morn"s muscles; the squirming shadows behind her gaze when she mentioned the cruiser.
She was a cop. She should have been f.u.c.king delighted to see a UMCP warship. But she wasn"t. She dreaded that vessel more than she feared Angus himself.
This was something he needed to understand.
"What does she want?" he asked as soon as Morn paused.
Her eyes flared bitterly. "How should I know?"
A feral grin twisted his mouth. "What does she say she wants? Is she talking?"
Morn sagged a little. Apparently he was pushing close to the sources of her urgency.
"Emergency UMCP hailing," she answered dully. "We"ve been ordered to slow down, let her come alongside. Maybe her scan hasn"t figured out yet that we"ve lost thrust."
Again Morn bit her lip. "This is difficult for me," she said unnecessarily. "I"m torn- "Angus," she broke out suddenly, "Min Donner is aboard that ship. Min Donner." Min Donner." The UMCP Enforcement Division director. "G.o.d knows what she"s doing there." For a moment Morn sounded baffled; wracked by uncertainty. Then she tapped an anger of her own. Weeks of suffering and self-expenditure had whetted her to a knife"s edge. "Somebody saw this coming a h.e.l.l of a long way off. She must have joined ship before The UMCP Enforcement Division director. "G.o.d knows what she"s doing there." For a moment Morn sounded baffled; wracked by uncertainty. Then she tapped an anger of her own. Weeks of suffering and self-expenditure had whetted her to a knife"s edge. "Somebody saw this coming a h.e.l.l of a long way off. She must have joined ship before Punisher Punisher left UMCPHQ for the Com-Mine belt. left UMCPHQ for the Com-Mine belt.
"She"s doing all the talking. Like she thinks we wouldn"t listen to anyone else."
A long way off, s.h.i.t, Angus thought. That was the G.o.dd.a.m.n truth. The same man who"d switched his datacore so that he could rescue Morn and then sent him out with Milos Taverner primed to betray him had planned for this situation as well.
Morn hadn"t stopped. She was saying, "If there"s anybody honest left in the UMCP, it"s her. But I"m just not sure-"
She straightened her shoulders. "Punisher "Punisher isn"t threatening us. But she has us on targ. Her matter cannon are charged and tracking. She could open fire the minute we say something she doesn"t want to hear." isn"t threatening us. But she has us on targ. Her matter cannon are charged and tracking. She could open fire the minute we say something she doesn"t want to hear."
Angus recognized the danger; but he refused to be deflected from what he needed to know. "What about Calm Horizons?" Calm Horizons?" he pursued. "Did the cops finish her?" he pursued. "Did the cops finish her?"
That question probed Morn even more deeply. She winced in spite of her anger.
"We don"t know. When we went into tach, they were still shooting at each other. Davies says Calm Horizons Calm Horizons was hurt. Maybe was hurt. Maybe Punisher Punisher got her. Or maybe not. According to Mikka, got her. Or maybe not. According to Mikka, Punisher Punisher looked hurt herself. looked hurt herself.
"We didn"t see any other ships. I guess VI hadn"t had time to muster a response."
Angus chewed his concern for Morn while his computer spun scenarios, crunched possibilities: the likelihood that he could repair the drives quickly; the risks of a second cold ignition; other, more extreme options. Despite the complexity of the programs running in the back of his head, however, his concentration on Morn held.
Was she this worried just because Calm Horizons Calm Horizons had committed an act of war? No, that wasn"t it. He"d missed something. She was afraid for reasons he hadn"t thought of yet. had committed an act of war? No, that wasn"t it. He"d missed something. She was afraid for reasons he hadn"t thought of yet.
Looking for answers, he changed directions, came at her from another side.
"All right," he said as if he"d heard enough. "None of this makes any sense, but I can live without explanations. What do you want me to do?"
His hands gripped the edge of the surgical table, holding him there against the pressure of her alarm, his computer"s demands, and his own needs.
What do you think I f.u.c.king can can do under these conditions? do under these conditions?
She took a deep breath. Her gaze sank to his hands as if she were watching his knuckles whiten. Then she lifted her eyes sharply back to his. No matter what she feared, she remained strong enough to face him.
"I want you to keep us away from Punisher," Punisher," she announced distinctly, as if she thought he had that kind of power. "She fought she announced distinctly, as if she thought he had that kind of power. "She fought Calm Horizons Calm Horizons for us. She gave Davies your priority-codes. But she also handed you over to Nick. I don"t trust her. I trust Min Donner-I think I trust her-but I do not trust whoever"s giving her orders." for us. She gave Davies your priority-codes. But she also handed you over to Nick. I don"t trust her. I trust Min Donner-I think I trust her-but I do not trust whoever"s giving her orders."
Slowly Morn tightened her own fists. "Instead of surrendering this ship," she went on, "or blowing her up, I want you to take us back to Earth. So I can tell our story to somebody besides the UMCP. Preferably the Council."
His eyes widened. Behind his pose of calm, he was shocked. Tell our story-? He was an illegal to the marrow of his bones. For a man like him, talking to anybody with authority was as good as suicide. Morn might survive: she was a cop. But he would absolutely end up dead.
Roughly he demanded, "What in h.e.l.l do you want to tell them?"
"Vector"s formula," she replied. She might have been reciting a list. "How we got it. Why the Amnion are after Davies."
All that was bad enough; but she wasn"t done. Her voice hardened as she added, "I want to make sure somebody hears me, describe what Vector and Mikka have done for all of us. I want to tell the Council that the UMCP gave me to Nick." She faced Angus as if she were defying him. "And I want to tell them you were framed."
He nearly lost his grip on the edge of the table. "Christ, Morn!" he protested. "You can"t tell them that." that." If she did, she would have to tell them he gave her a zone implant-and she took the control. "We"ll both be executed. They"ll fry our f.u.c.king brains. The cops will kill every one of us eight times before they let you say something like that out loud." If she did, she would have to tell them he gave her a zone implant-and she took the control. "We"ll both be executed. They"ll fry our f.u.c.king brains. The cops will kill every one of us eight times before they let you say something like that out loud."
Was this what scared her? The prospect of explaining her own crimes in front of the Governing Council for Earth and s.p.a.ce?-condemning herself so that she could try to save her s.h.i.t-crazy species from their own f.u.c.king cops as well as from the Amnion?
She nodded grimly. If she was afraid, the darkness of her gaze concealed it. "That"s why we have to stay away from them."
Angus couldn"t contain the rush of his distress. He needed an outlet. He ordered his zone implants to reduce their emissions, diminish his imposed calm, so that he could shout.
"G.o.d d.a.m.n d.a.m.n it! Don"t you know what they got out of framing me? No, of course you don"t. You were stuck out there on it! Don"t you know what they got out of framing me? No, of course you don"t. You were stuck out there on Captain"s Captain"s motherf.u.c.king motherf.u.c.king Fancy Fancy while it happened. while it happened.
"They paid Captain Sheepf.u.c.ker and Milos to frame me. They wanted Com-Mine Security to look bad. So the Council would pa.s.s something called the f.u.c.king Preempt Act." Preempt Act." Angus himself had been one of the first victims of that legislation. Hashi Lebwohl had reqqed him from Com-Mine under the Preempt Act. "It gives the UMCP authority over local d.a.m.n security Angus himself had been one of the first victims of that legislation. Hashi Lebwohl had reqqed him from Com-Mine under the Preempt Act. "It gives the UMCP authority over local d.a.m.n security everywhere in human s.p.a.ce! everywhere in human s.p.a.ce! Like they Like they needed needed more muscle-like datacores and id tags and Emergency Powers and ships like more muscle-like datacores and id tags and Emergency Powers and ships like Starmaster Starmaster and all the money in the f.u.c.king galaxy aren"t enough. and all the money in the f.u.c.king galaxy aren"t enough.
"The cops," he finished savagely, "are not not going to let you undermine that much power." going to let you undermine that much power."
Morn lowered her head. Hiding her chagrin-or simply giving herself time to absorb this information. Angus didn"t know which until she looked up at him again.
Her eyes burned like the black flame of his visceral fury.
"For some sick reason," she said through her teeth, "I"m not surprised. But that doesn"t change anything. It"s got to stop. One way or another.
"We don"t have the leverage to stop it. Maybe the Council does."
It"s got to stop. Despite his dismay, Angus heard echoes of Warden Dios, with his strange priorities and his secrets. Had that G.o.dd.a.m.n one-eyed terrifying sonofab.i.t.c.h foreseen this too? Despite his dismay, Angus heard echoes of Warden Dios, with his strange priorities and his secrets. Had that G.o.dd.a.m.n one-eyed terrifying sonofab.i.t.c.h foreseen this too?
He had one protest left-one last objection which might make her change her mind. Shouting only angered her, so he reimposed his artificial calm. He wanted to sound like a man she couldn"t argue with.
He wanted to sound like Nick Succorso- "I told you you"re crazy," he a.s.serted sardonically. "Maybe you weren"t listening. Didn"t you hear me explain that I can"t go back to Earth? I thought you understood. As soon as Milos betrayed me, I became too dangerous, Whatever is chasing me, whatever I"m carrying with me, is too dangerous. That"s written into my programming. I can"t go back there unless somebody uses my priority-codes, orders me to do it.
"But my codes are blocked. You can yell them at me until you rupture something. I might even want to obey you. But my computer can"t hear you. It still won"t let me go."
That was the plain truth. Without the authority of those codes, he couldn"t override his underlying instruction-sets.
Yet Morn wasn"t daunted. Even now she was more than a match for him.
"Fine," she snapped grimly. "I"ll put Mikka on helm. I"ll give her orders. All you have to do is stay out of the way."
She did more than shock him: she shook him to the core. His grasp on reality seemed to fail under the impact of her determination. Put Mikka on helm. Stay out of the way. That would work. His programming would allow it.
Suddenly every brutal, inhuman restriction which the cops had welded into him appeared negotiable- Without warning some of the tactical scenarios weaving themselves across the background of his mind began to look plausible. His computer and his instincts spun ruses and gambits into webs which might conceivably be strong enough to hold.
He didn"t move to act on them, however; didn"t let go of the table to take up Morn"s challenge. He needed to understand her. If she could find his way out of his electronic prison for him, she might be capable of almost anything.
He needed to know what drove her.
"All right," he said more quietly. "That might work. But something about all this still sounds like bulls.h.i.t to me.
"I know you," he insisted. "You haven"t told me the whole story. There"s something nagging at you. Something that scares you worse than I do. I can see it in your eyes.
"I don"t want to f.u.c.king guess what it is. Just say it, so I"ll know what I"m dealing with."
He expected her to flare out at him; accuse him. You want me to trust you? you? You raped me, hurt me, d.a.m.n near broke me, and you want me to You raped me, hurt me, d.a.m.n near broke me, and you want me to trust trust you? I would rather be dead. But she didn"t. Dark as pits, her eyes held his without flinching. Muscles tightened at the corners of her jaw, forcing her chin up. you? I would rather be dead. But she didn"t. Dark as pits, her eyes held his without flinching. Muscles tightened at the corners of her jaw, forcing her chin up.