"Punisher, this is Center," a man"s voice began at once. "Captain Ubikwe, take no action. That"s a direct order. Decelerate to copy our orbit and hold there. Keep your cannon charged. But don"t show the Amnioni even a flicker of fire. If you do, we"ll court-martial what"s left of your corpse after we"re all dead."
"d.a.m.n it, Morn," Min hissed, "we don"t have time for this."
Morn sighed. "I"m sorry, Director. I don"t have time for anything else."
With one finger she toggled the command station pickup.
"Center, this is Ensign Morn Hyland." Now more than ever she needed firmness, calm; needed to sound sure. But she couldn"t stifle the tremor of ruin in her voice. "I command Punisher. Punisher. I don"t need orders, I need situation. We have a hostile alien charged to fire on Suka Bator." Or any other target the defensive chose. "Why aren"t we trying to destroy her?" I don"t need orders, I need situation. We have a hostile alien charged to fire on Suka Bator." Or any other target the defensive chose. "Why aren"t we trying to destroy her?"
"Morn Hyland?" Center"s surprise was plain despite the intervening static. "Who the h.e.l.l are you?
"Wait a minute." He must have been running feverish commands on his board. "You aren"t on Punisher"s Punisher"s crew manifest. You"re-" For an instant he paused in shock. "s.h.i.t, you"re crew manifest. You"re-" For an instant he paused in shock. "s.h.i.t, you"re that that Morn Hyland. Off Morn Hyland. Off Starmaster Starmaster.
"What happened to Captain Ubikwe?" the man demanded hotly. "What happened to Min Donner? What"re you doing in command?" What"re you doing in command?"
Morn took a deep breath. Min was right: they absolutely did not have time for this. But she saw only one way out of her plight. Open fire: start a battle. Yet that decision appalled her. She didn"t have enough information to make it.
"Let me repeat myself, Center. I don"t need orders. And I don"t need questions. I need to know why we"re all just sitting here while an Amnion warship sticks her guns in our faces." She faltered momentarily, then added, "If I don"t get an answer, I"ll be forced to take action on my own."
If Punisher Punisher opened fire, UMCPHQ and the rest of Earth"s defenses would have no choice but to join her. The cruiser would certainly die. UMCPHQ and Suka Bator might be destroyed. But opened fire, UMCPHQ and the rest of Earth"s defenses would have no choice but to join her. The cruiser would certainly die. UMCPHQ and Suka Bator might be destroyed. But Calm Horizons Calm Horizons would die as well. The Amnioni"s knowledge of Vector"s antimutagen, and her samples of Morn"s blood, would die. would die as well. The Amnioni"s knowledge of Vector"s antimutagen, and her samples of Morn"s blood, would die.
That might be a trade worth making.
"Don"t!" Center shot back. "Don"t do anything!" anything!" Distortion complicated the fear in the man"s voice. "Just wait. Distortion complicated the fear in the man"s voice. "Just wait.
"I can"t talk to you. I"m not authorized-" The bridge speakers hinted at m.u.f.fled shouts in the background. Then Morn heard, "Punisher "Punisher-Ensign Hyland-hold on while I connect you to Acting Director Lebwohl."
He didn"t wait for a response. As he silenced his pickup, the spattering hiss of transmission noise filled the speakers.
"You hear that?" Angus sneered at Min. "Acting by d.a.m.n Director Lebwohl hasn"t got time for you you, but he"ll talk to Morn."
"Leave the director alone," Davies put in tautly; pulled tight by vexation and alarm. His loyalty to Min appeared to torment him. "For all we know, he won"t talk to Morn either."
Min gave him a cold glare which made him wince. Still she kept her retorts to herself.
Morn ignored them. She had other problems. Turning her station, she faced Glessen on targ.
"Listen to me, targ," she said grimly. "I"m only going to say this once. If I tell you to fire, I expect you to do it."
Glessen didn"t look at her. His arms gripped his chest truculently. "Not unless Captain Ubikwe gives the same order."
"What do you expect, Ensign?" Dolph demanded at Morn"s back. "We have direct orders not to shoot. Do you think we"re going to commit treason just because you happen to be feeling suicidal?"
Angus flashed his grin. "Maybe it"s time Ciro went back to Trumpet." Trumpet."
"I know how to do it," Ciro a.s.sented. He sounded eager. "Angus showed me."
Without transition Morn"s mouth had become cotton. She swallowed roughly, trying to moisten her throat. "Don"t be in such a hurry. We aren"t that desperate yet."
Urgently she swung toward Mikka. "Mikka, I want you to take targ. This officer has been relieved."
Glessen started cursing, then bit his lip to stop himself.
Mikka replied with a shattered look, as if something inside her had broken during g, or in tach. Her reserves of intransigence or anger appeared to have cracked and spilled under the pressure of her brother"s madness-and Angus" use of it. Even the blow which had cracked her skull short days ago hadn"t hurt her so much.
Nevertheless she was as loyal as Davies or Angus; as loyal as anyone. Her commitments held her. Slowly she fumbled free of her belts; left her g-seat by the bulkhead and plodded leadenly toward the targ station.
Glessen didn"t move. After one quick glance at Mikka, another at Captain Ubikwe, he sat still, staring straight ahead; immobile with rage.
"Acting Director Lebwohl is standing by," Cray p.r.o.nounced acidly. Her disapproval had become bitterness.
A new clutch of tension ran along Morn"s nerves. Pointing at Glessen, she murmured, "Angus, please." Then she left the problem to him so that she could concentrate on Hashi Lebwohl.
Davies aimed his gun at the targ officer, leaning forward as if he wanted to deal with the problem himself. He must have needed movement; decisions; anything which might help him believe in himself. Being forced to sit still was a kind of torment for him. But again his father didn"t require his help.
Angus reached the targ station without apparent effort. Swift as a snake, he reached past the board to unclip Glessen"s belts. With his fists knotted in Glessen"s shipsuit, he heaved the man bodily out of the targ station.
Glessen had time to hit him once-a blow Angus hardly seemed to feel. Then the targ officer landed heavily; slapped to the deck; skidded.
Mikka trudged mutely past him to take his place at targ.
In a low snarl Captain Ubikwe said, "You"ve gone too far, Ensign." His voice shook. "If you open fire, we won"t wait for Calm Horizons Calm Horizons to kill you. My people will do it themselves." to kill you. My people will do it themselves."
Without lifting his head from his readouts, Patrice muttered, "d.a.m.n straight."
A moment later the frightened young data officer, Bydell, said clearly, "Aye, Captain."
Angus faced each of them in turn with his teeth and his glare and his clenched lasers. Davies brandished his handgun threateningly. But Morn ignored them all.
The man who"d reqqed and welded Angus had somehow become "acting director" of the UMCP. To her way of thinking, that development was as dangerous as Calm Horizons" Calm Horizons" presence. presence.
Abruptly she toggled the command pickup.
"This is Punisher. Punisher. I"m Ensign Morn Hyland." The words seemed to stick in her throat: she had to force them out. "I"m in command here." I"m Ensign Morn Hyland." The words seemed to stick in her throat: she had to force them out. "I"m in command here."
"Ensign Hyland," a man"s voice wheezed waspishly from the speakers. "I must confess that you continue to astonish me. Indeed, you are an ongoing source of amazement. If more of our brave officers possessed your affinity for the unexpected, civilization as we know it might totter and fall."
"Is this Acting Director Lebwohl?" Morn demanded. She recognized his voice easily enough, but she wanted to prevent him from taking control of the situation.
Hashi ignored her question. "This time, however," he continued as if she hadn"t spoken, "I fear that you have exceeded yourself. My dear young woman, you really must return command to Captain Ubikwe. Then I will speak to Director Donner.
"Unless you have had the temerity to dispose of them?" he inquired severely. "I do hope not, Ensign. That would be quite unforgivable."
Morn winced. "Captain Ubikwe is fine. So is Director Donner." Hashi"s manner grated on her sore nerves. She couldn"t afford the time-or the energy-to trade barbs with him. "But they trust you. I don"t. I"m afraid that means you"ll have to talk to me. If you won"t tell me why you"re holding fire while an Amnion warship aims her proton cannon at Suka Bator, then stop wasting my time. We have work to do."
"Do you?" Hashi"s voice countered. "How curious. I would have supposed that your work was identical to ours, considering that you are-or claim to be-an Enforcement Division ensign. Perhaps you will enlighten me concerning your intentions." His wheeze sharpened. "Even you will not expect my connivance in the charade of your command if you decline to tell me what "work" you mean to do."
"Yes, I"ll tell you," Morn retorted. Hashi"s att.i.tude angered her more by the moment. Her arm throbbed in sympathetic irritation. Wasn"t he the man who"d programmed Angus not to rescue her? "We have your formula-the formula for the mutagen immunity drug you gave Nick Succorso. Vector Shaheed a.n.a.lyzed it for us. If I don"t get some cooperation-and get it soon-we"ll tight-beam the results to every ship and station we can reach. We"ll downlink it to Earth-to the Council, the major cities, every regional government.
"Then we"re going to open fire on Calm Horizons." Calm Horizons."
With the back of her fist, she toggled the command pickup so that Hashi Lebwohl wouldn"t hear her panting to control her ire.
For reasons of his own, Hashi did the same. The bridge speakers fell silent.
In the sudden quiet Vector remarked phlegmatically, "So I guess it"s a good thing we didn"t arrive broadcasting. We wouldn"t have any leverage now. And we might already be dead."
Captain Ubikwe gave a snort of contempt. "I warned you once, Ensign," he growled. "I won"t do it again. If you-"
"That"s enough!" Davies raised his gun at the captain. "If you don"t shut up, I"ll stop you myself, and I"ll make it permanent. permanent. Do you think we Do you think we like like doing it this way? Do you think it"s doing it this way? Do you think it"s easy? easy? If Ciro hadn"t sabotaged the drives, G.o.d d.a.m.n it, we would still be running circles around you, and your only choice would be to If Ciro hadn"t sabotaged the drives, G.o.d d.a.m.n it, we would still be running circles around you, and your only choice would be to keep your opinions to yourself!" keep your opinions to yourself!"
Apparently he"d reached the end of his endurance. Inactivity and the strain of defying people he respected seemed to pain him more than he could bear.
Nevertheless his threat didn"t touch Dolph. The captain"s eyes widened in mockery. "You"re kidding," he croaked. "You expect me to believe you"ll kill me in cold blood? s.h.i.t, boy. You aren"t that tough."
Before Davies could fire a retort, Min Donner spoke.
"Calm down, Dolph." She sounded unexpectedly mild; composed and sure. Nevertheless the note of authority in her tone was unmistakable. "What do you want them to do? What would you do in Morn"s place-if you were a good cop who"s already been sold out once"-Min may have been referring to the UMCP"s decision to let Nick take Morn off Com-Mine-"and doesn"t have any reason to think we won"t do it again?
"Don"t you think that formula should be made public? I know I do. Concealing an effective antimutagen is a crime against the people we"re supposed to serve. This mess should have been cleaned up long ago. But if it were up to us, we wouldn"t do it. We couldn"t release that formula without permission. If she wants to solve the problem for us, I don"t intend to get in her way." The ED director smiled without a trace of humor. "Since I"m not in command here, I don"t have to.
"You said the same thing yourself twenty minutes ago," she finished flatly.
"s.h.i.t," Angus muttered in Min"s direction, "now I know we"re in trouble. I felt safer when you were acting righteous."
Dolph stared at her. For a moment his mouth hung open. Then he closed it. "That was before-" he began. But he couldn"t go on.
Abruptly the speakers crackled. Without transition Director Lebwohl"s voice returned.
"Ensign Hyland, this is Acting Director Lebwohl." His condescension was gone, replaced by concern and a note of frailty. "Please listen to me. I must urge you not to take such extreme action. Since you do not acknowledge Captain Ubikwe"s authority, or Director Dormer"s, I presume you will ignore mine as well. For that reason, I do not order you to hold back. But I ask-no, Ensign Hyland, I implore you to reconsider.
"To discuss either our tactical or our strategic situations is entirely outside my mandate. Neither you nor your companions can be allowed to affect the decisions which must be made here.
"If you do not restrain yourself, I must order our forces to support Calm Horizons" Calm Horizons" defense against you." defense against you."
"Christ!" Davies protested. "If we we don"t have the right "to affect the decisions," who does?" don"t have the right "to affect the decisions," who does?"
Morn raised her hand to silence him. Hashi wasn"t done.
"I will mention one detail, however," the DA director went on, "in the hope that you will recognize its significance.
"Warden Dios is aboard Calm Horizons." Calm Horizons."
Morn flinched involuntarily. Davies yelped like a stung kid. Min stiffened as if an abyss had suddenly opened at her feet. Bydell and Porson blanched. With the heel of one hand, Captain Ubikwe struck himself on the forehead once; twice. Each blow made a moist, smacking sound, like a clap of despair.
"It"s got to stop," Angus remarked through his teeth. "He said that to me once. Looks like he was serious."
Hashi"s voice didn"t pause.
"His shuttle delivered him to the Amnion hardly ten minutes ago. In my view, he is effectively a hostage. Nevertheless the stated purpose of his presence is to negotiate the survival of both the UMCP and the GCES."
There the DA director stopped. The speakers hissed and clicked with thrust static while he waited for Morn to find some reply which didn"t fill her with horror.
MORN.
Warden Dios is aboard- Morn could hardly think.
He is effectively a hostage.
Of course. What else? Like the proton cannon trained on Suka Bator, this threat was really aimed at Punisher. Punisher. At At Trumpet"s Trumpet"s people aboard the cruiser. people aboard the cruiser.
Now Morn faced an abyss of her own: a completely different gulf than the one in front of Min; or the same chasm from the other side. She was the wrong person to be where she was, doing what she did. The wrong person altogether. Her loyalty to the UMCP director ran too deep: it had been in her family until it became almost genetic. Could she sacrifice him in order to tell her story; make Vector"s formula public? She didn"t think so.
Someone else should be in command-someone who could reach decisions without counting what they cost.
Angus couldn"t do it. His essential programming prevented him from harming UMCP personnel. And Davies couldn"t. His commitment to Warden Dios was clearer than Morn"s; less conflicted. Exhaustion and damage precluded Mikka. Like Vector, she couldn"t command Angus" support.
Morn needed a better answer.
And she had no one else to turn to.
"Director Donner-" Her voice cracked helplessly. A surge of hysteria took her: the vertigo of the abyss. She had to fight it down before she could speak. "I"m in command here. But I"m not really qualified to take Captain Ubikwe"s place. I certainly can"t take yours." Was that pleading she heard in her voice? She didn"t care. The stakes were too high for her. "If you"re willing, you should talk to Director Lebwohl. Officially. As the director of Enforcement Division."
Angus faced her like the cut of a lash, his teeth clenched on curses. But Davies radiated a relief so palpable she could taste it. Vector watched her as if she"d become miraculous in ways he couldn"t understand.
For no apparent reason, Ciro said distinctly, "Suck everything into a black hole."
Min didn"t hesitate: she shifted from pa.s.sivity to action in an instant. Swift and sure, as keen as a hawk, she slapped open her belts, left her g-seat. Despite the added g of Punisher Punisher"s deceleration, she approached the command station as if she were pouncing. One precise touch keyed the pickup.
"Hashi, this is Min." A low thrill of release echoed in her tone. "Ensign Hyland wants me to talk to you.
"I"m sure she"s serious about opening fire if she doesn"t get some cooperation. But I"m also sure she doesn"t want to trigger wholesale slaughter, if we can avoid it. This is official, Hashi. On the record."
"Director Donner," Hashi sighed. "I must say that hearing your voice comforts me. Please offer Ensign Hyland my congratulations for an intelligent decision."
He paused, then said, "We have much to discuss. However, you will understand that I am constrained to inquire first how you come to be in such an unlikely predicament."
Morn understood. He wanted to know what kind of gun was being held to Min"s head.
But Min deflected the question. "It"s a long story, Hashi. You don"t have time for it. For now I"ll just say that we have Trumpet Trumpet in tow. And in tow. And Trumpet Trumpet carries singularity grenades." In an acid tone, she finished, "You might mention that to Holt Fasner the next time you report." carries singularity grenades." In an acid tone, she finished, "You might mention that to Holt Fasner the next time you report."
Her whole body seemed to concentrate on the command station pickup as if it were a weapon. Apparently she wasn"t sure she could trust the DA director. His appointment as acting director must have occurred after she"d left UMCPHQ.
"I do not report to CEO Fasner." Hashi"s asperity buzzed from the speakers. He might have been declaring an allegiance. "He desires that I do so, naturally. Indeed, he is altogether insistent. By good fortune, Director Dios ordered me to refuse. And the Dragon has no authority to coerce me."
His response dismissed the usefulness of Angus" gamble with Ciro. He may have missed the implications of Min"s hint. Or he may have considered them unimportant.