tz.theicarushunt-第10节

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　〃No；　I　get　the　picture；〃　I　said　heavily。　pared　to　normal　starship　operation；　we　were　starting　out　half…blind；　half…deaf；　and　slightly　muddled…rather　like　a　stroke　victim；　actually。　No　wonder　Cameron　had　decided　to　jump　ship。　〃Can　you　handle　it？〃
　She　lifted　her　hands。　〃Like　I　said；　it's　an　echo　from　a　distant　past；　but　I　should　be　able　to　work　it　okay。　It　may　take　me　a　while　to　remember　all　the　tricks。〃　She　nodded　toward　the　letter　in　my　hand。　〃What's　that？〃
　〃A　note　from　the　camp　counselor；〃　I　told　her；　handing　it　over。　〃You　were　right；　it　seems　we're　going　on　this　hike　by　ourselves。〃
　She　read　it；　her　frown　turning　to　a　scowl　as　she　did　so。　〃Well；　this　is　awkward；　I　must　say；〃　she　said；　handing　it　back。　〃He　must　have　left　this　last　night；　before　the　spaceport　closed。〃
　〃Unless　he　managed　to　get　in　and　out　this　morning；〃　I　suggested。
　〃Well；　if　he　did；　he　must　have　been　really　traveling；〃　she　growled。　〃I　know　I　got　here　about　as　fast　as　I　could。　So　what　do　we　do　now？〃
　〃We　take　the　Icarus　to　Earth；　of　course；〃　I　told　her。　〃That's　what　we　agreed　to。　Unless　you　have　a　date　or　something。〃
　〃Don't　be　cute；〃　she　growled。　〃What　about　our　advance　pay？　He　promised　me　a　thousand　marks　up　front。〃
　〃It's　all　here；〃　I　assured　her；　patting　the　cash　box。　〃As　soon　as　I　get　the　preflight　started　I'll　go　pass　it　out　and　let　the　rest　know　about　the　change　in　plans。〃
　Her　eyes　lingered　momentarily　on　the　box；　then　shifted　back　to　me。　〃You　think　they'll　all　stay？〃
　〃I　don't　see　why　not；〃　I　said。　〃As　far　as　I'm　concerned；　as　long　as　I　get　paid；　a　job's　a　job。　I'm　not　expecting　any　of　the　others　to　feel　differently。〃
　〃Does　that　mean　you're　officially　taking　mand　of　the　ship　and　crew？〃
　I　shrugged。　〃That's　how　the　Mercantile　Code　lays　it　out。　mand　succession　goes　owner；　employer；　master；　pilot。　I'm　the　pilot。〃
　〃Yes；　I　know；〃　she　said。　〃I　was　just　making　sure。　For　the　record。〃
　〃For　the　record；　I　hereby　assume　mand　of　the　Icarus；〃　I　said　in　my　most　official　voice。　〃Satisfied？〃
　〃Ecstatic；〃　she　said　with　just　a　trace　of　sarcasm。
　〃Good；〃　I　said。　〃Go　on　back　to　your　station　and　start　beating　that　T…66　into　submission。　I'll　be　along　in　a　few　minutes　with　your　money。〃
　She　glanced　at　the　cash　box　one　last　time；　then　nodded　and　left　the　bridge。
　I　set　the　box　and　papers　on　my　lap　and　got　to　work　on　the　preflight；　trying　to　ignore　the　hard　knot　that　had　settled　into　my　stomach。　Cameron's　note　might　have　been　overly　dramatic；　but　it　merely　confirmed　what　I'd　suspected　ever　since　he'd　invited　himself　over　to　my　taverno　table　and　offered　me　a　job。
　Somewhere　out　in　the　Meima　wasteland；　that　archaeological　team　had　stumbled　onto　something。　Something　big；　something…if　Cameron's　rhetoric　was　even　halfway　to　be　believed…of　serious　importance。
　And　that　same　something　was　sitting　forty　meters　behind　me；　sealed　up　inside　the　Icarus's　cargo　hold。
　I　just　wished　I　knew　what　the　hell　it　was。
　　
　CHAPTER　3
　
　EVEN　WITH　THE　clearance　codes　and　papers　Cameron　had　left　with　his　note；　I　was　fully　expecting　there　to　be　trouble　getting　the　Icarus　off　the　ground。　To　my　mild　and　cautiously　disbelieving　surprise；　there　wasn't。　The　tower　gave　us　permission　to　lift；　the　landing…pad　repulsor　boost　got　us　up　off　the　ground　and　into　range　of　the　perimeter　grav　beams；　and　a　few　minutes　later　we　were　hauling　for　space　under　our　own　power。
　After　Tera's　revelation　about　the　archaic　puter　system　we'd　been　saddled　with；　I　had　been　wondering　just　what　kind　of　shape　the　drive　would　be　in。　But　there；　too；　my　pessimism　turned　out　to　be　unnecessary；　or　at　least　premature。　The　thrusters　roared　solidly　away；　driving　us　steadily　through　the　atmosphere　toward　the　edge　of　Meima's　gravity　well；　and　with　each　of　my　periodic　calls　back　to　the　engine　room　Nicabar　assured　me　all　was　going　just　fine。
　It　wouldn't　last；　though。　I　knew　it　wouldn't　last；　and　as　the　capacitors　in　the　nose　cone　discharged　into　the　cutter　array　and　sliced　us　a　link　hole　into　hyperspace；　I　warned　myself　that　things　were　unlikely　to　continue　running　this　smoothly。　Somewhere　along　the　way；　we　were　going　to　run　into　some　serious　trouble。
　Six　hours　out　from　Meima；　we　hit　our　first　batch　of　it。
　My　first　warning　was　a　sudden；　distant…sounding　screech　sifting　into　the　bridge；　sounding　rather　like　a　banshee　a　couple　of　towns　over。　I　slapped　the　big　red　KILL　button；　throwing　a　quick　look　at　the　monitors　as　I　did　so；　and　with　another　crack　from　the　capacitors　we　were　back　in　space…normal。
　〃McKell？〃　Nicabar's　voice　came　from　the　inter。　〃You　just　drop　us　out？〃
　〃Yes；〃　I　confirmed。　〃I　think　we've　got　a　pressure　crack。　You　reading　any　atmosphere　loss？〃
　〃Nothing　showing　on　my　board；〃　he　said。　〃Inner　hull　must　still　be　solid。　I　didn't　hear　the　screech；　either…must　be　somewhere　at　your　end　of　the　ship。〃
　〃Probably；〃　I　agreed。　〃I'll　roust　Chort　and　have　him　take　a　look。〃
　I　called　the　EVA　room；　found　that　Chort　was　already　suiting　up；　and　headed　aft。　One　of　the　most　annoying　problems　of　hyperspace　travel　was　what　the　experts　called　parasynbaric　force；　what　we　nonexperts　called　simply　hyperspace　pressure。　Ships　traveling　through　hyperspace　were　squeezed　the　whole　way；　the　pressure　level　related　through　a　plicated　formula　to　the　ship's　mass；　speed；　and　overall　surface　area。　The　earliest　experimental　hyperspace　craft　had　usually　wound　up　flattened；　and　even　now　chances　were　good　that　a　ship　of　any　decent　size　would　have　to　drop　out　at　least　once　a　trip　to　have　its　hull　specialist　take　a　look　and　possibly　do　some　running　repairs。
　Considering　what　I'd　seen　of　the　Icarus's　hull　back　on　the　ground；　I　was　frankly　surprised　we'd　made　it　as　far　as　we　had。
　Tera　and　Everett　were　standing　in　the　corridor　outside　the　EVA　room　when　I　arrived；　watching　Jones　help　a　vacsuited　Chort　run　a　final　check　on　his　equipment。　〃Well；　that　didn't　take　long；〃　Tera　mented。　〃Any　idea　where　the　problem　is？〃
　〃Probably　somewhere　here　on　the　larger　sphere；〃　I　said。　〃The　puter　didn't　have　any　ideas？〃
　She　shook　her　head。　〃Like　I　said；　it's　old　and　feeble。　Nothing　but　macro　sensors；　and　no　predictive　capability　at　all。〃
　〃Don't　worry；〃　Chort　assured　us；　his　whistly　voice　oddly　muted　by　his　helmet。　〃That　screech　didn't　sound　bad。　Regardless；　I　will　find　and　fix　it。〃
　〃Someone's　going　to　have　to　go　into　the　wraparound　with　him；　too；〃　Jones　put　in。　〃I　checked　earlier；　and　there　aren't　any　of　the　connections　or　lifeline…feeds　of　a　standard　airlock。〃
　I'd　noticed　that；　too。　〃You　volunteering？〃　I　asked　him。
　〃Of　course；〃　he　said；　sounding　surprised　that　it　was　even　a　question。　〃EVA　assist　is　traditionally　mechanic's　privilege；　you　know。〃
　〃I'm　not　concerned　with　tradition　nearly　as　much　as　I　am　whether　we've　got　a　suit　aboard　that'll　fit　you；〃　I　countered。　〃Tera；　pull　the　puter　inventory　and　see　what　we've　got。〃
　〃I　already　checked；〃　she　said。　〃There　are　three　suit/rebreather　bos　in　Locker　Fifteen。　It　didn't　list　sizes；　though。〃
　〃I'll　go　look；〃　Jones　volunteered；　checking　one　last　seal　on　Chort's　suit　and　squeezing　past　him。　〃That's　lower　level；　Tera？〃
　〃Right；〃　she　said。　〃Just　forward　of　Cabin　Seven。〃
　〃Got　it。〃　Jones　eased　past　me　and　headed　for　the　aft　ladder。
　〃So　how　will　he　handle　it？〃　Everett　asked。　〃Go　into　the　wraparound　and　feed　Chort　the　lifeline　from　there？〃
　〃Basically；〃　I　nodded。　〃There's　a　slot　just　outside　the　entryway　where　the　secondary　line　can　connect；　but　he'll　want　Jones　feeding　him　the　primary　line　as　he　goes　along。　Otherwise；　it　can　get　kinked　or　snarled　on　the　maneuvering　vents；　and　that　eats　up　time。〃
　〃I've　heard　of　snarled　lines　giving　false　readings　on　sensors；　too；〃　Tera　put　in。　〃He　might　wind　up　fixing　a　hull　plate　that　didn't　need　it。〃
　〃That　won't　happen；〃　Chort　assured　her。　〃I　will　know　the　damage　when　I　reach　it。〃
　〃I'm　sure　you　will；〃　Everett　said；　lumbering　down　the　corridor　toward　the　aft　ladder。　〃I'll　see　if　Jones　can　use　a　hand。〃
　There　were　indeed　three　vac　suits　in　the　locker；　one　of　which　fit　Jones　just　fine；　and　with　Everett's　help　he　was　suited　up　in　fifteen　minutes。　Five　minutes　after　that　he　and　Chort　were　in　the　wraparound；　the　airlock　doors　at　both　ends　were　sealed；　and　I　was　on　the　bridge　with　the　hull　monitor　cameras　extended　on　their　pylons。
　And　we　were　set。　〃Ready　here；〃　I　called　into　the　inter。　〃Revs；　go　ahead　and　shut　down　the　gravity。〃
　〃Right；〃　Nicabar　acknowledged　from　the　engine　room；　and　I　felt　the　sudden　stomach…twisting　disorientation　as　the　Icarus's　grav　generator　went　off…line。　I　double…checked　the　airlock　status　and　keyed　for　the　suit　radios。　〃It's　all　yours；　Chort。　Let　him　out　easy；　Jones。〃
　Given　that　Jones　had　a　Craea　at　the　other　end　of　his　line；　my　automatic　warning　was　probably　both　unnecessary　and　even　a　bit　ridiculous。　Before　the　outer　hatch　was　even　all　the　way　open　Chort　was　out　on　the　hull；　pausing　briefly　to　snap　his　secondary　line　into　the　connector　slot　and　heading　nimbly　across　the　wraparound；　using　his　hull…hooks　and　stickypads　as　if　he'd　been　born　in　zero　gee。
　〃Mind　if　I　watch？〃　a　voice　asked　from　the　doorway　behind　me。
　I　turned　my　head。　Shawn　was　floating　just　outside　the　door；　gazing　past　me　at　the　monitors；　an　intense　but　oddly　calm　look　on　his　face。　〃No；　e　on　in；〃　I　invited。
　〃Thank