tz.theicarushunt-第55节
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The beams momentarily drifted off target as I dropped us farther into Utheno's gravity well； converged again as the Najiki gunners reestablished their aim。 Any minute now and the spark would e； and after this much charge buildup it was likely to be a memorable one。 Distantly； I wondered if it might even be strong enough to jump some of the current across the fail…safes and fry my bridge controls in the bargain。
And then I frowned； a brand…new set of warning bells going off in the back of my head。 There was something wrong here； something ominously wrong。 I knew how ion beams worked…I'd been on the receiving end of them more times than I cared to remember…and these were taking way too long to show their teeth。 I keyed the hull…monitor cameras toward the bow and focused in on the cutter array。
And felt the breath catch in my throat。 The ion beams were converging on the Icarus； all right； just as the sensor display showed。 But in the last meter or so before they reached the array； something pletely unexpected was happening。 Instead of maintaining their nice clean collimation； the beams were defocusing madly； the ions scattering wildly to hell and gone。 Which meant that instead of building up the sort of localized charge that would create a devastating spark； all they were doing was dumping ions into the hull plates； where the charge could cheerfully build up without doing much of anything at all。
〃It's the hull；〃 Ixil said suddenly； his voice sounding as awestruck as I felt。 〃The radial gravitational field in the hull。〃
And then； of course； it all clicked into place。 Chort's spacewalks had shown that the alien gravitational field inside the main hull was too weak to be felt outside the ship； but apparently the effect was strong enough to disrupt a beam of subatomic particles。 Either that； or it was something else in the field generator that was flummoxing them。
And suddenly we had a chance again。 Lunging to my control board； I keyed for more yaw。 〃McKell？〃 Nicabar called over the inter。 〃What are you doing？〃
〃The fighters' ion beams aren't catching the cutter array；〃 I called back； shifting my attention over to the destroyer。 It was no longer waiting patiently for us to be driven into its arms； but was burning space in our direction； its own ion beam blazing away even though it was still well out of range。 〃I suspect the destroyer's beam won't affect it； either； but it almost certainly will be able to punch through the engineering hull and scramble your systems back there。 So I'm turning the Icarus to put the main hull between you and them。〃
〃Which will then leave the engine section open to the fighters；〃 Ixil murmured from the plotting table。 〃And they're closer than the destroyer。〃
〃But their beams are also weaker than the destroyer's；〃 I reminded him。 〃There's an even chance the heavier metal back there will protect us from them。 Anyway； we don't have a lot of choices right now。 Revs； where's the countdown？〃
〃One minute twenty；〃 he said。 〃At the rate that destroyer's closing； it's going to be close。〃
〃Yes；〃 I murmured； slowing our spin as the Icarus's aft end turned to the ining fighters； feeling sweat breaking out on my forehead。 The fighters probably didn't have the kind of sensor magnification that would let them see just how peculiarly their ion beams were behaving。 The destroyer； unfortunately； just as probably did。 Sooner or later； the mander would get around to taking a close look at our cutter array and realize that it wasn't just poor aim on his gunners' part that was saving us。 If he did； or even if he didn't； at some point he would open up with heavier weaponry rather than risk letting us get away。
Unless someone gave him a reason why that might be a bad idea。
I keyed to the frequency the Najiki orders had e in on。 〃Najiki Task Force； this is the Icarus；〃 I announced。 〃I'd be careful with those ion beams if I were you。 We have a lot of sensitive electronics aboard； and I'll make you a small wager the Patth will be extremely unhappy if you damage any of them。〃
〃Freighter Icarus； this is Utheno Military mand；〃 the Najiki voice came back。 It didn't sound nearly so calm now as it had earlier。 〃This is your final warning。 You will shut down your thrusters or we will shut them down for you。〃
〃Of course； I'm sure it's occurred to you that anything the Patth are this anxious to get hold of will be equally valuable to anyone else who possesses it；〃 I went on as if he hadn't spoken。 〃The Najiki Archipelago； for instance。 Your superiors might want to think long and hard about that before you just turn us over to them。〃
〃Freighter Icarus； you will shut down your thrusters；〃 the voice came back。 A being with a one…track mind； obviously； and not one to be drawn into a discussion of political matters outside his control。
On the other hand； he hadn't opened up with his lasers yet； either。 If he held off another forty seconds； I decided as I keyed off the m； I could call this one a victory。 〃Revs？〃
〃Still on track；〃 he reported。 〃I'm getting small sparks from the starfighters' ion beams； but so far they're confined to the peripheral equipment。 What in hell's name is keeping the destroyer off the cutter array？〃
〃I'll tell you later；〃 I said； one eye on the dark stardrive section of my control board and the other on my displays。 I was still pulling evasive maneuvers； if that was the right term for the graceless wallowing that was all the Icarus was capable of； but if the destroyer was showing a new caution toward us； the same could not be said of the fighters。 They had increased their speed and split up their formation； still playing their ion beams across the engine section but clearly intent on bypassing that area； driving up along the hull from the rear； and converging on the cutter array from three different directions。
And while they might give their ion beams one last chance once they got there； they wouldn't waste much more time with them before switching over to their lasers and what at that range would be an almost…trivial surgical…quality operation。 〃Revs？〃 I barked。
〃Thirty seconds；〃 he called。
〃We don't have thirty seconds；〃 I snapped back。 The fighters were sweeping past the engine section now； keeping close to the hull in case we had some recessed weaponry nodes hidden among the maneuvering vents。 〃We've got maybe ten。〃
〃Can't do it；〃 he insisted。 〃Try to stall them off。〃
I clenched my teeth。 〃Then hang on。〃
And jamming my hands across the whole line of control keys； I sent the thruster exhaust blasting out the entire group of maneuvering vents at once。
The Icarus jerked like a horse trying to dash madly off in all directions。 But even with that； our reaction wasn't anywhere near as dramatic as that of the three fighters。 Caught directly in the multiple blasts of superheated gas； they wobbled outward； their nice neat pacing vectors thrown pletely off target。 Then they were out of the gusts； their own maneuvering vents blowing steam as they fought to correct from the outward boosts they'd just been given。 I slapped all the vents back off except for the main starboard ones； sending the Icarus into another of its slow…motion turns。 One of the fighters' tail fins scraped against our hull as he wasn't quite able to get out of the way in time； and all of them were forced to again correct their vectors。 I caught the muted reflection from one of the fighters as the armorplate irised away from its forward laser cluster。
And then； with a similarly muted but far more wele flicker of light； the stardrive section of my control board lit up。 〃Up and green；〃 Nicabar shouted。
I didn't answer； my fingers were already jabbing at the activation switches and the preprogrammed course code I'd laid in。 There was a noise from the m…the Najiki mander； no doubt； saying something extremely rude…and then the cutter array did its electronic magic； and the stars vanished from around us。 〃Well done；〃 Ixil murmured。
He'd spoken too soon。 I was just starting to breathe again when the deck under me lurched violently。 〃Revs？〃 I snapped。
〃Spark damage；〃 he called back。 〃Half the calibrations have been scrambled。 We have to shut down。〃
〃Do it；〃 I said； keying off the controls from my end。 The stars reemerged； only this time with no planet or nearby sun anywhere in sight。 I gave the area a quick scan； but it was pure reflex： Our brief flight had put us in the center of nowhere； light…years from anywhere。 For the moment； at least； we were pletely safe from any outside trouble。
〃Okay； we're closed down；〃 Nicabar reported a minute later。
〃Damage？〃
〃Doesn't look like anything major；〃 he said。 〃A few popped circuit breakers； probably a tube or two that'll need replacing； but I know we've got spares。 And of course； a lot of recalibrating will have to be done。 Time…consuming but relatively straightforward。〃
〃Ixil can help with that；〃 I told him； closing the rest of my board down to standby。 No point leaving it active； we weren't going anywhere for a while。
〃That can wait；〃 Nicabar said。 〃You said you'd tell me later how we were shrugging off those ion beams。 Well； it's later。〃
I grimaced。 But he was right。 It was time I clued the rest of them in on just what it was we
