tz.theicarushunt-第56节
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I grimaced。 But he was right。 It was time I clued the rest of them in on just what it was we were sitting on here。 〃It is indeed；〃 I acknowledged； keying the inter for all…ship。 〃Everyone； get your stuff shut down and then assemble in the dayroom。 I've got a little story to tell you。〃
* * *
THEY SAT IN silence； looking slightly sandbagged for the most part； while I gave them the whole thing。
Most of it； anyway。 I left out Tera's true identity and inside…person status； and the fact that Cameron…Alexander Borodin； rather…had been a secret passenger for the first part of our trip。 I also glossed over the part Tera had played in the various incidents that had had me tied up in mental knots for most of that time。 The latter part didn't take much glossing； actually； given that Ixil and I were the only ones who'd known about most of them anyway。
I also left Jones's death out of the picture； leaving it as an implied accident。 Confronting a group of suspects with the knowledge that one of them is a killer might be an effective way to spark a guilty reaction； but at the moment my foremost interest was getting the Icarus to Earth； and for that I needed full cooperation from all of them。 Time enough to sort out Jones's murder if and when we made it that far。
While the rest were busy looking flabbergasted； Tera was equally busy glaring at me in menacing silence； from which I gathered she thought I should have cleared this grand revelation with her before I let everyone else in on the big secret。 I could sympathize with that attitude； but if I had consulted her she would probably have forbidden me to do so。 Then I would have had to go directly against her wishes； which would have left her madder at me than she was already。
To say they were stunned would have been an understatement。 To say they were suspicious and unbelieving； however； would have been right on the money。 〃You must think we're idiots； McKell；〃 Shawn snorted when I'd finished。 〃Mysterious alien technology？ Oh； e on。〃
〃And with the whole of the Patth race panting down our necks to get at it；〃 Everett added； shaking his head。 〃Really； McKell； you should have had time to e up with something better than this one。〃
〃I expected this reaction；〃 I said； looking over at Ixil。 〃You have the necessary？〃
Silently； he produced the connector tool he'd brought from the mechanics room。 Just as silently； he crossed to the back of the dayroom and removed one of the inner hull plates。
One by one； they went down into the 'tweenhull area to experience the alien gravitational field for themselves。 Some took longer than others； but by the time they came up they were all convinced。
They were also； to a man； scared right down to their socks。
〃This is crazy；〃 Everett said； hunched over a tall whiskey sour。 Alcoholic drinks of one sort or another had somehow been the beverage of choice for each of them as he came out of the 'tweenhull area。 〃Crazy。 This is a job for professionals； not a bunch of loose spacers picked off the Meima streets。〃
〃Believe me； I'd like nothing better than to have a squad of EarthGuard Marines on this instead of us；〃 I agreed wholeheartedly。 〃But they're not here。 We are。〃
〃I presume you realize that if the Patth get their hands on us we're dead；〃 Nicabar pointed out darkly； peering into his own drink。 〃Not a chance in the world they'd let us go。 Not with what we know about this ship。〃
〃And what do we know about it？〃 Shawn countered； his fingertips tapping nervously on the table。 〃Seriously； what do we know？ McKell says he thinks it's an alien stardrive。 So what makes him the big expert？〃
〃No； he may be right；〃 Chort said before I could reply。 〃Early Craean stardrives used a very similar dual…sphere design； with an open resonance chamber as one of them。 Though much smaller； of course。〃
〃Yeah； but did they work？〃 Shawn asked。 〃I never heard of any design like that。〃
〃Which means it can't possibly have been of any use；〃 Tera murmured。 〃Not if you never heard of it。〃
Shawn turned a glare toward her。 〃Double…sphere designs work just fine；〃 Nicabar put in； the firm authority in his tone cutting short any further argument。 〃The only reason they're not used is that the Mobius…strip arrangement is more stable。〃
〃Terrific；〃 Shawn said with a sniff。 〃An unstable stardrive。 Just what we need。 Just what the Spiral needs。〃
〃It's not unstable that way；〃 Nicabar insisted； starting to sound annoyed。 〃The theory shows that oscillations can form in the upper harmonics under high…stress conditions； that's all。〃
Shawn snorted。 〃Sure； but if…〃
〃Look； if you two want to discuss stardrive theory； go do it on your own time；〃 Tera cut him off acidly。 〃What I want to know is how we're going to get through this gauntlet and to Earth。〃
〃Why Earth？〃 Shawn demanded。 Clearly； he was intent on alienating everybody aboard today。 I wondered uneasily if we were getting low on his medicine again。 〃Just because the majority of us are human？〃
〃Speaking as one who is not；〃 Ixil interjected calmly； 〃I would say that Borodin's ownership of the device should adequately define our final destination and cargo disposition。〃
〃What ownership？〃 Shawn countered。 〃He dug it out of a desert on someone else's planet。 What gives him any more rights than the Ihmisits who already live there？〃
〃Basic monwealth law regarding salvage and extraindigenous archaeological recovery； that's what；〃 Tera told him stiffly。 〃The guidelines clearly put Borodin and his people in possession。 That one's not even arguable。〃
〃Well； well；〃 Shawn sneered。 〃And when did you bee our resident legal authority？〃
〃We're drifting from the point；〃 I spoke up quickly。 I had no doubt Tera could quote him the relevant laws line for line； and I had no intention of letting Shawn goad her into a display of such unreasonable expertise。 〃Tera's right about Borodin's claim；〃 I went on。 〃But at the same time she's wrong about the functionality of this stardrive…〃
〃This alleged stardrive；〃 Shawn insisted。
〃This alleged stardrive；〃 I corrected； 〃being none of our concern。 In point of fact； this hunk of metal may be all that stands between us getting to Earth or winding up in the bottom of a very deep Patth pit somewhere。〃
For a couple of heartbeats they all just stared at me。 Everett got it first； as I could tell by the distance his jaw dropped toward the floor。 〃You aren't saying…you're not suggesting…？〃
〃I think it's our best chance；〃 I said。 〃The Patth know perfectly well how fast the Icarus can travel…it's not like stardrive speed ranges are any secret。 They also don't want any more people than necessary knowing about this little hunt of theirs； which means they're probably timing their bribes and governmental pressurings to hit the systems just ahead of where we're flying at any given time。〃
〃I see where you're going；〃 Nicabar said； rubbing his chin thoughtfully。 〃If we can get ahead of that wave front； we might have a chance of landing and refueling before anyone in the area even knows what a hot ticket we are。〃
〃Right；〃 I said。 〃We may still run into a random Patth advance scout or two； but that'll be a whole lot easier to deal with than taking on an entire customs and military establishment。〃
〃What about the underworld characters they've been bribing？〃 Everett asked。 〃Even if the Patth themselves aren't talking； they're bound to be spreading the word about us。〃
〃True； but remember that they're only giving out half the story to that bunch；〃 I said。 〃The Spiral's underworld is looking for me； and doesn't know anything about the Icarus itself。 The Icarus's name won't do them any good； since we're ing into each port under a different ID。〃
〃Unless they also find out its shape；〃 Shawn muttered。 〃We are just a little distinctive； you know。〃
〃And we know the Najik have already made the connection；〃 Nicabar added。 〃What's to keep them from spreading the word back to the Patth and across the rest of the Spiral？〃
〃The same thing that's keeping the Patth from doing so；〃 I told him。 〃Namely； the desire to play this whole game as close to the vest as possible。 For the Patth； the reasons are obvious； for the Najik； it'll be the hope of putting the choke collar on us themselves； thus guaranteeing themselves the full range of whatever goodies the Patth are offering。〃
〃The basic flaw in motivation by bribery；〃 Tera said。 Her tone was neutral； but I thought I could detect a little grudging respect for my reasoning in her voice。 Or maybe it was just resignation。 〃All your supposed allies spend as much time jockeying for position among the rest of the group as they do on the hunt itself。〃
〃It's about all we've got going for us；〃 I said。 〃That； plus the star…drive itself； If we can get it up and running。〃
Everett shook his head。 〃It's still crazy；〃 he said。 〃What do any of us know about alien technology？〃
〃Not a lot；〃 I conceded。 〃On the other hand； we're not exactly starting from zero； either。 Tera tells me she's found what seems to be a full set of the expedition's reports in the puter。〃
〃You're kidding；〃 Everett said； blinking。 〃They put all their files aboard； too？〃
〃Why not？〃 Nicabar said。 〃They want to get the data to Earth； too。 Why not take all of
