tz.theicarushunt-第58节

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h　made　disassembly　a　fast　and　simple　process。　Furthermore；　all　the　interior　framing　had　been　created　from　the　same　meter…square　plates：　a　single　thickness　for　the　inner　hull　and　most　of　the　walls；　double　or　triple　thickness　for　the　decks　and　supporting　bulkheads。　In　one　of　my　rare　moments　alone　with　Tera　I　asked　about　that；　and　she　confirmed　my　guess　that　Cameron's　techs　had　designed　it　that　way　on　purpose。　Shaped　or　molded　bulkhead　sections　might　have　raised　eyebrows　with　Meima's　customs　inspectors；　but　simple　meter…square　building　plates　wouldn't　even　rate　a　yawn。
　Ixil's　inventory　included　only　three　of　the　connector　tools；　but　since　there　was　also　a　great　deal　of　hauling　to　be　done　the　limited　number　worked　out　just　fine。　Cameron；　bless　him；　had　used　high…strength　but　low…weight　metal　posites；　which　meant　that　even　Shawn　and　Chort　could　lug　the　plates　to　the　wraparound　with　relative　ease。　We　rotated　jobs　every　twenty　minutes　or　so；　with　an　eye　toward　not　fatiguing　any　one　set　of　muscles。　As　Ixil　suggested　at　one　point；　there　was　likely　to　be　more　than　enough　muscle　fatigue　to　go　around。
　For　the　first　six　hours　we　concentrated　on　simple　disassembly；　starting　with　the　nonsupporting　walls　and　moving　on　to　bulkheads；　shifting　the　plates　into　the　wraparound　and　stacking　them　by　the　hatch。　At　that　point；　I　decided　we　had　enough　material　to　start　with　Chort's　exterior　modification　plan。　We　still　had　two　shipboard　suits…the　third　had　been　left　behind　on　Xathru　when　we'd　filed　Jones's　death　report…and　of　course　Chort　had　his　own　suit　as　well。　Putting　Tera　and　Nicabar　into　the　smaller　and　larger　sizes；　respectively；　I　sent　them　out　with　Chort；　the　welder；　and　two　connector　tools　and　crossed　my　fingers。
　It　worked　out　better　than　even　my　best　level　of　cautious　hope。　Chort；　it　turned　out；　was　quite　petent　with　the　welder；　at　least　as　skilled　as　Ixil　if　not　a　shade　more　so。　The　proper　positioning　of　the　plates　was　another　worry　I'd　had；　Tera　solved　that　one　by　the　three　of　them　assembling　an　entire　longitudinal　section　and　working　it　into　place　between　the　two　spheres　before　Chort　did　any　welding。　With　two　of　the　connector　tools　now　outside；　the　four　of　us　inside　shifted　jobs　again　from　mass　disassembly　to　the　more　delicate　task　of　moving　the　gear　from　the　now　nonexistent　rooms　to　new　quarters　against　the　inside　of　the　hull。　The　large　sphere's　gravitational　level　of　。85　gee　made　the　tasks　of　lifting　and　carrying　marginally　easier　while　still　avoiding　the　missteps　and　inertial　problems　of　low…gee　environments。
　The　days　settled　into　a　steady　if　slightly　frantic　routine。　Chort　spent　every　waking　hour　outside；　clearly　loving　it；　except　for　the　brief　periods　when　he　had　to　e　in　to　have　his　rebreather　recharged。　Those　of　us　who　could　fit　into　the　remaining　suits…which　was　everyone　except　Everett…took　our　turns　outside　with　him；　most　of　us　not　nearly　as　enthusiastic　about　the　wide…open　spaces　as　Chort　was。　The　rest　of　our　time　was　divided　between　more　disassembly；　shifting　the　necessary　equipment　to　the　inner　hull　and　tossing　the　rest；　or　collapsing　on　our　transplanted　bunks　in　the　near　a　that　had　taken　the　place　of　normal　sleep。
　With　the　verbal　sniping　and　general　lack　of　sociability　that　had　marked　the　trip　up　to　this　point　I　had　braced　myself　for　the　escalation　in　overall　tension　that　all　this　unscheduled　exercise　was　bound　to　create。　Once　again…and　this　one　was　really　to　my　surprise…it　didn't　happen。　There　was　the　occasional　snapped　word　or　under…the…breath　curse；　but　for　the　most　part　I　found　my　fellow　travelers　suddenly　behaving　far　more　like　a　seasoned　crew　than　a　random　collection　of　semi…hostile　strangers。
　In　retrospect；　I　suppose；　I　shouldn't　have　been　so　surprised　by　the　sudden　transformation。　Before　the　Najiki　near　miss　at　Utheno　we'd　been　little　more　than　interstellar　truck　drivers；　doing　a　dull　job　for　low　pay；　with　nothing　in　particular　to　look　forward　to　after　it　was　done；　and　with　only　the　vague　threat　of　a　possible　hijacking　to　make　it　even　marginally　interesting。　Now；　suddenly；　we　were　on　the　cusp　of　history；　with　the　chance　to　make　a　name　for　ourselves　and　at　the　same　time　stick　it　hard　to　the　Patth　and　their　hated　economic　empire。　We　had　the　chance　for　immortality…and；　even　more　importantly；　for　possibly　serious　riches…and　that　simultaneous　group　grab　for　the　brass　ring　was　drawing　us　firmly　together。
　Of　course；　lurking　behind　the　chance　to　make　history　was　the　darker　knowledge　that　if　the　Patth　caught　up　with　us　even　our　own　personal　histories　would　pretty　well　be　over。　That　was　undoubtedly　part　of　the　cooperation；　too。
　But　whatever　the　reason；　the　progress　the　first　four　days　was　nothing　short　of　remarkable。　So　much　so　that　midway　through　the　fifth　day　I　pulled　Everett　and　Ixil　off　the　work　crews　and　sent　them　aft　to　the　engine　room　to　start　recalibrating　the　equipment　that　the　Najiki　ion　attack　had　scrambled。　Then；　with　Chort；　Nicabar；　and　Shawn　working　outside；　I　took　Tera　over　to　her　puter　and　settled　in　for　a　crash　course　in　Alien　Stardrive　101。
　The　class　didn't　take　nearly　as　long　as　I'd　hoped　it　would。　〃That's　it？〃　I　asked　as　the　last　page　of　data　scrolled　to　the　top　of　the　puter　display。　〃That's　all　they　found？〃
　〃Be　thankful　we　have　even　this　much；〃　she　countered　tartly。　But　there　were　worry　lines　creasing　her　forehead；　too。　Perhaps；　like　me；　she　was　starting　to　realize　just　how　much　of　a　long　shot　this　whole　scheme　really　was。　〃The　idea　wasn't　to　sit　there　on　Meima　until　they　had　the　whole　thing　figured　out　to　five　decimals；　you　know。　The　minute　they　realized　what　they　had；　they　shot　that　message　off　to　Dad。　This　isn't　much　more　than　the　five　weeks　it　took　to　get　the　Icarus　parts　shipped　in　and　put　together。〃
　〃I　suppose；〃　I　conceded；　scowling　at　the　meter…square　opening　into　the　sphere；　a　disguised　access　panel　that　Tera　had　luckily　known　how　to　open。　〃And　they　never　got　more　than　a　couple　of　meters　inside？〃
　〃No；〃　she　said。　〃They　were　afraid　of　crossing　circuits　or　damaging　something　else　along　the　way。　You　can　see　for　yourself　what　a　maze　of　conduits　and　loose　wires　it　is　in　there。〃
　I　stretched　flat　along　the　hull　beside　the　hole　and　shined　a　light　in。　She　was　right：　It　was　a　jungle　in　there。　〃Reminds　me　of　the　engine　room；〃　I　said；　playing　the　light　around　some　more。　It　looked　like　there　were　panels　of　glowing　lights　on　what　little　I　could　see　of　the　wall　through　the　wiring。　〃I　wonder　if　it　was　planned　that　way　or　if　all　the　cable　ties　just　fell　apart　over　the　years。　You　said　there　was　another　access　from　the　other　side　of　the　sphere？〃
　〃Yes；　behind　the　secondary　breaker　panel　in　the　engine　room；〃　she　said。　〃They　put　hinges　on　the　breaker　panel　so　that　it　swings　right　out。〃
　〃Has　it　got　a　better　view　than　this　one？〃
　〃Not　really。〃　She　gestured　toward　the　access　hole。　〃They　tried　sending　in　probes；　but　the　umbilicals　kept　getting　caught　on　the　wiring　and　Dr。　Chou　was　afraid　they'd　tear　something　trying　to　get　them　loose。　They　had　one　self…guided　probe　that　got　in　a　little　farther；　but　something　confused　its　sensors　and　it　froze　up　pletely。〃
　〃Well；　we're　not　going　to　get　anywhere　without　a　plete　idea　of　what's　in　there；〃　I　said。
　〃I　hope　you're　not　suggesting　one　of　us　go　inside；〃　she　said　darkly。　〃If　the　probes　couldn't　make　it　through；　you　certainly　won't。〃
　〃I　like　to　think　I'm　a　bit　more　petent　at　working　my　way　through　tangled　wiring　than　someone　tugging　blindly　on　a　probe　control；〃　I　told　her。　〃As　it　happens；　though；　I　was　thinking　of　starting　with　someone　slightly　smaller。〃
　She　frowned。　〃Who？〃
　I　nodded　in　the　direction　of　the　engine　room。　〃Go　get　Ixil；〃　I　said；　〃and　I'll　show　you。〃
　Ixil　wasn't　any　more　enthusiastic　about　my　idea　than　Tera　was。　〃I　don't　know；　Jordan；〃　he　said；　stroking　Pax's　head　uneasily　as　he　crouched　on　his　left　forearm　and　hand。　〃Every　design　of　Stardrive　I've　ever　heard　of　has　had　a　half…dozen　high…voltage　sites　and　shock　capacitors　associated　with　it。　If　Pax　touches　one　of　those；　it'll　kill　him。〃
　〃He　goes　through　power　conduits　all　the　time；〃　I　reminded　him。　〃How　does　he　avoid　insulation　breaks　and　short　circuits　there？〃
　〃He　knows　what　to　look　for　with　our　stuff；〃　Ixil　said。　〃This　is　an　unknown　alien　design；　with　an　entirely　different　set　of　cues。　For　that　matter；　even　the　lower…voltage　lines　may　have　lost　their　insulation　over　the　years。　You　and　I　are　big　enough　to　survive　a　minor　shock　like　that。　Pax　isn't。〃
　〃I　know；〃　I　said。　〃And　I　wish　there　were　another　way。　But　there　isn't。　We　have　to　see　what's　in　there；　and　Pix　and　Pax　are　the　only　eyes　we've　got。〃
　〃Except　ours；〃　Ixil　said。　〃Why　don't　I　go　instead？〃
　〃No；〃　Tera　said；　a　fraction　of　a　second　before　I　could　get　the　word　out　myself。　〃Not　a　chance。〃
　〃But　I　could　see　what's　there；〃　he　persisted。　〃There　are　cues　I　know　how　to　read　that　Pax　hasn't　got　the　basic　intelligence　to　pick　up　on。　If　I　go　just　a　little　way　in；　far　enough　to　see　past　the　initial　tangle；　I　could　brief　him　on　whatever　I　find　and　then　let　him　go　in。　It　would　give　him　a　better　chance。〃
　Tera　shook　her　head。　〃I'm　sorry；　Ixil；　but　I　can't　let　you　do　that。　Dad　was　absolutely　adamant　that　no　one　go　inside　until　we　got　all　the　power　sources　and　cables　mapped　out；　for　that　very　reason。　It's　Pix　or　Pax　or