A Dark and Hungry God Arises (57 page)

When power on that scale slammed into Billingate's communications, every failsafe in Operations would shut down to protect the computers from being slagged.

As a diversion, that would make Captain's Fancy's gambit look trivial.

Vector accepted the cable, the tools, and stood staring at Angus. Angus could see his mouth moving, but no sound came from his pickup.

'Great idea, ' Nick sneered. Too bad it can't work.

Didn't you hear the Bill say he's cutting you off from installation power? All by herself this little ship of yours can't generate enough jolt to do him any real damage. '

That's what he thinks' - Angus sounded mechanically calm - 'but he can't do it. He doesn't know how much I know about his computers. I've been embedding codes in my operational transmissions — ordering his computers to give Trumpet emergency priority. They won't accept a command to cut her off until he figures out what I've done and cancels her priority. '

His datacore didn't require him to mention that he'd done all this in the past half an hour; or that it was a gamble which might easily fail. If the codes were inaccurate - or if Operations had already noticed them -

Vector made a whistling noise through his teeth.

In a frightened voice, Ciro asked the engineer, 'Can he do that? I mean, can he really trick the Bill's computers?'

We don't have time to discuss it, ' Angus snapped.

Every passing second seemed to increase his visceral, alarm, as well as the compulsions of his programming.

'You'll never find out what I can and can't do if you don't hurry. '

Then he wheeled back to face the others.

'Davies, go with them. Keep them safe. Call me the instant you're clear.

'The rest of us are going to burn.'

He saw the white glare of uncertainty from Davies'

eyes, the skepticism on Nick's face. Mikka glowered at him like a threat; Sib's fright was as open as his mouth.

But Angus ignored them: he had no more time. He hefted his matter cannon, toggled the jet control on his chestplate. Trusting Thanatos Minor's g, his reinforced joints, and his prewritten knowledge to protect him, he flung himself in a long leap off Trumpet's hull.

As if they were trained for it, his hips cocked upward.

At once the suit's jets cut in, braking his drop to the concrete. He landed easily, bounded a few steps ahead, then turned to make sure that Nick and the others were following.

'Angus!' Davies shouted. Too much volume hurt Angus' ears. 'She's my mother! She's all I have!'

Angus didn't answer. Dread and prewritten exigencies consumed him.

Like Angus, Nick sprang from the ship. His control of his jets was awkward, but he managed them well enough to land safely.

Mikka shook her head. Snatching the extra suit from Sib, she lobbed it toward Angus; then she located a series of zero-g handgrips circling Trumpet's girth and lowered herself rapidly down the side.

Angus caught the suit: he couldn't risk letting it be damaged. Morn would need it.

Or she wouldn't.

Or he might not get to her at all.

Grinding his teeth, he forced himself to wait until Mikka and Sib caught up with him. Then he pushed the extra suit into Sib's arms and started running.

Low g made running easy, if not effortless. Three k was too far, but he couldn't help that: the Amnion sector was where it was. In truth he didn't know why he wanted to get there so fast. Milos Taverner was almost certainly waiting for him - and Milos had his priority-codes. Yet he ran without the urging of his datacore or the pressure of his zone implants.

He ran because he was a coward. More than anything else, he needed to arrive at the end of his fear.

Over his shoulder he saw Vector, Ciro and Davies nearing their destination. The long cable snaked behind them, black against the blaring white of the concrete.

Surely Vector would know how to wire the dish; surely Nick's engineer would be at least that competent. Angus could have done the job himself in his sleep -

His helmet seemed to echo with the sound of Sib's labored breathing. Mikka's flat, grim stride gave the impression that she could sustain it for hours. But Sib was too scared; he moved with bands of trepidation tightening around his chest.

Too bad. Angus didn't slow his pace.

'Use your jets, Mackern, ' Nick suggested. 'Turn them on and poke with your hips like you're fucking. That should give you a lift forward. '

Good Captain Sheepfucker, still trying to create the impression that he cared what happened to his people.

If Sib had stopped to think, he might not have tried it. But he was frantic. His free hand flopped at his chestplate; locking his legs, he tried to thrust his hips up and forward.

At exactly the wrong instant he stumbled. The sudden pressure of his jets carried him straight at Angus like a cargo sled gone out of control.

Riding enhanced reflexes, Angus spun out of the way; grabbed Sib by one arm and leg, and hauled him to a stop before he could strike the concrete and tear his suit.

'Shit, ' Sib panted in deep gulps. 'Shit. '

He sounded too much like Milos. Angus slapped at his jets toggle for him, then left him and ran on.

Now Davies' group had reached the dish. Vector handled the cable while Ciro dug tools out of the kit.

Davies braced himself with his impact rifle in his hands as if he were willing to burn down the heavens in order to defend the engineers.

Two k to go.

Mikka dropped back to pace Sib. Angus and Nick rushed ahead together.

'Angus. ' This time Davies didn't shout. His voice was hushed, as if he were afraid of being overheard. 'Vector has the junction cover off. The wiring looks simple - I could probably do this myself. We'll be ready in a minute or two. '

'Get clear when you're done, ' Angus ordered between breaths. There's going to be one hell of a static discharge. '

'They used to call it a corposant, ' Vector remarked in a concentrated tone. 'Or St Elmo's fire. '

'Who is "they"?' Ciro asked. Angus' helmet speakers were tiny, but they picked up the undercurrent of dissociation in the boy's words. He was too young to know what to do with his fear.

'Ciro, ' Mikka gasped as if she were coughing, 'stay with Vector. I'll be back. That's a promise. '

'Sailors on ocean-going ships, ' Vector answered calmly. 'Back on Earth a long time ago. The ships were wood, and they used wind for drive. Sometimes during storms the atmosphere generated so much static it seemed to gather in balls and roll along the masts and spars. '

After a moment Angus realized that Vector was talking in order to steady his second; distract the boy from his fear.

For some reason this recognition filled him with such rage that he seemed to go blind. His computer could still see: his zone implants kept him running flawlessly.

Nevertheless his eyes registered only red fury. The crib turned the inside of his faceplate opaque, and the only defense he had left against the molten, helpless agony which the looming woman had inflicted on him was a mad and murderous hate.

That must have been why he wanted so intensely to rescue Morn. She, too, had a zone implant: he'd used it to abase her in every way his desperation could devise.

Therefore he needed her; depended on her to the same extent and for the same reason that he'd been dependent on the looming woman - for his survival. That woman could have killed him: Morn could save him. Her zone implant had enabled him to reverse their positions in and above the crib; to fend off the abyss.

And like that other woman, she knew his most necessary and fatal secret -

His suit's climate controls couldn't cool him fast enough. Sweat ran down his collar, congealed in his armpits and crotch.

One k to go.

Abruptly he and Nick passed the last arc lamp and came to the end of the concrete which had been poured for the docks. From here he could see the entrance to the Amnion sector crouching like a bunker in Thanatos Minor's surface; but he would have to cross bare, raw rock to get there.

Now any fall would be much more dangerous. Mylar and plexulose could resist a variety of punctures, or reseal around the holes; but the suits might not stand up to being torn on this old, sharp stone.

Angus turned to look for Mikka and Sib.

They were at least two hundred meters back, still lagging. She held one of his arms, supporting him as well as she could: they ran together awkwardly, bouncing against each other and stumbling away as if they were exhausted.

'Angus. ' Davies' voice seemed to come from the black void overhead. We're done. It's ready. '

Angus saw three small shapes hurrying to distance themselves from the radio dish. 'Are you clear?' he demanded.

'Clear enough, ' Vector reported. 'Do it now - if you still can. '

Angus Thermopyle might have hesitated: ordinary mortality might have slowed his reactions in a situation like this.

If the Bill had detected the trick -

If Operations had disabled the embedded codes —

If someone somewhere had witnessed what was happening and warned Billingate —

But Joshua had no mortality. From a pouch in his EVA suit he took out the small transmitter he'd prepared for the occasion.

In one smooth motion, he aimed the transmitter's antenna and thumbed the switch.

Picoseconds later an incandescent conflagration as feral as lightning and as noiseless as nightmare caught the dish and etched it against the black heavens.

Then every illumination across the whole of the visitors' docks went dark.

Midnight seemed to slam down on Thanatos Minor like an avalanche. No stars, no. light, no movement, Angus saw nothing, heard nothing, he was alone, the abyss had swallowed him utterly. Nick, Mikka and Sib; Vector, Ciro and Davies: they were all stricken from existence; even their broadcast breathing couldn't reach him across the vacuum.

Locked in the silence of his zone implants, he began gibbering to himself because he couldn't wail aloud.

Then Nick drawled suddenly, 'Well, that worked, anyway. '

At the sound, Angus felt an instant of inconceivable gratitude.

Nevertheless his datacore didn't know and couldn't care what he felt. It paid no attention to his fear - or his relief. Impelled by artificial emissions, he stowed his small transmitter. Next he unclipped a handlamp from his belt and flashed it for Mikka and Sib.

'Ciro, ' Mikka gasped hoarsely, 'are you all right?'

'Sure. Of course. ' For a moment the boy wasn't afraid at all. That was incredible. '

'We're fine, Angus, ' Davies reported. His voice was rough with relief. We're moving toward you now. We'll come about halfway and wait for you. '

'No!' Angus called back. 'Stay close to Trumpet and cover us from there! I don't want you cut off. '

Davies' reply came like a farewell out of the dark.

'Right. '

'I see them!' Sib gulped unexpectedly.

We see your light, Angus, ' Mikka announced. We're coming. '

Before Angus' programming could send him off across the rock, the arc lamps came back on.

Liete sat perfectly still, sweating while she waited for more orders; waited for the Amnion to believe that their first instructions had been obeyed.

'All right, ' Pastille panted. 'I understand. I think I understand. You want us to look helpless so we can keep our options open. You don't want them to know Nick has already replaced those codes —'

Sounding tense, nearly feverish, Malda Verone put in,

'Because if they know those codes don't work they'll be afraid of us. They'll try to kill us before we can do anything. '

But Pastille wasn't done. 'Was that all they told us?

Shut down thrust?'

'And targ, ' Malda informed him.

'But what do they get out of it?' he protested. We're still moving - still on the heading we want. All we've lost is acceleration. We're still getting away. '

'Don't you ever use your head?' Malda's voice shivered.

We're coming into range for Billingate's guns. They'll be able to hit us soon — and we can't maneuver. Or shoot back. '

'This is just the beginning, ' Liete pronounced as if she were sure. 'They'll send more orders when they're sure the last ones were effective. They don't know our systems

- even with those codes, they can't control us precisely.

So they started crude. As soon as they're ready, they'll try some refinements. '

If they get the chance. If they don't already have too many other things to worry about.

'Their first order, ' Lind offered nervously, 'was to keep open a link between communications and the command computer. What they'll probably do next is use the link to demand information so they can plan their

"refinements". '

Could they tell the difference? Liete wondered. Did they know Captain's Fancy had lost thrust and weapons power, not on their orders, but on hers?

Probably not. They weren't trying to pull data back out of her board; not yet. They'd simply issued instructions and then watched to see what would happen.

She had no time to waste. The wind was blowing: like Nick, it burned away her choices. She needed to prepare wow, before Calm Horizons took the next step.

'In case you're interested, ' Carmel remarked from scan,

'I can tell you where those seven people from Trumpet are headed. '

Liete couldn't help herself. Nick was almost certainly one of the seven.

And she needed another minute or two to think.

'Go on, ' she told Carmel.

'None of them are anywhere near the guns, ' the scan first said flatly. Three of them stopped at one of the radio dishes. They're dragging something. It's too small to scan accurately — Billingate emits too much garbage — but it might be a cable.

'The other four are moving fast - I mean running -

straight across the docks. They aren't together anymore.

Two of them have pulled ahead. But the other two are following.

'There aren't any ships in that direction - if you don't count Tranquil Hegemony. ' Carmel paused, then remarked bluntly, 'At a guess, I would say they were headed for the Amnion installation. '