Rocket from Infinity (10 page)

CHAPTER TWELVE

A SHIP OF THE DEAD

Faced with this situation in his imagination, Pete would have seen himself as panicking. But confronted with it in reality, he was surprisingly cool even as fear tightened his stomach, and found himself estimating his chances even as he laid eyes on the pirate.

They weren't very good.

The man outweighed him and, while he did not carry a rifle, he no doubt had a weapon of some kind. Pete could not possibly get back to the air lock without being seen because the man was slowly turning in his direction and would soon notice him.

Now Pete saw his weapon, a lethal tool made of unbreakable trihelium used for prying stubborn barriers. Its point and part of its blade were razor-sharp.

Once he'd set eyes on Pete, he could overtake and kill him before he could possibly get through the other air seal.

Without further thought, Pete lunged at the man. Thus, when he saw Pete coming at him in such a foolhardy fashion, he assumed the boy wasn't coming unarmed.

So he spent some crucial moments looking for the gun he was sure Pete must be carrying. Pete used that time to get close to the pirate. Then, as the deadly blade automatically lashed out, Pete dropped under it, seized the pirate's ankles, and heaved upward.

Had he failed, he would have been dead in a matter of seconds. But his desperation gave him added strength. He broke the magnetic grip that held the pirate to the hull and heaved him up and outward into space.

It was an old fighting maneuver of the asteroids; so old, the pirate hadn't thought Pete foolish enough to try it.

But the pirate had plenty of time to ponder Pete's stupidity as he shot helplessly up into space and began flailing the void with his prying tool.

Becoming instantly quite unfoolhardy, Pete turned and fled toward the air lock. The pirate wasn't going anywhere. At the worst, he would drift until he touched the surrounding cluster and then orientate himself. But if he had any measure of space skill, he would slowly work his way back down to the hull of the derelict.

As Pete disappeared into the outer chamber of the ship, a quick glance told him the pirate had skill. He had righted himself and was coming slowly down, like a man in a dream swimming through thick water.

Pete hit the door three times and then put his weight against it. The wait in the air lock—which he could do nothing about—did not bother him greatly. Unless the pirate's partner appeared from nowhere, Pete was safe.

When the door opened, he found Jane and Rachel Barry waiting for him. He answered the question in their eyes. “I didn't make it. Get down the stairs. We'll lock the safety door and hope they don't get through it for a while.”

Safe in the companionway, Pete sat down on the steps and wiped his brow. “I met one of our friends right outside. I was lucky he didn't have a rifle.”

Rachel Barry's face bore an expression of exasperation rather than fear. “This nonsense has got to stop. I'm going to call Homer and—”

“Mother! You can't. In the first place, there's a scrambler fouling the channels out there. And I told you—Uncle Homer may be dead.”

“That's nonsense too. I know what you told me, but God in his justice wouldn't let Homer die while those two devils escape unharmed!”

“Let's go forward,” Pete said. “We've got to find our way into the other section of the ship.”

As he spoke, Ellen Barry slid down the railing of the far stairway and came running toward them. She skidded to a halt, her face bright with excitement at this new and wonderful place, her breath coming in gasps.

“Ellen,” her mother scolded. “I told you to stay with me. Where have you been?”

Pete, his nerves in less than a serene state, waved a quick hand. “It doesn't matter. We've got those killers on the outside and no water.”

“I know where there's water,” Ellen announced.

Pete stopped and grabbed the dancing juvenile by the arm “Where? Where
have
you been, Ellen?”

“Down a hole I found. It was awfully cold. There are big blocks of ice down there.”

Pete looked a trifle foolish as he stared at Jane. “Of course! Ice would last for ages. That was probably how they carried their water.”

Jane was skeptical. “But the method is outmoded. It's used only on the old tramp freighters.”

“This is no time to discuss abstracts,” Pete said.

Jane's eyes flashed with a little of the old fire. “What's abstract about a block of ice?”

Pete raised his hands in total frustration. “Ye gods! We're in danger of our lives, and I'm saddled with a bunch of infants!”

“Now, now, children,” Rachel Barry chided. “Let's not be unpleasant to each other.”

“Ellen,” Pete said with exaggerated clarity and patience, “will you show us where that hole is?”

“It's right down there by the other stairway.”

The four of them hurried forward, Rachel and her second youngest going on ahead.

Jane fell into step beside Pete. “If you can hold your temper for a few minutes, I've got some good news for you.”

“I'm extremely even-tempered at all times,” he replied frostily. “And I can certainly use some good news.”

“That door at the head of the stairway. I examined it when you were outside. It's made of the same material as the hull, and the only possibility they have of getting through it is by using a light-ray unit. And maybe even not then.”

“That helps.”

“And I'll bet they haven't got a light-ray with them.”

“I'm sure they haven't. But they might find another hatch somewhere. We didn't check the whole ship.”

“That's possible. Pete, I think we ought to have a talk about—about things.”

“I agree. If things would stop happening so fast.”

“We've got to compare notes and work out a plan. If we just sit here—”

“—we're through,” Pete finished grimly. “Given a little time, those two have enough experience and determination to get to us.”

“If we don't find any weapons.”

“Maybe we will.”

They'd reached the hole Ellen had told them about. It was in the floor of the companionway close to the far stairway. Her sharp eyes had discovered a circular plate set flush to the metal surface surrounding it. In the wall beside it was a small handle that could have controlled an inside valve. She had turned it, and the lid had uncovered another stairway that spiraled down.

Ellen had already vanished into the lower depths. Pete followed. Above, Rachel Barry called down, “Ellen, have you seen Colleen? I don't want that child running wild over this ship. I told her to stay with me!”

Ellen didn't answer. When Pete got to the lower companionway, she'd already gone aft and was tugging at a door.

“It's in here.”

There were no light panels in the hold beyond, but some light sifted in and Pete saw the stacks of ice blocks. He breathed a deep sigh of relief. “So far as we're concerned right now, that ice is the most valuable thing on this ship. Mrs. Barry, there must be a converter unit around somewhere. Why don't you and Ellen look for it? Jane and I will go on ahead and see what we can find farther back.

Rachel Barry's smile was a little drawn, but placid and without apprehension. “That sounds wise. But don't you children get into any trouble.”

As they walked away, Pete whispered, “Your mother is—well,
fantastic
.”

“She's had to be—to raise us without a father. Maybe she does refuse to face reality at times…”

“Maybe she's the one that does face it. We might be the ones who are off the beam.”

“It's difficult for Mother to believe anything bad about anyone. It's her great weakness.”

“Weakness? I'm beginning to wonder if it isn't a virtue?”

Jane didn't answer because Pete had pulled a door open and they were both peering inside.

“An engine room,” Jane said.

“This stuff isn't the same as the memory bank cases, but it still must be under control of the cybernetic brain.”

“Of course. The brain controls the ship. But there aren't any moving parts here.”

Nor were there any in the next engine room or the next. After they'd looked behind four mysterious doors, Pete stopped and leaned thoughtfully against the wall. “The questions are beginning to pile up,” he said.

“A lot faster than the answers.”

“Do you remember when we were at the window trying to warn your mother away from the ship?”

“Yes.”

“When the ship swung at the monocar, I noticed something. I think you noticed it too.”

“I did. Another of those weird, impossible phenomena. The ship moved, but it didn't.”

“That's right. I was wondering if our impressions were the same. I got the feeling nothing was moving even when the ship was whipping through space. And I don't care how big or solid this tub is. We should have been thrown off our feet.”

“It was as though we were standing still and the rocks were hurtling toward us.”

Pete's face reflected a mind wrestling with problems far too big for it. “There are a couple of other things, Jane. One is that we haven't found a sign of any living quarters on this ship.”

“We haven't covered it all yet. That spiral stairway wasn't more than twelve feet. This level is sandwiched between the lofts upstairs and whatever is down below.”

“That's true. But what kind of a ship would have living quarters below and after? At least the officers would be quartered forward and above center. Another thing—the control room was obviously where we found the brain. But there wasn't a chair in the place. I don't think the Captain would stand up all the way across the System.”

“The cybernetic brain is the pilot and the captain and everything else, Pete.”

“Have you got some definite reason for thinking—?”

Jane's nerves were raw too. She jerked away and appeared close to tears. “I don't need a reason! I'm telling you. You're right. There isn't any crew on this ship! The ship is run by that—that
mind
up there! It's following me all over the ship!”

“It isn't following you, Jane,” Pete said gently. “You just keep bumping into the emanations.”

“You and your emanations! If you're so smart, why can't you think of a way to get us out of this mess?”

“Getting us out might be up to you.”

“Oh? That's just great!”

“You've got to see what you can do with that cybernetic unit!”

“I have to! I'm no scientist. I don't know anything about electrophysics!”

“No, but a lot of electrophysicists would give half their education to have what you've got.”

“All I've got is a muddled head. Besides, I'm thirsty.”

“Then let's go back. Maybe they've got some ice melted by this time.”

They went back and found that Rachel Barry had found the unit, but Ellen had figured out how it worked. She was jumping up and down and clapping her hands as a stream of water flowed into the pan.

“Did you see Colleen anywhere?” Rachel asked.

“No,” Pete said. “Didn't she turn up?”

“That young one! I don't know what I'm going to do with her!”

Pete had an excellent suggestion. Take the little character over the maternal knee and wallop her good. He did not voice it, however. He was having a hard enough time soothing Jane for the job that lay ahead. He didn't want any more flaring tempers.

“I think we ought to stay together. At any minute we may have a couple of pirates climbing over our frames. We'd better—”

“If you think you're going to find any weapons, you might as well forget it,” Jane said flatly.

Pete didn't question her. He was willing to concede that she knew more about the ship by instinct and mental rapport than he could possibly guess.

“All right. Then the thing to do is see if we can find a way to lift this derelict out of here. I guess we'll have to split up regardless. Why don't Mrs. Barry and Ellen try to find Colleen and then check some of that food in the upper holds. These kids are going to have to eat.”

There were no objections, so Pete left Rachel and Ellen Barry to search that area and went aloft, Jane going with him without objection.

But when they reached the doorway to the cabin where the brain was housed, she drew back. “I can't go in there yet, Pete.”

“But Jane! You've got to.”

“I know. Just give me a few more minutes. Let's go back into one of those empty holds until my brain stops rattling.”

Pete stopped and faced her and put his hands on her shoulders. “I—well, I don't quite know how to say it, but I want you to know. I've got a lot of admiration for you—for your courage.”

Jane smiled. “How about my evil temper? My raspy, hostile disposition?”

“I'm no saint, myself. In fact, I'm not very brave. I'm scared most of the time.”

“You'll do, then, till a brave man comes along. Fighting it out here with a family hanging around your neck.”

“Actually, I think your mother's great. And I like the kids—”

A shriek reached their ears. It came faintly at first, but it was enough to stiffen them. Gradually it increased in volume as the screamer, obviously on the move, came closer.

“They got in the ship!” Pete exclaimed in horror. “They're chasing one of the girls.”

Jane had tensed up, but her look, a puzzled one, questioned that. “It's Colleen. She's terrorized. She wouldn't react that way to an ordinary man.”

“Unless he shot at her—wounded her!”

Jane turned pale. “Oh, no!”

They had run from the hold and were rushing along the companionway. They reached the stairs as the still-screaming Colleen was climbing them. She threw herself at Jane and clung to her in agony of terror.