[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
neither sane nor pleasant The tug surged as he corrected. Tfee station filled
a sidescreen, and the bristling saucer shape of the Kol-
nari battle platform docked to its north polar tube, like some monstrous tick
swelling with blood.
"You're mme,"Gusshouted past cracked lips. '
Simeon stood in the passageway. Rock rumbled around him, the bomb exploded
away from a spot above, chips stinging his eyes and going spang off his armor.
Page 214
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
The long head that battered through was scaled in sapphire and had eyes set
all about it, in a bone rill that turned to spikes. The muzzle split four
ways, and each segment was lined with fangs. The tongue between was a
metal-tipped spear ready to strike.
He struck first, grabbing it in an armored gaundet and hauling back before the
quadruple jaws could slam shut When they did, it was on their own tongue.
A high whine of pain drove needles into Simeon's ears.
He kept his grip on the lashing end, whipped it three times around the muzzle
and tied a quick slip-knot.
Then he stood back and took a double-handed grip on his glowing baseball bat.
Thwak. The guardian pro-
gram shivered, slumped, dissolved into metallic fragments that scurried back
and forth disorganized, then decayed instantly into floating bytes.
"Next," he said, walking forward toward the iron-
strapped door, which wasprobably the entrance to the
CPU. "Geeze, I've got to patent this AI interface," he said, taking stance
again. "It's N
Boom. Oak splintered, wrought iron bent and shrieked.
THE CITY WHO FOUGHT
391
"N fordlin' N "
Boom.
The commander of the High Clan batde platform
Skull Crusher pivoted on one heel. The big circular room was half-empty; the
liberty parties were only now returning.
"What?" he barked at the info-systems watch-officer.
Not now. He was scheduled to undock and begin transit first, to be there when
the transports came in for ren-
dezvous with the rest of the High Clan. Just in case, but the weight of the
responsibility was heavy, and this was his first independent command.
"Lord, our system is under attack!"
"The worm program?" Chindik t'Marid was a
specialist in those. He had designed the standard Clan attack worm himself. He
was also a game designer of note, although that was merely a hobby.
"No," the tech said. His fingers were dancing over his board. "Something's
just smashing its way in."
"Aside." Chindik called up a graphic. He whisded silently. Something with
enormous computational power was battering at the defenses with tremendous
force, trying all the solutions. There was no indication of realspace
location. His computers were spending all their capacity just keeping the
enemy out. But since there was only one enemy installation in sight N
"Cut the cable feeds to the station," he said. "Batde alert to all other
vessels.1
"I can't cut the feeds," the tech said. "The retractors won't answer. Neither
do the landline comms to the rest of the flotilla."
"Well, then N " Chindik began. Another cry stopped him.
"Detection," the sensor operator said. "Multiple
392
AnneMcCaffrey &f SJM. Stfrfmg-
detection. Powerplant signatures. Close, lord, dose.
Approaching."
"Attack vectors," the tactical computer announced.
"Vessel is under attack.1
"Those aren't warships," Chindjk said in astonished dismay as he read the
screen. His head whipped back and forth, reflex in a creature attacked from
all sides.
Then he straightened, strode back to the commander's station, and sank into
the couch.
Page 215
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Combat alert," he said. The chimes began to sound, wild and sweet.
"Battlestarions. Deploy short-range energy weapons. Fire on any of those ...
gnats as the weapons bear. Gantry?"
"Lord?" The dockside guards were looking away from the pickup. "Lord, we hear
N"
"Silence! Send parties through the sidelock and blow the feeds connecting us
to the scumvermin hulk."
"Lord?"
"Obey!"
The guards scattered like mercury struck with a hammer. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl fopke.keep.pl
neither sane nor pleasant The tug surged as he corrected. Tfee station filled
a sidescreen, and the bristling saucer shape of the Kol-
nari battle platform docked to its north polar tube, like some monstrous tick
swelling with blood.
"You're mme,"Gusshouted past cracked lips. '
Simeon stood in the passageway. Rock rumbled around him, the bomb exploded
away from a spot above, chips stinging his eyes and going spang off his armor.
Page 214
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
The long head that battered through was scaled in sapphire and had eyes set
all about it, in a bone rill that turned to spikes. The muzzle split four
ways, and each segment was lined with fangs. The tongue between was a
metal-tipped spear ready to strike.
He struck first, grabbing it in an armored gaundet and hauling back before the
quadruple jaws could slam shut When they did, it was on their own tongue.
A high whine of pain drove needles into Simeon's ears.
He kept his grip on the lashing end, whipped it three times around the muzzle
and tied a quick slip-knot.
Then he stood back and took a double-handed grip on his glowing baseball bat.
Thwak. The guardian pro-
gram shivered, slumped, dissolved into metallic fragments that scurried back
and forth disorganized, then decayed instantly into floating bytes.
"Next," he said, walking forward toward the iron-
strapped door, which wasprobably the entrance to the
CPU. "Geeze, I've got to patent this AI interface," he said, taking stance
again. "It's N
Boom. Oak splintered, wrought iron bent and shrieked.
THE CITY WHO FOUGHT
391
"N fordlin' N "
Boom.
The commander of the High Clan batde platform
Skull Crusher pivoted on one heel. The big circular room was half-empty; the
liberty parties were only now returning.
"What?" he barked at the info-systems watch-officer.
Not now. He was scheduled to undock and begin transit first, to be there when
the transports came in for ren-
dezvous with the rest of the High Clan. Just in case, but the weight of the
responsibility was heavy, and this was his first independent command.
"Lord, our system is under attack!"
"The worm program?" Chindik t'Marid was a
specialist in those. He had designed the standard Clan attack worm himself. He
was also a game designer of note, although that was merely a hobby.
"No," the tech said. His fingers were dancing over his board. "Something's
just smashing its way in."
"Aside." Chindik called up a graphic. He whisded silently. Something with
enormous computational power was battering at the defenses with tremendous
force, trying all the solutions. There was no indication of realspace
location. His computers were spending all their capacity just keeping the
enemy out. But since there was only one enemy installation in sight N
"Cut the cable feeds to the station," he said. "Batde alert to all other
vessels.1
"I can't cut the feeds," the tech said. "The retractors won't answer. Neither
do the landline comms to the rest of the flotilla."
"Well, then N " Chindik began. Another cry stopped him.
"Detection," the sensor operator said. "Multiple
392
AnneMcCaffrey &f SJM. Stfrfmg-
detection. Powerplant signatures. Close, lord, dose.
Approaching."
"Attack vectors," the tactical computer announced.
"Vessel is under attack.1
"Those aren't warships," Chindjk said in astonished dismay as he read the
screen. His head whipped back and forth, reflex in a creature attacked from
all sides.
Then he straightened, strode back to the commander's station, and sank into
the couch.
Page 215
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Combat alert," he said. The chimes began to sound, wild and sweet.
"Battlestarions. Deploy short-range energy weapons. Fire on any of those ...
gnats as the weapons bear. Gantry?"
"Lord?" The dockside guards were looking away from the pickup. "Lord, we hear
N"
"Silence! Send parties through the sidelock and blow the feeds connecting us
to the scumvermin hulk."
"Lord?"
"Obey!"
The guards scattered like mercury struck with a hammer. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]