[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
"Where the hell did it come from?" Domi demanded. "Our long-range sensors
should have detected it when we were scanning the area."
Kane glanced over at Fand. She trembled ever so slightly, but her voice was
steady. "It came from outside, through a small hole torn in the fabric of our
universe. It doesn't really exist, not in relation to this universe. I can
make no close assessment of where it came from, or of its true nature. Except
that it doesn't belong here."
"The manner in which it appeared indicates energy-to-matter conversion,"
Brigid said.
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"As if it has a gateway unit?" Kane asked.
"It could very well be a gateway unit."
"Is every inch of that thing covered with metal?" asked Grant.
Outer Darkness
261
"Probably," Cotta said. "No doubt the sheathing extends far beneath the
surface."
"The dreadnought is hailing us," Farrell said.
"Visual," responded Kane.
Thrush's masklike face appeared on the screen. "You, Kane, Mr. Grant and Miss
Baptiste will prepare
to board this vessel. I have extended the same invitation to Captain Jozure."
"For what purpose?"
"That will be revealed to you. I will extend docking chutes to both your
ships."
"If I refuse?"
"You are perfectly cognizant of the results. I also order the Danaan hybrid to
accompany you."
"She's not a member of my crew she's a civilian."
"I was not making a request, Kane." His face rippled away.
"Voluble he isn't," Farrell remarked.
Which was not characteristic of the Thrush they had met before, but Kane
didn't say so. "We've no choice but to do as he says. Cotta, what's the
progress on activating one of our auxiliary computers?"
"Slow, Commander. To perform primary ship functions, reprogramming is
necessary."
"Can you restore engine control?"
' 'If all goes according to plan. Bry has been working on the geon energizers
and maneuvering thrast-ers.
The computer should be reprogrammed within the hour, but the engines may take
longer."
"I have a feeling we don't have much time," Grant said dourly.
Domi frowned. "There's lots of possibilities."
"Too goddamn many," Grant retorted.
262
JAMES AXLER
On the screen, they watched as the moonlight-colored tractor beam reeled in
the
Okami-Maru like a hooked fish, positioning it abreast of the
Sabre, with barely twenty meters separating them. The ghastly slash in her
hull was on the far side, so the
Sabre's scanners couldn't accurately evaluate the damage she had sustained.
Two flexible, ribbed cylinders extended from the dark underbelly of the
dreadnought, questing outward like the trunks of elephants. They were about
sixty meters long and fifteen in overall diameter. Their magnetic collars
affixed tightly to the emergency airlocks of both craft.
Thrush's voice grated over the speaker. "You have ten minutes."
Leaving Cotta in charge, Kane led Grant, Fand and Brigid from the command
deck. They took the lift down to the very bowels of the ship, to a small, dark
and cold area beneath the second deck. The emergency escape hatch, more
complicated than the general access docking port on the
Sabre'
's fuselage, humped up from the floor plates.
A grizzled-haired, large-framed Ranger waited for them, a man named Macrough.
He had served aboard the
Sabre longer than anyone, even Kane. Wordlessly, he extended his right arm
Page 116
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with five gun belts draped over it. They all held bolstered ASP pistols.
Macrough could have chosen from several kinds of small arms, from kinetic kill
blasters to nonlethal electropulse stunners. Obviously, his assessment of the
situation was that weapons that discharged accelerated streams of protons
would be more efficacious than those that fired projectiles and electric
current. The energy bolts spit by ASP pistols interacted
Outer Darkness
263
with anything possessing an atomic structure, whether it was organic or
inorganic. They were extremely dangerous weapons, so their manufacture and
distribution were severely restricted. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl fopke.keep.pl
"Where the hell did it come from?" Domi demanded. "Our long-range sensors
should have detected it when we were scanning the area."
Kane glanced over at Fand. She trembled ever so slightly, but her voice was
steady. "It came from outside, through a small hole torn in the fabric of our
universe. It doesn't really exist, not in relation to this universe. I can
make no close assessment of where it came from, or of its true nature. Except
that it doesn't belong here."
"The manner in which it appeared indicates energy-to-matter conversion,"
Brigid said.
Page 115
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"As if it has a gateway unit?" Kane asked.
"It could very well be a gateway unit."
"Is every inch of that thing covered with metal?" asked Grant.
Outer Darkness
261
"Probably," Cotta said. "No doubt the sheathing extends far beneath the
surface."
"The dreadnought is hailing us," Farrell said.
"Visual," responded Kane.
Thrush's masklike face appeared on the screen. "You, Kane, Mr. Grant and Miss
Baptiste will prepare
to board this vessel. I have extended the same invitation to Captain Jozure."
"For what purpose?"
"That will be revealed to you. I will extend docking chutes to both your
ships."
"If I refuse?"
"You are perfectly cognizant of the results. I also order the Danaan hybrid to
accompany you."
"She's not a member of my crew she's a civilian."
"I was not making a request, Kane." His face rippled away.
"Voluble he isn't," Farrell remarked.
Which was not characteristic of the Thrush they had met before, but Kane
didn't say so. "We've no choice but to do as he says. Cotta, what's the
progress on activating one of our auxiliary computers?"
"Slow, Commander. To perform primary ship functions, reprogramming is
necessary."
"Can you restore engine control?"
' 'If all goes according to plan. Bry has been working on the geon energizers
and maneuvering thrast-ers.
The computer should be reprogrammed within the hour, but the engines may take
longer."
"I have a feeling we don't have much time," Grant said dourly.
Domi frowned. "There's lots of possibilities."
"Too goddamn many," Grant retorted.
262
JAMES AXLER
On the screen, they watched as the moonlight-colored tractor beam reeled in
the
Okami-Maru like a hooked fish, positioning it abreast of the
Sabre, with barely twenty meters separating them. The ghastly slash in her
hull was on the far side, so the
Sabre's scanners couldn't accurately evaluate the damage she had sustained.
Two flexible, ribbed cylinders extended from the dark underbelly of the
dreadnought, questing outward like the trunks of elephants. They were about
sixty meters long and fifteen in overall diameter. Their magnetic collars
affixed tightly to the emergency airlocks of both craft.
Thrush's voice grated over the speaker. "You have ten minutes."
Leaving Cotta in charge, Kane led Grant, Fand and Brigid from the command
deck. They took the lift down to the very bowels of the ship, to a small, dark
and cold area beneath the second deck. The emergency escape hatch, more
complicated than the general access docking port on the
Sabre'
's fuselage, humped up from the floor plates.
A grizzled-haired, large-framed Ranger waited for them, a man named Macrough.
He had served aboard the
Sabre longer than anyone, even Kane. Wordlessly, he extended his right arm
Page 116
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
with five gun belts draped over it. They all held bolstered ASP pistols.
Macrough could have chosen from several kinds of small arms, from kinetic kill
blasters to nonlethal electropulse stunners. Obviously, his assessment of the
situation was that weapons that discharged accelerated streams of protons
would be more efficacious than those that fired projectiles and electric
current. The energy bolts spit by ASP pistols interacted
Outer Darkness
263
with anything possessing an atomic structure, whether it was organic or
inorganic. They were extremely dangerous weapons, so their manufacture and
distribution were severely restricted. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]