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Gerswin studied his own readouts.
The Hawkwatch Commander wasn't exactly rolling out the welcome mat, not
when he was ordering a tachead spread for the Caroljoy to meet.
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He also wasn't terribly bright, doing so in the clear. But then, it had
been a long time since anyone challenged the Impies, and perhaps they were too
slow on scrambles and codes to react. Or, more likely, who cared?
Gerswin touched the full-screen activation button, slumping into his
seat under the acceleration as the screens took power diverted from the
gravfield generators.
"Hawkwatch, Torchlove one. Lost EDI lock. Lost EDI lock. Still no
visual."
"Hawkwatch, Torchlove two. Lost EDL"
"Torch three. No EDI. No visual."
"Torchlove one, two, and three. Launch spread seven based on DRI, Spread
seven based on DRI . . ."
Gerswin eased the controls, tensing his stomach as the Caroljoy veered
slightly-enough to confuse the DRI at his speed and with the screens the
modified scout carried.
A sliver of blinding light appeared in the forward exterior
screenùmomentarilyùbefore all exterior signals were damped to blackness.
The detonation of twenty-one tactical nuclear devices created a glare
that would have been observable from the day side of Marduk itself, had there
been anyone there to watch the fireworks.
Gerswin edged up his scout's speed, using his own screens and fields to
bend the additional energy from the detonations into further boosting his own
velocity.
"Torchlove one, two, three, EMP bleedoff indicates target fully
operational and extremely dangerous. Probably position two eight five, E minus
two."
"Hawkwatch, this is Torchlove one. Interrogative target position."
"Two eight five, E minus two. That's from you, Torch one, at point two
emkay"
"Nothing's that fast!"
"Torchloves, interrogative last transmission.
". . . ssss . . ."
Gerswin would have laughed at the obvious silence had he not been pinned
down in his shell, but smiling was difficult under the four plus gees.
"Hawkwatch, this is Torchlove two. Probability of contact of nonImperial
origin."
"Probability point eight. Calculated characteristics impute either
higher gee tolerance or non-Imperial technology."
"Blithing alien . . ."
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"Torchloves, interrogative last transmission."
A faint signal returned. "Interrogative yours."
"Torchloves, mission abort. Mission abort. Estimated target beyond
spread range. Return to base. Return to base."
"Hawkwatch, Torchlove one. Stet. Returning to base."
Gerswin scanned the indicators, altered course again fractionally. The
Caroljoy would skim by Marduk before lifting above the ecliptic for the long
trip back to Aswan.
"Three until drop," the console informed him.
The pilot left his ostensibly obsolete scout on course until the three
lights winked red in quick succession, then green.
"Torps away. Launch path is clear and green through reentry"
"Hawkwatch, Torch two. Target discharged missiles on reentry course for
Basepath."
"Torchlove two, interrogative interception."
"Hawkwatch, that is negative."
"Understand negative."
"That's affirmative. Negative on intercept. Missile reentry curve will
commence prior to intercept."
"Torchlove two, hold data. Say again. Hold data for analysis."
"Hawkwatch, stet. Holding data for analysis. Returning base this time."
Gerswin debated releasing full screens to return normal gravity to the
Caroljoy, but decided to hang on for another few minutes. It would be just
like the Impies to have a few jokers planted around the system.
He altered course again, well within the general departure corridor, but
enough to confuse a DRI tracker using the launch curves for the torps as its
data base.
His screens blanked again.
"Distance and weapon?" he asked the AI.
"Three triple em cluster at point one emkay."
Nothing like proving yourself correct on the. spot. He checked the
screens, but they seemed to have held under what had been an extremely close
miss.
"Impact near previous course line?"
"Impact less than point zero one from previous track."
Gerswin decided to leave the screens up longer than lie had decided a
few moments earlier.
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"Hawkwatch, this is Turtlestrike. Target evaded DRI line, on high exit
course Hawk system."
"Stet, Turtlestrike. Interrogative status."
"Status is red five from EMP backblast."
Gerswin translated. Turtlestrike, whatever craft that represented, had
also been too close to the detonation and would be down for at least five
stans, long after the Caroljoy had made the first of the return jumps toward
Aswan.
Gerswin left the screens up, though he dropped acceleration to allow a
gee drop to three gees, until he was within minutes of the jump point. Then,
and only then, did he return to normal operations for the jump. The switch
from three-gee acceleration to near weightlessness nearly cost him the
pearapple he had eaten before he had entered the system.
He swallowed hard, gulping back the bitter taste of regurgitated fruit,
and plowed through the prejump checks.
While the modified message torps carried enough of the spores and seeds
to transform Marduk back into a livable planet, given several thousand, or
more, years, the Imperial Interstellar Survey Service would still have Marduk
as a source of supply for its toxic warheads for several dozen centuries,
hopefully longer than the Empire would be around to use them.
He shook his head and touched the jump stud.
The stars winked out; the blackness swam through the Caroljoy; and,
after a short infinity, another set of stars dropped into place as the scout
resettled in real spacetime twenty systems from Marduk.
XXXIX
The Overlords of Time have called upon the Underlords of Order under the Edict
of the West Wing of Chronology.
Listen . . . [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl fopke.keep.pl
Gerswin studied his own readouts.
The Hawkwatch Commander wasn't exactly rolling out the welcome mat, not
when he was ordering a tachead spread for the Caroljoy to meet.
Page 118
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
He also wasn't terribly bright, doing so in the clear. But then, it had
been a long time since anyone challenged the Impies, and perhaps they were too
slow on scrambles and codes to react. Or, more likely, who cared?
Gerswin touched the full-screen activation button, slumping into his
seat under the acceleration as the screens took power diverted from the
gravfield generators.
"Hawkwatch, Torchlove one. Lost EDI lock. Lost EDI lock. Still no
visual."
"Hawkwatch, Torchlove two. Lost EDL"
"Torch three. No EDI. No visual."
"Torchlove one, two, and three. Launch spread seven based on DRI, Spread
seven based on DRI . . ."
Gerswin eased the controls, tensing his stomach as the Caroljoy veered
slightly-enough to confuse the DRI at his speed and with the screens the
modified scout carried.
A sliver of blinding light appeared in the forward exterior
screenùmomentarilyùbefore all exterior signals were damped to blackness.
The detonation of twenty-one tactical nuclear devices created a glare
that would have been observable from the day side of Marduk itself, had there
been anyone there to watch the fireworks.
Gerswin edged up his scout's speed, using his own screens and fields to
bend the additional energy from the detonations into further boosting his own
velocity.
"Torchlove one, two, three, EMP bleedoff indicates target fully
operational and extremely dangerous. Probably position two eight five, E minus
two."
"Hawkwatch, this is Torchlove one. Interrogative target position."
"Two eight five, E minus two. That's from you, Torch one, at point two
emkay"
"Nothing's that fast!"
"Torchloves, interrogative last transmission.
". . . ssss . . ."
Gerswin would have laughed at the obvious silence had he not been pinned
down in his shell, but smiling was difficult under the four plus gees.
"Hawkwatch, this is Torchlove two. Probability of contact of nonImperial
origin."
"Probability point eight. Calculated characteristics impute either
higher gee tolerance or non-Imperial technology."
"Blithing alien . . ."
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"Torchloves, interrogative last transmission."
A faint signal returned. "Interrogative yours."
"Torchloves, mission abort. Mission abort. Estimated target beyond
spread range. Return to base. Return to base."
"Hawkwatch, Torchlove one. Stet. Returning to base."
Gerswin scanned the indicators, altered course again fractionally. The
Caroljoy would skim by Marduk before lifting above the ecliptic for the long
trip back to Aswan.
"Three until drop," the console informed him.
The pilot left his ostensibly obsolete scout on course until the three
lights winked red in quick succession, then green.
"Torps away. Launch path is clear and green through reentry"
"Hawkwatch, Torch two. Target discharged missiles on reentry course for
Basepath."
"Torchlove two, interrogative interception."
"Hawkwatch, that is negative."
"Understand negative."
"That's affirmative. Negative on intercept. Missile reentry curve will
commence prior to intercept."
"Torchlove two, hold data. Say again. Hold data for analysis."
"Hawkwatch, stet. Holding data for analysis. Returning base this time."
Gerswin debated releasing full screens to return normal gravity to the
Caroljoy, but decided to hang on for another few minutes. It would be just
like the Impies to have a few jokers planted around the system.
He altered course again, well within the general departure corridor, but
enough to confuse a DRI tracker using the launch curves for the torps as its
data base.
His screens blanked again.
"Distance and weapon?" he asked the AI.
"Three triple em cluster at point one emkay."
Nothing like proving yourself correct on the. spot. He checked the
screens, but they seemed to have held under what had been an extremely close
miss.
"Impact near previous course line?"
"Impact less than point zero one from previous track."
Gerswin decided to leave the screens up longer than lie had decided a
few moments earlier.
Page 120
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"Hawkwatch, this is Turtlestrike. Target evaded DRI line, on high exit
course Hawk system."
"Stet, Turtlestrike. Interrogative status."
"Status is red five from EMP backblast."
Gerswin translated. Turtlestrike, whatever craft that represented, had
also been too close to the detonation and would be down for at least five
stans, long after the Caroljoy had made the first of the return jumps toward
Aswan.
Gerswin left the screens up, though he dropped acceleration to allow a
gee drop to three gees, until he was within minutes of the jump point. Then,
and only then, did he return to normal operations for the jump. The switch
from three-gee acceleration to near weightlessness nearly cost him the
pearapple he had eaten before he had entered the system.
He swallowed hard, gulping back the bitter taste of regurgitated fruit,
and plowed through the prejump checks.
While the modified message torps carried enough of the spores and seeds
to transform Marduk back into a livable planet, given several thousand, or
more, years, the Imperial Interstellar Survey Service would still have Marduk
as a source of supply for its toxic warheads for several dozen centuries,
hopefully longer than the Empire would be around to use them.
He shook his head and touched the jump stud.
The stars winked out; the blackness swam through the Caroljoy; and,
after a short infinity, another set of stars dropped into place as the scout
resettled in real spacetime twenty systems from Marduk.
XXXIX
The Overlords of Time have called upon the Underlords of Order under the Edict
of the West Wing of Chronology.
Listen . . . [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]