Read Online Duty Bound by Steve Miller, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Steve Miller, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
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control.
Indeed, the air pressure was building ever
so slightly.
Noting her spot, she locked the star-field
scope; by the time she got to him he was using both hands on the
control. He yelled at her again through the sack-like Cloak; she
could barely hear him.
"Please tell me what you see. I'm not sure
this will work for long!"
What she saw, besides Clonak wrestling with
a wire-filled metal tube, was devastation. The grainy monitor was
showing her what would normally be her Screen Five, inspection
view.
"The rear portside airfoils are gone," she
yelled, schooling her voice to the give the information as
dispassionately as possible. "There is damage into the hull; I can
see a nozzle--likely it's one of the wing nitrogen thrusters, still
attached to a hose--moving as if it is leaking."
Clonak shrugged, did something else with his
shoulder, and the image shifted a bit toward the body of the
ship.
Shadia blinked, disoriented. The ship didn't
have a--Oh.
"The ventral foil has been blown forward and
twisted--shredded. The.."
The image went blank as Clonak's hands
slipped on the tube; the Cloak vibrated with the buzz of his
curse.
Shadia continued describing what she had
seen.
"There's no sign of any working airfoil
components. There are indications of other structural damage. I
can't tell you about the in-system engines--the view was blocked by
the ventral fin."
Clonak sat down hard.
"That view was blocked by the ventral? Might
be something left to work with if we can get some more power
going..." His last few words were lost as he stared at the blank
screen.
"Clonak, I have a feeling that the ship
is--bent." Shadia bent close and said it again, this time touching
Cloaks shoulder to shoulder.
"Well," he sighed. "That explains why we
can't budge the hatch."
They both were silent for a moment; Shadia
was glad for the slim comfort offered by touching someone else,
even through the plastic.
The ship's spine had taken some of the heat
of the attack and the ship was out of true. The rear
compartment--Including the autodoc, the sleeping alcove, and about
60 percent of the food, was accessible only if they could force the
hatch against the bend of the ship.
"We have to assume," Clonak said suddenly,
"that we're not airworthy past the hatch; obviously we won't want
to be trying any kind of atmospheric descent if we have a
choice--Might be missing some hull, too."
He straightened a bit, leaned in to her and
said, "Look again. I'll see if I can force this to scan the other
side!"
Her fingers answered yes, and Clonak began
twisting the cable yet again. The image reappeared and then swung
suddenly, showing an oddly unflawed stretch of ship's hull and
beyond it the fluted shapes of several nozzles poking out from the
blast skirts.
Beyond that was a brightness; three points
of light; reddish, bluish, whitish. A local three star
cluster--
"The Trio!" she said, but then there was
another light, making her blink
"Stop!" she yelled, the noise over loud in
her ears.
Clonak let go and the image went away.
Shadia stood staring at the blank screen, seeing the stars as they
had been.
"We're still in-system," she said, putting
her arm against his. "If the Trio and Nev'Lorn Primary are lined
up..."
"We're somewhat north of the ecliptic,"
Clonak concluded, "with Nev'Lorn headquarters safely on the other
side of the sun."
* * *
THE IMAGE OF his son--and of his son's
partner--lay on the pilot's seat along with the rest of the
information provided by the Juntavas. Daav tried to imagine the
boy--a pilot of the first water, no doubt; a Scout able to command
the respect of a Clutch chieftain, who held the loyalty--and
perhaps the love--of the very Hero of Klamath...
His imagination failed him, despite the
recording furnished by the Juntavas boss.
The boy's voice was firm, quiet and
respectful; the information he gave regarding the last known
location of his vessel only slightly less useful than a star map.
The voice of Miri Robertson
control.
Indeed, the air pressure was building ever
so slightly.
Noting her spot, she locked the star-field
scope; by the time she got to him he was using both hands on the
control. He yelled at her again through the sack-like Cloak; she
could barely hear him.
"Please tell me what you see. I'm not sure
this will work for long!"
What she saw, besides Clonak wrestling with
a wire-filled metal tube, was devastation. The grainy monitor was
showing her what would normally be her Screen Five, inspection
view.
"The rear portside airfoils are gone," she
yelled, schooling her voice to the give the information as
dispassionately as possible. "There is damage into the hull; I can
see a nozzle--likely it's one of the wing nitrogen thrusters, still
attached to a hose--moving as if it is leaking."
Clonak shrugged, did something else with his
shoulder, and the image shifted a bit toward the body of the
ship.
Shadia blinked, disoriented. The ship didn't
have a--Oh.
"The ventral foil has been blown forward and
twisted--shredded. The.."
The image went blank as Clonak's hands
slipped on the tube; the Cloak vibrated with the buzz of his
curse.
Shadia continued describing what she had
seen.
"There's no sign of any working airfoil
components. There are indications of other structural damage. I
can't tell you about the in-system engines--the view was blocked by
the ventral fin."
Clonak sat down hard.
"That view was blocked by the ventral? Might
be something left to work with if we can get some more power
going..." His last few words were lost as he stared at the blank
screen.
"Clonak, I have a feeling that the ship
is--bent." Shadia bent close and said it again, this time touching
Cloaks shoulder to shoulder.
"Well," he sighed. "That explains why we
can't budge the hatch."
They both were silent for a moment; Shadia
was glad for the slim comfort offered by touching someone else,
even through the plastic.
The ship's spine had taken some of the heat
of the attack and the ship was out of true. The rear
compartment--Including the autodoc, the sleeping alcove, and about
60 percent of the food, was accessible only if they could force the
hatch against the bend of the ship.
"We have to assume," Clonak said suddenly,
"that we're not airworthy past the hatch; obviously we won't want
to be trying any kind of atmospheric descent if we have a
choice--Might be missing some hull, too."
He straightened a bit, leaned in to her and
said, "Look again. I'll see if I can force this to scan the other
side!"
Her fingers answered yes, and Clonak began
twisting the cable yet again. The image reappeared and then swung
suddenly, showing an oddly unflawed stretch of ship's hull and
beyond it the fluted shapes of several nozzles poking out from the
blast skirts.
Beyond that was a brightness; three points
of light; reddish, bluish, whitish. A local three star
cluster--
"The Trio!" she said, but then there was
another light, making her blink
"Stop!" she yelled, the noise over loud in
her ears.
Clonak let go and the image went away.
Shadia stood staring at the blank screen, seeing the stars as they
had been.
"We're still in-system," she said, putting
her arm against his. "If the Trio and Nev'Lorn Primary are lined
up..."
"We're somewhat north of the ecliptic,"
Clonak concluded, "with Nev'Lorn headquarters safely on the other
side of the sun."
* * *
THE IMAGE OF his son--and of his son's
partner--lay on the pilot's seat along with the rest of the
information provided by the Juntavas. Daav tried to imagine the
boy--a pilot of the first water, no doubt; a Scout able to command
the respect of a Clutch chieftain, who held the loyalty--and
perhaps the love--of the very Hero of Klamath...
His imagination failed him, despite the
recording furnished by the Juntavas boss.
The boy's voice was firm, quiet and
respectful; the information he gave regarding the last known
location of his vessel only slightly less useful than a star map.
The voice of Miri Robertson
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