Read Online Gateway To Xanadu by Sharon Green - Free Book Online Page B

relatively tiny docking aperture that had been assigned to us, easing our approach by means of the ship’s gentle directional jets. The screens in front of me made it seem as if we were moving forward, and it was necessary to consciously remember it was backward movement we wanted. Too little thrust and the “wind” created by the massive station would send us floating away again, too much thrust and we’d go slewing all over the place. The littlest bear’s touch was what was needed just then, and I had no concentration to spare for a man who didn’t trust women drivers.
    “That wasn’t very funny,” Val growled, but softly enough to keep from distracting me. “You may have gone through this before, but I haven’t. In the Confederacy we’d land a ship like this directly on the planet, not try putting it into a half-inch diameter hole in an orbiting space station. If you’d given me some warning about what had to be done, I could have tried my hand at it. I probably have more experience at precision piloting than you do.”
    His voice was so filled with automatic, unconscious superiority that I nearly was distracted, with the urge to look around for something to beat him over the head with, if nothing else. Before I could give in to the urge, though, I felt the first tentative touch of the grabber field, and then it was locked on tight, ready to slide us automatically into the berth. The controls went dead under my hands as the field took over completely, the safety field that made sure no one would end up smashing into the Station. I’d only had to guide the ship in close enough to where the field could take over, but exact positioning is a matter of contest among the people I worked with, and I’d known Ringer would be watching. As soon as I saw my jockeying had put us dead on I felt the usual satisfaction, but then I thought of a way to increase the feeling.
    “Well, if you’re so good, go right ahead and take over,” I said to Val in a huff, pulling my hands completely away from the controls as I turned to glare at him. “Well, don’t just sit there, go ahead.”
    “Diana, the controls!” he shouted, reaching forward to slap frantically at the board. “Do something, or we’ll crash!”
    “You should have thought of that before you opened your big mouth.” I gloated, watching him jump between the board and the screens. “We still have about a hundred and fifty yards to cover before we hit.
    Let’s see some of that precision piloting. ”
    “How can I pilot when the controls won’t respond?” he demanded, fighting desperately to get the board to react to his efforts, then doing a double-take when his glance showed him the way I’d stood out of the pilot’s seat to stretch. He couldn’t help but smell a rat then, especially when I smiled sweetly at him.
    “I think we can trust the grabber field to do the rest of the docking, don’t you?” I asked as he stared at me darkly. “We should be all sealed in in no more than another couple of minutes, so let’s get our stuff and wait at the lock.”
    “Grabber field,” he muttered as he came along behind me, following as I led the way to the salon where we’d left the things we were taking with us. I was dressed in a light blue ship’s suit and canvas deck shoes, and Val was wearing his cobalt blue uniform, but the uniform looked enough like a fancy ship’s suit that it would pass any but the closest inspection. On another orbital station I might have fretted a little; on Faraway it was strictly no sweat.
    “You might have told me the Station had automatic docking,” the hovering hulk behind me growled, definitely unhappy with me. “Does seeing people having heart failure before your very eyes make the day for you? Do you remember what I told you about using words first and only then indulging in other tactics?”
    “Stop getting so wild.” I laughed over my shoulder, at the same time picking up the packet of now-translated documents