highest girder, eyes apparently gazing out into deep space, a slowly blinking yellow orb at his side.
What could he be looking for?
"Why do they send someone up that space gantry every other hour?" Kyx started up again. "I'll tell you why: because they think it puts them closer to God. I guess spinning around in low orbit isn't enough. They have to have a man up there at all times, braving the elements. I guarantee you that man is praying as hard as he can. And if they all pray hard enough, God will send them an army of angels to get them out of this fix."
Finally, one of the other officers piped up.
"Maybe they are considering revitalizing the structure," he said.
Kyx let out a guffaw. "Revitalizing it!" he laughed. "In God's name what for?"
"Maybe to use it again for the reason it was intended," the officer shot back. 'To land more spaceships. Or to repair an old one, or perhaps even build a new one."
Now another junior officer joined the discussion. "My theory all along is that they are a pirating crew in disguise, and all this odd behavior and questions about the Home Planets is just to distract us. I'll wager that they're establishing a base here from which to launch their own operations. And as it will be at least ten years before any of our superiors even know something has gone wrong, we are simply the losing pawns in their game."
Kyx laughed again. It was that cruel laugh of fake superiority he did so well.
" Lieutenant !" he roared. "We are at the end of the Two Arm. There is no one out here to rape, no place out here to pillage or burn. There is no one out here to steal from . What space pirate in his right mind would set up a base out here?"
The junior officer lowered his head, properly admonished. The others did, too. Kyx was right, a painful admission for all three.
The commander turned back to the scene beyond the window, grabbing the bars as if he had enough strength to bend them.
"And besides, they don't have nearly enough men to actually build a ship or even repair one," he went on in a loud voice. He shook his head in a very self-satisfied manner.
"They might have big plans," he said, "but there is no way they can accomplish them. They lack manpower, and that means, eventually, they will lack willpower, too.... We all know it's a big Galaxy out there. Forty thousand troops can get swallowed up pretty quickly."
The three junior officers went back to their game of dice.
They really hated it when Kyx was right.
At that moment, the floor of their cell began shaking. All four men froze. One of the junior officers was in the process of throwing the dice when the rumbling began. They all looked at each other. This was not the heart-stopping roar they'd heard in the opening moments of the attack earlier in the long day. Still, it unnerved them.
"What the hell was that?" Kyx exclaimed.
The cell shook again. "Maybe this dirty little place is finally doing itself in," one officer said, throwing the dice again.
His companions just scoffed.
"How many times do I have to tell you," one said, as they all felt the floor of the cell shake once again. "We will never be that lucky."
"It seems to be coming from the mountains," Kyx noted, straining to see around the corner of the command cluster to the six mountains beyond. "Why would they be blowing holes out there?"
None of his officers cared to reply. It was just one more odd thing the invaders seemed prone to do. The officers just went back to their game of chance.
"Well, I for one am glad I am not walking among them," Kyx went on again. "I'm glad I'm in jail. I hear that cult stuff can wear off on you. Just being around these types can make you stupid and prompt you into doing stupid things over and over and over again. And who needs that?"
Again, none of his officers replied. They'd tuned him out completely now. The floor of the cell rumbled again. Overhead, two more of the invaders' spaceships came into view.
Kyx sighed and unconsciously thrust his
What could he be looking for?
"Why do they send someone up that space gantry every other hour?" Kyx started up again. "I'll tell you why: because they think it puts them closer to God. I guess spinning around in low orbit isn't enough. They have to have a man up there at all times, braving the elements. I guarantee you that man is praying as hard as he can. And if they all pray hard enough, God will send them an army of angels to get them out of this fix."
Finally, one of the other officers piped up.
"Maybe they are considering revitalizing the structure," he said.
Kyx let out a guffaw. "Revitalizing it!" he laughed. "In God's name what for?"
"Maybe to use it again for the reason it was intended," the officer shot back. 'To land more spaceships. Or to repair an old one, or perhaps even build a new one."
Now another junior officer joined the discussion. "My theory all along is that they are a pirating crew in disguise, and all this odd behavior and questions about the Home Planets is just to distract us. I'll wager that they're establishing a base here from which to launch their own operations. And as it will be at least ten years before any of our superiors even know something has gone wrong, we are simply the losing pawns in their game."
Kyx laughed again. It was that cruel laugh of fake superiority he did so well.
" Lieutenant !" he roared. "We are at the end of the Two Arm. There is no one out here to rape, no place out here to pillage or burn. There is no one out here to steal from . What space pirate in his right mind would set up a base out here?"
The junior officer lowered his head, properly admonished. The others did, too. Kyx was right, a painful admission for all three.
The commander turned back to the scene beyond the window, grabbing the bars as if he had enough strength to bend them.
"And besides, they don't have nearly enough men to actually build a ship or even repair one," he went on in a loud voice. He shook his head in a very self-satisfied manner.
"They might have big plans," he said, "but there is no way they can accomplish them. They lack manpower, and that means, eventually, they will lack willpower, too.... We all know it's a big Galaxy out there. Forty thousand troops can get swallowed up pretty quickly."
The three junior officers went back to their game of dice.
They really hated it when Kyx was right.
At that moment, the floor of their cell began shaking. All four men froze. One of the junior officers was in the process of throwing the dice when the rumbling began. They all looked at each other. This was not the heart-stopping roar they'd heard in the opening moments of the attack earlier in the long day. Still, it unnerved them.
"What the hell was that?" Kyx exclaimed.
The cell shook again. "Maybe this dirty little place is finally doing itself in," one officer said, throwing the dice again.
His companions just scoffed.
"How many times do I have to tell you," one said, as they all felt the floor of the cell shake once again. "We will never be that lucky."
"It seems to be coming from the mountains," Kyx noted, straining to see around the corner of the command cluster to the six mountains beyond. "Why would they be blowing holes out there?"
None of his officers cared to reply. It was just one more odd thing the invaders seemed prone to do. The officers just went back to their game of chance.
"Well, I for one am glad I am not walking among them," Kyx went on again. "I'm glad I'm in jail. I hear that cult stuff can wear off on you. Just being around these types can make you stupid and prompt you into doing stupid things over and over and over again. And who needs that?"
Again, none of his officers replied. They'd tuned him out completely now. The floor of the cell rumbled again. Overhead, two more of the invaders' spaceships came into view.
Kyx sighed and unconsciously thrust his
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