[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
oxygen starvation and dehydration when cocoon failed to properly deploy."
Serig nodded. On single-crewed vessels the pilot would often use coldsleep,
relying on die AI systems to handle the simple and tedious work of long
interstellar transits. Slightly risky, but it saved lifespan.
"Ship systems are live," Serig said. "Cryptography, please." He punched a jack
into the receptor and waited while the powerful machines on the Bride worked
on the guardian programs of the enemy ship.
"Worm is through. I have control of the computer."
That was simple, he thought. Not much computer security at all, and...
"Ah! Lord? The coldsleep system was sabotaged."
"How wicked," Belazir said, and they shared a chuckle. "Why?"
"A moment, lord. Yes, by the dugs of the Dreadful
Page 105
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Mother! This is a commercial courier. The female was an agent for some
merchant house, traveling with samples. She boasts of making the 'sale of a
lifetime' at her most recent stop, a nexus-station designated SSS-
900-C. Some rival did it"
"It was the sale of her lifetime," Belazir said.
This time Serig could hear more laughter in the back-
ground. He turned sharply to his assistants. "Nobody told you to stop working"
he barked. "Divine Seed of Kolnar!
Lord, I have accessed the cargo manifest!"
THE dry WHO FOUGHT
191
He could hear Belazir grunt like a man belly-
punched as the figures and data scrolled across to the
Kolnari warships. Computers and computer parts;
engineering software; fabrication systems; drugs;
luxury consumer items, wines, silks...
"And lord! Thfe cJrgo compartments have full climatic controll"
Rigged for the carrying of delicate cargo? That made the vessel beyond price
to the Clan. With climate-controlled holds, she could be easily and cheaply
rqrigged to hold families or troops in coldsleep.
Belazir's voice grew sardonic. "Captain t'Varak, I
hope you are satisfied." Nothing came over the circuit but the sound of teeth
grinding. One of the other cap-
tains did venture a comment
"Does this not seem too much like the answer to a prayer?" he murmured. "I
sacrifice much to my joss and the ancestors, vessels of the Divine Seed,
but..."
The joss help the strongest fist, the saying went
"Under other circumstances, Zhengir t'Marid,"
Belazir answered him coolly, MI might agree. But cousin, who could know we
forayed in this direction?
Only those we pursue, and they press forward in a dis-
integrating hulk with no communications capability since we blew it away."
Command snapped in his voice.
"Serig. Secure the ship. Discard the corpse and flush the environmental
systems. Are fungibles adequate?"
"More than adequate, Great Lord," Serig said, ham-
mering the glee out of his voice. My gods! My greed! he thought A full
percentage point would be his as noble-
in-command of the boarding party. My lord is well pleased with me, he decided.
He must, to give his bastard half-brother such an opportunity. Petit-nobles
had been translated to full status for less.
"There is plenty of air," he went on. "Surplus water.
The pilot never awoke to renew."
192
Anne McCaffny fc? 5M. Stirling
"Good. Await the prize crew NAlyze b'Marid will com-
mand it N and then return. Expedite! We will resume superluminal in less than
an hour, or skin will be stripped."
Alyze was the commander's new third wife. Serig suspected she might be
pregnanl^and Belazir anxious to have her out of harm's way before even the
slight danger at the end of their chase, He nodded to himself.
Such was good noble thinking, for a man's honor was in the diffusion of his
portion of the Divine Seed.
"Hearkening and obedience, lord," he said. And this
SSS-900-C will also be in the path of our pursuit, Serig thought Iwill light
Page 106
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
ten sticks to my personal joss in apology.
He had kicked the litde idol across his cabin in anger when he learned they
were to be sent on a lootless, honorless pursuit mission while their comrades [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl szkicerysunki.xlx.pl
oxygen starvation and dehydration when cocoon failed to properly deploy."
Serig nodded. On single-crewed vessels the pilot would often use coldsleep,
relying on die AI systems to handle the simple and tedious work of long
interstellar transits. Slightly risky, but it saved lifespan.
"Ship systems are live," Serig said. "Cryptography, please." He punched a jack
into the receptor and waited while the powerful machines on the Bride worked
on the guardian programs of the enemy ship.
"Worm is through. I have control of the computer."
That was simple, he thought. Not much computer security at all, and...
"Ah! Lord? The coldsleep system was sabotaged."
"How wicked," Belazir said, and they shared a chuckle. "Why?"
"A moment, lord. Yes, by the dugs of the Dreadful
Page 105
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Mother! This is a commercial courier. The female was an agent for some
merchant house, traveling with samples. She boasts of making the 'sale of a
lifetime' at her most recent stop, a nexus-station designated SSS-
900-C. Some rival did it"
"It was the sale of her lifetime," Belazir said.
This time Serig could hear more laughter in the back-
ground. He turned sharply to his assistants. "Nobody told you to stop working"
he barked. "Divine Seed of Kolnar!
Lord, I have accessed the cargo manifest!"
THE dry WHO FOUGHT
191
He could hear Belazir grunt like a man belly-
punched as the figures and data scrolled across to the
Kolnari warships. Computers and computer parts;
engineering software; fabrication systems; drugs;
luxury consumer items, wines, silks...
"And lord! Thfe cJrgo compartments have full climatic controll"
Rigged for the carrying of delicate cargo? That made the vessel beyond price
to the Clan. With climate-controlled holds, she could be easily and cheaply
rqrigged to hold families or troops in coldsleep.
Belazir's voice grew sardonic. "Captain t'Varak, I
hope you are satisfied." Nothing came over the circuit but the sound of teeth
grinding. One of the other cap-
tains did venture a comment
"Does this not seem too much like the answer to a prayer?" he murmured. "I
sacrifice much to my joss and the ancestors, vessels of the Divine Seed,
but..."
The joss help the strongest fist, the saying went
"Under other circumstances, Zhengir t'Marid,"
Belazir answered him coolly, MI might agree. But cousin, who could know we
forayed in this direction?
Only those we pursue, and they press forward in a dis-
integrating hulk with no communications capability since we blew it away."
Command snapped in his voice.
"Serig. Secure the ship. Discard the corpse and flush the environmental
systems. Are fungibles adequate?"
"More than adequate, Great Lord," Serig said, ham-
mering the glee out of his voice. My gods! My greed! he thought A full
percentage point would be his as noble-
in-command of the boarding party. My lord is well pleased with me, he decided.
He must, to give his bastard half-brother such an opportunity. Petit-nobles
had been translated to full status for less.
"There is plenty of air," he went on. "Surplus water.
The pilot never awoke to renew."
192
Anne McCaffny fc? 5M. Stirling
"Good. Await the prize crew NAlyze b'Marid will com-
mand it N and then return. Expedite! We will resume superluminal in less than
an hour, or skin will be stripped."
Alyze was the commander's new third wife. Serig suspected she might be
pregnanl^and Belazir anxious to have her out of harm's way before even the
slight danger at the end of their chase, He nodded to himself.
Such was good noble thinking, for a man's honor was in the diffusion of his
portion of the Divine Seed.
"Hearkening and obedience, lord," he said. And this
SSS-900-C will also be in the path of our pursuit, Serig thought Iwill light
Page 106
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
ten sticks to my personal joss in apology.
He had kicked the litde idol across his cabin in anger when he learned they
were to be sent on a lootless, honorless pursuit mission while their comrades [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]