“I’ll stay here with Harry, monitor the Jump,” Xris offered. “The rest of you—go lie down. Like the lady says, we’ll want to be at our best when we meet Mr. Harsch.”
Xris shoved past Tess.
She caught hold of his arm, his phony arm. “Xris, I wish ...” Her eyes were pleading. For what? Sympathy? Understanding?
As Tycho would say, Obese chance.
Xris turned away.
Behind him, he heard Raoul wail plaintively, “I can’t think where we went wrong.”
Chapter 38
You must be generous to double agents.
Sun-tzu, The Art of War
The journey through hyperspace to the frontier was long, tedious, and tense. The only compensation was, as Jamil said, that everyone had a chance to catch up on their sleep.
Those who could sleep.
Xris was not among that number and, from the ragged-edged looks of her, Tess—for all her talk—wasn’t slumbering soundly, either.
Good! thought Xris. Being in a Macbeth-like mood, he hoped she turned into an insomniac.
If she was worried that they were going to attack her in her sleep, she needn’t have been. Xris could have told her as much. Not that the team was idle. Each had his assignment and at least one had come up with something, apparently.
“I need to talk to you,” Harry said in a low voice, bumping into Xris in a corridor.
Xris nodded. “Where’s Tess?”
“Back with the robot.”
“What’s she doing?” he asked.
“Running an analysis on that machine of Grant’s. I asked her and she said that she wants to know how it works before she presents it to her boss.”
“Fine. Get the others. Meet in the galley.”
Harry’s face brightened. “Lunch,” he said, and hurried off.
Xris entered the galley, where the others were seated around the table. Raoul had made more sandwiches, but only Harry was eating.
“Well, what is it?” Xris asked.
Harry, mouth full, chewed rapidly, swallowed. “I ran the computer scan for the bomb. I found it,” he said, and took another bite.
Xris reached over, snatched the sandwich out of his hand. “You can eat later. Where is it?”
“It’s attached to the recovery bay structural girder, about three-quarters back.”
“That bomb’s the size of Harry’s brain,” Jamil commented. “If it did go off, how much damage could it do to this spaceplane? The plane’s built to withstand laser blasts.”
Quong corrected him. “The shields are built to withstand laser blasts. That’s why they are there, in order to protect the hull. The bomb wouldn’t have to do much damage at all. We are in hyperspace. The tiniest crack could rip us apart.”
Xris chewed a wad of soggy twist. “Okay, we’ve found the bomb. Can we disarm it, Doc?”
“Not without risking setting it off. I examined the bomb when it was in Jamil’s possession. It is very sophisticated, very delicate. Face it, my friend. She has us by the shorts, as Tycho would say.”
Xris spit the twist into the trash compactor. “How’s this? We set off the bomb, blow up this plane and everyone in it. Including the robot.”
Tess’s voice came from behind. “That would be the noble thing to do.” She stood in the doorway, was regarding Xris gravely. “But you won’t do it.”
“I won’t, huh?” Xris eyed her. “You think I don’t have the guts to do it? Or that maybe these guys wouldn’t go along?”
“Do it,” said Jamil briefly.
“Sure, go ahead, Xris!” Harry was grim.
Quong nodded his head. “An appropriate sacrifice in the name of humanity. I concur.”
Tycho nodded. “My insurance is fully paid. And I have set up a tax-sheltered annuity for the death benefits. My family would make considerable profit.”
Raoul’s eyes glistened. “I have often wondered what it would be like to die by some violent means. And this ... the terrible expectation, the mounting fear, and then the blast itself ...”
The Little One made two fists of his hands, slammed them together in a gesture Xris had come to know meant the telepath was emphatically with them.
Xris turned to Tess. “The vote’s in and counted, sister.”
Tess stood leaning against the door, her arms crossed over her chest. “Oh, you’d do it. I have no doubt. If Xris gave the order, you’d blow up yourselves, me, the robot.” She snapped her fingers. “Like that. But Xris won’t give that order.”
Xris knew darned well that he wouldn’t, but he was interested in hearing her reason. “Why not?”
She looked at him and smiled, not a cocky smile, not a smirk. Just a smile, a warm smile. An affectionate smile. “Because that would be giving up, admitting that you were defeated. And that’s something you’ll never do, not as long as there’s breath in that shiny metal body of yours. Am I right?”
Xris took out another twist. He said nothing.
Tess spread her hands. “Look, guys. Nick Harsch is a businessman. He made a deal. He’ll stick to it. The worst that can happen is that he’ll dock you a couple of thousand credits for being late. But seeing as how the robot is more than he ever anticipated, he might give you a bonus. You’ll be on your way home soon enough, with money in your account.”
“And a Lane-sucking robot in the claws of the Corasians.” Xris rolled the twist between his thumb and forefinger. “A robot that’s already killed a thousand people.”
“We don’t know that for sure,” Harry said.
Xris ignored him. “Sorry, sister. Counting money may help you get to sleep at night, but it doesn’t do much for me.”
Tess regarded him thoughtfully. “Harsch misjudged you. I guess I did, too.”
“It’s a common mistake—misjudging people. I made it, too, sister,” Xris said. “Big-time.”
Tess Hushed faintly. “What I came in to tell you is that I just looked in on Jeffrey Grant. He’s coming out of sedation. I informed him of what was going on. That there’s a bomb on the plane and we’re flying it to take the robot to Harsch. I’m not a doctor, but it’s my opinion that Grant might need to be sedated again. Well, I’m back to work. You will let me know if you plan to blow up the plane, won’t you?” She walked off.
“Resourceful, energetic, an expert on explosives. You know” Jamil gazed after Tess in mock admiration—”I believe I might marry that woman. That is, if you don’t want her, Xris.”
“Personally,” Quong said coldly, “I would enjoy shoving her out the air lock.”
“Doc,” Harry asked, “is there any way we could sabotage the robot? Make it useless to the Corasians?”
“Yes,” Quong returned, in a bad mood. “Bring me the bomb. I’ll put it in the robot and we’ll blow it up. That would be the only way it would be useless to the Corasians. They do not need to know how to use the robot to build Lanes. Not anymore. All they need to know is how to use it to take the Lanes out.”
He left to attend to his patient.
Tycho shut off his translator, said something no one understood, and went out after the doctor.
“Does this mean we’re not going to blow up the plane?” Harry wondered.
“I trust we’re not,” Raoul said. “The more I think about it, the more I think that such a catastrophic event would absolutely ruin my day. To say nothing of my outfit at the time.” He looked at Xris, the usually vacant eyes suddenly snapped into focus. “I could poison her coffee.”
“And what would you do about the bomb that’s set to explode in six hours? Poison it, too?”
“Ah. I had not thought of that. Oh, well.” Raoul smoothed his hair with a delicate hand. “That’s why you are the leader, Xris Cyborg, and I am around for visual effect.”
Xris left, walked back to the empty cockpit, sat down, stared out into the black nothing of hyperspace.
He should blow up the plane. He knew that. Admit failure. Admit that Tess and Harsch had outsmarted him. Admit that he’d been
beaten at his own game.
Corasians would get hold of the robot. They’d use it to take out the hyperspace Lanes. Make the Royal Navy useless. Leave planets isolated, cut off. The Corasians could come in and pick them off, one by one.
He should blow up the plane. He knew he should.
You won’t, she had said.
Xris took out a twist, put it in his mouth. This time he lit it, watched the smoke twine up from the glowing end. No one would be able to enter the cockpit until the noxious fumes were sucked into the ventilation system. But then no one was likely to come in here anyway.
She was right, of course. She knew him inside out.
Damn it all to hell and back again.
Chapter 39
Tempt them with profits, instruct and retain them.
Thus double agents can be obtained and employed.
Sun-tzu, The Art of War
They emerged from hyperspace into empty space.
The frontier—the galaxy’s outer rim of stars—looks very much like the more civilized interior: black, with pinprick smatterings of light. But those who live and work on the frontier will tell you that it is different, a difference which they swear they can feel on board ship or spaceplane, planet or inhabited moon. It is the idea of living on the edge—literally. Of being far removed from the majority of living species. It is a loneliness that can drive you mad—or become addictive.
Xris knew the frontier. In the “old days,” when he was just starting out in the mercenary line of work, it had been his custom to frequent the moon known as Hell’s Outpost, conduct business in the infamous Exile Cafe. Xris was not one who had been seduced by the romanticized loneliness. He had stayed at Hell’s Outpost only long enough to pick up work. He was always glad to return to the interior, to the realm of breathing, snuffling, gurgling humans and aliens. He enjoyed the knots, the twists, the tangles, the challenge of life among the teeming masses.
Right now, though, he had to admit—he kind of liked it lonely. He’d been afraid he’d find himself surrounded. As it was, there were no planes or ships in sight.
Odd. Hell’s Outpost wasn’t exactly overpopulated, but there were generally planes in the vicinity. The Exile Cafe attracted a small but loyal clientele.
“So where’s your boss, sister?” Xris asked Tess.
“Sister,” she repeated, frowning. She glanced back at him. “Do you realize how insulting you make that sound?”
“Yes. Where’s your boss? That moon over there is Hell’s Outpost. Do we land or what?”
Tess swiveled the copilot’s chair away from him, stared out the viewscreen. “We’re to meet Harsch at this location. You’ll receive your instructions at that time.”
“There’s no one out there,” Harry reported, peering at his instruments and seeing no signs of a plane, or a ship.
“Hey,” said Jamil, “we got here on time. If the client can’t make it, screw him. Turn this thing around, Harry, and let’s go home.”
“That would not be a good idea,” Tess said.
“He’s there,” Xris guessed. “He’s looking us over. Isn’t that right, sister?”
Tess didn’t reply.
“We’re being scanned,” Harry reported at almost the same instant. “Pretty damn powerful, too.”
“I assume you gave your boss a complete description,” Xris said.
“Right down to every last nut and bolt,” Tess returned.
“You referring to me or the PRRS?” Xris asked.
Tess flicked him a glance. The strain was showing. She had been staring intently out into space, tapping a fingernail on the console. When she caught Xris’s gaze on her, she ceased the tapping abruptly, turning away.
Interesting, Xris thought. What the devil is she afraid of? She’s bringing home the bacon.
“Something’s out there,” said Harry in an ominous tone. “I’m picking it up now. According to my readings . . . hell, I’ve never seen readings like this! What— Holy shit!”
Darkness engulfed the stars, swallowed them up. A darkness that grew and solidified as they watched. A huge ship, devoid of lights, emerged from behind the moon that was Hell’s Outpost. The bullet-shaped ship came into view, visible on their instruments, visible to the eye only as a black hellish mass that blotted out heaven.
A Corasian mothership.
So that’s it, Xris said to himself, defeat a hard, cold knot in his stomach. Tess isn’t bringing home the bacon. She’s bringing the pigs to be slaughtered.
Harry turned. His eye lids were open so wide, his eyeballs looked as if they might roll out of his head. “Xris! Do you know what that is? A Corasian mother—”
“I know. Get us out of here! Fast!”
Harry was already on it. The engines roared, the PRRS bucked and lurched, went nowhere.
“Tractor beam,” Harry said. His cheeks were blotchy. “They got us.”
“Break loose!” Xris shouted over the whine of the engines.
“No way in hell!” Harry yelled back.
The PRRS was a gnat trying to free itself from the sticky web of an enormous spider.
“Shut down the engines. I don’t want to burn out.” Xris was on the comm, ordering everyone to the bridge. Stat.
Tess hadn’t moved; she hadn’t said a word.
Xris grabbed her by the shoulder, spun her around to face him. He leaned over her in the chair, put his hands on the armrests, fencing her in.
“You knew they’d be waiting for us.”
She sat cold and still beneath his touch, her jaw muscles clenched tight. She nodded once, stiffly.
Xris stood up, released her.
“They’re hailing us,” Harry reported. He switched on the comm.
“Greetings, gentlemen,” came the voice over the comm.
“That’s Sakuta,” Xris said, “for the benefit of those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him.”
“Not quite correct, Xris. Sakuta is one of my personae. Another is Nick Harsch, to whom you are now speaking. I understand that you are bringing Professor Lasairion’s robot to me. Well done, gentlemen. Well done.”
“Yeah, well, it was one hell of a job,” Xris said, chewing on a twist. He took it out of his mouth to add, “You weren’t exactly up front with us. A few little details you neglected to fill us in on. Like how much your flesh-eating friends are planning to pay you for bringing them a real live Lane-laying robot in prime working condition. My guess is that what you’re paying us is squat compared to the profit you’ll be making.”
“Your point being?” Harsch sounded amused.
Xris put the twist back in his mouth. “We want our fair share. That’s all. Cut us in for a percentage.”
Tess was looking at him in undisguised admiration, a half smile on her face.
“Captain Strauss told me you were the best,” Harsch said. “That’s why I hired you. I only hire the best. Captain Strauss herself is extremely impressive, don’t you agree?”
“Yeah,” Xris said through teeth clenched over the twist. “Impressive.”
Tess turned away, stared back out the viewscreen at the Corasian ship.
“I was considering making you an offer to join my team, but Tess tells me that you can’t be trusted. You have a streak of common decency in you.”
“It runs right up my back,” Xris said wryly. “I take it this means we’re not going to get any extra money?”
“No,” said Harsch pleasantly. “But I am. The Corasians are paying me an additional sum.”
“Let me guess—for the fresh meat?”
“A very crass way of putting it, but yes, if that’s how you want to refer to yourselves.”
“Tell them not to be surprised if they find this meal a bit hard to digest. Harry, shut that bastard off.”
Harry switched off the comm. Tess sat, unmoving.
“What is going on, Xris?” Dr. Quong was on the comm. his voice loud in Xris’s ear. “Did you say something about a Corasian mothership—”
&nb
sp; “That’s what we got, Doc,” Xris said.
“A Corasian mothership!” Quong was terse. “We should leave the vicinity immediately!”
“Love to, Doc,” Xris returned. “But they’ve got us in a tractor beam. Tycho, you read me?”
“1 copy, Xris. Did I translate correctly? Corasians? Those we call in my language Corpse Eaters?”
“A bit inaccurate,” Xris said dryly. “They prefer their meat live, when they can get it. What’s the weapons stockpile on this ship?”
Tess was on her feet. “Xris, you can’t—”
He ignored her, concentrated on Tycho.
“Standard for a military vessel,” he reported. “Four beam rifles, four .22-decawatt lasguns, one stun grenade, and a utility knife.”
“Hand ‘em out,” said Xris. “Jamil, go help Tycho distribute the weapons.”
“Xris, this is crazy!” Tess protested. “You can’t win! Harsch has men of his own on that ship. And God knows how many Corasians—”
“We’re being pulled in,” Harry reported. “All systems are shut down. What’s the plan, Xris?”
“It’s pretty simple,” Xris said. “They’re going to tractor the PRRS on board the Corasian mothership. Once we land, they’ll have to blow the hatch to get to us; we’re sure as hell not going to open the door for them. When they come on board, we start shooting.”
“Yeah,” Harry said, eager. “Then what?”
“That’s it, Harry. That’s the plan.”
“But I don’t get it, Xris. How do we escape?”
Tess was quiet, watching him tensely, her hand clutched over the back of the chair.
“You remember that Corasian ‘meat locker,’ Harry? The time we went in to rescue those people.”
“You mean your wife?” Harry said. He thought back, nodded slowly. “I guess I understand now, Xris. We shoot until they kill us.”
“That’s about the size of it.” Xris was back on the comm. “Yes, Raoul, what is it?”
Robot Blues Page 34
