Chapter FORTY-THREE
"One to Two and Three."
Brad quickly briefed the Sentinels on thetransmissions. It brought a grunt from Hodak, asigh of relief from Myra, a squeal of delight fromKumiko, and a sarcastic "Well, it's about time,"from Adari.
"Brad." It was Drummer's voice.
"Yes?"
"This conversation confirms feelings I've had sincewe joined forces against Narval, but I'd like to askthe question nevertheless."
"No need to, Drummer. I was going to tell you atthe first opportunity after you made your appealto the ships' Commanders. Your feelings were right:we're all members of a UIPS team sent to PlanetPluto to keep Narval, and anyone else, frominterfering with Slingshot. Our job is far fromfinished."
Drummer lapsed into silence.
"Shouldn't we give our side a rundown on what'shappening?" Myra asked.
"To do that we'd have to use unsecured channels,"Brad replied.
"As soon as we do that we're in the open. Yargoulwill get a fix on us, and pick us off with theirlong-range particle beamers. Right now we'respecks in a crowded and still disorganized field,and that's our only protection. These fighters arePlutonian, and that's part of our cover."
"Well, look," Adari sounded frustrated. "We've beencarrying the ball for quite a spell. Our folks arehere and ready to take over. We know wherethey're at; let's give 'em our report in person.Then, maybe, I can wash my hair. I feel a mess."
"This fleet still has a helluva lot of firepowerleft." Hodak's voice was grim and brusque. "We'reright among 'em. We're 'point' for our side."
"You're right," Brad said. "Our job has changed:we're eyes and ears for our people, even whilewe're running interference. It's not over for usuntil the fleets are within range of each other,and then we'd damn well better be out of the way."
He paused to scan the arena, and added: "I'll breakinto 'clear' in two minutes to give our people asitrep. Don't waste time on the INOR squadronthey're leaving behind to get us off their back.Head for the UIPS fleet in two minutes. Holdoutside of their perimeter until I find out whatthey need from us. If you run into Yargoul's fleetalong the way, shoot first."
"Three to One. Comin' up on a cruiser. Theprotective screen on this one is tightenin' upand it'll be a hard nut to crack. Got me a tail-endcharlie minesweeper. I'll give it a try. At 1300kay -- 800 -- 400. Two seconds burst right upthe thrusters. Gone. They've marked us. We gotlaser-quads incoming. Into e-e-e-v-a-a-sive. Man,this baby's got speed. Out of it. OK, One andThree. They're organized again and sure as hellknow we're jabbin' at 'em. Ain't gonna be easy toget outta here."
"Two here. I hear you, Three. Got a couple ofdestroyers off my starboard bow. Coming aroundfor a nose job. We're marked. Got incoming, lotsof it. At 1200 -- 800 -- 300. Two sec..."
Silence.
"One to Two. Come in."
Silence.
A guttural howl of anguish tore through Brad'searphone. Myra.
"I'm heading over, Brad," she screamed, her voicehoarse and breaking.
Brad didn't stop her, nor did he want to.
The battle cruiser Windstorm, surrounded by itsdestroyer screen, was in sight. Brad weighed hischances on getting close enough for an effectiveshot.
Studying the scene, Brad did not, at first, see thegray sphere separate from the Windstorm and plungeahead. Hodak did, paled, and pointed wordlessly.Brad stared at the sphere. His heart pounded.
The Windstorm had launched a guided fusion warhead.The target was obvious.
Brad knew the warhead's capabilities from theNeptune briefings. The Windstorm carried a K12,a fifteen meter-diameter warhead capable ofdestroying a natural minor satellite or a largepopulated colony. The bomb's mass was such thata heavy cruiser could carry no more than one. Onewas all that would be needed to decide the battle.The fireball had a two thousand-kay radius, and thepiggybacked neutronic dispenser, once the cloud wasreleased by the detonation, would inflict radiationdeath throughout tens of thousands of kay in alldirections.
The UIPS fleet faced annihilation, as did Slingshot.
Brad reacted instinctively. He jerked his shiparound and pumped max thrust after the speedingwarhead.
A second later his mind snapped back from itsmomentary panic.
"One to Three." He recounted the facts. "If Two hassurvivors get them on board, or lash them to thesides, or whatever makes sense. Then catch up withus at max and give us a hand.
"These warheads are coated against detection in theold stealth style. I've got to warn our fleet what'scoming so they can go evasive as much as theycan. Our fleet's break from course or formation willmess up any tactics they have in mind. They won'thave time to form up even if they do escape theblast and radiation zones. Firing at the warheadwon't help, even at close range. It's wrapped inso many layers of armor even particle-beamerscan't penetrate, so I don't know what our explosivedecompressors and laser-quads can do. But we'vegot to try."
##
Two was a twisted, gray mass in a slow tumble whenThree drew close. Myra reduced power in her ship'smagnetic beams and directed them at the wreckuntil it stabilized. She maneuvered until the shipstouched. The beams held.
Myra pushed the canopy clear, climbed out, andcrawled forward. She grasped a jagged projection onthe wreck, swung aboard, and stared into what hadbeen the control pit. She turned away and returnedto her ship without looking at Drummer. Laser quadsleft little organic residue.
##
Brad switched to standard communications channelsand keyed in his identity. In a moment they wereswitched to a channel closed to outsiders.
"Sentinel One to UIPS Fleet Comm Center.Acknowledge."
The reply was swift.
"UIPS Comm to Sentinel One. We read."
"Sentinel One. Flash Immediate. Must talk to FleetCommander. Fleet in extreme and immediate danger.Now, partner, now."
"Selvin here."
"Sentinel One. Enemy Battle Cruiser Windstorm haslaunched a K12 fusion warhead. I do not questionthe warhead's vector; expect that its massattractors and proximity fuses are set to yourfleet's coordinates.
"I am overtaking the warhead and will try toneutralize. Forcing a change in warhead directionwith my ship is not possible; the warhead's massand guidance system exceeds by far any pressuremy fighter can exert. Suggest you considerevasive action; will advise further if neutralizationaccomplished."
The warning had been given. There was no time fortalk. The warhead was less than a hundred metersahead, and closing.
Drummer tapped Brad on the shoulder and pointed.Two was coming up.
Cold sweat drenched Brad's forehead and drainedinto his eyes. He blinked, shook his head to clearhis vision, and increased airflow in his suit.
"Brad," Myra's voice, fast. "Can we detonate itwith our guns from here? At this extremely closerange the concentrations of laser-quads andexplosive decompress energy by both of us ata single point might disable some part of thewarhead or set it off."
"It would take too much time to cut through. I'vegot another idea. If it doesn't work, we won't haveenough time to try anything else. Hodak, take thecontrols and get the ship as close to the bombas you can, go for less than a meter from thewarhead's surface. Hold and orbit slowly, noseclose to the warhead so that I can scope thesurface. I'll tell you when to stop. Myra, keepclose above in my line-of-sight. Hodak, strapon your tool kit."
Hodak maneuvered the ship close and set a patternthat covered the sphere methodically. Brad openedthe canopy, and directed the ship's beacon at thebland, gray surface. Seconds passed; the bomb'sgray coating was unbroken. Or was it?
"Stop," Brad ordered.
He pointed to a barely visible circular crack halfa meter across.
"Myra. Get closer. Use your attractors to stabilizeand hold position. Give me a hand, Hodak."
Brad climbed over the side. The lightgravity-enhancer soles of his space boots providedbarely enough adherence to the warhead's surface.Sliding, he made his way to the finely markedcircle, Hodak close behind.
/> "Access to the calibration cavity," Brad said ashe stooped, shed his outer glove, and felt aroundthe mating edge. "The bomb has to have a place toinsert fuse and trajectory data and fine tune theinitial settings. The well is closed with a plug asthick as the armor, and it's rotated into place. Theplug's outer coating is the same composition as onthe rest of the casing. Cut a radial slot along theedge of the cover. We'll push to rotate the covercounter-clockwise; it'll take both of us to work itloose."
"Why not cut out the entire plug?"
"Too much time. The shell is too thick."
Hodak grunted, withdrew a cutting tool from hiskit and after much effort formed a shallow, slantedgroove in the well cover. A heavy metal pry barcame next. Squatting, he forced the flat end intothe notch and pushed. The energy to push forcedhis body in the opposite direction.
"Closer, Myra."
At arm's length, and the ship immobilized by itsmags, Hodak braced his back against the fuselageand tried again. He felt the bar bottom in thenotch.
Brad squatted beside Hodak and, using the fighter'smass to steady themselves, they pushed. The pressurescraped the plug's surface, but remain fast. Theymade a fresh cut, braced themselves, and pushed,sweat pouring from their faces. Very slowly, theplug gave way, eventually the surface rose slightlyabove the warhead's surface. More cuts, and a fingerhold. The plug rose a bit more. It seemed minutesbefore their hands could grasp it firmly.
They unscrewed the plug. It drifted away.
"When Ram had our skulls crammed with all thatraw data I thought this was garbage we'd neverhave to use," Brad said. "I think a lot differentlynow. Myra, hold the mags tight and be ready tobreak away as soon as I give you the word."
Lying on his side directly above the opening heinserted his arm and shoulder into the well as faras he could. Inside the cavity he located knobsand keypads by touch. At random, Brad twirled theknobs, pressed the keys, and opened and closedswitches. After a brief wait, he tore several wireconnections loose.
"Working in the dark like this has disadvantages,"he grunted.
Withdrawing his arm he slipped his outer glove backon. Hastily they climbed back aboard their fighter.
"Go! Myra. Go!"
Both craft whirled away.
"The warhead's computer assessed and integratedmy random inputs," Brad said. "The solution shouldchange its flight path or, for all we know, resetthe switches for the proximity fuses so thatour ships' mass and proximity sets the bomb off.Let's get as far away as we can before it all comestogether and whatever's going to happen happens."
The two fighters headed toward the UIPS fleet.Barely beyond the fatal radiation zone the nowdistant warhead detonated. The fireball lookedas huge as the Sun from Venus.
Brad opened the communications channel.
"Sentinel One to UIPS Fleet Comm Center. We'reapproaching in two Plutonian fighters from thedirection of the blast. Be ready to receive; we'recoming in. Acknowledge."