“What’s he waiting for?” Avery whispered, as if afraid that his voice would carry through the vacuum to the Erani ship. “Why isn’t he hitting us with everything he’s got?”
“I don’t know,” Derec whispered back. “He didn’t stop firing on the asteroid until it was a smoking mass of gravel. Do you know, Wolruf?” Her only answer was a frightened whine. “Come on. You do know, don’t you?”
“Old Erani slaving technique,” she said through a whimper. “Suppression fire. Make ‘u keep ‘ur ‘ead down while th’ boarding party jets across. ”
Avery’s head jerked up. “Boarding party?”
. Derec leapt to his feet. “Viewscreens are still out. I’m going to activate my internal commlink and see if I can tap an optic feed. ” He closed his eyes in concentration, but the moment he did so a deafening barrage erupted on the surface of the hull.
“Stop it, Derec!” Derec broke concentration, and the barrage stopped.
“Your internal commlink,” Avery whispered. “You said the Erani know a lot more about hyperwave than we do. They must be able to monitor your commlink!”
. Derec’s face sank. “Oh, great. Now what do we do?”
Avery rolled over so that he was facing Wolruf. “Wolruf, you were part of his crew. Will he fire on us if the boarding party is on the hull?”
Wolruf gave it some thought. “Depends on ‘oo’s in the boarding party. Probably won’t use ‘is ‘eavy guns. ”
“ And how far are we from the jump point?”
Wolruf brought a hind foot up and gave her right ear a scratch. “, Ard to tell. We lost propulsion, rem’mber?”
Avery patted her on the head. “But we haven’t lost our momentum. We’re still on course and drifting towards the jump point at 2,000 kilometers per second. ”
“’At’s right!” Wolruf got to her feet and staggered over to the control panel. The panel clock had its own backup power cell and was still running. “J minus three minutes an’ fifteen seconds,” she read off. “If we can let th’ boarders land on the ‘ull but keep ‘em outside for about three minutes, we ‘ave a chance. ”
“Provided we can get jump power back in time,” Avery added. He got to his feet and joined Wolruf before the control console. “Ship, what is the status of the hyperdrive?”
“Main power will be reconnected in four minutes,” the ship answered in a soothing, feminine voice. “Repairs to the control systems are being hampered by continuing hostile fire. ”
“Frost! That’s not soon enough. ” Then Avery had another thought. “Ship? What happens if we divert all repair resources to the hyperdrive?”
The ship considered it a moment. “Main power can be restored in approximately two minutes. Repairs to the control systems are still contingent on the cessation of hostile fire. ”
“Divert all resources to the hyperdrive,” Avery ordered. He turned to Derec. “Now, how do we persuade them to stop shooting at us?” Derec shrugged.
Hesitantly, tentatively, Wolruf stepped forward. “Among my people we ‘ave an old tradition,” she said. “Roll over an’ play dead. ”
. Derec gave a frustrated snort and sneered at the little alien. “What kind of idea is that?”
“A good one,” Avery said, twirling his moustache. “Maybe even a very good one. ” He stepped over to the control console and raised his voice. “Ship, do you still retain shape-changing ability?”
“Certain sections of the hull have been rendered temporarily inoperative,” the ship said pleasantly. “However, I have full control over 80% of the exterior hull. ”
“Excellent. ” Avery looked at Wolruf. “Get on the jump controls. I want to jump the instant we’re ready. ” Turning back to the console, he said, “Ship, continue to effect hyperdrive repairs, but prepare to simulate a massive explosion. The next time we sustain a hit on a non-essential portion of the hull, jettison plating and other materials and adopt the appearance of severe damage. Do not, repeat, do not conduct self-repairs in that area. Do you understand?”
“I understand,” the ship said politely. “Simulation program prepared. ” A few moments later, the soft thud of a weapons hit was immediately followed by a massive concussion and a rapid drop in cabin pressure. Wolruf, more sensitive to air pressure changes than the others, let out a sharp, painful yelp and fell to the floor.
. Derec dashed to her side, but she waved him off. “ ‘S okay. ” Shaking her head, she got back to her hind feet. “More surprised ‘an ‘urt. ”
“Section 17D has been explosively decompressed,” the ship announced courteously. “Cabin pressure now stabilized. ” After a short pause, the ship politely added, “Hostile fire has ceased. The boarding party is moving forward. ”
“Forty-five secon’s t’ jump,” Wolruf whispered.
“Contact imminent,” the ship said. “Shall I prepare a welcoming message?”
“No!”Avery hissed. “And, frost it, keep your voice down!”
“Yes, master,” the ship whispered sweetly. “Hyperdrive power restored. Hyperdrive control circuits still out. ”
Avery turned to Wolruf. “How big is our jump window?”
“Five seconds, seven max-” She shuddered as a deep clang echoed through the hull. The sound was followed by the groan of creaking metal and an erratic series of hollow pokking sounds.
“Induction limpet,” Wolrufexplained in a frightened whine. “Magnetic boots. They’ll walk ‘roun’ th’ hull, try t’ figurr out where th’ live ‘uns are. Hard t’ sell dead slaves. ” She checked the clock again and tucked her tail between her legs. “Thirty seconds t’ jump. ”
The sounds changed now to the rhythmic clacking of metal boots and the grating screech of something heavy being dragged across the outer surface of the hull. This was followed by the deep whump! and rising whine of a power pile being engaged.
“Cut tin’ laser,” Wolrufwhispered. “Must ‘ave found us. ” She looked at the clock. “Fifteen seconds t’ jump. ”
“Ship? Repair status. ”
“Hyperdrive control still out. Master? I am experiencing new hull damage in Section 17A. ”
“Sev’n… six… ”
“Thicken the hull in that section. Keep them out. ”
“Four…t’ree…”
“Negative effect, master. Stand by for hull breach. ”
“ ‘Un… zero… ’at’s it. ” Wolruf shrugged and stepped back from the control panel, her ears sagging forlornly.
“Hull breached in 17A. Hyperdrive control circuits restored. ”
“What?”Avery and Wolruf froze for a moment, staring at each other. Then both leapt on the jump control handle and slammed it down.
A moment later, the Wild Goose Chase was somewhere else.
Avery wrestled himself out from under Wolruf and grabbed the intercom grid. “Ship! Can you contain the boarding party?”
“What boarding party?” the ship asked innocently.
“Wha-?” Avery turned to Derec, a wild and confused look on his face. “. Derec? See if you can use your commlink to get an exterior view. ” Before he’d finished speaking, Derec had closed his eyes, invoked the commlink, and patched into the ship’s optic feeds.
“Nothing,” he said hoarsely. “Starfield. No other ships. I see the hull. ” He gasped. “Ouch! We took some serious damage. ”
“But where are the boarders?” Avery demanded. “Check Section 17. ”
“I’m getting there. Section 15. Section 16; I see the limpet, it’s welded onto the hull. Section 17. ” Derec’s eyes opened wide in surprise. “They’re gone!”
“Gone? Where?”
Wolruf roused herself from the corner Avery had pushed her into. ‘ If they ‘ur lucky,” she said in a tired rasp, “they got fried by the en’rgy pulse from th’ jump. ”
“That’s lucky?”
Wolruf indulged in a good shake and then shambled over to join Avery and Derec. “Don’t ‘u know nothin ’ about ‘yperspace? Magn’tic polar’ties reverse. If ‘u live t’rough th’ insertion, ‘ur boot magnets repel th’ ship’s magn’tic field. Only for a picosecon’, but ‘at’s long enough t’ blow ‘u off like a rocket. ”