tz.theicarushunt-第14部分
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〃You are； of course； hardly an expert in such things；〃 Ixil pointed out； not unkindly。 〃There are three main locations where the generator can be turned on： the bridge； engineering； and puter。〃
〃Right；〃 I said。 That much I knew。 〃I was on the bridge…and I didn't do it…Revs Nicabar was in engineering； and Tera was handling the puter。〃
〃Both of them alone； I take it？〃
〃Nicabar definitely was；〃 I said。 〃The only way back there is through the wraparound； which was serving as airlock at the time。〃
〃Odd design；〃 Ixil murmured； glancing around。
〃Tell me about it；〃 I said dryly。 〃I don't know if Tera was alone； but the only person who could have been with her was Hayden Everett； our medic。〃
〃Who you also said helped Jones on with his suit before the incident；〃 Ixil said thoughtfully。
〃You think there's a connection？〃
He shrugged； a human gesture he'd picked up from me。 〃Not necessarily； I merely note the fact。 I also note the fact that if Everett wasn't with Tera； that means all the rest of the crew were alone。〃
〃Actually； no；〃 I corrected him。 〃Geoff Shawn； the electronics man； had e to the bridge to watch Chort's spacewalk on my monitors。〃
〃Really；〃 he said。 〃Interesting。〃
I cocked an eyebrow。 〃In what way？〃
〃I said there were three main places where the grav generator could be turned on；〃 he said； stroking his cheek thoughtfully with stubby fingertips。 〃But there are probably several other places where someone could jump power into the system。〃
〃I was afraid of that；〃 I said heavily。 〃I suppose it would be too much to ask that there would be no way to set that sort of thing up with a timer。〃
〃You mean so that Shawn's appearance on the bridge might have been solely to establish an alibi for himself？〃
〃Something like that。〃
He shrugged again。 〃If he could tap into the system； I see no reason he couldn't set it up on a timer； too。〃 He paused。 〃Of course； for that matter； the same thing goes for Chort and Jones。〃
I frowned。 〃You must be kidding。〃
〃Must I？〃 he countered。 〃Look at the facts。 Chort wasn't injured in the fall； at least not very seriously。 And if Jones set it up； he may have planned to catch him before he fell too far。〃
〃And his motive？〃
〃Whose； Jones's or Chort's？〃
〃Either one。〃
Ixil shrugged。 〃What motive does anyone here have？ That's the main reason I hesitate to ascribe any of this to malice。〃
I sighed； but he was right。 Considering the Icarus's； haphazard design； glitches could easily turn out to be the rule rather than the exception。 〃What about Jones's rebreather？〃
Ixil hissed softly between his teeth。 〃That one I don't like at all；〃 he said。 〃I don't suppose you still have it。〃
I shook my head。 〃We had to turn over the suit and rebreather both with Jones's body。〃
〃I was afraid of that；〃 he said。 〃I would have liked to have looked it over。 Frankly； I don't know if it's even theoretically possible for a rebreather to malfunction that way on its own。〃
〃Then you're thinking sabotage？〃
〃That would be my guess； but again； for what purpose？ Why would anyone aboard want to kill Jones？〃
〃How should I know？〃 I asked irritably。 〃These people are total strangers to me。〃
〃Exactly my point；〃 he said。 〃From your description of how Cameron was hiring his crewers； all these people are supposedly also total strangers to each other。〃
I frowned。 That part hadn't occurred to me。 〃You're right；〃 I said slowly； thinking back to that first meeting back at the base of the Icarus's stairway。 〃No one gave any indication of knowing any of the others。 At least not when I was watching。〃
〃Which implies that if any of this is deliberate there must be some other motivation；〃 Ixil concluded。 〃The general sabotage of the ship； perhaps； or the systematic disabling of the crew。〃
〃Tied in with Cameron's failure to show up at the ship； maybe？〃 I suggested。
〃Could be；〃 Ixil agreed。 〃The massive manhunt we saw near the archaeology dig would support that theory； not to mention your playmates with the high…tech weaponry。〃
I drummed my fingers on the deck。 〃So where does that leave us？〃
〃With quite a few unknowns；〃 Ixil said。 〃The key one； in my mind； being this mysterious cargo you're carrying。 Have you any idea what's in there？〃
〃None whatsoever；〃 I said。 〃There's nothing listed in the puter that I could find； and there are no access panels listed on the schematics where we could even go to take a look。 When Cameron said it'd been sealed； he meant it。〃
〃We may have to find some way to unseal it before we're done with this；〃 Ixil said。
There was a scrabbling sound at the hatchway； and Pix and Pax appeared。 〃Okay； I give up；〃 I asked； finally tired of wondering about it。 〃What exactly have they been doing out there？ Neither you nor they know what any of the crew looks like。〃
〃Given your brush with the Lumpy Brothers； as you call them； it occurred to me that someone might have the Icarus under surveillance；〃 Ixil said as the ferrets climbed his torso to his shoulders again。 〃I'm watching for anyone who seems to be loitering around the area without a legitimate reason to do so。〃
〃Ah。 And？〃
〃If he's there； he's very good at his job；〃 Ixil concluded。 〃By the way； is one of your crewers about one…point…nine meters tall and bulking out at a good hundred ten kilograms； with short black hair and a face like a throw…boxer with a bad win/loss record？〃
〃Sounds like our medic； Everett；〃 I said； scooting across the floor to his side。 Sure enough； there he was； heading toward us with an air of brisk determination about him。 〃Yes； that's him；〃 I confirmed； getting to my feet。 〃Be nice； now…he's probably never seen a Kalix before。〃
Apparently lost in his own thoughts； Everett didn't even notice us standing in the shadow of the wraparound until he was halfway up the ramp。 Judging from how high he jumped； he had indeed never seen a Kalix before。 〃It's all right…don't worry；〃 I said quickly； before he could turn tail and run for the hills。 〃This is Ixil。 He's with us。〃
〃Ah；〃 Everett said； regaining his balance and most of his posure and peering oddly at Ixil。 〃So this is your partner。 Ixil； was it？〃
〃Yes；〃 Ixil said。 〃How did you know I was Jordan's partner？〃
Everett blinked。 〃He said he would be bringing his partner in to take Jones's place；〃 he said； looking at me uncertainly。 〃Just before we set down。 Didn't you say that？〃
〃Yes； I did；〃 I confirmed。 〃Any problems with the drop…off？〃
〃Not really；〃 he said。 〃It was your basic fifteen…minute inquest。 They did want to keep the suit and rebreather； though。〃
〃I figured they would；〃 I said。 〃Where's Nicabar？〃
〃He headed off somewhere after the inquest；〃 Everett said。 〃Why； is that a problem？〃
〃It could bee one；〃 I said。 〃Did you happen to see any of the others on your way back？〃
〃I passed Shawn at one of the vendor stalls a few minutes ago；〃 he said。 〃I haven't seen anyone else。〃
〃Perhaps it's time we called them；〃 Ixil suggested。 〃I presume you have their phone numbers； Jordan？〃
〃Yes； they're programmed into list two；〃 I said； handing him my phone。 〃Give them a call； will you； and tell them to get back as soon as they can。 I'll make sure the refueling's been finished and get the rest of the paperwork out of the way。〃
〃What can I do？〃 Everett asked。
You can tell me who out there has it in for this ship and its crew； the suggestion ran through my mind。 But there was no point springing something like that on him。 Odds were he hadn't the faintest idea anyway。 〃Go make sure your gear's ready for liftoff；〃 I told him instead。 〃As soon as the rest get back； we're out of here。〃
CHAPTER 5
THEY STRAGGLED IN over the next hour； Shawn and Nicabar clearly glad we were getting under way； Tera just as clearly annoyed that we'd cut short what had apparently been a successful shopping spree； at least judging from the number of bags she hauled aboard。 Chort didn't show any particular preference one way or the other。
With the ever…looming threat of hue and cry from the Port Authority over the deaths of my two assailants…and the associated threat that the port might be summarily shut down at any minute…I spent the entire time sweating as I fought upstream against bureaucratic inertia； trying to finish Jones's death report and all the procedural preflight paperwork before the bodies were discovered。
To my surprise； we got cleared and headed out into space without any sign of official outrage or panic over the charred remains I'd left at the loading dock。 Perhaps the spot the Lumpy Brothers had picked for my interrogation had been more private than it had looked。 Either that； or someone had done a very efficient job of sweeping the whole incident under the rug。
I'd had short conversations with each of the crewers on the trip from Meima； but most of them had either concerned basic ship's business or were just casual chat。 But now； with everything that had happened since then； I decided it was time to skip past the surface and find out what exactly these people were made of。 If someone was out to get us I needed to know which ones I could trust not to buckle under pressure。
And so； as soon as we'd made our slice into hyperspace and were on our way； I left Ixil watching the bridge and headed aft。
The Icarus's engine room was just like the rest of the ship； only more so。 The same odd arrangement of equipment and control systems was repeated back there； as if Salvador Dali had been in charge of the layout。 In addition； though； the general attempt elsewhere to keep the various cables and fluid conduits tucked out of the way in the gap between the inner and outer hulls had seemingly been abandoned here。 They were everywhere： a bewildering； multicolored spaghetti tangle that brushed against sleeves and shins and occasionally threatened to clothesline the unwary traveler。
And buried away at his control console near the middle of the sculpted chaos was Revs Nicabar。
〃Ah…McKell；〃 he greeted me as I successfully negotiated past a final pair of thick conduits leading to the large； shimmery Mobius strip that was the heart of the Icarus's stardrive。 〃Wele to Medusa's Lair。 Watch your head。〃
〃And arms； legs； and throat；〃 I added； pulling out a swivel stool from the side of hi
