tz.theicarushunt-第49部分

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ained　on　our　panions　to　either　side；　wondering　which　of　them　would　make　the　first　move。
　The　Najiki　freighter　took　that　honor。　Even　as　I　ran　thrust　to　the　forward　maneuvering　vents　to　kill　some　of　our　momentum；　I　saw　a　large　side　hatch　slide　open；　and　three　dark　gray　starfighters　appeared。　They　paused　a　moment　as　if　getting　their　bearings；　then　grouped　into　formation　and　headed　straight　for　us。
　I　keyed　the　inter　for　all…ship。　〃This　is　McKell；〃　I　announced。　〃Everyone　get　strapped　down　and　find　something　to　hang　on　to。　We've　got　unfriendly　pany。　Revs？〃
　〃Still　at　least　six　minutes　to　go；〃　he　reported。　〃Probably　closer　to　seven。　How　long　till　they　get　here？〃
　〃Depends　on　how　much　of　a　hurry　they're　in；〃　I　told　him；　watching　the　fighters　closely；　hoping　even　now　that　it　was　a　false　alarm；　that　they　were　actually　interested　in　someone　else　entirely。　But　they　were　still　ing；　and　showed　no　sign　that　they　might　suddenly　veer　off　somewhere　else。　〃Keep　those　thrusters　running　hot…they　get　even　a　hint　that　we're　firing　up　the　stardrive　and　they'll　be　all　over　us。〃
　The　words　were　barely　out　of　my　mouth　when　the　Najik　made　it　official。　〃Freighter　Icarus；　this　is　Utheno　Military　mand；〃　a　calm　Najiki　voice　came　over　the　m　speaker。　〃You　are　ordered　to　shut　down　your　thrusters　and　prepare　to　be　boarded。〃
　〃The　thruster　noise　must　be　hurting　their　ears；〃　Nicabar　said　mildly。　〃What　now？〃
　〃We　ignore　them；〃　I　told　him。　〃That　came　in　broadcast；　not　narrow　beam；　and　our　ID　says　we're　the　Stewed　Brunswick。　It　may　be　they're　still　not　sure　about　us　and　are　trying　to　spark　a　guilty　reaction。　Anyway；　we　don't　dare　shut　down　the　thrusters　now。〃
　〃You're　going　to　risk　drawing　fire；〃　he　warned。
　〃Not　yet；〃　I　said；　shifting　my　attention　from　the　ining　starfighters　back　to　the　Tleka　cargo　hauler。　It　was　a　classic；　time…tested　maneuver：　a　group　of　grass…beaters　in　front　noisily　and　ostentatiously　driving　the　quarry　back　into　the　waiting　arms　of　the　hunter　lurking　silently　in　the　bushes。　In　the　bushes；　or　behind　a　Tleka　cargo　hauler；　as　the　case　might　be。
　Except　that　in　this　case　the　hunter　was　no　longer　hiding。　He　was　there　in　full　view；　his　port…side　weapons　array　just　ing　up　around　the　cargo　hauler's　dorsal　spine：　a　Najiki　pocket　destroyer；　its　zebra…camo　striping　giving　it　an　almost…delicate　look。　As　warships　went；　I　suppose；　it　wasn't　much　to　brag　about；　from　where　we　currently　stood；　it　looked　about　the　size　of　Paris。
　〃Watch　for　them　to　target　ion　beams；〃　Ixil's　voice　warned　from　behind　me。
　〃Thank　you；〃　I　said；　trying　not　to　sound　too　sarcastic　as　I　threw　a　quick　glance　over　my　shoulder。　He　was　striding　in　through　the　doorway；　gazing　at　my　displays；　his　expression　as　glacially　stolid　as　ever。　The　ferrets　dug　in　on　his　shoulders　were　betraying　all　that　surface　calm；　though；　twitching　to　beat　the　band。　〃You　have　anything　else　in　the　way　of　insightful　advice　to　offer？〃　I　added。
　〃I　meant　as　opposed　to　lasers　or　disabler　missiles；〃　he　said；　stepping　to　the　plotting　table。　〃If　they're　acting　on　their　own　against　suspected　smugglers　they　won't　be　as　careful　to　minimize　damage　as　they　will　if　they're　doing　this　at　the　behest　of　the　Patth。〃
　I　was　about　to　inform　him　that　they'd　already　identified　us　as　the　Icarus　when　they　helpfully　made　the　point　for　me。　〃Freighter　Icarus；　this　is　your　final　warning；〃　the　Najiki　voice　announced　firmly。　〃Shut　down　your　thrusters　or　we　will　open　fire。〃
　And　that　one；　unfortunately；　had　e　in　tight　beam；　for　our　ears　and　no　one　else's。　Which　meant　they　knew　who　we　were；　and　all　hopeful　thoughts　of　fishing　expeditions　were　gone。
　As　was　anything　to　be　gained　by　playing　innocent。　〃Hang　on；〃　I　warned　Ixil；　bracing　myself　and　throwing　power　to　the　thrusters；　keying　the　exhaust　to　the　forward　maneuvering　vents。　Our　forward　speed　dropped　precipitously；　and　with　it　went　our　orbital　stability。　Even　as　we　dropped　back　behind　the　ining　fighters；　we　also　began　to　fall　toward　the　planetary　surface　five　thousand　kilometers　beneath　us。
　Unfortunately；　〃precipitously〃　was　also　a　sadly　relative　term。　With　a　fighter　or　even　the　enhanced　thrust/mass　ratio　I'd　built　into　the　Stormy　Banks；　such　a　maneuver　might　have　caught　our　opponents　at　least　partly　by　surprise。　But　with　the　flying　cement　bag　that　was　the　Icarus；　we　didn't　behave　so　much　like　a　leaping　jaguar　as　we　did　a　hippo　jumping　backward　from　a　dead　stop　in　deep　mud。　I　could　picture　the　Najik　in　the　fighters　and　destroyer　watching　our　elephantine　escape　attempt　and　laughing　themselves　silly。
　They　could　laugh　all　they　liked。　Their　logical　assumption…at　least；　what　I　hoped　was　their　logical　assumption…would　be　that　we　hadn't　started　activating　our　stardrive　until　they'd　sprung　their　trap；　from　which　assumption　they　would　further　assume　they　still　had　ten　to　twelve　minutes　in　which　to　short…circuit　that　activation　and　gather　us　serenely　into　the　hunter's　waiting　arms。　What　they　hopefully　hadn't　tumbled　to　yet　was　that　we　were　in　fact　less　than　four　minutes　from　escape。　All　I　had　to　do　was　keep　them　off　us　for　those　four　minutes；　and　we　would　be　home　free。
　All　in　all；　though；　that　was　a　very　big　if。　Especially　since　the　Najik　in　charge　of　this　operation　was　apparently　not　the　type　to　dawdle　simply　because　he　had　a　little　time　to　kill。　The　starfighters　were　swinging　to　match　my　maneuver　even　before　I'd　pleted　it；　and　as　they　closed　up　ranks　again　faint　green　lines　erupted　from　the　ion…beam　ports　beneath　their　noses　and　tracked　toward　us。
　I　threw　power　to　the　Icarus's　port…side　vents；　giving　us　a　sideways　yaw；　hoping　to　keep　the　hyperspace　cutter　array　at　our　bow　out　of　the　ion　beams。　But　we　turned　every　bit　as　ponderously　as　we　braked；　and　even　as　I　swore　helplessly　under　my　breath　the　beams　converged　on　the　cutter　array。
　And　that　was　that。　Clenching　my　left　hand　into　a　fist；　I　continued　the　useless　maneuvering；　waiting　for　the　buildup　of　localized　charge　and　the　subsequent　crack　of　a　high…voltage　spark　that　would　scramble　the　array's　electronics　and　make　all　of　Nicabar's　minute…shaving　so　much　wasted　effort。
　The　beams　momentarily　drifted　off　target　as　I　dropped　us　farther　into　Utheno's　gravity　well；　converged　again　as　the　Najiki　gunners　reestablished　their　aim。　Any　minute　now　and　the　spark　would　e；　and　after　this　much　charge　buildup　it　was　likely　to　be　a　memorable　one。　Distantly；　I　wondered　if　it　might　even　be　strong　enough　to　jump　some　of　the　current　across　the　fail…safes　and　fry　my　bridge　controls　in　the　bargain。
　And　then　I　frowned；　a　brand…new　set　of　warning　bells　going　off　in　the　back　of　my　head。　There　was　something　wrong　here；　something　ominously　wrong。　I　knew　how　ion　beams　worked…I'd　been　on　the　receiving　end　of　them　more　times　than　I　cared　to　remember…and　these　were　taking　way　too　long　to　show　their　teeth。　I　keyed　the　hull…monitor　cameras　toward　the　bow　and　focused　in　on　the　cutter　array。
　And　felt　the　breath　catch　in　my　throat。　The　ion　beams　were　converging　on　the　Icarus；　all　right；　just　as　the　sensor　display　showed。　But　in　the　last　meter　or　so　before　they　reached　the　array；　something　pletely　unexpected　was　happening。　Instead　of　maintaining　their　nice　clean　collimation；　the　beams　were　defocusing　madly；　the　ions　scattering　wildly　to　hell　and　gone。　Which　meant　that　instead　of　building　up　the　sort　of　localized　charge　that　would　create　a　devastating　spark；　all　they　were　doing　was　dumping　ions　into　the　hull　plates；　where　the　charge　could　cheerfully　build　up　without　doing　much　of　anything　at　all。
　〃It's　the　hull；〃　Ixil　said　suddenly；　his　voice　sounding　as　awestruck　as　I　felt。　〃The　radial　gravitational　field　in　the　hull。〃
　And　then；　of　course；　it　all　clicked　into　place。　Chort's　spacewalks　had　shown　that　the　alien　gravitational　field　inside　the　main　hull　was　too　weak　to　be　felt　outside　the　ship；　but　apparently　the　effect　was　strong　enough　to　disrupt　a　beam　of　subatomic　particles。　Either　that；　or　it　was　something　else　in　the　field　generator　that　was　flummoxing　them。
　And　suddenly　we　had　a　chance　again。　Lunging　to　my　control　board；　I　keyed　for　more　yaw。　〃McKell？〃　Nicabar　called　over　the　inter。　〃What　are　you　doing？〃
　〃The　fighters'　ion　beams　aren't　catching　the　cutter　array；〃　I　called　back；　shifting　my　attention　over　to　the　destroyer。　It　was　no　longer　waiting　patiently　for　us　to　be　driven　into　its　arms；　but　was　burning　space　in　our　direction；　its　own　ion　beam　blazing　away　even　though　it　was　still　well　out　of　range。　〃I　suspect　the　destroyer's　beam　won't　affect　it；　either；　but　it　almost　certainly　will　be　able　to　punch　through　the　engineering　hull　and　scramble　your　systems　back　there。　So　I'm　turning　the　Icarus　to　put　the　main　hull　between　you　and　them。〃
　〃Which　will　then　leave　the　engine　section　open　to　the　fighters；〃　Ixil　murmured　from　the　plotting　table。　〃And　they're　closer　than　the　destroyer。〃
　〃But　their　beams　are　also　weaker　than　the　destroyer's；〃　I　reminded　him。　〃There's　an　even　chance　the　heavier　metal　back　there　will　protect　us　from　them。　Anyway；　we　don't　have　a　lot　of　choices　right　now。　Revs；　where's　the　countdown？〃
　〃One　minute　twenty；〃　he　said。　〃At　the　rate　that　destroyer's　closing；　it's　going　to　be　close。〃
　〃Yes；〃　I　murmured；　slowing　our　spin　as　the　Icarus's　aft　end　turned　to　the　ining　fighters；　feeling　sweat　breaking　out　on　my　forehead。　The　fighters　probably　didn't　have　the　kind　of　sensor　magnification　that　would　let　them　see　just　how　peculiarly　their　ion　beams　were　behaving。　The　destroyer；　unfortunately；　just　as　probably　did。　Sooner　or　later；　the　mander　would　get　around　to　taking　a　close　look　at　our　cutter　array　and　realize　that　it　wasn't　just　poor　aim　on　his　gunners'　part　that　was　saving　us。　If　he　did；　or　even　if　he　didn't；　at　some　point　he　would　open　up　with　heavier　weaponry　rather　than　risk　letting　us　get　away。
　Unless　someone　gave　him　a　reason　why　that　might　be　a　bad　idea。
　I　keyed　to　the　frequency　the　Najiki　orders　had　e　in　on。　〃Najiki　Task　Force；　this　is　the　Icarus；〃　I　announced。　〃I'd　be　careful　with　those　ion　beams　if　I　were　you。　We　have　a　lot　of　sensitive　electronics　aboard；　and　I'll　make　you　a　small　wager　the　Patth　will　be　extremely　unhappy　if　you　damage　any　of　them。〃
　〃Freighter　Icarus；　this　is　Utheno　Military　mand；〃　the　Najiki　voice　came　back。　It　didn't　sound　nearly　so　calm　now　as　it　had　earlier。　〃This　is　your　f