tz.theicarushunt-第62部分

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　〃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　final　warning。　You　will　shut　down　your　thrusters　or　we　will　shut　them　down　for　you。〃
　〃Of　course；　I'm　sure　it's　occurred　to　you　that　anything　the　Patth　are　this　anxious　to　get　hold　of　will　be　equally　valuable　to　anyone　else　who　possesses　it；〃　I　went　on　as　if　he　hadn't　spoken。　〃The　Najiki　Archipelago；　for　instance。　Your　superiors　might　want　to　think　long　and　hard　about　that　before　you　just　turn　us　over　to　them。〃
　〃Freighter　Icarus；　you　will　shut　down　your　thrusters；〃　the　voice　came　back。　A　being　with　a　one…track　mind；　obviously；　and　not　one　to　be　drawn　into　a　discussion　of　political　matters　outside　his　control。
　On　the　other　hand；　he　hadn't　opened　up　with　his　lasers　yet；　either。　If　he　held　off　another　forty　seconds；　I　decided　as　I　keyed　off　the　m；　I　could　call　this　one　a　victory。　〃Revs？〃
　〃Still　on　track；〃　he　reported。　〃I'm　getting　small　sparks　from　the　starfighters'　ion　beams；　but　so　far　they're　confined　to　the　peripheral　equipment。　What　in　hell's　name　is　keeping　the　destroyer　off　the　cutter　array？〃
　〃I'll　tell　you　later；〃　I　said；　one　eye　on　the　dark　stardrive　section　of　my　control　board　and　the　other　on　my　displays。　I　was　still　pulling　evasive　maneuvers；　if　that　was　the　right　term　for　the　graceless　wallowing　that　was　all　the　Icarus　was　capable　of；　but　if　the　destroyer　was　showing　a　new　caution　toward　us；　the　same　could　not　be　said　of　the　fighters。　They　had　increased　their　speed　and　split　up　their　formation；　still　playing　their　ion　beams　across　the　engine　section　but　clearly　intent　on　bypassing　that　area；　driving　up　along　the　hull　from　the　rear；　and　converging　on　the　cutter　array　from　three　different　directions。
　And　while　they　might　give　their　ion　beams　one　last　chance　once　they　got　there；　they　wouldn't　waste　much　more　time　with　them　before　switching　over　to　their　lasers　and　what　at　that　range　would　be　an　almost…trivial　surgical…quality　operation。　〃Revs？〃　I　barked。
　〃Thirty　seconds；〃　he　called。
　〃We　don't　have　thirty　seconds；〃　I　snapped　back。　The　fighters　were　sweeping　past　the　engine　section　now；　keeping　close　to　the　hull　in　case　we　had　some　recessed　weaponry　nodes　hidden　among　the　maneuvering　vents。　〃We've　got　maybe　ten。〃
　〃Can't　do　it；〃　he　insisted。　〃Try　to　stall　them　off。〃
　I　clenched　my　teeth。　〃Then　hang　on。〃
　And　jamming　my　hands　across　the　whole　line　of　control　keys；　I　sent　the　thruster　exhaust　blasting　out　the　entire　group　of　maneuvering　vents　at　once。
　The　Icarus　jerked　like　a　horse　trying　to　dash　madly　off　in　all　directions。　But　even　with　that；　our　reaction　wasn't　anywhere　near　as　dramatic　as　that　of　the　three　fighters。　Caught　directly　in　the　multiple　blasts　of　superheated　gas；　they　wobbled　outward；　their　nice　neat　pacing　vectors　thrown　pletely　off　target。　Then　they　were　out　of　the　gusts；　their　own　maneuvering　vents　blowing　steam　as　they　fought　to　correct　from　the　outward　boosts　they'd　just　been　given。　I　slapped　all　the　vents　back　off　except　for　the　main　starboard　ones；　sending　the　Icarus　into　another　of　its　slow…motion　turns。　One　of　the　fighters'　tail　fins　scraped　against　our　hull　as　he　wasn't　quite　able　to　get　out　of　the　way　in　time；　and　all　of　them　were　forced　to　again　correct　their　vectors。　I　caught　the　muted　reflection　from　one　of　the　fighters　as　the　armorplate　irised　away　from　its　forward　laser　cluster。
　And　then；　with　a　similarly　muted　but　far　more　wele　flicker　of　light；　the　stardrive　section　of　my　control　board　lit　up。　〃Up　and　green；〃　Nicabar　shouted。
　I　didn't　answer；　my　fingers　were　already　jabbing　at　the　activation　switches　and　the　preprogrammed　course　code　I'd　laid　in。　There　was　a　noise　from　the　m…the　Najiki　mander；　no　doubt；　saying　something　extremely　rude…and　then　the　cutter　array　did　its　electronic　magic；　and　the　stars　vanished　from　around　us。　〃Well　done；〃　Ixil　murmured。
　He'd　spoken　too　soon。　I　was　just　starting　to　breathe　again　when　the　deck　under　me　lurched　violently。　〃Revs？〃　I　snapped。
　〃Spark　damage；〃　he　called　back。　〃Half　the　calibrations　have　been　scrambled。　We　have　to　shut　down。〃
　〃Do　it；〃　I　said；　keying　off　the　controls　from　my　end。　The　stars　reemerged；　only　this　time　with　no　planet　or　nearby　sun　anywhere　in　sight。　I　gave　the　area　a　quick　scan；　but　it　was　pure　reflex：　Our　brief　flight　had　put　us　in　the　center　of　nowhere；　light…years　from　anywhere。　For　the　moment；　at　least；　we　were　pletely　safe　from　any　outside　trouble。
　〃Okay；　we're　closed　down；〃　Nicabar　reported　a　minute　later。
　〃Damage？〃
　〃Doesn't　look　like　anything　major；〃　he　said。　〃A　few　popped　circuit　breakers；　probably　a　tube　or　two　that'll　need　replacing；　but　I　know　we've　got　spares。　And　of　course；　a　lot　of　recalibrating　will　have　to　be　done。　Time…consuming　but　relatively　straightforward。〃
　〃Ixil　can　help　with　that；〃　I　told　him；　closing　the　rest　of　my　board　down　to　standby。　No　point　leaving　it　active；　we　weren't　going　anywhere　for　a　while。
　〃That　can　wait；〃　Nicabar　said。　〃You　said　you'd　tell　me　later　how　we　were　shrugging　off　those　ion　beams。　Well；　it's　later。〃
　I　grimaced。　But　he　was　right。　It　was　time　I　clued　the　rest　of　them　in　on　just　what　it　was　we　were　sitting　on　here。　〃It　is　indeed；〃　I　acknowledged；　keying　the　inter　for　all…ship。　〃Everyone；　get　your　stuff　shut　down　and　then　assemble　in　the　dayroom。　I've　got　a　little　story　to　tell　you。〃
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　THEY　SAT　IN　silence；　looking　slightly　sandbagged　for　the　most　part；　while　I　gave　them　the　whole　thing。
　Most　of　it；　anyway。　I　left　out　Tera's　true　identity　and　inside…person　status；　and　the　fact　that　Cameron…Alexander　Borodin；　rather…had　been　a　secret　passenger　for　the　first　part　of　our　trip。　I　also　glossed　over　the　part　Tera　had　played　in　the　various　incidents　that　had　had　me　tied　up　in　mental　knots　for　most　of　that　time。　The　latter　part　didn't　take　much　glossing；　actually；　given　that　Ixil　and　I　were　the　only　ones　who'd　known　about　most　of　them　anyway。
　I　also　left　Jones's　death　out　of　the　picture；　leaving　it　as　an　implied　accident。　Confronting　a　group　of　suspects　with　the　knowledge　that　one　of　them　is　a　killer　might　be　an　effective　way　to　spark　a　guilty　reaction；　but　at　the　moment　my　foremost　interest　was　g