tz.theicarushunt-第69部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　Which　meant　he　hadn't　collapsed　into　sleep　or　unconsciousness。　He　was　dead。
　And　something　in　here　had　killed　him。
　I　looked　back　toward　the　access　hole；　the　movement　of　my　head　sending　droplets　of　sweat　flying　off　my　face　to　drift　their　way　to　oblivion　among　the　maze　of　circuitry。　If　Tera　had　heard　that　abbreviated　death　cry；　she　would　be　sticking　her　head　into　view　any　second　now　to　demand　an　explanation。　But　the　seconds　ticked　by；　and　there　was　no　Tera；　and　I　realized　with　decidedly　mixed　feelings　that　I　alone　knew　what　had　just　happened。
　Which　meant　that　the　decision　of　what　to　do　next　was　also　mine　alone。　Probably　just　as　well。　Wiping　the　surface　layer　of　sweat　off　my　forehead　with　my　left　sleeve；　I　eased　the　blocking　wires　out　of　the　way　and　headed　cautiously　in。
　I'd　told　Ixil　and　Tera　that　we　weren't　in　any　particular　hurry　here。　With　Pax's　screech　echoing　through　my　memory；　I　was　even　less　inclined　to　take　unnecessary　chances。　I　kept　it　slow　and　careful；　checking　every　wire　and　conduit　in　my　path；　both　visually　and　with　my　field　sensor；　before　getting　anywhere　near　it。　Before　moving　it　aside　I　also　made　sure　to　trace　along　it　as　best　I　could　through　the　tangle；　trying　to　see　where　it　intersected　the　wall　or　other　ponents　and　making　sure　it　had　enough　slack　for　me　to　safely　push　it　aside　without　straining　anything。　If　it　didn't　have　that　slack；　if　it　even　looked　marginal；　I　changed　course　and　found　another　route。
　It　took　me　nearly　an　hour　to　work　my　way　through　that　first　three　and　a　half　meters；　and　I　was　just　beginning　to　wonder　if　I　was　going　to　be　able　to　do　the　whole　ten　meters　to　the　center　in　one　try　when　I　eased　through　a　gap　in　a　fish…net…style　mesh　and　abruptly　found　myself　in　open　space。
　I　held　on　to　the　mesh　with　one　hand；　balancing　myself　parallel　to　it　in　the　zero　gee；　and　played　my　light　around。　The　space　wasn't　quite　as　empty；　I　could　see　now；　as　it　had　looked　in　that　first　glance。　A　dozen　different　cable　loops　that　had　worked　their　way　through　the　holes　in　the　mesh　were　bobbing　gently　around　the　edges；　looking　like　some　exotic　form　of　seaweed　drifting　in　a　calm　current。　Half　a　dozen　of　the　lighted　displays　I'd　seen　against　the　walls　were　also　at　the　edge　of　the　open　area；　fastened　by　wires　through　the　mesh　and　facing　inward　toward　the　center；　from　one　of　them　a　slender；　articulated　black…and…silver…banded　extension　arm　stretched　right　to　the　point　six　and　a　half　meters　away　from　me　where　the　center　of　the　sphere　should　be。　All　the　display　lights　were　red；　giving　the　area　an　eerie；　blood…tinged　look。　I　moved　my　light　around　the　room　again；　steeling　myself　for　what　would　probably　be　the　very　unpleasant　sight　of　a　dead　ferret。　But　there　was　no　sign　of　his　body。　Apparently；　he　hadn't　made　it　through　the　wire　maze　before　he　died。
　And　then；　abruptly；　I　caught　my　breath；　swinging　my　light　back　toward　the　center　again。　So　intent　was　I　on　looking　for　Pax's　body　that　it　had　only　now　occurred　to　me　that　there　should　have　been　something　else　in　here：　the　resonance　crystal　and　control　board　that　Nicabar　and　Chort　said　a　stardrive　like　this　was　supposed　to　e　equipped　with。
　Unfortunately；　this　one　wasn't。
　Carefully；　I　ran　my　light　over　every　square　centimeter　of　the　place；　a　tight　knot　twisting　like　a　case…hardened　drill　bit　into　my　stomach。　I'd　pinned　a　lot　on　Tera's　assumption　that　the　Icarus　concealed　an　alien　stardrive；　but　not　until　that　moment　did　I　realize　just　how　much　pinning　I　had　actually　done。　If　we　couldn't　get　this　thing　to　jump　us　past　the　Patth　net；　then　we'd　had　it；　pure　and　simple。　I　remembered　Shawn's　question　on　that　point；　and　how　glibly　I'd　brushed　him　off　with　the　suggestion　that　we　would　be　no　worse　off　if　Cameron's　archaeologists　had　been　wrong。
　But　I'd　been　the　one　who'd　been　wrong。　All　the　work　we'd　done　had　indeed　been　for　nothing；　just　as　Shawn　had　warned。　Worse；　my　brilliant　scheme　had　cost　us　precious　time；　a　loss　I　realized　now　we　were　going　to　sorely　regret。　Not　only　had　the　Patth　been　given　the　opportunity　to　consolidate　and　perhaps　reconfigure　their　hunt　for　us；　but　the　lost　days　had　let　Shawn's　medical　condition　deteriorate　to　the　point　where　there　were　probably　no　more　than　three　or　four　planets　we　could　reach　in　time　to　get　him　the　borandis　he　would　soon　be　needing。　And　to　top　it　off；　if　the　Patth　had　guessed　we　had　had　to　go　to　ground　for　repairs　or　recalibration　after　the　Utheno　attack；　then　they　would　be　concentrating　everything　they　had　on　this　region。　The　region　that；　sooner　or　later；　we　were　going　to　have　to　pop　up　into。
　On　the　other　hand；　if　this　electrician's　nightmare　wasn't　a　stardrive；　what　the　hell　would　the　Patth　want　with　it　anyway？　A　possibly　reassuring　thought；　but　not；　I　realized　immediately；　nearly　as　reassuring　as　it　might　have　been。　The　Icarus　could　still　be　the　massive　alien　stardrive　Cameron's　people　suspected；　only　with　the　vital　crystal　either　removed　or　crumbled　into　dust。　That　would　put　us　in　the　depressing　position　of　having　something　that　was　totally　useless　to　us；　yet　was　still　worth　killing　us　to　get。
　Unless。。。
　I　played　the　light　around　again。　If　it　was　merely　a　matter　of　finding　the　right　kind　of　crystal；　that　was　the　kind　of　miracle　we　still　had　an　outside　chance　of　pulling　off。　I　doubted　such　a　rock　would　be　an　off…the…shelf　item　these　days；　but　if　I　could　get　a　message　to　Uncle　Arthur；　he　might　be　able　to　dig　one　up　from　somewhere　and　get　it　to　us。
　I　let　go　of　the　mesh；　hovering　in　midair　as　I　wiped　some　more　sweat　from　my　face。　And　as　I　did　so；　I　suddenly　heard　a　sound　like　two　pieces　of　metal　scratching　together。　The　same　sound；　I　realized；　that　I'd　heard　while　sitting　out　in　the　big　sphere　with　Tera。
　Only　this　time　it　was　ing　from　somewhere　nearby。
　I　swung　my　light　around；　hoping　to　catch　a　glimpse　of　moving　machinery。　But　the　sound　had　stopped　before　I　could　get　the　light　more　than　a　fraction　of　the　way　around；　despite　the　fact　that　I'd　whipped　my　arm　fast　enough　to　send　the　rest　of　my　body　into　a　slow　tumble。　Cursing　under　my　breath；　I　reached　back　out　for　the　mesh。
　My　fingers　closed　on　thin　air。　The　mesh　was　out　of　my　reach。
　I　tried　again；　swinging　my　body　awkwardly　over　as　I　tried　to　get　enough　extension；　frowning　at　the　plete　illogic　of　the　situation。　I'd　been　motionless　relative　to　the　mesh　when　I'd　started；　and　no　matter　how　much　I'd　twisted　and　turned；　my　center　of　mass　should　have　remained　that　same　distance　away　from　it。　That　was　basic　level…one　physics。
　Yet　there　the　mesh　was；　sitting　a　good　five　centimeters　outside　my　best　reach。　I　knew　I　hadn't　bumped　the　mesh；　which　might　have　given　me　the　necessary　push；　and　any　air　current　strong　enough　to　account　for　this　much　movement　ought　to　have　been　whistling　in　my　ears；　which　it　wasn't。　Muttering　a　curse；　I　reached　to　my　tool　pouch　for　the　longest　probe　I　had　with　me。　The　patented　McKell　luck　was　running　true　to　form；　gumming　up　my　life　with　plications　I　didn't　need；　didn't　want；　and　most　certainly　didn't　have　time　to　deal　with。　I　got　a　good　grip　on　the　end　of　the　probe　and　stretched　it　out　to　the　mesh。
　It　didn't　reach。
　I　stared　at　the　gap　between　mesh　and　probe；　a　bad　taste　suddenly　tingling　against　my　tongue。　I　was　moving　away　from　the　mesh；　all　right。　Slowly　and　subtly；　but　now　that　I　was　looking　for　it　I　could　definitely　see　the　mesh　receding。　And　the　only　way　I　could　be　moving　like　this　was　if　the　small　sphere　had　suddenly　developed　a　gravitational　field　like　its　big　brother　beside　it。
　I　looked　around　again；　paying　special　attention　to　the　loops　of　cable　hanging　through　to　my　side　of　the　mesh。　No；　the　field　wasn't　exactly　like　that　of　its　big　brother；　I　corrected　myself。　It　was；　instead；　an　exact　inverse　of　it。　Instead　of　pulling　everything　toward　the　outer　wall；　this　one　was　pushing　everything　toward　the　center。　I　tried　to　think　how　it　could　be　pulling　that　one　off；　but　my　mind　wasn't　up　to　it。
　Besides；　I　had　more　urgent　things　to　think　about　at　the　moment。　If　the　field　was　focused　toward　the　center　of　the　sphere…and　that　was　certainly　how　it　looked　from　the　way　the　hanging　cables　were　now　pointed　inward…then　once　I　hit　the　zero　mark　I　would　be　pretty　well　stuck　there。　Any　direction　I　turned　I　would　be　looking　uphill；　and