Greylorn

by Keith Laumer

butdon't you think maybe I better get the doctor for ya?"

  "Thomas," I said, "maybe you don't know; there's a mutiny under wayaboard this ship. The doctor is leading it. I want to get to the Bridgein the worst way. Let's get started."

  Thomas looked very shocked. "Cap'n, you mean you was hurt by somebody? Imean you didn't have a fall or nothin', you was beat up?" He stared atme with an expression of incredulous horror.

  "That's about the size of it," I said. I managed to sit up. Thomasjumped forward and helped me to my feet. Then I saw that he was crying.

  "You can count on me, Cap'n," he said. "Jist lemme know who done it, an'I'll feed 'em into my converter."

  I stood leaning against the wall, waiting for my head to stop spinning.Breathing was difficult, but if I kept it shallow, I could manage.Thomas was opening a panel on the side of the converter unit.

  "It's O.K. to go in Cap'n," he said. "She ain't operatin'."

  The pull of the two and a half gees seemed to bother him very little. Icould barely stand under it, holding on. Thomas saw my wavering step andjumped to help me. He boosted me into the chamber of the converter andpointed out an opening near the top, about twelve by twenty-four inches.

  "That there one is to the Bridge, Cap'n," he said. "If you'll start inthere, sir, I'll follow up."

  * * * * *

  I thrust head and shoulders into the opening. Inside it was smoothmetal, with no handholds. I clawed at it trying to get farther in. Thepain stabbed at my chest.

  "Cap'n, they're workin' on the door," Thomas said. "They already been atit for a little while. We better get goin'."

  "You'd better give me a push, Thomas," I said. My voice echoed hollowlydown the duct.

  Thomas crowded into the chamber behind me then, lifting my legs andpushing. I eased into the duct. The pain was not so bad now.

  "Cap'n, you gotta use a special kinda crawl to get through these hereducts," Thomas said. "You grip your hands together out in front of ya,and then bend your elbows. When your elbows jam against the side of theduct, you pull forward."

  I tried it; it was slow, but it worked.

  "Cap'n," Thomas said behind me. "We got about seven minutes now to getup there. I set the control on the converter to start up in ten minutes.I think we can make it O.K., and ain't nobody else comin' this way withthe converter goin'. I locked the control panel so they can't shut herdown."

  That news spurred me on. With the converter in operation, the first stepin the cycle was the evacuation of the ducts to a near-perfect vacuum.When that happened, we would die instantly with ruptured lungs; then ourdead bodies would be sucked into the chamber and broken down into usefulraw materials. I hurried.

  I tried to orient myself. The duct paralleled the corridor. It wouldcontinue in that direction for about fifteen feet, and would then turnupward, since the Bridge was some fifteen feet above this level. Ihitched along, and felt the duct begin to trend upward.

  "You'll have to get on your back here, Cap'n," Thomas said. "She widensout on the turn."

  I managed to twist over. Thomas was helping me by pushing at my feet. AsI reached a near-vertical position, I felt a metal rod under my hand.That was a relief; I had been expecting to have to go up the laststretch the way a mountain climber does a rock chimney, back against onewall and feet against the other.

  I hauled at the rod, and found another with my other hand. Below, Thomasboosted me. I groped up and got another, then another. The remainingslight slant of the duct helped. Finally my feet were on the rods. Iclung, panting. The heat in the duct was terrific. Then I went on up.That was some shot Kramer had given me.

  * * * * *

  Above I could see the end of the duct faintly in the light coming upthrough the open chamber door from the utility room. I remembered thelocation of the disposal slot on the Bridge now; it had been installedin the small apartment containing a bunk and a tiny galley for the useof the Duty Officer during long watches on the Bridge.

  I reached the top of the duct and pushed against the slot cover. Itswung out easily. I could see the end of the chart table, and beyond,the dead radar screen. I reached through and heaved myself partly out. Inearly fainted at the stab from my ribs as my weight went on my chest.My head sang. The light from below suddenly went out. I heard a muffledclank; then a hum began, echoing up the duct.

  "She's closed and started cyclin' the air out, Cap'n," Thomas saidcalmly. "We got about half a minute."

  I clamped my teeth together and heaved again. Below me Thomas waitedquietly. He couldn't help me now. I got my hands flat against thebulkhead and thrust. The air was whistling around my face. Papers beganto swirl off the chart table. I twisted my body frantically, kickingloose from the grip of the slot, fighting the sucking pull of air. Ifell to the floor inside the room, the slot cover slamming behind me. Istaggered to my feet. I pried at the cover, but I couldn't open itagainst the vacuum. Then it budged, and Thomas' hand came through. Themetal edge cut into it, blood started, but the cover was held open halfan inch. I reached the chart table, almost falling over my leaden feet,seized a short permal T-square, and levered the cover up. Once started,it went up easily. Thomas face appeared, drawn and pale, eyes closedagainst the dust being whirled into his face. He got his arms through,heaved himself a little higher. I seized his arm and pulled. Hescrambled through.

  I knocked the T-square out of the way and the cover snapped down. Then Islid to the floor, not exactly out, but needing a break pretty bad.Thomas brought bedding from the OD bunk and made me comfortable on thefloor.

  "Thomas," I said, "when I think of what the security inspectors whoapproved the plans for this arrangement are going to say when I callthis little back door to their attention, it almost makes it worth thetrouble."

  "Yes, sir," Thomas said. He sprawled on the deck and looked around theBridge, staring at the unfamiliar screens, indicator dials, controls.

  * * * * *

  From where I lay, I could see the direct vision screen. I wasn't sure,but I thought the small bright object in the center of it might be ourtarget. Thomas looked at the dead radar screen, then said, "Cap'n, thatthere radarscope out of action?"

  "It sure is, Thomas," I said. "Our unknown friends blew the works beforethey left us." I was surprised that he recognized a radarscope.

  "Mind if I take a look at it, Cap'n?" he said.

  "Go ahead," I replied. I tried to explain the situation to Thomas. Theelapsed time since we had started our pursuit was two hours and tenminutes; I wanted to close to no more than a twenty mile gap beforelaunching my missiles; and I had better alert my interceptor missiles incase the Mancji hit first.

  Thomas had the cover off the radar panel and was probing around. Hepulled a blackened card out of the interior of the panel.

  "Looks like they overloaded the fuse," Thomas said. "Got any spares,Cap'n?"

  "Right beside you in the cabinet," I said. "How do you know your wayaround a radar set, Thomas?"

  Thomas grinned. "I useta be a radar technician third before I got intawaste disposal," he said. "I had to change specialities to sign on forthis cruise."

  I had an idea there'd be an opening for Thomas a little higher up whenthis was over.

  I asked him to take a look at the televideo, too. I was beginning torealize that Thomas was not really simple; he was merely uncomplicated.

  "Tubes blowed here, Cap'n," he reported. "Like as if you was to set herup to high mag right near a sun; she was overloaded. I can fix her easyif we got the spares."

  I didn't take time to try to figure that one out. I could feel thedizziness coming on again.

  "Thomas," I called, "let me know when we're at twenty miles fromtarget." I wanted to tell him more, but I could feel consciousnessdraining away. "Then ..." I managed, "first aid kit ... shot...."

  I could still hear Thomas. I was flying away, whirling, but I could hearhis voice. "Cap'n, I could fire your missiles now, if you was to want
meto," he was saying. I struggled to speak. "No. Wait." I hoped he heardme.

  * * * * *

  I floated a long time in a strange state between coma and consciousness.The stuff Kramer had given me was potent. It kept my mind fairly cleareven when my senses were out of action. I thought about the situationaboard my ship.

  I wondered what Kramer and his men were planning now, how they feltabout having let me slip through their fingers. The only thing theycould try now was blasting their way into the Bridge. They'd never