Indri Mindsinger nervously eyed the robot as they followed the curve of the hull downward. At the deck below, they located the manual control, and got back into the Resvishnu. There were two sets of doors, between which lay the fire control room that they had discovered not long ago. They opened these before removing their helmets, to allow the corridor atmosphere to replenish the airless chamber. Once in the hallway, they found the elevators.
“If the robot deduces what we’ve done, he’s likelier to use these aft elevators,” said the Delphian priest in a worried tone. “I suggest we use the bow pair.”
“I concur,” agreed Rastheln’iq, and the two men hurried forward along the corridor that ran the length of the ship. At the end of this was a door. When it opened, the Viridian scientist declared, “Ah, the engine room.”
The chamber stretched up some twenty or thirty feet; this was the lowest level of engineering. Three great atomic power plants – which Rastheln’iq recognized as cold fusion reactors – lay just inside the doorway, and beyond them, the main elevator bank. This was flanked on either side by twin thrusters – primitive, just like all the rest of the technology he had seen, Rastheln’iq reflected. Judging by their size and shape – almost a hundred feet long and oval – half their volume was outside the hull, curling under the lowest level of the Resvishnu. The main engineering controls and monitoring systems were tucked against one outer wall.
The Viridian scientist followed slowly, taking in the contents of the chamber, as Indri Mindsinger hurried to the elevators.
There were corpses here, or what was left of them. Exposed to atmosphere for untold years, they had disintegrated, leaving behind stained uniforms of a synthetic material that was in bad shape but still recognizable. It appeared fragile enough to fall apart upon touch. Metal on the uniforms, such as attaching devices and symbols of rank, survived intact.
Knowing what lay immediately above – the upper level of engineering at the bow and the sensor and communications room aft – the pair continued upward. When the elevator door opened, the two men found themselves in a foyer that had multiple doors and hallways. And more human remains. Around corners they found more elevators, which must only go up, as they did not exist on lower decks.
One nearby door led to a galley. As the Delph explored it, Rastheln’iq said, “I doubt you will find anything worth eating. This ship is over a thousand years old.”
To Indri’s blank look, the plant man explained, “The primitive technology coupled with the ancient script demonstrates the age of the ship. The ‘Res’ the Tatar read on the hull stands for ‘Republic of Earth Ship’.”
“But that ended seven centuries ago.”
The Vir nodded. “This design and technology is much, much older.”
“What is a Republic of Earth ship doing out here, wherever we are? Why hasn’t it been salvaged?”
“Good questions,” remarked Rastheln’iq. “I have no answers. I know no more about Earth history than you. Humans discovered the Overdrive fourteen hundred years ago, which led to contact with other races and the formation of the Concordat Federation a century later. I would estimate the ship’s age at closer to fourteen hundred years than seven hundred.”
“And it’s been sitting out here all that time?”
“Obviously.”
Like the cats that Tatars were sometimes inaccurately compared to, the chimera species possessed a great deal of curiosity. Noomi Bloodgood was no exception to this rule. Waiting in the shuttle – quite impatiently, as it turned out – went against her nature.
She decided there could be little harm in her exploring the hangar bay. She was quite quick, and even if she could not outfight the robot, should he return, she could outrun him. So, arming herself with a large spanner, the Tatar stepped outside the shuttle and began her quest.
Anxious to find a control room, the men had made only a cursory examination of the two small chambers at the rear of the bay. That was Noomi’s destination. She intended to perform a more thorough search. The one on the starboard side, she found, was merely an airlock. Opposite the airlock was an office of some kind, used by an officer to oversee the comings and goings of shuttles, and directing the unloading and loading of cargo, probably. The office contained the things most offices contain, although Noomi’s experiences with offices was quite limited, confined to her short visits to those of superior officers in the Templars. It had been a good life, full of booty and battle that came naturally to Tatars. Until that day ….
Rather than relive the day she was drummed out of the Templars and sentenced to life on Purgatory, Noomi Bloodgood moved to the cold sleep chambers in the bow of the Resvishnu. There were ten of these, grouped five on each side of the middle corridor.
They resembled modern medical suspension pods. It had been a very long time since anyone had used them for long-term travel in known space. The door to each was shut, Noomi found as she moved along, peering into each one. They were also empty.
The Tatar’s hackles rose involuntarily when she saw a green light on one of the cryo-chambers. All the others showed a dim red light, which she took to mean not in use. Green should then mean “occupied”. Noomi went to it, looked inside: There was a man in it!
The girl’s clawed hands went to the controls of the cryo-chamber, her nimble fingers working buttons. It still seemed to be functioning, but, after all this time, perhaps only the indicators worked. She wouldn’t know until the door opened.
Noomi Bloodgood watched as the human began to twitch. He was alive! And he would have answers to the Tatar’s questions.
Slowly, he returned to life as he was quick thawed. He was rather homely looking for a human, Noomi thought, with brutish features and dark, unruly hair. He was solidly built and rather compact, not much taller than her own five feet.
Finally, a new light came on and a low klaxon sounded. Noomi interpreted this as the unfreezing process was finished, although it might have meant that something had gone wrong. She had no way of knowing, and, her only means of finding out being to examine the human, she opened the door.
Wearing a uniform similar to those of the corpses in the bay, the small man staggered through the opening, his eyes closed. He mumbled something that was gibberish to Noomi.
“What is it?” she asked.
In response to her voice, the human raised his head and opened his eyes. Upon seeing the Tatar, he screeched and retreated back into the chamber. Quick as a flash, Noomi reached out, took hold of his collar and hauled him out into the hall.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” said the girl. “Where are you from? What happened to your ship?”
A little more calmly, the man babbled something that Noomi could not understand. This required a more scholarly mind than hers. Rastheln’iq was going to have to question the human.
Stepping back, Noomi gestured for the crewman to follow her. Timidly, he trailed behind her as she led the way to the shuttle. She planned on protecting their only source of information about the ship. He was worth a hundred hours of study!
Back in the shuttle, the human mimed drinking. Noomi got into the emergency supplies and gave him water. Then the crewman resumed speaking. Pointing to himself, he said, “Tully.”
Imitating him, the Tatar pointed to herself and said, “Noomi.”
The human named Tully smiled. He began talking, slowly and clearly. Noomi Bloodgood was surprised to find that she understood a few of the words he used. Not enough to follow what he was saying, but a word here and there. He spoke ancient Englot! The words she recognized – though badly pronounced – had come from that language.
Listening more carefully now, Noomi got the gist of Tully’s story: The Vishnu was an experimental ship that disappeared on its test voyage. The robot went insane and started killing crewmen. That was about all she got out of his story, but it was a good start.
“We can explore more if we split up,” suggested Rastheln’iq after he and the Delph had searched the immediate vicinity, turnin
g up a mess hall, a laundry and a gymnasium. “I want a look at their Overdrive.”
“Stay close,” warned Indri. “That robot may appear at any moment.”
The plant man nodded as he went toward the bow. What he found surprised even him. He would not have recognized the Vishnu’s Overdrive if he hadn’t expected it. It looked more like a child’s model than a modern Overdrive. This confirmed his theory about the ship’s ancient origin.
Like other ship functions, the Overdrive was shut off. Studying the engine, Rastheln’iq believed it would work if the other systems ran properly. He did everything he could to ascertain the Overdrive’s exact state, which was not much, due to the lockdown of the computer. If he’d had another thirty minutes in auxiliary control ….
“By the Green Mother Bixuhazalet!” the Viridian scientist murmured, suddenly recalling that the auxiliary control room was on this very deck. “Curse me for a fool!”
Rastheln’iq hurried aft. At the main elevator bank, he found Indri Mindsinger, breathless. “The robot! He came up the rear elevator! He’s right behind me!”
As the Delphian priest tumbled into one of the lifts, Rastheln’iq went to the other three elevators, and sent them on their way; the adjacent main elevator he sent down before joining Indri and going upward.
When he learned what the Vir had done, Indri Mindsinger observed, “You’re quite a strategist.”
“Not really,” admitted Rastheln’iq. “I am not a soldier. I am a scientist. I observe and draw conclusions. The robot does not seem able to track us, and making it wait for an elevator to return will buy us valuable time, and time is now of the essence.
“Further, he may reason that we are investigating each deck in turn, for that is what we have been doing. I suggest that we bypass all other decks and go all the way to the top. The bridge is probably located there, based on what little I know of Republic of Earth ships.”
“That’s all right with me,” agreed Indri. The robot could probably be controlled, or at least shut down, from there. “Thank you for not leaving me behind, Rastheln’iq.”
“‘Wormwood’ is fine,” replied the plant man.
“What? What do you mean?”
“You may call me Wormwood if you like. I understand the animal mind’s predilection for giving derisive names to things it does not understand.”
Stunned by the observation, Indri Mindsinger had nothing to say to that.
Two decks whizzed by in silence as the elevator rose. When it arrived at its destination and the two men disembarked, the Delphian priest said, “May I suggest you hurry?”
“Of course,” Rastheln’iq replied without rancor, although he felt the warning unnecessary. Locating the computer room, he went to work at once, ignoring the remains of the crew that was littered about the chamber. There was a greater concentration here than in other parts of the Vishnu. The crew obviously fought to protect the bridge, whatever befell them.
Apparently, the Delph noted, the plant man was an expert with computers. He was better known as a medical scientist, and the inhuman experiments he conducted on various races until he was caught. Indri Mindsinger had already been in custody then, awaiting trial while the Imperium built a case against him, one that would exile him forever. Initially, he’d wondered why they hadn’t proceeded with the charges upon which they’d arrested him. He was better known than he thought, and they weren’t about to let him off with a light sentence. Once they’d collated evidence from his numerous crimes, they’d sent him to Perga.
The Delphian priest realized that some time had passed as he stood watch, lost in thought. “How are you doing?”
“The computer is locked. I am attempting to unlock it,” replied Rastheln’iq. “I can then control the main operating system from here.”
Minutes ticked by. The Delph wondered what was taking so long. Then, he heard Rastheln’iq speak. His voice was so low that Indri wasn’t completely sure that he’d spoken at all. Then, it came again – “No.”
“What is it?” asked Indri Mindsinger asked. “What’s wrong?”
“I cannot unlock the computer,” Rastheln’iq explained. The Delphian priest thought he heard frustration in the plant man’s thin voice. Perhaps it was only his imagination. “It is impossible.”
“Nothing’s impossible,” said Indri from the doorway. “You can do this. I know you can.” He went into the computer room. “Anything that is locked can be unlocked. It’s only a matter of time.”
“Some things, once done, cannot be undone,” Rastheln’iq said quietly.
Indri was about to reply when he heard the elevator arrive.
His dark eyes flashed to the doorway. The shadow of the robot now filled it.
“Come on!” yelled the Delphian priest, spying a door in one corner of the room. He had no idea where it led, but it would take them away from the robot, whose tentacle arm was even now questing into the computer room. It wrapped itself around Indri’s arm, spoiling his aim as he tried to fire his weapon.
The tentacle began pulling the Delph toward the robot as one of its metal arms swung around to meet its prey. Indri tried to break free. The tentacle arm was strong, as strong as he – more powerful than humans.
Sparks suddenly erupted from the tentacle – Rastheln’iq had shot it!
The snake-like arm went limp suddenly, and Indri pulled free. He scrambled away as the robot compensated for the minor damage, swinging the tentacle about. The plant man, having snapped out of his momentary despair, pulled Indri Mindsinger through the door behind the two.
They were in a conference room. More mostly-empty uniforms.
“Follow me,” directed the Viridian scientist, leading the way to a door on the opposite side of the room. This led back out into the elevator foyer. Behind them the robot was coming through the doorway.
When Indri moved toward an elevator, Rastheln’iq said, “We do not have time for that.” He pulled the Delph along into the bridge, which comprised the aft half of the uppermost deck of the Vishnu. There, he shot the door controls to slow the robot down.
“Come on,” he said, stepping into one of the two elevators in the room. As Indri followed, Rastheln’iq sent it downward, explaining, “Remember these from deck four? I sent them up away from the robot.”
“You mean … you planned this?” Indri Mindsinger asked in disbelief.
“No, not really,” admitted the Viridian scientist. “I sent them as far as possible to consume as much time as possible if summoned by the robot. But I knew they terminated at the first deck. I understood the elevator controls that much by then.”
The elevator dropped and disgorged its passengers on deck four, where auxiliary control was located.
“We might not have much time,” Rastheln’iq told Indri. “While I believe the robot cannot track our movements, I surmise that it knows where the elevators go and stop. When we took an elevator one deck up, it knew it. We confused it with sending multiple elevators at once. That is why we had so much time undisturbed in the computer room,” the plant man explained as he led the way down the long hallway toward auxiliary control. “Fortunately, our destination is at the other end of the ship from the elevators. It may not guess where we are going.
“It also occurred to me that the auxiliary control room may be able to unlock the computer.”
“Why? Why not the computer control room?” Indri asked, bewildered.
“The auxiliary control room is designed to access the computer if anything is wrong in the main control room ….”
“Such as if the computer is accidentally locked and can’t be accessed from there,” the Delph finished, finally comprehending.
The Vir went to work as soon as he entered the auxiliary control room. Indri Mindsinger was astonished at the speed at which his spindly green fingers flew over the control plates. The plant man had learned much from his short time in the computer control room.
A few minutes later, Rastheln’iq stepped way from the controls, and, turning t
o face the Delph, announced, “It is done. The system is shut down now. This includes the robot. I found that it is controlled by the computer.”
“Doesn’t that mean life support is also off now?”
“Technically, yes,” nodded the plant man, “but the ship’s batteries will keep it operating for the short time it takes me to take full control of the main operating system. I expect to be able to start the Overdrive engine as well as the ship’s reaction drive.”
For the first time in a long time, Indri Mindsinger smiled.
“Of course, with the primitive condition of the Overdrive, we will not be able to go far, but we can leave this system – and our pursuers, as well – behind.”
“I’ll summon Noomi,” the Delph said.
It was difficult to judge who was more surprised by the presence of the other – Rastheln’iq and Indri Mindsinger or Tully, for while the human was flabbergasted by the existence of three alien beings, they had not expected to find any living soul aboard the deserted Vishnu. Tully was in a daze, muttering to himself that he was experiencing a vivid cold sleep dream, cryonic suspension being well known for producing such things.
“This must be the presence you sensed when we first arrived on this ship,” suggested the Viridian scientist.
“Indeed,” agreed Indri. “He is frightened, skeptical – and untrustworthy. But probably not dangerous.”
After telling the startled crewman that they meant him no harm, Rastheln’iq began questioning him. He had a better time understanding Tully than Noomi Bloodgood had had, due to his much higher level of literacy. His vocabulary was enormous compared to hers, and he knew the origins of many, many words. This helped him translate parts of Tully’s speech that were Englot-derived Lingua Galactica words. As mighty as the Tatar’s military was, much of their advanced technology came from worlds they’d raided in their first century of space flight. This had brought them up to the common standard of known space.
Tully, the human explained, was Joseph P. Tull, commonly called “Tully” by his fellow crewmen. A reluctant member of the crew, he had been the cook aboard the Vishnu, the first Earth ship to use Overdrive, the engine that allowed craft to travel faster than the speed of light by folding space, bypassing the actual distance between stars determined by the space-time continuum. Tully admitted that he was fuzzy on the technical details, which Rastheln’iq was well aware of. The Vishnu’s destination had been Alpha Centauri, the closest star to Earth.
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