Stealing Light Part 16

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GENERAL TACH-NET ENTRIES None MANUFACTURED BY Unknown PRIOR OR PRESENT OWNERs.h.i.+P Unknown INTERACTIVITY INDEX Zero/not known

SAVE SUMMARY OR RE-SCAN?.

Piri, I felt something happen almost the instant I put that statuette on the imaging plate. There's no way that's a coincidence.

the machine repeated pedantically. Dakota quelled her frustration and picked up the figurine, stas.h.i.+ng it out of sight behind a panel.

She turned and saw several message icons were now flas.h.i.+ng on screens and in the air. It appeared her pa.s.sengers, too, were concerned at this fresh turn of events.

'Look, I don't have a f.u.c.king clue what just happened. You ever flown a s.h.i.+p before?'

'A low-orbit glider,' Gardner replied, studying Dakota with eagle eyes. 'That isn't the point.'

'Well, my point is, this isn't a glider,' Dakota snapped back. 'I need to check every system is functioning, and that's what I've been doing. So frankly, if the lights go dim or the s.h.i.+p shakes again, don't be too surprised-'

'I'm not happy about this, Miss Oorthaus,' Gardner replied, glowering at her.

'Fine.' Dakota folded her arms. 'Want to find another pilot? Go ahead.'

Gardner stared at her in silence for long seconds then let out a long sigh. 'Mala, the Senator and the rest of them here aren't nearly as reasonable as I can be. When things go wrong, they tend to react badly.'

He spoke quietly, leaning in towards her as if sharing the details of some secret indiscretion. 'Josef Marados a.s.sured us you were one of the very best. If you're not being straight with me now, we can trace the source of the incident through the stack records. After that it's in the Senator's hands.'

She gazed into Gardner's eyes and suddenly felt sure he had no idea what had happened to Josef Marados. But surely he knew? How could any of them not know?

But Gardner wasn't questioning her about Marados's death. He was concerned about the sudden, violent spike in the Hyperion's Hyperion's computer systems while she'd been on the bridge on her own. computer systems while she'd been on the bridge on her own.

'I am,' she told him fervently, 'one of the best. I can take you through the necessary protocols and show you everything I've done since I came on board. And the fact remains that this s.h.i.+p's been quietly falling apart in orbit for the best part of a century. It's like a three-legged dog. That they've managed to keep the thing flying at ail is remarkable.'

Gardner put his hands up. 'That won't be necessary. I'm going to go talk to Senator Arbenz now, and I can guarantee he'll run an independent systems a.n.a.lysis. Is there anything else you want to add?'

'Yes,' she replied, holding his gaze, and injecting what she hoped was just the right mixture of irritation and outrage into her response. 'This vessel is a s.h.i.+t-can. If you don't let me do things my way and it ends up dumping the internal atmosphere because I wasn't allowed to fully test the systems, it won't be my fault. Otherwise, I need to know how it works and what holds it together, and that means running checks on systems that haven't been properly maintained in a very long time.'

'All right, but if there's any chance whatsoever of any further disruptions occurring, I want you to clear it with me first. Understood?'

Dakota nodded her a.s.sent and watched Gardner depart.

Piri, who else has been reading the news reports coming out of Mesa Verde?

She then had the Piri Reis Piri Reis recheck the Mesa Verde bulletins and found to her amazement that the news item about Marados's death had been erased. She had her s.h.i.+p backtrack, but the original item Dakota had read no longer existed. There was no longer any evidence it had even been picked up by the recheck the Mesa Verde bulletins and found to her amazement that the news item about Marados's death had been erased. She had her s.h.i.+p backtrack, but the original item Dakota had read no longer existed. There was no longer any evidence it had even been picked up by the Hyperion's Hyperion's tach-net monitors. tach-net monitors.

Dakota found herself gripped by an overwhelming sense of paranoia, a feeling that her grip on reality had become deeply tenuous. Dakota had read one thing . . . and, somehow, Gardner and the Freeholders had read another.

Either she was going crazy and she'd imagined it all, and Josef was still alive back on Mesa Verde, or someone on board the Hyperion Hyperion had reprogrammed the tach-net transponders to exclude any mention of his murder. had reprogrammed the tach-net transponders to exclude any mention of his murder.

She turned and glanced behind her. 'You can come out now, Udo.'

Udo Mansell emerged from the shadows to the rear of the bridge like a looming ghost.

'Very good,' said the Freeholder, stepping towards her. 'How long did you know?'

'Ever since you arrived through the service hatch. I know where everything everything is on this s.h.i.+p, at all times.' She reached up and tapped the side of her head. 'Remember?' is on this s.h.i.+p, at all times.' She reached up and tapped the side of her head. 'Remember?'

He kept coming forward until he was peering down at her from his imposing height. He reached out to touch her cheek. She flinched, then stepped back till she had put a work console between them.

'Why afraid?' he asked her.

'Who says I'm afraid?'

'The problem with your kind is you don't know how to talk to normal human beings. You're all so busy being wired into each other's brains, you've forgotten all the subtleties of normal human interaction. I'm sure you can't be beaten when it comes to operating machinery like on this vessel, but when it comes to deception, you're more of an open book than most. That's how I can tell when you're lying.'

He kept moving closer to her, and Dakota found herself being gradually forced back towards the entrance to the bridge. At the last moment, Udo stepped around her, putting himself between her and the exit. She tried to push past him and he reached for her shoulder.

She brought her fist up in instinctive response, aiming for his head. But he caught it with ease, as if she'd perfectly telegraphed the motion in advance. Her arm trembled under his grip as he forced it back down to her side. She yanked herself free and again put distance between them.

Udo moved towards her once more, grinning widely. 'Let's look at some facts. We need you to perform a specific and important task. You obviously need us too, as you're an illegal. It's like that idiot Gardner said-the very fact you're working for us makes you by definition a liar, because it's the lies you tell that keep you alive. We both know that, right?'

She went on the offensive as he reached out to her again. She grabbed his arm and pulled him towards her, but again he antic.i.p.ated the move, and pushed down on her chest with his free arm.

It would have been easier if the Hyperion's Hyperion's bridge hadn't been under spin, but instead provided anyone on the s.h.i.+p's central ring with a close to Earth-normal gravity. She was always a better fighter in zero gee. bridge hadn't been under spin, but instead provided anyone on the s.h.i.+p's central ring with a close to Earth-normal gravity. She was always a better fighter in zero gee.

She hit the floor hard, Udo twisting her arm so she was forced into a p.r.o.ne position beneath him, her face to the floor. A long, wicked-looking knife appeared in his free hand as he kneeled over her. Her throat constricted with horror as he brought the serrated edge close to her neck.

She could smell the rank stink of his breath over her shoulder. She tried to push herself back up with her free hand and felt an explosion of pain in her other shoulder.

'See that?' he muttered, bringing the blade up closer to her face so she could see it more clearly. 'Maybe you'd like to know how many throats it's cut.'

Dakota said nothing, her breaths erupting in short tight gasps.

'Let's get this straight,' Udo continued. 'I don't like your kind. I saw what happened at Port Gabriel, and I don't buy this c.r.a.p about how it wasn't really any of their fault. You're all a bunch of untrustworthy walking f.u.c.king time bombs. That's bad enough, but you-you like like being that way. You like it so much, you've still got those chips in your head. What the f.u.c.k is that about, huh?' being that way. You like it so much, you've still got those chips in your head. What the f.u.c.k is that about, huh?'

'I wasn't there,' Dakota gasped.

'I really hope so,' Udo snarled. 'Because if you had been, you'd already be dead and we wouldn't be having this conversation. Gardner's a businessman, he avoids seeing the messy side of things. Even the Senator and my brother have to play by certain rules. That's how things are for them. Me, I prefer to get straight to the point and f.u.c.k the politics. So let's be clear on this, Mala. I'll be watching. Closely. The instant you screw up and I think it's deliberate, or I think you've been lying to us, you're dead.'

'Well, you're going to have a h.e.l.l of a time steering this s.h.i.+p without me,' she spat back.

Udo laughed, and there was a momentary relaxation of pressure. 'Steering this this s.h.i.+p? If you only knew. Maybe it's time you did.' s.h.i.+p? If you only knew. Maybe it's time you did.'

'Hey, let her go.'

She didn't recognize the voice. With her arm twisted back and bent over, all she could see was the floor beneath her.

'Hey. I said let her go go.'

The pressure on Dakota's back relented momentarily, presumably because Udo was distracted by the sudden interruption. She took the opportunity to twist free of the Freeholder's grasp, rolling over to one side as fast as she could move. He mumbled profanities and aimed a hefty kick at her: his boot struck home and sharp pain lanced through her hip. She yelped, and a moment later Udo had her by her hair.

She caught sight of Lucas Corso, who stepped forward and locked one arm around Udo's neck and tried to pull him away. Udo responded by reaching behind himself and grabbing at Corso's s.h.i.+rt. He had to let go of her again to do this, and she took the opportunity to twist round and punch him hard in the stomach.

Dakota scuttled out of Udo's reach and watched as Corso tumbled to the floor of the bridge, winded by a blow. But Udo had his back to her for the moment, and Dakota's military training kicked back in. She locked one arm around his neck, delivering a series of rapid punches to the side of the man's head.

It had almost no effect, and felt like punching hard granite. Her knuckles ached from the effort.

'Stop this. Stop this now.' now.'

Dakota looked up to see Gardner had returned.

'Udo. I'll want to speak to you later. In the meantime, get the f.u.c.k off of the bridge.'

For a moment, Dakota wondered if the Freeholder was going to do what he was told or if he'd attack Gardner as well. She could see the businessman had his own doubts, judging by the pallor of his skin, but he held his ground.

'I'm telling you now, Udo,' Gardner repeated, his voice pitched higher than usual, 'I don't want to see anything like this again. If Senator Arbenz has any sense, he'll have you thrown out of the nearest airlock the instant he gets wind of this. Until then, return to your quarters.'

Udo Mansell stood like a statue, a solid carved block of hatred focused on Gardner. Then he relaxed, and smiled, as if he'd just lost a friendly game of cards.

'I think you'll find my approach to s.h.i.+pboard security tends to produce high dividends,' he replied, his voice suddenly sounding breezy and relaxed. 'Catch you all later,' he added, and stepped past Gardner and off the bridge.

Gardner closed his eyes for a second or two, as if steadying his breathing. Corso sat quietly where he was, one hand pressed against his belly.

'How did you know to come back?' Dakota croaked. She let herself slide to the floor with her back resting against a console.

Gardner shrugged. 'I've only known Udo a little while, but he tends to be extremely predictable. Besides, I'm keen to protect my investments.'

'And is it really worth it?' Dakota asked, keeping her eye on Corso who was, after all, a Freeholder like the others. 'Working with people like that, I mean?'

'Just remember you're on their territory here, and we all know why a lot of them don't trust machine-heads.'

Dakota laughed incredulously. 'Then why hire me?'

'If we don't secure our tender, we don't have the option of returning home,' Corso explained. 'Losing the new colony would be more than our lives are worth. That kind of thing tends to make a man like Udo edgy.'

Dakota looked to both of them, one after the other. 'Let's get this straight. If he tries something like that again, I'll I'll kill him. Got that?' kill him. Got that?'

Gardner's expression was weary as he moved towards the exit. 'Then you'd better watch yourself carefully,' he replied. 'Do your job, and try and keep the surprises to a minimum. For the sake of my health, too, not just yours.'

Dakota stared at the exit for several seconds after Gardner had gone. To her annoyance Corso now had a wide grin on his face.

'What's so funny?' she demanded, picking herself up.

'Nothing, really. I just have a habit of getting into fights I can't win.'

She found herself at a momentary loss of what else to say or do before anger took over. 'How am I supposed to do anything if I have to constantly worry about being attacked by you people? Give me a reason why I should even stick around after what just happened!'

Corso eyed her thoughtfully and shrugged. 'So why are are you sticking around?' you sticking around?'

Dakota struggled to find an answer and instead felt an intense wave of embarra.s.sment wash over her. She stepped over to Corso and offered him a hand. 'Thanks,' she mumbled.

Corso took the proffered hand and stood up laboriously, wincing as he pressed several fingers to his belly. 'Forget it,' he replied. 'Udo's a moron. As far as I'm concerned, he shouldn't even be on this s.h.i.+p.'

'So . . .' she shrugged, 'why did you help me?'

Corso shot her a curious glance. 'Why wouldn't I?'

She gave him a bewildered look. 'You're on the same side as them.'

'You think we're allies?' Corso laughed. 'Anything but. These people are my enemies.'

'I don't understand.'

'You couldn't have known,' Corso replied, making to leave the bridge.

'Wait.' She put out a hand and stopped him. 'Should you even have told me that?'

He looked back at her. 'You mean, will it get me into trouble? Maybe. But I can't do my job for them if they cut out my tongue.'

She gripped his arm hard. 'Look, maybe you could tell me some things . . .'

Corso's grin lacked sympathy. 'Just do your job, Mala. Stay out of the way of the two Mansells. They're killers.'

He made for the exit.

'Udo said something, just before you walked in on us,' Dakota called after him in desperation. 'That if I only knew. only knew. Like there was something I haven't been told about this expedition.' Like there was something I haven't been told about this expedition.'

Corso turned, his face as unrevealing as a mask. 'Then he was speaking out of turn.'

He exited the bridge and Dakota stood there in silence for several minutes, filled with an unpleasantly familiar sense of foreboding.

Corso found his way partly along a corridor before stopping and leaning his back against a wall with a groan. His whole body hurt.

It was bad enough he was trapped on the Hyperion Hyperion with men like Senator Arbenz and Kieran Mansell. Now he'd managed to make a deadly enemy of Udo as well. with men like Senator Arbenz and Kieran Mansell. Now he'd managed to make a deadly enemy of Udo as well. Perhaps I've just got a suicidal streak. Well, at least that would explain some things. Perhaps I've just got a suicidal streak. Well, at least that would explain some things.

People back home were depending on him to do whatever it took, within the bounds of honour, to save them from a very unpleasant fate. Getting into a fight with Udo wasn't helping them any. He'd acted without thinking . . .

Face it, you'd have intervened anyway.