This Day All Gods Die Part 27

"Sure." Abruptly he turned from the screens. A grin bared his yellow teeth. "I'll tell you. Your precious Has.h.i.+ Lebwohl programmed me to think about things like survival. Keeping people alive. Morn doesn't do that, so it's up to me. Trumpet Trumpet gives us a way off this s.h.i.+p. If we need it." gives us a way off this s.h.i.+p. If we need it."

Morn studied him in wonder and alarm. Was that really what he was doing-compensating for her weaknesses, her blind spots; her instinct for self-destruct-?

When I'm in trouble, she'd once said to Davies, the only thing I can think of is to hurt myself. I need a better answer the only thing I can think of is to hurt myself. I need a better answer.

Was Angus trying to help her find one?

But at once Dolph put in heavily, "That's not the whole story. Maybe it's true as far as it goes. But he has a pretty extreme notion of 'survival' and 'keeping people alive.' We had a real shouting match about it. He showed this poor kid-"

Angus whirled on Captain Ubikwe. "Stop "Stop right there, fat man!" he barked. "I right there, fat man!" he barked. "I warned warned you. This doesn't have anything to do with you." He raised his fists. "It's not too late for a little BR surgery." you. This doesn't have anything to do with you." He raised his fists. "It's not too late for a little BR surgery."

Rolling his eyes provocatively, Dolph closed his mouth.

But Ciro spoke before Angus could prevent him. "He showed me how to use the singularity grenades." He might have been staking a claim; announcing who he had become. "Arm them. Launch them. Detonate them. Suck everything into a black hole." He smiled-a grin as thin as a cut. "Like Free Lunch. Free Lunch. And Nick." And Nick."

Showed me- That shocked the bridge-which may have been Captain Ubikwe's purpose. Involuntarily the duty officers stopped what they were doing and stared. The woman at the data station had gone pale. The man on targ chewed curses under his breath.

-how to use- "Ciro!"

Crying her brother's name, Mikka flung herself around to face him. Vector flinched in consternation.

-the singularity grenades.

For an instant Morn feared her heart would fail. Acid mortality burned inside her cast. With one stroke, Angus had taken away her control of the situation; transformed it into a confrontation charged with blood and coercion. He'd turned Ciro into a p.a.w.n in a struggle she hadn't foreseen and couldn't imagine.

Suck everything into a black hole.

And she'd let him do it. Despite all the pain and abas.e.m.e.nt he'd inflicted on her, she'd trusted him. Trusted his impulse to stand by his commitments to her; trusted his grat.i.tude at being freed from his priority-codes.

Trusted his core programming-and the men who'd designed it.

Like Free Lunch. Free Lunch. And Nick. And Nick.

"What the h.e.l.l do you think you're doing? doing? Don't you suppose he has enough problems already?" Don't you suppose he has enough problems already?"

Min didn't need to be guarded. She'd made it plain hours ago that she accepted Morn's command. In some way the actions of Trumpet's Trumpet's people suited the ED director. Nevertheless she didn't take Ciro's revelation calmly. people suited the ED director. Nevertheless she didn't take Ciro's revelation calmly.

"Ensign Hyland!" she snapped like the crack of a whip. "You told me these people were under arrest. That makes you responsible for them. But a man in your custody has just given highly cla.s.sified and dangerous dangerous information to a known illegal who information to a known illegal who also also happens to be a kid hardly old enough to know his own mind. happens to be a kid hardly old enough to know his own mind.

"This is on the record, Ensign. If you thought you could protect these people by posing as the arresting officer, you're wrong now. Their conduct incriminates you as well as them."

Abruptly Patrice remembered his duties. He looked down at his readouts. "Captain," he announced to Dolph, "in five minutes we'll reach our tach window on UMCPHQ's gap range. If we miss it, we'll have to decelerate to compensate."

Five minutes? Only five?

Angus had shown- "Ensign Hyland," Min demanded severely, "is there anything you would like to say?"

Yes! Morn thought; almost wailed aloud. This isn't what I wanted! The stakes were already too high. I didn't know he was going to do this! this!

She'd killed most of her family. Now she was about to become the cause of even more death.

But when she looked at Angus, the naked appeal on his face closed her throat. Without transition she felt that she'd been translated back to Mallorys Bar & Sleep. He was saying, I accept. The deal you offered. I accept. The deal you offered. Her black box in exchange for his life. Her black box in exchange for his life. I'll cover you. I'll cover you. He might have been thrusting the control to her zone implant into her hand again: the need which wracked his gaze was the same. He might have been thrusting the control to her zone implant into her hand again: the need which wracked his gaze was the same. I could have killed you. I could have killed you anytime I could have killed you. I could have killed you anytime.

Fiercely she forced down her dismay; her weakness. She didn't want another zone implant control-or anything like it. But this wasn't Mallorys, or Com-Mine: it was Punisher. Punisher. Angus had shown Ciro Angus had shown Ciro how to use the singularity grenades. how to use the singularity grenades. The grenades were aboard The grenades were aboard Trumpet Trumpet, however, and Ciro was here. Whatever Angus had in mind wasn't immediate. She could take the time to think about her choices; try to understand them.

"Helm, I want fifteen minutes." The steadiness of her voice amazed her. She sounded like a woman who still knew what to do. "Nudge braking thrust enough to cover the difference."

Patrice referred the question to Dolph. "Captain?"

"Do it, Sergei," the captain rumbled. "Ensign Hyland is in command. This is her mess. Personally, I'm curious to see how she gets out of it."

Morn nodded. "Thank you, Captain." As soon as Patrice began tapping keys, she felt the viscid drag of Publisher's Publisher's deceleration tug her against her belts. deceleration tug her against her belts.

Not enough pressure to threaten her- She didn't wait for the stress to end. Facing Angus again, she demanded grimly, "I need an explanation."

"I need an explanation!" Davies moved through the inertia of braking toward Angus, clutching his handgun as if he meant to use it. His eyes bulged like his father's. "G.o.d d.a.m.n d.a.m.n it, Angus, he's hardly older than I am! Isn't there it, Angus, he's hardly older than I am! Isn't there anybody anybody you aren't willing to sacrifice?" you aren't willing to sacrifice?"

Angus flung a snarl over his shoulder at Davies. "You mean 'sacrifice' the way you 'sacrificed' Sib Mackern? You think sending him out to die just so you could get rid of Nick is better?" better?"

That stopped Davies: he couldn't answer. He lowered his gun until it dangled at his side, useless to him.

Mikka might not have heard Angus and Davies; or Min Donner. She'd begun to s.h.i.+ver as if she were straining at a leash, held back by ropes from breaking out into blows and fury.

"Ciro," she groaned deep in her throat, "what in G.o.d's name has he done to you?" she groaned deep in her throat, "what in G.o.d's name has he done to you?"

Abruptly Ciro retorted, "Stop "Stop it, Mikka. it, Mikka. You You aren't the one she gave a mutagen to. I am. You don't have any idea what it's like, knowing you have to kill everybody you care about." He turned his head to look at Angus. "But aren't the one she gave a mutagen to. I am. You don't have any idea what it's like, knowing you have to kill everybody you care about." He turned his head to look at Angus. "But he he does." does."

"Sib volunteered," Vector offered quietly. He studied his jerked a thumb in Vector's direction. "Sib did what he wanted. So is Ciro. The only difference is, you liked liked what Sib did." what Sib did."

"I love this," Captain Ubikwe snorted. "You're all as charming as snakes. Exactly what did did you do to poor old Sib? And what's this about a 'mutagen'?" you do to poor old Sib? And what's this about a 'mutagen'?"

Trumpet's people ignored him. Min kept her attention focused on Morn and Angus. people ignored him. Min kept her attention focused on Morn and Angus.

Angus still faced Davies. "Well, I don't give a s.h.i.+t what you think. Ciro is working for me now. Instead of kicking him into a corner like a G.o.dd.a.m.n puppy, I'm giving him something to do." do."

"Angus"-Morn raised her voice to make him hear her-"that's not good enough!" Did he call this a better answer? "I'm not interested in how you justify yourself. I want an explanation." I want an explanation."

Angus tore his gaze away from Davies to meet Morn's demand. His whole body was vivid with fury: he looked like he might spring for her throat. But then he seemed to take hold of himself, fight down his vehemence. He may have had some measure of control over his zone implants; may have used them to calm himself. Slowly his pa.s.sion s.h.i.+fted from anger to supplication.

He didn't speak as if he were begging. Nevertheless Morn saw that he was in the grip of an old terror: the same mortal dread which had ruled his life. Driven by that darkness, he'd offered her her black box in exchange for his own survival.

Stiff with reined brutality, he answered, "I don't believe Min f.u.c.king Donner here is as pure as you think, and I don't believe you can protect any of us. Least of all yourself. One way or another, the cops are going to feed us our guts before this is over. That's their job."

The corners of Min's jaw knotted, but she betrayed no other reaction.

"You can probably face that," Angus told Morn. "h.e.l.l, you can probably face anything. But I can't. I am not going to let Has.h.i.+ Lebwohl and his surgical apes get their hands on me again."

He moved toward her until he could close his fists on the edge of the command board. Strain whitened his knuckles. He ignored Min and Dolph and the duty officers; Ciro and Mikka; Vector and Davies: Morn may have been the only person aboard who truly mattered to him.

"I'll back you all the way," he promised. "As far as I can. Until you fail. What you want to do can't work. The cops have all the muscle-and muscle always wins. But I don't care about that. I owe you. I'll try anything to help you.

"But I've already been welded once. I won't go through it again. When I run out of choices, I'm going to take Trumpet Trumpet and leave. And I'll take Ciro with me. He's my insurance. If I'm too busy to do it myself, he can launch enough trouble to let us get away." and leave. And I'll take Ciro with me. He's my insurance. If I'm too busy to do it myself, he can launch enough trouble to let us get away."

He bowed his head momentarily, took a deep breath, then looked at her again.

"Morn, trust me." Traces of pleading left his tone raw. "If you can't do that, trust him." him." A twitch of his head indicated Ciro. "He's right. None of you understand what Sorus Chatelaine did to him. I can use that." A twitch of his head indicated Ciro. "He's right. None of you understand what Sorus Chatelaine did to him. I can use that."

"Use it?" Mikka wheeled on him, her eyes burning like black suns. "You sonofab.i.t.c.h, it?" Mikka wheeled on him, her eyes burning like black suns. "You sonofab.i.t.c.h, use use it?" it?"

"Yes!" he retorted. His gaze clung to Morn; but he projected his voice to the entire bridge. "As of now, this whole d.a.m.n s.h.i.+p has been taken hostage. You are going to follow Morn's orders, and you are going to f.u.c.king like it. Otherwise-"

"Otherwise," Ciro finished for him, "I'll go back to Trumpet Trumpet and set off a grenade." He made the idea sound simple enough to be sane. "I know how. I know all about it." and set off a grenade." He made the idea sound simple enough to be sane. "I know how. I know all about it."

And he might be able to do it. If Angus escorted him.

Captain Ubikwe nodded as if he understood; as if Morn and Angus and Ciro had finally reached the point which had changed his att.i.tude toward being deposed from his command. Before anyone else could react, he cleared his throat loudly enough to catch even Mikka's attention.

"He's protecting us, Min." He faced the ED director formally, with his shoulders square and his chin up, as if he were expecting a reprimand. Embarra.s.sment twisted his mouth: he didn't like defending Angus. Still he went ahead. "Sounds silly, I know. But he did a lot of talking while we were sequestered in Trumpet. Trumpet. Pretty oblique, most of it-but I got the impression he's willing to cover our a.s.ses as well as his own." of a singularity grenade makes us innocent. We haven't been 'derelict in our duty.' We haven't 'given aid and comfort to the enemy.' n.o.body can challenge us for letting Ensign Hyland take over-or for letting her do anything else she wants." His voice took on a subtle ring; a hint of excitement or hope. "The Dragon himself can't challenge us. And he can't fault Director Dios, either. Not when Pretty oblique, most of it-but I got the impression he's willing to cover our a.s.ses as well as his own." of a singularity grenade makes us innocent. We haven't been 'derelict in our duty.' We haven't 'given aid and comfort to the enemy.' n.o.body can challenge us for letting Ensign Hyland take over-or for letting her do anything else she wants." His voice took on a subtle ring; a hint of excitement or hope. "The Dragon himself can't challenge us. And he can't fault Director Dios, either. Not when Trumpet Trumpet is carrying singularity grenades, and a kid who's already lost his mind knows how to use them." is carrying singularity grenades, and a kid who's already lost his mind knows how to use them."

When he stopped, his words seemed to echo off the bulkheads for a moment, as if their potential refused to did away.

Mikka stared dismay at him. For her he might have been speaking in an alien language. Perhaps nothing he said could have penetrated her transfixed distress. But Vector had begun to grin-a harsh smile, whetted by recognition or remorse. Davies shook his head slowly, muttering to himself. Captain Ubikwe's explanation didn't match Ciro's coherent lunacy.

Nevertheless Angus bared his teeth as if he defied argument. He hadn't wanted the bridge to know how he'd involved Ciro-but apparently he liked Dolph's conclusions.

"It won't work." Min's tone cut through the hints of resonance. "Captain Thermopyle is a welded UMCP cyborg. Holt Fasner knows that, even if the Council doesn't. He'll a.s.sume Angus is acting on my orders. Or Warden's. He probably won't believe Angus doesn't answer his priority-codes anymore."

Morn winced inwardly; took a deep breath and held it to steady her racing heart. Holt Fasner knew? The possibilities Captain Ubikwe had raised seemed to vanish as quickly as they'd appeared.

His shoulders slumped. He ducked his head to cover a scowl of disappointment. "In that case," he answered in a growl, "I guess it's up to you. Ensign Hyland has the command station. You've let her sit there all this time." He might have been saying, You let her have my s.h.i.+p. "But you just reminded her she's responsible for the people in her custody. You used the word 'incriminates.' Are you going to try to stop her now?"

"No," Angus snapped defensively, "she isn't. And you aren't either. I don't give a s.h.i.+t what Holt Fasner thinks. My priority-codes don't work anymore, and I'll kill the first a.s.shole who interferes with Morn.

"You want to try me, be my guest. We don't need you anymore. We'll go back to Trumpet. Trumpet. Put a grenade in one of your thruster tubes and Put a grenade in one of your thruster tubes and leave. leave. You'll have some real excitement the next time you try to maneuver." You'll have some real excitement the next time you try to maneuver."

His threat seemed to dominate the bridge; but Min wasn't swayed by it. "Don't lie to yourself, Captain Thermopyle," she responded. "You need us. Morn needs us. And she knows it. She wants to go to Earth. We're her safe-conduct Without us she might as well stay away."

She faced Morn as if she expected Morn to agree with her.

Clenching with tension, Davies waited for her reaction.

Angus had misjudged his leverage. Morn herself had thought it looked stronger than it was.

She felt crowded in by secret desires and conflicting exigencies. Anything she did, any step she took, would satisfy or frustrate purposes she didn't understand. For days she'd had the nascent impression that she and her friends were groping to find their necessary roles in some huge, blind contest between Warden Dios and Holt Fasner; a contest with stakes so high they appalled her. She couldn't begin to guess what form the struggle took-or what it had to do with her. Still her sense of being enmeshed in a bitter and covert battle grew sharper all the time.

Inadvertently, perhaps, Min had given her confirmation. The ED director might have ceded Punisher Punisher to her for any number of reasons; but fear and uncertainty weren't among them. to her for any number of reasons; but fear and uncertainty weren't among them.

One way or another, the UMCP had delivered Morn to Nick. Nick had been allowed to take her off Com-Mine. Yet Angus' programming had compelled him to rescue her.

And later the same transmission which had supplied Nick with Angus' priority-codes had also enabled her and Davies to end Nick's control. Now Angus had blocked those codes altogether.

Could Holt Fasner know that as well? Min believed not.

Could Warden Dios? Angus had said he did.

But when UMCPDA welded Angus, Warden had in decision by staking everything on the people she knew best. Angus and Davies. Mikka and Vector. Herself.

From Captain Ubikwe's g-seat she replied to Min and the rest of the bridge.

"That's true," she admitted slowly. "But this whole discussion is beside the point." I'll back you all the way. I'll back you all the way. "I'm in command. And I don't care what you think about it." "I'm in command. And I don't care what you think about it." But I've already been welded once. I won't go through it again. But I've already been welded once. I won't go through it again. "I've made my decision. "I've made my decision.

"I'm satisfied with Angus' explanation."

Harsh relief flared in Angus' eyes, and Davies winced; but she didn't pause.

"I command this s.h.i.+p," she insisted, "and I'm going to command her until we do what we're going home for. Ciro will stay here, on the bridge." Away from the grenades. "We'll all stay here. But I won't consider myself under your authority again until we've done the job we set out to do."

Without flinching she met Min Donner's gaze-and her own shame.

For a long moment no one spoke. No one appeared to move. Then Captain Ubikwe s.h.i.+fted his weight. Still scowling, he muttered in a heavy voice, "I don't know about you, Min, but I'm practically dying to find out what that 'job' is."

Slowly Min turned toward him. Her hard eyes and strict mouth revealed nothing: whatever she felt was contained by a smoldering self-discipline. She let him see that she was sure-of herself; of what she wanted. Then she s.h.i.+fted her gaze back to Morn.

"It still matters what I think," she p.r.o.nounced. "Don't tell yourself it doesn't. You don't command the UMCP-or UMCPHQ. If you want me to let this go, you'll have to convince me." Before Morn could ask, How? she went on, "Tell me what happened to Ciro. Tell me about Nick Succorso and Sib Mackern."

She might have been saying, Tell me what kind of people you've become.

The question surprised Morn. And yet it made perfect sense to her. Like her, the ED director had to take a position based on less than complete information. Morn hadn't revealed what she meant to do. How else could Min make her own decisions?

Morn desperately did not want to lose the tenuous acceptance Min had granted her so far. Min was right: Morn needed her.

"Captain," Patrice murmured cautiously to Dolph, "we're three minutes from our new tach window."

Captain Ubikwe didn't acknowledge him. Neither did Min. For them, as for everyone else on the bridge, Morn's answer took precedence.

She kept it as brief as she could. Three minutes wasn't much time-and she didn't want to dwell on the pain of losing Sib; or of Ciro's crisis.

In a few quick sentences, she explained who Sorus Chatelaine and Soar Soar were; why they worked for the Amnion; why Nick hated them. Then she described Sorus' attempt to stop were; why they worked for the Amnion; why Nick hated them. Then she described Sorus' attempt to stop Trumpet Trumpet by using Ciro; Nick's reaction when he lost control of Angus; the destruction of Deaner Beckmann's installation; by using Ciro; Nick's reaction when he lost control of Angus; the destruction of Deaner Beckmann's installation; Soar's Soar's pursuit through the swarm; Ciro's cure. She told why Nick had been allowed to set an EVA ambush for pursuit through the swarm; Ciro's cure. She told why Nick had been allowed to set an EVA ambush for Soar Soar-and why Sib had gone with him. She admitted that Ciro had sabotaged Trumpet's Trumpet's drives. drives.

Yet even that short summary made her chest swell with distress. Anger mounted in her voice because she hurt. When she finished, she demanded harshly, "Are you satisfied, Director Donner? Do you think I like like where we are, or what we have to do?" where we are, or what we have to do?"

She expected a harsh retort. Angus seemed to brace himself to support her. Mikka glowered as if she meant to explode if anyone criticized her brother.

But Min's reply was mild: she sounded almost sad. "'Satisfied'?" she asked. "Not really. But I don't blame you for that. I'll accept the consequences of whatever you want to do."

At once she faced Dolph again. "The answer is no, Captain. I'm not going to oppose Ensign Hyland's command. We've come this far with her. We'll go a little farther."

A thin sigh pa.s.sed around the bridge. Relief or regret: Morn couldn't tell which.