Dragon and Liberator

CHAPTER 18

For a few seconds Jack lay motionless in the crawl space, staring at the low ceiling above his head as he silently berated his carelessness. He'd gotten so used to dealing with Brummgas and their slow and unimaginative brains that he'd forgotten there were also humans and Valahgua in the mix.

Apparently, one of them had come up with something clever.

"Jack?"

"Yes, I'm here," Jack said, kicking his brain into gear. "Start at the beginning."

He listened as Draycos read Langston's note and then gave his own observations and conclusions. "They're learning, anyway," Jack said when the K'da had finished. "Okay, let's think this through. First of all, I don't suppose you have any idea where they might have put the second Death, do you?"

"Jack, it could be literally anywhere aboard the ship," Draycos said heavily. "As I've told you, its beam can penetrate any number of decks and bulkheads."

"Right, but it'll also kill everyone in its path," Jack said. "I presume the Lordover won't want to sacrifice any more of his allies than he has to."

"Probably, but that's not much help," Draycos said. "He can easily move all the Brummgas and humans out of the line of fire."

"Except for those they can't move," Jack said. "What kinds of duty stations are there around the starboard weapons bay? Anything that absolutely has to be manned? Especially now, as We're about to come off ECHO?"

"There's nothing forward of the main control complex," Draycos said. "All the duty station functions in the bow can be handled from somewhere else. That leaves over a quarter of the ship as possibilities."

"Okay, then, how about power supplies?" Jack suggested. "You hinted earlier that the things had originally been set up in the weapons bays because they needed more power than your average crew mess or monitor station could deliver."

"True, and that does limit their choices somewhat," Draycos said, a cautious hope starting to filter into his voice. "But I'd need to either visit each room or else find a monitor station in order to find out which one they're using."

"Where's the nearest power monitor?" Jack asked, focusing on the ceiling over his head. "Better yet, can I tap into the one here in the control complex?"

"Theoretically, yes," Draycos said. "But you'd need a portable monitor, which we don't have. Other than that, the only centralized monitors would be in auxiliary control, just forward of the engine control complex."

Jack grimaced. The engine complex was way back in the aft section of the ship. "No good," he said. "It'd take you as long to get back there as it would to scope out all the possible rooms in the first place."

"Or at least nearly as long," Draycos conceded. "Perhaps we need to abandon the idea of attacking these weapons before we reach Point Three."

"No," Jack said firmly. "The minute we come off ECHO we're going to have Frost breathing down our necks. If he doesn't catch us, he's sure going to pin us down. If we're going to take out this thing, we need to do it now."

"In that case, I'd best get started checking rooms," Draycos said. "If I find it quickly enough, I should at least be able to guarantee that that one's out of action."

"Assuming that isn't where they've shifted all the Brummgas that used to be guarding this other—" Jack broke off, his breath catching in his throat.

"Jack?"

"It's okay, buddy," Jack said, his brain suddenly racing. "I just had a sudden revelation. Did you actually see the Death weapon in the weapons bay?"

"Yes, of course."

"What direction was it pointing?"

There was a short pause. "It was pointing a hundred and ten degrees port side from the bow," the K'da said slowly. "Just aft of straight across. Odd. They've always been pointed forward, or a few degrees outward from forward."

"All aimed and primed and ready for their upcoming attack, in other words," Jack agreed. "Now, suddenly, they've got one pointed back inward toward the middle of their own ship."

"It's pointed at the other Death weapon," Draycos said, his voice suddenly charged with energy. "They're protecting each other."

"Like a pair of chess knights in mutual guard positions," Jack said. "Now, knowing that, can you tell where the other one's been stashed?"

"Knowing that, there are only two possibilities," Draycos said slowly "The forward machine shop, or the port-side power substation."

"Are both of them close enough?" Jack asked. "Back on Rho Scorvi, you said something about atmosphere limiting the Death's range."

"It's not the atmosphere itself but the density of life within it," Draycos corrected. "As the Death kills, some of its energy is absorbed by the life it's destroying. The atmosphere of a typical planet is full of microorganisms, spores, insects, and other life."

"And we were in a forest at the time," Jack said. "Probably one of your higher-density locations."

"Correct," Draycos said. "Also, the nearness of a planetary mass affects the Death in a way that the artificial gravity of a ship does not. As a result, on a planet the Death has a much smaller range."

"But none of that applies here."

"Correct," Draycos said. "Here the Death will have no problem cutting completely through the ship. However, in a choice between the machine shop and the substation, I would vote for the latter. It has more power available."

"Let's try that one first, then," Jack said. "How long will it take you to get there?"

"At least ten minutes," Draycos said. "The route isn't very straight."

Jack chewed at his lower lip. The idea that was taking shape in the back of his mind was straightforward but tricky.

It was also dangerous. And not just for him and Draycos.

"Shall I get started?" Draycos prompted.

"Better idea," Jack said. "See if Langston can give you a lift."

"You are joking, right?"

"Not at all," Jack said. "If you can get onto his skin without any of the Brummgas in there noticing, he can stroll down the corridor faster and easier than you can travel through the ducts."

"The ducts would be safer."

"Not necessarily." Jack hesitated. "Besides, we owe it to him let him know what's coming."

There was another short silence. "Is there something coming that I don't know about?" Draycos asked.

"I think there is, yes," Jack hedged. "Let me think it through a little more. Meanwhile you go see if you think it's possible to get to Langston."

"Very well," Draycos said. "I'll speak to you again when I can." The comm clip went silent.

For another moment Jack lay where he was, gazing at the floor above him. Then, rolling over, he started crawling toward the next nearest group of wires and cables.

This was going to take more of a diversion than he'd originally thought.

The Brummgas hadn't moved from the positions where Draycos had left them a few minutes earlier. Langston, in contrast, had abandoned his place behind the Death weapon and was moving slowly around the room, gazing at each of the security camera monitors as he passed them.

His path, Draycos saw, would bring him directly beneath the ventilation grille. Keeping an eye on the Brummgas, Draycos got ready.

And as Langston passed beneath the grille, Draycos extended a claw and gave the edge of the grille three quiet scratches.

Langston paused, his head cocked. Draycos repeated the scratching. Langston half-turned to look at the Brummgas standing by the door, then turned back, leaning toward whatever equipment was directly beneath the grille as if he were studying it. "Hello?" he murmured just loud enough for Draycos to hear over the quiet hum of the equipment.

"I'm here" Draycos murmured back, watching the guards closely. There was no reaction there that he could see. "I need to find the other Death weapon."

"I heard someone say they'd moved it to the conference room off the main control complex," Langston offered, pretending to make an adjustment.

"No, it's somewhere nearby," Draycos told him. "The Valahgua expect me to attack this weapon. When I do, they plan to use the other one to kill me."

Langston stiffened. "I see," he muttered. "I wondered why I'd been trusted with this job." He took a deep breath. "Okay. What do you need?"

"Jack has a plan," Draycos said, hoping it was true. "But I need to locate the weapon. I think I know where it is, but it'll be faster if you can carry me part of the way."

"Okay," Langston said. "You ready?"

"One moment." Pulling the comm clip off his ear, Draycos set it beside the grille. It would have been nice to be able to take it with him, but there was no way for a K'da to carry anything while in two-dimensional form. Another thought occurred to him, and he set the clip on mute so that Jack could still hear but not transmit. "Ready."

Langston turned toward the two Brummgas standing guard by the door. "Hey—Vimpru," he called. "How'd you like to hop over to the mess and get me a drink?"

All five Brummgas in the room turned to face him, identical expressions of disbelief and contempt on their faces. The two at the door looked at each other, then deliberately turned their faces away from him. The three at the Death's controls gazed at him a moment longer, then did likewise.

Smiling tightly, Langston lifted his hand and poked a finger through the grille. Draycos touched it and slid up the man's sleeve onto his arm.

Draycos felt a shiver run through Langston's skin as he settled himself across the other's back, legs, and arms. "Whoa," Langston murmured. "That's . . . interesting. Out of sight, now."

Turning on his heel, he headed for the door. "Fine—I'll get it myself," he said as he passed between the two guards. "Lieutenant Pickering won't be happy to hear you weren't being helpful."

Neither Brummga bothered to answer. Keying the door, Langston exited the room.

The corridor outside was very quiet. "I see they've moved everyone else out of the line of fire," Langston commented. "Which way?"

"To the right," Draycos said, flicking out his tongue. There was nothing nearby but Langston's own scent and that of distant Brummgas. "We're heading toward the forward power substation on the port side."

"Got it."

Langston started down the corridor, his footsteps sounding unnaturally loud in the quiet. Easing his head along the other's chest, Draycos peered out through his collar.

This wasn't one of the main cross-ship corridors that cut a nice straight path between starboard and port-side hulls. This was instead one of those that meandered all over the place, angling and teeing every thirty feet or so as it worked its way around the more oddly shaped rooms at the ship's bow.

"It's forward to that T-junction, left, right, and left again, correct?" Langston asked.

"Yes, but I can't let you go that far," Draycos told him. "You told the Brummgas you were going for a drink. Just take me to the nearest mess room and I'll be gone."

Langston continued on in silence another few steps. "I think I can do a little better than that," he said. "What's Jack's plan?"

"I don't know yet," Draycos admitted. "I'll need to get back in the ducts before I can find out."

"He's in the ducts, too?"

"No, but my comm clip is," Draycos said. "I can't carry anything in two-dimensional form."

"No problem." Langston dug something out of his side pocket and pressed it against the base of his throat. "Here."

Draycos lifted his head slightly and focused on it. "Your comm clip?" he asked, frowning.

"A spare, actually," Langston said. "You can reset it to your private frequency and pattern specs and call Jack without having to go back into the ducts."

"Excellent," Draycos said. "Thank you." Lifting his front paws from Langston's chest, he took the comm clip and started adjusting its settings.

He was still working at it when Langston took a sharp turn to the right, keyed open a door, and went inside a room.

A room with the well-remembered aroma of permanent disinfectant. "A relief station?" Draycos asked.

"Why not?" Langston countered. "Low ceilings, no cameras, and as much privacy as we're going to get. And we're only three rooms away from your power substation."

"You're also way too far from your station here," Draycos warned. "There are two other relief stations closer to the starboard weapons bays."

"Both of which have been fitted with Brummga-sized equipment," Langston countered. "No, we token humans usually use one of the three that were left the way you and your Shontine friends originally had them. Perfectly normal behavior for me to be here. You ready with that yet?"

"Just finished." Draycos keyed on the comm clip. "Jack?"

"Here," Jack's voice came. "You find it?"

"Not yet," Draycos said. "But we're near the substation, and I can get into the ducts from here."

"Keep your voice down, will you?" Jack warned. "I can hear Brummgas in the background."

"That's coming from the comm clip I left by the weapons bay grille," Draycos assured him. "I'm using Sergeant Langston's spare comm clip."

"Oh," Jack said, sounding a bit taken aback. "Okay."

"Should I have hidden the other comm clip better?" Draycos asked. "It is muted, so they can't listen in."

"No, that's okay," Jack said. "Actually . . . yes, actually, that could turn out to be useful."

"I gather you have a plan?" Langston asked.

"Yes, I think so," Jack said. "How are you doing, Langston?"

"They don't trust me, but they're being good enough to give me plenty of rope with which to hang myself," Langston said.

"Sounds like Neverlin's style," Jack said. "How game are you to wrap some of that rope around your neck?"

"I'll do whatever's necessary," Langston said, his voice calm but deadly serious. "I'm a warrior." He looked sideways down at Draycos's face pressed against his shoulder. "Draycos understands."

"I think I'm starting to, too," Jack said. "Okay, here's the scheme."

Quickly, concisely, he laid it out for them. "Going to take some careful timing," Langston commented when he'd finished.

"Yes, but with three comm clips I think we can pull it off," Jack said. "My biggest question is for Draycos."

"Don't worry about me," Draycos told him, ignoring the creeping feeling shivering across his scales. No, he certainly didn't want to do this. Not this way.

But he could see no other way to do what had to be done. "As Sergeant Langston said, we're warriors. We do whatever is necessary."

"You also do what's right," Jack reminded him. "Is this going to conflict with that?"

"I do not kill without need," Draycos said. "Not even enemies. But this is a war of survival. I'll do whatever is necessary."

"Especially given what's at stake," Langston murmured.

"Yes," Draycos said. "Let's get on with it."

"Okay, then," Jack said. There was still some lingering doubt in the boy's voice, but he clearly knew better than to press the issue. "Get into the ducts and confirm the other Death is actually there. Langston, you get back to your station. Don't forget to pick up a drink on the way—that was your excuse for leaving, remember."

"Right," Langston said. "You need a hand, Draycos?"

"No, thank you." Draycos leaped out of Langston's collar, landing on one of the relief station's dividers. Balancing there, he got a claw under the corner of the ventilation grille and popped the hidden catch. "Ready."

"Good luck," Langston said, holding out his hand.

Reaching down, Draycos touched the outstretched hand with his paw. "And to you," he said. Turning, he swung the grille open and crawled inside.

I'll do whatever is necessary, the words echoed through his mind as he started toward the power substation. Whatever is necessary.