The Dragon Never Sleeps

— 135 —

The starspace journey became dreary fast. There was only so much planning possible. Once everyone had added to the wishlist, there was nothing left but routine duty and watching stores dwindle. Turtle spent his time with Midnight, trying to know her while he could.

Time's gnawing had become obvious. Blessed was troubled. Then Midnight herself caught on, at least unconsciously. She suffered mild depressions. They would get worse.

Turtle was nursing her through a spate of tears when Provik appeared. "Better come forward." His tone was grim.

A crowd had gathered. One of his people had held his seat. "It's set to run."

He ran the tape.

A recon probe ripped past. "Twenty minutes ago." Two more followed, barely detectable. Calculation indicated they had come from the vicinity of Starbase.

"VII Gemina. WarAvocat figured it out."

His people had run the options. They had found what he expected. There were no options.

The rider did not carry foodstuffs enough and could recycle nothing but air and water. It had not been designed for protracted independent operation.

They were committed to the shortest possible starspace run.

One of his people said, "If ten of us were to..."

"No."

"It would give the rest more time."

"No."

"Better ten dead than all dead."

"Better no dead than ten."

"Sir..."

"The subject is closed. And I will not tolerate disobedience. Find out what resources we have. Hospital, chemicals normally used for other purposes, vermin, whatever." He had a despicable idea. "Anyone kills himself, the rest of us will eat him." His gorge rose but he meant it. They knew that. None would subject his comrades to that.

"We begin strict rationing. We avoid activity as much as possible."

Turtle made a course adjustment. It would take two days longer to reach the strand, away from where it had intersected his earlier course. It was the best he could do.

All systems went down to minimal. He ran Stealth and SCAM patterns to blind active scans, launched an ECM probe programmed to look like a ridership trying to do a sneak down his former course. He sent a second probe off on a likely alternate course. He reviewed the tricks they had used in the old days. Some should be good still.

He hoped Hanaver Strate was WarAvocat VII Gemina still.