“Didn’t the mutineers sabotage your spare emergency rocket?”
“I’ll take the escape capsule that Lilith and Habibula got here in.”
“What will keep the invaders from picking you off like they did the mutineers?”
“I’ll maneuver behind the ice asteroid,” I said.
“Get up velocity and cut the rockets before I come out.
I’ll coast down the cone. With the rockets dead, they may not detect me.” “Or, again, they may!”
He gave me a mirthless, red-eyed grin.
“What weapons will you carry?”
“That’s a problem,” I said.
“The mutineers wrecked our big proton-guns—which might be useless anyhow.
The best chance I can think of is a couple of tons of cathode plates from the atomic power plant, with an improvised detonator—”
“To turn the capsule into a nuclear missile?”
He nodded slowly hi that blood-colored dusk.
“You’re willing to pilot such a missile—on such a desperate strike?”
“I’m going to try.” I turned to the dome again, to study that fearful funnel swelling at the heart of the anomaly, the captured asteroid burning brighter now and nearer the center.
“We’ve no more than three hours to try anything.”
“Lars!”
Lilith’s hand clung to mine. “Lars—”
I squeezed her hand, let her go.
“Come along, Habibula.”
I started out of the dome.
“If you’re so clever with machines, you can help me rig a detonator for those uranium plates—”
“Wait a moment, Ulnar!”
Ken Star’s lifted voice interrupted me.
“I approve the general outline of your plan—just because it looks better than no plan at all.
But I’m going to revise a few details.”
“Yes, sir.”
I stopped obediently, hovering in the dark above the cherry-glinting instruments.
“I welcome your suggestions, sir.”
“I’m making two changes hi your plan,” Star said.
“First, I’ll pilot the capsule myself—”
“Sir!”
“Listen, Captain!” Ken Star barked sternly at me.
“Remember your duty here.
Nowhere Near may be a wreck, but it’s still your command.
You haven’t been relieved—”
“Sir, you could relieve me—”
“I could, but I won’t.”
“But, sir, you aren’t fit for such a desperate strike.
You’re already exhausted—”
“Lilith has given me a shot.
Considering the nature of the mission, I’m more fit than you are for it.
I’ve spent most of my life studying this anomaly.
I welcome—gladly welcome the bare possibility that I may live to see it from the other side.”
“Sir, it’s—suicide!”
“It was your own idea, Captain—and I rank you in the Legion!”
His low chuckle rippled through the gloom.
“I’ll pilot the capsule.
And I’m making one other change in your plan.”
“Yes, sir,” I muttered.