Starplex

There were other Waldahudin ships in the area, but they were tiny one-person fighter craft. The big black vessel must have been their mothership.

Rissa exhaled noisily.

“You acted well,” said Longbottle gently. “You did what you had to.”

She said nothing.

The UN ships were banking now—New Beijing was a human-dolphin colony—and coming in to attack the small Waldahud fighters. The Rumrunner buffeted slightly as it passed through the cloud of expelled atmosphere from the destroyed battleship.

Rissa’s console beeped. She looked at the glowing red indicator, like a drop of blood, but did not move. Longbottle eyed her for a moment, then nosed the similar control in his tank. A woman’s voice came over the speakers. “This is Liv Amundsen, commander of the United Nations police forces at Tan Ceti, to Starplex auxiliary craft.” Rissa glanced at her monitors. Amundsen’s ship was still three light-minutes away; no point in trying a real-time conversation. “We have identified your transponder signal. Thank you for your timely arrival. Our casualties are heavy—over two hundred dead—but you’ve saved New Beijing. You can bet they’ll pin a medal on your chest, whoever you are aboard that ship. Over.”

A medal, thought Rissa. Jesus Christ, they give medals.

“Rissa?” said Longbottle. “Do you want me—?”

Rissa shook her head. “No. No, I’ll do it.” She tapped a key. “This is Dr. Clarissa Cervantes aboard the Rumrunner; I’m here with a dolphin pilot named Longbottle. Starplex was also attacked by Waldahud forces; it headed through the shortcut network to destination unknown, but may require emergency drydock facilities. Can you accommodate?”

She watched the stars drift by as she waited for her signal to reach Amundsen’s ship, and the reply to make its way back. The Waldahud forces were repelled at Tau Ceti, said the history book in her mind. But what was the next chapter? Two hundred from Earth or its colonies were dead… Dolphins didn’t believe in vengeance, but would the humans demand it? Would this be the one skirmish, or were we about to see all-out war?

“Negative, Dr. Cervantes,” came Amundsen’s voice, at last. “Our dock facilities were the first thing the Waldahudin fired on.” Of course, thought Rissa. Pearl Harbor all over again. “Suggest Starplex try the Flatland drydocks—although it should be careful when moving through the shortcut to there. Remember, a G-class subgiant recently emerged from that shortcut. We can, however, offer repair services here for a small ship such as yours.”

Rissa looked at her monitors. The battle wasn’t quite over. Police ships were still engaging a few Waldahud craft, although some of the invaders seemed to have surrendered, jettisoning their own engine pods.

“We more fuel need,” said Longbottle to Rissa. “And thrusters must be allowed to cool—I overworked them badly.”

“Fine,” said Rissa into her microphone. “We’re coming in.” She nodded to Longbottle, and he rotated in his tank, moving the ship. Rissa’s heart was still pounding. She closed her eyes, and tried not to think of what she had done.

Chapter XIX

“Lianne, damage report!” snapped Keith.

“I’m still tabulating everything from the battle, but there were no new problems caused by the high-speed shortcut passage.”

“What about casualties?”

Lianne tilted her head, listening to reports over her audio implant. “No deaths. Lots of bone fractures, though. Couple of concussions. Nothing too serious. And Jessica Fong got out of docking bay sixteen all right, although she has a broken hip and arm, and a lot of bruising.”

Keith nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. He looked around the hole bubble, trying to make out detail in the faint smudges of white against black infinity. “God,” he said under his breath.

“All the gods,” replied Jag, softly, “are a very, very long way from here.”

Thor turned around and looked at Jag. “It is intergalactic space, isn’t it.”

Jag lifted his upper shoulders in agreement.

“But—but I’ve never heard of any shortcut exit this far out,” said Lianne.

“Shortcuts have only existed for a finite time,” said Jag. “Even hyperspace signals from one in intergalactic space might not have reached any of the Commonwealth worlds yet.”

“But how can there be a shortcut in intergalactic space?” asked Thor. “What’s it anchored to?”

“That’s a very good question,” said Jag, bending his head down to look at his instruments. “Ah—there it is. Check your hyperspace scanner, Magnor. There’s a large black hole about six light-hours from here.”

Thor let out a low whistle. “Adjusting course. Let’s give it a wide berth.”

“Are we in any danger from it?” asked Keith.

“Not much, boss—unless I fall asleep at the wheel.”

Jag touched some controls, and a framed-off area appeared in the holo bubble. But the space inside the frame was just as empty and black as the space outside it.