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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] Fargo said, Sounds good, if you can really get something out of an old robot. Isthat all you ve got here? The wreck of an alien ship, too, that the Inventors Union might pay a lot for. Why should they? Is there anything on the ship? That s what we aim to find out, and we don t figure on delaying things with talk. Are you going to help us or do we poke holes in your suits and let out all that nice air? As it happens, said Fargo, we re attached to our air. My buddy here is a robotics expert, so let him approach that monster. The three pirates touched fingers and conferred in sound, the waves being carried by the material of the suits. The first pirate, clearly the leader, switched back to radio. You have one chance, he said. If you can handle the robot, fine! If not, say good-bye to each other real fast, because we re not going to wait for you to say your prayers. Jeff used rocket microsurges to bring himself down to the asteroid surface and approached Mentor First in the slow, swaying steps enforced by a nearly gravitationless world. He touched Mentor First and said, telepathically and in Jamyn, --Hold on, First, Fargo and I have come to.... --I recognized your ship, said Mentor First telepathically. I am recharged and in much better health, but this weapon is nearly exhausted. I have very few options. I could tear off their suits and kill them, but I cannot bring myself to destroy living things. It is against my programming. And yet I must keep them from taking the ship. The pirate leader said tensely to Fargo, How did your pal get past the repulsion field? And is he talking to that thing? How can he talk to an alien robot? Maybe it s not an alien robot, said Fargo. It could be an advanced experimental gadget of Space Command. My pal would be able to speak to a Command robot. He knows Martian Swahili. But while Fargo and Jeff had been engaging the attention of the pirates, theHopeful had been edging closer to the pirate ship. Now theHopeful plunged outward and away from the asteroid, dragging the pirate ship with it so the pirates would be stranded. A force grapple, shouted the pirate leader waving his weapons furiously. You tell your friends to bring it back or you both die. You have one minute to convince me my ship is being brought back. It s mutiny, shouted Fargo, shaking his gloved fist at theHopeful. They ve taken over our ship, stolen yours, and marooned us all. Killing us won t get you off the asteroid now. We ve got to do something fast. If you don t have any ideas, I do. Like what? asked the pirate. His gun lowered as the uselessness of killing Fargo penetrated. We persuade this robot, probably a Command robot, to join us and usehim.. .. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html You talk Martian Swahili, too? A little. Fargo, while still talking rapidly and ignoring the guns that were pointing at him, walked over to Jeff and the Mentor. He put his hands on Jeff s suit. --It s a great thing to have linguistic ability, to say nothing of dragon bites. Try to look as though you re talking with Mentor First, and follow my lead. He called back on radio to the pirates, and said, My buddy knows how to push this big robot s obedience buttons, so that s no problem, and there s something on the wreck--1 don t know what--that will help us get those ships back. My buddy has to get behind the wreck because there s one piece of equipment.... He pushed Jeff energetically in the direction of the wreck and continued to talk smoothly and persuasively, while the pirates, unable to decide what to do, had no choice but to listen. Hidden behind the alien ship, Jeff found Norby waiting for him with both small ships nearby. He took Norby s hand, and telepathically asked, --What s going on? Norby responded, --You know Fargo. He s got it all figured out. He wants you to take the Hopeful and place it above the pirates. --What about you? --I ll rescue father, and then I have to readjust theHopeful for some heavy duty lifting before we can lift the Jamyn ship, Norby said, moving off. Inside theHopeful, Jeff took off his space helmet and sat down at the controls. He did not have Fargo s touch at manipulating theHopeful, but spaceships were all but foolproof, thanks to the computers they carried, and Jeff had had at least the preliminaries of an education in spacecraft control. As the ship came over the pirates, Jeff saw Norby move up unnoticed behind Mentor First, seize one arm, and then lift upward with increasing speed, taking Mentor First with him, while Fargo was busily and energetically engaged in pointing in the other direction. Norby slid into theHopeful easily and then helped Mentor First get through the airlock. Fortunately theHopeful s control room was large. With deep concern Jeff asked What about Fargo? He s next, Norby said. The little robot ejected himself from theHopeful and looking like a small metal barrel with a lid partly open, hurled himself at the pirates. Jeff could not tell what the pirates were saying or doing, but they had clearly noticed that Mentor First was gone, and their guns were pointing at Fargo, when one of them noticed Norby speeding down upon them. As the pirates scattered, Norby grabbed Fargo, zoomed away from the asteroid, and headed back to theHopeful. And just then, Jeff saw five ships of the Command Fleet approaching, their lights Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html blazing like bright stars in the sky. 12 HOSTAGE When the airlock closed, Jeff quickly settled theHopeful behind the large alien ship while Mentor First watched. How was that for adventure and drama Fargo said jubilantly as he and Norby came into the control room. Listen, Fargo, when did you send for the fleet? asked Jeff with a scowl. At the very start, little brother. And why didn t you tell me? Because it was going to take time for the ships to get here. They don t hypertravel, and I had to jolly the pirates along till then. And you re no actor, kid. You d have given it away and they d have shot us down and taken off in their ship. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |