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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] proposition. "Nothing," Hawks tried to assure it, although he was grateful that Ali ben Suda was on hand, as well, a human used to conversing with it. "We are liberators, not new enslavers." The Makkikor considered that. "Almost all enslavers began as liberators," it noted. "In my history, in your history. Such power will corrupt anyone. Human history is genocidal. I fear that even if we are liberated and grow out into space as our forefathers tried to do, we will meet the vastness of humanity doing the same." "There are no guarantees," Hawks admitted. "I promise nothing, I guarantee nothing. In terms of the future, I can speak only for myself. We have no choice in this matter, really. Not you, not me. Our people yours and mine stagnate. We are strangled, slowly, by a dictator both ruthless and all-powerful yet for benevolent reasons. This must cease. What happens when its hold is broken is something I cannot say, but it is an unacceptable present versus the unknown future. I fear that future for my people as much as you fear it for your own, but I am committed. The system we face now is wrong. What might be is not something I can be concerned about. I believe it is as fitting for my people to be involved in this enterprise as it is fitting that one of your race also be here. It can only be said that we took the risks and struck the blows, Makkikor and Hyiakutt among them. For me, that is sufficient. That is as much as I can expect, and it will not be forgotten." The Makkikor seemed to think on that. It had wound up with ben Suda because of a chance run-in on one of those freebooter worlds where ships were cannibalized to keep the other ships running. Why it had signed oil was never clear, but it had been loyal and a superior engineer Bahakatan was the best-run and best-maintained ship of all the freebooter craft. It had come here because its ship was here, and it had stayed mostly to itself all these years, working on not only its own craft but the others, as well. "I am old," the Makkikor said. "Old and tired. I will do it not because I believe that what comes after will be any better, nor for what your people call honor, nor for loyalty or ideals or any of those things. I am too old to have retained any such feelings if I once had them. I will do it because I wish to die among my own kind. I will do it because between the time the old way dies and the new is organized might well be longer than I have left, and certainly longer than it would take me to go home." "Each of us acts for his or her own reasons," Hawks responded. "I do not ask for motives, only for accomplishment." "These ships. You say they are approximately a hundred kilometers apart?" "Yes. That's an average, of course." "Too far for a jet pack, then, but power consumption must be minimal or they Page 108 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html will be upon us. Lightning is a good ship but we cannot risk burst after burst of even low-level power. We will prepare a fighter Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html with the most basic of drives, more pressure than anything else. We will take our time. Out, then back, to each ship and back to Lightning, which should remain relatively stationary in the midst of the fleet. Very well. Let us get to work on it." Raven, too, was working on his end. Since volunteering he seemed almost a changed man, although if anything his cigar consumption had gone up along with rather conspicuous consumption of the fine wines and liquors left behind by Savaphoong. But using Thunder's maintenance robots, he had slimmed down the shape of Espiritu Luzon, eliminated much weight, reinforced the shields to the maximum that was possible, and added additional armament. Hawks surveyed the work approvingly. "It doesn't look like you intend to lose," he noted. "Try to save a few of them for us." Raven chuckled. "Oh, there'll be plenty left, Chief. No question about that. This is a diversion, though, not a suicide mission. Oh, sure, any fool can see I'm gonna get creamed, but I ain't makin' it easy for nobody. If I can buy the time and still get out with my skin, I'm gonna do it. They're gonna figure it's a diversion from the start we're only hopin' they're gonna be lookin' for the big attack instead of where we're really workin', but they won't take me none too serious. I figure there's a littletiny chance out of this. If there is, I ain't gonna get blown to bits 'cause I overlooked something." Hawks nodded. "When will you be ready?" "Never if I had my choice, but as good as I'm gonna be in three, maybe four more days. What about that Makkikor and Lightning!" "Ready now. The construction of the cores has gone well and they all have been tested. They can run the ships' systems, follow all offensive and defensive security commands, and will be tied in with our own master battle network. Enough brains and enough basic data to get the job done but no personality. Sort of like Savaphoong's poor slaves aboard here. You decide what to do about them?" Raven shrugged. "Ain't nothin' do with 'em. They're transmuted. They ain't gonna ever be more than to beautiful bodies and empty heads. They got no future and you know it. I figured I'd just take 'em along for the ride. Might as well be decadent while I'm bein' noble." "I feel somewhat dirty in allowing that, but they have no capacity for making their own choice or even contemplating their own mortality. I should take them off, but they have no place here, and I refuse to allow anyone here to get used to some people being mindless slaves. Very well. Take them. They will be on my own conscience." Raven grinned. "You got too much of that conscience shit, Chief. You can't carry the guilt of the universe. All you're gonna give yourself is a damned heart attack that way, and wouldn't that be ironic? You droppin' dead before you even saw the rings bein' used?" Hawks thought about his conversation with the Makkikor. Were it not for Cloud Dancer and the children, he wondered if a heart attack at such a time might not be a mercy. Instead he said, "Every day another ship or two comes into the system. Every day I feel the pressure ofmore, perhaps the SPF, as well, closing in on our backs. The window is small and getting smaller, Raven. Four days. Four days from right now." He paused. "You can still back out, you know." The Crow grinned. "Chief, I wouldn't back out of this for all five rings and Master System, too. I'll be ready. You just be sure that Page 109 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html Lightning gets where it has to and does its job. You decided who's gonna fly it, by the way?" Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html "We've run trials with Kaotan on just about everyone. It's clear we need two aboard just in case, and Maria and Midi are the best choice but I want them on the ground with me if we get through. I don't want them stuck out there, and I don't want to deal with Matriyehan orphans. It's simply too much of a problem to adapt the ship for the Alititians. The same goes for the Chows, and I want experienced people there. I'm going to send Ali ben Suda because he knows the Makkikor as well or better than anyone else alive and is a damned good captain, and I'm also sending Chun Wo Har. That's two good captains who also want to participate in the end." "Good enough for me," Raven told him. "Let's go before I die of all this damned luxury." The four days passed all too quickly. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |