We would also be unable to send back a ship toward Lunga to pick up my troopers. Whatever I was going to do, I had to do it before we got to lightspeed.
I had less than two hours to act.
CHAPTER 16
I spent nearly half that time at the computer screen, learning every aspect of the
Blood Hunter, from engine rooms to weapons systems. I was particularly interested in the auxiliary ships that this cruiser carried. They ranged from tiny scouts to shuttles big enough to carry assault teams to a planet’s surface.
I found one that might serve for what I had in mind: a survey ship that had an adequate carrying capacity and enough range and life support to make it all the way back to Lunga. If I could get it off the Blood Hunter before the warship reached lightspeed.
I had to act quickly. I felt a momentary pang of regret that I would have to act against the captain who had tried to befriend me. But, as the reptilian itself had said, war is never pretty.
I had no weapons, but at least I had a decent uniform to wear: the blue of Earth’s sky, with a high choker collar and a wide belt of gold. The buckle was a sunburst symbol, I saw. The emblem of the Golden One. I grimaced with distaste but cinched it around my waist, wishing I had a pistol to hang on it.
Out into the passageway and straight down to the level where the Hegemony scientists were being kept. I passed several Tsihn of various sizes and hues; none of them tried to stop me or even acknowledged my presence in any way. Good. Let me be a nonperson among them.
The hatch to the scientists’ compartment was locked but unguarded. I simply unlocked it and ducked through. They seemed to be preparing for sleep; most of them were sitting on their bunks, a few huddled together in a corner of the chamber, talking.
“On your feet, all of you!” I snapped. “We’re getting off this ship. Now!”
They dithered a bit, but once I told Delos that I was taking them back to Lunga he got them organized in quick order. Now came the hard part: getting all twenty-three of us down to the hangar bay where the survey vessel was docked.
“Stay close together and follow me,” I told them. “If we’re stopped, let me do the talking.”
It almost worked.
We marched along the passageway and down the power ladder to the hangar level. A few Tsihn passed us, but none bothered to ask what we were doing. There were no guards posted inside the ship, but we found a quartet of mechanics working on a damaged scout ship in the repair bay down at the hangar level.
“Nonessential personnel are not allowed in this area,” said the biggest of the mechanics.
“We’re just passing through,” I said.
It was not put off. “Security!” it called to the microphone built into the hangar bulkhead. “Unauthorized humans in the hangar bay!”
I smiled and said, “You’ve done your duty very well. The captain will be pleased with you.”
And walked my gaggle of scientists past him, toward the pod where the survey vessel was housed.
It sat in the pod, a bulky ungainly conglomeration of spherical crew habitats, cargo holds, equipment containers and propulsion engines. It was a true spaceship, never meant to fly in an atmosphere or land on a planet’s surface.
“Get your people aboard quickly,” I said to Delos as I flipped open the cover of the pod’s door controls.
“SECURITY TEAM TO HANGAR POD FOUR,” bellowed the ship’s intercom. “ON THE DOUBLE.”
No time to study the door controls. The Tsihn would override the electronic system from the bridge, anyway. I just reached in and smashed the control panel with my fist. Then I grabbed the overhead door and pulled it shut manually. It moved grudgingly, but within a few seconds I had it closed and manually locked.
The air-lock hatch was another matter. I sprinted into the survey ship and squeezed through its hatch.
“Seal the hatch once everyone’s through,” I said to the nearest scientist as I made my way forward to the cockpit. Delos was already in the pilot’s seat, powering up the ship’s systems. I slid into the other seat.