“Pass us through,” the officer of their escort demanded. “We’ve got a potential
riot situation back there.”
The guards were Australia. The lettering and emblem proclaimed it. Reluctantly
the squad opened the emergency doors and let them through the passage.
Thereafter was blue dock, where Norway occupied a berth next India, Australia,
and Europe. Damon walked, beginning to feel shock from his injuries, if not
pain. There was only the military here, troops coming and going, supply bales
being loaded by military crews in fatigues.
Norway’s access tube gaped before them. They walked the ramp, into the passage,
passed through that chill into the airlock. Others met them, troops all with
Norway’s emblem.
“Talley,” one said with a surprised grin. “Welcome back, Talley.”
Josh bolted. He made it as far as the middle of the access tube before they
caught him.
iv
Pell: Norway; blue dock; 1/8/53; 1930 hrs.
Signy looked up from her desk, for a moment dialed down the com noise, the
reports of her troops on the docks and elsewhere. She gave a quizzical smile at
the guards and at Talley. He was considerably the worse for wear… unshaven,
diry, bloody. There was a swelling on his jaw.
“Come to see me?” she mocked him. “I hadn’t thought you’d ask again.”
“Damon Konstantin… they’ve got him aboard. The troops have got him. I thought
you’d want to talk to him.”
That perplexed her. “You’re trying to turn him in, are you?”
“He’s here. We both are. Get him out of there.”
She leaned back, looked curiously at him. “So you do talk straight,” she said.
“You never talked.”
And now he had nothing to say.
“They played games with your mind,” she observed. “And now you’re a friend of
Konstantin’s, are you?”
“I appeal to you,” he said in a faint voice.
“On what grounds?”
“Reason. He’s useful to you. And they’ll kill him.”
She regarded him from half-lidded eyes. “Glad to be back, are you?” There was a
call blinking, which was something com evidently could not handle.
She dialed up the sound and punched it through. “There’s a fight broken out,”
she heard, “at McCarthy’s.”
“Di out of there?” she asked. “Give me Di.”
“Busy,” she heard. She waved a hand at the guards, dismissing the business of
Talley. Another light was flashing.
“Mallory!” Talley shouted at her, being forced out the door.
“Europe’s wanting you,” Com said. “Mazian’s on.”
She punched through. They had gotten Talley out, to lock him up somewhere, she
hoped.
“Mallory here, Europe.”
“What’s going on over there?”
“I’ve got trouble on the dock, sir. Janz needs instruction, by your leave, sir.”
She punched out on him. “He’s down,” she was hearing on another channel.
“Captain, Di’s shot.”
She clenched a fist and held it back from the unit “Get him out, get him out,
what officer am I talking to?”
“This is Uthup,” a woman’s voice came back. “One of Australia’s shot Di.”
She punched another button. “Get me Edger. Quick!”
“We’re through the door,” she heard from Uthup. “We got Di.”
“General alert Norway troops. We have dock trouble. Get out there!”
“Edger here,” she heard. “Mallory, call your hounds in.”
“Call yours in, Edger, or I’ll shoot them on sight. They’ve shot Di Janz.”
“I’ll stop it,” he said, and cut out. alert was sounding in Norway’s corridors,
a raucous klaxon, blue lights flashing. Boards and screens in her office were
coming to life as the ship turned out to emergency ready.
“We’re coming in,” Uthup’s voice came back. “He’s still with us, captain.”
“Get him in, Uthup, get him in.”
“Going down there, captain.” That was Graff, heading to the dock. She started
pushing buttons, hunting a visual and cursing at the techs; someone should have
it on vid. She found it, the group coming in carrying more than one of their
number, Norway troops pouring out onto the dock in haste and taking up positions
around the umbilicals and access. “Get med on the com,” she ordered.
“Med’s ready,” she heard, watched a familiar figure reach the troops and take
charge. Graff was out there. She found leisure for a quieter breath.
“Europe’s still holding,” com advised her. She punched that channel.