Part 28 (2/2)
”I told you he wasn't a phager.” It was the woman's voice.
Craning, Gollem saw she was no girl-girl and had a remarkable absence of chin. The chimpanzee eventually introduced himself as Chief Medic Kranz.
”What kind of s.h.i.+p is that?” the woman asked as he struggled into his suit.
”A derelict,” he told them. ”Phagerunners were using it. My teammate's stoned. All he needs is air.”
”The power units,” said Kranz. ”I'll help you bring them over.”
”No need for you to go in-I've got them ready to go. Just give me a couple of metabolite cores totake back to start the air cleaning.”
Unsuspicious, Kranz motioned the woman to show the way to their stores. Gollem saw that their base was one big cheap bubble behind a hard-walled control module. The molly hadn't even seamed together under the film; a couple of pebbles would finish them. The ward had twenty-odd burn cases in coc.o.o.ns. Themis didn't bother much with burns.
An old s.p.a.cerat minus a lot of his original equipment came wambling over to open up. Gollem loaded as much metabolite as he could carry and headed for the lock. At the port the woman grabbed his arm.
”You will help us?” Her eyes were deep green. Gollem concentrated on her chin.
”Be right back.” He cycled out.
Ragnarok was on a tether he didn't recall securing. He scrambled over, found the end fouled in the lock toggles. If there had been tumble-bye-bye.
When he got inside he heard Topanga's voice. He hustled up the shaft.
Once again he was too late.
While he'd been in the stores unsuspicious Chief Medic Kranz had suited up and beat him into Ragnarok.
”This is a very sick woman, s.p.a.cer,” he informed Gollem.
”The legal owner of this derelict, doctor. I'm taking her to Coronis Base.”
”I'm taking her into my ward right now. We have the facilities. Get those power units.”
He could see Topanga's eyes close.
”She doesn't wish to be hospitalized.”
”She's in no condition to decide that,” Kranz snapped.
The metabolite was on board. Doctor Chimpanzee Kranz appeared to have elected himself a drives.h.i.+p ride to nowhere. Gollem began drifting toward the ignition panel, beside Topanga's web.
”I guess you're right, sir. I'll help you prepare her and we'll take her in.”
But Kranz's little hand had a little stungun in it.
”The power units, s.p.a.cer.” He waved Gollem toward the shaft.
There weren't any power units.
Gollem backed into the metabolite, watching for the stunner to waver. It didn't. There was only one chance left, if you could call it a chance.
”Topanga, this good doctor is going to take you into his hospital,” he said loudly. ”He wants you where he can take good care of you.”
One of Topanga's eyelids wrinkled, sagged down again. An old, battered woman. No chance.
”Can you handle her, doctor?”
”Get that power now.” Kranz snapped the safety off.
Gollem nodded sourly and started downshaft as slowly as he could. Kranz came over to watch him, efficiently out of reach. What now? Gollem couldn't reach the ignition circuits from here even if he knew how to short them.
Just as he turned around to look for something to fake a power cell it happened.
A whomp like an imploding mollybubble smacked into the shaft. Chief Medic Kranz sailed down in a slow cartwheel.
”Good girl!” Gollem yelled. ”You got him!” He batted the stunner out of Kranz' limp glove and kicked upward. When his head cleared the shaft he found he was looking into the snout of Topanga's jolter.”Get out of my s.h.i.+p,” she rasped. ”You lying suitlouse. And take your four-eyed, needle-sucking friend with you!”
”Topanga, it's me-it's Golly-”
”I know who you are,” she said coldly. ”You'll never trap me.”
”Topanga!” he cried. A bolt went by his ear, rocking him.
”Out!” She was leaning down the shaft, squeezing on the jolter.
Gollem backed slowly down, collecting Kranz. The witch figure above him streamed biotape and bandages, the hair that once shone red standing up like white fire. She must be breathing pure phage, he thought.
Can't last long. All I have to do is go slow.
”Out!” She screamed. Then he saw she had Kranz's oxy tube clamped under one arm. This seemed to be his day for underestimating people.
”Topanga,” he began to plead and had to dodge another jolt-bolt. She couldn't go on missing forever. He decided to haul Kranz out and cut back into the s.h.i.+p through the emergency port. He recalled seeing a welding torch in the medbase port rack.
He boosted Kranz along the tether and into the medbase lock. The woman was waiting on the other side. As the port opened he pushed Kranz at her and grabbed the welder. The chinless wonder learned fast-she flung herself on the welder and started to wrestle. There was solid woman-muscle under her whites, but he got a fist where her jaw should have been and threw himself back into the lock.
As it started to cycle he realized she had probably saved his life.
The outer lock had a viewport through which he could see Ragnarok's vents. The starfield behind them was dissolving.
He let out an inarticulate groan and slammed the reverse cycle to Jet himself back into Medbase. As soon as it cracked he bolted through, carrying the medics to the deck. The port behind him lit up like a solar flare.
They all stared at the silent torrent of flame pouring out of Ragnarok. Then she was moving, faster, faster yet. The jetstream swung and the port went black.
”It's burning! Get the foam!”
Kranz grabbed a sealant cannister and they raced to the edge of the hardwall area, where Ragnarok's exhaust had seared the bubble. When the burns were sealed the s.h.i.+p was a dwindling firetail among the stars.
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