Part 12 (1/2)
”Lead the way.”
In response, she opened a door on their left, this one a panel that silently slid to a tight close behind them.
They found themselves in a hall or walkway about five feet wide that completely encircled a sealed chamber walled off from them by a barrier of some colorless, transparent material. The ceiling above the enclosed place was a ma.s.s of lights and odd instruments as complex in appearance as the bridge of the Solar Queen. The floor was a seamless sheet of dull-finished metal.
The whole place was empty save for a single metal sphere approximately one foot in diameter resting in splendid isolation in what appeared to be its exact center.
”The control panel's over here,” the technician told them.
They followed her a quarter around the perimeter of the room until they came to a two-foot-square board of dials and gauges that made a fitting complement to the bewildering ceiling inside.
”That ball is a miniature laboratory,” Adroo explained.
”We put the substance to be tested in the bottom half, seal on the top, and introduce whatever forces or elements we want while the sensors fixed on the interior monitor the results. Despite being easily handled, it's a st.u.r.dy little device and is equipped with escape valves to release gases before they can build up dangerous pressure levels.”
Jellico tapped the crystal wall separating them from the ball. ”Shatterproof?”
”Of course. We don't take chances when dealing with potentially hazardous materials. Those b.a.l.l.s are strong, but they're not invincible, and neither are my staff members who have to deal with them.”
”What now?”
”We're more or less simulating the hold of a freighter. We packed a proportionally equivalent volume of ammonium nitrate in the lab, and now we're going to subject it to some abuse.”
”Electricity first, sir?” the white-garbed woman asked. ”Or a spark?”
”I believe Doctor Cofort mentioned a sudden, sharp rise in temperature. Try direct contact with fire.”
”Very good, sir.”
She bent over her console. Her fingers deftly touched one b.u.t.ton, then moved to a finely calibrated dial. Immediately, a slender wire descended from the ceiling. It hovered over the sphere an instant before finding and entering a small hole at its top. ”We'll start out with a relatively cool flame, like that of a normal fire,” she said, ”and increase the temperature every few milliseconds until there's a reaction ...”
A sudden, searing flash lit the sealed chamber followed almost in the same instant by a sharp clap of sound clearly audible through the screening walls confining it. Rael stifled a scream as she threw her hands before her face in an instinctive effort to ward off the glowing objects hurtling toward them from the shattered ball.
It was over seemingly in the moment it began. When the observers collected themselves once more, they stared in awe at the place where the miniature laboratory had been.
All that remained of it now was a blackened patch on the floor and some twisted fragments scattered throughout the chamber.
”Lord of Light and Dark,” whispered the Canuchean woman. ”The valves were operational . . .”
”They just couldn't handle this,” Jellico responded briskly. His fingers followed the line of the scratch a piece of shrapnel had gouged in the s.h.i.+elding material in front of him. If the barrier had not held, it would have sliced through his throat. ”Your little lab wasn't designed to endure old-fas.h.i.+oned brute force,” he told her. ”It was meant to conduct sane experiments, not contain a bomb blast.”
”A what?” Macgregory demanded sharply.
Van Rycke shrugged. ”What else would you call it? It even fitted the stereotype image-a round, explosive-filled metal ball with a fuse sticking out of it, or sticking into it in this case.”
”It behaved like one at any rate,” Adroo agreed. He turned to his employee. ”You recorded the whole thing, of course?”
”Naturally.” There was no diffidence in that answer. This was her job; she knew how to do it. ”There were some returns from the lab as well. I won't know how much we got until I go over the recordings.”
”Get on it, then see if you can replicate the results under a variety of circ.u.mstances. Use less expensive bomb cases. We can recoup our costs later as part of a civic service claim, but we're not likely to collect in a hurry.”
She smiled. ”Yes, sir.”
”And for the Lord of Light's sake, don't get yourself or anyone else killed. That may be a safe room, but it's not going to hold a baby planetbuster.”
”I'll be careful. - What're we going to do, Mr. Macgregory? If a cargo goes up, the blast'll be almost literally infinitely worse than this little pop we just made. It won't be confined to a sterile, empty, s.h.i.+elded chamber, and more than one hold will almost certainly be involved even at the outset. Once the inevitable happens and the chain reaction starts, all the Federation's h.e.l.ls will be on us for a fact.”
”We don't panic. - First, we've got to charge our blasters, get all our evidence together, then I hit the City Council with it. Luckily, everyone on it has some interest in the harbor. That should help jab a needle in their tails. - Doctor Cofort, I'll need your historical information for a backup.”
”I've just got a temporary berth on the Queen and have nothing with me. However, I can tell you where to set your researchers looking.”
”Good enough. Fasmit the details to me as soon as you get back to your s.h.i.+p. Mr. Van Rycke has the code.”
The industrialist gave his head a sharp shake. ”I've been remiss. It's past time for another evacuation drill.”
”Evacuation?” Jan inquired.
”Canuche was spared during the Crater War. A lot of other worlds weren't. I've seen the tapes, both of those struck by the combatants and those hit even more viciously by jacks taking advantage of the general chaos. I've also seen evidence of what can happen when people don't respond correctly or in time to natural upheavals-storms, earthquakes, and the like.
”All my employees are required to keep on hand a week's supply of concentrates, water, first aid supplies, any necessary specific medications, and blankets for every human and animal member of their household plus a tent or other portable shelter for them all and a surplanetary transceiver to keep abreast of news. Periodically, I order them to carefully shut down the plant and feeder lines, take their emergency gear, and leave the city for the hardpan beyond. The only concession I make is to exclude ailing or handicapped persons and a caregiver if one is needed. I'm out to save lives, not take or endanger them.”
”They put up with that?” Rael asked.
Macgregory smiled. All s.p.a.cers had to accept discipline, but such blind obedience would be an alien concept to the mind of a Free Trader. ”There's always something extra to sweeten the paychecks of those who comply. The odd one who doesn't finds a dismissal notice. Besides, one of the very few times in its history that Canuche Town suffered real injury from the ocean occurred only a few years back. Our weather forecasters told us to expect trouble, and, because my people were concentrated in the most immediately threatened neighborhoods, I forced a full evacuation early. They spent one h.e.l.l of a miserable night, but when the waters came, n.o.body was hurt, and those whose property was damaged received financial help to repair or replace it.
”The rest of the populace wasn't told to leave until much later. There was haste some confusion, and a little panic at the end. A handful of injuries occurred as a result and a few deaths, all of those among the fools who refused to go at all.
”My policy proved itself in the time of testing, and since then, I haven't gotten much static when I've demanded a refresher course on the procedures.”
His lips tightened. ”Now I see how much more important it is than even I'd realized. Danger's a lot closer to us than a chance attack from the stars or a freak, fairly readily predicted combination of foul weather or geophysical events.”
Adroo squared his shoulders. ”That's my business and Canuche Town's. Thank you, all three of you, for your help thus far. I may also want a deposition from you, just a description of our conversation today and what you observed here plus any knowledge you have about ammonium nitrate.”
”That shouldn't be a problem,” Miceal answered for his party. ”I can't help with background detail, unfortunately, but I'll apply to Trade records and see if we can't uncover more for you. Van and Rael will, of course, do what they can as well.”
”Again, my thanks.-In the meantime, I have a living to make. To get back to our original reason for meeting, Captain, how soon can you begin to accept deliveries?”
”Right away.”
”We'll start tomorrow morning, then.” He turned to Rael.
”Here's my card, Doctor. It lists my private code. I haven't forgotten my offer. h.e.l.l, after all this, you needn't take a sales job. Name what you want, and if it isn't on the books now, I'll create a post to your specifications.”
She nodded gravely. ”I'll keep that in mind, Mr. Macgregory, and if I turn it down, it won't be for want of grat.i.tude.”
20.