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Updated: May 5, 2025
Gefty glanced to the right, moved a dozen steps farther out into the hall, hefted the wrench and spun it through the air towards the ventilator frame on the opposite bulkhead. The heavy tool clanged loudly against the frame, bounced off and thudded to the floor. Gefty started slowly over to it, heart pounding, with the vault entrance still at the edge of his vision.
Kerim was staring past him at the screens, her face radiant. "Oh, Gefty!" she cried softly. "Oh, Gefty! Our stars!" "Green dot here is us," Gefty explained, somewhat hoarsely. He cleared his throat, went on, "Our true ship position, that is " He stopped, realizing he was talking too much, almost babbling, in an attempt to take some of the tension out of the moment.
The heavy slab of steel moved sideways with a soft, hissing sound, vanished into the wall. Gefty slid the other key into the lock of the inner door. A few seconds later, the vault entrance lay open before him. He stood still again, wrinkling his nose. The area ahead was only dimly illuminated the shaking-up the Queen had undergone had disturbed the lighting system here. And what was that odor?
He reached the deserted instrument room not many seconds later, had his gun out and cocked, and was faced back towards the passage by which he had entered. Maulbow, if he had pursued without hesitation, should be arriving by now. But the passage stayed quiet. Gefty couldn't see into it from where he stood.
Fifteen minutes later, Gefty Rammer was climbing down to the storage deck in the Queen's broad stern, the newly fashioned set of vault keys clanking heavily in his coat pocket. Kerim had remained with her employer who was getting back his color but still hadn't opened his eyes. She hadn't found the original keys.
"Interesting thought, isn't it?" Kerim was silent for long seconds. "Then they ... or we ..." "Oh, they're us, all right," Gefty said. "They'd have to be, wouldn't they?" "I suppose so. It seems a little confusing. But I was thinking. If you send them a transmitter call ..." Gefty shook his head. "The Queen's transmitter isn't too hot, but it might push a call as far as Evalee.
There're some special-built Navy tubs that can operate in that stuff if they don't stay too long. A ship like the Queen ... well, you and I and everything else in here would be frozen solid by now if we'd got sucked somehow into Space Three." "I see," Kerim said uncomfortably. Gefty heard her move over to the suitcases. After a moment, she asked, "What do the vault keys look like?"
Then a vague rushing noise began, growing louder as it approached the passage mouth, crossing it, receding rapidly again to the left. Gefty let his breath out slowly, eased the door open and stood listening again. Abruptly, there was reflected light in the lock passage, coming now from the left. He said in a whisper, "It's moving around in the main hall, Kerim.
"The worst thing we can do at present," he said, "is to prolong a dispute about possible courses of action. If I disarm, will you lay aside your gun?" "Yes." "Then I accept your conditions, disappointing as they are." He was silent. After a moment, Gefty heard the white rod clatter lightly along the floor of the passage.
They reached the lock without incident; but then, as they came along the second deck hall to the ship's magazine, there was a sharp click in the stillness behind them. Its meaning was disconcertingly apparent. Gefty hesitated, turned Kerim into a side passage, guided her along it. She looked up at his face. "It's following us?" "Seems to be."
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