(eng) Mike Resnick - Dead Enders 02 by The Prison in Antares

Author:The Prison in Antares [Antares, The Prison in]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

21

They emerged just beyond the Oort Cloud, much closer to Sol’s system than they had anticipated, but nothing untoward happened as a result of it.

“Looks pretty much the same,” remarked Snake as Pandora threw an image of Earth and the Moon on a viewscreen.

“You’ve been there?” asked Irish.

“No,” said Snake, shaking her head. “Hell, I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who has been there. But I’ve seen enough drawings, photos, and holos of it.”

“It only has one moon,” noted Ortega.

“How the hell many did you expect?” asked Pretorius.

Ortega shrugged. “I dunno. It wouldn’t be the first planet to lose a moon or two.”

“Continents look a little different,” said Snake. “I suppose that’s proof that we’re back where we figured to be.” She paused. “Damn, I’d love to stop by long enough to see a T. Rex.”

“That’s for paleontologists,” said Pretorius. “Our job is freeing Nmumba.”

“Or terminating him,” added Snake.

He nodded his agreement. “Or terminating him.” He turned to Pandora. “Okay, find the hole we need and let’s get to the Albion Cluster.”

“Right,” she said. “Good-bye, Mom.”

“Mom?”

“The mother of the human race,” said Pandora.

Within a few hours, ship’s time, and ninety million years, give or take, real time, they had left Sol far behind and emerged in the Albion Cluster.

“What friendly planet are we closest to?” asked Pretorius.

“In miles or time?” asked Pandora.

“Time, of course.”

“I can get us to Tsung Lo IV in about five hours, using the Killebrew Wormhole.”

Pretorius nodded his approval. “Do it.” He turned to Ortega. “Felix, check out our supplies—all our supplies: weapons, food, medications, everything—and see what we need to pick up.” He paused. “Everything but fuel.”

“Pandora’s going to check that?”

“She could if we needed to, but we don’t. We’re dumping this ship, remember?”

“Right,” said Ortega, who clearly didn’t remember, but just as clearly didn’t much care.

“I don’t know anything about Tsung Lo IV,” said Irish. “What’s it like?”

“Oxygen world, pretty much Standard gravity,” answered Pretorius. “Snows a lot.”

“Are we looking for another Tradertown?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Tsung Lo’s a little more civilized than that. Got a population of maybe a couple of hundred million, mostly humanoid. Three or four major cities, none of them close to each other. Lot of gold, silver, and platinum beneath the surface. It began life as a mining world.”

“Began life?” she repeated. “What is it now?”

“Economic center, financial center, banking center, call it what you will. Not much activity that you can see, but in good years they all get rich.”

“A world like that should have whatever kind of ship we need,” said Irish.

“It will,” replied Pretorius. “They won’t manufacture it, but they can usually supply anything you want to buy.” He frowned. “Hopefully within a day or two. They’re still working on the real Nmumba. I don’t care how strong he is, how well-conditioned our psych boys have got him, sooner or later everyone breaks. Or dies.”

“We might kill him ourselves,” interjected Snake.

“We might,” agreed Pretorius. “But if we do, we’ll know whether or not he’s told them what they need to know.

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