(eng) Mike Resnick - Starship 01 by Mutiny

Author:Mutiny [Mutiny]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

"Pilot, get us the hell out of here!" ordered Cole as the enemy ship continued approaching. The Teddy R turned and began taking evasive action, and he turned to Christine Mboya. "What kind of range does their weaponry have?"

"I have no idea what they're carrying, sir," she said. "Just that whatever it is, it was powerful enough to destroy the Bonaparte, and possibly the Maracaibo, too."

"I don't suppose there are any other Republic ships stationed here?"

"No, sir," said Briggs. "The other three were rotated out two days ago."

"I could try sending an SOS, sir," suggested Jacillios.

"Absolutely not!" said Cole firmly. "If they smell blood, they're going to follow us until they catch us. Patch me through to Four Eyes."

"You mean Commander Forrice, sir?"

"Just do it."

Forrice's image appeared seconds later. "Everyone looks grim," he said, glancing around the bridge. "What's the matter?"

"The Bonaparte and the Maracaibo were destroyed," said Cole, "and the ship that got them is coming right at us. I want you to stay where you are, and keep your crew there, too. We'll send food to you, and I'll order the medic to stop by in a few hours and give each of you something to keep alert."

"I've spotted it on the screen," said Forrice. "The computer says it's too far away. There's no sense shooting until it gets closer."

"I don't want you shooting at all unless we're disabled," said Cole.

"We can't match firepower with it. Before we get close enough to do it any damage, it'll blow us apart."

"Understood. You'd better let me get back to checking the weapons and making sure they're all activated."

"Right," said Cole, breaking the connection. "How are we doing, Pilot?"

"I have a name," said Wxakgini.

"I know—but by the time I learn to pronounce it the war will be over. Are they following us?"

"They're tracking us," answered Wxakgini, "but they don't seem to be making an effort to close with us."

"All right. Thanks." He turned back to Jacillios. "Are they sending anything at all-—warnings, orders, queries, anything?"

"No, sir."

"And they're not closing, they're just tracking us," he said, frowning. "Yet they destroyed the other two ships."

"We assume they did," said Christine Mboya. "We don't know it."

"The only way to know it is to ask them," said Cole. "I'll settle for assuming."

"But it doesn't make any sense, sir," continued Briggs. "Why would they destroy two ships and then let us escape? Surely they know that once we report it, the Navy will send massive reinforcements."

"Good question," said Cole. "I can think of three reasons, but there might be more."

Briggs frowned. "The only one I can come up with is that they're on their way out of the cluster and they don't care if reinforcements show up tomorrow."

"That doesn't make sense, Lieutenant," said Cole. "We're at war. They destroyed two of our ships. They have a chance to destroy the Teddy R. Why let us live, just because they're leaving the cluster?"

"I'm sorry, sir."

"For being wrong?" said Cole. "There's no need to apologize for that."

"No, for speaking before I'd thought.

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