Ascent by Thorby Rudbek

Author:Thorby Rudbek [Rudbek, Thorby]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780987767400
Publisher: Planet Citizen Books
Published: 2014-01-03T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

The Eliminator: source of opportunity! – Ibernal, Arshonnan Engineer

The Moss Room seemed to dissolve; Richard and Karen found themselves standing in an area about twenty-five feet across and fifteen deep, behind three high-backed chairs that were arranged before curved banks of instruments and displays. The scene was immediately familiar from one of the earliest portions of the ship’s audio-visual log, and as Richard’s left hand found Karen’s right, they shared the rather illogical but still unnerving impression that Vochan, the paranoid Commander who had blocked the Scouts’ memories – and who had been dead now for five and a half centuries – would materialize behind them at any moment and repeat the process on them.

Above the displays, occupying the entire curved surface of the front half of the room, was a large viewscreen. It was functioning, and from the look of the scenery that was visible, the room appeared to be located inside the seaward turret of Citadel. The ocean stretched off into a hazy horizon; tiny white, almost mouse-like clouds scurried across the sky. Off to one side, like a lazy, well-fed or indifferent cat, lay the removals truck.

“Bingo!” Richard muttered in amazement. He turned, ostensibly to check what was to be found in the rear of the Control Centre, only to discover a large, obviously fake door outlined on the wall behind him (which he concluded after a moment’s thought must be the way back to the Moss Room) surrounded by further panels of instruments. An occasional light could be seen, glowing amidst the mass of instruments on the display panels. As the silence started to seep into him, Richard shivered involuntarily.

The sound of fabric moving across fabric drew his attention to the chairs, where Karen was just making herself comfortable on the right. Richard slipped into the middle chair quickly and started to check the displays on the panels before him.

“All power levels seem to be at or near zero,” he summarized after a couple of minutes.

Karen nodded, as if to say that she had found the same, then raised her head a little. “Tutor, can you hear me?” she called.

“Yes. It would appear that I have been admitted, too.” Tutor replied. “I have access to the Command Computer, now. I am integrating both systems.” Tutor started to scan the records.

Richard glanced again at the instruments before him, which indicated the status of various mysterious components. All were dark or barely illuminated, glowing with a dull red tinge.

“Where is the power for the Control Centre supposed to come from, Tutor? I thought I fixed this problem when I removed that sheet of cardboard.”

“All the instrumentation here derives its power from the Star Drive,” Tutor announced. “This information is available now, as I have completed my scan of the Command Computer data-banks. The power is developed in a reaction chamber in the rear sphere by converting Quad Proton/Neutron Units into pure energy. There currently are insufficient Q.P/N.U reserves remaining for correct operation of the displays and sensors.”

“Not even enough for that?” Karen gasped.

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