Man-Kzin Wars II by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle & S.M. Stirling & Dean Ing

Author:Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle & S.M. Stirling & Dean Ing [Niven, Larry]
Format: epub
Tags: Science fiction, General, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Fiction, Fiction - Science Fiction, Science Fiction - General, Science Fiction - Anthologies
ISBN: 9780671720360
Publisher: Baen
Published: 1989-08-14T23:00:00+00:00

—discontinuity

"Shit," Jonah said, with quiet conviction. "Report. And stabilize that spin." The streaking pinwheel in the exterior-view screen slowed and halted, but the control surface beside it continued to show the Catskinner twirling end-over-end at a rate that would have pasted them both as a thin reddish film over the interior without the compensation fields.

The screen split down the middle as Ingrid began establishing their possible paths.

"We are," the computer said, "traveling at twice our velocity at switch off, and on a path twenty-five degrees further to the solar north." A pause. "We are still, you will note, in the plane of the elliptic." "Thank Finagle for small favors," Jonah muttered, working his hands in the control gloves. The Catskinner was running on her accumulators, the fusion reactor, and its so-detectable neutrino flux shut down. "Jonah," Ingrid said. "Take a look. " A corner of the screen lit, showing the surface of the sun and a gigantic pillar of flare reaching out in their wake like the tongue of a hungry fire-elemental. "The pussies are burning up the communications spectra, yowling about losing scoutboats. They had them down low and dirty, trying to throw the slugs that went into the photosphere with us off course."

"Lovely," the man muttered. So much for quietly matching velocities with Wunderland while the commnet is still down. To the computer: "What's ahead of us?"

"For approximately twenty-three point six lightyears, nothing. "

"What do you mean, nothing?"

"Hard vacuum, micrometeorites, interstellar dust, possible spacecraft, bodies too small or nonradiating to be detected from our position, superstrings, shadowmatter-"

"Shut up!” he snarled. "Can we brake?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, this will require several hours of thrust and exhaust our onboard fuel reserves."

"And put up a fucking great sign, 'Hurrah, we're back' for every pussy in the system," he grated. Ingrid touched him on the arm.

"Wait, I have an idea... is there anything substantial in our way, that we could reach with less of a burn?"

"Several asteroids, Lieutenant Raines. Uninhabited."

"What's the status of our stasis-controller."

A pause. "Still... I must confess, I am surprised. " The computer sounded surprised that it could be. "Still functional, lieutenant Raines."

Jonah winced. "Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?" he said plaintively. "Another collision?"

Ingrid shrugged. "Right now, it'll be less noticeable than a long burn. Computer, will it work?"

"97% chance of achieving a stable Swarm orbit. The risk of emitting infrared and visible-light signals is unquantiflable. The field switch will probably continue to function, Lieutenant Raines."

"it should, it's covered in neutronium. " She turned her head to Jonah. "Well?"

He sighed. "Offhand, I can't think of a better solution. When you can't think of a better solution than a high-speed collision with a rock, something's wrong with your thinking, but I can't think of what would be better to think... What do you think?"

"That an unshielded collision with a rock might be better than another month imprisoned with your sense of humor... Got, all those fish puns..."

"Computer, prepare for minimal bum. Any distinguishing characteristics of those rocks?"

"One largely silicate, one 83% nickel-iron with traces of-"

"Spare me.

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