Destroyer of Worlds (2015) by E. C. Tubb

Author:E. C. Tubb [Tubb, E. C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Sci Fi, Science Fiction
Publisher: Venture Press
Published: 2016-09-24T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 8

Alan Guthrie lurched and almost fell, regaining his balance with a tremendous effort, uneasily aware of the danger of smashing his face, the danger of smashing his face-plate, of dying in the airless void.

‘Alan?’ Lang Ki’s voice, concerned as it came from the radio. ‘You alright?’

‘Fine.’

‘You sure?’

‘Sure I’m sure!’ Anger edged his reply. Why the hell couldn’t Ki mind his own business? The day he needed mothering would be the day. ‘I’m fine,’ he said again. ‘Now let’s quit worrying about me and get on with the job. Right?’

‘Maybe you should report back in?’

‘No!’

‘I think you should.’ The overseer’s voice held determination. ‘Get back inside the ship, Alan, and take it easy. That’s an order.’

‘You know what you can do with it?’

‘Now you listen —’

‘No! You listen! This is an emergency job, right? It needs to be done and fast — that’s what emergency means. Now you stick to your job and let me get on with mine.’ He added, grimly, ‘I mean it, Lang. Come near me and I’ll brain you and that goes for anyone else who thinks I’m getting past it.’

A challenge and a stupid one, why had he given it? Would he really fight if anyone came close? Only an idiot would attempt to struggle outside on the hull of the Ad Astra when too many little things could cause a ruptured suit and burst lungs. But why the hell couldn’t they leave him alone?

He sighed, rising to straighten his back, conscious of the ache, the drag of weary muscles. Damn the hospital and the doctors — he hadn’t felt right since they’d done that series of tests on him after Gordon had died. And that was another thing. Gordon shouldn’t have died. They should have looked after him. Gordon had been one of the best. He missed him.

Irritably, Guthrie shook his head. What was the matter with him? Gordon was dead — so what? Everyone had to die and some had the luck to go early and others had to wait. What you lost one way you made up in another. Die young and you dodged the aches and pains of growing old, the failing of natural attributes, the growing inadequacy. Die old and you gained the extra joys of youth.

Why was he thinking about dying when work waited to be done?

Turning he looked around. Lang Ki had apparently given up and was saving further argument until they had finished their stint. A couple of others were in view both hard at work. Guthrie looked at the scanner he had carefully removed from the hull. It was oddly eroded, the lens scarred, the metal surround looking as if it had been abraded with something like an emery-blast. The replacement would be set with a new, wide angle lens fitted with a removable cover of transparent plastic.

Setting aside his space welder, Guthrie crouched, fighting a sudden giddiness. He was an electronics man and a good one. Testing his work was a waste of time; each

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