The Gripping Hand by Larry Niven; Jerry Pournelle

Author:Larry Niven; Jerry Pournelle
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Fiction - Science Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, &WORKING, Space Opera, American, Romance - Historical, Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Fiction - General, Fantasy, Adventure, Historical, Romance: Historical, General, Short stories
ISBN: 9780671795740
Publisher: Pocket Books
Published: 2010-01-22T07:52:30+00:00

Freddy Townsend woke when Kakumi’s voice barked at him from the intercom. He woke quickly as he always did when he slept at the bridge console.

“Freddy, there’s a radio message. General communications band. Talk to them, Freddy. You there?”

Freddy reached tentatively for the console. The timer showed nearly an hour since the shift. His hand was steady, and his head felt clear. He flipped a switch to put the incoming message on the speakers:

“WARNING. YOU HAVE ENTERED AN INTERDICT ZONE. THIS SYSTEM HAS BEEN PLACED UNDER INTERDICT BY AUTHORITY OF THE VICEROY GOVERNOR GENERAL OF TRANS-COAL SACK SECTOR! THIS SYSTEM IS PATROLLED BY THE IMPERIAL NAVY. BROADCAST YOUR LOCATION MJD IDENTITY ON THIS BAND AND WAIT FOR INSTRUCTIONS, FAILURE TO COMPLY MAY RESULT IN DESTRUCTION OF YOUR SHIP. WARNING.”

“Well, that’s pretty explicit,” Freddy said. He typed quickly on the control console. “Glenda Ruth, I think you should include something in your code so they can be sure its you. That message wasn’t friendly at all.”

“All right.” She connected the interface cable into her computer and scribbled. “Clementine, code that with my private key.”

“Yes, dear.”

“I wonder about this,” Glenda Ruth said. “That message sounds pretty positive.”

“You think something has happened?”

“I don’t know, but I bet we don’t have long to wait.” The reply came four minutes later:

HECATE THIS IS INSS AGAMEMNON, REQUEST YOU RENDEZVOUS WITH US IMMEDIATELY. VECTORS FOLLOW. WE HAVE MESSAGES FOR THE HON. GLENDA RUTH FOWLER ELAINE. BALASINGHAM.”

Freddy’s fingers played. She’d seen him more tense, his fingers moving faster, during a Sauron Menace game . . . when the penalties for mistakes weren’t so high. “Not far. We can be there in ten minutes. Glenda Ruth, I can’t find a blinker.”

“A what?’

“Normally they’d give us a laser spot to follow. This close, with lOOx mag, I should see something that big directly . . . unless the Langston Field is up. Nice that we were expected, though. And it’s a request, at least so far.”

“They’ve gone stealth,” Glenda Ruth said. “And no comment regarding Sinbad or my brother. Freddy, I think it’s happened. The Moties are loose.”

“Uh-huh.” He tapped at console keys. “ACCELERATION WARNING. Stand by for half-standard gravity.”

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