This day all gods die by Stephen R. Donaldson

Author:Stephen R. Donaldson [Stephen R. Donaldson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: SF
ISBN: 9780553573282
Published: 1997-01-01T10:00:00+00:00

MORN

She’d said, “I think we should try to rescue him.”

Now she sat isolated at the command station. Captain Ubikwe and Min Donner, Davies, Angus, and Vector surrounded her; but she might as well have been alone. Mikka and Ciro were nearby, as well as Punisher’s duty officers: they were of no help. With those few words she’d translated herself across a dimensional gap of comprehension, leaving everyone she needed light-years behind.

Davies’ instant flare of eagerness separated him from her as much as Vector’s bafflement, or Dolph Ubikwe’s heavy consternation. The surgical probe of Min’s scrutiny, like Angus’ livid outrage, isolated her. None of them recognized the utter desperation of her need for a better answer.

For herself. For Warden Dios. For humankind.

Davies agreed with her at once, but for the wrong reasons. She knew him too well; saw the truth flaming in his eyes. Her past had trapped him: he thought and felt and acted like a cop. His metabolism drove him to extremes. And the prospect of falling into the hands of the Amnion appalled him. He burned to attempt a rescue so that he wouldn’t have to confront the other issues raised by Warden Dios’ presence aboard Calm Horizons.

Vector had been taken aback. He’d believed he knew why she was here, what she would do. Now he wasn’t sure.

The sources of Captain Ubikwe’s distress were less clear. Morn hardly knew him; could only guess at what he felt. He may have been torn between a desire to snatch Warden away from the Amnion and a fear that she was about to doom his ship.

But she couldn’t even guess at Director Dormer’s reaction. Min’s calculating penetration mystified her. From the first Morn hadn’t understood why Min had allowed her to take command of the ship. Min knew about her gap-sickness; her weakness; her core of shame. Now she was confused by the impersonality of Min’s stare. The ED director seemed to see possibilities in her which she herself hardly noticed.

Her role had become too large for her. Like Hashi Lebwohl, with his reluctant revelations and oblique hints, Min apparently thought that Morn had come here to carry out some nameless and essential act of redemption.

So much emotion pouring at her from all sides scared her: she might not have been able to handle it in any case. But there was more. Angus’ passion dominated the others. She needed him more than she needed anyone else. Even Min as Acting Director of the UMCP was secondary. Davies himself was secondary—

Angus struck the command board so hard that the metal rang. “I won’t do it!” His shout was a stentorian clap of fury.

Davies recoiled in surprise; then sprang back with his own anger. “Angus—!”

Min placed her hand on his arm, shook her head slightly. At once he stopped. The unexpected gentleness of her touch seemed to shock him silent.

Apparently she wanted to hear how Morn would reply.

I won’t do it!

Morn’s place on the bridge had turned into a cruel joke. She could no more command these people, or this ship, than she could carry out her own suggestion.

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