stood sharply to attention. 'Welcome aboard, Ma'am,' he said crisply.
'Don't call me Ma'am on the bridge,' the Captain snapped, thrusting a cassette transponder into Ringway's hands as she brushed past him, 'and get that plugged into the computer immediately. I want to get under way.' She glanced briefly at the console displays and then dropped heavily into her command seat and shut her eyes.
'Seven hours . . . seven hours they kept me hanging about. I'm exhausted,' she complained.
First Officer Berger glanced across at Ringway, but he appeared to be engrossed in installing the transponder. 'Problems with Security?' she asked casually.
'Not really. It's just that Earth's on red alert,' the Captain replied sarcastically.
'There's some Galactic Congress being held, so they're being a bit fussier than usual.
We won't have any more trouble. I've got a priority clearance straight through to Earth.' She opened her eyes and hauled herself to her feet. 'Our bonus is safe,' she said with a glacial smile.
'So there wasn't any mention of the missing crew members?' Ringway asked anxiously.
'Panicking again, were we, Mister Ringway?' the Captain laughed, swaggering across the bridge. 'Well, you can relax. Nothing was said.'
'I just happen to consider the unexplained disappearance of three crew members rather important, Captain,' Ringway muttered through clenched teeth.
'Oh so do I, Ringway, so do I...' the Captain retorted sharply. 'But it will be investigated after we've reached Earth and safely discharged our cargo. Understood?'
'Yes, Captain Briggs,' the Navigator replied submissively.
'If it will make you any happier, you can increase the patrols,' Briggs added contemptuously. 'But I don't want to hear any more about the business. You are beginning to bore me.'
A few minutes later, departure preparations had been completed and Captain Briggs took a final look round the bridge. 'I'm glad you're on first watch,' she said to Berger. 'Good luck. I'm off to freshen myself up.'
Ringway had crossed to a panel in the wall and was inserting his thumb into the identification lock. 'Just thought I ought to check the security patrols,' he explained in response to Briggs's enquiring stare, 'especially with so many of the surveillance cameras on the blink at the moment.'
'But I need you up here!' Berger protested, working busily at the main console.
Briggs frowned at the bank of small security monitors, only about half of which were functioning properly. 'Oh let him check the patrols, it'll be good for morale. Don't get lost!' she cried, marching out with a whooping laugh.
Ringway's small eyes watched Berger sitting with her back to him as she coolly and efficiently got the freighter under way. He opened the armoury compartment and took out a laser pistol. 'Why does Briggs always run me down?' he asked bitterly, clipping the pistol onto his belt.
'Perhaps you shouldn't sound quite so earnest all the time,' Berger replied without looking round.
Ringway stood frowning at the security monitors for a moment. Then he closed the armoury panel and went out through the access door leading to the main hold, a cynical smile creeping gradually over his pinched features.
29
The freighter's main hold was a vast echoing structure, hundreds of metres in length and width, and tens of metres high. A series of catwalks criss-crossed it, joining several tiers of walkways running around the walls and leading down at regular intervals to the vast floor via open metal stairways. Soft fluorescent lighting cast an eerie twilight from the lofty ceiling. The hold was filled with hundreds of tall silos, each shaped like a cluster of broad cylinders standing on end in a rectangular formation. The silos were arranged in rows, and the rows in groups, so that long narrow corridors ran at right angles between them down the length and breadth of the hold. These long deep corridors between the silos were full of gigantic shadows and dark corners.
'Don't call me Ma'am on the bridge,' the Captain snapped, thrusting a cassette transponder into Ringway's hands as she brushed past him, 'and get that plugged into the computer immediately. I want to get under way.' She glanced briefly at the console displays and then dropped heavily into her command seat and shut her eyes.
'Seven hours . . . seven hours they kept me hanging about. I'm exhausted,' she complained.
First Officer Berger glanced across at Ringway, but he appeared to be engrossed in installing the transponder. 'Problems with Security?' she asked casually.
'Not really. It's just that Earth's on red alert,' the Captain replied sarcastically.
'There's some Galactic Congress being held, so they're being a bit fussier than usual.
We won't have any more trouble. I've got a priority clearance straight through to Earth.' She opened her eyes and hauled herself to her feet. 'Our bonus is safe,' she said with a glacial smile.
'So there wasn't any mention of the missing crew members?' Ringway asked anxiously.
'Panicking again, were we, Mister Ringway?' the Captain laughed, swaggering across the bridge. 'Well, you can relax. Nothing was said.'
'I just happen to consider the unexplained disappearance of three crew members rather important, Captain,' Ringway muttered through clenched teeth.
'Oh so do I, Ringway, so do I...' the Captain retorted sharply. 'But it will be investigated after we've reached Earth and safely discharged our cargo. Understood?'
'Yes, Captain Briggs,' the Navigator replied submissively.
'If it will make you any happier, you can increase the patrols,' Briggs added contemptuously. 'But I don't want to hear any more about the business. You are beginning to bore me.'
A few minutes later, departure preparations had been completed and Captain Briggs took a final look round the bridge. 'I'm glad you're on first watch,' she said to Berger. 'Good luck. I'm off to freshen myself up.'
Ringway had crossed to a panel in the wall and was inserting his thumb into the identification lock. 'Just thought I ought to check the security patrols,' he explained in response to Briggs's enquiring stare, 'especially with so many of the surveillance cameras on the blink at the moment.'
'But I need you up here!' Berger protested, working busily at the main console.
Briggs frowned at the bank of small security monitors, only about half of which were functioning properly. 'Oh let him check the patrols, it'll be good for morale. Don't get lost!' she cried, marching out with a whooping laugh.
Ringway's small eyes watched Berger sitting with her back to him as she coolly and efficiently got the freighter under way. He opened the armoury compartment and took out a laser pistol. 'Why does Briggs always run me down?' he asked bitterly, clipping the pistol onto his belt.
'Perhaps you shouldn't sound quite so earnest all the time,' Berger replied without looking round.
Ringway stood frowning at the security monitors for a moment. Then he closed the armoury panel and went out through the access door leading to the main hold, a cynical smile creeping gradually over his pinched features.
29
The freighter's main hold was a vast echoing structure, hundreds of metres in length and width, and tens of metres high. A series of catwalks criss-crossed it, joining several tiers of walkways running around the walls and leading down at regular intervals to the vast floor via open metal stairways. Soft fluorescent lighting cast an eerie twilight from the lofty ceiling. The hold was filled with hundreds of tall silos, each shaped like a cluster of broad cylinders standing on end in a rectangular formation. The silos were arranged in rows, and the rows in groups, so that long narrow corridors ran at right angles between them down the length and breadth of the hold. These long deep corridors between the silos were full of gigantic shadows and dark corners.
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