going to kill her —
Salah’s head rolled off his body.
Blood gushed in a huge fountain from his neck, spattering on the ceiling and soaking Amanda. At the same time, alarms started to shriek and the ship system said loudly, “The hull has been breached. The hull has been breached. The hull—”
In a moment it stopped. The nanocoating extended itself to make a thin, temporary cover over the hole, which was so small Amanda couldn’t see it.
“It won’t hold!” Father Emil said. He stood there, incredibly, with a laser gun … you never permitted a laser gun to be used aboard ship!… in front of an open storage cabinet. “I don’t know how to do a permanent patch—do you?”
Of course she did. Amanda scrambled down from the bunk and yanked open the bright red cupboard found in every chamber aboard every ship. She grabbed the permanent patch and ripped it from its bag, but then slipped on the blood covering the floor. Wildly she grabbed at something, anything. Father Emil caught her and pulled her to her feet. Gagging, she made herself climb back into the bunk. Then she couldn’t find the hole.
“The hull has been breached,” the ship began again, but not as loudly. “You are advised that a temporary patch must be replaced with permanent sealing. The hull—”
“The hole will be long and thin,” Father Emil gasped. “I swung the gun to cut off his head, I didn’t know how else to be sure…”
“The hull has been breached. You are advised that a temporary patch must be replaced with permanent sealing. The hull has been—”
Amanda found the gash. It now glowed bright red from the temporary nanos, a beacon. It was only the blood that had made it hard to see. She slapped on the patch and the expensive, highly engineered nanos began to fill in the minute breach. Ship stopped nattering.
In the silence, Amanda and Father Emil looked at each other.
“I was hiding in the storage closet,” Father Emil said quietly. The violence seemed, strangely, to have steadied him. He had seen so much of it. His calm, in turn, steadied Amanda. “I guessed he would try to kill you and then put your body out the airlock. Once it was actually done, the others wouldn’t have turned him in to the cops, because they couldn’t have done that without admitting they’d had you. And the problem would be solved.”
“Wh-where are the others?”
“Undoubtedly patched out. He would have patched me, too, but he couldn’t find me. Salah wasn’t a trained killer, just a fanatical believer in his cause. He probably decided I was praying in the cargo hold or something, and that by the time I got back, he’d be finished anyway.”
“There’s all this blood,” Amanda said.
“Don’t start crying, Amanda.”
“I’m not crying! Do you see me crying? I’m—” What was she? “—disgusted!”
A small smile curved his mouth. “Oh. Then get a scrub brush.”
She did, carrying herself on trembling legs into the galley. By the time she returned, Salah’s head was gone. His body was wrapped in the heavy, dark blue bunk curtain torn free of its hooks.
Father Emil said, “This is nothing for a child to be doing, Amanda. Go get in the shower. Just don’t empty the entire water tank.”
In the shower she began to shake. That man had tried to kill her! If it weren’t for Father Emil … oh, she wanted Daddy! She wanted to go home!
She clasped her hands in front of her, water streaming over them, until the shaking stopped.
When she finally left the shower, the common room was spotless. Not only from hand scrubbing but also from cleaner nanos, she guessed, which ate organic molecules and then swiftly died of them. The dead nanos had been sucked up as well. Salah’s body was gone. Hidden? Out the airlock? She didn’t ask.
Father Emil’s eyes looked so tired; Amanda hadn’t known eyes could look that tired. He motioned her toward an empty bunk, not the one she’d had before. “Go to bed, Amanda.”
“I
Salah’s head rolled off his body.
Blood gushed in a huge fountain from his neck, spattering on the ceiling and soaking Amanda. At the same time, alarms started to shriek and the ship system said loudly, “The hull has been breached. The hull has been breached. The hull—”
In a moment it stopped. The nanocoating extended itself to make a thin, temporary cover over the hole, which was so small Amanda couldn’t see it.
“It won’t hold!” Father Emil said. He stood there, incredibly, with a laser gun … you never permitted a laser gun to be used aboard ship!… in front of an open storage cabinet. “I don’t know how to do a permanent patch—do you?”
Of course she did. Amanda scrambled down from the bunk and yanked open the bright red cupboard found in every chamber aboard every ship. She grabbed the permanent patch and ripped it from its bag, but then slipped on the blood covering the floor. Wildly she grabbed at something, anything. Father Emil caught her and pulled her to her feet. Gagging, she made herself climb back into the bunk. Then she couldn’t find the hole.
“The hull has been breached,” the ship began again, but not as loudly. “You are advised that a temporary patch must be replaced with permanent sealing. The hull—”
“The hole will be long and thin,” Father Emil gasped. “I swung the gun to cut off his head, I didn’t know how else to be sure…”
“The hull has been breached. You are advised that a temporary patch must be replaced with permanent sealing. The hull has been—”
Amanda found the gash. It now glowed bright red from the temporary nanos, a beacon. It was only the blood that had made it hard to see. She slapped on the patch and the expensive, highly engineered nanos began to fill in the minute breach. Ship stopped nattering.
In the silence, Amanda and Father Emil looked at each other.
“I was hiding in the storage closet,” Father Emil said quietly. The violence seemed, strangely, to have steadied him. He had seen so much of it. His calm, in turn, steadied Amanda. “I guessed he would try to kill you and then put your body out the airlock. Once it was actually done, the others wouldn’t have turned him in to the cops, because they couldn’t have done that without admitting they’d had you. And the problem would be solved.”
“Wh-where are the others?”
“Undoubtedly patched out. He would have patched me, too, but he couldn’t find me. Salah wasn’t a trained killer, just a fanatical believer in his cause. He probably decided I was praying in the cargo hold or something, and that by the time I got back, he’d be finished anyway.”
“There’s all this blood,” Amanda said.
“Don’t start crying, Amanda.”
“I’m not crying! Do you see me crying? I’m—” What was she? “—disgusted!”
A small smile curved his mouth. “Oh. Then get a scrub brush.”
She did, carrying herself on trembling legs into the galley. By the time she returned, Salah’s head was gone. His body was wrapped in the heavy, dark blue bunk curtain torn free of its hooks.
Father Emil said, “This is nothing for a child to be doing, Amanda. Go get in the shower. Just don’t empty the entire water tank.”
In the shower she began to shake. That man had tried to kill her! If it weren’t for Father Emil … oh, she wanted Daddy! She wanted to go home!
She clasped her hands in front of her, water streaming over them, until the shaking stopped.
When she finally left the shower, the common room was spotless. Not only from hand scrubbing but also from cleaner nanos, she guessed, which ate organic molecules and then swiftly died of them. The dead nanos had been sucked up as well. Salah’s body was gone. Hidden? Out the airlock? She didn’t ask.
Father Emil’s eyes looked so tired; Amanda hadn’t known eyes could look that tired. He motioned her toward an empty bunk, not the one she’d had before. “Go to bed, Amanda.”
“I
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