WITH EXTERNAL OBJECT OR OBJECTS. EMERGENCY CODE THREE: POSSIBLE, PENDING, OR UNAVOIDABLE DESTRUCTION OF VESSEL FROM INTERIOR OR EXTERIOR SOURCE.
Eos University had been around for a hundred years and was as massive as an asteroid. Its shields were state-of-the-art. But they only worked in real-space. Something had killed their Engine in trans-space.
"And we're at Code Three?" Ben said, astounded.
Into Ben's room burst George Clock. With him came Tommy Rosales, their other Bombardier. Though of average height, Rosales had a peculiar muscular condition that gave him the strength of three human beings without the attendant muscle grotesquerie. He excelled in all things physical and failed in all things academic. He only recently had quit Eos University's architecture program, having lost interest in it.
Tommy Rosales was excited. "Did you hear? We're going to have to abandon ship!"
The Bombardiers were always happy for any sort of disruption in their daily routines.
"We're not going to abandon ship," Ben said.
"That's what everyone is saying," Rosales said.
Ben faced the 2D. Speaking directly to the screen, he said, "ShipCom. Eve Silbarton, please."
The 2D opened on Eve Silbarton. From what Ben could see in the background, Eve wasn't at her apartment at all. She appeared to be in the gamma lab in the physics department.
"Eve? Do you know what's going on?" Ben asked.
Eve Silbarton looked up from her work. She appeared to have been quite engrossed. "The captain thinks there might be something going on in the Engine compartment, some sort of disagreement among the Enamorati. There may even be fighting. No one knows yet. Whatever it is, the Kuulo has shut the Engine down."
"They're fighting in there?" George Clock asked.
"That's what's circulating," Eve said.
"What about the Auditors?" Ben asked. "They live on their doorstep. The Auditors would know."
"I'm sure President Porter is conferring with Bishop Nethereott as we speak," Eve said. "But if the problem's mechanical, then there's little good those two guys can do."
"Are we going to blow up?" Ben asked.
"No one knows that either," Eve admitted grimly.
Jim Vees cursed. "Ix! The one thing we don't need is a bunch of Ainge Auditors interfering with the Engine. Somebody ought to throw them out a window."
"Nobody gets near the Engine but the Enamorati," George Clock said. "Let Porter and Nethercott confer. We should head for the lifepods."
"I still say we ought to throw them out a window," Jim Vees insisted.
Dr. Silbarton looked off to one side, consulting another screen. "I've got a message coming through here. You'd better switch over at your end. Out."
The image of Dr. Silbarton vanished and was replaced by a series of words. On Ben's screen appeared: EMERGENCY. CODE THREE.
ALL PERSONS TO THEIR ASSIGNED ESCAPE PODS. ALL PERSONS TO THEIR ASSIGNED ESCAPE PODS… And out in the halls, alarms rattled a newer tune, commensurate with the gravity of the situation.
"Here we go," Ben said, switching the screen off.
With that the Bombardiers raced for the nearest transit portal, which would now automatically send them to the escape pods.
Portals could only take three people at a time, so there was a line of young men from the dorm already there at the end of the hall.
The line, however, shortened fairly quickly and the young men of Babbitt Hall were shunted via optical cable to the lifepod bays that ringed the ship.
All but Jim Vees made the transit.
"What an idiot," George Clock said, stepping into the pod bay.
Humans were limited to only ten transit jumps a day. Any more than that and molecular degradation would begin. Beyond ten jumps, transit portals would automatically refuse to transit people whose chevrons had registered ten jumps. But many students, including the Bombardiers (and including Ben), often used transit jumps to get high.
Jim Vees now had to hoof it.
This particular section of the lifepod bay contained three lozenge-shaped ships capable of
Eos University had been around for a hundred years and was as massive as an asteroid. Its shields were state-of-the-art. But they only worked in real-space. Something had killed their Engine in trans-space.
"And we're at Code Three?" Ben said, astounded.
Into Ben's room burst George Clock. With him came Tommy Rosales, their other Bombardier. Though of average height, Rosales had a peculiar muscular condition that gave him the strength of three human beings without the attendant muscle grotesquerie. He excelled in all things physical and failed in all things academic. He only recently had quit Eos University's architecture program, having lost interest in it.
Tommy Rosales was excited. "Did you hear? We're going to have to abandon ship!"
The Bombardiers were always happy for any sort of disruption in their daily routines.
"We're not going to abandon ship," Ben said.
"That's what everyone is saying," Rosales said.
Ben faced the 2D. Speaking directly to the screen, he said, "ShipCom. Eve Silbarton, please."
The 2D opened on Eve Silbarton. From what Ben could see in the background, Eve wasn't at her apartment at all. She appeared to be in the gamma lab in the physics department.
"Eve? Do you know what's going on?" Ben asked.
Eve Silbarton looked up from her work. She appeared to have been quite engrossed. "The captain thinks there might be something going on in the Engine compartment, some sort of disagreement among the Enamorati. There may even be fighting. No one knows yet. Whatever it is, the Kuulo has shut the Engine down."
"They're fighting in there?" George Clock asked.
"That's what's circulating," Eve said.
"What about the Auditors?" Ben asked. "They live on their doorstep. The Auditors would know."
"I'm sure President Porter is conferring with Bishop Nethereott as we speak," Eve said. "But if the problem's mechanical, then there's little good those two guys can do."
"Are we going to blow up?" Ben asked.
"No one knows that either," Eve admitted grimly.
Jim Vees cursed. "Ix! The one thing we don't need is a bunch of Ainge Auditors interfering with the Engine. Somebody ought to throw them out a window."
"Nobody gets near the Engine but the Enamorati," George Clock said. "Let Porter and Nethercott confer. We should head for the lifepods."
"I still say we ought to throw them out a window," Jim Vees insisted.
Dr. Silbarton looked off to one side, consulting another screen. "I've got a message coming through here. You'd better switch over at your end. Out."
The image of Dr. Silbarton vanished and was replaced by a series of words. On Ben's screen appeared: EMERGENCY. CODE THREE.
ALL PERSONS TO THEIR ASSIGNED ESCAPE PODS. ALL PERSONS TO THEIR ASSIGNED ESCAPE PODS… And out in the halls, alarms rattled a newer tune, commensurate with the gravity of the situation.
"Here we go," Ben said, switching the screen off.
With that the Bombardiers raced for the nearest transit portal, which would now automatically send them to the escape pods.
Portals could only take three people at a time, so there was a line of young men from the dorm already there at the end of the hall.
The line, however, shortened fairly quickly and the young men of Babbitt Hall were shunted via optical cable to the lifepod bays that ringed the ship.
All but Jim Vees made the transit.
"What an idiot," George Clock said, stepping into the pod bay.
Humans were limited to only ten transit jumps a day. Any more than that and molecular degradation would begin. Beyond ten jumps, transit portals would automatically refuse to transit people whose chevrons had registered ten jumps. But many students, including the Bombardiers (and including Ben), often used transit jumps to get high.
Jim Vees now had to hoof it.
This particular section of the lifepod bay contained three lozenge-shaped ships capable of
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