Fred Saberhagen Berserker Base

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reconstruct what's missing and restore it. That's why I need all the time you can get me," she
finished.
"I'll try," he answered. "You go ahead. And "
"I know," she said, coughing. "Thanks."
"I'll bring you something to eat while you work."
"In my cabin," she said, "top drawer, bedside table there are three small bottles of pills. Bring
them instead, and some water."
"Right."
He departed. On the way, he stopped in his cabin to fetch a handgun he kept in his dresser, the
only weapon aboard the ship. He searched the drawers several times, however, and could not locate
it. He cursed softly and then went to Juna's cabin for her medicine.
The berserker maintained its distance and speculated while it waited. It had conceded some
information in order to explain the proposed tradeoff. Still, it could do no harm to remind
Captain Kelman of the seriousness of his position. It might even produce a faster decision.
Accordingly, the hydraulics hummed and surface hatches were opened to extrude additional weapon
mounts. Firing pieces were shifted to occupy these, and were targeted upon the small vessel. Most
were too heavy to take out the ship without damaging its companion. Their mere display, though,
might be sufficiently demoralizing&
Wade watched Juna work. While the hatch could be secured there were several other locations within
the ship from which it could be opened remotely. So he had tucked a pry bar behind his belt and
kept an eye on the open hatch. It had seemed the most that he could do, short of forcing a
confrontation which might go either way.
Periodically, he would throw the voice mode switch and listen to that thing ramble, sometimes in
ED language, sometimes in the odd alien tongue which still sounded somehow familiar. He mused upon
it. Something was trying to surface. She had been right about it, but
The intercom buzzed. Dorphy.
"Our hour is up. It wants to talk to you again," he said. "Wade, it's showing more weapons "
"Switch it in," he replied. He paused, then, "Hello?" he said.
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"Captain Kelman, the hour is run," came the now-familiar voice. "Tell me your decision."
"We have not reached one yet," he answered. "We are divided on this matter. We need more time to
discuss it farther."
"How much time?"
"I don't know. Several hours at least."
"Very well, I will communicate with you every hour for the next three hours. If you have not
reached a decision during that time I will have to reconsider my offer to categorize you as
goodlife."
"We are hurrying," Wade said. "I will call you in an hour."
"Wade," Dorphy said at transmission's end, "all those new weapons are pointed right at us. I think
it's getting ready to blast us if you don't give it what it' wants."
"I don't think so," Wade said. "Anyhow, we've got some time now."
"For what? A few hours isn't going to change anything."
"I'll tell you. In a few hours," Wade said. "How's MacFarland?"
"He's okay."
"Good." He broke she connection.
"Hell," he said then.
He wanted a drink hot he didn't want to muddy his thinking. He had been close to something&
He returned to Juna and the console.
"How's it going?" he asked. "Everything's in place and I'm running it now," she said.
"How soon till you know whether it's working?"
"Hard to tell."
He threw the voice mode switch again.
"Qwibbian-qwibbian-kel," it said. "Qwibbian-qwibbian-kel, maks qwibbian."
"I wonder what that could mean?" he said.
"It's a recurring phrase, or word or whole sentence. A pattern analysis I ran a while back made me
think that it might be its name for itself."
"It has a certain lilt to it."
He began humming. Then whistling, and tapping his fingers on the side of the console in
accompaniment.
"That's it!" he announced suddenly. "It was the right place but it was the wrong place."
"What?" she asked.
"I have to check, to be sure," he said. "Hold the fort. I'll be back."
He hurried off.
"The right place but the wrong place," emerged from the speaker. "How can that be? Contradiction."
"You're coming together again!" she said.
"I regain," came the reply, after a time.
"Let us talk while the process goes on," she suggested.
"Yes," it answered, and then it lapsed again into rambling amid bursts of static.
Dr. Juna Bayel crouched in the lavatory cubicle and vomited. Afterwards, she ground the heels of
her hands into her eyesockets and tried to breathe deeply, to overcome the dizziness and the
shaking. When her stomach had settled sufficiently she took a double dose of her medicine. It was
a risk, but she had no real choice. She could not afford one of her spells at this time. A heavy
dose might head it off. She clenched her teeth and her fists and waited.
Wade Kelman received the berserker's call at the end of the hour and talked it into another hour's
grace. The killing machine was much more belligerent this time.
Dorphy radioed the berserker after he heard the latest transmission and offered to make a deal.
The berserker accepted immediately. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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