Deathworld - Part 1 of 4 - English Audio Stories - Audiobook

chapter 1. some planet in the galaxy must by definition be the toughest meanest nastiest of all if pyrus wasn't it it was an awfully good approximation Jason Denault sprawled in soft luxury on the couch a large Frosty Stein held limply in one hand his other hand rested casually on a pillow the gun behind the pillow was within easy reach of his fingers in his line of work he never took chances it was all highly suspicious Jason didn't know a soul on this planet yet the card sent by service tube from the hotel desk had read Kirk pyrus would like to see Jason Denault blunt and to the point signal the desktos send the man up then lowered his fingers a bit until they brushed the gun butt the doors slid open and the visitors stepped through a retired wrestler that was Jason's first thought Kirk pyrus was a gray-haired rock of a man his body seemingly chiseled out of flat slabs of muscle then Jason saw the gun strapped to the inside of the other man's forearm and he let his fingers drop casually behind the pillow I'd appreciate it Jason said if you'd take off your gun while you're in here the other man stopped and scowled down at the gun as if he was seeing it for the first time no I never take it off he seemed mildly annoyed by the suggestion had his fingers on his own gun when he said I'm afraid I'll have to insist I always feel a little uncomfortable around people who wear guns he kept talking to distract attention while he pulled out his gun fast and smooth he could have been moving in slow motion for all the difference it made Kirk pyrus stood Rock still while the gun came out while it swung in his Direction not until the very last instant did he act when he did the motion wasn't visible first his gun was in the arm holster then it was aimed between Jason's eyes it was an ugly heavy weapon with a pitted front orifice that showed plenty of use and Jason knew if he swung his own weapon up a fraction of an inch more he would be dead he dropped his arm carefully and Kirk flipped his own gun back in the holster with the same ease he had drawn it now the stranger said if we're through playing let's get down to business I have a proposition for you Jason down the large mouthful from the mug and bridled his temper he was fast with a gun his life had depended on it more than once and this was the first time he had been outdrawn it was the offhand an important manner in which it had been done that irritated him I'm not prepared to do business he said acidly I've come to casilia for a vacation get away from work let's not fool each other didn't all to Kirk said impatiently you've never worked an honest job in your entire life you're a professional Gambler and that's why I'm here to see you Jason forced down his anger and threw the gun to the other end of the couch so he wouldn't be tempted to commit suicide he had hoped no one knew him on casilia and was looking forward to a big kill at the casino he would worry about that later this weight lifter type seemed to know all the answers let him plot the course for a while and see where it led all right what do you want Kirk dropped into a chair that creaked ominously under his weight and dug an envelope out of one pocket he flipped through it quickly and dropped a handful of gleaming Galactic exchange notes onto the table Jason glanced at them then sat up Suddenly what are they forgeries he asked holding one up to the light they're real enough Kirk told him I picked them up at the bank exactly 27 bills or 27 million credits I want you to use them as a bankroll when you go to the casino tonight gamble with them and win they looked real enough and they could be checked Jason fingered them thoughtfully while he examined the other man I don't know what you have in mind he said but you realize I can't make any guarantees I gamble but I don't always win you gamble and you win when you want to Kirk said grimly we looked into that quite carefully before I came to you you mean to say that I cheat carefully Jason grabbed his temper again and held it down there was no future in getting annoyed Kirk continued in the same level voice ignoring Jason's growing anger maybe you don't call it cheating frankly I don't care as far as I'm concerned you could have your suit lined with Aces and electromagnets in your boots as long as you won I'm not here to discuss moral points with you I said I had a proposition we have worked hard for that money but it still isn't enough to be precise we need three billion credits the only way to get that some is by gambling with these 27 million as bankroll and what do I get out of it Jason asked the question coolly as if any bit of the Fantastic proposition made sense everything above the 3 billion you can keep that should be fair enough you're not risking your own money but you stand to make enough to keep you for life if you win and if I lose Kirk thought for a moment not liking the taste of the idea yes there is the chance you might lose I hadn't thought about that he reached a decision if you lose well I suppose that is just a risk we'll have to take though I think I would kill you then the ones who died to get the 27 million deserve at least that he said it quietly without malice and it was more of a promise than a threat stamping to his feet Jason refilled his Stein and offered one to Kirk who took it with a nod of thanks he paced back and forth unable to sit the whole proposition made him angry yet at the same time he had a fatal Fascination he was a gambler and this talk was like the taste of drugs to an addict stopping suddenly he realized that his mind had been made up for some time win or lose live or die how could he say no to the chance to gamble with money like that he turned suddenly and jabbed his finger at the big man in the chair I'll do it you probably knew I would from the time you came in here there are some terms of my own though I want to know who you are and who they are you keep talking about and where did the money come from is it stolen Kirk drained his own Stein and pushed it away from him stolen money no quite the opposite two years work Mining and refining ore to get it it was mined on Pirates and sold here on cassilia you can check on that very easily I sold it I'm the pirate ambassador to this planet he smiled at the thought not that that means much I'm ambassador to at least six other planets as well comes in handy when you want to do business Jason looked at the muscular man with his gray hair and worn military cut clothes and decided not to laugh you heard of strange things out in the frontier planets and every word could be true he had never heard of pyrus either though that didn't mean anything there were over thirty thousand known planets in the inhabited universe I'll check on what you've told me Jason said if it's true we can do business call me tomorrow no Kirk said the money has to be won tonight I've already issued a check for this 27 million it will bounce as high as the Pleiades unless we deposit the money in the morning so that's our time limit with each moment the whole Affair became more fantastic and more intriguing for Jason he looked at his watch there was still enough time to find out if Kirk was lying or not all right we'll do it tonight he said only I'll have to have one of those bills to check Kirk stood up take them all I won't be seeing you again until after you've won I'll be at the casino of course but don't recognize me it would be much better if they didn't know where your money was coming from or how much you had then he was gone after a bone-crushing hand clasp that closed on Jason's hand like Vice Jaws Jason was alone with the money Fanning the bills out like a hand of cards he stared at their sepia and gold faces trying to get the reality through his head 27 million credits what was to stop him from just walking out the door with them and Vanishing nothing really except his own sense of Honor Kirk pyrus the man with the same last name as the planet he was from was the universe's biggest fool or he knew just what he was doing from the way the interview had gone the latter seemed the better bet he knows I would much rather gamble with the money than steal it he said Riley slipping a small gun into his waistband holster and pocketing the money he went out chapter 2 the robot teller at the bank just pinged with electronic shock when he presented one of the bills and flashed a panel that directed him to see vice president Wayne was a smooth customer who bugged his eyes and lost some of his tan when he saw the Sheaf of bills you wish to deposit these with us he asked while his fingers unconsciously stroked them not today Jason said they were paid to me as a debt would you please check that they are authentic and change them I'd like 500 000 credit notes both of his inner chest Pockets were packed tight when he left the bank the bills were good and he felt like a walking mint this was the first time in his entire life that carrying a large sum of money made him uncomfortable waving to a passing helicab he went directly to the casino where he knew he would be safe for a while casilia Casino was the play Spot of the nearby cluster of star systems it was the first time Jason had seen it though he knew its type well he had spent most of his adult life in casinos like this on other worlds the decor differed but they were always the same gambling and socialites in public and behind the scenes all the private Vice you could afford theoretically No Limit games but that was true only up to a certain point when the house was really hurt the honest game stopped being square and the big winner had to watch his step very carefully these were the odds Jason Denault had played against countless times before he was wary but not very concerned the dining room was almost empty and the major Domo quickly rushed to the side of the relaxed stranger in the richly cut clothes Jason was lean and dark looking more like the board Scion of some rich family than a professional gambler this appearance was important and he cultivated it the cuisine looked good and the seller turned out to be wonderful he had a professional talk with the sommelier while waiting for the soup then settled down to enjoy his meal he ate leisurely and the large dining room was filled before he was through watching the entertainment over a long cigar killed some more time when he finally went to the gaming rooms they were filled and active moving slowly around the room he dropped a few thousand credits he scarcely noticed how he played giving more attention to the feel of the games the play all seemed honest and none of the equipment was rigged that could be changed very quickly he realized usually it wasn't necessary house percentage was enough to assure a profit once he saw Kirk out of the corner of his eye but he paid him no attention the Ambassador was losing small sums steadily at seven and silver and seemed to be impatient probably waiting for Jason to begin playing seriously he he smiled and strolled on slowly Jason settled on the dice table as he usually did it was the surest way to make small winnings and if I feel it tonight I can clean this casino out that was his secret the power that won for him steadily and every once in a while enabled him to make a killing and move on quickly before the hired thugs came to get the money back the dice reached him and he threw and ate the hard way betting was light and he didn't push himself just kept away from the sevens he made the point and passed a natural then he crapped out and the dice moved on sitting there making small automatic bets while the dice went around the table he thought about the power funny after all the years of work we still don't know much about Psy they can train people a bit and improve skills a bit but that's all he was feeling strong tonight he knew that the money in his pocket gave him the extra lift that sometimes helped him break through with his eyes half closed he picked up the dice and let his mind gently caress the pattern of sunken dots then they shot out of his hand and he stared at a seven it was there stronger than he had felt it in years the stiff weight of those million credit notes had done it the world all around was sharp cut clear and the dice were completely in his control he knew to the 10th credit how much the other players had in their wallets and was aware of the cards in the hands of the players behind him slowly carefully he built up the stakes there was no effort to the dice they rolled and sat up like trained dogs Jason took his time and concentrated on the psychology of the players and the stick man it took almost two hours to build his money on the table to 700 000 credits then he caught the stick man signaling they had a heavy winner he waited until the hard-eyed man strolled over to watch the game then he smiled happily bed all his table stakes and blew it on one roll of the dice the house man smiled happily the stick man relaxed and out of the corner of his eye Jason saw Kirk turning a dark purple sweating pale his hand trembling ever so slightly Jason opened the front of his jacket and pulled out one of the envelopes of new bills breaking the seal with his finger he dropped two of them on the table could we have a No Limit game he asked I'd like to win back some of my money the stick man had trouble controlling his smile now he glanced across at the house man who nodded a quick yes they had a sucker and they meant to clean him he'd been playing from his wallet all evening now he was cracking into a sealed envelope to try for what he had lost a thick envelope too and probably not his money not that the house cared in the least to them money had no loyalties the play went on with the casino in a very relaxed mood which was just the way Jason wanted it he needed to get as deep into them as he could before someone realized they might be on the losing end the rough stuff would start and he wanted to put it off as long as possible it would be hard to win smoothly then and his side power might go as quickly as it had come that had happened before he was playing against the house now the two other players were obvious shills and a crowd had jammed solidly around to watch after losing and winning a bit he hit a streak of Naturals in his pile of gold chips tottered higher and higher there was nearly a billion there he estimated roughly the dice were still falling true though he was soaked with sweat from the effort betting the entire stack of chips he reached for the dice the stick man reached faster and hooked them away house calls for new dice he said flatly Jason straightened up and wiped his hands glad of the instance relief this was the third time the house had changed dice to try to break his winning streak it was their privilege the hard-eyed casino man opened his wallet as he had done before and Drew out a pair at random stripping off their plastic cover he threw them the length of the table to Jason they came up at natural 7 and Jason smiled when he scooped them up the smile slowly faded the dice were transparent finally made evenly waited on all sides and crooked the pigment on the dots of five sides of each die was some heavy metal compound probably lead the sixth side was a ferrous compound they would roll true unless they hit a magnetic field that meant the entire surface of the table could be magnetized he could never have spotted the difference if he hadn't looked at the dice with his mind but what could he do about it shaking them slowly he glanced quickly around the table there was what he needed an ashtray with a magnet in its base to hold it to the metal edge of the table Jason stopped shaking the dice and looked at them quizzically then reached over and grabbed the ashtray he dropped the base against his hand as he lifted the ashtray there was a concerted gasp from all sides the dice were sticking there upside down box cars showing are these what you call Honest dice he asked the man who had thrown out the dice reached quickly for his Hip Pocket Jason was the only one who saw what happened next he was watching that hand closely his own fingers near his gun butt as the man dived into his pocket a hand reached out of the crowd behind him from its square cut size it could have belonged to only one person the thick thumb and index finger clamped swiftly around the house man's wrist then they were gone the man screamed shrilly and held up his arm his hand dangling limp is a glove from the broken wrist bone with his flank well protected Jason could go on with the game the old dice if you don't mind he said quietly dazedly the stickman pushed him over Jason shook quickly and rolled before they hit the table he realized he couldn't control them the transient side power had gone end over end they turned and faced up seven counting the chips as they were pushed over to him he added up a bit under 2 billion credits they would be winning that much if he left the game now but it wasn't the 3 billion that Kirk needed well it would have to be enough as he reached for the chips he caught Kirk's eye across the table and the other man shook his head in a steady no Let It Ride Jason said wearily one more roll he breathed on the dice polishing them on his cuff and wondered how he had ever gotten into this spot billions riding on a pair of dice that was as much as the annual income of some planets the only reason there could be Stakes like that was because the planetary government had a stake in the casino he shook as long as he could reaching for the control that wasn't there then let fly everything else had stopped in the casino and people were standing on tables and chairs to watch there wasn't a sound from that large crowd the dice bounced back from the board with a clatter loud in this silence and tumbled over the cloth a five and a one six he still had to make his point scooping up the dice Jason talked to them mumbled the ancient Oaths that brought luck and through again it took five throws before he made the six the crowd echoed his sigh and their voices Rose quickly he wanted to stop take a deep breath but he knew he couldn't winning the money was only part of the job they now had to get away with it it had to look casual a waiter was passing with a tray of drinks Jason stopped him and tucked a hundred credit note in his pocket drinks are on me he shouted while he pried the tray out of the waiter's hands well-wishers cleared the filled glasses away quickly and Jason piled the chips onto the tray they more than loaded it but Kirk appeared that moment with a second tray I'll be glad to help you sir if you will permit me he said Jason looked at him and laughed permission it was the first time he had a clear look at Kirk in the casino he was wearing loose purple evening pajamas over what must have been a false stomach the sleeves were long and baggy so he looked fat rather than muscular it was a simple but effective disguise carefully carrying the loaded trays surrounded by a crowd of excited patrons they made their way to the cashiers window the manager himself was there wearing a sickly grin even the grin faded when he counted the chips could you come back in the morning he said I'm afraid we don't have that kind of money on hand what's the matter Kirk shouted trying to get out of paying him you took my money easy enough when I lost it works both ways the onlooker is always happy to see the house lose grout their disagreement Jason finished the matter in a loud voice I'll be reasonable give me what cash you have and I'll take a check for the balance there was no way out under the watchful eye of the gleeful crowd the manager packed an envelope with bills and wrote a check Jason took a quick Glimpse at it then stuffed it into an inside pocket with the envelope under one arm he followed Kirk towards the door because of the onlookers there was no trouble in the main room but just as they reached the side entrance two men moved in blocking the way just a moment once said he never finished the sentence Kirk walked into them without slowing and they bounced away like 10 pins then Kirk and Jason were out of the building and walking fast into the parking lot Kirk said I have a car there when they rounded the corner there was a car bearing down on them before Jason could get his gun clear of the holster Kirk was in front of him his arm came up and his big ugly gun burst through the cloth of his sleeve and jumped into his hand a single shot killed the driver and the car swerved and crashed the other two men in the car died coming out of the door their guns dropping from their hands after that they had no trouble Kirk drove it top speed away from the casino the torn sleeve of his pajamas whipping in the breeze giving glimpses of the big gun back in the holster when you get a chance Jason said you'll have to show me how that trick holster works when we get the chance Kirk answered as he dived the car into the city access tube chapter 3. the building they stopped at was one of the finer residences in casilia as they had driven Jason counted the money and separated his share almost 16 million credits it still didn't seem quite real when they got out in front of the building he gave Kirk the rest here's your three billion don't think it was easy he said it could have been worse was his only answer the recorded voice scratched in the speaker over the door Sir Ellis has retired for the night would you please call again in the morning all appointments are made in advance The Voice broke off as Kirk pushed the door open he did it almost effortlessly with the flat of his hand as they went in Jason looked at the remains of the torn and Twisted Metal that hung in the lock and wondered again about his companion strength More Than Physical strength he's like an elemental Force I have the feeling that nothing can stop him it made him angry and at the same time fascinated him he didn't want out of the deal until he found out more about Kirk and his planet and they who had died for the money he gambled sire Ellis was old balding and angry not at all used to having his rest Disturbed his complaints stopped suddenly when Kirk threw the money down on the table is the ship being loaded yet Alice here's the balance due Ellis only fumbled the bills for a moment before he could answer Kirk's question the ship but of course we began loading it when you gave us the deposit you'll have to excuse my confusion this is a little irregular we never handle transactions of this size in cash that's the way I like to do business Kirk answered him I've canceled the deposit this is the total sum now how about a receipt Ellis made out the receipt before his senses returned he held it tightly while he looked uncomfortably at the three billion spread out before him wait I can't take it now you'll have to return in the morning to the bank in normal business fashion Ellis decided firmly Kirk reached over and gently drew the paper out of Ellis's hand thanks for the receipt he said I won't be here in the morning so this will be satisfactory and if you're worried about the money I suggest you get in touch with some of your planet guards or private police you'll feel a lot safer when they left through the shattered door Ellis was frantically dialing numbers on his screen Kirk answered Jason's next question before he could ask it I imagine you would like to live to spend that money in your pocket so I've booked two seats on an interplanetary ship he glanced at the car clock it leaves in about two hours so we have plenty of time I'm hungry let's find a restaurant I hope you have nothing at the hotel where it's going back for it would be a little difficult nothing worth getting killed for Jason said now where can we go to eat there are a few questions I would like to ask you they circled carefully down to the transport levels until they were sure they hadn't been followed Kirk knows the car into a darkened loading dock where they abandoned it we can always get another car he said and they probably have this one spotted let's walk back to the freightway I saw a restaurant there as we came by dark and looming shapes of Overland Freight Carriers filled the parking lot they picked their way around the man high wheels and into the hot and noisy restaurant the drivers and early morning workers took no notice of them as they found a booth in the back and dialed a meal Kirk chiseled a chunk of meat off the slab in front of him and popped it cheerfully into his mouth ask your questions he said I'm feeling much better already what's in the ship you arranged for tonight what kind of cargo was I risking my neck for I thought you were risking your neck for money Kirk said dryly but be assured it was in a good cause that cargo means the survival of a world guns ammunition mines explosives and such Jason choked over a mouthful of food gun running what are you doing financing a private war and how can you talk about survival with a lethal cargo like that don't try and tell me they have a peaceful use who are you killing most of the big man's humor had vanished he had that grim look Jason knew well yes peaceful would be the right word because that is basically all we want just to live in peace and it is not who are we killing it is what we are killing Jason pushed his plate away with an angry gesture you're talking in riddles he said what you say has no meaning it has meaning enough Kirk told him but only on one planet in the universe just how much do you know about papyrus absolutely nothing for a moment Kirk sat wrapped in memory scowling distantly then he went on mankind doesn't belong on Pirates yet has been there for almost 300 years now the age of expectancy of my people is 16 years of course most adults live beyond that but the high child mortality brings the average down it is everything that a humanoid World should not be the gravity is nearly twice Earth normal the temperature can vary daily from Arctic to Tropic the climate well you have to experience it to believe it like nothing you've ever seen anywhere else in the galaxy I'm frightened Jason said dryly what do you have methane or chlorine reactions I've been down on planets like that Kirk slammed his hand down hard on the table the dishes bounced and the table legs creaked laboratory reactions he growled they look great on a bench but what happens when you have a world filled with those compounds in an eye wink of Galactic time all the violence is locked up in nice stable compounds the atmosphere may be poisonous for an oxygen breather but taken by itself it's as harmless as weak beer there is only one setup that is pure poison as a planetary atmosphere plenty of H2O the most universal solvent you can find plus free oxygen to work on water and oxygen Jason broke in you mean Earth or a planet like casilia here that's preposterous not at all because you were born in this kind of environment you accept it as right and natural you take it for granted that Metals corrode coastlines change and storms interfere with communication these are normal occurrences on oxygen water worlds on pyrus these conditions are carried to the nth degree the planet has an axial tilt of almost 42 degrees so there is a tremendous change in temperature from season to season this is one of the Prime causes of a constantly changing ice cap the weather generated by this is spectacular to say the least if that's all Jason said I don't see why that's not all it's barely the beginning the Open Seas perform the Dual destructive function of supplying water vapor to keep the weather going and building up gigantic Tides pyrus's two satellites Samus and bisos combined at times to pull the oceans up into 30 meter tides and until you've seen one of these Tides lap over into an active volcano you've seen nothing heavy elements are what brought us to pyrus and these same elements keep the planet at a volcanic boil there have been at least 13 supernovas in the immediate Stellar neighborhood heavy elements can be found on most of their planets of course as well as completely unbreathable atmospheres long-term Mining and exploitation can't be done by anything but a self-sustaining colony which meant pyrus where the radioactive elements are locked in the planetary core surrounded by a shell of lighter ones while this allows for the atmosphere men need it also provides unceasing volcanic activity as the molten plasma forces its way to the surface for the first time Jason was silent trying to imagine what life could be like on a planet constantly at war with itself I've saved the best for last Kirk said with grim humor now that you have an idea of what the environment is like think of the kind of life forms that would populate it I doubt if there is one off-world species that would live a minute plants and animals on Pirates are tough they fight the world and they fight each other hundreds of thousands of years of genetic weeding out have produced things that would give even an electronic brain nightmares armor plated poisonous claw tipped and fanged mouth that describes everything that walks flaps or just sits and grows ever see a plant with teeth that bite I don't think you want to you'd have to be on pyrus and that means you would be dead within seconds of leaving the ship even I'll have to take a refresher course before I'll be able to go outside the Landing buildings the unending War for survival keeps the life forms competing and changing death is simple but the ways of dealing it too numerous to list unhappiness rode like a weight on Kirk's broad shoulders after long moments of thought he moved visibly to Shake it Off returning his attention to his food and mopping the gravy from his plate he voiced part of his feelings I suppose there is no logical reason why we should stay and fight this endless war except that pyrus is our home the last piece of gravy soaked bread vanished and he waved the empty Fork at Jason be happy you're an off-worlder and we'll never have to see it that's where you're wrong Jason said calmly as he could you see I'm going back with you chapter 4. don't talk stupidly Kirk said as he punched for a duplicate order of steak there are much simpler ways of committing suicide don't you realize that you're a millionaire now with what you have in your pocket you can relax the rest of your life on the pleasure planets pyrus is a death world not a sightseeing spot for Jaded tourists I cannot permit you to return with me gamblers who lose their tempers don't last long Jason was angry now yet it showed only in a negative way in the lack of expression on his face and the calmness of his voice don't tell me what I can or cannot do Kirk pyrus you're a big man with a fast gun but that doesn't make you my boss all you can do is stop me from going back on your ship but I can easily afford to get there another way and don't try to tell me I want to go to pyrus for sightseeing when you have no idea of my reasons Jason didn't even try to explain his reasons they were only half realized and too personal the more he traveled the more things look the same to him the old civilized Planet sank into a drab similarity Frontier worlds all had the crude sameness of temporary camps in a forest not that the galactic worlds bored him it was just that he had found their limitations yet had never found his own until he met Kirk he had acknowledged no man his Superior or even his equal this was more than egotism it was facing facts now he was forced to face the fact that there was a whole world full of people who might be superior to him Jason could never rest until he had been there and seen for himself even if he died in the attempt none of this could be told to Kirk there were other reasons he would understand better you're not thinking ahead when you prevent me from going to pyrus Jason said I'll not mention any moral debt you owe me for winning that money you needed but what about the next time if you needed that much lethal Goods once you probably need it again someday wouldn't it be better to have me on hand old tried and true than dreaming up some new and possibly unreliable scheme Kirk chewed pensively on the second serving of steak that makes sense and I must admit I hadn't thought of it before one failing we pirans have is a lack of interest in the future Staying Alive day by day is enough trouble so we tend to face emergencies as they arrive and let the dim future take care of itself you can come I hope you will still be alive when we need you as pirate ambassador to a lot of places I officially invite you to our planet all expenses paid on the condition you obey completely all of our instructions regarding your personal safety conditions accepted Jason said and wondered why he was so cheerful about signing his own death warrant Kirk was shoveling his way through his third dessert when his alarm watch gave a tiny hum he dropped his Fork instantly and stood up time to go he said we're on a schedule while Jason scrambled to his feet he jammed coins into the meter until the paid light came on then they were out the door and walking fast Jason wasn't at all surprised when they came on a public escalator just behind the restaurant he was beginning to realize that since leaving the casino there every move had been carefully planned and timed without a doubt the alarm was out and the entire planet being searched for them yet so far they hadn't noticed the slightest sign of pursuit this wasn't the first time Jason had to move Just One Jump Ahead of the authorities but it was the first time he had to let someone else lead him by the hand while he did it he had to smile at his own automatic agreement he had been a loner for so many years that he found a certain inverse pleasure in following someone else hurry up Kirk growled after a quick glance at his watch he set a steady killing Pace up the escalator steps they went up five levels that way without seeing another person before Kirk relented and let the escalator do the work Jason prided himself on keeping in condition but the sudden climb after the sleepless night left him panting heavily and soaked with sweat Kirk cool a forehead and breathing normally didn't show the slightest sign that he had been running they were at the second motor level when Kirk stepped off the slowly Rising steps and waved Jason after him as they came through the exit to the street A car pulled up to the curb in front of them Jason had enough sense not to reach for his gun at the exact moment they reached the car the driver opened the door and stepped out Kirk passed him a slip of paper without saying a word and slipped in behind the wheel there was just time for Jason to jump in before the car pulled away the entire transfer had taken less than three seconds there had been only a glimpse of the driver in the dim light but Jason had recognized him of course he had never seen the man before but after knowing Kirk he couldn't mistake the compact strength of a native pirate that was the receipt from Ellis you gave him Jason said of course that takes care of the ship and the cargo they'll be off planet and safely away before the casino check is traced to Ellis so now let's look after ourselves I'll explain the plan in detail so there will be no slip UPS on your part I'll go through the whole thing once and if there are any questions you'll ask them when I'm finished the tones of command were so automatic that Jason found himself listening in quiet obedience though one part of his mind wanted him to smile at the quick Assumption of his incompetence Kirk swung the car into the steady line of traffic heading out of the city to the Spaceport he drove easily while he talked there is a search on in the city but we're well ahead of that I'm sure the casillians don't want to advertise their bad sportsmanship so there won't be anything as crude as a roadblock but the port will be crawling with every agent they have they know once the money gets off Planet it's gone forever when we make a break for it they will be sure we still have the goods so there will be no trouble with the munition ship getting clear Jason sounded a little shocked you mean you're setting us up as clay pigeons to cover the takeoff of the ship you could put it that way but since we have to get off the planet anyway there is no harm in using our Escape as a smoke screen now shut up until I finished like I told you or one more Interruption and I dump you by the road Jason was sure he would he listened intently and quietly as Kirk repeated word for word what he had said before then continued the official car gate will probably be wide open with the traffic through it and a lot of the agents will be in plain clothes we might even get onto the field without being recognized though I doubt it it is of no importance we will drive through the gate and to the takeoff pad the pride of dark on for which we hold tickets will be sounding its two-minute siren and unhooking the gangway by the time we get to our seats the ship will take off that's all very fine Jason said but what will the guards be doing all this time shooting at us and each other we will take advantage of the confusion to get aboard this answer did nothing to settle Jason's mind but he let it slide for the moment all right say we do get a board why don't they just prevent takeoff until we've been dragged out and stood against a wall Kirk spared him a contemptuous glance before he returned his eyes to the road I said the ship was the pride of darkan if you had studied this system at all you would know what that means casilia and dark on are sister planets and rivals in every way it has been less than two centuries since they fought an intra-system war that almost destroyed both of them now they exist in an armed to the teeth neutrality that neither dare violate the moment we set foot aboard the ship we are on darkhan territory there is no extradition agreement between the planets casilia may want us but not badly enough to start another War that was all the explanation there was time for Kirk swung the car out of the rush of traffic and onto a bridge marked official cars only Jason had a feeling of nakedness as they rolled under the harsh Port lights towards the guarded gate ahead it was closed another car approached the gate from the inside and Kirk slowed their car to a crawl one of the guards talked to the driver of the car inside the port and waved to the gate attendant the barrier gate began to swing inwards and Kirk jammed down on the accelerator everything happened at once the turbine held the spinning tires screeched on the road and the car crashed open the gate Jason had Vanishing glimpses of the open-mouthed guards then they were skidding around the corner of a building a few shots were popped after them but none came close driving with one hand Kirk reached under the dash and pulled out a gun that was the twin of the monster strapped to his arm use this instead of your own he said rocket propelled explosive slugs make a great bang don't bother shooting at anyone I'll take care of that just stir up a little action and make them keep their distance like this he fired a single snapshot out the side window and passed the gun to Jason almost before the slug hit an empty truck blew up with a roar reigning pieces on the cars around and sending their drivers fleeing in panic after that it was a nightmare ride through a madhouse Kirk drove with an apparent contempt for violent death other cars followed them and were lost in wheel raising turns they careened almost the full length of the field leaving a trail of smoking chaos then the pursuit was all behind them and the only thing ahead was the slim Spire of the pride of darkong the pride was surrounded by a strong wire fence as suited the begrudged status of her planetary origin the gate was closed and guarded by Soldiers with leveled guns waiting for a shot at the approaching car Kirk made no attempt to come near them instead he fed the last reserves of power to the car and headed for the fence cover your face he shouted Jason put his arms up in front of his head just as they hit torn metal screamed the fence buckled wrapped itself around the car but did not break Jason flew off the seat and into the batted Dash by the time Kirk had the warped door open he realized that the ride was over Kirk must have seen the spin of his eyeballs because he didn't talk just pull Jason out and threw him onto the hood of the ruined car climb over the buckled wire and make a run for the ship he shouted if there was any doubt what he meant he set Jason an example of fine road work it was inconceivable that someone of his bulk could run so fast yet he did he moved more like a charging tank than a man Jason shook the fog from his head and worked up some speed himself nevertheless he was barely halfway to the ship when Kirk hit the gangway it was already unhooked from the ship but the shocked attendants stopped rolling it away as the big man bounded up the steps at the top he turned and fired at the soldiers who were charging through the open gate they dropped crawled and returned his fire very few shot at Jason's running form the scene in front of Jason cranked over in slow motion Kirk standing at the top of the ramp coolly returning the fire that splashed all about he could have found safety in an instant through the open port behind him the only reason he stayed there was to cover Jason thanks Jason managed to gasp as he made the last few steps up the gangway jumped the Gap and collapsed inside the ship you're perfectly welcome Kirk said as he joined him waving his gun to cool it off a grim jawed ship's officer stood back out of range of fire from the ground and looked them both up and down and just what is going on here he growled Kirk tested the barrel with a wet thumb then let the gun slide back into its holster we are law-abiding citizens of a different system who have committed no criminal acts the sign the Savages of casilia are too barbarous for civilized company therefore we are going to dark on here are our tickets in whose Sovereign territory I believe we are at this moment the last was added for the benefit of the casillian officer who had just stumbled to the top of the gangway and was raising his gun the soldier couldn't be blamed he saw these badly wanted criminals getting away aboard a dark on ship as well anger got the best of him and he brought his gun up come out of there you scum you're not escaping that easily come out slow with your hands up or I'll blast you it was a frozen moment of time that stretched and stretched without breaking the pistol covered Kirk and Jason neither of them attempted to reach for their own guns the gun twitched a bit as the ship's officer moved then steadied back on the two men the dark on Spaceman hadn't gone far just a pace across the lock this was enough to bring him next to a red box set flush with the wall with a single Swift gesture he flipped up the cover and poised his thumb over the button inside when he smiled his lips peeled back to show all of his teeth he had made up his mind and it was the arrogance of the Castilian officer that had been the deciding factor fire a single shot into dark on territory and I pressed this button he shouted and you know what this button does every one of your ships has them as well commit a hostile act against this ship and someone will press a button every control rod will be blown out of the ship's pile at that instant and half of your filthy City will go up in the explosion his smile was chiseled on his face and there was no doubt he would do what he said go ahead fire I think I would enjoy pressing this the takeoff siren was hooting now the closed lock light blinking an angry message from the bridge like four actors in a grim drama they faced each other an instant more then the cacilian officer growling with unvoicable frustrated anger turned and leapt back to the steps all passengers board ship 45 seconds to take off clear the port the ship's officer slammed shut the cover of the box and locked it as he talked there was barely time to make the acceleration couches before the pride of darcon cleared ground chapter 5. once the ship was in orbit the captain sent for Jason and Kirk Kirk took the floor and was completely Frank about the previous night's activities the only fact of importance he left out was Jason's background as a professional gambler drew a beautiful picture of two lucky strangers whom the evil forces of casilia wanted to deprive of their gambling profits all of this fitted perfectly the captain's preconceptions of casilia in the end he congratulated his officer on the correctness of his actions and began the preparation of a long report to his government he gave the two men his best wishes as well as the liberty of the ship it was a short trip Jason barely had time to catch up on his sleep before they grounded on darcon being without luggage they were the first ones through customs they left the shed just in time to see another ship Landing in a distant pit Kirk stopped to watch it and Jason followed his gaze it was a gray scarred ship with the stubby lines of a freighter but sporting as many guns as a cruiser yours of course Jason said Kirk nodded and started towards the ship one of the locks opened as they came up but no one appeared instead a remote release folding ladder rattled down to the ground Kirk swarmed up it and Jason followed glumly somehow he felt this was overdoing the No Frills and nonsense attitude Jason was catching on to piran ways though the reception aboard ship for the Ambassador was just what he expected nothing Kirk closed the lock himself and they found couches as the takeoff horn sounded the main Jets roared and acceleration smashed down on Jason it didn't stop instead it grew stronger squeezing the air out of his lungs and the sight from his eyes he screamed but couldn't hear his own Voice through the Roaring in his ears mercifully he blacked out when Consciousness returned the ship was at zero g Jason kept his eyes closed and let the pain seep out of his body Kirk spoke suddenly he was standing next to the couch my fault meta I should have told you we had a 1G passenger aboard you might have eased up a bit on your usual bone-breaking takeoff it doesn't seem to have harmed him much but what's he doing here Jason felt mild surprised that the second voice was a girl's but he wasn't interested enough to go through the trouble of opening his Sore Eyes going to Pirates I tried to talk him out of it of course but I couldn't change his mind it's a shame too I would like to have done more for him he's the one who got the money for us oh that's awful the girl said Jason wondered why it was awful it didn't make sense to his groggy mind it would have been much better if he stayed on darkot and the girl continued he's very nice looking I think it's a shame he has to die that was too much for Jason he pried one eye open than the other The Voice belonged to a girl about 21 who was standing next to the bed gazing down at Jason she was beautiful Jason's eyes opened wider as he realized she was very beautiful with the kind of beauty never found in the Civilized Galaxy the women he had known all ran to pale skin Hollow shoulders gray faces covered with tints and dies they were the product of centuries of breeding weaknesses back into the race as the advance of medicine kept alive more and more non-survival types this girl was the direct opposite in every way she was the product of survival on pyrus the heavy gravity that produced bulging muscles in men brought out firm strength in strap-like female muscles she had the figure of a goddess tanned skin and perfectly formed face her hair which was cut short circled her head like a Golden Crown the only unfeminine thing about her was the gun she wore in a bulky forearm holster when she saw Jason's eyes open she smiled at him her teeth were as even and as white as he had expected I met a pilot of this ship and you must be Jason Denault that was a lousy takeoff meta I'm really very sorry she left but being born on a 2G plan it does make one a little immune to acceleration I saved fuel too with the Synergy curve Kirk gave a non-committal grunt come along Mata we'll take a look at the cargo some of the new stuff will plug the gaps in the perimeter oh yes she said almost clapping her hands with happiness I read the specs they're simply wonderful like a school girl with a new dress or a box of candy that's a great attitude to have towards bombs and flamethrowers Jason smiled Riley at the thought as he groaned off the couch the two Pirates had gone and he pulled himself painfully through the door after them it took him a long time to find his way to the hold the ship was big and apparently empty of crew Jason finally found a man sleeping in one of the brightly lit cabins he recognized him as the driver who had turned the car over to them on casilia the man who had been sleeping soundly a moment before opened his eyes as soon as Jason drifted into the room he was wide awake how do I get to the cargo hold Jason asked the other told him closed his eyes and instantly went back to sleep before Jason could even say thanks in the hold Kirk and meta had opened some of the crates and were chortling with joy over their lethal contents meta a pressure canister In Her Arms turned to Jason as he came through the door just look at this she said this powder in here why you can eat it like dirt with less harm yet it is instantly deadly to all forms of vegetable life she stopped suddenly as she realized Jason didn't share her extreme pleasure I'm sorry I I forgot for a moment there that you weren't a pirate so you don't really understand do you before he could answer the PA speaker called her name jump time she said come with me to the bridge while I do the equations we can talk there I know so little about any place except pirates that I have a million questions to ask Jason followed her to the bridge where she relieved the duty officer and began taking readings for the jump setting she looked out of place among the machines a sturdy but Supple figure in a simple one-piece ship suit yet there was no denying the efficiency with which she went about her job meta aren't you a little young to be the pilot of an Interstellar ship am I she thought for a second I really don't know how old pilots are supposed to be I have been piloting for about three years now and I'm almost 20. is that younger than usual Jason opened his mouth then laughed I suppose that all depends on what planet you're from some places you would have trouble getting licensed but I'll bet things are different on pyrus by their standards you must rank as an old lady now you're making a joke meta said serenely as she fed a figure into the calculator I've seen old ladies on some planets they are wrinkled and have gray hair I don't know how old they are I asked one once but she wouldn't tell me her age but I'm sure they must be older than anyone on pyrus no one looks like that there I don't mean old that way Jason groped for the right word not old but grown up mature an adult everyone has grown up she answered at least soon after they leave the wards and they do that when they're six my first child is grown up and the second one would be two only he's dead so I surely must be that seemed to settle the question for her though Jason's thoughts jumped with the alien Concepts and background inherent behind her words meta punched in the last setting and the course tape began to chunk out of the case she turned her attention back to Jason I'm glad you're aboard this trip though I am sorry you're going to pyrus but we'll have lots of time to talk there are so many things I want to find out about other planets and why people go around acting the way they do not at all like home where you know why people are doing things all the time she frowned over the tape for a moment then turned her attention back to Jason what is your home planet like one after another the usual lies he told people came to his lips and were pushed away why bother lying to a girl who really didn't care if you were surf or Noble to her there were only two kinds of people in the Galaxy Pirates and the rest for the first time since he had fled from porgore Store Sand he found himself telling someone the truth of his origin my home planet just about the stuffiest dull as dead end in the universe you can't believe the destructive decay of a planet that is mainly agrarian cast conscious and completely satisfied with its own boring existence not only is there no change but no one wants change my father was a farmer so I should have been a farmer too if I had listened to the advice of my Bettors it was Unthinkable as well as forbidden for me to do anything else and everything I wanted to do was against the law I was 15 before I learned to read out of a book stolen from a noble school after that there was no turning back by the time I stowed aboard an off-world freighter at 19 I must have broken every law on the planet happily leaving home for me was just like getting out of prison meta shook her head at the thought I just can't imagine a place like that but I'm sure I wouldn't like it there I'm sure you wouldn't Jason laughed so once I was in space with no law-abiding talents or skills I just wandered into one thing in another in this age of technology I was completely out of pace oh I suppose I could have done well in some Army but I'm not so good at taking orders whenever I gamble I do well so little by little I just drifted into it people are the same everywhere so I managed to make out well wherever I end up I know what you mean about people being alike but they are so different she said I I'm not being clear at all am I what I mean is that at home I know what people will do and why they do it at the same time people on all the other planets do act alike as you said yet I have very much trouble understanding why for instance I like to try the local food when we sit down on a planet and if there is time I always do there are bars and restaurants near every Spaceport so I go there and I always have trouble with the men they want to buy me drinks hold my hand well a single girl in those Port joints has to expect a certain amount of interest from the men oh I know that she said what I don't understand is why they don't listen when I tell them I am not interested and to go away they just laugh and pull up a chair usually but I have found that one thing works wherever I am I tell them if they don't stop bothering me I'll break their arm does that stop them Jason asked no of course not but after I break their arm they go away and the others don't bother me either it's a lot of fuss to go through and the food is usually awful Jason didn't laugh particularly when he realized that this girl could break the arm of any Spaceport Thug in the Galaxy she was a strange mixture of naivete and strength unlike anyone he had ever met before once again he realized that he had to visit the planet that produced people like her and Kirk tell me about pyrus he asked why is it that you and Kirk assume automatically that I will drop dead as soon as I land what is the planet like all the warmth was gone from her face now I can't tell you you will have to see for yourself I know that much after visiting some of the other worlds pyrus is like nothing you Galaxy people have ever experienced you won't really believe it until it's too late will you promise me something no he answered at least not until I hear what it is and decide don't leave the ship when we land you should be safe enough aboard and I'll be flying a cargo out within a few weeks I'll promise nothing of the sword I'll leave when I want to leave Jason knew there was logic in her words but his back was up at her automatic superiority men have finished the jump settings without another word there was a tension in the room that prevented them both from talking it was the next ship day before he saw her again then it was completely by accident she was in the astragation dome when he entered looking up at the sparkling immensity of the jump sky for the first time he saw her off duty wearing something other than a ship suit this was a loose soft robe that accentuated her beauty she smiled at him the stars are so wonderful she said come look Jason came close to her and with an unthinking almost automatic movement put his arm around her neither did she resent it for she covered his hand with hers then they kissed and it was just the way he knew it would be chapter 6. after that they were together constantly when meta was on duty he brought her meals to the bridge and they talked Jason learned little more about her world since by unspoken agreement they didn't discuss it he talked of the many planets he had visited and the people he had known she was an appreciative listener and the time went quickly by they enjoyed each other's company and it was a wonderful trip then it ended there were 14 people aboard the ship yet Jason had never seen more than two or three at a time there was a fixed rotation of Duties that they followed in the ship's operation when not on duty the pirans minded their own business in an intense and self-sufficient manner only when the ship came out of jump and the PA barked assembly did they all get together Kirk was giving orders for the landing and questions were snapped back and forth it was all Technical and Jason didn't bother following it it was the attitude of the pirates that Drew his attention their talk tended to be faster now as were their emotions they were like soldiers preparing for battle their sameness struck Jason for the first time not that they looked alike or did the same things it was the way they moved and reacted that caused the Striking similarity they were like great stalking cats walking fast tense and ready to spring at all times their eyes never still for an instant Jason tried to talk to meta after the meeting but she was almost a stranger she answered in mono syllables and her eyes never met his just brushed over them and went on there was nothing he could really say so she moved to leave he started to put his hand out to stop her then thought better of it there would be other times to talk Kirk was the only one who took any notice of him and then only to order him to an acceleration couch Meadow's Landings were infinitely worse than her takeoffs at least when she landed on pyrus there were sudden acceleration surges in every direction at one point there was Free Fall that seemed endless there were loud thuds against the hull That Shook the framework of the ship it was more like a battle than a landing and Jason wondered how much truth there was in that when the ship finally landed Jason didn't even know it the constant two G's felt like deceleration only the descending moan of the ship's engines convinced him they were down unbuckling the straps and sitting up was an effort two G's don't seem that bad at first walking required the same exertion as wood carrying a man of his own weight on his shoulders when Jason lifted his arm to unlatch the door it was heavy as two arms he shuffled slowly towards the main lock they were all there ahead of him two of the men rolling transparent cylinders from a nearby room from their obvious weight and the way they clanged when they bumped Jason knew they were made of transparent metal he couldn't conceive any possible use for them empty cylinders of meter in diameter longer than a man one end solid the other hinged and sealed it wasn't until Kirk spun the ceiling wheel and opened one of them that their use became apparent get in Kirk said when you're locked inside you'll be carried out of the ship thank you no Jason told him I have no particular desire to make a spectacular landing on your planet sealed up like a packaged sausage don't be a fool was Kirk's snapped answer we're all going out in these tubes we've been away too long to risk the surface without reorientation Jason did feel a little foolish as he saw the others getting into tubes he picked the nearest one slid into its feet first and pulled the lid closed when he tightened the wheel in the center it squeezed down against a flexible seal within a minute the CO2 content in the closed cylinder went up and an air regenerator at the bottom hummed into life Kirk was the last one in he checked the seals on all the other tubes first then jabbed the airlock override release as it started cycling he quickly sealed himself in the remaining cylinder both inner and outer locks ground slowly open and dim light filtered in through sheets of falling rain for Jason the whole thing seemed an anti-climax all this preparation for absolutely nothing long impatient minutes passed before a lift truck appeared driven by a piran he loaded the cylinders onto his truck like so much dead cargo Jason had The Misfortune to be buried at the bottom of the pile so he could see absolutely nothing when they drove outside it wasn't until the man carrying cylinders had been dumped in a metal walled room that Jason saw his first Native pyron life the lift truck driver was swinging a thick outer door shut when something flew in through the entrance and struck against the far wall Jason's eye was caught by the motion he looked to see what it was when it dropped straight down towards his face forgetful of the metal cylinder while he flinched away the creature struck the transparent metal and clung to it Jason had the perfect opportunity to examine it in every detail it was almost too horrible to be believable as though it were a bearer of death stripped to the very Essentials a mouth that split the head in two rows of teeth serrated and pointed leathery claw tipped Wings longer claws on the limbs that tore at the metal wall Terror rose up in Jason as he saw that the claws were tearing gouges in the transparent metal wherever the creature's saliva touched the metal clouded and chipped under the assault of the teeth logic said these were just scratches on the thick tube they couldn't matter but blind on reasoning fear sent Jason curling away as far as he could shrinking inside himself seeking Escape only when the flying creatures began dissolving did he realize the nature of the room outside sprays of steaming liquid came from all sides raining down until the cylinders were covered after one last Clash of its jaws the pirate animal was washed off and carried away the liquid drained away through the floor and a second and third shower followed while the solutions were being pumped away Jason fought to bring his emotions into line he was surprised at himself no matter how frightful the creature had been he couldn't understand the fear it could generate through the wall of the sealed tube his reaction was all out of proportion to the cause even with the creature destroyed and washed out of sight it took all of his willpower to steady his nerves and bring his breathing back to normal walked by outside and he realized the sterilization process was finished he opened his own tube and climbed wearily out meta and the others had gone by this time and only a hawk faced stranger remained waiting for him I'm bruco in charge of the adaptation Clinic Kirk told me who you were I'm sorry you're here now come along I want some blood samples now I feel right at home Jason said the old piran Hospitality bruko only grunted and Stamped Out Jason followed him down a bare Corridor into a sterile lab the double gravity was tiring a constant drag on sore muscles while bruko ran tests on the blood sample Jason rested he had almost dozed off into a painful sleep when bruko returned with a tray of bottles and hypodermic needles amazing he announced not an antibody in your system that would be of any use on this planet I have a batch of antigens here that will make you sick as a beast for at least a day take off your shirt have you done this often Jason S I mean juice up another Outlander so he can enjoy the pleasures of Your World ruko jammed in a needle that felt like it grated on the bone not often at all last time was years ago a half dozen researchers from some Institute willing to pay well for the chance to study the local life forms we didn't say no always need more Galaxy currency Jason was already beginning to feel light-headed from the shots how many of them lived he mumbled vaguely one we got him off in time made them pay in advance of course at first Jason thought the piran was joking then he remembered they had very little interest in humor of any kind if one half of what meta and Kirk had told him was true six to one odds weren't bad at all there was a bed in the Next Room and bruco helped him to it Jason felt drugged and probably was he fell into a deep sleep and into the dream fear and hatred mixed in equal parts and washed over him red hot if this was a dream he never wanted to sleep again if it wasn't a dream he wanted to die he tried to fight up against it but only sank in more deeply there was no beginning and no end to the fear and no way to escape when Consciousness returned Jason could remember no detail of The Nightmare just the fear remained he was soaked with sweat and ached in every muscle it must have been the massive dose of shots he finally decided that and the brutal gravity that didn't take the taste of fear out of his mouth though bruco stuck his head in the door and then looked Jason up and down thought you were dead he said slept the clock around don't move I'll get something to pick you up the pickup was in the form of another needle and a glass full of evil looking fluid it settled his thirst but made him painfully aware of the gnawing hunger want to eat bruko asked I'll bet you do I've speeded up your metabolism so you'll build muscle faster only way you'll ever beat the gravity give you quite an appetite for a while though bruko ate at the same time and Jason had a chance to ask some questions when do I get a chance to look around your fascinating planet so far this trip has been about as interesting as a jail term relax and enjoy your food probably be months before you're able to go outside if at all Jason felt his jaw hanging and closed it with a snap could you possibly tell me why of course you will have to go through the same training course that our children take it takes them six years of course it's their first six years of life so you might think that you as an adult could learn faster then again they have the advantage of heredity all I can say is you'll go outside these sealed buildings when you're ready bruko had finished eating while he talked and sat staring at Jason's bare arms with growing disgust the first thing we want to get you is a gun he said it gives me a sick feeling to see someone without one of course bruko wore his own gun continually even Within These sealed buildings every gun is fitted to its owner and would be useless on anyone else bruka said I'll show you why he led Jason to an Armory jammed with deadly weapons put your arm in this while I make the adjustments it was a box-like machine with a pistol grip on the side Jason clutched the grip and rested his elbow on a metal Loop bruko fixed pointers that touched his arm then copied the results from the meters reading the figures from his list he selected various components from bins and quickly assembled a power holster and gun with the holster strapped to his forearm and the gun in his hand Jason noticed for the first time they were connected by a flexible cable the gun fitted his hand perfectly this is the secret of the power holster bruko said tapping the flexible cable it is perfectly loose while you are using the weapon but when you want it returned to the holster bruko made an adjustment and the Cable became a stiff Rod that ripped the gun from Jason's hand and suspended it in midair then the return the rod cable word and snapped the gun back into the holster the drawing action is the opposite of this of course a great Gadget Jason said but how do I draw do I Whistle or something for the gun to pop out no it's not Sonic control bruco answered with a sober face it is much more precise than that here take your left hand and grasp an imaginary gun butt tense your trigger finger do you notice the pattern of the tendons in the wrist sensitive actuators touch the tendons in your right wrist they ignore all patterns except the one that says hand ready to receive gun after a Time the mechanism becomes completely automatic when you want the gun it's in your hand when you don't it's in the holster Jason made grasping motions with his right hand crooked his index finger there was a sudden smashing pain against his hand and a loud roar the gun was in his hand half the fingers were numb and smoke curled up from the barrel of course there are only blank cartridges in the gun until you learn control guns are always loaded there is no safety notice the lack of a trigger card that enables you to bend your trigger finger a slight bit more when drawing so the gun will fire the instant it touches your hand it was without a doubt the most murderous weapon Jason had ever handled as well as being the hardest to manage working against the muscle burning ache of high gravity he fought to control the devilish device it had an infuriating way of Vanishing into the holster just as he was about to pull the trigger even worse was the tendency to LEAP out before he was quite ready the gun went to the position where his hand should be if the fingers weren't correctly placed they were crashed aside Jason only stopped the practice when his entire hand was one livid bruise complete Mastery would come with time but he could already understand why the pyrons never removed their guns it would be like removing a part of your body the movement of gun from holster to hand was too fast for him to detect it was certainly faster than the neural current that shaped the hand into the gun holding position for all apparent purposes it was like having a lightning bolt in your fingertip point the finger and blam there's the explosion had left Jason to practice alone when his aching hand could take no more he stopped and headed back towards his own quarters turning a corner he had a quick glimpse of a familiar figure going away from him meta wait a second I want to talk to you she turned impatiently as he shuffled up going as fast as he could in the doubled gravity everything about her seemed different from the girl he had known on the ship heavy boots came as high as her knees her figure was lost in bulky coveralls of some metallic fabric the trim waist was bulged out by a belt of canisters her very expression was coldly distant I've missed you he said I hadn't realized you were in this building he reached for her hand but she moved it out of his reach what is it you want she asked what is it I want he echoed with barely concealed anger this is Jason remember me were friends it is allowed for friends to talk without wanting anything what happened on the ship has nothing to do with what happens on pyrus she started forward impatiently as she talked I have to finish my reconditioning and must return to work you'll be staying here in this sealed building so I won't be seeing you why don't you say with the rest of the children that's what your tone implies and don't try walking out there are some things we have to settle first Jason made the mistake of putting out his hand to stop her he didn't really know what happened next one instant he was standing the next he was sprawled suddenly on the floor his shoulder was badly bruised and meta had vanished down the corridor limping back to his own room he cursed women in general and meta in particular dropping onto his rock hard bed he tried to remember the reasons that had brought him here in the first place and waited them against the Perpetual torture of the gravity the fear-filled dreams it inspired and the automatic contempt of these people for any outsider he quickly checked the growing tendency to feel sorry for himself by piran standards he was soft and helpless if he wanted them to think any better of him he would have to change a good deal he sank into a fatigue drug sleep then that was broken only by the screaming fear of his dreams chapter 7. in the morning Jason awoke with a bad headache and the feeling he had never been to sleep as he took some of the carefully portioned stimulants that bruko had given him he wondered again about the combination of factors that filled his sleep with such horror eat quickly bruko told him when they met in the dining room I could no longer spare you time for individual instruction you will join the regular classes and take the prescribed courses only come to me if there is some special problem that the instructors or trainers can't handle the classes as Jason should have expected were composed of stern faced little children with their compact bodies and no-nonsense mannerisms they were recognizably pirate but they were still children enough to consider it very funny to have an adult in their classes jammed behind one of the tiny desks the red-faced Jason didn't think it was much of a joke all resemblance to a normal school ended with the physical form of the classroom for one thing every child no matter how small packed a gun and the courses were all involved with survival the only possible grade in a curriculum like this was 100 percent and students stayed with a lesson until they mastered it perfectly no courses were offered in the normal Scholastic subjects presumably these were studied after the child graduated survival school and could face the world alone which was a logical and cold-hearted way of looking at things in fact logical and cold-hearted could describe any pyrene activity most of the morning was spent on the operation of one of the med kits that strapped around the waist this was a poison analyzer that was pressed over a puncture wound if any toxins were present the antidote was automatically injected on the site simple in operation but incredibly complex in construction since all Pirates serviced their own equipment you could then only blame yourself if it failed they had to learn the construction and repair of all the devices Jason did much better than the child students though the effort exhausted him in the afternoon he had his first experience with a training machine his instructor was a 12 year old boy whose cold voice didn't conceal his contempt for the soft off-worlder all the training machines are physical duplicates of the real surface of the planet corrected constantly as the life forms change the only difference between them is the varying degree of deadliness this first machine you will use is of course the one infants are put into you're too kind Jason murmured your flattery overwhelms me the instructor continued taking no notice of the interruption infants are put into as soon as they can crawl it is real in substance though completely deactivated training machine was the wrong word Jason realized as they entered through the thick door this was a chunk of the outside world duplicated in an immense chamber it took a very little suspension of reality for him to forget the painted ceiling and artificial sun high above and imagine himself Outdoors at last the scene seemed peaceful enough though clouds banking on the horizon threatened a violent pirate storm you must wander around and examine things the instructor told Jason whenever you touch something with your hand you will be told about it like this the boy bent over and pushed his finger against the blade of the soft grass that covered the ground immediately a voice barked from hidden speakers poisoned grass boots to be worn at all times Jason kneeled and examined the grass the blade was tipped with a hard shiny hook he realized with a start that every single blade of grass was the same the soft Green Lawn was a carpet of death as he straightened up he glimpsed something under a broad leafed plant a crouching scale-covered animal whose tapered head terminated in a long Spike what's that in the bottom of my garden he asked you certainly give the babies Pleasant Playmates Jason turned and realized he was talking to air the instructor was gone he Shrugged and petted the scaly monster horn devil the impersonal voice said from midair clothing and shoes no protection kill it a sharp crack shattered the silence as Jason's gun went off The Horn devil fell on its side keyed to react to the blank charge well I am learning Jason said and the thought pleased him the words kill it had been used by bruko while teaching him to use the gun their stimulus had reached an unconscious level he was aware of wanting to shoot only after he had heard the shot his respect for Byron training techniques went up Jason spent a thoroughly unpleasant afternoon wandering in the Child's Garden of horror death was everywhere while all the time the disembodied voice gave him Stern advice in simple language so he could do unto rather than being done in he had never realized that violent death could come in so many repulsive forms everything here was deadly to man from the smallest insect to the largest plant such singleness of purpose seemed completely unnatural why was this planet so alien to human life he made a mental note to ask bruko meanwhile he tried to find one life form that wasn't out for his blood he didn't succeed after a long search he found the only thing that when touched didn't elicit deadly advice this was a chunk of rock that projected from a meadow of poison grass Jason sat on it with a friendly feeling and pulled his feet up an oasis of Peace some minutes passed while he rested his gravity weary body rot fungus do not touch the voice blasted it twice its normal volume and Jason leaped as if he had been shot the gun was in his hand nosing about for a Target only when he bent over and looked closely at the rock where he had been sitting did he understand there were flaky gray patches that hadn't been there when he sat down oh you tricky Devils he shouted at the machine how many kids have you frightened off that rock after they thought they had found a little piece he resented the snide bit of conditioning but respected it at the same time pirates learned very early in life that there was no safety on this planet except that which they provided for themselves while he was learning about Pirates he was gaining new insight into the Pirates as well

Channel: ENGLISH AUDIO STORIES COLLECTION

Views: 10,202

Keywords: english stories, english audio stories, english audiobook, learn english through stories, audiobook, english audiobook story, english audiobook with subtitles, librivox, public domain audiobooks, science fiction audiobook, deathworld by harry harrison

Id: Z5FX3-Ah3Fs

Length: 78min 35sec (4715 seconds)

Published: Wed May 24 2023