Chapter 11

Jay: 'What's the time for the shuttle to get here, Merlin.'

Merlin: 'At present speed, about 92 minutes.'

Jay: 'I show us with... '

Merlin: '... 38 minutes on rebreather and 30 minutes on suit oxy.'

Jay: 'If we cut back on activity, that will lengthen the time we have. Robbie and I are going to lay down and ... uh ... rest.'

There was silence for about 15 minutes, during which Kray must have killed about 60 males that were reborn. Then the radio came to life.

Nicolevna: "This is Nicolevna from Yerowl. I've been following your transmissions. Jay and Robbie have to cut their activity down to nothing. I think that Shakespeare can do that, and extend their air time. Nicolevna out."

Merlin had Kray wake me and Merlin then brought me up to snap. I understood immediately, and reached out to Jay's and Robbie's minds. I stunned them, which put them into something like a deep sleep. That would cut their respiration and oxygen usage to a minimum. I hoped that none of the Bugs would get there – Jay and Robbie would be in real trouble.

Another 10 seconds passed.

Shuttle-Merlin (the instance of Merlin running on the shuttle): "We can increase speed by 15% if we stop shooting at asteroids and accelerate to maximum. I can get Gabby there with some oxy and gear, and then come back to catch the asteroids later. I can implement the shooting pattern easily. We have several weeks until they will hit Yerowl."

Gabby: "I'm prepping for an extended EVA in about 72 minutes."

Shuttle-Merlin: "We can cut another 2.4 minutes on our flight time if we go to 110% of maximum military power. That will deplete our power significantly, however."

Gabby: "How much, Merlin?'

Shuttle-Merlin: "About 15%."

Gabby: "Will we have enough power to get there and get back to get these asteroids."

Shuttle-Merlin: "If I am alone in the vehicle, there will be more than enough power to destroy all the remaining asteroids. If there are one or more passengers who need to have the environmental system operational, it will be questionable."

Gabby: "Meaning: there will be inadequate power."

Shuttle-Merlin: "Yes."

Gabby: "Then take us to 110% of maximum and use the attitude thrusters to increase our speed."

Shuttle-Merlin: "If I use the thrusters, the fusion plant will be depleted more quickly by the Hydrogen use. Unadvisable."

Pinnace-Merlin to Shakespeare and Kray: 'Laconic, isn't he?'

Me: 'I thought he was the same as you.'

Pinnace-Merlin: 'Despite the fact that we were identical when we were loaded, that was some time ago.'

Me: 'So you're identical, but not the same?'

Pinnace-Merlin: 'Exactly!'

Me: 'Well ... That's clear as mud.'

Pinnace-Merlin: 'The personality subroutines are separate from the logic and mechanical routines, and the personality routines can be more easily changed by interaction with humans.'

Me: 'Oh. So one kind of... ' And we discussed it in some depth as the clock ticked down. There was nothing else to do.

I watched as the time on Jay's and Robbie's rebreather slowly reached zero – over a period of almost 49 minutes, as compared to their time originally of only 38 minutes. The skinsuits automatically cut over to suit-oxy. At normal activity, their suits would have given them an additional 30 minutes. Merlin estimated that, now that they were under stun and had severely reduced oxygen demands, they would have about 45 minutes before it ran out.

Me: 'Jay and Robbie should have more than enough time, then, right Merlin?'

Pinnace-Merlin: 'The original estimate of 72 minutes was for flight time, to the rendezvous point. It makes no account for the time Gabrielle will have to get from the shuttle to Jay and Robbie. And do not forget that Gabrielle will have to deal with the same issue that has Jay and Robbie trapped. If that door closes behind her, we'll have three trapped in that battleship.'

Me: 'I didn't ... Merlin, what have you figured out to keep that from happening?'

Pinnace-Merlin to the shuttle and Shakespeare: "Have you on the shuttle deduced a way to prevent the doors on the battleship from closing behind you?"

Shuttle-Merlin: "Yes. Gabby will take the tether from the outside in with her, that will probably prevent the doors from closing. In addition, she will take a titanium block that I have created, in the replicator, using the raw material of box used for storage. She will use that to block the one bulkhead door that we know of."

Pinnace-Merlin: "Good. I had not thought to use the replicator to build a blocking device."

Me: 'Could that be because you don't have a replicator in the pinnace?'

Pinnace-Merlin: 'No excuse. But the question is moot. We have the blocking device ... Assuming no problems, it should take 7.8 minutes for Gabby to get down the tunnel to Jay and Robbie.'

Me: 'I wish they had stayed by the bulkhead door, but they went to the control room where they would be more comfortable. I think they really thought that help would not arrive in time ... I could have just stunned them in the tunnel by the door, then the time for the rescue would be less.'

Pinnace-Merlin: 'Similarly, moot. They proceeded as they thought best at the time.'

Krayshall: 'Dad... '

Me: 'Not now, Kray. You just keep on killing the males as they emerge from their eggs.'

Kray: 'But dad ... I think I may have found a way into their computer ... In between times when the males were hatching – or whatever it was – I reexamined the mental patterns of the Bugs we killed on the command deck. Some of them were wearing helmets, sort of, and hooked into the computer. Remember?'

I looked at Kray carefully and with no little bit of pride.

Me: 'Are you sure you're my son and not the rebirth of the Great Grahhll? ... That is excellent work, Kray. I am proud of you ... What have you discovered?'

Kray: 'Thanks, dad. But it's really nothing. This computer stuff is easy, once you get the hang of it.'

Me: 'To borrow an expression from Merlin's history records, as Señior Wences would say: "Easy for you; difficult for me."'

Kray: 'Anyway ... Merlin, can you connect to their computer. You have to think – or for you, transmit – at... ' here he gave Merlin some "frequency modulation parameters." I could no longer follow their communication. I told them that I would take over killing the males as they were reborn – or born.

When they were done talking in unintelligible words, I asked Kray how he ever got that stuff from a Bug's mental structure.

Kray: 'It was pretty easy, dad. I compared the structure of the Bugs that were connected to the computers to the structure of the others – before they were dead, of course. And I found that the computer Bugs were able to chat with "something" on the FM band – that's frequency modulated. Old style human radios used FM. So I just listened on the FM to what was going on, and I heard what turned out to be their computers making noise. I didn't understand what was being said, but I think Merlin is listening now. It's just a code, and he can probably break it.'

Me: 'You'll have to show me how to listen to various frequencies.'

Kray: 'You already do that, dad. But you don't know that you do it. Like when you talk so that Merlin can hear us? That's a different frequency. It's easy, you just... '

Me: 'Later, Kray. We've got other things that are important now.'

Kray: 'Right. Sorry, dad. I just thought it might be important to let Merlin know.'

...

In a few minutes, the shuttle came past us and dipped around the far side of the battleship, out of sight.

Pinnace-Merlin: 'I sent him all the telemetry we had about where the access door is, so the shuttle is going there directly. Gabby will be out soon. My estimate is that Jay has 11.3 minutes of oxy left on her suit. Robbie has 11.1 minutes.'

Gabby: 'EVA starting ... Okay, the magnetic tether has attached to the ship and I'm exiting ... Reeling it in now. Tanks are tethered to me ... On the ship now, and I've got the port in sight ... Trying to open it ... Damn tanks are in the way ... Ow! ... Okay. Going in now, and feeding out the tether behind me ... Heading into the tunnel ... No atmosphere detected ... Probably, that's the door that closed before – behind Jay and Robbie. I'm deploying the brace that Merlin made... '

Shuttle-Merlin: 'Gabby, you're doing fine. 30 seconds ahead of nominal. I'm putting the path to take on your HUD. I'll automatically update it.'

Gabby: 'Rog, Merlin ... Long tunnel ... Branches off here ... Still heading in ... Oh! There they are ... They look dead.'

Me: 'No, Gabby. They're not dead. I stunned them to cut oxygen demand.'

Gabby: 'Attaching the A oxy tank to Robbie ... B tank to Jay ... It's all attached but they're not moving.'

Me: 'I'll unstun them when you confirm that the oxygen tanks are connected.'

Gabby: 'They're connected. THEY ARE CONNECTED.' She was getting anxious.

Me: 'I'll bring them up slowly so they won't have much after-effect. Kray, can you take over killing the new born males?'

Kray: 'Sure, dad.'

...

Jay: 'Wha... ?? ... What happened? Gabby, is that you?'

Gabby: 'Yes, Commander. Glad to have you back. Can you accept command of the party again?'

Jay: 'Cut the crapola, Gabby! This isn't your mother's USN anymore. I still don't... '

Me: 'Jay. I had to stun both of you to cut down on oxygen demand. I'm glad you made it.'

Robbie: 'Oh, Jarvis! I have got the mother of all hangovers. Did anybody get the number of that ground car that ran me down?'

Jay: 'Gabby, I really can't function right now. Didn't bring a medical kit with me. Bad headache.'

Me: 'I've never stunned a sentient creature before. I'm sorry that I've inflicted any pain, but... '

Jay: 'Nevermind that, Shakespeare. We're alive. Thanks to you and Gabby.'

Me: 'And both Merlins, and Kray too! And don't forget Nicolevna. It was her idea in the first place.'

Pinnace-Merlin: 'I'm moving closer to the entrance portal. You'll all need to ride with me. The shuttle is going to return to take care of the asteroids.'

Shuttle-Merlin: 'I'm not moving until everyone is out. I could burn through the ports if I have to.'

Gabby: 'Jay. Robbie. I've attached a sliding d-ring from your skinsuit belts to the tether I have running to the outside. Your job is to hold on to the tank and when you get to the port that closed you in – DO NOT knock the brace that Merlin made out of position. Just follow the tether to the outside.'