[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
up."
Grant's brow furrowed, his heavy jaw jutting out. "You could've argued with me
some more, you know."
"There's no time, and I don't have the inclination."
"Good," announced Brigid, sweeping into the room. "Neither do I." She was
followed by Lakesh and
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Domi.
"Why don't we bring the whole redoubt in on this?" Kane asked. "Let's ask
Balam if he'd like to go."
"No need," replied Lakesh. "Since he was dragged here from Dulce, I'm pretty
sure what his response would be. However, he can't provide you with the layout
of the place. I can."
Brigid nodded. "Fine. Put it in a form I can study, either hard copy or
digital. I'll take a look and commit it to memory."
Kane said wearily, "Let's not have any more volunteers. This is a penetration,
not a tour group."
Brigid's eyes glinted fiercely. "Grant's going with you and so am I."
"He's my partner."
"And so am I. You saw to that, Kane, whether you intended to or not."
Kane didn't respond in words. From a gun case, he removed an Hamp;K VP-70
handblaster, holster and belt. He tossed it across the room toward her, and
Brigid snatched it effortlessly out of the air.
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"Good muscle tone," he said. "But that's not enough. This may be a one-way
trip."
"No," she stated firmly. "You do what you have to do, what you do best. I'll
see to it that we come back."
Grant glanced over at Domi. "Don't you want to tag along, too?"
She shook her white, close-cropped head vehemently. "Hell, no! Not this time.
Been through enough.
Bed's soft and food's good here. Don't want to give 'em up so soon."
Lakesh patted her arm fondly. "Flawless logic, child. Besides, your bound ribs
will slow you up."
"Won't you be missed at Cobaltville?" Kane asked. "After what's happened,
won't the baron call an emergency meeting of the Trust?"
"He won't convene it over your flight. That's a problem he'll leave to Salvo
to solve. Besides, Baron
Cobalt is not in the ville at present. As for me being missed, Brigid can
attest that my hours were unpredictable at best. One of the few privileges of
my station and age."
"There's got to be a gateway in the ville, then," Grant said.
"Of course. On Alpha Level, known and accessible only to the baron, his
personal staff and certain senior members of the Trust. I'd intended to use it
to spirit Brigid here. It would have been a far smoother and faster trip than
the one you endured."
"When were you planning to 'spirit' her away?" Kane asked. "She was about ten
seconds away from
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20[html].html (208 of 237) [12/28/2004 3:53:35 PM]
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/James%20Axler%20-%20Outland
er%2001%20-%20Exile%20to%20Hell(v1.0)%20[html].html execution."
Lakesh shook his head dolefully. "Yes, and you spoiled a perfect hairbreadth
rescue. Enough recriminations. Domi, help Brigid prepare. All of you meet me
in the control center in ten minutes."
Brigid left the room with Domi and Lakesh. Grant donned Anson's armor,
relieved to discover they were approximately of the same physique and weight.
The helmet was a shade too large, but he adjusted the locking guard to snug
the fit.
"We must be operating on half a load," Grant said. "We don't even know if
there's a functioning gateway unit there."
"There is," replied Kane.
They reviewed and supplemented their ordnance with gren-filled war bags, extra
ammo clips and two flares apiece. After ten minutes, they walked to the
control center. The door was open. Lakesh was seated before a computer
console, busy working on the keyboard. He grunted in acknowledgment of their
arrival.
From the redoubt's stores, Brigid had dressed herself for speed and stealth
rather than protection. She wore black, skintight pants and soft-soled half
boots. Her sleeveless shirt was also black, and her hair was tied and braided
back so it wouldn't get in her way. A dark strip of cloth encircling her head
kept her hair out of her eyes. The gun belt rode low on her hips. Domi was
still applying stripes of combat cosmetics to her arms and face.
Lakesh hit another few keys and spun his chair around. "You look prepared,
Brigid. Come here, please."
Brigid leaned over the console, and Lakesh pointed with a gnarled finger to a
floor plan on the screen.
"Levels Four and Five. You'll materialize here, on Level Four, in the
mat-trans unit. It was the prototype, and it's still fully functional, though
rather primitive in comparison to the later models."
She read aloud, "Redoubt Alpha. So that's Dulce's designation."
"Yes. From there, you can make your way down through the maintenance stairwell
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past Level Five, and then onto Six. There are elevators, but it's far too
risky to use them."
Grant asked, "How much opposition can we expect?"
Lakesh shrugged. "None until you reach Level Six. The only time Four is
staffed is when a prearranged transmission takes place. This one, obviously,
is unscheduled."
"When I tried to verify the jump line for Redoubt Alpha before," Brigid said,
"I received an inactive signal."
"Of course you did."
Lakesh adjusted a toggle on the console, and a section of vanadium spanning
almost the entire wall slid
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E...%20-%20Exile%20to%20Hell(v1.0)%
20[html].html (209 of 237) [12/28/2004 3:53:35 PM]
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/James%20Axler%20-%20Outland
er%2001%20-%20Exile%20to%20Hell(v1.0)%20[html].html aside, revealing a
Mercator-projection map of the world. Spots of light flickered in almost every
continent, and thin, glowing lines networked across the countries, like a web
spun by a radioactive spider.
Kane was a bit surprised to see that the map delineated all the geophysical
alterations caused by the nukecaust. As far as he had been told, very little
was known regarding the topographical or sociological conditions overseas.
"Here are the locations of known functioning gateway units, though not all of
them are active all of the time. In Dulce, the matter-transit pathway is not
open unless prior arrangements are made. What I will do from here is reroute
and circumvent the target autosequence initiator and activate the unit's
wave-guide conduits via an annular confinement matter stream."
Kane and Grant exchanged a glum glance, then Kane shrugged as if the matter
were of little importance.
As long as Lakesh understood his techno-babble, then he wasn't going to worry
about his own poverty of comprehension.
"Now," continued Lakesh, "after you materialize, the unit will shut down
automatically. I will reactivate it in two hours to the second from your
arrival. The power will be on just long enough to initiate transmission. If
you're not in the gateway, then there is nothing I can do. No rescue or search
parties will be dispatched. Understood?"
Kane put on his helmet. "Understood."
Lakesh handed Brigid a small metal device, an instrument Kane recognized as a
Mnemosyne. "The connecting doors to the levels are electronically locked.
You'll need this to override them."
Brigid tossed the Syne uneasily from hand to hand. "Can you give us any idea
of what we'll run into there?"
Lakesh sighed, shook his head. "I haven't visited there since my resurrection.
As I understand it, the place was pressed back into service only in the last
thirty or forty years. So my ideas of what you might encounter in Dulce are
based only on my recollections from two centuries ago. In my opinion, the
three of you will face the truth of humanity's ultimate destiny. And if you [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl wyciskamy.pev.pl
up."
Grant's brow furrowed, his heavy jaw jutting out. "You could've argued with me
some more, you know."
"There's no time, and I don't have the inclination."
"Good," announced Brigid, sweeping into the room. "Neither do I." She was
followed by Lakesh and
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20[html].html (207 of 237) [12/28/2004 3:53:35 PM]
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/James%20Axler%20-%20Outland
er%2001%20-%20Exile%20to%20Hell(v1.0)%20[html].html
Domi.
"Why don't we bring the whole redoubt in on this?" Kane asked. "Let's ask
Balam if he'd like to go."
"No need," replied Lakesh. "Since he was dragged here from Dulce, I'm pretty
sure what his response would be. However, he can't provide you with the layout
of the place. I can."
Brigid nodded. "Fine. Put it in a form I can study, either hard copy or
digital. I'll take a look and commit it to memory."
Kane said wearily, "Let's not have any more volunteers. This is a penetration,
not a tour group."
Brigid's eyes glinted fiercely. "Grant's going with you and so am I."
"He's my partner."
"And so am I. You saw to that, Kane, whether you intended to or not."
Kane didn't respond in words. From a gun case, he removed an Hamp;K VP-70
handblaster, holster and belt. He tossed it across the room toward her, and
Brigid snatched it effortlessly out of the air.
Page 157
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Good muscle tone," he said. "But that's not enough. This may be a one-way
trip."
"No," she stated firmly. "You do what you have to do, what you do best. I'll
see to it that we come back."
Grant glanced over at Domi. "Don't you want to tag along, too?"
She shook her white, close-cropped head vehemently. "Hell, no! Not this time.
Been through enough.
Bed's soft and food's good here. Don't want to give 'em up so soon."
Lakesh patted her arm fondly. "Flawless logic, child. Besides, your bound ribs
will slow you up."
"Won't you be missed at Cobaltville?" Kane asked. "After what's happened,
won't the baron call an emergency meeting of the Trust?"
"He won't convene it over your flight. That's a problem he'll leave to Salvo
to solve. Besides, Baron
Cobalt is not in the ville at present. As for me being missed, Brigid can
attest that my hours were unpredictable at best. One of the few privileges of
my station and age."
"There's got to be a gateway in the ville, then," Grant said.
"Of course. On Alpha Level, known and accessible only to the baron, his
personal staff and certain senior members of the Trust. I'd intended to use it
to spirit Brigid here. It would have been a far smoother and faster trip than
the one you endured."
"When were you planning to 'spirit' her away?" Kane asked. "She was about ten
seconds away from
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E...%20-%20Exile%20to%20Hell(v1.0)%
20[html].html (208 of 237) [12/28/2004 3:53:35 PM]
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/James%20Axler%20-%20Outland
er%2001%20-%20Exile%20to%20Hell(v1.0)%20[html].html execution."
Lakesh shook his head dolefully. "Yes, and you spoiled a perfect hairbreadth
rescue. Enough recriminations. Domi, help Brigid prepare. All of you meet me
in the control center in ten minutes."
Brigid left the room with Domi and Lakesh. Grant donned Anson's armor,
relieved to discover they were approximately of the same physique and weight.
The helmet was a shade too large, but he adjusted the locking guard to snug
the fit.
"We must be operating on half a load," Grant said. "We don't even know if
there's a functioning gateway unit there."
"There is," replied Kane.
They reviewed and supplemented their ordnance with gren-filled war bags, extra
ammo clips and two flares apiece. After ten minutes, they walked to the
control center. The door was open. Lakesh was seated before a computer
console, busy working on the keyboard. He grunted in acknowledgment of their
arrival.
From the redoubt's stores, Brigid had dressed herself for speed and stealth
rather than protection. She wore black, skintight pants and soft-soled half
boots. Her sleeveless shirt was also black, and her hair was tied and braided
back so it wouldn't get in her way. A dark strip of cloth encircling her head
kept her hair out of her eyes. The gun belt rode low on her hips. Domi was
still applying stripes of combat cosmetics to her arms and face.
Lakesh hit another few keys and spun his chair around. "You look prepared,
Brigid. Come here, please."
Brigid leaned over the console, and Lakesh pointed with a gnarled finger to a
floor plan on the screen.
"Levels Four and Five. You'll materialize here, on Level Four, in the
mat-trans unit. It was the prototype, and it's still fully functional, though
rather primitive in comparison to the later models."
She read aloud, "Redoubt Alpha. So that's Dulce's designation."
"Yes. From there, you can make your way down through the maintenance stairwell
Page 158
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
past Level Five, and then onto Six. There are elevators, but it's far too
risky to use them."
Grant asked, "How much opposition can we expect?"
Lakesh shrugged. "None until you reach Level Six. The only time Four is
staffed is when a prearranged transmission takes place. This one, obviously,
is unscheduled."
"When I tried to verify the jump line for Redoubt Alpha before," Brigid said,
"I received an inactive signal."
"Of course you did."
Lakesh adjusted a toggle on the console, and a section of vanadium spanning
almost the entire wall slid
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E...%20-%20Exile%20to%20Hell(v1.0)%
20[html].html (209 of 237) [12/28/2004 3:53:35 PM]
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/James%20Axler%20-%20Outland
er%2001%20-%20Exile%20to%20Hell(v1.0)%20[html].html aside, revealing a
Mercator-projection map of the world. Spots of light flickered in almost every
continent, and thin, glowing lines networked across the countries, like a web
spun by a radioactive spider.
Kane was a bit surprised to see that the map delineated all the geophysical
alterations caused by the nukecaust. As far as he had been told, very little
was known regarding the topographical or sociological conditions overseas.
"Here are the locations of known functioning gateway units, though not all of
them are active all of the time. In Dulce, the matter-transit pathway is not
open unless prior arrangements are made. What I will do from here is reroute
and circumvent the target autosequence initiator and activate the unit's
wave-guide conduits via an annular confinement matter stream."
Kane and Grant exchanged a glum glance, then Kane shrugged as if the matter
were of little importance.
As long as Lakesh understood his techno-babble, then he wasn't going to worry
about his own poverty of comprehension.
"Now," continued Lakesh, "after you materialize, the unit will shut down
automatically. I will reactivate it in two hours to the second from your
arrival. The power will be on just long enough to initiate transmission. If
you're not in the gateway, then there is nothing I can do. No rescue or search
parties will be dispatched. Understood?"
Kane put on his helmet. "Understood."
Lakesh handed Brigid a small metal device, an instrument Kane recognized as a
Mnemosyne. "The connecting doors to the levels are electronically locked.
You'll need this to override them."
Brigid tossed the Syne uneasily from hand to hand. "Can you give us any idea
of what we'll run into there?"
Lakesh sighed, shook his head. "I haven't visited there since my resurrection.
As I understand it, the place was pressed back into service only in the last
thirty or forty years. So my ideas of what you might encounter in Dulce are
based only on my recollections from two centuries ago. In my opinion, the
three of you will face the truth of humanity's ultimate destiny. And if you [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]