Ringworld's Children

"Now I need only learn why there is more than one characteristic velocity. Ill get that by studying Long Shot. Hindmost, take us in range of Diplomat."

"Two fighting ships guard the near side of the comet."

"I see them. Use hyperdrive. Well beat our own light."

The Blind Spot flashed for only an instant.

Their target was still too far away to see, but the virtual window nailed it: a loose dark fluffy comet, icy puffball satellites drifting around it, and four ships, two linked. Tunesmiths knotty hands danced. Needle surged: the cabin gravity motors were whining again. The larger ships, Diplomat and Long Shot locked together at the airlocks, were coming up fast. Slowing. Slowing.

"Im taking the controls," Tunesmith said.

Diplomat fired lasers: crew quarters went black.

The virtual window was looking at something other than light. A flock of dim points was coming at them. Needle didnt have rocket motors; Tunesmith was using only the sluggish thrusters. Now the virtual window disappeared, and the hull was slapped sideways, then backward.

Louis just had time to realize that they were mated. Then Needles cabin gravity surged uneasily while the generators whined. Three ships, locked together, tried to turn round their common center of mass.

Diplomat ripped loose, tumbling, dwindling.

Hot Needle of Inquiry was using full thrust to push Long Shot. Needles overbuilt thrusters against Long Shots sizeable mass would give, what, around ten gravities? And Long Shot hadnt had cabin gravity when Louis flew it. In all that packed space there hadnt been room for extra machinery, or so he had assumed. Ten gravities would flatten any Kzinti aboard, knock them out or kill them.

Diplomat, the Kzinti command ship, fired a cloud of missiles, then disappeared in a black-cored fireball.

The missiles twinkled. Tunesmith was exercising his marksmanship. The warrior ships didnt fire — for fear of harming Long Shot? Tunesmith exploded the ship that tried to take up escort. The other fell behind.

A ship carrying antimatter is very vulnerable, Louis thought. Was that reassuring, or just scary?

Needles, thrust died. Tunesmith was out of his seat shouting, "Lander bay!" He reached a stepping disk and was gone.

Acolyte followed before Louis could quite get moving. The wall had become a window again, and Long Shot was a planet jammed against Needles, hull, with the cabin right up against Needles, new airlock, the view blocked by bronze "glue". Louis was out of his web, weapon in hand, ru

He was ten feet behind Acolyte, moving at a dead run, leaning forward because he was about to enter free fall, a laser weapon in one hand. Pirate! he thought, elated, expecting no real resistance.

But light sputtered where Tunesmith disappeared. Acolyte stopped suddenly, then leapt out of sight.

In free fall now, Louis dug his feet into the wall and jumped behind his extended weapon.

Generated gravity slammed him to the floor.

That was confusing, if hed had time to think about it. Long Shot hadnt had gravity generators.

Long Shots life support system was only the pilots cramped cabin and a cramped sleep-and-rec room above it, now occupied by Tunesmith and three Kzinti. Two Kzinti were sprawled in pools of orange blood, chopped and seared and dead. A third was fluffed out like a yellow-and-black cloud with teeth. Louis held his aim on that one until he was sure it was Acolyte.

Tunesmiths voice spoke in Louiss helmet. "Time presses. Louis, take your place as pilot. Acolyte, return to Needle. Hindmost, go with him. You have your instructions."

Louis wriggled past Acolyte and took the pilots chair.

Acolyte pushed the dead Patriarchy warriors into the recreation space. He sprang toward the airlock. The puppeteer had gone ahead of him.

Tunesmiths communicator voice followed them. "Hindmost, what does it mean if we found cabin gravity aboard Long Shot?"

Silence.

"Hindmost!"

The puppeteer was reluctant, but he spoke. "It suggests that the Patriarchy has solved some of our secrets. Some of what we packed Long Shot with was data-collecting instruments. Some was mere misdirection. The Patriarchs science team must have learned how much superfluous space is there. Theyve used it to install a cabin gravity generator and who knows what else. What would human or Kzinti warriors do with so fast a ship if they knew there was extra space for thrusters, fighter ships, and weapons? Tunesmith, if you cant imagine that, ask Louis."

"Louis?"

"Just be glad this ship is ours again," Louis said. He studied Long Shots control system. A crude second control panel had been set beside the first. All the indicators had been reworked in Kzinti dots-and-commas.

Gravity rolled uneasily. They were in motion, and Long Shots cabin gravity generator wasnt happy with the unbalanced configuration.

Tunesmith was behind Louiss shoulder, his jaw against Louiss neck. "Can you fly it?"

"Yah," Louis said. "I may have to close my eyes—"

"Do you read the Heroes Tongue?"

"No."

"I do. Make room. Join your companions aboard Needle."

"I can fly Long Shot. I remember the controls."

"Theyve been changed. Go!"

"Can you fly this ship?"

"I must try. Go."

When Louis entered Needles hangar, Acolyte was already gone.

Louis took a moment to contain his fury. Typical of a protector, to bet his own life and everybody elses on his own not-yet-formed abilities, on nebulous theories, on risks Louis wouldnt have taken even in his teens and twenties. But that wasnt enough. Hed bet Louis Wus life because he might need him… and now he didnt. What the futz, just another gamble that hadnt paid off.

Inhale through the nose, hold it, flatten that abdomen, exhale… it felt remarkably good to be back in his teens and twenties. Lovely if he could live through it.

Needle lurched and separated from Long Shot.

Louis found the hidden stepping disk and flicked to crew quarters. Acolyte was there. The Hindmost was on the flight deck, his back to them. He said, "We must make our way separately. Louis, Acolyte, strap down."

Acolyte said, "I was to be copilot."

"Plans change," the Hindmost said without turning around.

Louis didnt even wonder how the Hindmost had gained control of the bronze "glue" that linked the hulls. Tunesmith didnt hesitate either. From Long Shot he said, "As you will, Hindmost. Your enemies in this part of space include every ARM and Patriarchy ship and very likely all strangers. Ive sheathed Needles hull in scrith, giving two layers of defense, but antimatter is still a danger. Make your way to the Map of Mars as best you can."

The Hindmost didnt answer. Hot Needle of Inquiry turned toward interstellar space.