Scattered Suns - Kevin J. Anderson [121]
At maximum velocity, the Blind Faith ’s engines gobbled up the ekti reserves, but BeBob wasn’t concerned about fuel supplies. Right now, time counted for more than anything. Warning Earth about the Klikiss robots and Soldier compies was the most vital thing he could imagine.
Steinman flopped onto a spare bunk and minutes later was sound asleep, snoring. Orli dozed off in the copilot’s chair for a few hours, until nightmares woke her; after that she tried to distract herself by playing mournful melodies on the scuffed but still functional music synthesizer strips she had salvaged from Corribus. BeBob had recharged the power cells for Orli, and the repetitive process of making music seemed to transport her into a fugue state where she could be at peace with memories of happier times.
Rubbing his eyes, Steinman came out of the cabin, looked wistfully at her, and exchanged a glance with BeBob. The orphaned girl sat with her eyes half closed, just playing and listening to the notes, and both men smiled. BeBob’s heart was heavy for what the kid had been through, but he could see she was strong. Given time and a little bit of care, the girl would likely come out all right. He meant to help her in any way possible.
The Faith approached Earth without slowing. BeBob intended to go straight to the top and deliver his urgent message to someone who could get wheels turning on a moment’s notice. After all the crap he’d been through, he figured Lanyan owed him a favor.
Eight years earlier, the General had used blackmail to conscript BeBob into piloting the Faith. Though he’d never volunteered to join the EDF, BeBob had been sent on dangerous recon missions to flush hydrogues from gas giants. After several skin-of-the-teeth escapes, he had finally decided he’d had enough of enforced servitude.
He’d never regretted letting the General see the metaphorical door swing shut behind him as he left. In fact, he felt the EDF had a lot of nerve to coerce him into being their cannon fodder, a hapless man who took the first steps through a live minefield for them. No thank you.
But the Corribus massacre was obviously more important than his fit of pique, and it was time to put their differences aside. Lanyan would burst a blood vessel when he heard what had happened.
Though he’d lain low for many years, BeBob remembered how to contact the military brass. Despite changed serial numbers and a slightly altered hull configuration, the Blind Faith must still be in the EDF records as a recon vessel. He could pull enough strings to get these two refugees the urgent attention that was required.
Orli stopped playing her music. She looked at BeBob, then glanced out the cockpit ports at the bright yellow sun and the smaller dots of planets scattered around in their orbits. “That blue one is Earth.” He pointed with his finger. The Moon was a bright white dot set at an angle from the planet. “Ever been there?”
“That’s where I was born. But my father took me to Dremen when I was young. I don’t remember Earth much.”
“I left it on purpose,” Steinman said. “Too crowded.”
BeBob adjusted course and began transmitting as soon as they were within range of the Moon base. “I have an urgent message for General Kurt Lanyan. This is the Blind Faith transmitting. I have EDF clearance. I, uh, was one of your recon ships a while back. Listen, I’m bringing vital information—the entire settlement on Corribus has been destroyed. I am carrying images and data from the scene, as well as the only two survivors of the attack. I think they’re okay, but they should receive medical attention as soon as I land.”
When Orli glanced skeptically down at her minor scuffs and bruises, BeBob blushed. “I just said that to rattle ’em.”
A crackling message came back quickly. “Blind Faith, this is EDF control. We are forwarding