The Ascendant Stars - Michael Cobley [103]
From behind came a multiple clunk followed by a hydraulic hiss. Robert laughed as he watched the stern hatch open downwards.
‘Ah, that anti-security briefing came in handy after all! Right, Kao Chih, let us get our passengers aboard.’
Together, they carried the unconscious ones up the ramp and sat them in square-cornered, unpadded couches clearly meant for the impervious Shyntanil physique. The craft’s interior was stark and basic – there were thirty-two of those hard seats in two rows of eight-facing-eight, equipment racks between the bare hull struts, and a pilot console that seemed rudimentary. Once everyone was seated, with some help from the recovered crew members, Robert went forward to sit at the pilot instruments.
‘I’m going to move us out into the bay,’ he said, punching controls. ‘Then I’ll leave this idling while I go back out to open the launch shaft and the outer hull doors. And attend to a little surprise for our hosts.’
‘Okay,’ Kao Chih said uncertainly.
Robert flicked several switches and with a sharpening hum the assault craft rose off the deck, wobbling slightly. Kao Chih, standing near the open hatch, held on to a strut as the craft glided out of the berth then settled onto its landing legs. Robert stood and hurried back to join Kao Chih.
‘Did you know that a cryptship’s interceptors are piloted by the truncated head, spine and nervous system of Shyntanil warriors, piped and merged into the craft’s systems? The command overseers can set the interceptors’ initial combat posture centrally or via small panels next to the craft conduits. Virtues of a top-down hierarchy, the need to ensure that units will act in perfect unison. Well, I intend to turn that to our advantage and concoct a little diversion by making them attack the Suneye ship.’ Then he was striding down the ramp and round out of sight.
Kao Chih agonised for a moment then went forward to look out of the cockpit viewport. He could see Robert walk over to one of the panels he mentioned and tap in several key combinations, one after another, until a blue light came on. More key taps, and blue pinpoints winked on next to the other eleven doors. After another sequence of key presses Robert straightened, stepped back a little and stabbed a single button.
At once a raucous alarm began to sound. At the same time there were waves of a thunderous rushing sound as one by one the blue pinpoints turned red. Meanwhile Robert had dashed across to another control panel on a pillar between two of the open berths. Watching once more from the rear hatch, Kao Chih saw the older man punch in more sequences until he found the right one. The entire midsection of the bay hinged down, revealing an inclined launch shaft. Kao Chih saw this, his mouth set with grim resolution. When Robert reached the foot of the assault craft’s ramp, he raised the Shyntanil handweapon and aimed it at the older man’s head. Robert stopped dead, a look of amused surprise on his face.
‘I don’t know what you are,’ Kao Chih said, ‘but I know that you’re not Human. You look to be about seventy years old, but you seem fitter and stronger than I am.’
‘Kao Chih, about a dozen heavily armed Shyntanil troopers will be coming through the upper balcony doors in a few seconds.’
‘What are you? Who are you working for?’
Robert rolled his eyes. ‘Yes, you are correct – I am in fact a semiorganic simulacrum, an android, and I take my orders from the Construct.’
Kao Chih laughed out loud. ‘Excuse me, but I believe I’ve heard this one before … ’
There were thuds and shouts from a walkway that Kao Chih hadn’t noticed before, running right across the upper sections of the craft berths. Badly aimed energy bolts sparked off the deck and flared against the ramp. Robert glanced over one shoulder then leaped up at Kao Chih, wrenched the weapon from his hand, thumbed something