The Valiant - Michael Jan Friedman [13]
That made the engineer smile. No, he said, his voice echoing, thats not true at all. If I were in your place, I would have killed me some time ago while I still had the chance.
The security chief didnt say that that was still the plan. He didnt even dare to think it.
Youre keeping something from me, Agnarsson observed. Something you dont think Ill like.
There was no point in denying itnot when he was dealing with a telepath. So Pelletier remained silent.
You can plot all you want, said the man with the silver eyes. It wont do you any good. Im getting stronger all the time.
Suddenly, Agnarsson took a step forward, as if to attack the security chief. As Pelletier jumped backward, fumbling at his hip for his pistol, the engineer laughed.
Soon Ill be strong enough to grab you for real, he said.
And as if to prove his point, he extended his hand into the vertical plane of the electromagnetic field.
Sparks sputtered around Agnarssons wrist, making him grimace with pain. But he didnt pull his hand back right away. He left it there, enduring what no mere human could have endured.
Finally, the prisoner staggered backward and cradled his hand. He looked weakened by the experience, even a little humbled. But then, Pelletier told himself, Agnarsson had been weakened before, and he had come back stronger than ever.
The engineer tilted his head, considering the security chief as if he had never noticed him before. You know, he noted almost casually, its only a matter of time.
It was then that Pelletier noticed the patches of white at Agnarssons temples. The mans appearance was changing again.
Ive notified the captain, Marciulonis told his superior. He says hes almost finished.
Pelletier didnt take his eyes off the prisoner as he responded. He didnt put his pistol away either.
Tell Captain Tarasco to hurry, said the security chief. We may not have much more time.
Captains log, supplemental. Im sending out this message buoy despite my hope that we of the Valiant will still make it back to Earth. The buoy contains all our computer data from the past several days, which will explain how we wound up in these unfortunate straits and why Ive opted for such a drastic response to them .
Tarasco tapped a square, orange stud on his armrest, terminating his log entry. Then, glancing at Gardenhire, he nodded to show his ops officer that he had finished.
Gardenhire manipulated the controls on his panel. Releasing the buoy, he announced gravely.
Tarasco turned back to his bridges forward viewscreen. After a moment, he saw a small, gray object go spinning off into the void like a childs top. It had a squat, graceless body, three sturdy legs and a domed crown, and it would transmit a signal in the direction of Earth for hundreds of years if nothing happened toil.
The message buoy would tell the Valiants story. It would speak of the magnetic storm that had hurled them through space. It would describe the phenomenon they encountered at the galaxys edge. And it would say how their first assistant engineer had mutated into a being capable of destroying the rest of the crew.
The buoy would also carry information about extrasensory perception, and how it related to Geirrod Agnarssons transformation. It would warn other captains who intended to penetrate the barrier about the horrific consequences they might face.
The kind of consequences Tarasco was facing now.
Suddenly, his intercom grid came alive. Chief Pelletier to Captain Tarasco, it sang.
Tarasco here. Whats the situation?
Not good, sir, said the security chief. Agnarsson is having another go at the force field. Hes been in contact with it for nearly a minute and he doesnt seem to have reached his limit yet.
The captain could hear the urgency in Pelletiers voice. No, he told himself, call it what it is. The fear .
For the last twenty minutes, while Tarasco was completing his preparation of the message buoy, Agnarsson had been trying to see how much punishment he could take. Each time he penetrated