"Jane Lindskold - Endpoint Insurance" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lindskold Jane)

“And you think,” I cut in eagerly, “that what I saw in those crates were the
Absolute’s potions? Those, at least, we could get Endpoint’s authorities to seize.
The killer drug in particular has been outlawed universally-no one wants their local
troublemakers both hopped up and suggestible.”
Spike held up a hand. “No, Allie, I don’t think it’s killer drug-not exactly. I think
what you saw were the ingredients for the drug, smuggled in piecemeal so that no
one could trace them and suspect what’s going on. I think that the Absolute plans to
mix up a batch and get it to his troops.”
“But he won’t do it planetside,” I mused, “because that would leave him open to
local law.”
“Right.”Spike gestured into the star-flecked darkness outside the Mercury’s view
ports. “Somewhere out there a factory is waiting-probably on a pirate ship since we
know they’re using this system and the Absolute mentioned allies. The Absolute will
go there, do his voodoo, and return home. His greatest weapon will go with him,
scattered among several ships so one or two lucky shots can’t destroy it all.”
“And with a new supply of the drug, the Absolutist fanatics will win,” I said,
“because with the drug, the Absolute can convert even the most unwilling Loyalists
to his side.”
Spike nodded, then he grinned his goofy grin.
“Unless, of course, you and I stop them.”
I stared at him and started to laugh.
The ships carrying the crates-and the Absolute-left the surface of Gilbert at
midmorning. In the meantime, I’d gotten some sleep, as had Spike. In between naps,
I’d scanned the Endpoint system, mapping out every blip and crackle so that we
could locate the factory ship when the time came. Every so often I’d come across
something I’d flag for myself, not bothering Spike with that particular detail.
Making this map should have been an impossible task- would have been except for
two things. One, the Mercury has some of the best communications and scanning
equipment money can buy. Two, Spike and I had an idea what we would be looking
for-and that there would be something out there for us to find.
We figured that the factory ship couldn’t have been given an advance location where
it had to wait. Too much could go wrong with that sort of plan-someone else in the
area, a bit of unanticipated debris drifting through, a breakdown or delay.
Therefore, the factory ship would be sending out a signal of some sort to direct the
Absolute and his supply ships to where it waited. “Would be” because it wouldn’t
start emitting the signal until the Absolute sent it a query signal first. If the factory
ship had been delayed in getting to the rendezvous, there would be no response to
the query sig-nal. The supply ships would take a parking orbit and wait, signaling
occasionally and scanning the appropriate bands.
Spike and I were sure we’d worked out the same chain of logic the pirates would
have used, but even so I nearly jumped from my seat when a broad band scan
announced a new signal. It came intermittently, but always from the same direction.
If we hadn’t been looking for it, we would have dismissed it as background noise.
“Checking Gilbert,” I said aloud, my hands moving across the scanner bands. “Yes!
A ship just left immediate orbit and is heading in the direction of the signal.”
“Wait until we’re sure, Allie, before starting to follow,” Spike said. “If we’re right,
we have time. They won’t be going anywhere for a while.”
I nodded, listening to my comm unit’s report. “Another ship just left orbit. It’s going
out on the same general vector-probably they were filed as a convoy.”
“A good safety measure,” Spike replied solemnly, “in these pirate-plagued reaches