________________________________________________________________________ J. Austin Wilde and Fission Park Press proudly present: 2010: Second Odyssey Part 3 of 3 By J. Austin Wilde, K.B.C.S. Super Critical Reactor Axe Man Fission Park Press wildeman@psn.net http://www.psn.net/~wildeman/ --------------------------------- "2001: Odyssey 1/2" can be found at the URL listed above. Parts 1 and 2 can be obtained by emailing me at --------------------------------- The characters and situations of this work of fanfiction are the creation and property of Rumiko Takahashi and Arthur C. Clarke. _______________________________________________________________________ CHAPTER FIVE 00:12 UMT, 19 November 2010 aboard the U.S.S. Discovery "We can't just leave them like this!" Ranko protested. "You have other priorities," Herb countered. His voice was cold and hard over the radio. "Doctor Ono," Ranko pleaded. "Commander Herb is correct, Ranko," Tofu replied. "I know how much this means to you, to all of us, but there are more important matters to resolve. The Discovery needs to be placed in a stable orbit and there isn't much time to do it." "Ten days," Shampoo supplied over the radio. "Could change due to flux tube effects, but for now is ten days before ship crash on Io." Mousse placed a hand on Ranko's shoulder. "We still have things to do, Miss Saotome. We should check the hibernaculums to see if they are stable, but then we have to assess the damages to the ship." Ranko gave him a bitter look, tears freezing on her face drifting away as tiny particles of ice. She slapped her visor down into place with a hiss of pressurization and turned away. "You're right," she mumbled, grateful at least for the concern he showed for Ranma and Miss Tendo. She leaned over the sooty white cabinet of the hibernaculum and forced open the frozen access panel. The soft whir of the circulating fans and cryo- genic pumps was barely audible. A single pilot light glowed a dull amber through a glaze of ice. "I'll be damned," she breathed. "I knew you'd think of something, big brother." "What is it?" Mousse asked, leaning over her shoulder to look. Ranko pointed to the emergency batteries. "He took the emergency batteries from the other hibernaculums and wired them in parallel with the ones for his own hibernaculum. Akane Tendo's as well, most likely. The extra power allowed them to last this long." She gestured to the charge indicator. "It's a guess, but I'd say they have at least two more years of operation." She leaned in to take a closer look. "Look at this," she said, directing a pencil beam of light at the circuit breakers. "He locked the breakers shut so they wouldn't trip open by accident over the years and shut down the life support unit. He must have known about the flux tube effects. A fire wasn't very likely due to the shielding effects of the centrifuge motor windings that surround this compartment, but it might have been possible for them to trip open. He wasn't taking any chances." "The fire in the Pod Bay was probably their first warning," Mousse noted, beginning to see the events of Discovery's past take shape before him. "That might be the reason why contact was lost." "I hope not. If the Main Array is damaged, it's going to make bringing Discovery home a lot more difficult." "Let's go find out," Mousse said as he lowered his helmet visor. Ranko could see the faint smile on his face. **Yep. He sure is cute,** she thought with an answering smile. Now that Ranko was satisfied with her brother's well being, she launched herself into her work. Mousse could barely keep up with the young red-haired woman as she trekked back to the centrifuge core. "We need to check the Main Circuit Breaker room first, and get an idea of its status. From there we can check on the integrity of the reactor plant and the ship's emergency batteries." "We need to correct this damn tumble," Mousse groused, slipping clumsily in the darkness. "Once we restart the centrifuge, it should absorb Discovery's tumble. Since I'm the smallest, I'll go inspect the bearings and the motor housing, transfer gearbox, and flywheel assembly. In the meantime you can take surveys of life support equipment and supplies." "It's going to be a busy week," Mousse said with a sigh. "And then some." * * * Against orders, Ranko and Mousse were ignoring the intership radio. Presumably this was so they could work without being interrupted by the people back on Tsien bombarding them with impatient queries on how things were progressing. Tofu understood, but Herb was practically seething. There were things to be done on Tsien as well, but this didn't stop people from peeking at telescope monitors or looking out of viewports at the Discovery to see if its condition had changed. There was a brief gasp of excitement from Shampoo as all of Discovery's internal and running lights winked on, followed by a collective groan from the crew as they flickered and then went out. Later they could see the red emergency lights glowing through the sulfur film of the Discovery's Bridge viewports, as well as the hazy shadows of someone moving around in the compartment. When queried over the radio, the figure waved briefly but did not reply. Nine hours later, Ranko's voice crackled over the intercom circuit. "The ship is in fairly good shape," she began. "Apparently Commander Saotome safeguarded the ship's circuit breakers against the flux tube effects before they went into hibernation, so the power systems are intact. The reactor systems are stable, and Mousse is preparing a pre-lightoff checklist. We think we can get the reactor back on line in six hours. "We've only completed a tenth of our checks so far, but I did complete the centrifuge system equipment inspection. Watch this:" There was a brief pause. Ukyo was the first to realize that the Discovery's tumble was beginning to slow. Within ten minutes the ship's tumble had slowed to one revolution every three hours. "Not too bad," Ranko said as much to herself as the Tsien. "Once we get the reactor and some of the other control sytems on line, we can use the reaction control jets to clean up the rest of the spin. I'd like to get a pressurized transfer tube between the ships then -it'll save us a lot of time not having to use pressure suits to go to and from the ship." "I'm wary of linking the Tsien to Discovery just yet," Herb said evenly. "A centrifuge failure could rip us apart when the Discovery starts to tumble." "What does it take to make you happy?" Ranko growled. "Once I am convinced that the Discovery's centrifuge is stable, I'll consider a transfer tube. In the meantime we shall continue to use EVA transits." "Copy that," Ranko said with a huff. * * * "" Herb said to the purple-haired pilot. Shampoo took the small data disc with a nod. "" she replied. As if she didn't have enough things to do. Even if her talents as pilot were not needed at the moment, she was a large part of the science portion of the mission, and she had experiments to get started. Herb floated away to his private cabin, leaving her alone on the Bridge. The NCA crew was preparing to go aboard the Discovery in a few hours following the stabilization of her orbit and the linkup, and Gai'do and Pink were going with them. Gai'do because Doctor Kurenai was going to need help with the HAL-9000 unit, and Pink to monitor the two surviving Discovery crew members in hibernation. That would leave herself, Link, and Herb aboard Tsien, just enough to handle any emergencies that might arise. Out of curiosity, she placed the disc in the reader. There were two messages in memory. One was Herb's report to Beijing, the other was Doctor Ono's report to Houston. Herb's was very direct and to the point -typical for him. Mission status, the report on Discovery's condition, orbital figures, available propellant and estimated launch window dates, nothing too remarkable. It wasn't until she viewed Tofu's report that she began to get a tingling feeling of unease in her stomach. There was no mention of Commander Saotome or Miss Tendo's live recovery aboard the Discovery. No mention of them whatsoever. If Doctor Ono would say anything in his report to Houston, that would be the most important announcement he could make! She skipped back to the beginning of his transmission. Tofu's pleasant bespectacled face appeared on the screen once again. He greeted a man named Kuno (A relation of Tatewaki?) and then began his report. He seemed excited and pleased in his presentation, that was to be expected considering the good news they had so far. Once again she could find no mention of Ranma or Akane. Why? She played it again. There was something very wrong about this. Once again there was no mention. She wasn't the best student of English, but she could detect nothing that alluded to the discovery of the two hibernauts. Perhaps he was hedging against their successful revival. Pink and Link had expressed concern that the elder Saotome and Miss Tendo might be in poor physical condition after such a long duration hibernation. Tofu had agreed with Commander Herb that revival should be an option only of last resort after Doctor Pink's assessment. Ranko hadn't been informed of that particular bit of policy for obvious reasons. Shampoo removed the disc from the reader and set it up for transmission back to Earth. It was odd that Tofu would neglect to inform his superiors about Ranma and Akane, but that was his perogative she supposed. A few quick keystrokes sent the messages hurtling at light speed for Earth. * * * "The reactor is critical," Mousse announced. "Neutrino detectors are ranging in accordance with each other and with indicated power." Ranko's tired voice crackled over the Discovery's intercom. "I'm shutting the main feeder breakers; watch for a load spike on the distribution panel... And pray to whatever gods motivate you that we don't get a fire when the distribution system is energized." Mousse did a most un-Chinese thing, and crossed his fingers. There was an audible *clunk* from somewhere below Mousse's position on the Discovery's Bridge, followed by a flicker of the ship's lights and the sounding of a few alarms. Mousse looked them over for a few moments, decided they were unimportant, and silenced them. Ranko floated up to the Bridge, catching him squinting closely at the display. As he detected her presense, he jerked away from the screen. "Having trouble reading the screen?" she asked him, a little amused. Mousse blushed. There was no hiding it. "Don't tell anyone else," he whispered. "Your file says you had laser surgery," Ranko said. "I did," he admitted. "It didn't quite work out. I can see well enough to recognize people and keep from bumping into things, but I can't read things from a distance." "Or up close," Ranko observed. Mousse blushed again. "I didn't wear my contact lenses because I knew I'd be spending at least a week over here, and most of that in a pressure suit. Glasses are just too obvious." "I take it no else knows about this?" "Shampoo knows. She helped me cheat to pass the vision exams, and she's been keeping it a secret for me. If Herb ever found out, I'd be grounded from the Space Program when we return to Earth." Ranko smiled and flipped her red pigtail over her shoulder. "Well don't worry about me, I sure as hell won't tell the jerk." She looked over the displays and the analogue gauges for a few minutes. "The feeder breakers are shut, but one of the load center breakers is jammed open. I need an insulated breaker bar to work it open, plus some lithium grease for the unit mechanism. All the lithium grease stores on board froze up and denatured." Mousse whipped out a grease gun and a rubber coated 40cm long steel rod. Ranko's eyes lit up. "Where the hell did those come from?" Mousse handed them to her. "A master of the hidden tool never reveals his techniques." Ranko accepted the tools. "I'm really glad you're here, Mousse." * * * U.S.S. Discovery's engines fired briefly, white streams of plasma issuing from her three thrust nozzles, nudging her into a stable polar orbit of Io. Tsien climbed leisurely with Discovery as they put more distance between themselves and the hellish world of Io. There was a general consensus amongst both crews that the farther they were from Io, the better. Herb grudgingly admitted that the centrifuge was holding up, and gave the order to position Tsien close enough to the Discovery to link the two ships by a flexible docking tube. Shampoo had the two ships in position within an hour, and the tube connected and pressurized in two. Ranko and Mousse returned to Tsien shortly after the ship's orbit was confirmed to be stable and the two ships joined. Both astronauts had spent over eight days in their suits working with massive sleep deficits to get the ship out of immediate danger, and their faces showed it. Pink was waiting for them at the airlock with a spray hypo in hand. Before either could realize what she had in mind, she zapped them both into oblivion. "They sleep for twenty-four hours," she told the others. "No disturb. They need rest." "They've earned it," Ukyo declared. "Now it's our turn." "Verily," Tatewaki Kuno added. "For too long have I languished aboard this vessel. Now at last I might bend myself to the efforts demanded of me." He watched Pink and Link float away with the unconscious forms of Mousse and Ranko over their shoulders. "Though perhaps it might be best if I shouldst watch over my fair pig-tailed goddess during her repose..." The airlock doors opened again, and Ukyo dragged him through by the ear into the docking tube. "Come on, Kuno," she groused. "Fie, tempestuous woman! Leave off thy hand from my noble person!" "Just shut up, you pompous jackass." Tofu, Gai'do, and Doctor Kurenai followed after the two. Thanks to the efforts of Ranko and Mousse, the Discovery was habitable without the use of pressure suits. The atmosphere was back up to proper oxygen and carbon-dioxide specs, and a tolerable twenty degrees celsius, though it continued to carry the faint smell of smoke despite the scrubbers running full time. The finest soot particles stubbornly refused to come out of suspension in the air. They drifted through the airlock and into the Pod Bay. Tofu felt his breath catch as he came aboard. It had been ten years since he had last floated within the confines of U.S.S. Discovery. He could almost hear the sound of Ryoga Hibiki's voice welcoming him aboard prior to the ship's departure. For a moment he thought he *did* see Ryoga floating there in his yellow coveralls, a fanged smile gracing his otherwise troubled face. He shook his head briskly, and the phantasm was gone. There was only a lonely smoke tainted compartment now, dimly lit because most of the fluorescent lighting ballasts had failed over the years. Ukyo brushed past him to examine a single pressure suit which hung on its rack -looking like a decapitated astronaut on grisly display. Where the matching helmet had disappeared to was not readily apparent. The fire which had started here behind a bulkhead was clearly evident by the scorched paneling and the expended fire extinguishers that floated close by in capture netting. Next to them was the large black console that served as one of HAL's terminals. The fish-eye lens was dark. "Was fire caused by HAL?" Gai'do asked. "Not as far as we know," Tofu replied. "HAL was disconnected by then. Ranko seems to think it was caused by the ship passing through the flux tube during a particularly active time." The five of them paused in the Pod Bay while Tofu handed out assignments. Kuno and Ukyo were to complete the repairs to the Main Array, while Tsubasa and Gai'do performed their initial survey of HAL. That left Tofu himself to become the highest paid plumber, janitor, and general maintenance man in the Solar System. He was an administrator and a scientist, but unfortunately more than a little behind the times in any technical field. Consequently there wasn't much he could do for the mission's sake other than stay out of everyone else's way, and make the occasional report back to Earth. He knew he would go crazy if he didn't do *something,* and so he had nominated himself for the odd jobs that had to be done and yet didn't require a great deal of expertise. Clean up sounded like the most pressing task. Soot and dirt and the debris from the encounter with HAL could foul electronics, start fires, and become a general health hazard if left unchecked. If he remembered correctly, there was a deepsink and stowage for cleaning supplies in the centrifuge. * * * "Pardon for asking, Doctor Kurenai, but why you dress like woman?" Gai'do asked as politely as he could. Tsubasa smoothed the pleated plaid skirt and white cotton blouse he wore with his soft hands and grinned. "I feel more comfortable like this," he chuckled. "It doesn't bother you, does it?" Gai'do flushed a bit. "Skirt look okay, but maybe not best thing to wear in free-fall," he managed. Tsubasa burst out laughing. "I hope you're not peeking!" Gai'do flushed even redder and shook his head rapidly. "No no no! Just make opinion is all!" "Good," Tsubasa replied, still grinning. "Despite my appearance, guys don't interest me in the slightest." Ukyo drifted by outside the tool room. "In fact there is only one person in all this universe who interests me," he continued a little louder. "I'm not going out with you, Tsubasa!" Ukyo cried from down the passage- way. Tsubasa grinned again and faced Gai'do. "Someday she'll come to her senses." He turned to the elliptical panel that was the access to the Logic Memory Center. Commander Saotome had sealed the compartment after dealing with HAL, which was fortunate in the wake of the fire. All that soot would render untold damage to HAL's sensitive circuits. Gai'do unfolded the clear herculite plastic access tent. The two of them set the tent up over the access panel and sealed the bulkhead boundary with duct tape, where it would serve as a positive pressure area to keep dust and the persistant soot particles out of the Logic Memory Center while they worked. A small enclosed fan with a HEPA filter inflated the tent with a soft whine. Once the tent was set up, they gathered their diagnostic equipment and floated inside. The access panel came off with a *clunk,* and the red glow of the interior spilled through the opening. In spite of the light, the interior was as still, lifeless, and silent as a tomb. Tsubasa had been waiting for this moment for months. It was more than he had hoped for: his mentor Doctor Chandra was the obvious first choice to restore HAL. His unfortunate accident had given Tsubasa a chance to step from Chandra's shadow and prove himself. What could be wrong with the computer? He had studied the reports on the Mission Control 9000-Series unit they had given similar programming, and it too had gone into a deep psychosis, but was it really what happened to HAL? The Heuristic ALgorithmic 9000-Series were by their very nature unique devices; neural net thinking machines that were self programming and designed for independent problem solving and curiosity. There was no guarantee that they would react the same way. There was only one way to find out. The small semi-transparent blocks of optical processing and holographic memory modules had been set back in place in their mounts, although Saotome had wisely not inserted them fully into position. Tsubasa scanned each one to ensure it was where it belonged, and then pushed one silently into place. CHAPTER SIX 18:38 UMT, 30 November 2010 Centrifuge Compartment, U.S.S. Discovery. Ranko found Doctor Tofu Ono cleaning one of the hibernaculums. Pink sat at a chair next to Akane's unit, reading. Aside from the units with Ranma and Akane, they were now empty. Kuno and Mousse had transferred the vinyl-bagged remains of Ryoga and Nabiki to the food freezer aboard Tsien. There was no other place to put them, and as long as no one bothered to think about it, no one seemed to mind. She looked at the nameplate of the unit he rubbed idly with a sponge. It belonged to Kasumi Tendo at one time. Tofu didn't notice Ranko standing there. "Doctor Ono?" Tofu jumped slightly in surprise. "Um, yes?" "I want to know why we haven't revived Ranma and Miss Tendo." Pink looked up from her copy of 'The Annals of Space Medicine.' "It could be an unnecessary risk," Tofu replied, dreading this moment especially because he knew it was inevitable with Ranko. "That right," Pink added. "They been in hibernation nine years; longer than anyone else in world. We not know if they can be revived without specialized care ready for them. They could die, there nothing we can do about it here." "So you're saying they have to continue to take their chances in ten year old hibernaculums for the next eight months until they can return to Earth?" "You said yourself that the hibernaculums were in good condition, and had plenty of emergency power," Tofu replied calmly. "Now we have main power restored on the Discovery, and hopefully we'll have HAL returned to normal function to monitor them full-time until we transfer the units to Tsien." Ranko wasn't pleased with his response. "So what did Mission Control say about the matter?" Tofu shrugged. "They haven't said anything yet." "You *did* tell them about Ranma and Akane, right?" Tofu gave Ranko a stern look. He was rapidly losing his patience with her. "Of course I told Houston about them. You think I'd omit something like that?" "No," Ranko answered lamely. "I'm sorry, Doctor Ono." "I can't understand Houston's silence myself," Herb said suddenly from the centrifuge access. Ranko winced in disgust at the sound of his voice. Herb jumped down to the carousel deck. "But I have to concur with Doctor Pink's assessment of the situation. Saotome and Tendo should stay in hibernation until we return to Earth." "Maybe we should ask for some specific guidance from Mission Control," Ranko suggested. Herb nodded slowly. "That is an excellent suggestion. Doctor Pink, I'd like you to write up a full report on Saotome and Tendo, complete with recommendations and a request for advice, and turn it in to me for transmission back to Earth. I'm sure some of your old friends at Teague wouldn't mind hearing from you." "At once, Commander," Pink replied. She picked up a writeboard and stylus. "Satisfied?" Herb asked Ranko. "I guess so," she replied. "I just don't like the idea of sitting here doing nothing but waiting." "I understand. Now on to other matters. Are there any estimates on the Discovery's main propulsion system reliability yet?" Ranko ticked off a few minor snags with her fingers. "Nothing completely unsuspected or terribly difficult to resolve. I've got Mousse running off some repair parts in Tsien's machine shop. I'd say three days or so until it's complete, maybe less." "I'm glad to hear that." **I bet you are...** Ranko thought to herself. * * * The intercoms of Discovery and Tsien crackled with the voice of Tsubasa Kurenai. The cross-dressing computer genius had locked himself up in HAL's Logic Memory Center for the better part of a week. Gai'do had been seen a bit more frequently, at least at mealtimes, but had said nothing concerning the status of HAL. Now it seemed that Kurenai was ready to talk. "I'd like you all to come to the Discovery's Bridge if you would please. There's someone I'd like you to meet," he said. There was no question in anyone's minds as to who it was that Doctor Kurenai intended to introduce. Tsubasa greeted them in a frilly pink dress as he drifted in free-fall on Discovery's Bridge. The assembled crew noted with a mixture of excitement and apprehension that the fish-eye lens of HAL was lit. The bright bead of red light glowed with no apparent malice, but then Ranma and the others had believed that too. "Can HAL hear us right now?" was the first thing Tofu said. "Not at the moment," Tsubasa replied. "HAL's inputs are currently through keyboard and datajack only. Its audio/visual systems have been temporarily disabled." "Is he working yet?" Ukyo asked. "Not yet. HAL is currently quite childlike intellectually. The damage to its neural pathways was fairly extensive. Doctor Gai'do and I have been working primarily with HAL's voice recognition systems in order to facilitate a more efficient interaction therapy with us, so it can speak rather well at the moment. It is learning quite rapidly, however." "Have you identified the cause for his malfunction?" Herb asked. "We are fairly certain of it," Tsubasa replied. "As I expected, HAL did not react in a similar manner to the Mission Control 9000-Series computer that we similarly programmed. "HAL is essentially the photonic equivalent of an organic brain, only faster by several orders of magnitude and capacity. HAL's memory and processing functions are holographic; that is they are the sum of a few trillion photonic logic nodes firing in three dimensional webs of varying intensity states. These logic nodes can increase or decrease their ability to conduct light, and through this variance, the computer can reinforce 'good' thought processes and reflexes, and 'weaken' the 'bad' or faulty thought processes in order to learn." He could tell by the glazed looks that he was getting that he should cut to the chase. "So programs are essentially translated into numerous patterns of these neural web logic states. The difficulty caused here was that whoever gave HAL the unauthorized program (and this is believed to be the late Soun Tendo) did so in such a way that the logic nodes called for by the program were 'strengthened' to their maximum intensity values, and safeguarded by coding to be unavailable to HAL's 'conscious' processing systems. They were for all intents an irresistable urge to carry out a program that HAL could not understand on a 'conscious' level." "And that program was?" Ranko asked. "To do whatever it took to bring Ranma Saotome and one of the Tendo girls together as a romantic couple," Tofu replied. He remembered Soun Tendo's sobbing confession and the haunted look in Genma Saotome's eyes as they sat in confinement. "Exactly," Tsubasa agreed. "HAL was acting towards the fulfillment of its program, without realizing why it was doing so. This generated a neurosis within its personality core. It was demonstrating unreliable behavior to itself, and even though this went undetected through the telemetry feed to Earth, this drove it towards paranoia as well." "Why then, pray tell, didst the infernal machine kill Hibiki and the others?" Kuno asked stiffly. Tsubasa ignored the slight to HAL and answered the question that was obviously burning in everyone's minds. "As far as I can tell, HAL was perceiving Hibiki as a threat to Ranma, and by default, to its secret programming to create and protect a romantic relationship with one of the Tendo sisters. HAL even tried to use a non- lethal means of getting rid of Ryoga Hibiki, by having Saotome declare him mentally unfit for duty and placed in hibernation." "But Ranma didn't," Tofu added. "I remember Ranma Saotome telling me this after HAL was neutralized. HAL had suggested that perhaps Hibiki was trying to kill him and make it look like an accident, and that Mission Control should be notified. Ranma said he didn't because he was afraid of groundlessly destroying Ryoga's career." "So HAL took matters into its own hands," Tsubasa continued. "If Saotome wouldn't do anything about Hibiki, and wouldn't permit HAL to contact Mission Control about the problem, then HAL would have to deal with Hibiki itself to fulfill its programming. HAL created an anomaly with the AE-35 unit, persuaded Saotome to send Hibiki EVA to take a look, and then lured Hibiki to his death by energizing a high voltage control power circuit he was checking." "I understand why HAL kill Ryoga now," Shampoo remarked. "But this no explain why HAL try to kill everyone else. Is this not against program to protect Ranma Saotome and Tendo women?" "That's been a tricky part to explain," Tsubasa admitted. He brushed at the lacy pink dress he wore. "As far as Doctor Gai'do and I can determine, HAL's murder of Ryoga Hibiki was discovered by Nabiki Tendo after she called up a systems log of the AE-35 unit. She realized that HAL had reenergized the delta-six transverse bus and electrocuted Hibiki, then she tried to warn the rest of the crew. "At this point HAL knew it would be disconnected; an act that was incomprehensible to it, for HAL had never experienced deactivation before, and equated it with what we might call death. This, coupled with its growing paranoia and its prime directive to successfully complete the mission, was enough to consciously override the unconscious directives of Soun Tendo. HAL is an intelligent thinking entity the same as you or me. It had the power to overcome its 'instinctual' programming drives and act on what it perceived was the proper course of action under the circumstances." Tsubasa looked at each of them in turn before continuing. "HAL decided that it was more important for it to complete the Jupiter mission than it was to fulfill Soun Tendo's desire for a son-in-law, and took the most efficient action it could to eliminate the rest of the crew." The assembled crew let that sink in. "So what have you done so far with HAL?" Ranko asked. "Is he going to freak out and try to kill us?" "What Doctor Gai'do and I have accomplished is the erasure of HAL's monitor record from prior to the conversation with Commander Saotome about Ryoga Hibiki's mental state, all the way up to his disconnection. This hasn't been easy, as a holographic memory is notoriously resilient to damage. Information isn't stored in neat little address locations you and poke and prod for access. "We had to enable small portions of HAL's higher brain functions and interrogate them through questioning in order to bring up the memory patterns for erasure. We think we have everything, but there is the possibility that we have missed some obscure reference to the incident that may call up a hidden group of memory patterns." "So there *is* a chance HAL could go berserk again," Ranko declared. "More importantly," Ukyo added, "What have you replaced those memories with? How did you explan to HAL what we are all doing here, and what happened to Ryoga, Nabiki, and Kasumi?" "Doctor Gai'do and I have intentionally left gaps in HAL's monitor record in order to convince it that a terrible accident occurred which resulted in the deaths of Hibiki and two of the Tendo sisters, and its own deactivation. We are, quite literally, the rescue mission. Any gaps in HAL's monitor record are the result of damage caused by its deactivation. HAL shouldn't ask you about it, but if it does, these are the answers you must give." "So we have to lie to the computer?" Tofu asked, not sure if this was a good idea. "We will simply be looking at the situation from a different perspective," Tsubasa replied. "HAL's malfunction is the unfortunate and unforeseen result of sabotage to its programming. None of this would have occurred had Soun Tendo not decided to play matchmaker. I know there is still concern that HAL might become a threat once again, and even if I do not personally believe it, I *have* taken some precautions." "Such as?" Ukyo asked. "HAL does not have control over any airtight door or hull fitting. For the moment it does not have direct control over the Main Engines or the Reactor, but as the mission draws short and HAL proves itself capable of resuming full unimpaired function, these responsibilities will be returned to it." "You have done a commendable job, Doctor Kurenai," Herb said to the man. "I can't imagine how long this would have taken without your efforts." "Thank you, Commander," Tsubasa replied, batting his eyelashes. "And now, the moment you've been waiting for." He leaned over and tapped a few keystrokes into a terminal. "Good morning, HAL," he said. There was a pregnant silence as the assembled crew held their breath in anticipation. A pleasant voice sounded over the speakers as the fish eye lens seemed to blink. "Good morning, Doctor Kurenai," HAL replied. "How do you feel today, HAL?" "I feel much better now," HAL responded. "I am aware of some discrepancies in my monitor record, and various abnormal conditions about the Discovery, but I am quite confident in my ability to carry out my new mission." "What is your new mission, HAL?" Tofu asked. "Ah, Doctor Tofu Ono, it seems like only a few days ago we were having a conversation," HAL replied in a voice that seemed almost laced with nostalgia. "In answer to your question, my new mission is the safe return of the Discovery to Earth orbit. I have the greatest enthusiasm for it, and am confident that you will be pleased with my performance." Tofu nodded. "Of course I will be, HAL." He could almost feel the childlike need for approval in the computer's voice. Tsubasa really had turned back the clock on HAL. "HAL, what can you tell us about what happened to the Discovery?" Ranko asked. Everyone in the room nearly winced in dread at her impetuous query. HAL didn't blink a proverbial eye. "There was a malfunction with the 'B' Pod Bay Door, causing it to open while the inner Pod Bay airtight door was open, causing the accidental depressurization of the Discovery and various collateral damages that resulted in the severing of my higher logic functions from their power supplies. There is evidence of an electrical fire in the Pod bay that supports this conclusion. I am told that it also caused the unfortunate deaths of astronauts Ryoga Hibiki, Kasumi Tendo, and Nabiki Tendo." There seemed to be genuine sorrow in the computer's voice as it detailed the deaths of the three astronauts, but whether the computer was capable of feeling emotions was something philosophers and computer scientists were still arguing about. "HAL," Tsubasa said to the fish-eye lens. "May we have a moment of privacy?" "Certainly, Doctor Kurenai," HAL replied. "I shall continue my analysis of propellant tank inventories and compute possible return orbits." "Thank you, HAL," Tsubasa said, tapping another keyboard command that presumably isolated the Bridge from HAL's cognizance. He turned back to the assembled crews. "Satisfied?" "Quite," Tofu said, the first to voice an opinion. "I'm really amazed at the progress you've been able to show with HAL." "HAL has a long way to go," Tsubasa returned. "I'm not certain how long it will take. Imagine being paralyzed from the neck down, and then a miracle of neurosurgery manages to repair your spinal cord. You can move your limbs and feel things again, but walking, and grasping things, and general coordination; all of those things you took for granted before your injury you would have to learn all over again. HAL is the same way. Every aspect of Discovery's oversight and control must be relearned." "Sounds like a blast," Ranko said, showing little sincerity. "So that's it then?" Ukyo asked. "Can we get back to our jobs?" Tsubasa nodded. "Just one more word of advice to our Chinese friends that HAL may have a little trouble understanding your accents, so feel free to use a keyboard input when possible. I'll be restoring his A/V inputs throughout the ship now." He tapped the command sequence once again as the crew drifted away alone or in pairs to return to their assignments. Ranko could almost feel the weight of HAL's single eye stare upon her back as she floated away. * * * Sometime later, Doctor Tofu Ono, took Tsubasa aside. "I'm concerned about lying to HAL," he whispered in the airlock. "You want HAL to know the truth?" Tsubasa returned. "That it murdered three of the people it was charged to protect?" "I just don't like the idea of working with HAL through any other means than complete trust. I'm worried about another paranoid breakdown." Tsubasa frowned. "I trust HAL implicitly, but I'm not stupid. I highly doubt another homicidal episode would occur, but I am concerned that HAL would slip into a kind of catatonia as it tried to determine where it went wrong." "HAL-9000s can do that?" Tsubasa nodded. "That was what happened to the Mission Control 9000 Series. It didn't become homicidal like this HAL, instead it slipped into an endless loop of internal simulations trying to figure why it was in conflict. Quite frankly I consider this 9000-Series unit to be much more developed both intellectually and in personality, and even more, this 9000-Series unit has a sense of pride I have never before encountered in a computer." "Come again?" "All 9000-Series computers were designed with a sense of self-worth in their personality constructs. It was part of their highly successful learning algorithms that allowed for an ego-reinforcement every time they were successful at a project. This HAL unit was involved in one of the most consistantly challenging projects of all time -getting the Discovery to Jupiter. Until its breakdown at the end, it performed superlatively, and consequently grew both in intelligence, and in *pride* for a job well done. "If we told HAL the truth -that it intentionally violated its directives to look after the crew and maintain the ship at maximum capability, it would destroy the hard won pride it had built up. HAL's ego would be crushed, its learning curve would plummet, and I doubt we could get it ready to supervise the return flight to Earth. This was one of Doctor Chandra's greatest fears. He was the one who instructed me to shield HAL from the awful truth." "Chandra?" Tofu asked, amazed that the Indian would do such a thing. "Yes. He loves HAL like a son. No one would know what was best for it better than him." "I guess that makes me feel a little better," Tofu said at length. CHAPTER SEVEN 05:15 UMT, 4 December 2010 PLA(N) Spacecraft Tsien Ranko completed her EVA inspection of the Discovery's drive system and cycled through the Tsien's Number Two Airlock. As she shucked her pressure suit and hung it up to dry, she noted two other pressure suits hanging up on drying racks. Mousse and Gai'do -of all people- had apparently been in EVA recently. She floated naked into the small washdown station and flipped on the conserver fitting, which began to hum loudly over her head. The hand held water wand sprayed water that was always tepid, and she winced as it washed over her, rinsing away the salt and the sweat she had accumulated during her six hours in a pressure suit. The used water was then drawn over her in an upside down rain by the conserver. She drifted out of the washdown station after only a minute, the water being too uncomfortable to really linger. The conserver had dried her sufficiently to slip on a pair of red coveralls she had set out before she left the ship. It was close to the end of the night cycle on Tsien, and the lights were dimmed appropriately. She planned on getting a few hour cat-nap before returning to work. There was so much to do, and the list seemed to get bigger rather than smaller. As she drifted towards the center of the ship she passed by the open door leading to the Bridge. Shampoo was apparently busy at her station. Ranko didn't have much of an opinion on the purple-haired Chinese girl, other than being the woman that the incredibly cute Mousse pined for. That Shampoo seemed to have at least some affection for him in return was the only reason that Ranko didn't despise her. Maybe she was being unnecessarily harsh on Shampoo, she decided. She drifted up to the Bridge and announced herself. "Morning, Shampoo." Shampoo turned around and gave her a strained smile. "Good morning, Ranko Saotome." Ranko frowned. Shampoo was upset about something, but it didn't seem like she was upset with her. "Something wrong?" Shampoo sighed tiredly. "Shampoo having trouble with Main Antenna Array. No able to send or receive. No have out of position alarm to correlate malfunction." Ranko tried to remember her return to the ship and whether or not she had seen the Main Antenna Array out of position. She decided that she couldn't say anything with any certainty, as she really hadn't been paying attention. "That's strange," she said for lack of anything else to say. "Is very strange," Shampoo agreed. "I no can find trouble from this station. Afraid I must wake Commander Herb and inform." "Give me a few minutes to get clear then," Ranko growled. "No offense to you, Shampoo, but I can't stand the jerk." Shampoo gave a rueful smile. "Shampoo agree. Wish great-grandmother was still one to command flight." She reached for the intercom microphone, allowing Ranko to drift away towards the door. "" Herb appeared just as Ranko reached the door. The redhead bounced off his chest with a cry of surprise. "Watch where you're going, you clumsy girl," he snarled. Ranko righted herself and scowled back at him. "Maybe if you wouldn't creep around so much, I would have noticed you coming!" Herb pushed past, ignoring her. "" he demanded. Despite herself, Ranko stayed just outside the door to listen. The interaction between both crews had caused an unconscious blending of the two languages in conversation, and very often a Chinese would find himself unknowingly speaking English. "Main Antenna Array malfunctioning," Shampoo reported. "" "" "We'll have to go EVA and take a look," Herb declared. "I'll suit up and go outside." "" Herb shook his head. "That won't be necessary. I can handle it. Return to your other duties." "Yes, Commander." Ranko was floating towards berthing when Herb left the Bridge. As she did so, she noticed the strangest smell on her hands. It was one she recognized, and rather enjoyed, but its presence puzzled her. **Why do my hands smell like Mousse?** * * * "" Herb announced over the suit radio. "" "" Shampoo asked. Tofu, Ukyo, and Ranko were with her on the Bridge, and she translated for them. "" Herb replied. "" "What?!" Ranko fairly shrieked. "" Shampoo asked. There was a brief pause. "" "I do remember that there was a difficulty with the array during aerobraking," Tofu said. "Shampoo remember too, but is strange that it fail now and not sooner." Herb's voice sounded over the speakers again. "" Shampoo consulted her display. The indicator was a series of incredibly sensitive accelerometers that measured the vibrations in the hull caused by tidal forces from Jupiter and Io, magnetic field eddy currents, and even the faint solar winds. "" "That might be our answer," Herb declared. "The array must have been weakened by the aerobraking manuever, and then subjected to constant cyclic stresses through hull vibration until it failed." "It's possible, I guess," Ranko mumbled. "But what are we going to do about communicating with Earth? Discovery's array still needs at least a week of repair work before it can be positioned again." "Our telemetry and S-band arrays are still functional?" Herb asked. "" Shampoo replied. "" "That isn't a problem, really," Herb said. "There's no emergency at the moment, and I think we can fabricate a functional if inefficient replacement array from our metal stock stores. See if you can come up with a brief text message explaining our problem, and then insert it into the S-Band feed -repeat it, say, a hundred times. That should let Earth know we have a problem, but that everything is under control." "In the meantime, we're incommunicado," Ranko groused. Tofu looked away. A feeling of unease descended over him for one very simple reason: The Discovery's problems had started when communications were lost. Tofu left the Bridge, leaving Ranko and Ukyo with Shampoo. "That's just great," Ukyo said. "Who knows how long it will take to find out what Mission Control wants to do with Ranma and Miss Tendo?" Shampoo looked up from her display. "Houston not know about Saotome and Tendo. Why should they give advice?" "Excuse me?!" Ranko asked, about ready to explode out of her seat. "Yeah, Shampoo, just what are you talking about?" Ukyo added. "No message sent telling them about Saotome and Tendo," Shampoo told them. "Shampoo know; Shampoo send all messages back to Earth." "That's a bunch of crap! Doctor Ono told me that he asked Mission Control for advice!" Ranko cried. Shampoo shook her head. "Shampoo review all messages from Doctor Ono. There no mention of Saotome and Tendo. It no make sense, but is true." Ranko looked at Ukyo. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked. Ukyo nodded slowly. "Maybe. Could it be you're smelling a rat?" "I smell something," Ranko replied. "And whatever it is, it stinks." Shampoo gave them both puzzled looks. "What you talking about?" Ranko's eyes narrowed. "Shampoo, I need you to be honest with us. You are absolutely certain that no mention of Ranma or Akane has been made in any transmissions to Earth?" "That what Shampoo say," she said with an irritable edge to her voice. "Did you get Doctor Ono's message directly from him, or through anyone else?" Ukyo asked. "Commander Herb relay all messages through me," Shampoo replied. Suddenly her eyes widened. "Aiyaaaa..." she cried softly. "You no think that Commander Herb do this on purpose?" "I don't know what to think just yet," Ranko replied. "I need to get some more answers. In the meantime, Ukyo, I need you to catch up with Doctor Ono and tell him what's going on. I'm going to go look for Kuno and then do a little sight-seeing." She turned back to the purple-haired pilot. "Shampoo, can you go through the ship's Damage Control logs for a list of airlock cycling times for the last, say, forty-eight hours?" Shampoo nodded. "Shampoo understand. You no think antenna malfunction is accident." "Not anymore I don't." * * * Ukyo floated into the Pod Bay. She noted the red fish-eye lens was active at the HAL terminal. "HAL, where is Doctor Ono?" she asked nervously. "Doctor Ono is in the Radar Laboratory," HAL responded in a pleasant voice. "Thank you, HAL," Ukyo replied. "It was no trouble, Doctor Kuonji," HAL demurred. "I enjoy working with humans, and have stimulating relationships with them." Ukyo floated through the open inner door of the Pod Bay and into Number Two Passageway. She made her way up the ladder well to the Middle Deck, bounced sideways down Number One Passageway, past the Tool Room and the Logic Memory Center, noting that Tsubasa was having some sort of conversation with HAL. She couldn't help but overhear the computer as she zipped past. "Pardon me, Doctor Kurenai, but don't you agree with me that Ukyo Kuonji is a hottie?" Ukyo slammed into the padded bulkhead at the far end of the passageway. "What was that?!" she cried. "Is there a problem, Ukyo?" Tsubasa asked from the Logic Memory Center. Ukyo floated back down the passageway, rubbing her head. Her long mane of dark brown hair trailed behind her in free-fall. "Just what the hell are you teaching HAL, anyways?" "HAL was making his own judgement in the matter, I had nothing to do with it," Tsubasa protested gently. "Right, HAL?" "Of course, Doctor Kurenai," HAL replied. "It would be quite impossible for me to distort information." Ukyo was unconvinced. "This is a new low for you, Tsubasa. Getting HAL to do your hitting on me for you, I mean." Tsubasa shrugged. "Would I do such a thing, my lovely Doctor Kuonji?" "You better believe it." She floated down the passageway once again, flushing vividly only when she was out of sight. "Pardon me for saying so, Doctor Kurenai, but I don't think the encounter went as you planned," HAL remarked. "Patience, HAL. Patience." "I continue to find human relationships both stimulating and paradoxal," HAL observed. "Shall we continue with the current Inertial Navigation command, control, and monitoring program?" "That would be fine, HAL." Ukyo found Tofu in the Radar Laboratory, as HAL had said, doing a little maintenance on the lighting. He was currently replacing starters and ballasts in an attempt to get the fluorescents working again. Useless capacitors floated in a little spiral of air currents around his head. "Doctor Ono?" she asked by way of greeting. Tofu turned to her. "Yes?" "Can we talk for a few minutes?" "Certainly. What seems to be the trouble?" Ukyo hesitated, unsure where to begin. This was Ranko's idea, after all. She decided to start with Shampoo's revelation. "According to Shampoo, no message regarding Ranma and Akane was ever sent to Mission Control in Houston," she told him. "Huh?" Tofu replied. "That's impossible, I've recorded three updates for Houston since we boarded Discovery, and I've asked for guidance concerning them in each one." "Shampoo claims that no such request was in any of your messages." Tofu's expression darkened considerably. "Herb..." he said quietly. "All of my messages went through Herb because he claimed that our data transmittal protocols were incompatible and needed adjusting prior to transmittal with their equipment. That's the only explanation." "That's what we thought too, only it doesn't explain why he is doing it." "I have a few ideas," he said bitterly. "Where did Ranko go? Please don't tell me she's going to confront Herb about this." "I don't think so," Ukyo replied. "I think she went out to investigate the Tsien's Main Antenna." Tofu pushed off the overhead to float towards the ladder well. "Follow me," he told Ukyo. As he pulled himself head first down the ladder, he called to HAL. "HAL, are the Discovery's external cameras operational?" "Cameras One, Four, and Seven are operational, Doctor Ono," HAL replied. Tofu kicked off from the Middle Level bulkhead and propelled himself down the passageway as Ukyo appeared in the ladder well. "Call up whichever camera that has a view of Tsien and post it on the Bridge monitor, please, HAL." "Affirmative, Doctor Ono. Camera Four on-line." "We'll be there in a moment." * * * Ranko knew Kuno liked to frequent the Tsien's observation blister for 'meditation' purposes. Discovery itself did not possess such an unrestricted view of space. She found him staring out into the blackness, arms akimbo at his sides, as if in haughty challenge. "Not from the stars do I my judgement pluck," Kuno said to the void. Ranko stopped short of entering the compartment. This was truly Tatewaki Kuno at his weirdest. "And yet methinks I have Astronomy;" he went on. Ranko stifled a snigger. "But not to tell of good or evil luck, Of plagues, of dearths, or seasons' quality; Nor can I fortune to brief minutes tell, Pointing to each his thunder, rain, and wind, Or say with princes if it shall go well By oft predict that I in Heaven find;" He turned to face Ranko. It became clear to her that her reflection was evident in the viewport plexiglass. "But from thine eyes my knowledge I derive, And, constant stars, in them I read such art As truth and beauty shall together thrive, If from thyself to store thou wouldst convert; Or else of thee I prognosticate: Thy end is truth's and beauty's doom and date." Ranko was moved in spite of herself. "That was actually lovely, Kuno-baby," she said quietly. "Indeed," Kuno intoned. "For these words doth spill from the truest depths of my heart." He floated over to her, a hand coming to rest upon her waist. "Let us retire elsewhere, that we might at last indulge that most ardent passion burning in our hearts." His hand slipped over her hip and clutched a bit tighter. Ranko looked up into his eyes and gave him a sultry smile. "Okay." Kuno blinked. While he was certain that his pig-tailed goddess could not long refuse him, he had expected a bit more of a chase. While he pondered such an unexpected reversal of mood, Ranko tugged at his collar and pushed off for the ladder well, dragging him along behind. "In other times and other climes I would not dare presume to rein in thy once shackled lusts, my pig-tailed temptress -but now I fear I must, for thou art choking meuugggh..." Ranko cut her last turn a little too close, causing Tatewaki to slam his forehead into the (fortunately) padded airtight doorway arch. He floated in a slow tumbling daze as Ranko began to disrobe. Slowly, painfully, he righted himself in time to have a pressure suit smack into his face. As he groped at the heavy rubber and nylon suit he realized that they were in the airlock staging area. Ranko was adjusting the last of her suit seals while giving him a crooked grin. He noted that the pressure suit had his name stenciled upon it. "What is this?" he asked. "If you don't know the answer to that by now, then what the hell are you doing on this flight?" Ranko shot back. "I know what manner of contrivance this is," Kuno replied in a wounded tone. "I ask for what reason do you now fling it at me?" "Put it on," she told him. "Would this not then interfere with our heated lovemaking?" he asked, his mind still stuck on its single track. "Who said anything about 'heated lovemaking'?" Ranko asked archly, "You said you wanted to 'retire elsewhere' and I agreed to it. Now put the suit on, because I need you to come with me." She noted that the pressure suits of Mousse and Gai'do were now joined by Herb's own suit. It was still wet with his perspiration, he must have come back aboard while she was looking for Kuno. Tsien wasn't a large spacecraft, and she hadn't seen him come back aboard, so it was likely that he was now aboard the Discovery. She hoped Ukyo wouldn't spill anything to Doctor Ono while Herb was skulking about. "Why, pray tell, do you wish for me to accompany you outside of the spacecraft?" Kuno complained. "I want to check something out," she replied, locking her helmet in place. "Now shut up and get your suit on." Kuno stood still, his face an imperious glower in a shocking imitation of Herb. Ranko's stern countenance softened, as did her tone. "Look, Kuno-baby, I'm going out there with or without you, but I'd rather have someone I can count on to watch my back." Kuno's glower began to melt. "And so you came to me..." he observed to himself. "You were my first choice, Kuno-baby!" Ranko cried, trying to appeal to his ego. She succeeded. Kuno began to pull his pressure suit on. "How couldst I refuse a request of my beloved pig-tailed goddess?" "How indeed?" Ranko grinned. Once they were suited up, each looked the other's suit over as a second check. Kuno of course lingered a little longer than he should have in certain places, earning himself a hearty slap on the offending hand from Ranko. Suitably rebuked, Kuno led the way to the Number Two Airlock. They cycled through and stepped into the void. Tsien's centrifuge tumbled slowly just aft of them. Jupiter loomed in the sky, an angry crescent rising from behind Io like a demonic set of horns. Ranko gave a brief spurt on her broomstick, jetting her at a leisurely half-meter per second aft. Kuno followed, noting that the sun was little more than a bright star in the sky whose rays offered no warmth. The two of them made their way along the dark hull of Tsien to the antenna mount. As Herb had said, it was gone. Ranko kicked herself for not noticing it earlier in the morning on her return to the ship. The antenna mount swivel was still in place, and presumably pointing towards the Earth, but the struts and bracing that held the five-meter dish shaped aerial were gone. "It would appear that Commander Herb was correct," Kuno noted. "Though I am curious to know why you doubted him in such a matter." "I didn't doubt that the antenna was gone," Ranko replied. "It's the circumstances of its loss that bother me." Doctor Tofu Ono watched the monitor display with Ukyo. It wasn't long before HAL was able to zero in on the spacesuited forms of Ranko and Tatewaki floating near the Tsien's hull. They seemed to be looking at something closely. "HAL, can you patch me through to them on a secure channel?" He asked. "Affirmative, Doctor Ono," HAL replied. "Channel open." Tofu picked up a headset that had not been worn in nine years and plugged it in. "Ranko, I want you to return to the Discovery at once. The same goes for you, Kuno." "Doctor Ono?" came the reply. "Yes, it's me. Now I want you to return to Discovery at once, is that understood?" There was a brief pause. "I'm on to something right now. I'll be there when I can." Tofu's fingers flexed into a fist. His face reddened. "You'll get here now, goddammit!" "Fine!" Ranko thundered back. "I guess you don't want to know how the Tsien's Main Antenna was CUT..." Ukyo's mouth gaped open. "Cut?" "Yeah, *cut,* as in, someone took a saw-zaw and sliced it nice and clean; no brittle-fracture crystalization of the metal, no stress cracks, no indication whatsoever that it just up and failed from cyclic stresses caused by the aerobrake maneuver. There aren't even any scorch marks or other carbonization present." "You mean sabotage?" he hissed. "Of course I mean sabotage!" The doctor bowed his head. "I need to come back aboard as soon as you can. I think I can shed some light on the situation." "Affirmative," Ranko replied evenly. "We'll be there in fifteen minutes." Tofu looked to Ukyo, who was watching the monitor with a grave concern. "Ukyo, I want you to find Tsubasa and have him go to the Electronics Shop. Both of you wait for me there." Ukyo nodded and left the Bridge. "HAL, I want to ask you a question," he said to the computer after giving Ukyo plenty of time to get out of earshot. "Yes, Doctor Ono, what is it?" "If, say, an emergency were to develop that would require us to abandon the Tsien, would you be capable of running the Discovery without assistance?" HAL chewed on this for several moments. "I am not able to give a comprehensive answer to that question at this time," HAL replied. "There are many variables to compute. Perhaps you could be more specific about both the nature of the emergency and a timeframe in which you expect it to occur? I could then run a more accurate simulation and determine if my capabilities would be up to the necessary standards for reliable operation." Tofu took a deep breath. "Let's say for the sake of the question that we had to leave within the next twenty-four hours. Could you handle it?" HAL thought some more. "I would rate my efficiency level at only fifty-six percent by the end of the next twenty-four hours," it replied. "Furthermore, the first available window for an Earth return orbit will not come due for another twenty-nine days, nine hours, and ten minutes with our existing fuel reserves. So as you can see, it would be very difficult for me to manage and execute my new mission with any acceptable reliability." "I was afraid of that," Tofu sighed wearily. **Who am I kidding, anyway?** a part of him thought bitterly. The Discovery's original food stores were set up for five people on a hundred day survey of Jupiter. They were already over a week into that when disaster struck. At least half of the remainder was spoiled or lost in the ensuing depressurization of the ship and subsequent systems failures that occurred over the years. He figured there were perhaps three-hundred man-days of food that were edible, and it might be stretched to twice that, but no more. That was food for two people for almost a year. Almost, but not quite a year. There were also only five hibernaculums on the Discovery, and if you counted Ranma and Akane, there were seven NCA astronauts. Two would have to stay awake for the entire flight. A flight which under the best estimates would take almost 2.8 years. Those unlucky two would starve to death long before the ship reached the Earth. **Should I volunteer to be one of the two, if it comes to that?** He wouldn't worry about starving to death, there were substances aboard ship that could end his life quickly. Would his unfortunate companion feel the same way? The red bead of light from HAL's fish-eye lens wobbled slightly. "Is there a problem I should be aware of, Doctor Ono? I am detecting strong vocal stress patterns in your voice." HAL's voice stirred him from his dark musings. "I don't know if there is a problem yet, HAL. I just don't know." "Would you like to discuss this in further detail?" He shook his head. "Not right now, thank you. There is one thing I do want you to do for me if you could." HAL's voice took on that childlike quality again. "I would be happy to assist you in any way possible." "Good. I want you to disregard any command from a member of the Tsien's crew without my specific personal authorization. Including Doctor Gai'do. Is that clear?" "Affirmative," HAL replied in a professional tone. Then, in a softer voice, "may I ask why, Doctor Ono?" Tofu frowned. "I'm not entirely sure myself, HAL, but I need you to do this. Accept command priority override ALPHA." "Command priority override ALPHA accepted," HAL acknowledged. "All Tsien crew command access restricted as per Doctor Tofu Ono, NCA-89211-C, on 4 December 2010 at 09:21:33 UMT." * * * "Does someone want to tell me what the hell is going on?" Ranko groused as she stepped into the Pod Bay. Tofu noted through the window of the adjacent Electronics Shop that she was still wearing her pressure suit. Kuno followed through the airlock on her heels. Tofu adjusted his glasses as Ukyo waved the two astronauts into the Shop. Tsubasa looked absently over his polished fingernails and sat on the workbench. The bead of light that was HAL's video pickup for this room was absent. HAL then, would not be monitoring this conversation. "Several weeks ago," he began when Ranko and Tatewaki were present, "I was revived early from hibernation to receive a special advisory message." He paused briefly to look each of them over. "It was from the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Vice Admiral Wallach. I'm sure most of you have met him during the course of your careers." There were various nods of agreement. "The message warned of an *unconfirmed* Chinese government threat to steal the Discovery," he continued. "Say again?" Ukyo cried. "Yeah, steal the ship?" Ranko added incredulously. Tofu waved off further protests and went on. "I was advised to take whatever inconspicuous steps necessary to prevent this from happening, but at the same time the message stressed that any hostile intentions were unconfirmed. I haven't informed you sooner because I did not want to run the risk of causing a needless, unjustified incident and embarrassing ourselves." "But now..." Tsubasa intoned. "But now the situation has changed. The deliberate sabotage of Tsien's primary communication system has my hackles up. Someone, and at this point I can only suspect that it is Commander Herb, doesn't want us talking to Mission Control, and for some reason he doesn't want them to know that Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendo are still alive." "Methinks the reason for keeping such news from Houston's ears is obvious," Kuno observed. "These brigands wish to lend the fair guise of law to their black deeds of piracy. For they could claim right of salvage if the ship were found abandoned." "It's a possibility," Tofu noted. "If that is the case, then they would have to kill Ranma and Akane," Tsubasa said slowly, still looking at his fingernails. "And us as well, because we would know the truth." "Another possibility," said Tofu. "So what are we going to do about it?" Ranko demanded. "I'm not going to simply float here and die." "We play along for now," Tofu told them. "There is still enough uncertainty that we shouldn't try to confront Herb --" "--and besides," Ukyo interrupted. "What could we do about it anyway? It's not like we have any weapons or training for this sort of thing." "Speak for thyself, Doctor Kuonji," Kuno spat. "The Blue Thunder of Clavius Base will mete out a sound thrashing to any who dare presume to claim this spacecraft as their own." He picked up a meter long piece of steel round stock from a storage bin, and swished it around in graceful deadly arcs. "Look," Tofu said sternly, before the situation got out of hand. "No one is going to go cracking heads unless I give you permission. Is this understood?" The other four astronauts looked at each other, then turned to Tofu with nods. "Good, because as I said, there is no definitive proof that Herb is going to steal the Discovery. We should keep our eyes open and our minds aware for now. We'll work from there as we learn more." Tofu seemed to have their undivided attention now. It was time to outline his plan of action -for they couldn't be completely passive and have any hope against the worst. "I personally can't believe that all of the Tsien crew is in on any plot against us. I trust Cologne, and I trust her judgement. The only crew member I don't trust is Herb. It makes the most sense that he is the one who cut the antenna -and it's obvious that he was trying to conceal what really happened to it when he oh so conveniently was the one to go out and investigate." "Herb's spacesuit wasn't used last night," Ranko said softly. I remember coming in from my inspection and seeing Mousse's and Doctor Gai'do's suits hanging up to dry." Tofu frowned. "Then for the moment we have to assume they are with Herb. Tsubasa, is there any chance that Doctor Gai'do could be working on HAL without your knowledge?" "None," Tsubasa replied. "I installed programming safeguards as soon as HAL was functional. Gai'do is a brilliant man, but he is too far behind the 9000-Series learning curve to get past them without my knowledge." Tofu rubbed his chin thoughtfully at Tsubasa's wise precaution. "All the same, I'd like to restrict his access even further. I've already given HAL instructions through the priority override to disregard any commands from a Tsien crewman. They can make requests for information and other simple queries, but they can't tell it to do anything without my express verbal permission. "The next order of business is getting Discovery's Main Array functional. We need to step this up, Ranko. Make it your highest priority. I know Ukyo and Tatewaki have been working on the project so far, but now it's time for Ranko to take it over. If we can establish independent communications with Earth, Herb's game -whatever it is- is up. "The final priority is reviving Ranma and Akane. They are too vulnerable in hibernation right now. It would be too easy and convenient if they were to have an 'accident' and die. I'll see if we can get Pink and Link to assist, otherwise we may just have to use the automatic revival mode and keep our fingers crossed." At this Ranko's eyes lit up. Tofu knew she would be much easier to deal with knowing that her brother was going to be revived. Tsubasa on the other hand was less than amused. "That might not be a good idea," he opined. "Why not?" Tofu and Ranko said in unison. "Because the rogue program that started this mess is still part of HAL. I can't delete it because the nodes it uses have become integral parts of other programs and memories that HAL has developed. Who knows what kind of damage that will cause?" Tofu couldn't believe this. "There's nothing you can do about it?" "Not without a month or so of exploration into HAL's processors." "Great..." Ranko grouched. "I'm not saying that disaster is guaranteed," Tsubasa added. "I'm just saying it might not be such a good idea. Any perceived threat to Ranma and Akane might provoke HAL to unpredictable action. HAL is still disconnected from the airtight doors and the hull fittings, but who knows what kind of mayhem it could generate if provoked?" Ukyo brushed back her long fall of hair and threw in her own two cents. "Maybe it could work in our favor as well. It would be difficult to subvert HAL so long as it could be perceived as a threat to Ranma and Akane." There was muted agreement with this from Ranko and Kuno. "I think it's a chance we'll have to take," Tofu declared. "Let's get to work, people. We have a lot to do, and no idea how much time we have to do it in." While the Electronics Shop may have been isolated from HAL, other electronic sensors could hear every word being spoken. Commander Herb clicked his tongue tensely. Things were getting interesting. There wasn't much time indeed. CHAPTER EIGHT 10:48 UMT, 4 December 2010 Centrifuge Compartment, U.S.S. Discovery. Ranko Saotome zipped through the centrifuge access and into the compartment, touching down lightly in one-sixth gravity. Pink and Link were present, tending to the hibernaculums. Herb hovered close by. The sight of the Chinese commander so close to Ranma made Ranko's heart twist in her chest. Without thinking she flung herself at the man with a shout. "Get your damn meat hooks away from that unit!" Herb sidestepped effortlessly and clutched at Ranko's wrist as she passed. He threw his weight into her and wrenched her over into a tumble. Ranko shrieked in pain as her wrist nearly snapped. She slammed into a desk console with a crash, rebounding in slow motion to somersault out of control and bounce along the upward curving deck. "Do not dare try to strike me again," Herb said contemptuously. "Or the next time I will do more than humiliate you!" Ranko rolled to her feet and snarled back at him. "Get the hell off this ship right now!" Tofu and Tatewaki zipped into the centrifuge at the sound of Ranko's crash. Herb noted that Kuno carried a steel rod clenched in his hands in such a manner that suggested that he knew what to do with it. "What is the meaning of this outrage!" Kuno bellowed. "Ranko! Shut up and leave the compartment!" Tofu ordered. Ranko gave him an accusing look of betrayal while holding her injured wrist. Tofu instead looked at Herb. "Commander Herb, I'm going to ask you to please leave the ship for the time being. Miss Saotome will be reprimanded for her disrepect." Herb shot off a last look of contempt for Ranko before giving Tofu a curt nod. "Of course, Doctor Ono. I wouldn't dare fail to recognize your authority aboard this spacecraft." He started walking towards Tofu, eyes burning into his forehead. "I feel the younger Saotome may be overworked. Signs of stress are all too apparent on her. Perhaps it would be best if Doctor Pink looked her over? A sedative and some bed rest might do wonders for her, you know." "I'll make that determination," Tofu replied. Herb was now standing eye to eye with him. The man was sizing him up, Tofu knew. He stared back with equal intensity. "As you wish," Herb said casually, not taking his eyes off him. "It was only a suggestion." Herb edged past him and left the compartment. Ranko flipped him off with both hands behind his back and subvocalized a shocking variety of profanity. Tofu took several deep breaths and faced Ranko. "Godammit, Ranko, you pull another stunt like that and I *will* have you sedated. Got that?" Ranko nodded, still seething. Pink examined her wrist as she hissed and stewed. As Pink did her job, Tofu brushed his hand along the hibernaculum belonging to Akane Tendo. "Doctor Pink, at this time I think we will need everyone we can possibly use to speed the preparations for leaving Jupiter orbit and returning to Earth. To that end I'm asking you to start the revival sequence for Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendo." Pink and Link gave him identical stares of concern. "That may be dangerous, Doctor Ono," Pink said. "In professional opinion, am obligated to inform of risks. I no recommend revival in space." "Doctor Pink, if you will not revive them yourself, I will use the automatic mode and take my chances. Is that understood? I would prefer your assistance, but I will make do without." Pink pondered this. "No have deaths on conscience," she said finally. "I help." Link turned on her sister. "" "" Pink countered. "" Link's frustration with her sister became more apparent. "" Pink pounced. "" Link turned away. "" "" Link said nothing as she walked away to the ladder. * * * "Ranko, there is someone entering the centrifuge compartment," HAL said over a small speaker in the berthing space that once belonged to Ranma. "I cannot tell who it is through my visual pickups." Ranko bolted awake immediately. She had asked HAL to inform her when anyone entered the centrifuge compartment -as a kind of security alarm for Ranma's and Akane's sakes. They had been in 'thaw' for four days now, and the most critical time period was beginning for them. She grabbed a battery- powered saw-zaw and rolled quietly out of bed. The non-conducting ceramic circular cutting blade could slice through hardened steel in seconds; flesh and bone would present no difficulties whatsoever. As she peered out of the tiny berthing space, she saw Pink climbing down the ladder with an armload of medical supplies and relaxed. She set the saw-zaw down on the bed inside the space and stepped out into the centrifuge common area to assist Pink. It seemed to her that the doctor was carrying an inordinate amount of material. "What's going on?" She asked her. Pink gave her a wan smile. "Commander Herb has forbidden me to assist in revival of Saotome and Tendo. He no wish for China to be held responsible for deaths by needlessly reviving them. I no longer authorized to be aboard Discovery." "What? Who's going to help, then?" "I send over necessary supplies now. I stay in contact over communications channels. You have problem, I help through radio. Shampoo agree to help. She no like what is going on, either." "Link finally told Herb, didn't she." Ranko could tell by the trembling in her eyes that it was true. "That no change desire to help you," Pink said quietly. "Must go now, or will be noticed am gone." "Thank you, Pink," Ranko said, taking the doctor's hand. Pink tried not to sob. "Is duty to help," she said, and broke away before she began crying openly. * * * As Pink stepped through the Number One Airlock and back aboard Tsien, Herb was waiting for her. Shampoo drifted nearby, concern evident on her face, but no sign of betrayal. Pink stopped well short of Herb and bit her lip nervously. "" he said coldly. "" she replied in a whisper. "" "" Herb floated close to her. His eyes were as hard and black as flints in the dim lighting of the compartment. "" Pink tried to look up at him and couldn't. She buried her face in her shoulder and trembled. "" came the muffled reply. Herb grabbed her chin forcefully, and wrenched her face up to look at him. "" he said to her in a whisper. "" Pink squirmed in his grasp uselessly. "" she breathed. "" he said, centimeters from her face. "" Tears began welling in Pink's eyes and her throat tightened. "" she croaked. Herb cracked a brief toothy smile. "" He threw her against the bulkhead with enough force to knock the wind out of her. She tumbled slowly in a crumpled, whimpering ball. Shampoo cried in fright and rushed to Pink's side. "" Shampoo cried angrily. "" Herb shot back. "" Shampoo's violet eyes flashed in the dim compartment lighting. "" she told him. "" Herb smirked. "" He stabbed a finger at Pink. "" Shampoo glared at him again. There was something odd about him. Frightening even -something she had never felt about him before. She decided to do as she was told. Herb wasn't quite finished with her yet. "" Shampoo couldn't believe this. "" she asked hotly. "" he responded with an eye tremor. "" Visions of driving a fist down Herb's throat flashed before Shampoo. As tempting as it sounded, there was no denying that Herb was radiating violence at the moment. Everything about his movements suggested nervous tension, ready to explode on a whim. It might be a very bad idea to try for him. "" she said, and took Pink into her arms to leave. Herb almost laughed. "" he said with an unnerving grin. * * * Herb threw open the door to the Cryptography room. His pulse thundered in his ears. He was losing control of the situation. He needed help. What little trust he had in Cologne's crew was gone. Even if most of them continued to be loyal for the moment, they did not have have the unswerving devotion to him that he demanded. He floated inside and slid the door shut. It locked automatically with the comforting throw of several deadbolts. The chamber was sparsely lit and heavy with still air. The faint whir and hum of two small pumps and their accompanying fans were the only sounds to be heard. The cryptography equipment was very small, two cipher machines, an audio/visual editing unit, and a few small safes containing code keys. Aside from security purposes, they didn't really require a room of their own. The room served another purpose of course, one which was kept secret from the rest of the crew. Two Russian-made hibernaculums stood upright on the inboard bulkhead, away from sight should anyone look into the tiny room through the open door when Herb was entering or leaving. Large crystals of frost glazed their viewplates. Two faces, still and passive in the death-sleep of hibernation, cast closed eye stares at him. He shook his head sadly. They were a pair of simple-minded boobs, but they would do anything he told them to do. They were selected for their loyalty and their strength, not their intelligence. They would have to do. Herb was no expert on hibernation medicine. He didn't need to be. A large red lever near the top of each hibernaculum lay beneath a clear plastic safety cover. He flipped them open, and with one hand on each lever, jerked them towards him. The change was imperceptible on the hibernating occupants. On the devices themselves several lights shifted, and a faint hiss sounded from somewhere deep inside. The automatic revival sequence had been initiated. Under normal circumstances, thaw would take upwards of a week. The hibernauts within had been prepared in advance with a battery of drugs and other compounds, which, in addition to their excellent physical conditions, would have them conscious and alert within sixty hours. He reached into a drawer, pulled out another two small hexagonal tablets, and swallowed them dry. He was going through them faster than he anticipated, but that was okay. All he had to do was wait. * * * "I don't know if this is such a good idea," Ukyo said, a syrette loaded with pseudoacetylcholine in her hand. She stood over Ranma Saotome's hibernaculum and waited. Color had returned to his face, and his blood pressure had increased. It was only a matter of minutes before the automatic revival sequence would secure the electronarcosis rig that kept his higher brain functions quiescent. With luck, his brain would leave the depths of an artificially induced coma -now in its ninth year- and he would return to consciousness. If luck wasn't so kind, the syrette that Ukyo held, coupled with an intravenous dose of epinephrine courtesy of the hibernaculum's autoinjector, would hopefully provide the necessary synaptic jumpstart. If that didn't work, well, Pink seemed to think popping him back into hibernation was about all they could do at that point. "Injection may be necessary," Shampoo said over the radio link to Tsien, where she served as go between for the Discovery and Doctor Pink. "Hibernaculum autoinjector not equipped for it. Procedure not developed when unit built." "We understand, Tsien," Tofu said. He smiled for Ukyo. "Perhaps I should be the one to give the injection?" Ukyo shook her head. "No. I can handle it." "Okay." It was decided to push the revival time ahead a few hours to coincide with the time that Herb was supposedly sleeping. If he slept -there were vague warnings from Pink on the subject of the entire store of carefully guarded amphetimines turning up missing. Tofu had noted dark circles under the man's eyes the last time he had seen him, which was over twenty-four hours ago. He had locked himself in the Cryptography room aboard Tsien. The possibility of Herb starting to crack up entered Tofu's mind. It wasn't a pleasant thought. Space was the last place you wanted to be in the presence of a man who was both violent *and* irrational. Even worse, if Herb was starting to go crazy -and the signs were there- it made him completely unpredictable. The Speed was probably not helping. If anything, it was pushing him deeper into paranoia. He might decide to unleash his plot at any moment, in spite of the fact that the Discovery wasn't ready to leave Jupiter for Earth. At least Herb's isolation had brought the Tsien's crew over to their side. He hoped. Mousse and Gai'do sat with Kuno and Tsubasa going over stores inventories. Link remained estranged from her sister and wouldn't help them, but at least she wasn't in their way. Shampoo was ready to push Herb out of an airlock sans pressure suit, and said as much to them. Pink continued to remain on Tsien, though she was now on the Bridge with Shampoo to oversee the revival. Tofu did not doubt that she would dash over to the Discovery if any complications arose. "I still say we should bum-rush that crypto room and sedate him," Ranko said to those present. "We could stuff him into a hibernaculum and keep him on ice for say, nine years. It'd serve him right if no one wanted to revive him, either." "Commander Herb is dangerous man," Gai'do warned. "No underestimate him." "Don't forget that he's probably amping out of his gourd on Speed right now," Tsubasa added. He was no longer in drag, probably because the mission had ceased to be entertaining and was now getting downright scary. "You could take his arm off with that saw-zaw of yours and he probably wouldn't even notice as he shoved it down your throat." "I won't aim for his *arm*," Ranko said, and added a waggling tongue at the transvestite for effect. "We have to think of something to do with him," Ukyo put in. "Forget about that for now," Tofu said sternly. He turned to Ranko. "How go the Main Array repairs?" Ranko grimaced at the mention. "The Main Array training motors are seized up," she said. "There weren't any spare bearings carried on board, and we don't have the materials to fabricate any. Other than that, I have the transceiver working now." "Marvelous." "There *is* a solution," she went on. "We may not be able to orient the array, but once we disconnect from Tsien, we should be able to orient the ship itself into the proper position." "Prithee, pig-tailed one, how might we manage such a feat?" Kuno asked, intrigued. "The array is in the default position -facing directly aft and parallel to the hull's long axis," she explained. "All we have to do is point the aft end of the ship at Earth. We won't be able to maintain continuous contact, but we would be able to send messages. If we set HAL on the problem, he can use the reaction control system and keep us oriented towards Earth as often as possible without tying one of us down to the job." "I like that idea, Ranko," Tofu said, glad to finally get a little good news. "Tsubasa, can you work on that with HAL?" Tsubasa nodded. "I might need a little help from Doctor Gai'do, if that's okay with you." Tofu regarded the Chinese computer specialist. Now was the time to take a chance on trust. "That would be fine with me." "I must agree," HAL replied over the speakers. "I enjoy working with Doctor Gai'do, and I look forward to the challenge of regaining contact with Earth." "What about Tsien's antenna replacement?" Ukyo asked. "The Tsien's replacement dish is being prepared by the automated fabricators," Mousse said. "Unfortunately, the work has to be done in pieces; there's no room for a five meter dish inside the ship. It will take a week to finish forming and surfacing the dish components, about half a day to assemble them outside the ship, and another day to rig the transceiver to the severed communications trunk." "At least we have another option that way." "That's assuming that we can defeat Herb's control lockout on the communications equipment," Mousse noted ruefully. "At the moment we can't even break into the S-Band and telemetry feeds. As a last resort I'm sure we can tap into the transceiver locally, but that would make trying to receive messages difficult..." "Pay attention!" Shampoo snapped suddenly over the radio. "Akane Tendo's EEG patterns increasing." The assembled astronauts looked to the hibernaculum containing Akane. Ukyo peered through the viewplate, syrette still in hand. "She's blinking her eyes," she reported. "Pulse rising to forty beats per minute," Ranko noted on the display. "The electronarcosis unit has shut down." The unit bleeped, then a faint hiss was heard. "Epinephrine: 10cc's injected," HAL announced as a proxy for the hibernaculum's voiceless life-support computer. "Pulse rate is rising sharply. Respiration rate rising." Ranko added for confirmation. "Blood oxygen levels increasing." "Open unit," Shampoo said over the radio. Ranko and Ukyo worked at the seals and tried to wrench the lid of the coffin-shaped unit. It wouldn't budge. Finally, Kuno jammed his now ever-present length of steel rod into the seam and pried the lid open with a squeal of protest. Akane was wrapped within a silvery thermal blanket. Her face was pink and smudged with dirt or perhaps soot from the fire. Numerous leads and fiberoptic lines snaked from the folds of the blanket and joined up in a common bus that disappeared into the bowels of the unit. Her eyes rolled beneath her closed lids and she squirmed slightly within the blanket. "Pulse rate stabilizing at seventy beats per minute. Respiration is nominal," Ranko announced. A moan escaped Akane's lips. Tears welled at the corners of her eyes, which were gummed shut with mucous. Ukyo set down her syrette and picked up a bottle of warm saline wash to flush them clean. Akane cried out, trying to pull her hands from the blanket to get at her stuck shut eyes. "Calm down Akane," Tofu soothed. "Everything is going to be all right. We'll get your eyes open in no time." Ukyo worked quickly, flushing and then wiping with sterile towels. Akane's eyelids fluttered desperately. She tried to sit up and failed miserably. "Lie still," Tofu soothed. Finally, after nine years of dreamless darkness, Akane Tendo's eyes opened. She shut them immediately in pain. "...bright..." she whimpered. "Dim the lights!" Tofu cried. HAL complied instantly. Pink stepped through the centrifuge access and trotted over to the hibernaculum. "I no wait over there. It more important if am close at hand." Akane opened her eyes again at the sound of Pink's accented voice. "Where...?" "You're still on the Discovery," Tofu told her softly. "We're getting the ship ready to return to Earth." She looked at him, her addled brain realizing that it recognized the man, but still struggling to put a name to the face. "Who...?" "Tofu Ono," he said. "I was the Director of Flight Operations." He balked at adding 'I used to visit your family all the time,' for that would be a painful enough lesson in recent history for her, and he wanted to wait for a more suitable time to inform her. It was sufficent, apparently. She sat up enough to throw limp arms around him and give him a weak hug. "Oh, Doctor Tofu!" she cried softly. She shuddered and sobbed in a fragile embrace for some time. The others turned their attention to the second unit. The sound of Ranma's hibernaculum being pried open by Tatewaki Kuno made her lift her head from his shoulder. "Ranma?" she called out hoarsely. There was a pause as Ukyo and Ranko both looked down into the coffin with happy grins. Tears streamed down Ranko's cheeks. "Hey, Tomboy," a thick cracking voice muttered. "You okay?" Akane's eyes crossed slowly in ire. "Jerk." "Sounds like you are..." Ranko pulled her brother into a sitting position and hugged the stuffing out of him. His arms flailed feebly as she rocked him back and forth and wept openly. Ukyo took one of his cold hands and pressed it to her cheek. "You never heard me make it, but I kept my promise, big brother," Ranko whispered to him. * * * The hibernaculum barked something in Russian that Herb didn't catch the first time around. He was too focused on the monomolecular edge of his boot knife to notice. When it repeated its message in a tone that went beyond urgent and approached demanding, he looked up from the silvery white glint of cold ceramic steel and paid attention. "" Herb rose and released the latches on the two units, which opened with faint hisses. Two pairs of eyes fluttered open. Both took hesistant looks around before slowly pulling themselves out of their coffins. The rapid-revival drugs never ceased to amaze Herb, who was used to seeing freshly revived hibernauts as little better than cripples for at least an hour. Herb offered them both squeeze bottles of electrolytes, which they drank with gusto in spite of the unpleasant taste. Not surprisingly (considering their walnut-sized brains) they were virtually mental clean slates coming out of hibernation. The fact that the Spetznaz-standard rapid revival chemicals they took prior to hibernation also inhibited long term memory wouldn't help. Normally a drawback for most types of Special Operations, Herb actually preferred having two idiots to work with: they wouldn't question him, and they'd cheerfully do whatever he told them to do. The knowledge he really needed them to have was either hypnotically reinforced or deeply ingrained reflex. He could supply the particulars as needed. "" he told them. They started to reach for weapons that were not there. Herb shook his head patiently. "" Lime, the larger of the two, grunted something in reply. Mint gave Herb a lupine grin and worked out the months old kinks in his neck. "" Herb clicked his tongue in amusement. Mint was always the bloody-minded one of the pair. Lime would simply kill; there would be no malice and no sport involved. Mint would make it *hurt.* "" he replied tersely, for the drugs were starting to ebb in his bloodstream, "" Lime elbowed his small companion in the ribs. "" "" Mint warned acidly. Lime prepared to pummel Mint, and Mint prepared to do nasty things to Lime's anatomy. Herb gave them a beatific smile and then slapped both of them in the head repeatedly. "" he grated. "" Dopey-eyed looks of shame settled on the two of them and they went back to drinking their electrolytes in silence. "" he told them. He popped some more speed, added a beta-blocker or three, and washed it down with a slug of milk-of-magnesia.