За разломом орла

           Weshouldhavebeenheadingawayfromthelastexitapertureafterourrouting. Butthedistant,comfortingrumbleofthefusionengineswasn’tthereatall. Thatmeantwewereinfree-fall. 

           Notgood. 

           Ifloatedoutofthetank,grabbedahandholdandleveredmyselfaroundtoviewtheothertwotanks. Ray’slargestBVMstaredbackradiantlyfromthecowlofhistank. Thebioindiceswereallinthegreen. Raywasstillunconscious,buttherewasnothingwrongwithhim. SamestorywithSuzy. SomeautomatedsystemhaddecidedIwastheonlyonewhoneededwaking. 

           AfewminuteslaterIhadmademywaytothesameobservationblisterI’dusedtochecktheshipbeforethesurge. Ipushedmyheadintothescuffedglasshalf-domeandlookedaround. 

           We’darrivedsomewhere. TheBlueGoosewassittinginahuge,zero-gravityparkingbay.Thechamberwasanelongatedcylinder,hexagonalincrosssection. Thewallswereasmearofservicemachinery:squatmodules,snakingumbilicallines,theretractedcradlesofunuseddockingberths. WhicheverwayIlookedIsawothershipslockedontocradles. Everymakeandclassyoucouldthinkof,everypossibleconfigurationofhulldesigncompatiblewithaperturetransitions. Servicelightsthrewawarmgoldenglowonthescene. Nowandthenthewholechamberwasbathedinthestutteringvioletflickerofacuttingtorch. 

           Itwasarepairfacility. 

           IwasjuststartingtomullonthatwhenIsawsomethingextenditselffromthewallofthechamber. Itwasatelescopicdockingtunnel,gropingtowardourship.