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.Like the youngsters, he kept the visor open.His first stop was the bridge.Varshni was hovering in the companionway just outside the airtight hatch that sealed off the devastated area.Two other space-suited men were zippering an unrecognizably mangled body into a long black plastic bag.Three other bags floated alongside them, already filled and sealed.Even inside a pressure suit, the Indian seemed small, frail, like a skinny child.He was huddled next to the body bags, bent over almost into a fetal position.There were tears in his eyes."These are all we could find.The two others must have been blown out of the station completely."Hazard put a gloved hand on the shoulder of his suit."They were my friends," Varshni said."It must have been painless," Hazard heard himself say.It sounded stupid."I wish I could believe that.""There's more damage to inspect, over by the power generator area.Is your team nearly finished here?""Another few minutes, I think.We must make certain that all the wiring and air lines have been properly sealed off.""They can handle that themselves.Come on, you and I will check it out together.""Yes, sir." Varshni spoke to his crew briefly, then straightened up and tried to smile."I am ready, sir."The two men glided up a passageway that led to the outermost level of the station.Hazard wondering what would happen if a laser attack hit the area while they were in it.Takes a second or two to slice the hull open, he thought.Enough time to flip your visor down and grab onto something before the air blowout sucks you out of the station.Still, he slid his visor down and ordered Varshni to do the same.He was only mildly surprised when the Indian replied that he already had.Wish the station were shielded.Wish they had designed it to withstand attack.Then he grumbled inwardly, Wishes are for losers; winners use what they have.But the thought nagged at him.What genius put the power generator next to the unarmored hull? Damned politicians wouldn't allow shielding; they wanted the stations to be vulnerable.A sign of goodwill, as far as they're concerned.They thought nobody would attack an unshielded station because the attacker's station is also unshielded.We're all in this together, try to hurt me and I'll hurt you.A hangover from the old mutual-destruction kind of dogma.Absolute bullshit.There ought to be some way to protect ourselves from lasers.They shouldn't put people up here like sacrificial lambs.Hazard glanced at Varshni, whose face was hidden behind his helmet visor.He thought of his son.Shiela had ten years to poison his mind against me.Ten years.He wanted to hate her for that, but he found that he could not.He had been a poor husband and a worse father.Jon Jr.had every right to loathe his father.But dammit, this is more important than family arguments! Why can't the boy see what's at stake here? Just because he's sore at his father doesn't mean he has to take total leave of his senses.They approached a hatch where the red warning light was blinking balefuUy.They checked the hatch behind them, made certain it was airtight, then used the wall-mounted keyboard to start the pumps that would evacuate that section of the passageway, turning it into an elongated air lock.Finally they could open the farther hatch and glide into the wrecked storage magazine.Hazard grabbed a handhold."Better use tethers here," he said.Varshni had already unwound the tether from his waist and clipped it to a cleat set into the bulkhead.It was a small magazine, little more than a closet.In the light from their helmet lamps, they saw cartons of pharmaceuticals securely anchored to the shelves with toothed plastic straps.A gash had been torn in the hull, and through it Hazard could see the darkness of space.The laser beam had penetrated into the cartons and shelving, slicing a neat burned-edge slash through everything it touched.Varshni floated upward toward the rent.It was as smooth as a surgeon's incision and curled back slightly where the air pressure had pushed the thin metal outward in its rush to escape to vacuum."No wiring here," Varshni's voice said in Hazard's helmet earphones."No plumbing either.We were fortunate.""They were aiming for the power generator."The Indian pushed himself back down toward Hazard.His face was hidden behind the visor."Ah, yes, that is an important target.We were very fortunate that they missed.""They'll try again," Hazard said."Yes, of course.""Commander Hazard!" Yang's voice sounded urgent."I think you should hear the latest message from Graham, sir."Nodding unconsciously inside his helmet.Hazard said, "Patch it through."He heard a click, then Buckbee's voice."Hazard, we've been very patient with you.We're finished playing games.You bring the Hunter back to its normal altitude and surrender the station to us or we'll slice you to pieces.You've got five minutes to answer."The voice shut off so abruptly that Hazard could picture Buckbee slamming his fist against the Off key."How long ago did this come through?""Transmission terminated thirty seconds ago, sir," said Yang.Hazard looked down at Varshni's slight form.He knew that Varshni had heard the ultimatum just as he had.He could not see the Indian's face, but the slump of his shoulders told him how Varshni felt.Yang asked, "Sir, do you want me to set up a link with Graham?""No," said Hazard."I don't think they intend to call again, sir," Yang said."They expect you to call them.""Not yet," he said.He turned to the wavering form beside him."Better straighten up, Mr.Varshni.There's going to be a lot of work for you and your damage-control team to do.We're in for a rough time."Ordering Varshni back to his team at the ruins of the bridge.Hazard made his way toward the CIC.He spoke into his helmet mike as he pulled himself along the passageways as fast as he could go:"Mr.Feeney, you are to fire at any satellites that fire on us.And any ABM satellites that begin maneuvering to gain altitude so they can look down on us.Understand?""Understood, sir!""Miss Stromsen, I believe the fire-control panel is part of your responsibility.You will take your orders from Mr.Feeney.""Yes, sir.""Miss Yang, I want that simulation of our position and altitude updated to show exactly which ABM satellites under hostile control are in a position to fire upon us.""I already have that in the program, sir.""Good.I want our four lifeboats detached from the station and placed in positions where their heat shields can intercept incoming laser beams
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