ship.
Lando ignored the cacophony of buzzers, chimes, and bells, and pulled Pops away from the counter. The man slumped back in his chair.
Lando frowned as he scanned the electronics for the inevitable recorders, found the appropriate data cube, and pulled it out. A tidy little record of everything that had happened. Not much, but better than nothing. Lando slipped the cube into his pocket.
He stepped out through the front doors, took a quick look around, and jogged towards the ship. Wendy stood in the lock and waved him on. Was she crazy or was it him? Either way they were in a heap of trouble. Lando swore and ran a little faster.
8
"This is Mega-Metals orbital control. Return to PROS-PLANT 2 at once. Failure to comply with this order will result in serious consequences."
Lando keyed his mike. "And what 'serious consequences' might those be? What will you do? Nudge me to death with a tug? Give it a rest, Orbital Control. I'll get back to you in ten or fifteen minutes."
There was a squawk of outrage, but Lando keyed the comset off. Angel loomed large below. A luminous ball surrounded by a skirt of silver. The view was spectacular, but Lando had little time to enjoy it.
The smuggler's fingers fairly flew over the keyboard as he gave the NAVCOMP control of the ship, pulled the data cube out of his pocket, and dropped it into a player.
"What are you doing?" Wendy demanded angrily. "Land this ship immediately!"
"In a few minutes," Lando answered grimly. "After we buy ourselves some insurance."
A green COPY COMPLETE light came on. Lando pushed a button and caught the new cube as it popped out. He slipped it into a pocket. Now for the next step.
"Does the Church have an attorney or business agent on Terra?"
Wendy frowned. "Yes, but I don't see what…"
"I need his or her name and some sort of address," Lando interrupted. "We don't have a lot of time."
"Alexis Strasser, the Imperial Tower, in Main Port."
Lando nodded and his fingers danced across the keyboard. A RECORDING light came on.
"Now will you tell me what you're doing?" Wendy asked.
"Sure. Did you see the data cube I put in the player? Well, I took it from the company's security console. It shows Pal trying to rape you."
Blood surged into Wendy's face. "It what ?"
"It shows Pal attempting to rape you," Lando repeated patiently. "And your lawyer can use it to light a fire under the company. The Imperial Court may be jaded… but I think this will get their attention."
Wendy looked both shocked and confused. "You mean he taped what he did to me?"
"Yes," Lando replied gently. "That's exactly what I mean. I'm sorry."
Wendy remembered the two previous occasions when Pal had abused her. How many of the company's employees had watched and vicariously enjoyed it?
Hatred boiled up from deep inside, overflowed her self-control, and filled her with rage. Every atom of her being wanted Pal dead. She knew it was wrong, knew she should feel otherwise, but couldn't help it.
The COPY COMPLETE light came on.
Wendy's voice shook with emotion. She used the back of her hand to wipe a tear away. "So, how will you get the information to Terra?"
"The Tink carries two message torps," Lando replied. "One should be enough, but I'll use both just to make sure."
Wendy nodded her understanding. Due to the fact that no one had figured out how to ram a radio signal through hyper-space, ships were still the fastest way to move information from one system to another.
So, in order to meet the need for a less expensive way to move information from one place to another, the tech types invented message torpedos. The torps had hyperspace drives, a tremendous amount of memory, and could move faster than all but the most advanced speedsters.
"I'm sorry," Wendy said. "Message torps are very expensive."
Lando tapped some keys. The words "Torpedo Armed" appeared. The smuggler pushed another button and The Tink jerked slightly as both message torps surged away, fired
Lando ignored the cacophony of buzzers, chimes, and bells, and pulled Pops away from the counter. The man slumped back in his chair.
Lando frowned as he scanned the electronics for the inevitable recorders, found the appropriate data cube, and pulled it out. A tidy little record of everything that had happened. Not much, but better than nothing. Lando slipped the cube into his pocket.
He stepped out through the front doors, took a quick look around, and jogged towards the ship. Wendy stood in the lock and waved him on. Was she crazy or was it him? Either way they were in a heap of trouble. Lando swore and ran a little faster.
8
"This is Mega-Metals orbital control. Return to PROS-PLANT 2 at once. Failure to comply with this order will result in serious consequences."
Lando keyed his mike. "And what 'serious consequences' might those be? What will you do? Nudge me to death with a tug? Give it a rest, Orbital Control. I'll get back to you in ten or fifteen minutes."
There was a squawk of outrage, but Lando keyed the comset off. Angel loomed large below. A luminous ball surrounded by a skirt of silver. The view was spectacular, but Lando had little time to enjoy it.
The smuggler's fingers fairly flew over the keyboard as he gave the NAVCOMP control of the ship, pulled the data cube out of his pocket, and dropped it into a player.
"What are you doing?" Wendy demanded angrily. "Land this ship immediately!"
"In a few minutes," Lando answered grimly. "After we buy ourselves some insurance."
A green COPY COMPLETE light came on. Lando pushed a button and caught the new cube as it popped out. He slipped it into a pocket. Now for the next step.
"Does the Church have an attorney or business agent on Terra?"
Wendy frowned. "Yes, but I don't see what…"
"I need his or her name and some sort of address," Lando interrupted. "We don't have a lot of time."
"Alexis Strasser, the Imperial Tower, in Main Port."
Lando nodded and his fingers danced across the keyboard. A RECORDING light came on.
"Now will you tell me what you're doing?" Wendy asked.
"Sure. Did you see the data cube I put in the player? Well, I took it from the company's security console. It shows Pal trying to rape you."
Blood surged into Wendy's face. "It what ?"
"It shows Pal attempting to rape you," Lando repeated patiently. "And your lawyer can use it to light a fire under the company. The Imperial Court may be jaded… but I think this will get their attention."
Wendy looked both shocked and confused. "You mean he taped what he did to me?"
"Yes," Lando replied gently. "That's exactly what I mean. I'm sorry."
Wendy remembered the two previous occasions when Pal had abused her. How many of the company's employees had watched and vicariously enjoyed it?
Hatred boiled up from deep inside, overflowed her self-control, and filled her with rage. Every atom of her being wanted Pal dead. She knew it was wrong, knew she should feel otherwise, but couldn't help it.
The COPY COMPLETE light came on.
Wendy's voice shook with emotion. She used the back of her hand to wipe a tear away. "So, how will you get the information to Terra?"
"The Tink carries two message torps," Lando replied. "One should be enough, but I'll use both just to make sure."
Wendy nodded her understanding. Due to the fact that no one had figured out how to ram a radio signal through hyper-space, ships were still the fastest way to move information from one system to another.
So, in order to meet the need for a less expensive way to move information from one place to another, the tech types invented message torpedos. The torps had hyperspace drives, a tremendous amount of memory, and could move faster than all but the most advanced speedsters.
"I'm sorry," Wendy said. "Message torps are very expensive."
Lando tapped some keys. The words "Torpedo Armed" appeared. The smuggler pushed another button and The Tink jerked slightly as both message torps surged away, fired
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