doctor gave the mini-lab's syntron new commands. New values appeared on the display. "Based on his condition and assuming he didn't have any food or water with him, I'd estimate between thirteen and fifteen days, seventeen at the maximum."
"Thank you, Mahal. That's all I need to know," Rhodan said. He turned to the commander. "Sharita, I suggest we go back to the bridge. There's nothing else to learn here."
Sharita nodded without argument—a telling sign of how deeply the suicide had affected her.
* * *
The rest was a simple exercise in calculation, some fast talking and a stellar performance by the Palenque 's hyperdetection officer.
Rhodan presented his theory to Sharita Coho and Pearl Laneaux at the map table in the control center. The other members of the bridge crew and the crews of the crawlers were connected in real time.
"The calculation isn't difficult," Rhodan began. "We know how long the dead man was confined in the wreck: between thirteen and a maximum of seventeen days. The wreck was traveling at near light-speed, so the point at which the shuttle came apart has to be roughly half a light-month away, plus or minus ten percent."
"Assuming that it didn't change its speed," Sharita interjected. An undertone in her voice hinted that she had regained her self-confidence in the comfortable surroundings of the control center.
"Anything else would be highly unlikely," Rhodan replied mildly. Pearl wondered if the Immortal could be made to lose his composure—and if the sight would be worth being around him in such a moment. "The shuttle broke into two sections. Our half had no means of acceleration."
Sharita grimaced.
Pearl intervened before Sharita could voice the violent retort that surely was on the tip of her tongue. "So, we know where the shuttle broke apart. What do we accomplish by finding that location?"
"We find answers. The shuttle didn't collide with another object. As the fate of the crawler proves, there wouldn't be anything left but a cloud of particles if it had. Someone shot at it."
"The Akonians?" Sharita guessed. "The Ochent Nebula has been swarming with them these past few weeks."
"Probably not," Pearl said. "I've had the techs take a closer look at the wreck, and this shuttle was struck by a conventional warhead—hardly more than an oversized firecracker. Neither we nor the Akonians use anything like that. And it was not an accident. We've found the entry point."
"All right, so it wasn't the Akonians. Who, then?"
"I don't know." Rhodan shrugged. "In order to find out, we have go where the attack took place."
"And then what?" Sharita balled her hand into a fist and struck her other palm. "Do you think the attackers are just sitting there waiting for someone to bring them to justice? And think about the company you're in. We're prospectors, not saviors of the universe intent on righting every wrong. We're out here to make a profit!"
"The biggest profit waits for those with the courage to step off the beaten path," Rhodan advised. "Executing an ultra-light jump will take only a few minutes, and we won't stay more than a few minutes."
"Then why go there at all?"
"To be certain of what we've found. Maybe to find more information. But definitely to search for the mother ship."
"Mother ship?"
Pearl hoped her mouth wasn't hanging open as unattractively as Sharita's.
"The mother ship. Think about it! We've brought the wreck of a shuttle, a transfer craft, on board. Its engines could not have accelerated it to near light-speed; everything about its design is clearly intended for short-range flights. There's only one explanation: the shuttle must have gotten its velocity from the mother ship. And that ship must still be in the area of impact, unless it has hyperdrive capability. But I consider that extremely unlikely since we haven't found any trace of five-dimensional technology in the wreck."
Pearl and Sharita were silent, then they exchanged a long look. Pearl nodded almost
"Thank you, Mahal. That's all I need to know," Rhodan said. He turned to the commander. "Sharita, I suggest we go back to the bridge. There's nothing else to learn here."
Sharita nodded without argument—a telling sign of how deeply the suicide had affected her.
* * *
The rest was a simple exercise in calculation, some fast talking and a stellar performance by the Palenque 's hyperdetection officer.
Rhodan presented his theory to Sharita Coho and Pearl Laneaux at the map table in the control center. The other members of the bridge crew and the crews of the crawlers were connected in real time.
"The calculation isn't difficult," Rhodan began. "We know how long the dead man was confined in the wreck: between thirteen and a maximum of seventeen days. The wreck was traveling at near light-speed, so the point at which the shuttle came apart has to be roughly half a light-month away, plus or minus ten percent."
"Assuming that it didn't change its speed," Sharita interjected. An undertone in her voice hinted that she had regained her self-confidence in the comfortable surroundings of the control center.
"Anything else would be highly unlikely," Rhodan replied mildly. Pearl wondered if the Immortal could be made to lose his composure—and if the sight would be worth being around him in such a moment. "The shuttle broke into two sections. Our half had no means of acceleration."
Sharita grimaced.
Pearl intervened before Sharita could voice the violent retort that surely was on the tip of her tongue. "So, we know where the shuttle broke apart. What do we accomplish by finding that location?"
"We find answers. The shuttle didn't collide with another object. As the fate of the crawler proves, there wouldn't be anything left but a cloud of particles if it had. Someone shot at it."
"The Akonians?" Sharita guessed. "The Ochent Nebula has been swarming with them these past few weeks."
"Probably not," Pearl said. "I've had the techs take a closer look at the wreck, and this shuttle was struck by a conventional warhead—hardly more than an oversized firecracker. Neither we nor the Akonians use anything like that. And it was not an accident. We've found the entry point."
"All right, so it wasn't the Akonians. Who, then?"
"I don't know." Rhodan shrugged. "In order to find out, we have go where the attack took place."
"And then what?" Sharita balled her hand into a fist and struck her other palm. "Do you think the attackers are just sitting there waiting for someone to bring them to justice? And think about the company you're in. We're prospectors, not saviors of the universe intent on righting every wrong. We're out here to make a profit!"
"The biggest profit waits for those with the courage to step off the beaten path," Rhodan advised. "Executing an ultra-light jump will take only a few minutes, and we won't stay more than a few minutes."
"Then why go there at all?"
"To be certain of what we've found. Maybe to find more information. But definitely to search for the mother ship."
"Mother ship?"
Pearl hoped her mouth wasn't hanging open as unattractively as Sharita's.
"The mother ship. Think about it! We've brought the wreck of a shuttle, a transfer craft, on board. Its engines could not have accelerated it to near light-speed; everything about its design is clearly intended for short-range flights. There's only one explanation: the shuttle must have gotten its velocity from the mother ship. And that ship must still be in the area of impact, unless it has hyperdrive capability. But I consider that extremely unlikely since we haven't found any trace of five-dimensional technology in the wreck."
Pearl and Sharita were silent, then they exchanged a long look. Pearl nodded almost
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