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.’She thinks I’m responsible for this in some way, thought Elias, seeing the look in her eyes.‘The return journey is free,’ she continued.‘I’ll reimburse the remainder of your money outside of the fine once we’re back under Station jurisdiction.I think that’s fair under the circumstances.’She’s worried she’s in way over her head, Elias realized.An idea was forming in his mind.‘Before we come to any conclusions, I want to trace the trajectory of that shuttle we just observed.’‘Pardon?’‘The shuttle.The one leaving the Jager.Every ship – even one as small as this – keeps a log of the trajectory and estimated departure and arrival points of every other ship its sensors pick up on.’ Kim blinked, looking upset.She hadn’t known that fact, he realized.How much training had she received before she’d been allowed to use the Goblin? How much training had any of the other miners wandering around this system?‘Here.’ He leaned forward, tapped a code into the console.New images sprang up on the overhead screens, web-like lines of trajectory spinning out from the Jager’s former location.One line spun right back to the Station, the cargo ship’s own point of origin.Another line described the approach of their Goblin to the Jager.Yet another line described a gentle arc, moving away from the Jager – the shuttle Elias had noticed.But it did not lead back to the Station, or even to the singularity.Instead it arced out in an entirely different direction altogether, towards some point deep in the Kaspian system.Elias heard Vincent swear softly behind him.‘That doesn’t mean anything,’ said Kim, sounding flustered.‘The system is full of freelancers working the two main rock belts.’‘That’s not where they’re headed,’ Elias said carefully.‘Shuttles are only intended for very short trips.If they were only intent on escaping, they’d have headed for a transport.Nobody willingly takes short-range shuttles on long-term trips.’‘If that shuttle can only travel so far, then it must have headed for somewhere nearby.’Elias was thinking hard.‘Maybe – unless it was unmanned.It could go a lot further without a crew or passengers on regular life-support.Just point it in the right direction, and off you go.’Elias could see the other two were staring at him like he was crazy.‘Remember what I told you, my friend was iced, in a sleepbox.Listen, I’m going to make you an offer.I’ll pay you twice as much again to take me deeper into the system.Along the same trajectory as that shuttle took.’By way of reply, Kim slid back into her seat and tapped at the console.The Goblin had continued on the course intended to bring it to the Jager.Elias could see she was changing the course of the Goblin.But not to follow where the shuttle had gone.Back towards the Station.‘You said you intended to go deep into the system once this job was concluded,’ reminded Elias.‘On my own,’ she said.‘Not with anybody else.On my own.I prefer it that way, Mr Murray.I’ll drop you off with one of the military escorts, and they’ll see you’re taken care of.’Elias pulled out his credit chip and placed it on the console in front of Kim.It skidded slightly across the console’s smooth surface, its motion seeming liquid and slow in the zero gravity.Numbers blinked up at Kim as she looked down at the chip.‘That’s not an option, not under any circumstances.’ His voice was calm but he could feel himself tensing.Her voice trembled.‘And what if we don’t want to follow your shuttle?’‘That’s not an option either.’He sensed Vincent’s hand reaching for his left shoulder, almost before he felt it.He turned, grasped Vincent’s arm just above the elbow with his right hand, pulling the man to one side.At the same time Elias turned in a motion almost balletic in the zero gravity.Elias snapped his left elbow up, impacting hard with Vincent’s nose.Vincent made a muffled sound, and crashed into the back of the co-pilot’s seat.Small globules of his blood span through the air of the cockpit [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]