The crowd backed off a step, and Armel cracked his knuckles. Then he began to peck at an old-fashioned, honest-to-God keyboard. I couldn’t even imagine where they’d scared-up that thing.
Whatever he was typing, the code was a long one. Several times he stopped, cursed, erased it all and started over again.
Winslade couldn’t take it anymore the third time this happened. He waded in close, elbowing subordinates out of the way.
That’s when I got a slightly sick feeling in my stomach. With Galina back home at Central, and Drusus playing hooky as well, Sub-Tribune Winslade was in charge of this operation. I should have known this, but somehow it’d slipped my mind.
“Damn… we might be screwed,” I said aloud.
“Just tell me the code,” Winslade was saying. “I’ll type it in for you.”
Armel slapped his hands away from the keyboard. “Fool. I’m not making mistakes. I’m working a sequence. Each time, the numbers change. I’m in the middle of the process. If you interfere, this ship will be marked as hostile.”
Winslade’s hands jumped out of the way. “Oh, I see. Pray continue.”
Armel went back to the work, and he was pecking stuff, watching the response, then pecking more stuff. It was hard to follow.
“What kind of a code is that?” I asked.
“It’s advanced,” Natasha said. She sounded kind of breathy, kind of turned on, almost. “Algorithmic. One wrong character, and it knows you’re not running the right algorithm. I’m surprised Armel can keep up with it.”
I gripped her shoulders. “Can you duplicate his work?”
“I don’t know… maybe. So far, he’s been increasing the binary code behind each digit typed, then transposing—James, let go of me.”
I had her hand in mine, and I was running off with her. She stumbled behind me like a kid being hustled out of a candy store.
“Just can’t wait, huh McGill?” Carlos asked we rushed by. He made kissy faces at me, but I didn’t have time to bash him one.
We pulled up short in front of Graves. He was standing in front of the hatchway with his arms crossed.
“Where do you two think you’re going?”
“To the bridge, sir. Armel’s typing in the code, but he’s going to screw it up.”
“Why do you think that—and how do you know what’s going on Gold Deck?”
“First off, Winslade is micromanaging Armel. That’s how I know he’s going to mess it up. Secondly, well, take a look.”
I showed him the vid playing on my arm. He was outraged.
“How did you get into this feed? Natasha, I’ve warned you countless times against this sort of thing. Do you realize how many times you’ve been passed up for promotion? You should be working at Central as a primus or something by now.”
“I… I know, sir,” she said, hanging her head low.
“Aw now, don’t go busting her, Primus Graves,” I said. “I got her to do it, and it was for a good cause. Just watch Winslade hovering over him.”
After initially pulling back, Winslade was playing the role of a fly on a turd once again. He was buzzing around Armel and asking stupid questions.
Graves frowned at that. “You’re saying that if this sequence fails, the Skay sentries will attack?”
“Worse. Dominus will be marked for destruction throughout the province.”
Graves gritted his teeth and watched. He squinted his eyes, too. He looked like he was having a bad day in the dentist’s chair.
“All right,” he said at last as he watched Winslade tapping on Armel’s shoulder. “But you’ll never make it all the way up to Gold Deck fast enough. Here, take this teleport harness.”
Surprised, we took it, set it for the bridge, and I put it on Natasha’s back.
“Me, James?” she squeaked.
“You’re right. It’s a short hop, I’ll tag along.”
I grabbed her up in my arms, hunching over her tightly, and activated the harness.
-30-
“McGill? What do you think you’re doing on my bridge?” Winslade demanded when we appeared not ten meters off.
“Graves sent us, sir,” I said quickly. “Natasha here can help.”
“What nonsense! Get back to your post at the outer hull.”
“With a bit of luck, sir,” I said, “we won’t need to prepare for any kind of boarding attempts.” I stepped up to him and put a hand to my face. My voice was a loud whisper. “We both know Armel might screw this up. Let Natasha double-check his homework as he goes.”
“She knows the codes? How?”
I showed him the stream playing on my arm. “We were watching, see, and she figured it out.”
Winslade’s neck twisted around like he was a barn owl or something. “That’s a hacking violation, Specialist Elkin.”
Natasha studied the deck. She didn’t even bother to deny it. That was a good move on her part, as she wasn’t any good at these kinds of shenanigans.
“Look, Tribune,” I said to Winslade. “Who do you trust more? Natasha or Armel?”
“Natasha, obviously.”
“Right, and even if she doesn’t really help much, she might learn the code… for next time.”
That comment did the trick. Winslade’s nose twitched a little. He was on track at last.
“All right… Specialist Elkin, aid Armel. Don’t let him make any mistakes.”
“I need no help, fools!” Armel complained. “I need you to stand back and let me work. There is a timing element involved. Each response must be returned within fifteen seconds.”
Natasha had her orders. She sidled up to Armel and watched him work. Unlike the repulsive Winslade, she found it easy to do this unobtrusively. Armel never complained as she discretely hovered near.
I took a long step backward and gestured for Winslade to do the same. He hesitated, then followed my lead. I breathed a sigh of relief. With Armel and Natasha on the case,
