“I can’t believe that,” Alex Humphries said, with some heat. “I won’t believe that.”
“You haven’t seen it,” said Yuan.
“How did it affect you?” Humphries asked again. “How did it change you?”
Haltingly, almost embarrassed by his experience, Yuan described his encounter with the artifact as accurately as he could remember it. Alex listened and nodded, his hands resting on the desktop, fingertips to fingertips.
When Yuan was finished, Alex turned to Tamara. “And you?”
“Nothing so dramatic,” she lied. “I sort of relived my childhood, that’s all.”
“You don’t feel different? Changed?”
“Not really.”
“Strange,” Alex muttered.
For long moments he was silent, while Yuan wondered what was going on in his head. Whatever it is, Yuan told himself, remember that you’re dealing with one of the most powerful men in the solar system here. He could snuff you out like clicking off a light switch. He wants to run Humphries Space Systems and keep his father off the throne.
“Here’s what I think,” Alex said at last. “That artifact somehow influences the pattern of your thoughts. You know, we have brain scanning devices that can show the neurons in your brain flashing on and off. Our own neuroscientists can map out a person’s patterns of thinking. Right?”
Yuan bobbed his head up and down. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Tamara leaning forward temptingly. She had undone several buttons of her bodice.
“Well, this artifact goes a step or two farther,” Humphries continued. “It allows your deep unconscious thoughts to come up to the surface, where you can see them clearly. It allows you to see who you really are, who you really want to be.”
“Like a mirror,” Tamara breathed.
“Right! Like a mirror of your own soul.”
Yuan considered for a moment, then said, “Then it’s not showing you what
“Like the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come,” said Alex.
Yuan felt disappointed. Nothing is certain, he realized. That beautiful vision… Then he realized the truth of it. That beautiful vision is something to aim for, a goal to guide my life, a star to steer by.
“It can be a tremendously powerful force, that artifact. I’ve got to find out how to control it, how to use it.” Humphries’s hands clenched into fists.
He turned to Tamara. She seemed completely relaxed now, in charge of herself.
“It could be enormously powerful, couldn’t it?” she suggested.
“Enormously,” said Alex Humphries. “Whoever understands how to use it has a tremendous edge over everyone else.”
Yuan saw vast dreams glittering in those steel gray eyes.
“In the meantime, what do you intend to do with us?” Tamara asked, her voice low, smoky. Yuan had heard that tone from her before.
Alex blinked, the spell of his fascination with the artifact’s power broken. Sitting up straight in the desk chair again he said, “Well, my father wants you both skinned alive, you know.”
“Is that what you want?” Tamara purred.
His face went utterly serious. “That depends.”
Yuan started to speak, but Tamara leaned even closer to the desk and said meltingly, “I’d be glad to do whatever is necessary to help you understand the artifact.”
“What do you want us to do?” Yuan asked.
“You two go build new lives for yourselves. As far as HSS is concerned, you’re both fired. I’ll provide you with a healthy separation payment, then you’re on your own.”
Tamara looked disappointed. “On my own? With your father wanting me dead? He’ll hunt us down—”
“You won’t have to worry about that,” Alex said. “I’ll see to it that he doesn’t bother you.”
“How can you do that?” Yuan asked.
Alex took in a breath before answering. “Fair enough question.” He hesitated a moment. Then, “Yes, my father wants to prevent anyone from learning that he collapsed when he saw the artifact. He was perfectly willing to order murders.”
Tamara shrank back from him a little.
“But I’ve had a university-full of medics and psychologists trying to put his ego back together. I’ve convinced him that the best thing to do is allow you two to go your own ways—providing you never mention you ever heard of the artifact.” Alex’s voice grew iron hard. “Not to anyone. Ever.”
Yuan agreed. “That’s fine with me.”
“It’ll bring down the wrath of god on you if you speak a word about it,” Alex warned. “It would be your death warrant.”
Tamara nodded reluctantly, then asked, “What about Harbin and the old woman? They actually saw him at the artifact.”
“I’ll protect them,” said Alex. “I won’t let my father harm them.”
“You can do that?” Yuan asked.
Alex smiled grimly. “I can try.”
And Yuan realized what was going on. He’s playing a power game against his father. And we’re pawns in his game. As long as his father knows there are people alive who can tell about his collapse, Alex has the upper hand.
Yuan turned toward Tamara, but her eyes were still fastened on Alex Humphries.
If he noticed her focus on him, Alex gave no outward sign of it. He asked, “All right, then. You’ll come with me.”
“With you?” Tamara asked. “To where?”
“The artifact, of course. We’re going to study it. I want to find out how it works, who put it there,
Somehow, Yuan wasn’t surprised. But he heard himself ask, “We’re going back to it?”
“Of course. Right away.”
ORE SHIP
BACKUP CONTROL POD
The jolt nearly knocked Theo out of his command chair. Angela, standing behind him, was thrown to the floor.
“COLLISION,” blared the ship’s computer, “PROPELLANT TANK SIX RUPTURED.”
Theo got out of his chair, helped Angela to her feet.
“Propellant tank six?” she muttered, slightly dazed.
“It’s been empty for years,” Theo said. “No loss.”
With both of them on their feet, Theo said, “Check with Mom, see if she’s okay.”
As his sister bent over the intercom panel, Theo scanned his working controls. Cripes! he thought. First a solar storm and now a collision. How much more can we take? Spin rate’s increased, he saw. A whole section of the rim’s been ripped open. Must’ve been a sizable rock that hit us, maybe a meter across or more.
He pecked at the control keyboard. Got to fire the spin jets, slow us back to normal. Otherwise the increased angular momentum will start to shake us apart.
But when he called up the spin jet display, half the lights were in the red.
“Damn!” he spat.
“What’s the matter?” asked Angela, looking frightened.
Tracing the schematic display with a forefinger, Theo answered, “The collision cut the circuitry to the spin
