Dragon and Liberator

Jack nodded and got a fresh grip on the K'da's torso, pressing the side of his head against the other's scale-covered neck. Draycos let go of the mesh with his rear claws, and once again Jack's stomach churned with the brief sensation of falling. For another second the K'da continued to hang on to the mesh only with his front claws. Then Jack felt the rear paws find a grip, and a moment later he found himself again squeezed between Draycos and cold metal as the K'da climbed rapidly down another of the vertical mesh sections.

The gunfire above them was starting to slow down by the time they reached bottom. Bottom, in this case, was another mesh walkway. For a few seconds Draycos peered into the darkness, as if figuring out exactly where they were. Then, touching Jack's hand, he slid up his sleeve. Straight ahead about fifty feet, he said. There should be another entrance panel on your right.

Got it. Jack set off, his knees feeling a little wobbly.

The gunfire continued to slow down, and by the time they reached the panel it had stopped entirely. Be careful as you open it, Draycos warned. They're undoubtedly listening now front above, hoping to hear what we might be doing.

In that case, let's just hang here a minute, Jack suggested. Sooner or later, they're bound to start making noise again.

Draycos seemed to think about that, and Jack could sense his uneasiness with the situation. They were still very much exposed out here, and his warrior's instincts were probably screaming at him to get them under better cover. Trust me, Jack said.

Very well, Draycos said reluctantly. But if I hear anyone approaching—

He broke off as a soft metallic thud came from somewhere above and forward of their position. Sounds like one of the mercenaries is coming in to look for our bullet-riddled bodies, Jack said, getting a grip on the panel's handles. That's our cue.

He paused, his hands still on the handles, listening hard. Through the mesh he could now see the faint glow of a flashlight peeking through the mesh far above them. The footsteps started up, paused, then started up again, settling into a rhythm.

And with perfect timing, Jack popped the panel exactly as one of the footsteps sent its covering echo through the tween gap.

A minute later, they were through the doorway. Jack got a grip on the edge of the panel and pulled it back into place, again timing the event to coincide with the distant traveler's footsteps. Okay, he said, taking a deep breath. I think we're in.

I believe you're right, Draycos agreed. Well done, Jack.

Years of practice, Jack assured him. With some of the crazy jobs Uncle Virgil had me pull, I had to raise running and hiding to a fine art.

He looked around. The room they were in was long and narrow, with a ten-foot-tall, box-shaped cabinet on each of the fore and aft bulkheads. Control displays on each winked with colored status lights. Connecting the cabinets to the walls and ceiling were more stripe/spot-marked pipes. Another fire control room? he hazarded.

No, this is one of the ship's water-reclamation plants, Draycos said.

Really, Jack said, looking at the cabinets with new interest. The crew drinks the stuff that comes out of these, do they?

From these and nine other plants throughout the ship, Draycos said. Why?

Because there are two ways to keep a gun from going off, Jack said. Wreck the gun, or stop the person from pulling the trigger.

Are you suggesting we poison them? The entire crew?

We don't have to kill them, Jack said hastily. There had been an unpleasant tone in the K'da's mental voice just then. I was thinking we could find a way to knock them out. Or else make them so sick they can't function.