Dragon and Liberator

Draycos was silent a moment. We would need to sabotage all ten of the purifiers, he pointed out. And we would have to do all ten simultaneously. Otherwise, once people started getting sick they'd realize something was wrong and guard the rest of the purifiers.

True, Jack said. We'd also have to find something that would affect humans, Brummgas, and Valahgua.

And we'd need to deal with the emergency bottled water, as well, Draycos continued. Those supplies are, unfortunately, scattered throughout the ship.

Which means we'd have to hit them hard and fast, Jack said slowly, trying to think. Uncle Virgil had taught him a fair amount about incapacitating drugs and chemicals. Surely he could come up with something he could make up from stuff already aboard ship.

The big question was whether he could do it in time.

In time? Draycos asked.

We've got less than six days until we hit Point Three, remember? Jack said. At that point, the Brummgas scream for help and Frost throws everything he's got at us.

What if we destroy the radios? Draycos suggested. That might at least buy us another few hours.

Not worth the risks, Jack said. Besides, even if we could take out all the actual radios, anyone with a comm clip will be able to punch a message across the kind of distance we're talking about.

He grimaced. Besides, whatever was going on with the Essenay just before we went on ECHO, there's a good chance Neverlin and Frost already know we're here. They'll be over as soon as we all come off ECHO.

For a moment Draycos was silent. Jack tried to catch some of the K'da's thoughts, but they flashed by too subtly and too quickly. Then we'll just have to make do with the time we have, he said.

Right, Jack agreed. Are there any other secret ways of getting around this ship besides the tween gap?

There are the ventilation ducts, Draycos reminded him.

I meant for me, Jack said. Unfortunately, my body doesn't compress nearly as well as yours and Taneem's do. He shook his head. I still can't believe she was able to get around the Advocatus Diaboli that way. What in the world did its designers think they were doing, making ducts that big?

Actually, oversized ducts are a fairly standard large-ship design, according to the technical material I read in the Essenay's encyclopedia, Draycos said. If there's a hull breach, you want to be able to deliver massive quantities of air to the affected area, thereby giving anyone trapped there a chance to escape or put on an emergency vac suit. A ship the size of the Advocatus Diaboli usually has plenty of air reserves available for such a purpose.

He flicked his tail against Jack's leg. I'm surprised Virgil Morgan never taught you about that.

I'm not, Jack said sourly. Uncle Virgil was strictly about practical stuff, and I outgrew ventilation ducts when I hit seven.

Of course, Draycos said. My apologies for bringing up an unpleasant subject.