Starplex

"Gawst has cut out our number-two generator," reported Lianne. "I'd evacuated that part of the engineering torus as soon as he started carving into it, so there were no casualties. But if he can get one more of our generators, this ship won't be able to enter hyperdrive, even if we could get far enough from the star to make that possible."

A burst of light caught Keith's eye. The Dakterth had severed the engine pod from one of the Waldahud ships that had been firing on the PDQ. The pod pinwheeled away. It looked as though it was going to crash into the cylindrical core that had been cut from Starplex, but that was only a trick of perspective.

"What if we vent the water out into space."?" asked Rhombus.

"We'd have to cut our own hole into the ocean deck to do that," said Lianne.

"Where would be the easiest spot?" asked Keith.

Lianne consulted a schematic. "The rear wall of docking bay sixteen.

Behind it is the engineering torus, of course. But right at that location, the torus contains a filtration station for the ocean deck.

In other words, it's already filled with water right up to the back wall of the docking bay, so you'd only have to carve a hole in the bay's wall to get water to pour in."

Keith thought for a moment. And then it hit him. "Okay," he said.

"Get someone with a geological laser down to bay sixteen right away."

He turned to Rhombus. "I know the Ibs need gravity, but what if we cut the artificial gravity, and spin the ship instead?"

"Centrifugal force?" said Lianne. "People would be standing on the walls."

"Yes. So?"

"Well, and each deck is cross-shaped, so the apparent force of gravity would increase as you went farther out into each

"But it would also keep the water from flowing down the central shaft," said Keith. "Instead, it would be trying to press against the outer walls of the ocean deck. Thor, could you set up such a spin using our ACS thrusters?"

"Can do."

Keith looked at Rhombus. "How much gravity do you Ibs need for your circulatory systems to work?"

Rhombus lifted his ropes. "Tests have suggested that at least one eighth of a standard-g is required."

"Below deck fifty-five," said Lianne, "even at the ends of the arms, we won't get that much apparent gravity at any reasonable rotation rate."

"But that's only fifteen floors that have to have their Ibs evacuated instead of forty," said Keith. "Lianne, inform everyone of what we're doing. Thor, as soon as no Ib is left below deck fifty-five, start spinning the ship. Bleed off the artificial gravity as we come up to speed."

"Will do."

"People should probably vacate the rooms at the ends of each arm, because of the windows," said Lianne.

"Why?" asked Keith. "They're transparent carbon composite; they won't break even if people are standing on them."

"Of course not," said Lianne. "But the windows are angled at forty-five degrees there, because the edges of the habitat modules slope at that angle. It'll be difficult to stand on them once the apparent gravity shifts so that those sloping windows become slanted floors."

Keith nodded. "Good point. Pass on that advisory as well."

"Will do."

The holographic head of Longbottle aboard the Rum Runner spoke up.

"Polluted waters we are in. Engines overheating."

Keith nodded at the holegram. "Do what you can; if necessary, head away from us. Maybe no one will follow you."

Starplex rocked again. "Gawst has started carving into the central disk beneath our number-three generator," said Rhombus. "And a second one of his ships is carving in from the top of the disk, right above generator one."

"Start spinning the ship, Thor."

The starfield holegram began to rotate. The ship reeled again. "That took Gawst by surprise," said Thor. "His lasers are skittering across the entire undersurface of the central disk."

Lianne spoke up. "Jessica Fong is in position inside docking bay sixteen, Keith."

"Show me."

A frame appeared around part of the starfield holegram — now spinning at dizzying speed. Inside the frame, a picture of the interior of the docking bay appeared, with a space-suited woman floating in midair.

She was tethered to the rear wall — the one that was shared with the engineering torus — and the tether was pulled taut as the ship's rotation flung her outward toward the inside of the curving space door. The bay's floor, crisscrossed with landing reference markers, was more than a dozen meters below her feet, and its roof, covered with lighting panels and housings for winches, was a dozen meters above her head.

"Open channel," said Keith, then: "Okay, Jessica. Behind the bay's rear wall, inside the engineering torus, is a water-filled ocean-deck filtering station. That station opens on to the ocean on the other side. Drill open a big hole in the docking bay's rear wall, Be careful, though: when you do that, water is going to hammer through at you."