UNIVERSAL TURBULENT

VI - SOMEWHERE ON THE GALAXY

The scout ship was hungry. The far ranging mission had consumed a great deal of fuel, parts were beginning to fail, and food was required. Raw ore-bearing asteroids would do, but refined metal was easier to digest, and therefore preferable. And since long range sensors confirmed the possibility of such a feast ahead, the construct increased its speed.

Did the ship belong to the Seiwei? No, it didn't appear so, but General Directive Three was clear: "Any and all avaliable resources can and should be used while searching for the Seiwei".

* * *

Jyro hung in space, motionless relative to the Pelocan, and watched while the tractor beams drew the wreck into his ship. It looked as if one monster was in the process of devouring another.

Finally, with the drifter aboard, the prospector fired his thrusters, passed through the open doors, and waited for Herbert to close them.

The argrav was restored and Jyro felt his boot make contact with the deck. Maybe, just maybe, there was time to escape. "How soon will the godless bastards arrive?"

The AI correctly surmised that the human was making reference to the oncoming ship, checked its sensors and offered a reply. "ETA one hour, three minutes, and two seconds".

Jyro grabbed an armful of tie-downs and hurried to secure his prize. The sinners had increased their speed! "Take the Pelocan in among the asteroids. Maybe we can lose them".

"Order refused", Herbert said crisply. "The odds of this vessel surviving such a course of action fall well below my acceptable minimum".

Jyro thought about the random manner in which the closely packed asteroids bounced off each other, knew the computer was correct, but refused to surrender his find. The solution? Place himself in the loving hands of God. "Revelation 1:8... I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord..."

The navcomp processed the override, found a match, and fired the ship's drives. The human had decided to destroy both the ship and himself. That being the case, the AI contacted the onboard autochef and canceled Jyro's dinner.

* * *

The scout ship watched its meal grow warmer and start to move. Additional acceleration would result in excessive fuel consumption, but seemed warranted, given the circumstances. More power was applied, the vessel surged forward, and the distance confined to close.

Jyro secured a final tie-down, cycled through a lock, and entered the control area. Half-empty ration packs water scattered about, dirty clothes hung from equipment racks, and tools littered the deck.

He opened the helmet but kept the suit on, a sensible precaution when blundering through Asteroid belts.

A plastic crucifix poked up and out of the debris that covered the consol. He touched it for luck, dropped into the command chair, and ran an eye over the screens. "Blast! The Philitines have gained on us".

Herbert checked his memory mod for "Philitines", discovered that the human had assumed certain things about those on the other ship, and realized that "gained on us" was the operant part of the sentence. "That is correct... They have gained on us".

"Well, do something, damn you!"

"I am presently guiding the ship through the asteroids. Would you like to take the controls?"

Jyro looked up at the main view screen. Sunlight glided across a pockmarked chunk of rock and was lost in the blackness beyond. The Pelocan slid past, paused while a house-sized boulder drifted by, and confined its journey. One slip, one mistake, and the whole thing was over. "No, but do what you can".

"Of course", Herbert responded evenly. "I'll do what I can".

The next hour passed with excruciating slowness as the Pelocan pushed its way into the belt... And the other vessel started to slow.

Still, time was on his side, or so Jyro had assumed. Suddenly that advantage, like the easy profit, was snatched away. Harsh, actinic light strobed across the slowly tumbling space-scape, and the human sat bolt upright in his chair. "What in heaven's name was that?"

"That was an exploding asteroid", the navcomp replied cheerfully. "The most direct route between two points is a straight line. That being the case, our pursuers decided to remove obstacles rather than go around them. A rather unconventional use of weaponry, but effective nonetheless".

"Shut the hell up!" Jyro said sourly. "How long before the idolators reach us?"

"About ten minutes", Herbert replied calmly, "give or take a second or two".

* * *

The scout ship waited for its bow cannons to recycle, fired, and moved through the newly created opening. The feast, which continued to waste precious resources, would soon be ingested. Millions of nano were notified and brought on line. They began to seethe with barely contained energy. One the meal was brought aboard, it would be their task to digest it.

Rock fragments sparkled as they hit the ship's screens, were reduced to their component atoms, and drifted away.