The Ship Who Won Read Online Free PDF Page B

who
    made a jump through R sector to get here. His spectro-scopes picked up unusual power emanations in the vicinity
    of RNJ-599-B. We've no records of habitation anywhere
    around there. Could be interesting."
    "G-type stars," Keff noted approvingly. "Yes, I see what
    he meant. Spectroanalysis, Cari?"
    "All the signs are there that RNJ could have generated
    planets," the brain replied. "What does Exploration say?"
    "No ones done any investigation in that part of R sector
    yet," Simeon said blandly, carefully emotionless.
    "No one?" Carialle asked, scrolling through the files.
    "Hmmm! Oh, yes!"
    "So we'll be the first?" Keff said, catching the
    excitement in CariaUes voice. The burning desire to go
    somewhere and see something first, before any other
    Central Worlder, overrode the fears of being caught by the
    Inspector General.
    "I can't locate any reference to so much as a robot
    drone," Carialle said, displaying star maps empty of neon-colored benchmarks or route vectors. Keff beamed.
    "And to seek out new worlds, to boldly go ..."
    "Oh, shush," Carialle said severely. "You just want to be
    the first to leave your footprints in the sand."
    "You've got twelve seconds to company," Simeon said.
    "Don't tell me where you're going. What I don't know I
    can't he about. Go with my blessings, and come back
    safely. Soon."
    "Will do," Keff said, strapping in. 'Thanks for everything, Simeon. Cari, ready to-"
    The words were hardly out of his mouth before the
    CK-963 unlatched the docking ring and lit portside
    thrusters.
    a CHAPTER TWO
    The Inspector Generals angry voice pounded out of the
    audio pickup on Simeon's private frequency.
    "CK-963, respond!"
    "Discovered!" Keff cried, slapping the arm of his couch.
    The next burst of harsh sound made him yelp with mock
    alarm. "Catch us if you can, you cockatrice!"
    "Hush!" Carialle answered the hail in an innocent voice,
    purposely made audible for her brawns sake. "S... S-nine ...
    dred. H... ving trou-" Keff was helpless with laughter. Tl
    ... s repeat mes... g?"
    "I said get back here! You have an appointment with me as
    often hundred hours prime meridian time, and it is now ten
    fifteen." Carialle could almost picture his plump,
    mustachioed face turning red with apoplexy. "How dare you
    blast out of here without my permission? I want to see you!"
    "Sorr ..." Carialle said, "br... king up. Will send back
    mission reports. General."
    'That was clear as a bell, Carialle!" the angry voice hammered at the speaker diaphragm. "There is no static
    interference on your transmission. You make a one-eighty

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    and get back here. I expect to see you in ninety minutes.
    Maxwell-Corey out."
    "Oops," said Keff, cheerfully. He tilted his head out of
    his impact couch toward her pillar and winked. His deep-set blue eyes twinkled. "M-C won't believe that last phrase
    was a fluke of clear space, will he?"
    "He'll have to," Carialle said firmly. "I'm not going back
    to have my cerebellum cased, not a chance. Bureaucratic
    time-waster! I know I'm fine. You know you're fine. Why
    do we always have to go bend over and cough every time
    we make planetfall and explore a new world? I landed, got
    steam-cleaned and decontaminated, made our report with
    words and pictures to Xeno and Exploration. I refuse to
    have another mental going-over just because of my past
    experiences."
    "Good of Simeon to tip us off," Keff said, running down
    the ship status report on his personal screen. "I hope he
    won't catch too much flak for it. But look at this! Thirty
    percent food and fuel?"
    "I know," Carialle said contritely, "but what else could I
    do?"
    "Not a blessed, or unblessed thing," Keff agreed.
    "Frankly, I prefer the odds as opposed to what we'd have
    to go through to wait for Simeons next shipments. Full
    tanks and complete commissary do not, in my book,
    equate with peace of mind if M-C's about. Eventually we
    will have to go back, you know."
    "Yes, if only to make certain Simeon's coped with the man.
    Before we