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y again。 〃My name's Tera。〃
〃Tera what？〃 Jones asked。
〃Just Tera；〃 she repeated； giving him a coolly evaluating look。
〃Yes； but…〃
〃Just Tera；〃 I cut Jones off； warning him with my eyes to drop it。 She might just be the shy type； but there were also several religious sects I knew of who made it a policy to never give their full names to outsiders。 Either way； pressing her about it would be pointless and only add more friction to a crew that； by the looks of things； was already rapidly reaching its quota。
〃Means we're missing our medic；〃 Nicabar put in； smoothly stepping in and filling the conversational awkwardness。 〃I wonder where he is。〃
〃Maybe he's having a drink with Borodin；〃 Shawn said acidly。 〃Look； this is stupid。 Are you sure that entryway's sealed？〃
〃You're wele to try it yourself；〃 I told him； waving at the keypad and wishing I knew what our next move should be。 I certainly didn't want to leave Cameron behind； particularly not with a murder charge outstanding against him。 But if the Ihmisits had already picked him up； there wasn't much point in our hanging around； either。 Maybe I should give Ixil a call over at the Stormy Banks and have him do a quiet search。
From above me came the ka…thunk of released seals and the hissing of hydraulics； and I spun around to see the entryway door swinging ponderously open。 〃What did you do？〃 I demanded； looking at Shawn。
〃What do you mean； what did I do？〃 he shot back。 〃I pushed the damn OPEN button； that's what I did。 It was unlocked the whole time； you morons。〃
〃Borodin must have had it on a time lock；〃 Jones said； frowning。 〃I wonder why。〃
〃Maybe he's not ing；〃 Tera suggested。 〃Maybe he never intended to in the first place。〃
〃Well； I'm not going anywhere without the advance he promised；〃 Shawn said flatly。
〃Besides which； we don't know exactly where we're supposed to go；〃 I reminded them； stepping past him and peering up the stairway。 It canted to the right at a slight angle； one more example of slightly shoddy workmanship to add to my growing list。 I could see a glowing ceiling light over the hatch inside the wraparound； but nothing else was visible from this angle。
〃He told me we were going to Earth；〃 Chort offered。
〃Right； but Earth's a big place；〃 I reminded him。 〃With lots of different parking spaces。 Still； we might as well go in。〃 I picked up my bag and started toward the stairway…
〃Hang on a second； Jordan；〃 Jones cut me off。 〃Someone's ing。〃
I turned around。 From around the stern of one of the nearby ships a large； bulky man was jogging toward us like a trotting hippo； a pair of travel bags bouncing in his grip。 〃Hold on！〃 he called。 〃Don't leave yet。 I'm here。〃
〃And who are you？〃 I called back。
〃Hayden Everett；〃 he said； coasting to a stop beside Tera and taking a deep breath。 〃Medic certificate。 Whew！ Had some trouble at the gate…didn't think I was going to make it。〃
〃Don't worry； you're not the last；〃 Jones said。 〃Our employer hasn't shown up yet； either。〃
〃Really？〃 Everett said； frowning。 He had short black hair and blue eyes； and the slightly squashed features I usually associated with professional high…contact sports types。 Up close； I could see now that； unlike Jones and Nicabar； most of his impressive body mass ran to fat； though there were indications there'd been a fair amount of muscle there once upon a time。 He was also crowding fifty； considerably older than the rest of our group； with an impressive network of wrinkles around his eyes and mouth。
I could also see that despite the implication that he'd jogged along the slideways all the way from the gate； there was no sheen of sweat on his face； nor was he even breathing all that hard。 Despite his age and surface fat； his cardiovascular system was apparently in pretty decent shape。
〃Really；〃 Jones assured him。 〃So what do we do now； McKell？〃
〃Like I said； we go inside；〃 I told him； starting up the steps。 〃Revs； you get to the engine room and start your preflight； I'll find the bridge and get things started from that end。 The rest of you； bring your luggage and find your stations。〃
Given the Icarus's iconoclastic design I knew that that last order was going to be a challenge。 To my mild surprise； someone had anticipated me。 The wraparound tunnel curved around the smaller sphere to a pressure door at the surface of the larger sphere…apparently； the whole wraparound served as the ship's airlock…and attached to the wall of the corridor on the far side of the pressure door was a basic layout of the ship。
〃Well； that's handy；〃 Tera mented as the six of us crowded around it； Nicabar having already disappeared in the other direction along the wraparound to the engine room。 〃Where's the puter room？…oh； there it is。 Odd placement。〃
There was a murmur of general agreement。 The interior layout was fully as odd as the exterior design； with the three levels of the sphere laid out in possibly the most arbitrary fashion I'd ever seen。 The bridge was in its standard place； nestled just behind the nose cone on the mid deck； but the puter room； instead of being connected to the bridge as usual； was at the opposite end of the sphere； pressed up against the wall of the smaller sphere on the starboard side of the centerline； directly behind the wall we were currently looking at。 The machine shop； electronics shop； and EVA prep area were slapped together on the port side； where vibrations and electronic noise from one would inevitably slop over into the other； with the sick bay and galley/dayroom across the corridor from them just forward of the puter room。
The top deck consisted of six cracker…box…sized sleeping cabins and an only slightly larger head； plus two main storage rooms； the lower deck was two more sleeping cabins； another head； the main bulk of the ship's stores； and the air… and water…scrubbing and reclamation equipment。 There were other； smaller storage cabinets scattered around everywhere； apparently wherever and however the designer's mood had struck。 The three decks were linked together by a pair of ladders； one just behind the bridge； the other aft near the wraparound。
I also noticed that while the wraparound and engine section were drawn with a certain minimal detail； the smaller sphere was drawn as a solid silhouette； labeled simply CARGO； with no access panels or hatches shown。 When Cameron had said the cargo was sealed； he'd meant it。
〃This has got to be the dumbest ship I've ever been on；〃 Shawn declared in obvious disgust。 〃Who built this thing； anyway？〃
〃It'll be listed on the schematics；〃 I told him。 〃Tera； that'll be your first job after you get the puter up and running： Pull up the plans so we can see what exactly we've got to work with。 Everyone else； go get settled。 I'll be on the bridge if you need me。〃
I headed up the corridor…literally up it； the Icarus's floors were sloped at the same ten…degree angle as the ship itself…and touched the release pad set into the center of the door。
Considering all the extra space the Icarus had over the Stormy Banks； I might have expected the bridge to be correspondingly larger； too。 It wasn't。 If anything； it was a little smaller。 But whatever other corners Cameron and his c