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Tera was already waiting by the puter by the time I started back。 〃Here's the medkit；〃 she said as I came up to her； holding out a large belt pack。 〃I put in a bottle of water and some emergency ration bars； too。〃
〃Thanks；〃 I said； resisting the urge to remind her that wrapping me in unnecessary bulk would only make my trip through the sphere more difficult than it was promising to be already。 But she was only trying to help； and I couldn't see how a single water bottle was likely to be the deciding factor one way or the other。 I strapped the pack around my waist where it wouldn't block access to my tools； and settled everything in place。 〃All right；〃 I said as casually as I could manage。 〃I'll see you later。〃
〃Good luck；〃 she said quietly。
I threw her a frown； wondering if I was imagining the concern I heard in her voice。 But then I realized that the fear wasn't for me； or at least not primarily for me。 It was for her father。
Turning away from her； I lay down on the floor beside the access hole。 Taking a deep breath； I got a grip on the edge and pulled myself in。
CHAPTER 16
THE FIRST LEG of the trip was uneventful enough。 There was plenty of light ing in behind me； the zero gee made precision movement reasonably easy； and I had a mostly clear path up to the gap I'd pointed out to Tera。 I held the electronic…field sensor at arm's length in front of me the whole way like a mystical talisman； keeping a close eye on its readings and pausing to check out the source of anything that made its indicators so much as twitch。
There was current flowing in here； all right； plenty of it。 Fortunately for purposes of navigation； the strongest sources seemed to be the handful of panels spaced irregularly along the inner surface。 From the limited view I'd had from the access hole the nature of the panels had been a mystery； up close and direct； the situation wasn't much clearer。 They might have been readout displays； giving ever…changing equipment…status reports in a strange and inprehensible alien script。 Unfortunately； they could just as easily have been ever…changing mood lights there for the edification of whoever it was the mindless electronics thought was on duty in here。 All in all； I decided； I should probably stick with flying starships and leave the more esoteric alien evaluations alone。
After a few minutes I reached the gap； only to discover that my earlier interpretation of its significance was not nearly as clear…cut as I'd thought。 It turned out； in fact； to be far from certain that the opening was proof of a human…sized body having gone through that direction at all。 Partly it was a matter of that particular region being clearer than the surrounding area； partly it was a trick of perspective that had made the spot seem more open than it really was。
And it wasn't particularly open。 There were at least a dozen wires crisscrossing the gap a half meter farther in； which I hadn't been able to see from my previous vantage point。 If Cameron had e this way； he'd done a good job of smoothing out his footprints behind him。
Which further meant that it was suddenly far from certain that Cameron had ever e in here at all； let alone that he was floating unconscious or dead somewhere inside。
For a minute I played my light through the gap into the darkness beyond； watching the glints as the beam reflected off bits of alien metal or plastic or ceramic； wondering what I should do now。 If Cameron wasn't in here； then continuing on would be not only unnecessary but probably dangerous as well。
Of course； if Cameron wasn't in here； then we were back to the sticky question of where in blazes he'd gotten to。 If he'd left the Icarus at Potosi； voluntarily or otherwise； then he was likely in worse trouble than if he were in here。 In fact； as I thought about it； I realized his abduction on Potosi might explain why the Najik had identified the Icarus so quickly at Utheno。 Though that could equally be the Potosi customs report catching up with us。
On the other hand； whether Cameron was in here or not； we still had to figure out how the stardrive worked if we were going to pussyfoot our way out of the Patth net。 Still； it would definitely be the better part of valor for me carefully to back out of here at this point and postpone any other plans until Pax came back with his report。
And then； even as I gave the light one last sweep around； I heard a soft； distant sound。 Unlike the noise I'd heard while talking with Tera； though； this one was very familiar。 It was the screech of a startled Kalixiri ferret； the kind of verbal reaction that usually went quickly up the tonal scale and then just as quickly back down again。
Only this one didn't。 It went halfway up the scale； then abruptly cut off。
And with the sudden silence ringing in my ears； I stared into the darkness； feeling sweat beading up on my forehead and neck。 There hadn't been even the whisper of a trailing edge to that call； no whimper； no gasp； no sigh。 None of the sounds that should have e from the last escaping bit of air in Pax's lungs as he collapsed into sleep or unconsciousness。
Which meant he hadn't collapsed into sleep or unconsciousness。 He was dead。
And something in here had killed him。
I looked back toward the access hole； the movement of my head sending droplets of sweat flying off my face to drift their way to oblivion among the maze of circuitry。 If Tera had heard that abbreviated death cry； she would be sticking her head into view any second now to demand an explanation。 But the seconds ticked by； and there was no Tera； and I realized with decidedly mixed feelings that I alone knew what had just happened。
Which meant that the decision of what to do next was also mine alone。 Probably just as well。 Wiping the surface layer of sweat off my forehead with my left sleeve； I eased the blocking wires out of the way and headed cautiously in。
I'd told Ixil and Tera that we weren't in any particular hurry here。 With Pax's screech echoing through my memory； I was even less inclined to take unnecessary chances。 I kept it slow and careful； checking every wire and conduit in my path； both visually and with my field sensor； before getting anywhere near it。 Before moving it aside I also made sure to trace along it as best I could through the tangle； trying to see where it intersected the wall or other ponents and making sure it had enough slack for me to safely push it aside without straining anything。 If it didn't have that slack； if it even looked marginal； I changed course and found another route。
It took me nearly an hour to work my way through that first three and a half meters； and I was just beginning to wonder if I was going to be able to do the whole ten meters to the center in one try when I eased through a gap in a fish…net…style mesh and abruptly found myself in open space。
I held on to the mesh with one hand； balancing myself parallel to it in the zero gee； and played my light around。 The space wasn't quite as empty； I could see now； as it had looked in that first glance。 A dozen different cable loops that had worked their way through the holes in the mesh were bobbing gently around the edges； looking like some exoti