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e。 A rope belayed outside and carefully threaded in through the tangle of wires； and I could pull myself to the mesh and ultimately to safety。 Tera's insistence that I bring food and water in here might turn out to have been a good idea after all。
I seemed to be drifting faster now； though it was difficult to tell for sure。 A sudden yellow glow appeared from the corner of my eye； and I turned to see that one of the flat displays that had been showing the same red symbols as all the others had suddenly changed to a grid pattern of yellow…and…black squares。 Even as I studied it another of the displays also changed； this one to squares of orange and black。 For a minute I glanced between them； trying to see if there was any pattern in the layout of their colored squares。 But if there was it was too subtle for me to pick out。
I was about two meters from the center； still drifting at a leisurely pace； when it suddenly occurred to me that if I kept on this same course I was going to run directly into the articulated arm angling across my path。
I played my light over the arm； feeling a fresh batch of sweat leaching onto my face as I did so。 I'd already noted that the arm was posed of an alternating series of black…and…silver bands； what I hadn't noticed until then was that at the very tip of the arm the color scheme changed to about twenty centimeters of a disturbingly luminescent gray。 My field sensor wasn't picking up anything from it yet； but I was still too far away for any current less than a couple hundred volts to register。 The arm didn't look like any of the power cables I'd had to sneak through on my way in； but considering the alien origin of this place that didn't give me much fort。
What was clear； and of no fort whatsoever； was that even if the arm suddenly came to life with enough power to light up New Cleveland； there was still no way in space for me to miss running into it。 About all I could think of to do was to try to get a careful grip on it as I approached and use it as a fulcrum to swing the bulk of my body around it instead of hitting it full force。
The problem with that idea was that if it didn't have the structural strength necessary to handle that kind of sudden stress； the gray end was probably going to break off in my hand。 On the other hand； if it was that weak and I didn't grab it； it would probably break anyway as I slammed into it。
And as my train of thought reached that depressingly no…win conclusion； I was there。 Clenching my teeth； feeling rather like someone trying to sneak up and grab a sleeping pit viper； I reached out with my right hand and got a careful grip on the arm。
Too careful。 The material was far more slippery than it looked； and before I knew it my hand was sliding straight down the striped section toward the gray end。 I squeezed harder； simultaneously trying to swing my body around as I'd originally planned。 But my lack of purchase on the arm meant I had no leverage at all； and I found myself instead sliding along the arm in a sort of low…gravity version of a fireman and his pole。
It was hardly the way I'd planned things； but at least the arm was clearly stronger than my worst…case scenario had anticipated。 Even with my full weight pressing on it via my one…handed grip； it was showing no sign of breaking or even bending。 Maybe even strong enough that I'd be able to use it to climb back out to the mesh。
Assuming； of course； I could figure out how to get a solid grip on the damn thing。 Swinging my body partially around； I got my other hand in place and grabbed as hard as I dared。
The two…handed grip helped some； but not enough。 I was still sliding serenely down the arm； now almost to the gray section at the end。 If I couldn't stop myself； I knew； my momentum would cause me to overshoot the end of the arm and go straight through the sphere's center。 Hardly a catastrophe； since there was nothing over there for me to crash into； but it would cost me more of our increasingly precious minutes while I waited for the gravitational field to slow me to a stop and bring me back to the center again。
And then I was to the gray section of the arm。 Clenching my teeth； knowing this was my last chance to stop myself with a modicum of dignity； I squeezed it hard。
It was as if I'd grabbed hold of a live hundred…volt wire。 Suddenly my whole body was tingling； the hairs on my neck and arms standing straight up； my clenched teeth trying to vibrate against each other。 And on top of all of it was the chagrin that after all of my exaggerated caution and borderline paranoia； I'd finally hit a live wire。 What made it even worse was that I'd even hit it entirely on purpose。
And yet； at the same time； the small part of my mind that hadn't gone into instant panic mode was noticing that if this was an electric shock it was like none I'd ever experienced before。 There was no pain； for one thing； and none of the subtle promises of future pain； either。 In addition； the tingling was running uniformly through my entire body； not simply along my arms and chest as a normal current ought to flow。 There was a distant sound like the awful ripping thunder crack from a too…close lightning strike； and everything went black。
It didn't stay black long。 Almost before the darkness had a chance to register； the lights came back on again。 Not the harsh； sharp…edged beam of my flashlight； but a softer； much more muted glow。 For a second I wondered if I had blacked out； but both the darkness and the light had e without any of the normal cues and sensations of a loss and regaining of consciousness。
It was at about that point in my slow…motion cogitation that I suddenly noticed the striped arm with the booby…trapped end was gone。 So was the tangle of wiring and geometric monitor shapes I'd been facing across the small sphere。
So； for that matter； was the small sphere。
Belatedly； I focused my eyes straight ahead of me on the now familiar curving gray hull。 So I had blacked out in there； at least long enough for the jolt to kick me out here to the center of the Icarus's big resonance sphere。 I winced as I thought of all the stuff I must have torn through on my way out…I was probably lucky I hadn't been electrocuted for real。
Though if I'd wrecked enough of the alien electronics to render the stardrive inoperable I would probably soon wish I had been crisped。 Twisting around in the catlike； half…swimming movements of standard zero…gee maneuvering technique； I worked myself around toward the access hole； wondering why Tera wasn't screaming her head off at me。
The reason was very simple。 Tera wasn't there。
Neither was the tool kit I'd left beside the opening。 Neither was the ship's puter that had been more or less permanently mounted there。 Neither； for that matter； were the stacks of meter…square panels； the piles of mechanical equipment； or the consolidated bits of personal effects。
I was in the large sphere； all right。 Problem was； I wasn't in the Icarus。
A familiar sense of falling permeated my confusion： The sphere's gravitational field had taken hold and was pulling me gently down toward the inner surface。 Too slowly； or so it seemed； considering the 。85…gee pull we had on the Ica