No one dared say another word to risk breaking the concentration of the two pilots. They sat, occasionally with an inadvertent gasp at the terrifying proximity to a space obstacle large enough to crush them, clinging to the armrests of their seats, and grateful for the safety belts that held them in place. Zainal had insisted they don protective helmets and emergency oxygen tanks, and these precautions, pitiful though they seemed as the ship wove a torturous way through the maze, irrationally gave them a sense of security.
It seemed like hours, and possibly it was, before they finally saw empty space again. Then Zainal ordered a left thruster for five seconds, which swung the ship right back at the belt. The second course change, just before they would have reentered the asteroid belt, brought them parallel to it.
A sparkle caught Kris' eye and she pointed. "Look! Three-fifteen!"
Zainal gave a nod of his head and slowed the KDL almost to a complete halt. The ship drifted toward a ginormous asteroid, which turned ever so slightly to display an obvious cavern, which had been punched into it at some point. Zainal now slowly moved the KDL toward the dark hole, and they caught sight again of a glint where no light should be. He activated an exterior light, and they all reacted to the sight of an EVA-suited figure making for their hatch.
"Light the air lock," Zainal said, "and prepare to accept boarder."
Karoiron was as much a surprise to Kris as he was to the rest of the Botany group. He acted, Kris thought, much as Zainal had on their first meeting: dismissive, even contemptuous, until he realized that each and every one of them understood what he said to Zainal.
"I did not expect you to arrive so promptly, Zainal. I have only just arrived myself."
"With no pursuit?"
Kamiton shrugged shoulders as broad as Zainal's and began to strip off rest of his space suit, looking around with a frown as no one seemed immediately assist him.
"You're closest, Chuck," Zainal said in Catten, "give him a hand. These are awkward even with plenty of space." He took the helmet from Kami-ton and the harness of the one-man thruster pack.
"Your cabin has the most room," Chuck said as Zainal opened a compartment where the helmet and thruster could be stored. "This way, Kami-ton, in case you are unfamiliar with this class of ship." By tone, gesture, and courtesy, Sergeant Chuck Mitford was establishing his equality with the new arrival.
"They all speak Catten?" Kamiton asked, surprised as Gino and Mack pressed tight against the bulkhead to give him room to move aft.
"All of them," Zainal said.
Kris, too, had made as much space in the companionway as she could to allow Kamiton to pass her, but he stopped and stared hard at her. She / raised an eyebrow in askance. He was a touch taller than she.
"Is it a female?" he asked Zainal, not taking his eyes off her.
Kris was glad that her gray skin did not show the flush of blood to her face at being referred to as an "it:'
"Female and of command rank," she said in a cold hard voice, almost spitting out the Catteni syllables. "A fact you will remember:'
"One of the Terrans, though, is she not?" He looked forward at Zainal.
"Do not speak over me, Kamiton," she said, thoroughly incensed and determined to be certain he answered her directly, "speak to me as you would to any other of equal rank;'
"I would, were I you," Zainal remarked in a mild tone to Kamiton.
"She's dangerous in a fight. Gino," and he paused at his cabin, "set course for Botany, top speed." Then, as soon as Kamiton and Chuck had entered the cabin, he winked at Kris and closed the door.
WHATEVER MIGHT HAVE BEEN SAID during the short interval in which Kamiton was assisted out of his EVA apparel, he did not again refer to her as an "it" or but addressed her directly, as he did the rest of the crew. Since he asked a great many questions, glancing about the cramped table in the crew mess, he did seem to accept her answers if she gave them.
Once or twice, he rephrased the question later on, looking at Gino for an answer.
"Kris would know that, and I think she's already given you the answer," Gino said blandly.
Kamiton was quick enough never to use that ploy again.
"Which of you were first on Botany?" Kamiton asked.
Chuck held up his hand first followed by all, including the two Deski and Zainal, except Gino. Karoiron had the same habit of raising one eyebrow as Zainal would, in the manner of requesting explanation.
"I am space pilot, too," Gino said with a shrug. "Third Drop."
"The rest of us," Chuck said, "were what the Eosi picked up in the initial Invasion.
"So you have learned Barevi as well?" Kamiton asked.
"Well enough to barter in the markets," Kris said.
"And other places;' Chuck added in a droll tone.
Kamiton started to cross his arms, but there were too many wide bodies to permit that so he put his elbows on the table. Gino got up and started to clear the remnants of the meal, which provoked a startled reaction from Kamiton. Gino grinned.
"We all take turns;' he said. "You do know, Kamiton, that there are many minerals in the asteroid belt. Read traces as we wandered through:' Kamiton gave a curt nod of his head. "I picked it so."
Coo and Pess, evidendy having had enough of the social scene, rose and left the room.
"Now;' Kamiton asked in a patient tone of voice, "I wish to see the spatial photographs of this refuge of yours. And especially of this Bubble that has our leaders…" his tone was contemptuous, "so aggravated."
At least that was what Kris thought the word meant. Most of the language Kamiton had used could be understood in context if he used words that she wasn't familiar with. At least he did them the courtesy of not speaking in pidgin Catteni.
Mack Dargle came in then: he'd been standing the watch. "Nothing around here but us, Zay;' he said, nodding to Karoitoh. "Pess has taken over the watch;'
Zainal nodded, then asked Mack to collect the hand viewer and the file that had been compiled as what they facetiously called the "travel guide."
Karoitoh went through the file several times, first very quickly, grunting now and then. The second round was more selective as he magnified certain scenes, like the enclosed valleys, which caught his attention. Zainal had had Baxter take shots of the new Farmer equipment in the garage and then in action. There were also shots of the units, which the settlers had made of the original equipment.
Kris noticed it about the time that Chuck must have because the sergeant's eyes made contact with her. In no shot did Zainal actually show the geographical location of either the original installations or the current ones. Nor any details that might have given their positions away. Kris wondered if this was intentional. Zainal had said that he trusted Kamiton.
' How far?That was when Kris began to fret over the possibility that Kami-was actually a spy for the Eosians.
Then Chuck tapped her on the arm. "Your shift, Kris;' He also gave her a nod to reassure her that he would remain. And that he was still assessing this new recruit.
Kris glanced at the timepiece on the wall. "The time has just flown, "she said inanely. Then pushed herself around the table, which also momentarily displacing Kamiton from his position.
"I think the Cat's okay," Gino said when he came forward an hour later. He'd brought her a cup of herbal tea. He had one as well as he slipped in the pilot's seat and absendy ran his eyes over the panel lights. "So do Coo and Pess, and they'd have more to go by than any of us. 'Sides which, I can't imagine Zainal risking any chance of aborting phase three. then wriggled his fingers in a characteristic stretch of his hands over the control panel. "Got a course correction to make soon." He leaned slightly to the left to peer at the rearview screen. "Nary a sign of pursuit either. Hope the others are okay." And doubt crept into the pilot's voice.