Free The Engineer Reconditioned by Neal Asher Page A

here?"
    "It is translight with a new design of engine. Projected time of arrival is four days."
    " Cable Hogue ?" asked Abaron angrily.
    Chapra said, "The dreadnought sent out here to protect us — "
    "Oh yeah," Abaron sneered.
    "My thoughts exactly, but we are not in a position to dispute the matter. I for one would prefer Earth Monitors here and an AI-directed warship than Separatists and out-Polity mercenaries."
    "Why didn't you tell me?"
    "Because it would have interfered with your work."
    "I don't believe that."
    "You don't have to. You're at the bottom of the ladder and only here because I agreed for you to come." Abaron was still angry, but kept his mouth shut.
    Chapra turned from him. "We have forty-eight Solstan hours?"
    "Yes," said Box.
    Abaron looked thoughtful for a moment then said, "What about the runcible?"
    "It is not possible, at this time, to use it," replied Box.
    "Why?"
    "Since entering the Quarrison Drift we have gone beyond the range of any other runcible to which you could transmit."
    Abaron swore and peered down at his touch console. He refused to look at Chapra. She repressed the sudden contempt she felt. Really, he had been right to ask ...
    "What capabilities do you have?" she asked Box.
    "I do not have armament."
    "Can we outrun this ship?"
    "With a translight slingshot around the sun this is possible."
    "What about the Jain?"
    "Hang on," interrupted Abaron. "What do they want?"
    "They want the Jain. Isn't that obvious?"
    "No, not necessarily. What are the projections, Box?"
    "Separatists are normally xenophobic in outlook. It is more likely that they are coming here to kill the Jain and destroy all its technology than to kidnap and use it," said Box. Chapra folded her arms, nodded, and met Abaron's look of victory for a moment. He was grasping things more firmly now but Chapra had no time for such games. Things had turned deadly serious. She turned to the projection and saw that the girl was climbing out onto the jetty. The Jain's tentacle was still plugged into her back. Once she was up on the jetty the Jain began to follow her.
    "Box," said the girl, looking straight from the projection at Chapra and Abaron. "It is necessary that I speak with decision makers." There was nothing of a little girl in her voice. Over the com Chapra understood the precise selection of every word. She had asked, "What about the Jain?" She realised then that it might be the Jain itself that answered the question. She stared at the projection, noticed something else. "The machine, it's shrinking again isn't it?"
    "Yes," replied Box. "There is water flow and an increase in contaminants."
    "I'm going down there."
    "Me too," said Abaron.
    Here's the test, thought Chapra. He had not been in the isolation chamber since that worm-thing had taken a chunk out of his arm. She watched him stomp out ahead of her and waited for the door to close.
    "Was that true ... about the runcible?" she asked.
    "Would I lie?" asked Box.
    Chapra said nothing as she followed Abaron. She was well aware that AIs sacrificed human lives for the greater good of humanity. She did not find this knowledge comforting.
    As she stepped through the airlock, Chapra caught the tail end of a conversation between the girl, or rather the Jain, and Box. She understood none of it because it ran at high speed. It finished shortly after she and Abaron walked out onto the jetty. She felt suddenly superfluous. Information had already been exchanged, decisions made. The girl turned to her and Chapra saw a girl with her own character and a mind possibly superior to Chapra's own. Yet the Jain, lying there on the end of the jetty with its weird head turned towards them, was looking through the girl, who to it was just a tool, a lens to bring them into focus for it.
    "I have told the Jain of the Separatist ship," said Box.
    "And?" asked Chapra.
    "The Jain wishes to be transported to the surface of the planet, which was its wish before I told it about the ship."
    "Why does