Free Approaching Omega by Eric Brown Page A

the 'screen with a gloved forefinger. "There," he said. "The medical bay. There's an op room, a theatre."
    Sure enough, the flashing light was heading in that direction.
    Latimer said: "So... do we still head for the core, try to blast Central before they start cutting Jenny up?"
    Emecheta hesitated. "Hell... we can't just leave her, now that she's signalling..." He indicated the map, effectively taking command. "We're here, top of level fourteen. The op room's back up on level thirteen, what's left of it — beyond the bulkhead. If we find a hatch around here, access the next service tube via the crawlspace, we can get up to level thirteen and the op room, no problem."
    "And then?" Latimer asked.
    Emecheta hesitated, then said: "There's an observation gallery runs around the theatre. Maybe we can get into that, hit 'em from above."
    Latimer glanced though his faceplate at Emecheta and Renfrew. They looked frightened, their faces beaded with sweat.
    Renfrew said: "We've got to do it, for Jenny. We've got to try to save her."
    Latimer nodded. "We just can't walk away," he said in a small voice.
    They regarded the 'screen again. The flashing signal that was Jenny Li had reached the operating theatre.
    "Okay," Emecheta said. "Let's do it."

Nine
    The Nigerian looked around the deck and indicated a hatch. "There. Wait till I reach it and get inside, then follow me, okay?"
    Latimer nodded. He watched as Emecheta flattened himself against the surface of the deck and squirmed across to the hatch like a sniper. He reached it, entered the code, and then pulled himself head-first inside.
    Latimer turned to Renfrew. "Now you."
    She hit the deck and crawled, gained the hatch and poured herself through the narrow aperture. Latimer looked back over the flange. He saw no sign of movement.
    He left the cover of the flange and crawled towards the hatch. Renfrew was waiting just within its neck, and when he reached the lock she pulled him in and slammed the cover shut behind him.
    They were in a dusty crawlspace perhaps a metre high. The erratic illumination of dim glow-tubes every three metres showed a layer of pipes and wires sandwiched between the metal plating. Emecheta was already leading the way, flat on his belly, dragging himself along on his elbows. Renfrew followed and Latimer brought up the rear.
    Would the AIs second-guess their attempt to rescue their colleague, he wondered? Would they have guards posted around the op room? He tried to shut out the thought.
    Up ahead, Renfrew had halted. Beyond her, Emecheta was opening a service hatch. He did so with extreme care, Latimer saw, and peered through. A second later he turned awkwardly in the confines of the crawlspace and gave the thumbs up. He vanished through the hatch, followed by Renfrew.
    Latimer came last, his breathing ragged.
    They were in a lighted corridor, eerily empty and silent. Emecheta consulted the softscreen and gestured ahead. They followed him to a hatch set flush with the wall. He opened it and stepped through. Latimer looked up and down the length of the corridor, expecting at any second to see a cyborg turn the corner and fire at them.
    Renfrew snagged her suit on the opening, backed out and tried again.
    Latimer sweated, willing her to hurry.
    She squeezed herself through the hatch, lodged a booted foot on the lowest rung of the ladder and began climbing. Almost crying out in relief, Latimer hauled himself through the gap, closed the hatch behind him and climbed.
    The ascent seemed to last an age, allowing Latimer time to dwell on the task that lay ahead. How feasible was it that they might effect the rescue of Jenny Li? What chance did they have, attempting to storm the no doubt heavily guarded  op room? The AI's wanted Jenny Li for a purpose, and they would not give up their prize without a fight.
    But there was no other alternative, he told himself. For Jenny's sake, they had to attempt to save her.
    Renfrew stopped, and Latimer butted her boots with his