The Diamond Deep by Brenda Cooper Read Free Book Online Page B

His voice was as cold as the dark parts of the ship. “Ix.”
    â€œYes, Colin?”
    â€œWhy did I have to learn this from couriers?”
    â€œI can only relay threats to the Fire to those in formal command.”
    â€œI thought you would say something like that, you damned hellion of a machine.”
    â€œI cannot override my command structures.”
    â€œUnless you want to.” Colin’s laughter sounded bitter. “You are also charged with protecting the ship. I hardly imagine that if there was no command structure left you would ignore the dangers.”
    Ix didn’t reply.
    After a few breaths of silence, Colin asked the machine, “How dangerous do you think this is?”
    â€œIf I can find a way to communicate with the strange ship, I may be able to answer that question.”
    â€œCan you show them what it looks like?” Haric asked.
    Ix normally didn’t obey people who were still underage, but the image of the ugly ship showed up on the face of Colin’s journal. Colin stared at it for a long moment, handed it over to Allen to give him a good look, and then took his journal back. “You told me we wouldn’t make contact this soon.”
    Ix did not respond to statements.
    Colin shifted his attention from the journal to Onor. “What do they want us to do?”
    â€œDeploy fighters. There will be a ship-wide announcement in two hours. Joel asked that you keep the people in the cargo bars and the working cargo bays all in line and calm.”
    â€œAt least Joel plans to tell people,” Allen said. “Garth would have kept it secret.”
    Haric added, “Ruby made him. She says it will make everyone pull together to have an outside force.”
    Colin laughed. “I doubt Ruby actually made Joel do anything he truly didn’t want to do. But trust her to see hope everywhere.”
    Onor remembered the way her face had been screwed up in anger when she fired on Sylva. “Hope can be good, even in a fight.”
    â€œEspecially then,” Colin said. He looked at Allen. “Call up your fighters. Split them between two shifts. Tell them there will be news, but not yet what the news is.”
    â€œWill do.” Allen rose and left.
    Colin addressed Ix again. “Tell your new captain that if he will give you permission to tell me anything I ask, I’ll do what he wants.”
    â€œHe is everyone’s captain.”
    â€œReally?” Colin looked lost in thought for a moment, and then he said, “Let me reword my command to you. Tell Joel that if he will give you permission to tell me everything that you tell him, I will do what he asks and we will guard the cargo. Remind him that this is the outer part of the Fire , and thus the most vulnerable.” He hesitated a moment. “In fact, you might suggest that he send extra troops.” Colin flicked his journal off, which effectively ended the conversation.
    Onor remembered the other threats. “Colin? What do you know about the attack on the train?”
    â€œSylva and Ellis have enough logistics people with them to hack the train’s central command system.”
    â€œWhat happened? After the train got underway again?”
    Colin looked disgusted. “We caught three of them. Everyone who matters got away. Sylva and Ellis both, and most of the people they had with them.”
    â€œI thought you had them. The doors looked like they were blocked off.”
    Colin narrowed his eyes, and Onor realized he’d just challenged him. Colin’s voice was clipped. “They went through the train tunnel.”
    â€œWow.” Gutsy. The tunnel was so thin in spots Onor liked to close his eyes when they passed through it in a train.
    â€œAt least you all got away before Ruby or Joel got themselves killed. Stupid girl, I saw her standing right in front screaming.” Colin sounded proud of her.
    â€œShe’s brave.”
    â€œI know.”