The Mile Long Spaceship by Kate Wilhelm Read Free Book Online

leave the warm ship for a feverish man? It would be contrary to the very characteristics you described."
    "Because," Royle said clearly, "the ship will not be warm. It's going to be damned cold in fact. And the man is going to make a grand tour, giving them every opportunity to get on him away from the coldness of the ship. The very fact that they came aboard indicates they can get from cold to warm."
    "Wait a minute!" Windlass boomed suddenly. "You say one of us will get the stuff. Then what? And who decides which one?"
    "I decide," Royle said flatly. "And he will be put in one of the lifeboats and shot off into space after we've decided it's safe to assume he's captured them all."
    "You decide! You mealy-mouthed hypocrite! Why not be democratic about it and draw lots with your name among the rest?"
    "Because I know what I can do and will have to do if this does work. We're going to spend the next year in space before we can be absolutely certain of safety. Either that or until Capella Four tells us to come on in. Confirming research may take longer than a year. For that intervening period I am going to run this ship and every man and woman on her is going to be part of my crew. You might as well face it, Windlass, there is no democracy aboard a stellar cruiser; as long as you're on Criterion you are under my orders!"
    Windlass turned to the rest of them huddled fearfully against their seats and shouted, "Are we going to let this man dictate to us? You heard him. He has no intention of submitting himself to any kind of danger, while we run all the risks for him. I say we draw lots for the one to take the dope!"
    "Windlass, sit down or I shoot! Now!" Royle's voice was hard as he leveled his gun. "Now then," he said finally, "naturally Perez is the man." He handed the gun to Rawlins and began attaching the dispenser to Perez's arm.
    "Captain Royle, I must protest. That man is helpless. He has no voice in any of this. You can't slaughter the helpless!" Dr. Kscievitch looked at him with horror and loathing in his eyes.
    Royle said calmly, "Rawlins, if that man tries to interfere, stun him." To the minister he added, "Because he is helpless and hopeless he has to be the one. I said we'll be in open space for a year, and during that time I'm going to need a crew of able bodied men and women. There's no one available to nurse this man." He finished with Perez while the rest looked on in stunned disbelief. When he straightened again, his own face was a frozen mask of deep set lines. Quietly he said, "I think that he should show a reaction within an hour, and if you'll notice, it has grown perceptibly cooler in here and the ship's engines have long since stopped. Soon the auxiliary lights will be cut off and we'll be in complete, pitch blackness. I, and my men, have infra-red goggles that will permit us to see in the dark and I warn you all, any motion to leave your seats will bring stunning from my gun. This ship has to cool way down and you'll be uncomfortable and cold, but just remember you won't get as cold as you would if you were attacked by this—thing with us. Naturally when the auxiliary plant shuts off we'll be in free fall and there'll be no weight or gravity. I advise you to fasten your belts now."
    DeBarge joined him and he nodded and motioned him and Rawlins to their seats. They made an almost solid line in front of the door when Royle joined them. The lights dimmed slightly, flicked several times and were gone. Someone gasped and one or two curses were heard and then they settled down to wait.
    The tangible black increased their fear, relentlessly forcing their minds to dwell on it, to feel it closing in as the ship radiated its heat into space and their flesh protested, enacting its feeble gesture of defense by raising goose bumps. Royle sat unmoving, only his thoughts swirling in tumultuous eddies about him. Responsibility—to the ship—these people—his all but defunct crew—the rest of humanity. He had to