"Captain, I'm reading an increase in gamma radiation. It's slight but a little unusual."

Gail nodded, quickly relaying the information to Ruth and the others.

"Do we have a sensor buoy handy?"

"Yes, Ma'am. What do you have in mind?"

Their guard was looking a little unsettled, but he didn't really understand what was going on any more than anyone else.

"Launch a sensor toward the sun and compare the readings from that."

She knew it was a risk - that her guests would rather she let them get on with it - but if her son and the others had been right it was a least of evils. Their resident marine didn't see the need to call it in, to her relief. The sensor was launched and both staff tracked it on their screens as it came about to where Gail wanted it.

"Much more there: significant wave-fronts coming toward us and going back. Something is reflecting the radiation."

At this the marine starting taking an interest in what they were doing.

"What shall I do?"

Gail shook her head.

"Just log it. It's nothing to worry about."

She reviewed the readings on her own screen and made sure those in her conversation could see them.

'Where is the power for their reflector coming from?'


In the reactor control room Ruth was doing her best to analyse the drain on the reactor. The ship's electronics were largely self-diagnostic, giving her plenty of data but making the real issue difficult to find.

'I assume they're taking ours. Got a rogue load in the visitor-side shaft conduit, but I can't isolate that to shut it down.'

The pressure fronts in the gamma system that Gail had pointed out were getting heavier, and if Gregory was right about the marines' plans that pressure differential was potentially very dangerous. Gail seemed to think so to.

'Be ready for an emergency shutdown.'


"Major, we have a potential problem."

"What is it, Mister Boss?"

Gunnery Sergeant Boss moved around the corridor, looking for better reception. It didn't help.

"I've got a couple of hostages unaccounted for. I've Captain woods but I haven't seen his son or his eldest daughter, plus someone lost Edgeman."

"Reinforce operations and reactor control. Have the men elsewhere on alert but make sure they don't go looking for anyone. I'll flush them out."


"Mister Brooke, I'm concerned about the containment; recommend emergency shutdown."

Brooke stepped off his own station and wandered over to hers. As well as all of the concerning readings, none of which were related to containment, Ruth had left him a message:

'Marines are using reactor to power reflector; standing wave of field-modulated gamma radiation is increasing in pressure rapidly.'

She checked the readings again and rethought the last word.

'Exponentially'.

"I agree: do it."

Her hands were halfway to the buttons she needed when the marine shouted.

"Stop!"

With the rifle levelled at her she raised her hands. Brooke walked back to his post and went for his screen.

"I said stop! All of you! Stop or I shoot!"

Engineer Brooke continued.

"I'm sorry, but I can't allow..."

He trailed off as the three projectiles struck him in the chest. His body slumped unceremoniously to the floor, pressing against his screen as he slid over it. The marine backed off into the far corner for a better view of everyone.

Despite his attentions, Ruth triggered the emergency fuel shut-off.


"Maestro, this is Endpoint: someone just hit the reactor shut-off."

"Endpoint, Maestro. You said you had a contingency for that?"

"It's done, Major."

"Good. Maestro out."


Nothing changed. She tried again, but nothing changed.

"Oh, this is bad."

"Bad?"

Ruth nodded, hoping desperately that the marine wouldn't hear her whisper.

"Shut-off didn't work."

"Didn't work? How the Hell can the emergency shut-off 'not work'?"

She shrugged.

"Part of the mechanism is accessible from outside so it can be triggered by EVA. You can disable it from there if you know what you're doing."

She brought up a new set of controls; 'Electromagnetic Containment Control' was the title that Mark noticed.

"Better hold onto something. It might get awful hot in here in a moment."



Next Chapter: Chapter 33