
connected to a five-hundred-meter, relatively narrow length ending in the stationkeeping drive and solar
sail array, giving rise to the ubiquitous description “needle thin.” Close to the middle of the vessel, a
narrow, collarlike structure circled the diameter of the JumpShip, housing cargo holds, docking collars for
DropShips and small-craft launching bays. Nearly four months of in-transit reconstruction had radically
modified that section.
The previously flat plane of the collar was now broken in two, a fifteen-meter gap between each
overhanging outer section providing a view of the interior section in the middle. Petr knew from the
reports that that central, mostly hidden section now spun. Those extensive modifications, however, did
not captivate him so much as the four monstrous cables anchored to the central trough that swung out to
where four DropShips lay tethered.
TwoMule s, aMammoth and aBehemoth kept station at different distances, the twinMule s and their
11,200 tons of empty weight tethered at equal distances of just more than a kilometer. The 52,000-ton
Mammoth was tethered at less than half that distance, and the gargantuan 100,000-tonBehemoth at half
again. As the DropShip’s cargo weights shifted, their tethers would adjust in length, automatically
compensating (that much came through from Kif’s endless talking).
The whole thing suddenly reminded him of a child’s toy he’d seen on some forgotten downside years
ago: a top, with four strings attached, metal beads at the end of each. If spun correctly, the beads created
a counterbalance, increasing how long the top would spin, while eliciting oohs and ahhs from the gathered
children as the sun glinted off the solid-appearing line of metal spinning in a flat arc around the top’s
center. Yet if spun poorly, those strings would tangle hopelessly, stopping the top before it could even
begin spinning. As he stood arrested for that moment, Petr watched a half dozen children try to spin the
top, and only one of them succeed.
Jesup’s words filtered through the memory, giving Petr a moment of disquiet.Is Kif that child to set it
spinning correctly, or will it be hopelessly tangled?
“By your leave, ovKhan?”
For an instant, Kif’s voice held the timbre of a small child; then Petr shook himself from his reverie.
Concealing his unease, he nodded. “Proceed.”
With a smile almost childish in its glee at the coming victory, Kif nodded to his scientists, who fell to their
tasks, entering alphanumerical sequences only they could understand into several remote command
consoles.
Though he knew what to expect, Petr still felt disappointed as long minutes passed and apparently
nothing happened. The grins and nods of the scientists, however, told him they were excited about
something he could not see.
Petr decided to focus on the monitor showing the interior of cargo hold 1 of the distant JumpShip. A
giant skein of wires spun into view, connecting the control monitors to the bulkhead of theInvader and
the housing for the mammoth axle. He had a sudden image of a living, breathing machine, the scientists
tapping into the mechanical beast with their devices in an attempt to control it. He shook his head at this
flight of fancy.
“So exciting,” Jesup commented. Kif looked at Jesup as if he had just become aware of his presence,
then nodded firmly before returning to his work.
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