"25.000" "Attitude stable, trajectory firm." "Systems check." "We have full function on all navigational systems." "Confirmed." "We have full function on all communication systems." "Confirmed." "Power status?" "Full function, course is set, we have a clear on Mars beacon." "We have a go confirmation on all systems, sir." "Thank you, Mr Raiker." "Set hyper drive speed, Time Distort 5." "Time Distort 5." "5 and running." "Lock in full auto." "I thought maintenance was supposed to have fixed that high D shift vibration." "That's what they said." "That's what they always say." "They don't bother." "Nobody bothers anymore." "You'd better identify us to Space Security." "Yes, sir." "This is Civil Administration ship London." "We are in transit from Earth to Cygnus Alpha, transporting prisoners to the penal colony." "We have Federation clearance for direct flight, authority number K 701." "Transmission ends." "Still studying for your Commander's credentials, Artix?" "Yes, sir." "I don't want to spend the rest of my life on old tubs like, I..." "I mean..." "I know what you mean." "I'm sorry, sir." "I'm going to my quarters." "Anything I should know?" "There's a report of some meteorite activity about 18 hours ahead ship time." "Space Met say it should have cleared our course well before we reach it." "Well, keep an eye on it anyway." "And Mr Raiker?" "Give the prisoners the usual pep talk, and assign them their duties." "My pleasure." "Use the highest level of suppressants in the prisoners' rations I like 'em docile." "Yes, sir." "Err, Mr Raiker?" "Sir?" "There's a female prisoner on our manifest." "I've noticed that, sir." "Yes, well err, be discreet." "Yes, sir." "During this period, you will obey every order and instruction that is given to you." "There is a punishment scale for infractions, which starts with long periods of confinement in your launch seat." "and ends with the Commander's right to order execution." "If you have any complaints, I don't want to hear them." "Understand this clearly:" "You have no rights whatsoever." "None." "Questions?" "Open it up." "This is the limit of your world from now on." "It has mess facilities, sleeping bays, recreation area." "Sort out amongst yourselves how you use it." "There are other rules." "You'll find out what they are when you break them." "That's all." "Clear your harnesses, you're at liberty to move." "What have we here?" "Not a troublemaker, I hope?" "I didn't hear an order." "You didn't hear an order, sir." "SAY IT!" "I didn't hear an order, sir." "That's better." "What's your name?" "Blake." "So you're Blake?" "Made quite a name for yourself a few years back." "Quite the celebrity." "Something of a comedown for a leader of men, isn't it?" "Molesting kids?" "The charges were false." "Oh yes, of course." "Well, let me tell you something Blake." "To me, you're just another piece of cargo." "Remember that and you might just survive the journey." "Do you understand?" "I understand, sir." "Good." "You're learning." "Let him clear." "Do you think this is a good time for me to tell them I suffer from flight sickness?" "I don't think they'll be very sympathetic." "I expect they'll find a cure for it, though." "A permanent one probably." "They amputate your head!" "Come with me." "Here goes." "What's your name?" "Jenna Stannis." "Unfortunately, Jenna, there are no special facilities for female prisoners." "But if you should find things difficult, I might be able to arrange something more comfortable." "That's very considerate of you." "Why make it hard on yourself?" "Why indeed?" "[SHARP SLAP]" "You'll come round!" "I can be VERY persuasive!" "That one's going to enjoy giving us a hard time." "And you've improved his mood no end." "Why couldn't you be nice to him?" " He's not my type!" " You can't afford to be choosy now." "Why else would I be talking to you?" " Thanks." " Pleasure." " What've you got there?" " Nothing." "Do you know how those door panels work?" "No, not that type." "It's simple enough." "All authorised personnel have their palm prints filed in the computer." "The blue sensor plate reads the print." "If it conforms, the computer opens the door." "Neat." "Most computer based functions are." "Blake, Kerr Avon When it comes to computers, he's the number 2 man in all the Federated worlds." "Who's number 1?" "The guy who caught him." "You've got nothing to be ashamed of." "D'you know, he came close to stealing 5 million credits out of the Federation Banking System." "What went wrong?" "I relied on other people." "Why all the questions?" "Or is it merely a thirst for knowledge?" "Not exactly." "Having defined the problem, the first step is the acquisition of data." "Define the problem then." "How to avoid spending the rest of our lives on Cygnus Alpha." "That may not be a problem." "I've heard a rumour that these ships don't go all the way to Cygnus." "Once they're in deep space, they quietly dump you out of an airlock." "You're a fool." "They are on a fixed price contract." "They get paid the same whether we get there or not." "And hyper drive running is expensive." "So they dump us and save themselves a trip." "Could it be altered?" "What?" "The running log." "Could the readings be faked?" "Only by a top line technician." "Nobody on this ship could do it." "Except you?" "Naturally." "Was it wise to put that idea into his head?" "What idea?" "Oh, he's bright." "He'd already thought of it." "What?" "He fixes the log, the crew dump us, pocket the profit, and set him free." "That's immoral." "The cold hearted murdering..." "Let's kill him now before he can do it." "How much do you know about this type of ship?" "Not a lot." "Converted deep space freighter." "Early mark hyperdrive which needs re-stressing by the feel of things." "Whole lot should have been scrapped ages ago." " Could you pilot it?" " I expect so." "Why?" "Once we've taken this ship, we'll need a pilot." "There shouldn't be anything there at all." "It's empty space." "Nothing orbits through it, no marked space wrecks, no navigational hazards, nothing." "Well, there's something there now, and our course takes us right through it." "What's happening?" "Full spectrum shock waves." "The last one was only scale 2." "What was the reading on that one?" "Seven." "Put all sections on standby, turbulence alert." " All sections on standby, turbulence alert." " Put out the deflector shields, there's some debris too." "Deflectors out Where's the blast coming from?" "Somewhere in that top right hand sector." "That's total void!" "Not now, it isn't." "Show him." "I've never seen anything like that before." "Can you increase magnification?" "We're at the limit now." "What sort of range?" "We're about 5 subsecs on the high D grid." "Anything coming in on the communicators?" "No, static right across the range." "It could be some sort of meteorite collision." "[EXPLOSION STATIC]" "What the hell was that?" "!" "I think it's a damn great space battle." "Two fleets, maybe more" "We haven't got any heavy combat stuff in this section, have we?" "Well, they're not Federation ships, and that's not our battle." "I want a new course." "Take us round it, with a 3 subsec margin from the outer limits of the action." " Reading?" " Scale 9!" "Shift course now, and we'll take those blasts broadside!" "They'll smash the guts out of us!" "Better that than run into the middle of a war." "Manual control, Mister Raiker." "Put the ship on full emergency, all crew to operational stations." "Full emergency, full emergency." "All crew to operational stations." "[BOOMING EXPLOSIONS]" "Keep an eye on me as well, will you?" "Hey, Klein, got a little trick to show you." "Have you?" "Now watch very, very closely, right?" "Right?" "Now watch carefully." "And a one." "And a two." "Watch closely now." "I got past both metal grilles this time." "It'll work if only I can get him to do it." "He's through there." "If you had access to the computer, could you open the doors?" "Of course." "Why?" "Just wondered how good you really were." "Don't try and manipulate me, Blake." " Now why should I try and do that?" " You need my help." "Only if you can open the doors." "I could open every door; blind all the scanners, knock out the security overrides, and control the computer." "Control the computer and you control the ship." "Then I do need your help." "There's a service channel, runs the whole length of the ship." "Every other compartment has an inspection hatch." "The last one opens onto the computer section." "Give me one good reason why I should help you." "You're a civilised man, Avon." "On Cygnus Alpha that will not be a survival characteristic." "An intelligent man can adapt." "Or recognise an alternative." "I already have one." "A deal with the crew to fake the running log?" "You've had 4 months to think about that." "And it didn't take you that long to work out they'd have to kill you afterwards to keep you quiet." "Whereas you are offering me safety?" "I'm offering you the chance of freedom." "Generous, considering mine will be the most important job." "You'll do it then." "When?" "Now." "[INCREASING WHIINE]" "[EXPLOSION OUTSIDE SHIP]" "Damage report!" "All sections report damage, all sections report damage." "Section 2." "Port deflector shields buckled, sir." "Section 4." "The outer hull has been punctured astern." " Auto repair circuits?" " They're sealing it." "Mr Artix?" "Vision panels have cut out but I'm getting blind readings, and an echo from something big and pretty far off." "I can't identify it without a scan." "Could it be a ship from the battle fleet?" "It's a long way out from the centre of the action, seems to be drifting." "It's my guess that it's being pushed along in the shock waves." "It's running parallel to us." "Keep a check on it." "And start working on those vision panels." "Here we go again." "[EXTERNAL EXPLOSIONS]" "A couple more like that and we won't have a ship to take over." "Call in Vila." "And Gan and Nova?" "Are there any others?" "The rest are doped to the eyeballs." "Do you think we should get on with it, maybe?" "Maybe?" "Don't be nervous, Vila." "Nervous?" "I'm not nervous." "Just poised for action, that's all." "You've got an army of five, Blake Five and HIM!" "Do you still think you can take over the ship?" "If you do your bit." "What's that?" "Sealing gel." "If the outer hull gets punctured, this floods into the section and blocks it up." "It goes solid in seconds." "We must have been holed in that last turbulence." " Gan, what about waiting." " No!" "These blast waves are our best chance." "The crew have their hands full just running the ship." " Are you ready?" " Yes." "Make it good Vila." "Gan." "We'll be ready in exactly 15 minutes." "Will that give you enough time?" "Knock out those scanners and open the doors." "We'll do the rest." "Good luck." "Luck has nothing to do with it." " You look as if you could do with a drink." " I'm always thirsty, Vila" "Now I want to show you a little trick here." "Right, Gan You know this one." " Now, I'll watch carefully this time." " Now watch the cloth carefully." "And a one." "Never works first time." "And a two." "One more chance for you, right?" "Are you watching carefully now?" "Yeah, right." "One. two. three." " Now, that's better." " Not bad, is it, eh?" "One for you." "How will we know when he's made it?" "The light on the scanner." "when that goes off we're on our way." "He should have made it by now." "You think he's been caught?" "No, there would have been an alarm." "I'd better get in after him." "You can't." "If it all starts happening while you're in there, who's going to get this lot moving?" "He's right." "All right, you go then." "Me?" "I've got this problem with confined spaces." "There's a medical name for it." "Cowardice?" "I'll go." "Well, let me do it." "I haven't done anything yet." "I'm quite prepared to go, I just don't want to let anyone down because of my, uh, complaint." "I want to help." "What do you think?" "All right, let's get him in there." "Gan, let's try it with this one." "Here it comes again." "Hang on." "[INCREASING WHINE]" "[EXTERNAL EXPLOSIONS]" "[HISSING AIR ESCAPING]" "Help." " Damage?" " Three hull punctures, sir." "All sealed and solid." "OK." "Carry on." "What was the force?" "Down to 9 again." "It's reducing." "Not before time." "Where's that echo?" "It's practically on top of us!" "We're on a collision course!" "Get those scans fixed!" "Come on!" "Move it!" "Prison compartments scanners." "[ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE]" "Off." "Here we go." "Ready?" "Come on, Avon." "He's spotted it!" "Gan!" "Oh, come on, Avon." "The door." "Come on." "Bring the guard." "Open the door." "Put his hand on the door." "Look, we only need the hand." "If you want to stay attached to it, do as you're told." "All checks complete, the fault must be in the computer." "Get down there, Mr Raiker." "Spread out and find the armoury." "Jenna?" "What?" "Let's find the computer room." "All the doors are open!" "Well, perhaps that last shock wave did more damage than we thought!" "It looks like the whole system's been disrupted!" "Let's find out." "Blake!" "Watch out!" "[GUNFIRE]" "[GUNFIRE]" "Blake!" "Now!" "[GUNFIRE]" "Close the door!" "Come on!" "Quickly!" "Get up to the flight deck!" "Tell the old man what's happening!" "[ALARM]" "Now what?" "Cripple the ship!" "We've got all the bargaining power we need." "Use it!" "Excuse me!" "[ALARM DIES]" "What the hell's going on?" "The prisoners have escaped and got hold of the computer." "What?" "Come on!" ""Find the armoury," he says." "I don't even like guns." "Grab the guns!" "Stay right there, or we'll kill them." "Drop your guns!" "[GUNFIRE]" "Move and you're dead!" "Vila!" "I got confused." "Hands on your heads." "Now move." "Single file." "They're still in there?" "Yes, sir." "[COMMUNICATOR CHIME]" "This is Commander Leylan." "Surrender immediately and you'll be treated leniently." "If not, my men will blast their way in and you'll suffer the consequences." "Those are your terms?" "Yes." "These are mine." "Hand over all your weapons to my men." "Without the computer, the ship is helpless." "It will remain that way until you agree." "You will then fly this ship to the nearest habitable planet where the prisoners will disembark." "Any attempt by your men to break into this room and we'll destroy the computer." "Totally." "That's all." "Blake, listen to me very carefully." "There's something large, travelling very near us, and we're running blind." "We may be on a collision course." "You're putting everybody's life at risk!" "Better make up your mind quickly then." "[GUNFIRE]" "Dainer!" "Sir?" "He wasn't armed." "We were lucky they didn't find the armoury." "We've got most of them back to their quarters." "We're just mopping up now." "So I see, Dainer." "Some of our men have been injured, sir." "And the prisoners?" " We've killed six." " Six?" "Seven." "In the course of quelling a riot and protecting the ship, sir." " Very well." "Carry on, Dainer." " Thank you, sir." "I can get them out of there, sir." "How?" "I want a free hand to take whatever action I think necessary." "Do I have your permission, sir?" "All right." "Come on!" "What do you think they'll do?" " Their time's running out." " So's ours." "We have less to lose." "You may have, but I value my life!" "Assuming they do land us somewhere, what then?" "Find a way of getting back to Earth." "Back to Earth?" "That's where the heart of the Federation is I intend to see that heart torn out." "I thought you were probably insane." "That's possible!" "They butchered my family, my friends." "They murdered my past and gave me tranquilised dreams!" "At least you're still alive." "No!" "Not until free men can think and speak." "Not until power is back with the honest man." "Have you ever met an honest man?" "Perhaps." "Listen!" "Wealth is the only reality." "And the only way to obtain wealth is to take it away from somebody else." "Wake up, Blake!" "You may not be tranquilised any longer, but you're still dreaming." "Maybe some dreams are worth having." "You don't really believe that?" "No, but I'd like to." "You asked me what I was going to do and I've told you." "What you do is up to yourselves." "A new identity." "A job in the Federation Banking System." "Three months with their computers, I could lift 100 million credits and nobody would know." "Then let anyone try and touch me." "And the rest?" "Have the same chance as I have." "You don't really believe that?" "[COMMUNICATOR CHIME]" "Blake?" "Switch on your vision panel." "Scanner 34." "There's something I want you to see." "You have a clear view of our little assembly, Blake?" "We see you." "Then lock off the scanner and keep watching" "[GUNFIRE]" "I'm going to kill one of your friends every 30 seconds starting now." "I'll stop when you give yourselves up, or I run out of prisoners." "Raiker!" "Listen to me!" "Raiker, damn you, those men are unarmed!" "The talking's over, Blake." "Let me talk to Leylan!" "Raiker!" "Raiker!" "[GUNFIRE]" "Open the door." "You're throwing away our only chance." "Open the door!" "Hands on your heads." "Stand where you are." "Raiker's switched off." "Tell him we're coming out And quickly!" "[GUNFIRE]" "Move it." "Commander, your first officer is guilty of murder." "I demand that this incident is fully reported." "Now don't tell me how to run my ship, Blake." "Everything that happens here is logged and filed with the Flight Authority." "and they'll take whatever action they deem necessary." "You could have won, Blake." "All you needed was guts." "I'll settle for yours!" "Take him back." "Put them in close confinement." "The girl and I have some unfinished business." "Or did you think I'd forgotten?" "Mister Raiker!" "Have you gone completely mad?" "Put her with the others." "Mr Artix, get a technical squad in there." "I want that computer fully functional in 10 minutes." "Yes, sir." "Mr Raiker!" "This time you went too far." "There'll be an official inquiry." "Naturally, Sir And I'm sure you'll confirm that I was acting with your full authority." "There were other officers present who heard you give me permission to do what was necessary." "Everything that was said or done by everybody, including me, will be in my report." "How do you feel?" "Sick." "So you should." "What a fiasco." "You could take over the ship, you said, if I did my bit." "Well, I did my bit, and what happened?" "Your troops bumble around looking for someone to surrender to, and when they succeed, you follow suit." "What do you think they'll do to us?" "Something unfriendly." "For a while, I really thought we'd made it." "It was my fault." "We know." "I'll try and do better next time." "We had one chance." "You wasted it." "There won't be a next time." "In which case, you can die content." "Content?" "Knowing you were right." " We have power back, sir." " About time." "We have normal functions on all systems." "They're phasing them in now." " Have we got scan yet?" " Not yet." "Get me a blind reading on that echo." "It's very close." "These readings have got to be wrong!" " We've got the scan back." " Right, get me a picture." "I don't believe it!" " Take us in as close as you can, Mr Raiker." " Yes, sir." "Where could it have come from?" "I've never seen a ship like that before in my life." " She's drifting, Mr Raiker." "Maintain this distance." " Right, sir" "Try and make contact, Mr Artix;" "sound and vision." "This is Civil Administration ship London out of Earth bound for Cygnus Alpha." "Please identify yourself." "[STATIC]" "I reckon she was involved in that space battle we picked up." "She got caught in the big blast and the crew were either killed or got out in the life rockets." "It's possible." "No visible sign of damage, though." "No sign of life either." "Well, if she's been completely abandoned." "We could put on a boarding party." "You know how much that ship would be worth if we could get her to a Federation planet?" "Millions of credits." "Millions!" "Leave a skeleton crew on it." "We could do that." "It's got to be worth a try!" "Yes it has." "[COMMUNICATOR CHIME]" "Section 4?" "Stand by to run out a transfer tube." "Wallace and Teague?" "Sir?" "Kit out with your survival units." "I'll be with you in a minute." "Take us in as close as you can and keep us there." "Yes, sir." "Good." " Transfer tube ready, sir." " All right." "Begin extension." "[MECHANICAL DRONING]" "Locked on, sir." "Air pressure established." "Keep your communicators open at all times." "I want a full report of conditions inside that ship." "If there is anyone alive over there, make peaceful contact." "Weapons are only to be used as defense." "Understood?" ".Sir." ".All right, in you go." "All right, open airlock." "[COMMUNICATOR CHIME]" "Starting along the transfer tube now, sir." "We're against the hull." "It's a hatch entrance." "I'm about to operate the remote lock activator." "No response circuit 1." "No response circuit 2." "No response circuit 3." "No!" "Wait!" "It's opening There's a powerful light source from somewhere." "We're going in now." "Krell?" "Get kitted up and standby to give backup if it's needed." "Yes, sir." "We're in some sort of a cylinder." "An airlock, I think It's turning." "It's fantastic, sir." "I don't believe it!" "What is it?" "What's happening?" "We've come out into some sort of flight deck, but it's like nothing I've ever seen before." "Describe it later." "Give me life support readout." "Pressure normal; minimal radiation breathable atmosphere." "Good." "Is there anybody on board?" "Not that we've seen so far, but I'm sorry?" "What was that?" "I didn't speak." "Somebody did; somebody said something a ..." "[BURST OFSTATIC]" "Teague, report!" "Wallace!" "Where the hell is that backup man?" "Ready, sir." "Right." "Get across there as fast as you can." "Right." "Open airlock." "[COMMUNICATOR CHIME]" "Raiker." "Let Artix take the ship Get down here." "Right, sir." "I'm in the airlock and it's turning." "I'm inside." "The design is strange to me." "All the flight control positions are empty!" "All right." "Don't move." "Just look around and tell me what you see." "What?" "I heard something." "What is it?" "It's whispering." "Ssshh." "Yes." "Yes." "I hear you." "Davor?" "What are you?" "What are they doing to you?" "No." "No!" "Krell!" "Krell!" "Answer me!" "Krell!" "Now listen to me Krell if I have no signal from you within 3 minutes," "I'm withdrawing the transfer tube." "3 minutes!" "Wait!" "We can't give up that easily." "That ship's worth a fortune." "Looks like I've already lost three men." "I'm not risking any more of my crew." "Then use prisoners!" "They've got nothing to lose." "Use Blake and the other two." "Let them take the risks." "Why not?" "We might save the other three." "Right." "At least we'll have tried." "Right." "Get them equipped and bring 'em down here." "[COMMUNICATOR CHIME]" "Leylan." "I'm picking up a focused energy field close by." "I presume its the other ship?" "Is it constant?" "There've been two violent discharges, but after each the source dropped back to constant." "Thank you, Mr Artix." "I hope Mr Raiker's made it clear to you that you can refuse to do this." "Oh yes." "He's also made it clear that summary executions one of our options." "We chose the other." "Well, if you're successful, I promise that I'll get your sentences quashed." "And if we're not?" "Then you'll have no more problems anyway." "What is it that we have to do?" "Find out what's happened to my men and see if it's safe to send a boarding party across." "All right." "I've had worse offers." "Good." "Do we get weapons?" "I'll toss them into the airlock once you're inside." "Very wise." "All right, open the hatch." "Open hatch." "[GROWLING AND SNARLING]" "Get him out of here!" "What do you suppose did that to him?" "That's what we're supposed to find out." "Execution may have some appeal after all." "Let's go." "Right." "Open it up." "It's beautiful." "Look at that instrumentation." "A ship like this could go anywhere!" "This one is dead also." "[INCREASING HUM]" "What is it?" "I don't know." "[HUM INCREASES IN INTENSITY]" "You're dead." "Those tapes are forgeries." "You're dead!" "No, no." "Get back!" "I must go to him." "[GUNFIRE]" " What was it?" " I don't know." "I saw my mother." "It was so real." "Then something terrible." "But it was my mother." "I saw my brother." "It used him like bait." "I had to go closer." "And if you had, it would have killed you." "That thing took an image out of your minds and then projected it back at you." "But why didn't it affect you?" "It did, but somehow I knew it wasn't real." "Seems I can recognise dreams." "[COMMUNICATOR CHIME]" "Blake." "Are you all right?" "Yes!" "We're all right." "But we're still checking." "Stay in contact, Blake." "Get me a survival unit." "What're you going to do?" "They're still alive I'm going to make sure they don't get any ideas about staying over there." "Raiker!" "Yes, sir." "Blake!" "This would account for what happened to the crew." "What is it?" "Life rocket launch control it's been operated." "But why?" "Maybe that thing drove them out." "I imagined it was some kind of defence mechanism." "Could this ship operate under her own power?" "I don't see why not." "But could you pilot her?" "Eventually I might just be able to make her start and stop." "You've got two minutes, no more." "Help her, Avon." "What are you going to do?" "Check the outer hatch in case someone decides to try and join us." "I want a boarding crew kitted out and ready to follow me over." "[GUNFIRE]" "[GUNFIRE]" "Shall we risk it?" "Why not?" "[ELECTRONIC WHIRRING]" "[ENGINE HUM]" "What happened?" "Slight disagreement with Raiker." "And then the hatch closed." "We're on our way." "What course have you set?" "Name it." "We're free." "We've got a ship." "We can go anywhere we like." "Follow the London to Cygnus Alpha." "Then we can free the rest of the prisoners." "With a ship like this and a full crew, then we CAN start fighting back."