Quote Originally Posted by Ramil
12

His sleep or catching up with his sleep, to be precise, was calm. There were seven deaths behind his back – it was quite an experience. Besides, Kay was sure that Curtis Van Curtis wouldn’t let them die so trivially.
Arthur, as it appeared, didn’t understand it.
“Dad, wake up…”
Kay pried his eyes open cursing everything and everyone. Nothing was so much fatiguing as an interrupted sleep while anticipating death. But Arthur, as all children do, rushed life and his concept of life comprised death quite naturally.
“You’re waking me up over trifles again” he murmured. “What’s happening?”
The living (command ?) module of the freighter was tiny. There were two piloting seats and two folding berths on the side walls. The whole front wall was a screen – a stupid custom in Kay’s opinion. It was silly to look at the stars through that ‘window’ and controlling the landing through it was simply suicidal.
“There’s something wrong with the engines.” Arthur said guiltily.
Kay rose and caught himself at/in genuine hastiness of his moves. He was starting to believe in the ‘flight’ of their ‘ship’ that was standing on the ground. It was good.
There was indeed ‘something’ wrong with the engines. The small control screen of the interphased drive of the freighter…
…a semblant drive on a semblant ship…
…displayed a chaotic dance of figures that represented the power of the focusing field. The alarm light of the autopilot was flaring red and then changing to green repeatedly. Kay tapped the screen with his finger and remarkably, the figures obediently stopped at normal readings.
“What the hell?” Kay said angrily.
“Maybe we should lay adrift?” asked Arthur from behind his back.
“And lose another day for calculating the new coordinates? Let’s call for technicians and the Patrol instead!” sarcastically replied Kay.
The field power changed again – up to the highest limit. The ship jolted slightly. Arthur smiled meekly.
Is he afraid?
“Well… It’s either a generator malfunction or the control block went haywire.” Kay turned around. There was a cabinet with equipment, detectors, spare blocks… “Arthur, replace the central processor in the control block of the drive. I’ll hold control from the panel.”
Arthur didn’t move.
“He’s afraid!”
“What is it with you, son?!” Kay screamed.
“Yes, daddy.” Arthur grabbed the plastic box with the processor from Kay’s hands and ran to the airlock.
“And do stop shaking, we have bought the aThan!” Kay shouted after him.
Is this the accident promised by Curtis? How very humane. A momentary explosion… but how can an interphaser blow the whole ship up?
What are you up to, Curtis Van Curtis?
Arthur ran through the airlock and opened the hatch to the engines bay…
…and the generator power dropped to zero on a panel. The alarm/Alarms sounded in unison with a low explosion.
Kay was thrown onto the control panel. Something was breaking nearby and Kay heard (a hissing sound ?) as the air was running/escaping out into the space.
“Son of a bitch” Kay thought without any spite while raising his head. Blood was coming out from the wound on his forehead. His liver started aching – last regards from the bulrathi. His ears got stuffed up…
Then he saw Arthur or what was left of him – some bloody pieces of clothing and something else. Kay didn’t want to look closer. Curtis senior chose a quick death for his son.
For him, he chose a realistic one.
‘I’m a pilot; I don’t believe in aThan, I must struggle…’
Kay started towards the airlock on his faltering legs. Gravitation still remained. He had to make an attempt, a futile attempt to get in the spacesuit…
He didn’t expect what he saw, not even from Curtis. The airlock was torn apart and space could be seen through the ragged hole. He saw the streamlined body of the cargo hold drifting slowly away across the blackness that was stitched with the starts (parts ?). Blue sparks danced across the engines console…
‘Damned son of a bitch…’ thought Kay helplessly feeling his eyes starting to bulge out. Then bloody haze veiled the world around him.