Novella - The dark wheel (based on the game ELITE)

Robert Holdstock

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        ║ T H E ╙────╖
        ╙──╖ D A R K ╙──────╖
           ╙╖ W H E E L ║
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        based on the game ELITE

         (FIREBIRD 1986)


             CHAPTER 1
           ════════════════


   Merchant ship "Avalonia" smoothly
moved away from the orbital parking place above
planet Leiv and began a maneuver, approaching
to the starting point of the hypertransition. Eighteen-
ten minutes - that's exactly how long you have left to live
both the ship and one of the two members
her crew.
   The orbital station retreated into the shadows,
the engines turned on and, shuddering from
vibrations, the small ship went to the village
glacial hyperjump. Downstairs slowly
Leiv walked around in all his green and blue
splendor.  Six curls of purple and
white clouds carried storms to the seas, showers
continents and promised several humid
days through dense forests and deep gorges. How
bright glass shards through the green
That blanket sparkled with the lights of people's cities
and Leivians.
   Sitting at the celestial navigation panel,
holding my breath, I looked at this magnificent
world Alex Ryder. He was never allowed
descend to the surface of the planet and this view
ripped from his chest quite clearly
sigh of regret.  Jason Ryder, him
father, grunted angrily and with a learned movement
touched the buttons on the control panel.
To whom, but he knew well
the sad feeling one experiences
an astronaut at the sight of such splendor
from orbit and without being able to touch
to embrace its luxury. He was once on
Leiva surfaces. An unforgettable experience
nie... But the rules and requirements of the Galaxy
checheskoe Cooperation of the Worlds are strict and reasonable.
Leiv, like any other planet, is not a month-
then a rest and not an object of curiosity.
This is a living, developing world and in it there are
here are the people for whom he is the same,
what the Earth once was for humanity:
shelter, mother, home.
   “Another time, another time,” he decided
Alex.  He'll earn visitation rights.
Leyva, and now his career is just beginning
it's coming. He still has so much time to learn.
   The Riders were space traders in
for three generations. Founder
business was Ben Ryder, who traded
almost exclusively by the fact that he filmed with
broken pirate ships. Ben lived on
edge and the day of the sidereal year has come and we-
night fell when he did not return. Nothing
will violate the privacy of his grave, no matter how inevitable
famous, so distant in the interstellar
emptiness.
   His son, and later Jason Rye-
der, his grandson, continued the familywow.
Soon Alex will make the main decision -
puts his life on the line by shuttle
between worlds or master another profession
this.
   Space trade!  Let's be honest
Let's face it. This is not entertainment
for youngsters obsessed with the idea of fast
enrichment.  You can carry all your life
food, equipment and textiles and barely
scrape together the crumbs to buy a piece of land
on the coast of any planet earth-
new type to spend the rest of my days in
silence and secluded comfort.
   Like this.
   A whole life soaked in sweat and blood
I love the house and the clear blue of a foreign sea
at his doorstep. Of course, there are other
ty, if you want more: drugs,
slaves, exotic animals, weapons,
rebels, you'll get rich with them
will surely come, and with them the pi-
rats, and raiders, and privateers.
   And the police!!!
   The weariness of many years of fair trade
has already affected Jason's appearance, but he
I always put it off a little and this cargo
your yacht was the subject of his joy and
pride. He could interrupt at any moment
his trade and give himself up for a while
welcome rest, but fairly
Gal that only empty holds exist
those whose heads are empty, so no
when I didn’t fly without cargo, for the sake of convenience
liberty.  So today it was loaded
juice of exotic berries.
   He took his son with him on this flight.
Let the guy see what space is,
maybe he will become interested in
family business, let him know what it is
life in an eternal vacuum.
   Alex Ryder was tall and blond
young men.  He was well built and in his
planet, Onteate, has already become a champion
nom for atmospheric surfing. Like anyone else
guy, he couldn’t wait to cross
the line separating the student from the professional
la and start building a stable life: on-
reliable girl, reliable job and first
plans to purchase land.
   However, he still had a whole year to
making a decision. Year of surfing, baseball
in free fall, sky-high picnics
and other entertainment. He has nowhere to rush.
   But he also loved space. He loved this
the shine of the sun on the hull of the ship, this
the roar of spaceports and the unknown of new
worlds. He loved that feeling of exploration.
la, the discoverer.
   A voice from the communications system made him
wake up: "Avalonia! To the point of jump-re-
move for four minutes at low speed."
   “Accepted,” Alex replied and adjusted
or autopilot.  The father leaned back in his chair and
smiled affectionately, he had nothing to do yet
bark.
   Again the voice of the control system: "Login
jump-transition along channel two-seven, east,
forty-five."
   “Accepted,” confirmed Alex and his father.
began to turn the ship around, preparing for
dangerous hypertransition.  Everything looked
calm.
   On the stern monitor there is a dark shadow on-
crawled onto the sparkling disk of the planet, - still
one ship is preparing for a hyperjump.
Alex didn't pay much attention to him.
niya, concentrating on the upcoming
passing.  The father meticulously examined the stranger
ship, but relaxed. It's okay.
How could he know that he had to live?
just fourteen minutes.

   Perform a hypertransition in such a difficult
and an overloaded system like an orbital
Leyva spaceport is a very difficult matter.
Hundreds of eyes are watching your every move.
niy, fixing the slightest miscalculations. One
error in orbital maneuvering and
another time, on a completely different planet, with
approach to the Coriolis station in space
the vacuum in front of you will flash brightly
"NO ACCEPTANCE" sign.
   The ship drifts, strictly obeying
instructions from the station monitoring service
along with dozens of other ships. Time
gate - acceleration - braking - rotation, and
all this is accurate to the second; how about
angle and time. This is the only way
avoid a collision with at least that one over there
two-thousand-ton merchant, ready to pro-
ram the engine compartment.
   Then the control takes over
Representation of the Security Service
letov.  They'll steer your ship through the crowd
other traders, yachts, ferries, shuttles,
interstellar liners and rapid flights
Lyceum patrols.  Silver arrows
cut through the darkness, flash green
new and blue side lights, here and there
the warning lights of the beacons are flashing and
for a moment the screens are obscured by a wall of gray
metal
   Within a few minutes you
there are, say, seven lights to overcome
years and you might think that this is o-
rom space, but it's not really
yes.  The transition occurs through a hypertunnel,
and this is the same tunnel as any other
goy.  The only difference is what's inside
there is no ordinary space
is a magical place where ordinary
the laws of the universe do not work. Tunnel on-
is under constant supervision and management
management.  Here and there, after a few
thousand parsecs, system satellites are located
we are monitoring, rescuers are working
stations. Tunnels converge and branch
and their entire space is permeated with a hundred
channels along which ships travel. All
made to protect against two main dangers -
features of hypertransition: atomicreorganization
tions and time shifts.
   Try to make a gi-
crossing at least half a light year and
you will be very lucky if you find yourself in
of your Universe.
   You can come out magical
space turned inside out (not
a very pleasant sight).    Deformation
space may not harm your
ship, but the jelly that floats in
in the cabin - it's you. And there are also legends about
that the flight can go quite smoothly
successfully and, having descended from orbit to Earth,
Liu, you will be wondering for a long time what you are doing
interfered with that giant lizard and why
she is so worried about your appearance
life in its glorious prehistoric wasteland
no.
   So, on that fateful day, Alex
Ryder listened carefully to the mechanics
to the robotic voices of the Management Service
navigation, leading him to the point of
approach to the planet Listi. He relaxed in
chair next to his father and watched with interest
behind the work of the spaceport, and behind the stern loomed
la the shadow of another ship heading towards
tunnel.  It was a cargo ship of the class
"Cobra".
   Nobody knows how it happened
that spaceships began to be assigned
give snake names. The Riders' ship was
a rather defenseless "Ophidion", with two
hyperdrives and minimal weapons,
suitable for destruction except asphalt
roids, meteorites, and "crazy ships"
lei".  That's what they called uncontrollable ships
or controlled by dashing youths for the sake of
hee.
   "Cobra" was a much more powerful ship
lem.
   "Cobras" are ordinary merchant ships, but
for the most part they are buried under the
a swarm of weapons and all kinds of defenses, which
with which their tightly built, severe
captains. And there are reasons for this.
   To be a trader means to be dangerous
nym and always take risks. Dangerous - because
that if you want to survive, you have to do well
know your weapon and how to use it
space combat. You must be able to instantly
but to recognize a pirate, anarchist or tar-
Gon cruiser.  You must be able to get around
police traps if there are any on board
at least one of the thousands of prohibited species
goods.
   Take risks - because there is nothing
sweeter for a corsair than a fat Cobra,
stuffed with furs, minerals, ores and
textiles
   To be a trader means to shoot
first, and then pray that you are not mistaken-
Xia and your victim was really pirated
vol. Make a mistake, and no armor and no
missiles won't save you from Vipers.
   "Vipers"!  Police ships.  Ma-
lazy, fast, deadly and incredible
nicely tenacious. The pilot, of courseman, but
kill the man and the ship will continue to attack.
Destroy the ship and you'll have to deal with
rocket. Destroy the rocket and the rest
life shy away from every shadow.
   Vipers don't bite, they bite.
    ...Eleven minutes...
   - Look, you don't see this often...
    The father's words interrupted the concentrated
study of the planet, which he was engaged in
Alex.  On the right, parallel to the gi-
a strangely shaped ship was coming through the tunnel,
flashing powerful side lights.  He
sparkled in the sun and Alex saw the slow
but a rotating fish body.
    "Mowry." A submarine capable of
fly in space. It's really rare
could be found in space. On such
planets like Regiti and Aona, where only
the tops of volcanoes rise above the water,
"Mowry" was both a cargo and passenger ship
roblem.  It was the most important means of communication
with underwater cities.
    Alex looked at the neo-
bull ship, and then turned back to
aft screen.
    - Signal to her to hold on
further away?
    Jason shook his head. Only this one
an hour Alex realized that his father had long since
is watching this ship. On the bridge "Ava-
colony" there was tense anticipation. This
it was unusual and it was unpleasant.
    Something was wrong. Alex didn't know
what exactly, but I felt more and more
this.
    Something didn’t go as planned once and for all -
new schedule.
    The signal flashed, allowing entry into
hypertunnel, the attendant was heard
sound signal. At this moment life "A-
Valonia" was shrunk to nine minutes.
    Always near the entrance to the hypertunnel
flocks of transit ships swarm.
Most of them moor in groups to
orbital buoys.  Mechanics and repairmen
use these hours of forced downtime
in order to check and confirm again
repair external equipment. In that
in such an overloaded system
me, like Leiv, you can see the ships of any
th type ever produced.
   As we approach the tunnel Alex
practiced recognizing ships -
a very necessary skill for space exploration
merchant. Recognize unmanned orbital
the shuttles were quite easy. He
I saw two Espas that belonged to a military man
fleet - small, highly maneuverable,
deadly ships, perfectly protected
shockproof, equipped with the most modern
custom combat systems. He also saw
"Crate", the so-called "starstriker" -
small single-seater ship, very love-
beaten by pioneers and traders.
   Docked again to disembark the passas much as
ditch cylindrical mass "Anaconda" -
a massive truck converted to a passenger
cargo transportation.  It was ugly
an ugly ship with its doors wide open
nicknames of cosmic dust on the nose.
   It was possible to create a catalogue.  Here
"Boas" of the cruising class, these are "Pythons"
but this is a prize hunter's dream
"Fer-de-Lens" - a tightly packed weapon
I eat a luxurious palace.
   Big and small, "Worms", "Sidewind-
ry", "Mamba"... - all this sparkled, blinking -
lo, reflected the sun's rays with its gray--
blue bodies.
   As always, there were advertising com-
robot slaves offering whatever pleases
but from "real earth ale with honey
company Rogans" until "the last lunch before
entrance to the hypertunnel."
   - Let's go... Buckle up...
   Jason always said that. Alex nap-
swear, although in fact the entrance to the magical
some space occurs with insignificant
overload.  Instant feeling of dizziness
weapons, and here in front of you is an indescribable
a picture of stars scattering in multi-colored
mi concentric rings. Impressive
as if a starship were flying through
rotating pipe. A moment, and it’s all over
no.   The ship is drifting in a magical
space where there is neither place nor time
neither.  It crosses vast spaces
between worlds, and in these seconds he himself finds
will appear in a world that cannot be imagined
neither to describe nor to describe.
   They say that in a magical space
there are ghosts. Maybe that's why he
called magical. Time folds and
atoms are turned inside out. Gravity waves of thunder
are looking at each other. Something is moving there.
What is this? Living forms or shadows? Atoms or
galaxies?  - Who knows. Can't stop
curl up and go outside to look. Here
Only remote robots can operate
you, management posts, distribution
stations and rescue automation. That
that lives in the magical space of
ki will remain a mystery to people.
   But there are definitely ghosts there. On the edge
at least, the ghosts of the first ships that
went to hypertransition and will never return -
foxed
   Yes, ghosts... and also shadows... . Snake
other shadows... "Cobra" hung over them...
   - God, what is this..?
   Jason Ryder became whiter than snow.
   He couldn't do anything in this hypertunnel.
do while dodging another ship.
Alex exclaimed.
   - After all, he doesn’t know the rules! Maybe it's
newbie?
   “Perhaps,” answered the father, without looking up
eye from radar screens.
   With his face covered in perspiration, Alex follows
followed the approaching shadow of the Cobra.
   "Excellent equipment... fuel intake -
nicknames, missile containers, additional
cargo sawsus, flat dome compartment
energy bomb... rich co-
slave... and deadly..." - thoughts carried
moved quickly.
   - They are not going to attack us.
   - Hell, they're not going to.
   ...Three minutes...


     (TO BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT ISSUE)