deathworld-第31章

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　Fast　as　possible；　Jason　went　down　the　gangway。　There　was　no　safety　on　the　ship；　which　meant　he　had　to　get　off　it。　The　lifeboat　deck　was　just　ahead。
　 Ever　since　first　seeing　them；　he　had　given　a　lot　of　thought　to　the　lifeboats。　Though　he　hadn't　looked　ahead　to　this　situation；　he　knew　a　time　might　e　when　he　would　need　transportation　of　his　own。　The　lifeboats　had　seemed　to　be　the　best　bet；　except　that　Meta　had　told　him　they　had　no　fuel。　She　had　been　right　in　one　thing：　the　boat　he　had　been　in　had　empty　tanks；　he　had　checked。　There　were　five　other　boats；　though；　that　he　hadn't　examined。　He　had　wondered　about　the　idea　of　useless　lifeboats　and　e　to　what　he　hoped　~as　a　correct　conclusion。
　 This　spaceship　was　the　only　one　the　Pyrrans　had。　Meta　had　told　him　once　that　they　always　had　planned　to　buy　another　ship；　but　never　did。　Some　other　necessary　war　expense　managed　to　e　up　first。　One　ship　was　really　enough　for　their　uses。　The　only　difficulty　lay　in　the　fact　they　had　to　keep　that　ship　in　operation　or　the　Pyrran　city　was　dead。　Without　supplies　they　would　be　wiped　out　in　a　few　months。　Therefore　the　ship's　crew　couldn't　conceive　of　abandoning　their　ship。　No　matter　what　kind　of　trouble　she　got　into；　they　couldn't　leave　her。　When　the　ship　died；　so　did　their　world。
　 With　this　kind　of　thinking；　there　was　no　need　to　keep　the　lifeboats　fueled。　Not　all　of　them；　at　least。　Though　it　stood　to　reason　at　least　one　of　them　held　fuel　for　short　flights　that　would　have　been　wasteful　for　the　parent　ship。　At　this　point；　Jason's　chain　of　logic　grew　weak。　Too　many　〃ifs。〃　If　they　used　the　lifeboats　at　all；　one　of　them　should　be　fueled。　If　they　did；　it　would　be　fueled　now。　And　if　it　were　fueled…　which　one　of　the　six　would　it　be？　Jason　had　no　time　to　go　looking。　He　had　to　be　right　the　first　time。
　 His　reasoning　had　supplied　him　with　an　answer；　the　last　of　a　long　line　of　suppositions。　If　a　boat　were　fueled；　it　should　be　the　one　nearest　to　the　control　cabin。　The　one　he　was　diving　toward　now。　His　life　depended　on　this　string　of　guesses。
　 Behind　him　the　door　went　down　with　a　crash。　Kerk　bellowed　and　leaped。　Jason　hurled　himself　through　the　lifeboat　port　with　the　nearest　thing　to　a　run　he　could　manage　under　the　doubled　gravity。　With　both　hands　he　grabbed　the　emergency　launching　handle　and　pulled　down。
　 An　alarm　bell　rang　and　the　port　slammed　shut；　literally　in　Kerk's　face。　Only　his　Pyrran　reflexes　saved　him　from　being　smashed　by　it。
　 Solid　fuel　launchers　exploded　and　blasted　the　lifeboat　clear　of　the　parent　ship。　Their　brief　acceleration　slammed　Jason　to　the　deck；　then　he　floated　as　the　boat　went　into　free　fall。　The　main…drive　rockets　didn't　fire。
　 In　that　moment　Jason　learned　what　it　was　like　to　know　he　was　dead。　Without　fuel　the　boat　would　drop　into　the　jungle　below；　falling　like　a　rock　and　blasting　apart　when　it　hit。　There　was　no　way　out。
　 Then　the　rockets　caught；　roared；　and　he　dropped　to　the　deck；　bruising　his　nose。　He　sat　up；　rubbing　it　and　grinning。　There　was　fuel　in　the　tanks…the　delay　in　starting　had　only　been　part　of　the　launching　cycle；　giving　the　lifeboat　time　to　fall　clear　of　the　ship。　Now　to　get　it　under　control。　He　pulled　himself　into　the　pilot's　seat。
　 The　altimeter　had　fed　information　to　the　autopilot；　leveling　the　boat　off　parallel　to　the　ground。　Like　all　lifeboat　controls　these　were　childishly　simple；　designed　to　be　used　by　novices　in　an　emergency。　The　autopilot　could　not　be　shut　off；　it　rode　along　with　the　manual　controls；　tempering　foolish　piloting。　Jason　hauled　the　control　wheel　into　a　tight　turn　and　the　autopilot　gentled　it　to　a　soft　curve。
　 Through　the　port；　he　could　see　the　big　ship　blaring　fire　in　a　much　tighter　turn。　Jason　didn't　know　who　was　flying　it　or　what　they　had　in　mind…he　took　no　chances。　Jamming　the　wheel　forward　into　a　dive；　he　cursed　as　they　eased　into　a　gentle　drop。　The　larger　ship　had　no　such　restrictions。　It　changed　course　with　a　violent　maneuver　and　dived　on　him。　The　forward　turret　fired　and　an　explosion　at　the　stern　rocked　the　little　boat。　This　either　knocked　out　the　autopilot　or　shocked　it　into　submission。　The　slow　drop　turned　into　a　power　dive　and　the　jungle　billowed　up。
　 Jason　pulled　the　wheel　back　into　his　gut　and　there　was　just　time　to　get　his　arms　in　front　of　his　face　before　they　hit。
　 Thundering　rockets　and　cracking　trees　ended　in　a　great　splash。　Silence　followed　and　the　smoke　drifted　away。　High　above；　the　spaceship　circled　hesitantly。　Dropping　a　bit　as　if　wanting　to　go　down　and　investigate。　Then　rising　again　as　the　urgent　message　for　aid　came　from　？he　city。　Loyalty　won　and　she　turned　and　spewed　fire　toward　home。
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　 Tree　branches　had　broken　~he　lifeboat's　fall；　the　bow　rockets　had　burned　out　in　emergency　blast；　and　the　swamp　had　cushioned　the　landing　a　bit。　It　was　still　a　crash。　The　battered　cylinder　sank　slowly　into　the　stagnant　water　and　thin　mud　of　the　swamp。　The　bow　was　well　under　before　Jason　managed　to　kick　open　the　emergency　hatch　in　the　waist。
　 There　was　no　way　of　knowing　how　long　it　would　take　for　the　boat　to　go　under；　and　Jason　was　in　no　condition　to　ponder　the　situation。　Battered　and　bloody；　he　had　just　enough　drive　left　to　get　himself　out。　Wading　and　falling；　he　made　his　way　to　firmer　land；　sitting　down　heavily　as　soon　as　he　found　something　that　would　support　him。
　 Behind　him；　the　lifeboat　burbled　and　sank　under　the　water。　Bubbles　of　trapped　air　kept　rising　for　awhile；　then　stopped。　The　water　stilled　and；　except　for　the　broken　branches　and　trees；　there　was　no　sign　that　a　ship　had　ever　e　this　way。
　 Insects　whined　across　the　swamp；　and　the　only　sound　that　broke　the　quiet　of　the　woods　beyond　was　the　cruel　scream　of　an　animal　pulling　down　its　dinner。　When　that　had　echoed　away　in　tiny　waves　of　sound　everything　was　silent。
　 Jason　pulled　himself　out　of　the　half　trance　with　an　effort。　His　body　felt　like　it　had　been　through　a　meat　grinder；　and　it　was　almost　impossible　to　think　with　the　fog　in　his　head。　After　minutes　of　deliberation；　he　figured　out　that　the　medikit　was　what　he　needed。　The　easy…off　snap　was　very　difficult　and　the　button　release　didn't　work。　He　finally　twisted　his　arm　around　until　it　was　under　the　orifice　and　pressed　the　entire　unit　down。　It　buzzed　industriously；　though　he　couldn't　feel　the　needles；　he　guessed　it　had　worked。　His　sight　spun　dizzily　for　awhile　then　cleared。　Pain…killers　went　to　work　and　he　slowly　came　out　of　the　dark　cloud　that　had　enveloped　his　brain　since　the　crash。
　 Reason　returned　and　loneliness　rode　along　with　it。　He　was　without　food；　friendless；　surrounded　by　the　hostile　forces　of　an　alien　planet。
　There　was　a　rising　panic　that　started　deep　inside　of　him；　that　took　concentrated　effort　to　hold　down。
　 〃Think　Jason；　don't　emote。〃　He　said　it　aloud　to　reassure　himself；　but　was　instantly　sorry；　because　his　voice　sounded　weak　in　the　emptiness；　with　a　ragged　edge　of　hysteria　to　it。　Something　caught　in　his　throat　and　he　coughed　to　clear　it；　spitting　out　blood。　Looking　at　the　red　stain；　he　was　suddenly　angry。　Hating　this　deadly　planet　and　the　incredible　stupidity　of　the　people　who　lived　on　it。　Cursing　out　loud　was　better　and　his　voice　didn't　sound　as　weak　now。　He　ended　up　shouting　and　shaking　his　fist　at　nothing　in　particular；　but　it　helped。　The　anger　washed　away　the　fear　and　brought　him　back　to　reality。
　 Sitting　on　the　ground　felt　good　now。　The　sun　was　warm　and　when　he　leaned　back　he　could　almost　forget　the　unending　burden　of　doubled　gravity。　Anger　had　carried　away　fear；　rest　erased　fatigue。　From　somewhere　in　the　back　of　his　mind；　there　popped　up　the　old　platitude：
　Where　there's　life；　there's　hope。　He　grimaced　at　the　triteness　of　the　words；　at　the　same　time　realizing　that　a　basic　truth　lurked　there。
　 Count　his　assets。　Well　battered；　but　still　alive。　None　of　the　bruises　seemed　very　important；　and　no　bones　were　broken。　His　gun　was　still　working；　it　dipped　in　and　out　of　the　power　holster　as　he　thought　about
　it。　Pyrrans　made　rugged　equipment。　The　medikit　was　operating　as　well。　If　he　kept　his　senses；　managed　to　walk　in　a　fairly　straight　line　and　could　live　off　the　land；　there　was　a　fair　chance　he　might　make　it　back　to　the　city。　What　kind　of　a　reception　would　be　waiting　for　him　there　was　a　different　matter　altogether。　He　wo