The Twisted Way (Champions of the Crystal Book 3)

Chapter 24.3

Tirqwin and Bastureftu, intent on the consoles around the brain globe, didn't look up as Sabrina ran into the room. Tirqwin demanded, "Sabrina, who is on the control deck?"

She didn't stop to ask how he knew who it was. "Jaisen's there. Tassan and Chavadanafra are in the infirmary. Darice is hurt pretty bad."

Tirqwin's mouth twisted wryly. "Finally you have met someone whose propensity for flinging themselves into the line of fire exceeds your own. Sabrina, we need to bring the secondary core processor online and take the main processor offline."

Bastureftu said, "And we can only hope the conditioning hasn't infiltrated that, too."

"They are not linked, to prevent just that," Tirqwin replied.

"But the conditioning was in Khediva herself. She could have infected it. And if she has not, she still may."

"It is a chance we must take," Tirqwin said.

"It's like a computer virus?" Sabrina asked.

"Something like, yes," Tirqwin answered.

"Can we find out if Khediva's still got it?" Sabrina wondered.

Bastureftu said, "We would have to mindscan her. It would take time we do not have. The best we can do is switch processors and hope."

"Sabrina, get up to the control deck and get ready to disconnect the main processor," Tirqwin said.

"But I don't know how to do that!"

"With Khediva locked out, there isn't any real way," Tirqwin said. "You'll have to destroy the processor, or at least damage it enough to stop it functioning."

"You mean...blast it? Tirqwin, a few minutes ago you were yelling at me for pulling a few wires!"

He spared her an angry glance. "And now I am telling you to blast the main processor—when I give you the signal!"

Sabrina swallowed. "But what if it damages Khediva? What if I rupture the hull? What if—"

"Sabrina!" Tirqwin growled. "I am fully aware of the risks! For once will you just do what I—"

He vanished in mid-word. Sabrina blinked in shock, then cried out in horror when she realized what had happened. "Malvarak took him!"

Bastureftu looked grimly at her. "We still have to get Khediva online. I am almost ready here. Go up to the control deck and stand by."

A sudden jolt sent them both reeling. Sabrina cried, "What's happening?"

Her comlink pinged, and Jaisen's voice said, "We've been disconnected! I can't be sure, but I think the other ship has released us and emerged!"

"Leaving us in the Way?" Sabrina exclaimed.

Bastureftu said, "He thinks we haven't got a Tirqwin on board and we're trapped."

Sabrina switched channels. "Tassan, get Asnefer conscious. Malvarak's got Tirqwin and we're stuck in the Way!"

"I'll do my best," came the response.

Bastureftu remarked, "Even if the High Tirqwin is conscious and we get Khediva back online, this Way may not respond well to her. It was opened with a Pharon crystal matrix."

"Has this ever happened before?"

"No."

"Do we have any other choice?"

"No."

"Then I'm going up to find something to blast the processor with," Sabrina said.

"I will let you know when the secondary processor is ready," Bastureftu said. "It will be a rough ride while I switch over. Find something to hang onto."