fifteen minutes' leeway ... a quarter of an hour at least that the locks would stay jammed open.Boone threw down the wrench. Then, pivoting, he strode to the door and jerked it open.On all sides, in the distance, men were running, shouting. There was a low roar of atmosphere compressors, trying to compensate for the changing pressure. Now sirens blasted.While he watched, a surface carrier skidded around a warehouse and hurtled towards the airlock power station.Ice-nerved, Boone waited, weapon ready.The carrier screamed to a stop beside the door. Men leaped down.Boone stepped from the shadows, swung his nerve-gun. "Back, damn you!"The men froze, staring.Vaulting aboard the vehicle, Boone jammed the gun against the back of the driver's neck. "We're going onto the ramp--out to that Independent ship!"Wordless, the man pressed buttons, swung the steering lever. The carrier jerked forward.More dragging seconds. The great sphere on the ramp looming ever-larger.Boone clipped, "Pull in beside the lift-shaft!"The driver obeyed.Stunning him with a beam-edge, Boone jumped down, gun concealed once more, as a uniformed Federation trooper stepped from the lift. He made his voice harsh, peremptory: "Who's in charge here?"It brought the trooper up short. "Sergeant Martov, sir.""The crew's aboard?""Yes, sir. Security ordered them interned on the ship so word wouldn't get out that we'd taken over.""Then take me to the sergeant. Fast!""Yes, sir." The man spun about.Boone waited till they were both inside the lift, then hit the other behind the ear with the nerve-gun's barrel.The trooper went down, unconscious.       *       *       *       *       *
Rolling him out of the shaft, onto the ramp, Boone shoved the lift control lever to the fifth stop, the crew quarters.The lift ground upwards.There was another trooper on duty on the fifth level exit. Boone paralyzed him with the nerve-gun, not even speaking, and ran on down the corridor to the wardroom.Two Independent ensigns sat playing N'rlan with a navigator. One glanced up as Boone burst in; half-rose, mouth gaping. "My God! The mek-man!"Boone's heart leaped. "Then--you know about me?""Of course!" This from the other ensign. "Terral had the whole ship readied to take off on two minutes' notice. Only then they grabbed you, and the damn' Cartel nailed us down here with a secret internment order from the Federation.""But you still could make a run? Everything's aboard and ready?""Sure, if the locks would only open. There's just a sergeant and three troopers on duty."Triumph surged through Boone--a wild, raw-nerved elation that left him sagging back against the door-frame, dizzy.In a voice that didn't even remotely resemble his own, he said, "The locks are open."The others took over, after that. As from afar, Boone heard 

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