the terse commands, the bellowed orders.Then lights were flashing, hatches slamming. There was the grav-off's momentary lurch and wallow; the swift rush up, the hiss of passage through the airlocks while the sphere rocked like a cork in the vortex of the bubble's escaping atmosphere.By the time the medmen had sealed the gash in his forehead, the ship was hurtling out across the void on its appointed course, away from Mars, towards far Hyperion.Hyperion, and Eileen Rey.Though there was little enough time for Boone to think about her.And perhaps that was best, also. For the memory of her was with him every moment, like a shadow, and when he paused even for a second, dark fantasies rose and his belly knotted.So he was glad when the Independents' wizened, thong-tough captain called him in for consultation in the chart-room.The hurtling heavens flashed on the wall-screen, sharp-focussed by the microreel projector. The captain raised a long light-pointer. "This is our track. To save time, we'll cut short through The Belt and Jupiter's orbit. It's dangerous, but it may fool them."A chill touched Boone. "You think they'll follow?""After what you did--those crippled airlocks?" The captain's laugh was curt and mirthless. "They'll have the whole Federation fleet out hunting for us. The only chance we've got is to find cover.""And even if we do, we'll still be outlawed?""That's right." The captain shrugged. "So far as I'm concerned, I might as well tear up my ticket.""But if we get mekronal and chandak--""That's why I chanced it."Boone's backbone prickled. He stared at the screen in aching silence.Overhead, the com-box crackled: "Detector room reporting. We are getting blips off Ceres.""The asteroid station," the captain muttered. He turned to Boone. "You may as well know: I doubt we'll make it. Because the Cartel ships will hunt us, right along with the Federation fleet. The Europa units, Ganymede, Callisto--they'll all be out. With that many ships, they can set up a screen and follow us on their detectors. Even though we sneak through, they'll still track us and close in as soon as we grav down."Boone remained tensely silent.Now the microreel image showed Saturn rising.Saturn, mother planet of bleak Titan.Somewhere in the shadow of those vast, shimmering rings Hyperion, too, moved in its orbit.Hyperion: Another potential source of the precious mekronal and chandak. Another world of strange domed Helgae cities.Only Hyperion was turning out to be a trap, not refuge. With Cartel and Federation ships alike spread out in a filter-screen across the void, there'd be no chance for this lone Independent ship to land or hide there.Unless--       *       *       *       *       *
Boone all at once was rigid. "Captain," he asked, "could you run to Uranus?""Uranus--!" The 

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