stated and strode to a corner of the bridge. “This is the station that controls the self-destruct programming.” He laid one of his tarry black hands on the console, then started tapping at the keys.
“Do you know what you’re doing?” Asger’s father charged over, lifting his arms as if he might yank the crusher away.
“Certainly. I am a Z-6000, programmed by Professor Casmir Dabrowski. Navigating computer systems is a simple matter.”
“Won’t it need a passcode or a retina scan or something?” Asger asked.
His father had stopped short of grabbing the crusher, but he looked back, his eyes as concerned as Asger had ever seen them.
“There are methods of bypassing such security measures,” the crusher stated.
Three other crushers went to different computer stations. To help? Or on some other mission? Asger hadn’t asked them to do anything—had his father?
“Should we be uneasy that they’re taking charge?” Asger’s father asked.
“I don’t know. Casmir programmed them, and he’s on our side, right?”
“I sure hope so.”
“Do you know any of the Druckers’ passcodes?” Asger remembered that his father had spent a year with these people, but he didn’t think it had been on this particular ship.
“Not for bridge stuff. I could probably still get into their accounts-receivable files.”
“Oh, good. That’s sure to stop the ship from blowing up.”
His father held up a finger. “I’ve got a message from Bonita. Did you see this?”
“She hasn’t sent me anything.”
“She says more Drucker warships are here. More than the one other we knew about.”
“Two minutes until the ship self-destructs,” the computer announced.
Asger swallowed down the panic rising into his throat like bile. “We’ve got to get Jemadari’s ship detached. In case this doesn’t work.”
And maybe they should be charging back down there and trying to escape themselves…
“I am working on releasing the Star Mirage currently,” a crusher at one of the consoles said.
“Good.” Asger tried to keep his voice calm. He was, after all, in command. And then, because Casmir would have done it, he added, “Thank you.”
“I’ve warned Jemadari.” His father peered over the arm of the crusher at the self-destruct console. “Making any progress?”
“I have not been able to deactivate the self-destruct,” the crusher said.
His father swore.
“As an alternative, I am uploading the virus that Casmir Dabrowski gave me. It should close down the engines and all power on the ship. That should render the self-destruct system inoperable.”
“Should?”
The lights went out, and the bridge fell dark. Completely dark.
“The virus has been deployed,” the crusher said.
“I succeeded in releasing the Star Mirage before the power went out,” the other crusher said. “The airlock tube is still attached, but it could be removed manually if necessary.”
“I isolated the auxiliary comm system before you deployed the virus,” a third crusher said, another of the ones at the controls. “It is operating on limited battery power but should remain usable for several hours.”
“Usable for what?” Asger felt like he’d lost control of this mission. He activated his helmet’s night vision system so he could see, but that only made the already surreal situation feel more surreal.
“To speak with the leaders of the other pirate ships.” The crusher looked toward Asger and his father. “You have a plan to keep them from destroying this vessel, correct?”
Asger managed not to blurt, “Uhhh.” But barely. His plan had been to get Qin’s sisters and get out of here. That was it.
“I’m refining a plan,” his father said, but he was still watching the dark console that had controlled the self-destruct system. Maybe waiting for the computer voice to say they had less than a minute left?
But a minute passed and another, and nothing happened. It seemed the virus had successfully knocked out everything, the self-destruct included. The crushers waited patiently, several facing the exit in case any more pirates charged onto the bridge. The distant sounds of fighting had faded. Asger knew that many more pirates remained, but they might have gone into hiding when the power had gone out.
Asger’s father faced him. “Bonita says we’re about ten minutes from being surrounded by the rest of the Drucker ships.”
“How’s your refining going?” Asger didn’t mean to be snarky, but he didn’t have anything constructive to add.
“Crusher.” His father tapped the one closest to him. “Can you—”
“I am called Gad by Casmir Dabrowski,” the crusher said.
“Uh, all right. Gad. Is there any chance you can send that virus to the other four ships over that auxiliary comm we supposedly have up?”
“I could send it, but they would be required to download and open