Now or never.

Ivan placed both hands on the sides of the opened hatch and began shifting back and forth, getting ready, timing his jump as the opening moved steadily closer.

He would have only one chance at this. He saw bug activity on both sides.

He was totally exposed here.

Make it, and he would live.

Miss it, and he would find out all about the Road Bugs.

If the fall doesn't kill me.

The opening loomed larger as it came closer.

The SRV moved in tighter, closing the gap. But still several meters away.

Could he jump that far without a running start?

He was bouncing on the balls of his feet, flexing ... tensing ... getting ready, and then: with the airlock opening still not directly opposite from him, he jumped.

The instant before his feet left the deck, another Road Bug-maybe more than one-slammed into the sides of his motionless vehicle. The impact threw him off balance. He tried to adjust his jump, but the SRV-needing to keep moving-was already pulling past him.

His arms flailed wildly as he shot across the gap. Below him was the shimmering surface of the Road.

The SRV's airlock opening already looked too far away.

It had passed him.

But he twisted and thrashed in midair, legs and arms pinwheeling crazily, and-somehow-he caught the receding edge of the portal. A jolt of pain shot through him when his body slammed against the outer shell of the SRV. Without the EVA suit, he would have been squashed.

But his grip held.

Dangling above the Road, grunting loudly, he strained to pull himself up and into the bay. He chanced a quick look over his shoulder.

The Road Bugs had swarmed over and were busily devouring his vehicle. Another few seconds, and he would have been part of their "clean-up."

Ivan swung around and reached up to grab the door frame with his other hand. Then ... slowly ... arms aching from the angle and the weight of the suit, he pulled himself up. He kicked with his legs to get some kind of foothold.

Every muscle in his body felt strained to the breaking point.

One massive effort, and he managed to hoist himself up waist-high, to the bottom edge of the door.

He swung his right leg over the metal lip of the door and rolled to safety.

"Punch it," he said, breathing hard into his helmet mic.

The captain responded immediately, and the SRV started moving forward much faster. Ivan was still sitting against the airlock door, catching his breath, when the outer door slid shut, and the lights inside the airlock came on.

They were pressurizing the airlock and-thankfully-the door would open soon to let him inside.

And see just how he had rescued him.

"Thanks for picking me up," he said.

"Code of the Road," the SRV captain said. "SOP, as they say."

No emotion in her voice.

Not exactly glad to have me aboard.

And then: "Scanner indicates you're packing a sidearm. I expect you'll take it out and leave it on the airlock floor ... once you can stand up."

Drop my weapon?

Is she kidding?

He never went anywhere unarmed.

"I don't think we should be arguing the point-"

"We're not arguing it. Lose the weapon, or you can stay where you are until we get to our first way station, and I'll let you and the council police work it out."

He shook his head, and slowly stood up, using the wall for support. He had no doubt the captain or the gunner-probably both-were watching him on the closed-circuit vid.

That's what he'd do.

So he made a show of drawing his pulse pistol, all nice and out in the open, dangling it from his forefinger, and then knelt down to place it gently onto the floor.

"I like your manners," the captain said. "You ready to come aboard now?"

"It would sure be more comfortable than staying in here."

Ivan stood by the interior airlock door. Head bowed. Hands braced on both sides of the doorway. He waited for the pressure in the airlock to equalize so he could enter the passengers' cabin.

When the light went green, he took off his helmet and prepared himself.

"You done good," Annie said, looking over at Jordan on the screen as he unbuckled his harness and then stood up from his station. "As usual."

Jordan nodded. He didn't need to be told.

But he liked hearing it.

"That big Road Bug. New to me."

Drawing his pistol, he walked over to the cabin door, unlocked it, and went down the short flight of steps to the passengers' cabin.

"That was muy intensivo," the Chippie said as he walked past her to get to the airlock. "I got most of it chipped ... right up until when that guy jumped. Then he was too close to the ship. Would have been so freakin' real!"

"Good for you," Jordan said.

When he got to the door, he checked the readouts, made sure the pressure inside and outside the airlock had equalized. Then he punched the button.

As the door slid open, he stepped back to take a quick measure of the man standing there.

Slightly built but strong looking. Wiry ... dark, intense blue-green eyes.

Eyes that said he'd seen and done things.

Calm ... self-assured, especially considering the nightmare he'd just escaped.

He was sure the man was quickly assessing him as well.

"Welcome aboard," Jordan said as he stepped past him and into the airlock to retrieve the man's pistol-an Armstrong 49.

Nice piece of weaponry. Lot of kick. And not cheap.

"You the gunner?"

Jordan nodded.

"That was some fine work you did just now."

Jordan nodded again. Then: "Your name again?"

"Ahh, Gage ... Gage Mitchell."

Why the hesitation? Jordan wondered.

"And you are...?"

"Jordan."

When they shook hands, Jordan became aware that this new passenger, Gage Mitchell, was still taking his measure.

Guy thinks he's tough ... and maybe he is.

And: What's he doing out here, roading solo?

"Thanks again for stopping," Gage said. "That was a little closer than I cared for."

"Good thing you jumped when you did. You hurt?"

Gage smiled. "A few aches. Bruises. Nothing to worry about."

"Good. Captain'll be down in a bit to talk to you. In the meantime"-he nodded toward the lavatory at the back of the vehicle-"you might want to get out of that suit and clean yourself up before you settle in. Close quarters here."

"Sounds good, thanks," he said.

Jordan watched Gage as he started down the aisle, ignoring the other passengers until ...

The Chippie reached up and grabbed Gage's arm at the elbow.

"There's an empty seat across from me. I'd like to ... get to know you better."

But the new arrival shook her off, ignoring her-and all the others staring at him-as he entered the lavatory and closed the door.

Back in the cockpit, Jordan sat down in his seat and strapped himself in.

"So ... what've we got?" Annie asked.

Her fingers played across the controls, making adjustments as the SRV resumed its normal speed.

"Beats me," Jordan replied.

"Anyone get roadsick back there when we decelerated?"

"Not that I could smell."

Annie nodded. "Good. I'll go back and have a little chat with him in a bit."

"Excuse me."

Ruth leaned over and touched the arm of the man they just rescued, sitting across from her.

"This might sound, I don't know, strange. But don't you think it's wrong to kill those Road Bugs?"

The man glanced at her and shrugged. She could see that he saw her for what-not who-she was, a Seeker, and dismissed her.

"I mean, the Builders made them to protect the Road-"

Ruth was aware the Chippie was watching them both, always recording ... even this simple question.

"Builders, hmm?" Gage said. "Never met one. And those things? No different from shooting a sonic cleaner or a blender."

Exactly the answer she expected.

So ignorant, she thought.

Still, the man, his voice, the way his eyes caught the light-he had charisma, no doubt about that.