Shades of Gray (32 page)

“Unimportant. Do it. What’s taking them so long to fetch the parts?”

“They have to unpack them first, Majesty. I’ve dispatched four covered vehicles—one for each . . .”

“I don’t need details,” he snapped. “What about the lighting? How much longer do I have to endure this emergency lighting?”

“The rain has caused failures on the rooftop solar generators, which are being repaired now. The force field is helping, of course, by preventing any more water flooding into them, but it is taking time to pump the water out. They anticipate another two hours of work.”

“And communication with the weather station?”

Fabukki gestured expressively. “Who knows, Majesty? I am sure they are working on it. The
Kz’adul
is a science ship, after all, and can effect any repairs needed. Until the meteorite shower stops, we’re unable to launch a shuttle. Everything we can do is being done, Majesty.”

“I don’t like being stranded like this, Fabukki,” K’hedduk muttered. “I don’t like at all.”

“There’s still the ship we arrived in, Majesty. It’s easily accessible by you, and it can withstand even this meteorite shower. You’re not stranded on K’oish’ik.”

K’hedduk stopped his pacing to look at Fabukki. “You’re right,” he sighed. “This is an inconvenience I should have expected on such a backwater as this. Stay vigilant, Fabukki. I will see you in the morning.”

“I’ll monitor the repair of the force field generators personally, Majesty,” said Fabukki, bowing low as K’hedduk headed for the door.

 

The launchers for the pods were ready and loaded when Kaid and Carrie rejoined their small team and Kezule’s commandos in the landing bay.

“Time to load up,” said Kaid, taking up a position in front of them all. “You have all taken the simulations, you know what to expect. This is no different. Do a last-minute check on weapons and ammo, check the person beside you’s suit seals, then mount up. Any problems, no matter how small, let me or Control know immediately. I intend to bring you all safely through this mission. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Captain,” came the chorused answer.

“Dismissed—and good hunting.”

As the assembled commandos went through their final checks, Kaid turned to Carrie.

“Are you sure this is what you want? There’d be no disgrace in you staying behind, even now.”

“I’m going,” she said firmly. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared, I am, but I’m still going.”

He nodded and reached out to check the readout on the panel on her left forearm. “Well and good,” he said. “Stay close to me.”

“I will,” she replied, watching as he flipped its cover and pressed several buttons. “What’re you doing?”

“Making sure you don’t get sick on the way down,” he said as she let out an exclamation of surprise. “That’s the suit’s automed. It’s just giving you a shot of antinauseant. It’s always a bumpy ride down, and this is your first one.”

She put her hand inside the neck of her suit, rubbing where the hypo had pierced her. “Thanks for the warning,” she muttered.

Kaid smiled briefly and touched her cheek. “Now you know what to expect if it has to treat you.”
See you medicate Jo,
he sent to Rezac.

“You’re being cheerful!”

“Hey, Carrie,” T’Chebbi called out to her from her position two pods up as she started checking the people nearby. “See you at the bar . . .”

“Or in L’Shoh’s Hell,” chorused the other Sholans there amid laughter.

“You’re on,” Carrie shouted back, trying to keep her voice steady.

“Your suit’ll medicate you even if you get too anxious,” he said. “It isn’t designed to act only if you’re injured. Time to get into your pod. Helmet on, please.”

She stood looking at him, the helmet dangling in her hands, for all the world like a cub about to go to the dentist.

He picked up the long braid that still hung outside her suit, tucking it in down her back.
Don’t look at me like that, Dzinae,
he sent.
We’ll both be fine. Everyone will keep an eye out for you.

They shouldn’t have to,
she replied.
I know I’ll be fine.
She looked away and lifted up her helmet, lowering it over her head and twisting it so that the seal locked.

It took Kaid only a moment to check her out, and then he was helping her into her pod.

It was snug, there was no other way to describe it, Carrie thought as she backed carefully into it, first stepping over the lip.

Go right back,
Kaid sent.
Lean against the back wall—there’s a small perch you can rest on.

Leaning back, she found it—it fitted snugly under the seat of her suit, touching the back of her upper thighs.

You’ll not be alone,
Kaid sent as he moved away to see T’Chebbi into her pod.
Either Dzaka or I will stay in mental touch with you all the way down.

Understood,
she replied, trying to relax a little, but the tightness in the pit of her stomach wouldn’t go away.

They’ll be closing the pods in a minute or two,
sent Dzaka.
Kezule controls them from this flight deck. You’ll feel a rumbling beneath you, then a series of jerks as each one advances along the line . . .

She tried to keep her attention on what he was saying, but as soon as her pod closed and she was alone in the darkness, feeling the pod’s interior press against her suit, cushioning her, she began to panic. It was too like the old nightmares she’d had as a child in cryo when leaving Earth—when she’d sensed her mother dying and been unable to wake up and sound the alarm.

Carrie!
Kaid’s thought was insistent, demanding her attention.
Turn on your helmet light. Sorry, I should have suggested that earlier.

She tilted her head inside the helmet, knocking the control with her chin. Instantly everything was bathed in a white glow. Not that there was anything but the cushioned interior of the unit pressing against her faceplate to see, she thought wryly.

When the pod opens,
sent Kaid as a rumbling under her feet began,
remember the drill.
Count to ten and trigger your parachute. It’ll break your fall and lower you closer to the ground, where you can fire your suit’s jets.

Kusac?
she sent, taken completely by surprise.
What’s wrong? Are you all right?

I’m fine. Just slow your breathing, cub. Take long, slow breaths,
Kusac sent.
You’ll be fine with Kaid.

I know,
she replied, barely noticing her pod lurching forward.
Where are you? What’s happening?

Just about to, Kusac.
Kaid’s mental tone was slightly dry.
Good to hear you again.

Take care, and good hunting to you both,
sent Kusac.

Suddenly a great force seemed to grasp the pod, thrusting it out from the
N’zishok
into space.

 

“Our junction’s ahead,” said J’korrash. “We turn right at it.”

Kusac grunted and glanced again at the time display on his HUD. Nearly half their allotted time was gone. They still had to reach the entrance to the Control Room, break through, and overpower the guards there. The ’bots were doing their job well—two more traps had been found, both quickly disabled. It was the flooding and earth cave-ins that were delaying them.

“Another fall-in ahead,” said Khadui. “Not as bad as the last one, from the looks of it.”

“On my way,” he said, increasing his pace to catch up with the older male. Stopping beside him, he surveyed the pile of rocks and mud partially blocking their access to the junction.

“Need to clear them both,” said Khadui, raising his rifle.

Kusac swung his around on its sling and lifted it up to bear on the right-hand side. Holding the trigger down continuously caused the bolts of energy to form an almost continuous stream that on hitting the barrier began disintegrating it in a cloud of mud and dust. The delays were beginning to irritate him. In an effort to dissipate it, he became so focused on what he was doing that he almost missed Khadui’s exclamation of shock.

He didn’t miss the raucous shriek of rage, or the flash of a long dun-colored body hurtling out from the rubble toward Khadui.

He swung his rifle around, ready to shoot, but by then the beast had toppled Khadui to the ground with its sheer weight. There was no chance for a clean shot. Swinging his gun back, he pulled out the knife fixed to his belt.

“Get Zsurtul to the rear!” he ordered, advancing.

He recognized it when he got closer. It was the same beast as the melted metal carving nestling in one of his pouches. A norrta, M’kou had called it.

The violently lashing tail swept toward his feet, forcing him to jump out of the way as the beast, fastening its jaws on Khadui’s arm, began to worry it, snarling and hissing as it tried to drag him back to its lair.

Khadui, struggling to reach for his own knife, let out a sharp yowl of pain.

Anger surged through Kusac, and without thinking, he lashed out with the only weapon that would reach—his mind. As the beast froze, he threw his knife.

Passing within a hair’s breadth of Khadui’s visor, the Brotherhood blade struck the norrta straight between the eyes, penetrating almost to the quillons. Seconds later it collapsed, blood pouring from its nose and mouth, dead.

Eager hands pulled the large reptile’s carcass off Khadui and helped him to his feet. M’kou went to retrieve the knife.

“Once again you’re to be complimented on your throwing skills,” said the young Prime, handing it back to him. “And your mental ones,” he added quietly. “I think it was dead before your knife hit it.”

“Quite possibly,” Kusac said, taking the knife from him and checking that it was clean before putting it away.

“You don’t seem surprised.”

Before he had to answer, Zsurtul was pushing forward. “Are you all right?” he demanded of Khadui. “Let me see. Norrtas have corrosive saliva. We have to clean the wound.”

“The suit should see to it,” said Kusac, leaving M’kou to join them. “Let me see, Khadui.”

“I’ll do,” said his Second, his voice sounding decidedly unsteady. “The suit’s already medicated me.”

Kusac took hold of his arm and examined the damage to the suit. A large half circle of ragged punctures had penetrated the armor around Khadui’s left wrist where the glove attached to the arm. More worrisome, in the center was a fused, burned area through which sealant foam was slowly oozing before coagulating.

“Patch it, M’kou,” he said, turning his attention to the control panel on Khadui’s other arm. “Suit’s lost its integrity. How bad is the wound?” he asked as he checked the telemetry.

“Hurt like hell at the time,” said Khadui. “Fine now. What’s it say?”

“Four punctures, each with some saliva damage that’s been neutralized. Damn thing secretes an acid!”

“I said it did,” said Zsurtul. “We need to take the head off so the teeth can be pulled. Lend me your sword, please, Captain.”

Kusac frowned at him as he released Khadui. “What the hell for? So it can drool more acid over whoever is carrying it?”

“We must have the teeth,” Zsurtul insisted. “It’s traditional. My father told me that in the far past, in their rites of passage, young males had to kill a norrta single-handedly. The teeth are made into a necklace. Khadui and you must have your trophy to show you survived the attack and killed the beast.”

He looked over at the creature lying only a few feet away. It was large, at least twice his height in length.

“We can come back for it later,” he said turning away. “I can’t spare anyone to haul that beast’s head around.”