The Caverns of Mare Cetus (14 page)

   "Gotcha, Rene," replied Garrett. "We're set for F-range, maximum gain."

   "And are you running a lotonite scan, Trent?" she asked. "We have one going here. Not picking up even a trace of it."

   "Of course I have one running," answered Trent. "Not a trace here either. But that's what we'd expect, isn't it? The coms were already working fine at B-range, weren't they?"

   "Lotonite my ass," muttered Renata. "You bet I'll check out 77C."

   As the group watched the wavering lights of Trent, Isis, and Garrett as they made their way down the stair-step passage, Renata kept glancing down at the Vimap's screen every few seconds, as if expecting something to be amiss. Devon was directly behind her, looking over her shoulder.

   When the lights of the three had dimmed to the point where he could barely see them, Hunter took a loud, deep breath, breaking the silence. "Okay," he said, "let's get camp set up and dinner ready, all right?"

   While Chef "Fussy" Ramirez got on Arielle's nerves as they worked on Ramon's specialty, Edison, Richelle, and Hunter prepared the campsite and checked through the supply inventory. Devon continued to stand behind Renata as if she was a guard, seeming to irritate Renata to no end. After about an hour, dinner was ready, but Hunter and Richelle were still modifying the perimeter light arrangement because Richelle wasn't pleased with the way Hunter and Edison had originally positioned the lights.

   "A l-l-little to the right," said Richelle, her words barely audible.

   "Did you say left?" asked Hunter as he changed the angle of the small, bright, directional blue light, which was on top of a telescoping pole with a weighted, square base.

   "N-n-n-o, right," she said, motioning with her hand.

   "Does this really matter?" he muttered under his breath. He repositioned the light. As he watched Richelle look back several times toward the campsite, he tried to figure out what she was seeing with the lights that he wasn't. He sighed. He had always been an easy target for a woman's predilections, especially if the woman knew how to plead to his sympathies. Richelle, apparently, was one of those women…

   "That's perfect. Right there. Lock it there." She brushed back her long, straight blond hair from her face. "You know, Isis really p-ppisses me off sometimes."

   He wondered what suddenly brought that up. "Why? I thought you two were friends."

   "Of c-c-course we are. D-d-don't your friends ever piss you off? Like Renata. She's your friend, isn't she? She does things you don't like sometimes, d-d-doesn't she?"

   "Uh, who said Renata and I were friends?" Hunter glanced at Renata whose face was buried in the Vimap, her back up against the pyramid of rocks, Devon now sitting directly behind her on top of the pyramid, looking at her fingernails, her right leg crossed over her left above the knee, her left foot planted on a "pyramid" step to the right of Renata.

   "It's pretty obvious to me. The woman's like b-b-been all over you."

   Hunter looked into Richelle's glistening azure blue eyes.

   She looked puzzled at first, then chuckled. "You're joking, right?"

   "Hunter!" called Renata. "Come here. It's Trent."

   Hunter hurried over to her, and she handed him the Vimap. He sat down beside her on her left. Devon promptly hopped off the pyramid and sat on the other side of Renata. Then she began rubbing her forehead—it looked to Hunter as if Devon had a headache. As he examined the screen, observing the three were about a kilometer and a half away, the rest of the party gathered around.

   "What gives?" asked Ramon. He handed Hunter a cup of beer and a plateful of tortilla pie.

   Hunter set the plate on his lap and took a sip of beer. "Trent," he called on his com. "Hunter here. Status, please."

   After a few seconds he got a response. "Hunter, Trent here. Haven't sighted the Kalo yet, but we're closing. It looks like it's a little over a hundred meters away, down a narrow side-passage. We're about ready to head in there now."

   "Well, if it's any comfort at all, we've got you monitored here," said Hunter. Arielle had sat down next to him and was leaning on his shoulder, straining to get a view of the screen. He handed her the Vimap.

   "Are you picking up any Residual Electromagnetic Tracers?" asked Renata.

   There was a long pause.

   "Repeat what you said," said Trent. "Couldn't make it out."

   "Are you getting any RETs?" she repeated. "You should be detecting some if the Kalo went into the channel. From what I read on the map, that channel dead-ends about two hundred meters in."

   "No," replied Trent as static began to disrupt his transmission. "…detecting any RETs, but I'm…odd reading on the…" Loud, irritating static crackled across their coms. "…seventeen hundred milliamps…"

   Hunter set his plate on the ground. "Is that a lotonite effect?"

   "Not likely," said Renata. "His last scans picked up no trace of it. After reviewing his analyses, I can't figure out how he came to his conclusions anyway. Either I've missed something, or lotonite is not an issue. It's hard to believe that's his work. The methodology is sloppy. Totally unlike him. "Trent, run a frequency bypass," she said into her com. "Go to I-Range communications. Repeat—I-Range. Your transmissions are breaking up." She glanced at Arielle. "We're boosted to maximum on this end, aren't we?"

   "How about a visual?" exclaimed Edison. He sat down beside Richelle who was sitting next to Devon. "What about a visual?"

   It took just a second for Arielle to enter a code into the Vimap. "Yes. I'm punched to maximum. I-Range. And no. I can't get a visual. Something's screwing that up as well."

   "I know what's doing it," grunted Edison. He shook his fist. "We ought to tear all those SOBs apart." He stretched out his legs, then took a swig of his beer.

   "Do you read me?" asked Renata.

   "…bypass you…chronized on I-range…try to channel…" Static flooded their coms. "Now we're picking up twenty-two hundred milli…"

   "Damn it," said Garrett. "Damn this thing…"

   "What's going on?" asked Hunter. "Trent. What's going on?"

   "C-c-can't you get any better r-r-reception?" asked Richelle, her voice quavering.

   "I'll try to run a signal enhancement through one of the other Kalos," answered Arielle.

   "Bastard robots," said Edison. He belched, then took another swig of his beer. "If you ask me, they're all in collusion."

   "…twenty-six hundred…" came Trent's voice. "It seems…passage."

   "What's he talking about?" asked Hunter. "Twenty-six hundred what?"

   "It's not RETs," said Renata. She pushed her hair away from her face. "That's a current reading of some kind. Why is he picking that up?"

   "I think I've got a…" said Garrett as a burst of harsh, brutal static filled their coms. "…closing in on that SOB…that wily bastard's trying to use that block…has its lights turned off, but that's not…"

   "…that monitor," said Isis. "…rett, this thing says it's only five meters…of the passage. But that can't be. I don't see…"

   "There, over there…" said Trent. "…move about halfway between that rock outcrop…block where Garrett said."

   Isis cried out, then two powerful
thuds
rang through their coms, sounding as if a large hammer had been slammed against an empty metal drum.

   "Damn it, Isis," said Garrett. "What are…"

   "But I thought…" said Isis. "…pointed it…"

   Harsh, steady static inundated the communications.

   "…me," said Garrett.

   "Repeat," said Renata. She crossed her legs and pushed her hair out of her face again, sweat now beading up on her forehead. "Repeat your last transmission."

   Devon crossed her legs and pushed her hair back too.

   "God, what's happening there?" asked Arielle, her voice breaking.

   "Shit!" echoed Trent's voice. "…moved over there."

   "Where?" asked Isis. "I didn't see…about? Point it out."

   "Can't you see that?" asked Trent. "That has…thirty-three…on my screen. The KDM seems…is being sourced from over there, some…putting out that signal. I don't know why, but it has to be. And…must be closing…" Heavy static spilled through their coms. After it dissipated, Trent continued. "…is what we should be keying on. I'm running a frequency profile…has to be…Garrett. All indications…Look! There! Isn't…"

   "I've got you now," said Garrett.

   Suddenly a shrill, pulsating pop spilled through their coms.

   "The G40," said Ramon who was crouching beside Arielle. He put a hand on her shoulder.

   "Trent!" cried Renata. "What's going on?"

   "I have some bad news," said Arielle as she looked at the Vimap. "It looks like their signals are fading."

   Hunter groaned. "We don't need that. Trent! Status! Give us status!"

   "This doesn't look good, Commander," said Edison. He crumpled his cup, spilling the rest of the beer in his hand.

   "We can't be losing them. Give me that thing." Renata leaned over Hunter's lap, and as she yanked the Vimap out of Arielle's hand, she lost her grip on it and sent it bouncing to the ground in front of her. She went to retrieve it, but Devon lunged forward and grabbed the Vimap first, Renata's hand coming to rest on top of Devon's. Renata bared her clenched teeth.

   "Sorry," said Devon as she smiled sheepishly at her. She turned up her hand, giving Renata the Vimap. "God, you are so left-handed, aren't you?"

   "I am what?"

   "Uh, I just said you're left-handed, that's all. I knew you were lefthanded. I mean, that's so cool you're left-handed."

   "I don't have time for nonsense," said Renata as she began working with the Vimap.

   "…shows it as being farther down the…" came Trent's voice. "I think I have it pegged with…the reading from the KDM. It's possible…been distorting the KDM readings with…"

   "It's?" asked Isis. "What do…"

   "…how it's doing it," said Trent. "But it is doing it. It…"

   "Son of a bitch," said Garrett. "Show your bloody…"

   Hunter sat up straight, a dull pain stabbing at his stomach like he had instantly acquired an ulcer. He noticed Richelle was now nearly sitting on Edison's lap, her mouth open, her eyes wide with fear.

   "What is going on?" asked Renata, her characteristic, poised determination taking control of her voice. "Give us status, Trent."

   "…filthy bastard," said Garrett. "Where is it?"

   "What the hell was that?" asked Trent, the static abruptly subsiding, the communications becoming crystal clear. "Did you hear that?"

   "Yes. I…" said Isis as abrasive crackling and popping took hold of the transmission again.

   "…sounds like a piece of metal banging…" said Trent.

   "But it's coming from…" said Isis. "Behind…"

   "No way," said Trent. "That's not wha…"

   "…got you…I want…slimy son of a…" said Garrett.

   A shrill, pulsating pop spilled through their coms, followed by three tremendous cannon shots, their grating echoes rippling through the cavern.

   "Just how smart is one of those things?" asked Edison, rage and dread seeming to be fighting for control of his face.

   "Garrett!" exclaimed Renata. "What is going on?"

   "…look over there…" came a muffled voice over their coms, "…right behind that slab…can you see…"

   "I don't…" said Isis. "…stuff? Where'd it come from? It looks like some kind of haze…damn thing through…"

   "Haze?" asked Renata, looking confounded. "Did she just say haze?"

   "Trent! Trent! Are you still receiving us?" cried Hunter. There was a long break in the transmission, not a word being uttered by anyone.

   "Where is it?" asked Garrett, breaking the silence.

   "Do you hear that?" asked Isis. "That noise? Farther…back…down that side…"

   "That's got to be…" said Trent. "Yes. Hunter. We're still receiving your…know how, but…this Kalo is playing aud…centric games with us. We should easily…but it's doing something to distort…a bunch of false readings."

   "…now it's thirty-eight…" said Isis. "Huh? Wait a second, Trent. What…isn't coming…position…from right here. Like right out of your K…what the hell…to check this out."

   "Hey, Isis, get your ass…" said Garrett.

   "Oh, my God!" screamed Isis. "Shit! It's…"

   "…it's mine now!" cried Garrett.

   A shrill, pulsating pop spilled through their coms.

   "What the hell?" shouted Garrett amid Isis' screams. "I…"

   "…missed!" cried Trent. "It's moving…trying to…it!"

   "…miss again," said Garrett.

   Renata looked down at the Vimap. "We're losing their signals…crap. They're gone."

   "We need to get to them," said Edison. He stood up and started dancing around. "We have to get to them. What the hell are we doing here? Man, what are we doing?"

   Hunter got up and stood in front of Edison. "Take it easy. We haven't lost them yet." He put his hands on Edison's shoulders. "Calm down."

   Edison took a deep breath. "Sure, Commander. Sure. You're right."

   "Renata," said Hunter, looking toward her, "send in the nearest Kalo."

   "Already on it," she said as her fingers raced over the small keypad on the Vimap. "Number One's about three kilometers from their position. I've reprogrammed it and set it for a distinctive signal so they know it's coming."

   "Good," said Hunter. "That's my girl." He released his grip on Edison.

   "…an unknown data influx…" came Trent's voice through their coms amid bursts of harsh static. "…reading from…KSD…synchronous flow from…trace…being centered mean…make any sense…Garrett, what do…look…Isis…back…get…"

   "Trent!" called Renata. "Repeat! Repeat your transmission. We've lost your HIDs. Can you still read us?"

   After several stress-filled moments of silence, Trent's voice came through their coms, but it sounded like someone was groaning in the background. "…hurt pretty…don't know how this could…" There was a long pause. "Renata, still reading you somewhat clearly…"

   "Who's hurt?" asked Renata. "Who's hurt?"