Read Online Rebel (Rebel Stars Book 0) by Edward W. Robertson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Edward W. Robertson
Tags: Nightmare
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the cliff. On her previous sojourns, she'd explored a few miles along the bottom of the shelf, sipping from her Plain Grain as she took in the walls of blue and green and white, getting lost in the millions of years of history in their gradients. Over that time, she'd discovered more than one cave.
She glanced up every few seconds. The skies remained silent. The entry to the first cave was just a few hundred yards from the base of the ramp. She stopped inside to turn on the light on her suit. The ceiling was jagged ice, varying from fifteen feet high to as little as five, but the interior was among the largest she'd found, extending deep into the wall. She could only hope it would be enough to foil the scans.
She set down her bags of gear to take stock of what she'd grabbed from the cart. Enough air, at current levels, for ten days. Enough food and water for at least that long, more if she rationed. Still, not that much time, in the scheme of things. Then again, she had the feeling the attackers wouldn't stick around any longer than they had to.
That left getting off Nereid. The Box Turtle was toast, as was its shuttle. She was going to have to call for rescue. Her suit's transmitter wouldn't have nearly enough range. Would need to find a way to boost it. Either that, or see if there was anything from the Turtle fit for salvage.
She was noodling on these matters when the floor lurched beneath her, wobbling back and forth. She fell on her side. The ground jarred again. A heavy roar filled her ears. She was so used to the silence of the suit that this was just as shocking as the earthquake—the ground was transmitting the sound to her.
Fire shot through her nerves. She found her feet, grabbed the bags of gear, and sprinted toward the cave mouth. The ice beyond it glittered, silver. As she neared the exit, a third quake flung her from her feet. The ground cracked and screamed. Something bulky struck her shoulder. She curled into a ball, covering her head. Smaller bits bounced from her limbs and ribs. The earth shook and rumbled.
The sound receded. The debris falling on her petered away. She sat up, flakes of ice dropping from her suit. She searched for the entrance, but it was no longer there. The way was blocked by a solid jumble of ice.
They had bombed the cart. Maybe they'd seen her biosig, too, and dropped one on the shelf above her.
Rada stared at the ice, dumbfounded. Automatically, her mind laid out her options. Each was preposterous: jury-rig a comm station, stow away on their ship, or walk across the icy, treacherous moon in search of an abandoned dig site that might have an old communication station. Any of those possibilities would have been daunting on its own. Now, for all she knew, the ice had flowed down from the cliffs to leave a hundred feet of it between herself and the outside. She was supposed to dig through it with her hand tools?
She sat, sweeping aside broken chips of ice. This was how the universe worked. By all indications, it didn't want life in it. Soon, it would have rid itself of one more speck.
Why fight, then? She had another option. One that wouldn't involve hours of helpless strife and pain. She could drink what was left of her pig. Switch her suit to quit cycling out CO2. And close her eyes and wait to sleep.
She got out her bottle and held it in her hand. The plastic was insulated but transparent. The liquid inside looked and moved like water. The slightest bit syrupy. Entertainment, therapy, poison.
One option was reversible. The other wasn't. She liked to think she was that rational. She set the bottle away, got out her tools, and went to work against the wall.
~
She dreamed of Stem. Sometimes when the laser struck him, rather than recoiling or screaming, he reached calmly toward her, not for help or for comfort, but to bring her with him. To become the unknown together.
She would extend her arm for him, straining her joints, but her feet were stuck to the floor of the
She glanced up every few seconds. The skies remained silent. The entry to the first cave was just a few hundred yards from the base of the ramp. She stopped inside to turn on the light on her suit. The ceiling was jagged ice, varying from fifteen feet high to as little as five, but the interior was among the largest she'd found, extending deep into the wall. She could only hope it would be enough to foil the scans.
She set down her bags of gear to take stock of what she'd grabbed from the cart. Enough air, at current levels, for ten days. Enough food and water for at least that long, more if she rationed. Still, not that much time, in the scheme of things. Then again, she had the feeling the attackers wouldn't stick around any longer than they had to.
That left getting off Nereid. The Box Turtle was toast, as was its shuttle. She was going to have to call for rescue. Her suit's transmitter wouldn't have nearly enough range. Would need to find a way to boost it. Either that, or see if there was anything from the Turtle fit for salvage.
She was noodling on these matters when the floor lurched beneath her, wobbling back and forth. She fell on her side. The ground jarred again. A heavy roar filled her ears. She was so used to the silence of the suit that this was just as shocking as the earthquake—the ground was transmitting the sound to her.
Fire shot through her nerves. She found her feet, grabbed the bags of gear, and sprinted toward the cave mouth. The ice beyond it glittered, silver. As she neared the exit, a third quake flung her from her feet. The ground cracked and screamed. Something bulky struck her shoulder. She curled into a ball, covering her head. Smaller bits bounced from her limbs and ribs. The earth shook and rumbled.
The sound receded. The debris falling on her petered away. She sat up, flakes of ice dropping from her suit. She searched for the entrance, but it was no longer there. The way was blocked by a solid jumble of ice.
They had bombed the cart. Maybe they'd seen her biosig, too, and dropped one on the shelf above her.
Rada stared at the ice, dumbfounded. Automatically, her mind laid out her options. Each was preposterous: jury-rig a comm station, stow away on their ship, or walk across the icy, treacherous moon in search of an abandoned dig site that might have an old communication station. Any of those possibilities would have been daunting on its own. Now, for all she knew, the ice had flowed down from the cliffs to leave a hundred feet of it between herself and the outside. She was supposed to dig through it with her hand tools?
She sat, sweeping aside broken chips of ice. This was how the universe worked. By all indications, it didn't want life in it. Soon, it would have rid itself of one more speck.
Why fight, then? She had another option. One that wouldn't involve hours of helpless strife and pain. She could drink what was left of her pig. Switch her suit to quit cycling out CO2. And close her eyes and wait to sleep.
She got out her bottle and held it in her hand. The plastic was insulated but transparent. The liquid inside looked and moved like water. The slightest bit syrupy. Entertainment, therapy, poison.
One option was reversible. The other wasn't. She liked to think she was that rational. She set the bottle away, got out her tools, and went to work against the wall.
~
She dreamed of Stem. Sometimes when the laser struck him, rather than recoiling or screaming, he reached calmly toward her, not for help or for comfort, but to bring her with him. To become the unknown together.
She would extend her arm for him, straining her joints, but her feet were stuck to the floor of the
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