exercises of some sort but they hadn’t left anything behind
if they had.
“Blast and afterburn,” Casta grumbled and sat back on his
heels. This made his thighs bulge under the close-fitting tan fabric of his
trousers and Del decided to look at the transmitter instead.
“No luck?”
“None.” Lieutenant Casta shook his head, expression hard to
read under his hat, shades and a light coating of dust. He’d been game for
every suggestion she’d made that day—climbing up rock faces, dropping down
between boulders, lifting aside mats of crisp algae and replacing them
carefully. She’d briefly considered asking him to do a headstand to see if he
would, but decided that was mean. “I sent out three unacknowledged pings. There’s
no way of knowing if they got through until we get back and check.”
“That’s all right. Today was kind of a test run anyway. The
other locations we’re going to have to check are much rougher and farther out
than this one. We’re working out the process.”
“Yes, the process that doesn’t seem to include reliable
communication.” Casta sighed and frowned at his transmitter sitting there,
innocently blinking yellow and green. “I don’t know if I can get a more
powerful one from the station. Those are kept locked up for an emergency. I
wonder if the major would consider…” He trailed off, looking out at the plain
below them, his expression changing to curious interest.
“What is it?” Del asked, automatically looking out the same
direction he was. In the distance she saw a plume of dust and just before it, a
tiny cart moving along at a good pace. Strange.
“Citizen Browen, would you expect to see another vehicle out
here?” the lieutenant asked in a slow manner as he kept looking at the tiny
vehicle.
“No,” Del answered without hesitation. There were very few
people on Sayre who traveled outside the borders of the agricultural
operations. She’d never encountered anyone at random this far out.
With a grunt, the lieutenant shut off the transmitter and
turned to her. “Turn your datpad off completely.” He moved to do the same as
she fumbled for the small piece of equipment stored in her shirt pocket for
safekeeping. As she was powering it down, Casta grabbed her arm and pulled her
down flat on the rock, next to him. She complied a bit clumsily, still not sure
what was happening, but starting to grow nervous. With a few efficient
movements, the man lying beside her had a pair of visions in front of his eyes,
tracking the distant cart. With a start, she remembered her own battered set
and pulled them out, bumping her elbow into Lazlo’s side several times as she
struggled.
“Watch it,” he said, twisting against her. “I’m ticklish.”
“You probably shouldn’t tell people about that right off,” Del
replied, finally getting a better view of the cart after some adjustments. Hmm,
she didn’t recognize anything about it but considering how limited her
magnification was, she hadn’t expected much.
“Why not?” Lazlo asked as he shifted again to lie lower on
the rock. This movement squeezed his body against hers more tightly and Del was
sorely tempted to poke him in the ribs a few times.
“Because those inclined to pranks would take advantage.” The
best view Del got was of a newish cart, made for rough work—knobbed tires,
raised undercarriage. She could only make out one person in it, bundled up
against the dust. Lazlo’s leg pressed against hers and she felt all sorts of
hard knobby things he’d stored in his pockets. “I can’t see much with mine. What
do you think?”
“If you think it’s unusual for someone to be out here, then
I suspect someone is trying to find us.”
“Shouldn’t we let them know where we are then?” Del wondered
if it was someone from her family. They all knew it was impossible to reach
someone with a signal—they’d send someone directly. But how would they have
known where to look?
“No, we definitely
if they had.
“Blast and afterburn,” Casta grumbled and sat back on his
heels. This made his thighs bulge under the close-fitting tan fabric of his
trousers and Del decided to look at the transmitter instead.
“No luck?”
“None.” Lieutenant Casta shook his head, expression hard to
read under his hat, shades and a light coating of dust. He’d been game for
every suggestion she’d made that day—climbing up rock faces, dropping down
between boulders, lifting aside mats of crisp algae and replacing them
carefully. She’d briefly considered asking him to do a headstand to see if he
would, but decided that was mean. “I sent out three unacknowledged pings. There’s
no way of knowing if they got through until we get back and check.”
“That’s all right. Today was kind of a test run anyway. The
other locations we’re going to have to check are much rougher and farther out
than this one. We’re working out the process.”
“Yes, the process that doesn’t seem to include reliable
communication.” Casta sighed and frowned at his transmitter sitting there,
innocently blinking yellow and green. “I don’t know if I can get a more
powerful one from the station. Those are kept locked up for an emergency. I
wonder if the major would consider…” He trailed off, looking out at the plain
below them, his expression changing to curious interest.
“What is it?” Del asked, automatically looking out the same
direction he was. In the distance she saw a plume of dust and just before it, a
tiny cart moving along at a good pace. Strange.
“Citizen Browen, would you expect to see another vehicle out
here?” the lieutenant asked in a slow manner as he kept looking at the tiny
vehicle.
“No,” Del answered without hesitation. There were very few
people on Sayre who traveled outside the borders of the agricultural
operations. She’d never encountered anyone at random this far out.
With a grunt, the lieutenant shut off the transmitter and
turned to her. “Turn your datpad off completely.” He moved to do the same as
she fumbled for the small piece of equipment stored in her shirt pocket for
safekeeping. As she was powering it down, Casta grabbed her arm and pulled her
down flat on the rock, next to him. She complied a bit clumsily, still not sure
what was happening, but starting to grow nervous. With a few efficient
movements, the man lying beside her had a pair of visions in front of his eyes,
tracking the distant cart. With a start, she remembered her own battered set
and pulled them out, bumping her elbow into Lazlo’s side several times as she
struggled.
“Watch it,” he said, twisting against her. “I’m ticklish.”
“You probably shouldn’t tell people about that right off,” Del
replied, finally getting a better view of the cart after some adjustments. Hmm,
she didn’t recognize anything about it but considering how limited her
magnification was, she hadn’t expected much.
“Why not?” Lazlo asked as he shifted again to lie lower on
the rock. This movement squeezed his body against hers more tightly and Del was
sorely tempted to poke him in the ribs a few times.
“Because those inclined to pranks would take advantage.” The
best view Del got was of a newish cart, made for rough work—knobbed tires,
raised undercarriage. She could only make out one person in it, bundled up
against the dust. Lazlo’s leg pressed against hers and she felt all sorts of
hard knobby things he’d stored in his pockets. “I can’t see much with mine. What
do you think?”
“If you think it’s unusual for someone to be out here, then
I suspect someone is trying to find us.”
“Shouldn’t we let them know where we are then?” Del wondered
if it was someone from her family. They all knew it was impossible to reach
someone with a signal—they’d send someone directly. But how would they have
known where to look?
“No, we definitely
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