Read Online The Trilisk Supersedure by Michael McCloskey - Free Book Online Page B

eighteen hours. Once we’re set up to cover that entire side of the city,
activate the jamming systems. I want them cut off from any other people they
have in the system. Then we’ll move in and seize their supplies.”
    “Yes,
sir.”

 
     
    Chapter 7
     
    A
nearby scout alerted Cilreth of the approach of her teammates. She stood amidst
the chaos of a nascent camp. She had selected a reasonably flat, clear area
nestled against an old Konuan building. The foam floor she had sprayed down was
almost dry. With the help of her scout robots she had moved the containers from
their sleeping spot to the new camp. Most of the equipment was better left in
the containers until needed, but every container could be quickly accessed and
wasn’t part of the support for the tent. She addressed them through her link as
Telisa and Magnus cleared the last stand of native plants.
    “That
was fast. I’ve got hours left to go,” Cilreth said, though in truth the camp
was perfectly workable already, though it had no well or solar array deployed.
    I just
enjoy setting stuff up in a new place.
    Cargo
containers had started to form a shelter around the perimeter, and she’d put up
an all-weather fabric cover to the area. A scout robot showed up, carrying one
of the last containers on its back. It looked like an ant carrying a squarish
boulder.
    “We don’t
know what killed the scout, but Shiny found people, Terrans I mean, on the
other side of this old city.”
    “I can’t
reach Shiny,” Cilreth said. “I was meaning to ask you about it.”
    Telisa
was silent for a moment. “I don’t know, but it can’t be a good sign,” she said.
    “What?”
Magnus said, lagging in the conversation. “Oh. I can’t reach him either.
Something is jamming us.”
    “Something…”
Cilreth started.
    “It
must be the other humans,” Telisa said. “They’d be the only ones who would know
how to do that without examining our links.”
    “It is
probably the Terrans, but of course, any advanced race could have detected the
signals and decided to disrupt them,” Magnus said. “Shiny could.”
    “You’re
still thinking he’s against us?” Cilreth said.
    Magnus
shrugged. “That’s not exactly what I meant, but still, it’s possible he’s doing
it.”
    It’s
dangerous enough going to the frontier. We need to trust everyone on the team.
Of course, I guess I quickly trusted Arlin and Leonard. Easier to trust my own
race, I guess, justified or not.
    “We can
get along without him for now. The jamming could mean an imminent attack,
though, down here or up there in orbit,” Telisa said.
    “It’s
worse than just losing touch with Shiny. I can only reach five scouts now,” Magnus
said.
    “What
will the others do?”
    “They’ll
try and complete whatever mission each is on, then return to Clacker .”
    “Maybe
we should return to the Clacker , too,” Cilreth suggested.
    “We
need more information. I bet Shiny will figure out how to get back in touch
with us. It’s true he’s not down here by our side, but he’s a valuable asset up
there.”
    “I’m
going to go take a look at our Terran friends,” Magnus said. “We can’t make
good decisions in the dark like this.”
    “Be
careful,” Telisa said.
    Magnus
looked thoughtful. “I know you’ve earned the stealth suit, but in this case it
might be of more use to me. Just temporarily, of course,” he said to Cilreth.
    “I’d
love to share,” Cilreth said sweetly. “But no way is it going to fit your
frame.”
    Magnus
frowned. Telisa smiled.
    “Don’t
be sad. I’m glad you’re a large specimen, dear,” she said playfully. “I have
the stealthing sphere we picked up on Vovok, if you’d like to borrow it. And I
do mean borrow! I can’t go giving away all my superpowers.”
    Cilreth
felt a bit of jealousy. On a frontier expedition with your lover. Nice on
the surface of it. Unless things go horribly wrong.
    Telisa
tossed Magnus the tiny sphere from her pack. Somehow the