The seconds add up, each one increasing the weight on my shoulders. My grip tightens as my insides twist and knot. It’s all my fault if Morgan dies. The lights continue to pulse. The pressure on me increases until I believe I’m going to punch a hole through the ground underneath me.
What if the shadow-blobs break through? Or Morgan is diverted to the shadow dimension? Will she survive there? They can survive here, it stands to reason she could live there, but, by their behavior, they’d attack an alien intruder. And it’s probably pitch black there. I shudder.
The lights brighten and stop, once again filling the pit with the green glow, interrupting my dire thoughts. I check the portable and Morgan is in the other pit. It’s lit by the same green light. She’s searching for the camera. Once she finds it, she gives me a thumbs-up.
The heavy burden on my shoulders lifts and I just about float away. It worked! It. Actually. Worked! Joy blooms in my chest and I suppress a whoop and an urge to dance around. Yes, I knew it would work, but I didn’t really know, know. Deep down in the depths was a seed of doubt.
“Well?” Mom asks.
“She’s there. She’s okay,” I say to the others.
A collective sigh of relief ripples through everyone like the green light through the pit. And then I realize, I’m next. Fear replaces joy with one beat of my heart. I glance at my dad.
He steps close and gives me a hug. “I’ve no doubt that I’ll see you again, Li-Li. Take care of your mother, she tends to think she’s invincible.”
My mother huffs behind me.
“I will. Bye, Dad.” I kiss him on the cheek. Then I turn to the team. “It took Officer Morgan sixty-four seconds to cross over. Bendix, since you’re last, track us on your portable. Make sure each of us has moved away from the center of the pit on Pingliang before the next person crosses over.”
“How? I don’t have the feeds on mine.”
Q?
ON IT.
“You should in a—”
“There it is. Wow.”
I meet Niall and my mother’s gazes. “See you on the other side.” Then I step into the blackness.
The blackness surrounds me until all light is choked off, leaving me blind. Then a sensation flutters through my stomach that is similar to when I’m on a space ship when it’s crinkling space. A dizzy, disorienting spin, and the nausea-inducing sense of free fall. I try to take another step, but an invisible yet stretchy force checks my forward momentum. It’s like I’m trapped in a giant black bubble.
Maybe I am stuck! Maybe the shadow-blobs have captured me and are going to slice me into pieces. Their world doesn’t have light. I struggle against the bubble. It gives a little, but I’m unable to pierce it. What if I run out of air? Panic edges out reason and I’m about to freak out when the bubble pops.
Fresh air rushes in along with a weak green light. I stumble forward. Terracotta Warriors surround me. The pit is almost exactly like the one I left.
“Move out of the way, Lawrence,” Morgan snaps.
Oh. I step aside and join her.
“Leave your ruck here for now. Keep the emitter and pulse gun with you. When you’re ready, go check the corridor and stand watch. Call me if you see anyone.”
I switch on my communicator, but pause.
“Something wrong, Lawrence?”
Tilting my head toward the black rectangle, I say, “That was…interesting.”
“I’d say. Felt like being born.”
An apt description. Not that I remember the occasion, but I’ve learned how it works. And that was one thing that’s never changed over all these centuries—childbirth. Surgery and medicines have been improved, but the basic labor and delivery remains the same.
I hurry and follow orders before Morgan can snark at me. Glancing to my right and then left, I check for looters when I reach the outer row of Warriors. The long corridor that runs parallel to all the pits appears to be empty. A string of weak yellow emergency lights hangs from the ceiling. There are shadows galore.
Then I search for shadow-blobs. While there’s plenty of hiding spots, nothing moves and the air is…warm and dry with a slight scent of cinnamon. The Pingliang research base has been active long enough to have installed an air handling system that removes the moisture and pollutants that can damage the Warriors.
The pits on each planet are spaced differently, depending on the circumference of the planet. On the bigger planets, they’re further apart, and on the smaller ones, they’re closer together.
Niall’s voice sounds behind me. Huh. The green light must only pulse on the sending side. After a few minutes, he joins me. I glance at him.
His blue-green eyes are a bit wild and he clutches his weapons harder than necessary. “Status?”
“No looters or HoLFs in sight.”
“Good.” Then he shakes his head. “I can’t believe we just crossed eleven thousand light years in sixty-four seconds. It felt like crinkling space, except instead of being in a space ship, I was in an intestine, and then…” He stops.
He’s a too much of a gentleman to say it. Good thing, I’m not. “You were pooped out.”
“Crude, but true.” He rubs his right arm.
“That pain will go away in a few days,” I say. After I touched a Warrior heart, the cold traveled up my arm and into my heart before it disappeared. “It will be interesting to see what you think of the shadow-blobs. Maybe you can draw them for those who can’t see them.”
“Maybe.”
The rest of the team joins us. All looking a bit queasy, except Bendix. He hefts his null wave emitter in one hand as if he can’t wait to shoot HoLFs, his pulse gun in his other hand. The rest of us have our emitters slung over our backs. They’re heavy and I need two hands to aim one.
We leave the portal open in case we need reinforcements. Once we have the situation under control, my father will close it.
Morgan comes around to the front. She points to her left, our right. “The base is three klicks that way. I don’t see any looters in the pits, but that doesn’t mean they’re not hiding. If we encounter hostiles, either human or alien, while we’re in the corridor, we form a wall.” She scans our faces. “A wall is the front three people drop flat to the ground. The next three crouch low, and the next three stand. We all shoot, aiming for their head, unless it’s a HoLF, then its core. You three—” She points to two techs and the guy pulling the cart. “Stay behind the wall. In the pits we’ll have more room. Stay low to avoid getting hit. Let’s go. Double time.”
I find out real quick that double time means running and not jogging. It means sharp pain in my ankle despite the medicine and new contraption. After a kilometer, I’m almost hoping we encounter aliens so I can lie on the floor. And I discover that I haven’t kept in shape during my grounding. Nothing I can do about it now except suck in more air.
Morgan does slow when we reach a pit just in case hostiles try to ambush us from behind the Warriors. We do a side shuffle, keeping our bodies turned toward the Warriors, but advancing forward.
I’m so focused on keeping up with Morgan, that I almost run into the woman when she stops. Do we need to form a wall? I glance over her shoulder and bite down on a groan. There’s a pile of rubble blocking the corridor.
Morgan consults her portable. “There are people in the pits beyond this. They don’t look like looters, but they could be in disguise.”
“Have the Warriors been destroyed?” Mom asks. By the tight line of her shoulder, I can tell she’s bracing for the bad news.
“Sorry, Dr. Daniels. The four pits appear to be filled with broken statues.”
Mom leans against the wall. I touch her shoulder and squeeze, giving her some daughterly support.
Bendix muscles his way up front. He goes up on his tiptoes. “The pile doesn’t go all the way to the ceiling. Looks like it was pushed here instead of falling from the ceiling.”
How can he tell? Too bad my father’s not here. He knows his rubble. But I study the
pile. The blocks on the bottom are much bigger than the ones at the top.
“Do you think the scientists built this?” I ask.
“Why?” Mom asks.
“If the looters disappeared down this corridor, that would be a good way to keep them from coming back.”
“Why would they come this way?” Bendix asks.
“To use the Warrior Express to return to their lair.”
Morgan taps a finger on the portable. “We could move the blocks, but what if there’s an ambush on the other side?”
Mom peers around Morgan’s arm. “They don’t look like they’re waiting to pounce.”
I peek over her shoulder and agree. They look beaten and dejected, sitting on the ground or atop piles of broken Warriors. Four pits have been destroyed. It’s hard to discern the extent of the damage.
“It’ll take us a while to clear the rubble and we’ll make enough noise to tip them off,” Morgan explains. “I don’t want to get hit by friendly fire.”
“Can we contact their Security Chief?” Niall asks.
“Only if the chief has access to a portable or the Q-net,” Morgan says.
“What about our communicators?” I ask. We haven’t used them yet. “Are all security teams on the same frequency?”
“No. Otherwise, we would have heard them.” Morgan peers at the screen. “I think I see a few uniforms.” She sighs. “Looks like we’ll have to clear the debris. Lawrence, keep an eye on our friends. Let me know their reaction once it becomes obvious what we’re doing.”
“Yes, sir.” Glad I’m not part of the clearing crew, I back away, trying not to limp.
Since they’re the tallest of our group, Bendix, Niall, and Zaim start removing the sandstone rocks from the top. We only need to clear enough to crawl through. The others form a line and hand the chunks off, sending them down the line until they reach the last person who spreads them out on the floor. We don’t need a new blockade. It’s quick and efficient, but the sounds of scraping stones and raining sand seem overly loud.
A couple of the people on the other side soon glance toward the debris pile. One or two point and their mouths move. One woman gestures for the others to evacuate that pit and move to the one further away from us. Then she’s joined by four more people, who might be…I squint. Yep they’re security officers. They spread out in a line and face the barricade, drawing their pulse guns.
“Officer Morgan,” I say.
She holds up a hand and everyone freezes. “Ambush?”
“I don’t think so. It appears they’re protecting the others.”
“Let me see.” Morgan takes the portable. “Hmmm. As soon as we clear enough to see the other side they’re going to shoot us.”
I glance at the gap. It’s only half a meter. “Maybe we can talk to them.”
“Oh yeah, that’ll work,” Bendix mutters.
“Do you have a better idea?” Morgan asks.
“No, sir.”
“Are they even going to believe us?” Elese asks. “I’m still having a hard time believing it and I was pooped through a portal.”
There are a couple nervous giggles, but soon everyone is laughing, including Morgan. Once everyone sobers, I consider the problem.
Q? What’s the name of the security chief?
OFFICER FELICIA KINGSTON.
Do you have a picture of her?
A photograph of the woman appears. Yep, that’s her.
I tell Morgan the chief’s name. “We have to try.”
Morgan draws in a deep breath, then projects her voice through the debris. “Officer Kingston, this is Officer Morgan from Planet Yulin. Our chief, Officer Radcliff, sent you the warning about the attack. We’re here to help you. Please stand down while we remove this barricade.”
“And just what kind of idiot do you think I am?”
It’s a valid question.
“I understand it’s hard to believe, but the looters have been using the Warriors to travel between planets and—”
Mocking laughter cuts her off. Morgan turns to us. “Any more bright ideas?”
The tech who’d been pulling the wagon steps forward. He looks to be around twelve A-years old, but he’s probably closer to twenty. “My sister is here.” He ducks his head and swallows. His Adam’s apple bobs in his long neck. “If she’s still alive. It’s why I volunteered.”
“What’s your name and hers?” Morgan asks.
“Torin Blackett and Meris West.”
Morgan relays the information. “Ms. West can confirm her brother from Planet Yulin is here with us.”
“And just how will she do that?” Kingston asks.
“Ask personal questions only Torin knows the answer to.”
“The answers can be wormed from the Q-net.”
“Not all of them. I’m sure there are family memories that aren’t on the Q-net.”
“No deal.”
Morgan growls in frustration. “Officer Kingston, if we’re looters, then we would have blasted this damn barricade down with energy wave guns and not bothered to talk to you.”
The woman’s aim wavers a bit, but then returns. “No. It’s a trick.”
“We’re getting closer,” I say.
Morgan gestures for the clearing to resume. “Keep low.”
Not only are they removing heavy rocks, but Niall and Bendix have to duck the occasional sizzle from a pulse gun. When we have a space big enough for someone to crawl through, we all glance at each other. Who wants to be the sacrificial lamb?
Torin steps forward. “I’ll go. They can get Meris and see that we’re telling the truth.”
“Unless they pulse you before you can say a word,” Bendix says.
“Worth a shot,” Morgan says. “Okay, Torin, make sure you show them you’re unarmed. Hold you hands away from your body and tell them exactly what you’re going to do.”
Torin crawls up to the gap and crouches just out of sight. “My name’s Torin Blackett and I’m coming out. I’m not armed.” It’s awkward and far from graceful, but he keeps his hands in front of him as he squirms from the gap.
Then there’s a tumble of rocks, a curse, and a thump. But not a sizzle. Progress! On my portable, the five officers keep their weapons trained on Torin. But the poor boy has landed in an ungainly heap at the bottom of the pile. I gotta give him credit, though, his open hands are away from his body.
Nothing happens for a few minutes, then Kingston says something to the man next to her. He holsters his weapon and jogs to the other pit that’s filled with people. An older woman stands—maybe around fifty A-years old. Her face is creased in confusion, but she follows the officer back to the others.
Kingston orders Torin to stand. The tech clambers slowly to his feet, keeping his hands in sight. The woman turns and a shocked grin spreads on her face. Even though it’s obvious the officers are yelling at her, she runs to Torin and sweeps him up in a big hug. He is that skinny.
It’s a lovely reunion, but it doesn’t last long and Kingston is firing questions at them both. Sounds like she’s accusing Torin of being a traitor and working for the looters.
Morgan huffs. “Did she not take a look at that kid?”
That kid is older than me and Niall. We exchange a smile.
According to my ankle, an eternity passes before Kingston orders, “The rest of you can come out. One at a time and I want to see your hands.”
“We have to make the hole bigger,” Morgan says.
“Fine.”
The guys get to work and clear another meter. The barricade is now only waist-high, but no sizzles sear the air.
Morgan looks at us. “Same order that we came here in. Leave the cart until they settle down.” She climbs over the rubble. Graceful, smooth and confident.
Then it’s my turn. Let’s just say I’m not any of those things and leave it at that. Niall makes it look easy. When my mom joins us, one of the officers lowers her gun.
“Dr. Daniels?” she asks in an incredulous voice.<
br />
“Hello there, Officer Bernardo, I told you we’d figure out the Warrior mystery in my lifetime.”
My oh-so-humble mother just made things so much easier. Who knew? With the time dilation, anything can happen. Then we endure rounds of questions, rounds of answers, more rounds of the same questions because the Pingliang Security Chief doesn’t believe the answers the first time around. And I thought Radcliff was tough. Kingston’s inner guardian lion is made of steel.
The looters surprised the security team by coming up from the pits instead of digging down to them.
“We stunned a bunch, but they had energy wave guns and kill zappers. We had to surrender,” Kingston says.
“You still have your pulse guns,” Morgan says in a neutral tone.
“They didn’t bother to unarm us. They’re a cocky bunch,” Kingston spat. “Then they ushered the entire base’s population—even those that were stunned—into here and trapped us inside.” She gestures to the pile of rubble. “The looters left the way you came, and that’s the only pile they didn’t use their energy wave guns to make. We were told not to follow them or they’d shoot us.”
Unease chews on my stomach and anxiety grows in my chest. Could it be that they were trapped in the pits to make it easier for the HoLFs to kill them all? But that would take days. I recall how long it took on Yulin before there were enough shadow-blobs gathered to attack. At least twenty days. The people would die of thirst before that. While the looters are a bunch of murdering bastards, they aren’t cruel. Or so I hope. What else is going on? I glance around the destroyed pit. Pit 4, I think.
“Did they leave any of the Warriors intact?” I ask Kingston.
She glares at me. “Does it matter?”
“It might.”
“What are you thinking?” Morgan asks me.
“Not sure.” And I don’t want to cause panic if I guess wrong. “Can I take a look around the rest of the pits please?” I ask Kingston.
“Go ahead, but I can assure you there’s no way out.”
I keep from reminding her there are fifty-nine ways out. She’s had a trying day.
Defending the Galaxy: The Sentinels of the Galaxy Page 22