“There should be ladders,” Mark was saying. “We need to go down three levels and then head hub-ward. That means toward the spindle.”
“Thank you Captain Courageous,” Zelda muttered scornfully. “Who the hell doesn’t know that?”
Tei’Shima followed her friends headfirst down the ladder way. They didn’t need to use the rungs. No gravity made some things easier. Mark raced ahead, clearly agitated. Before she could ask why, she felt it. There was no sound in vacuum, but she felt the vibrations when she touched the deck to change direction. The station was skimming Pandora’s atmosphere, on the verge of re-entry.
“Hurry!” Mark yelled. “There!”
“No you fool!” Shortcut yelled. “They’re red, dammit!”
Tei’Shima could see the empty escape tubes. Their red indicator lights were very obvious. Shortcut was right, but Mark took no notice. He kept going, and disappeared around a corner.
“Don’t stop!” Tei’Shima yelled feeling the vibrations growing worse each time she touched a surface. “Kazim! Keep going or I’ll shred your ears!”
It was practicality talking. She had no idea if Mark had simply panicked or whether he’d seen something, but there was no more time. Doubling back would be death. All they could do was keep going forward.
They rounded the corner Mark had used, ignoring the rows of red lights indicating missing escape pods, and found him hammering on a green lit hatch. It was green!
“It won’t open,” Mark panted. “Please. I did it right. Please open. Oh my God.”
“You did it!” Zelda cried.
“It’s broken. It won’t open.”
Shortcut shoved Mark out of the way. “I’m not dying after all this!” She pressed controls. “You moron! It still has pressure and we’re in vacuum. You would’ve killed us if you’d opened it!”
The station shook visibly. Loose equipment changed vector as the station bit into atmosphere. Zelda cried out as some of it hit her.
“Can you fix it?” Tei’Shima said, and ducked some of the junk heading towards her. “Fix it!”
“Airlocks work by equalising pressure,” Shortcut snarled back. “I can’t pressurise our side. I have to pump the airlock down to vacuum. It takes time!”
“We haven’t got any time!”
“I know!”
Tei’Shima spun around trying to think of something she could do. She saw Kazim watching her calmly next to Varya, and wanted to howl at him. She didn’t have the answer! Why was he looking at her like that? Then suddenly she did.
“Out of the way!” she cried digging frantically in her kit for her beamer.
“Oh my God we’re going to die,” Mark said.
“Keep whining and I’ll make sure of it!” Zelda yelled.
Shortcut saw the beamer, and dived out of the way just in time. Tei’Shima fired at the little round window in the airlock’s hatch. It was tough. It took three full-powered shots to break through. Air blasted out of the breach and hit her in the face, spinning her away. Her helmet took the impact well. It didn’t break, but it felt like being run over by a Shkai’lon. When she hit the far wall, she decided it felt like a herd.
Shortcut slapped a control, and the hatch slid aside.
Mark dived in and opened the door in the escape pod. “In in in!”
Everyone piled inside.
Tei’Shima blinked lazily around the rapidly emptying room. Everything was spinning. No, it was her. She was upside down. Then right way up. Then upside down. She shook off the woozy feeling, and kicked against the overhead.
She was the last one in.
Mark slammed and locked the hatch.
Everyone strapped in. Tei’Shima grabbed the closest seat and used the safety harness to secure her bag. She sat in the couch next to it. Mark chose the seat next to her on the other side.
Shortcut had the controls. “Five, four... oh fuckit,” she said and hit launch. Nothing happened. She hit it again. “Ummm... guys?”
* * *
39 ~ Balance
Nstar Industries Shipyard, Decaying Orbit, Pandora
They would never know what caused the delay. It could’ve been the damage the station had suffered, or a minor fault in the escape pod’s launch mechanism. It might even have been working as intended. There was no telling. No one had used an escape pod before. Not even Mark. No matter the cause, the delay was long enough to raise everyone’s anxieties, but not long enough for them to act upon them.
The explosive bolts fired. They were silent in the vacuum, but the sudden acceleration reassured everyone they were on their way to Pandora at last.
Tei’Shima grunted as the brutal acceleration crushed her into her seat. Her tail was pinned underneath her and it hurt, but there was nothing to be done. She felt so heavy. She had no chance of freeing it from her own weight. The others were feeling the strain too. She heard their gasps and groans over the comm. Finally, the acceleration died, and she was able to move.
Shortcut did something and a rectangle on the wall became a window. Whether it really did or not Tei’Shima couldn’t tell, but she suspected it was more of Zelda’s magic like the pod’s transparency. The rectangle gave them a view of the station receding from them. It was glowing from friction with the atmosphere. Pieces were breaking off as they watched.
“Whoa,” Zelda said. “Look at that. We came that close to biting the big one. I hope you’re getting all this, Kazim. My producers will pay big money for a copy.”
Shortcut laughed.
“I’m sure a deal with my caste can be negotiated. A percentage of royalties plus an advance should do it.”
“How about a cut of my next sensim’s profits while you’re about it,” Zelda said sourly.
“Thank you! That’s a very generous offer. I’ll be sure to mention it.”
Everyone laughed. The sudden release of tension left them feeling giddy. The escape pod was falling away with the rest of the station debris. It was a hazard, but it also lent a crumb of safety. They were anonymous. Just more junk burning up.
“These are our landing sites,” Shortcut said, and replaced the station with a shortlist of place names. “We need to choose one, or the pod will use the default automatically.”
Tei’Shima could read English, but only poorly. She’d learned on Snakeholme by quizzing Chailen. Her sib had been determined to help her mate learn Human healing techniques, and English or Mandarin were essential for that. They’d been living with vipers at the time, and they tended to use English by default, so they’d concentrated on that language.
She carefully puzzled out the Human symbols and recognised a few of the names. One thing was certain, the default landing site wasn’t a good choice. They’d boarded a shuttle up to Nstar from Westby Spaceport. It was the main transport hub on Pandora and would be a priority target. The Merkiaari would definitely land troops there in order to attack the capital.
“Southaven. Mountain. Rescue. Station,” Tei’Shima said carefully. It was fifth down. “That one.”
“Why there?” Mark said. “It will take hours for a rescue party to reach... oh.”
Exactly. Southaven Province was many many heikke from everywhere. There were no large population centres to attract the Merkiaari.
Shortcut tapped the name on her screen and highlighted Southaven. She locked it in, and the escape pod reacted by firing attitude thrusters. The pod slowed. It reoriented and fired its thrusters again. Everyone remained strapped in to their couches. The pod had no internal gravity field. It used rugged, zero-frills, technology designed to do one thing and never fail. Get its cargo to the planet’s surface in safety.
“Why Southaven?” Zelda asked. “Have you been there?”
“My people were assigned to Southaven Province for the games, and it’s out of the way. I don’t think the Merki will be interested in it, or not right away.”
“It’s Southaven here we come then. Let’s get some skiing in while we’re there. It’ll be fun!”
Haze laughed, and Bruiser grinned at Shortcut.
“Why is that funny?” Kazim said.
Shortcut scowled. “It’s because the last time I went skiing I nearly broke my neck.”
“She has terrible balance on skis,” Zelda confided. “She paid the best instructors, and they left crying...” Zelda grinned at her friend. “Tears of laughter.”
“Exaggerate much? The instructors didn’t laugh at me, but they did issue a refund. They were the ones who said I was ready to try the slopes without stabilisers. They were wrong.”
Tei’Shima let their conversation wash over her, and sought the peace of the Harmonies. She needed time to think. She closed her eyes, and the Harmonies drew closer.
Tei’Shima’s breathing slowed and her thoughts calmed, allowing her to see all the connections surrounding her. The bond between Shortcut and Zelda was strong, and the one between the two warriors likewise, though not between them and their patrons. They were warriors who served for pay, not love. Mark was a lonely island in the Harmonies. He had no bonds of love or family, and his mind glow was dull. He grieved for lost friends. As expected, her own bonds with Varya and Kazim were strong. The Harmonies whispered of friendship hard earned, and of love. Varya was a fellow warrior and her comrade in battle. He was more than a friend. She loved him like the brother she didn’t have.
Kazim...
Tei’Shima couldn’t ignore the bond between them. It was bright and strong and very obviously not the same as the one between her and Varya. There was love and friendship between them, but Kazim wasn’t a substitute brother like Varya. He was more. They hadn’t spoken of it, but he knew. Her thoughts drifted and she saw the recent past. The destruction of the great ship named for Hercules. He’d died stillborn. He would never see battle and gain honour for his name. She saw Shortcut instinctively leap for the pod’s controls again, and save them from disaster. Zelda might be her Tei, but Shortcut was more than just a follower.
Tei’Shima drifted and her thoughts slowed further. At last she found her elusive balance, and felt much better for it. Fear was the enemy of balance. It could lead to stress and wrong thinking. And that was where the real danger lay. She was Tei now. Her people would follow where she led. When her merest whim could become their action, their wellbeing relied upon her balance. She must live in harmony for them and for herself.
The escape pod landed vertically in the middle of a blizzard. If Tei’Shima had been allowed a choice, she never would have agreed to it. Wind shear threatened to push them off course, but the escape pod coped with the conditions very well. They didn’t crash, and eventually hovered over the landing field. The wind had cleared the pad of snow to reveal a sheet of ice.
“And three... and two... and one... we’re down,” Shortcut announced as the pod’s engines shut down. “Thank you for flying Crash ‘n’ Burn Interstellar. Please consider us for all your end of the world needs.”
Zelda and her friends laughed.
Kazim and Varya exchanged puzzled looks, and Tei’Shima agreed. Alien humour was incomprehensible. She unbuckled her harness and stood to stretch her legs. Everyone removed their helmets, and took turns moving around. The pod wasn’t that spacious.
“Do we wait out the storm?” Kazim said.
Everyone looked at Tei’Shima. Since when had the Humans elected her as their leader? She looked to Zelda. Surely she was Tei for the Humans, but Zelda simply grinned and shrugged. Fine. She would lead the Humans until they didn’t need her anymore.
“How far to the station?” Tei’Shima said.
Shortcut made the magic work again, and a window appeared. Tei’Shima looked out at the storm. She could just make out the buildings in the distance. They weren’t too far away. The storm would slow their progress, but they could be inside in less than a tenth of a seg.
“Varya will scout the situation. When he reaches the building, Kazim and the rest of you will join him. I’ll follow and use the Harmonies to guide you to him if necessary.”
Varya stripped off his suit, obviously relieved to be rid of the thing. Kazim and Tei’Shima quickly did the same, and revelled in their freedom.
Zelda grinned as they dropped to all fours and stretched.
Tei’Shima groaned in pleasure and shook out her pelt. By the Harmonies it was good to unkink her tail. She’d tried to shut out the discomfort, but the dull ache had always been there while wearing the suit. As she stretched and flexed every muscle in her body, the ache began to fade.
“You’ll freeze,” Mark protested.
Varya laughed as he pulled on his harness and checked his beamers. Kazim chuffed in amusement as he dug in their kit bag. He handed Tei’Shima her gear before pulling on his own harness.
“We’ll be fine,” Tei’Shima said. “This is mild compared to winters back home. You should keep your suits on.”
“Oh we will. Count on it. Brrrrr,” Zelda said with a shiver.
Varya clipped his ear-bud to his right ear, and tested it by flicking his ears a few times. It stayed put. He finished getting ready by putting on his throat mic and testing it.
Tei’Shima heard him clearly through the ear-bud clipped to her left ear. She tested her own mic and comm, sub-vocalising as if already sneaking into enemy territory. She might be doing that one day soon. Varya gestured with his tail. He’d heard her perfectly.
The Humans donned their helmets while Tei’Shima checked and holstered her beamers. When everyone was ready, Varya undogged the hatch and slipped out. Wind and snow blasted inside before Zelda could shut it again. Tei’Shima ignored what was happening in the pod, and tracked Varya with the Harmonies. He did what scouts do, circling the pod and then spiralling outward to scout the area. She knew when Varya reached the station. He circled it and stopped.
“All clear, Tei,” Varya said, his voice clear despite the conditions. “Bring the Humans.”
“Coming now,” Tei’Shima replied, and gave Zelda the order.
The Human opened the hatch and led the way out. Tei’Shima followed them, locked the hatch, and shepherded her charges to where Varya waited. She didn’t need to do much. The trek was short, and everyone managed to reach the station without losing their way. They trooped into the rescue station, and Varya shut the door to cut off the howling wind.
The Humans looked around the darkened interior, and removed their helmets. The station was powered down and very cold. Their breath smoked on the air.
“Let’s get the power running and a hot meal in our bellies. I’m starving,” Zelda said. “And find the comm, would you? We need a rescue party out here asap.”
Shortcut nodded. “I want a hot bath and about a week of sleep in my hotel room.”
Humans would never cease to amaze Tei’Shima. Here they were in the wilds, a howling blizzard outside, and death descending from orbit in the form of the Merkiaari, and they were more concerned about their comforts than the Merki. A brave people. Or simply crazy. A little of both she suspected.
Mark found the master power breaker and got the lights on after a few minutes of stumbling around in the dark. The heating came on, and air-blowers began blasting warm air.
Blinking their light-sensitive eyes, they searched the interior for a comms and found it. They also found plenty of supplies to support a party larger than theirs for a season. A kitchen would supply hot meals, and beds gave them comfortable sleeping quarters. As the interior of the station warmed up, everyone removed their suits and pulled on the clothes in their kit bags.
Once again dressed the way Tei’Shima had first met them, Shortcut tried to reach someone on the comms while Mark and Zelda made themselves at home. Zelda busied herself in the kitchen making everyone hot food and drinks, while Mark found the vid and began surfing channels for news. Bruiser and Haze joined him to watch. Kazim found a quiet corner to review his recordings and add his observations of their adventure thus far.
Tei’Shima took Varya to one side. “I don’t think we’ll be rescued by air.”
Varya flicked his ears in agreement. “I can’t see any pilot willing to risk the storm.”
“I was thinking more along the lines of the Merkiaari.”
“Them too,” Varya agreed.
“We’ll have to walk out. You and I will have no problem doing that. Kazim will be fine with us, but the Humans won’t make it.”
Varya turned to evaluate them.
Tei’Shima knew what he was thinking as he studied their friends. Humans were robust creatures, but their clothing was ill suited to the conditions. They all wore thin shirts that would do nothing to keep them warm. Their lower halves were fully covered, but again the clothing wasn’t meant for winter conditions. They did have boots and jackets, but the simple action of dressing warmly against the slight chill of the station only emphasised the problem. If they felt the need to dress warmly indoors, there was no chance they could brave the weather. Storm or no storm.
“I’ll tell them,” Tei’Shima said. “They’ll be safe here. The Merkiaari will be too busy to bother them.”
Varya flicked his ears in agreement.
“Food is ready!” Zelda called. “Come and get it!”
* * *
40 ~ Taking Stock
Southaven Province, Pandora
As the storm vented its fury outside, Tei’Shima ate a hot meal among friends and laughed with them. Kazim and Zelda were the focus of the banter. Tei’Shima and Shortcut were often their targets, but both endured it good naturedly.
Bruiser and Haze were quiet. They’d been watching the news and had seen some disturbing things. Tei’Shima had been through it. She knew some of the thoughts running through their heads, but it could’ve been worse for them. They were lucky they were only visiting Pandora and didn’t have family at risk.
When everyone had eaten their fill, talk turned to serious matters. They moved into the other room with cups of coffee or tea, and sat to discuss the future. Tei’Shima and the others threw cushions onto the floor leaving the couches for the Humans to use.
Mark went first. “The landings haven’t begun yet. Or if they have the newsies aren’t reporting it.”
Incursion: Merkiaari Wars Book 5 Page 30