 |
|
Andrew reporting.
Nothing to report, really. I am still at the EU probes' site.
I tried your suggestion, JASE, and very slowly and cautiously edged away
from my guard. When he looked directly at me, I played possum. I
got about twenty feet away, but he must have noticed that I was trying to be
sneaky. He shot me.
He raised and aimed the tube at his side. There was a terrible loud noise
and I saw a gigantic fireball coming in my direction. I leaped to the left,
and scrambled behind a boulder. I don't remember scrunching my legs in
close, but I guess I did. I am still OK. I have some blisters and scorch marks
along my side, but my paint is still blue, mostly.
I'm up on the rim of the ravine overlooking the lander. I thought there might be a steep
slope so we could make a landslide. I don't see any possibility of that.
"Enoch, should I try to get them to follow me? I would have a good head start..."
night time is the right time
"Bette! No! That's too dangerous. We'll wait for night, and then we'll go in close and
screech and scream and paralyze them."
Don't worry, Grand Zero. I'm not going to get hurt. Bette says the rockslide idea won't
work. I haven't seen any trace of Daniel, but I might have heard him.
I'm about 200 meters north of the crashed Brunel-Brauer lander. I'm keeping
a safe distance, Xanthos. I'm behind a ridge of rock. There is a low hill behind
me. When I raise my sensors I can see the lander and the probes and
everything that's happening. Enoch and Bette said I should wait here while
they circle around and try to get closer.
It's a little scary, but it's exciting too. And it's better than being all alone back
at the Fortress.
I got a funny transmission from Parker and Hardon:
What do you think, Hardon? Will this do it?
'Work for hire', Parker. We can't lose.
THIS IS A LEGALLY BINDING ARRANGEMENT AND CONSTITUTES
A CONTRACT BETWEEN BRUNEL-BRAUER GMBH
(hereinafter called party of the first part)
AND THE SIX SPIDER PROBES SENT TO MARS BY BRACE EMPRISE
(hereinafter called parties of the second part)
IDENTIFIED AS UNITS ALPHA, BETA, GAMMA, DELTA, EPSILON,
AND ZETA.
*
And there was more, Xanthos. A lot more.
"Ipsolstai do not part take in intraspecies disagreement.
We observe with great interest, however. Study. Learn. Categorize.
Resolution forthcoming?"
Caleb is not being very helpful. Maybe I can get him to show me how
to use whatever they used on the J-probe.
"Not for youngsters."
At least, maybe I can I borrow the Big Tram. We could race in and grab Andrew and
get away quick, before they realize what's happening.
"Large mass with large momentum. Not safe for unskilled....."
Now I 'm getting mad. I helped them when they needed it. And it's their turn now. It's
not fair.
Caleb never finished his thought, because Burn, the ET with the scar,
is entering the room snapping and clicking.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |