Have Tech, Will Travel (SCE Books 1-4) - Keith R. A. DeCandido_. [et al.] [51]
All at once his nerve endings flared up, as if he’d been jolted with a massive electrical discharge, and then went dead. He fell to the cavern floor, but felt no impact. He saw another beam go over his head, which, he assumed, hit Yanasa.
How did she do that? he wondered, but could not say aloud. His mouth wouldn’t work right.
“All clear, Commander,” he heard the human’s voice say. “Two down, ten to go.”
Another voice said, “Good work, Corsi.”
Encouraged, Hagi thought, They’ve only gotten the two of us. The others will stop them, I’m sure of it.
The human woman stood over him now. She was still smiling. She aimed her weapon at his chest and fired.
Sonya watched as Corsi checked over the two Eerlikka. “They’re both out for the time being,” Corsi said, “but I have no idea how long they’ll stay that way. Unfortunately, we don’t have anything to tie them up with.”
Smiling, Sonya said, “We’ll have to just hope that we can get to the core before they wake up.”
Corsi got up from her kneeling position, and had started to walk toward Sonya when her tricorder beeped.
Sonya’s did likewise, and she checked it. “Ganitriul, why did you put the forcefields back up?”
“I did not.”
Corsi had stopped walking, and was looking with annoyance at the ceiling. “Well, something did. I’m trapped in here.”
“I am afraid that there is nothing I can do, Lieutenant Commander Corsi. I am sorry.”
Behind Sonya, Drew said, “We can’t just leave her here.”
Sonya looked at Corsi, who simply stared back with her steely blue eyes. She knew that look.
“We don’t have a choice,” Sonya said to Drew. “We can’t afford to waste time trying to get the forcefield down. We have a mission to accomplish.”
“But—”
“You heard the commander,” Corsi said, interrupting Drew before he could argue further. “I’ll be fine here. Just get down to the core—that’s the main thing.”
Drew sighed. “Yes, sir .”
Giving Corsi a significant glance, Sonya said, “We will be back for you, Domenica.”
Smiling a lopsided smile, Corsi said, “I’ll hold you to that, Commander.”
Amused at Corsi’s inability to be casual, even when prompted not to be by a superior officer, Sonya gave the security chief one last encouraging smile, then led Drew back to where they’d left 110 to care for Hawkins.
“Let’s get moving,” she said.
“Where is Lieutenant Commander Corsi?” 110 asked.
“She got stuck behind a forcefield. We don’t have time to get her out, so we’re proceeding.”
As Drew helped him to his feet, Hawkins said, “We can’t just leave her.”
“That’s what I said, but Core-Breach herself overrode us,” Drew said with a smile.
Sonya set her mouth tightly. “Mr. Drew, I gave the order to leave Commander Corsi behind. That’s because, in case you’ve lost track of the chain of command, I’m in charge of the mission. Are we clear on this?”
Swallowing, Drew said, “Yes, sir.”
“Good. Now let’s get moving.”
110 was studying his tricorder. “We need to go twenty meters down this corridor and then climb down a service ladder. That will lead to another corridor. None of the Eerlikka patrols are in that area.”
Nodding, Sonya said, “Good. It’s about time something went smoothly today.”
They walked in silence—Sonya leading the way, 110 right behind her, Hawkins moving semisteadily next to the Bynar, and Drew bringing up the rear. They reached the ladder without incident and started to climb down.
Sonya reached the bottom of the ladder, followed quickly by 110 and Hawkins.
Then a bulkhead closed between Hawkins and Drew, cutting the latter off from the other three. Quickly tapping her combadge, Sonya said, “Gomez to Drew.”
“I’m okay, Commander. It kinda caught me by surprise.”
“Did another bulkhead open at the top of the ladder?”
“Uh, yeah, one did. I’ll try to cut through.”
Looking at her tricorder, Sonya said, “That’ll never work; you can only get light stun on the rifles. This bulkhead’s made of rodinium.”
“Damn.”
“Ganitriul, is there any air being