Horizon Storms - Kevin J. Anderson [163]
The planet shivered in its death throes, cooling rapidly, already on its way to the edge of absolute zero. He was confident the colonists would be warm enough underground for a short while. But if he himself couldn’t make it to Relleker, then no one would ever save them…
When he was as ready as he could be, knowing that any further improvements would cost too much time, Davlin decided to leave. The colonists had already installed the heavy hatch atop their tunnels: a vault door constructed of scrap metal, thick enough to insulate against the murderous cold. As Davlin operated the controls to get inside for one last time, he struggled against the biting frigidity. Within a day or so, simply surviving aboveground would require a full-fledged environment suit. Already he wished he had supplemental oxygen.
The tunnels were refreshingly warm. At the moment the colonists were profligate with their energy expenditure, but eventually heat wouldn’t be a problem for them. The thermal output from their machinery and one hundred and thirty warm bodies might itself become a problem, unless it could be exhausted somewhere or converted into usable energy.
When the colonists gathered to bid him farewell, Davlin was stunned by the confidence, optimism, and hope on their faces. He had done his best to inform them of their slim chances, of how incredibly serious their situation was. But he was the man who had traveled to any number of uninhabited Klikiss worlds. He had discovered how to work the transportals. They foolishly thought Davlin Lotze could do anything—and why shouldn’t he let them? If he failed, no one else would know it, and all the people here would be entombed in ice. They needed to believe.
The mayor seemed to expect him to make an inspirational speech, but Davlin said only, “I will do my best. As long as there’s one breath left in my body, I’ll spend it bringing help back here.”
Then, wasting no more time, he let himself out of the hatch and sealed the cap leading to the hibernation tunnels. Outside, he staggered through the winds and blowing ice to the hangar. Once inside the small ship with its partially empty stardrive fuel tank, he fired the engines and fought to guide the craft out through the uncertain gale. He wrestled with the controls as he flew off, heading into the deepening twilight of a dying sun. He did not perform calculations or estimate whether or not he would make it to the closest system. He would simply fly until he could go no farther. He had to hope that would be far enough.
Chapter 82 — CESCA PERONI
When the Roamer engineers completed repairs to the fungus-reef city, Cesca invited Mother Alexa and Father Idriss to return to their rebuilt home.
Roamer crews labored with heavy machinery throughout the forest. Already they had reclaimed parts of the blasted landscape and built many temporary homes for the refugees. “I don’t know that we could have done it without Roamer assistance,” Alexa said.
Cesca nodded solemnly. “Hydrogues destroyed our skymines and our traditional way of life, too. But we persevere, and fight, and hold on to the things we value most. Our peoples have much in common.”
Father Idriss looked up at the organic mass propped up on the worldtree with jury-rigged struts and grafted-on crossbeams. “It looks…different.”
“It looks fine,” Alexa answered. “Let’s go up.”
Cesca accompanied an excited Kotto Okiah as the Theron leaders re-entered the place where they had ruled in happier times. “You did an excellent job working with the materials at hand and finding innovative solutions, Kotto.”
The eccentric engineer was bursting with pride. “That’s what Roamers are good at, Speaker.” In only a month, he and his Roamer team had completed a job that would have taken the Therons years to do.
Inside the restored meeting chamber, Alexa and Idriss waited for their eyes to adjust to the soft artificial light. They gazed, smiling and uncertain, at the changed space. “I was afraid we’d have to abandon the whole fungus reef,” Alexa