Horizon Storms - Kevin J. Anderson [233]
Tabitha’s explorer finally retreated, following her recorded path back out of the dark wreckage into open space, then began to cruise closer to the less-damaged hydrogue sphere. Its outer surface was stained, as if from a blast of heat, but the shell had not cracked or shattered.
“Hey, I’ve got an idea. I’m going to ping it with an active probe pulse. A lot of pieces inside might still be intact, and it’ll be a valuable addition to our scans. So far, everything’s been completely innocuous.”
“Don’t press your luck, Tabitha. Passive observation is one thing, but I don’t want to stir up—”
She had already sent out her signals, playing a deep scan over the outside of the dormant warglobe. A return spike suddenly and unexpectedly came across the broadband sensor channel. “Whoa, that’s quite a reflection!” Tabitha said. Then the signal came again, louder, and modulated twice. “And…uh, that’s not my probe pulse.”
A glimmer of light awakened like a tiny match being lit at the center of the darkened warglobe. Sparkles shot like phosphorescent plankton through the shell, wavering in the depths.
“She has disturbed it,” Hroa’x said, his voice gruff. “This is very ill-advised.”
“Enough, Tabitha! Cease your probe scans.” As the warglobe continued to brighten, Sullivan reached a decision. “Trigger complete shutdown…uh, as quietly as possible. Get rid of the explorer drone before that drogue becomes aware of it. I don’t want it tracking us back up here.”
“But we’re still getting good telemetry. Don’t you want to see what happens?”
“I’m already afraid of what might happen. Trigger it, Tabitha. Now. Complete shutdown. Make it into a dead rock.”
There was a burst of light and then the screen images went blank.
“If the hydrogues are not truly vanquished here,” Hroa’x said, “then they may return. That one surviving craft could summon other warglobes.”
“Sorry about that.” Sullivan slowly shook his head. “Our work just got a hell of a lot more dangerous.”
The Ildiran skyminer turned to look at him. “Perhaps you humans should abandon your cloud-harvesting facility and go home.”
Sullivan’s heart was still pounding with alarm. “Are you going to leave?”
“I have a mission to complete. I will stay.”
“Then our facility stays, too.” Even so, he decided to tell his crew to keep their bags packed and their eyes open. “We’ll just be more careful from now on.”
“Caution may not be sufficient,” Hroa’x said.
“No, but it’s better than giving up too soon.”
The miner kithman nodded, as if he finally could understand the human’s attitude. “Very well, Sullivan Gold. But if you will excuse me, I have significant work to accomplish, especially now that our time may be limited—thanks to you.”
Chapter 119 — KOTTO OKIAH
Since GU was already scuffed and battered from his previous escapade with the runaway hydrogue derelict, the Analytical compy offered to be the first one inside the open alien sphere. GU considered himself a dedicated volunteer for the cause of science.
Kotto was itching to get inside and could barely contain his enthusiasm, but he knew it was wise to have one of the small robots take the initial risk. “All right, but be careful. And report whatever you see. Don’t touch anything, because I’ll be there myself as soon as you give it the thumbs-up.”
Like a trooper, GU cycled through the shuttle’s airlock. As Kotto watched him cross the short distance of open space, he wondered if he should have asked for one of Del Kellum’s reconditioned EDF Soldier compies instead. The military-style robots were better equipped to face possible hazards inside the enemy ship. But GU seemed to have acquired a sense of adventure, and he deserved the first shot after what he’d been through.
“I have entered the ship, Kotto Okiah,” the compy transmitted. “All the atmosphere appears to have vented. I see no additional sealed chambers. Everything is open.”
“Good to hear,” Kotto transmitted back. “I don’t want to open a door and get blasted with more high-pressure air.