part0115

Stratton folded his arms and stared at the dark well of the nest. “This isn’t what we’re here to do. Mission directives said to make contact if we encountered any life. That doesn’t include investigating ruins. Look, Emery, it’s falling apart. Nothing has been here in a long while.”

“But that flying figure came this way,” said Spixworth.

“Yes, and we ought to keep looking in the direction it headed to see if we can find out where it landed.”

“How do we know it isn’t here? Just because we aren’t looking for ruins doesn’t mean whatever that thing was isn’t interested,” said Rebecca.

“We saw thirty seconds of movement on the feed and you’re attaching motivation to it?”

“I’m keeping an open mind.” Rebecca sighed in frustration. “Listen, Captain, if we don’t investigate this place now, the Admiral will just send another mission to do it after us. We can’t settle here without knowing who else is here. Or was. And why they aren’t here now. It could push settlement out by several months. A year maybe.”

“We don’t have a year. Our kids don’t have a year. Not for the sake of some ruin,” said Titov, forgetting his helmet was on as he raised a hand to scrape it down his face.

“All the more reason to do this by the book,” said Stratton. “If we make a mistake—”

“Captain,” said Liu, “Spindling aside— we both know the Keseburg can’t afford another outlay like this unless we intend to settle. Not in our lifetime. We’re here. We have the best resources the ship can spare. We won’t get another chance.”

“So we should be spending those resources on activities that will make the most difference. I can’t pull everyone from their research just to explore a derelict cavern.”

“Then let Emery go. She isn’t doing anything useful. It’ll keep her out of the way at least,” sneered Martham.

Rebecca wanted to tell her not to help.

“I’ll go with her,” said Liu. “Pilot’s no good on a landed ship anyway, and Al Jahi and I both know that the interference is too heavy to get the link with the Hardcoop to actually work. We’re just wasting time.”

“The lab is running a large batch of samples,” said Titov, “They won’t be ready until tomorrow. And if it helps Peter get here quicker, I’ll do anything. Besides, Hackford would want some data for her research and she’s still got a day in quarantine.”

Stratton hesitated, concentrating hard on the shadowy opening below them. “You have one day, Emery,” he said at last. “Make an initial survey. If you don’t find anything of immediate use, then we have other work to get back to. But at least it’ll satisfy the Admiral.”

“Yes, Captain,” said Rebecca. Her tone was flat, but a sizzle of energy burst through her.

“Emery,” he said, catching her arm as she turned to retrieve their equipment, “A cure for Spindling, a living, intelligent creature, or something that would kill us all. That’s it. Anything else will have to wait. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I vote we steer clear of whatever would kill us all,” said Spixworth.

Liu laughed. “Yeah, I like the other options better.”

“Titov, Liu, you’re with Emery. The rest of you have projects to complete. Keep your feeds on and if you do find something, for Earth’s sake, follow protocol.” The Captain corralled the others away from the nest and back toward the river. Rebecca looked at Liu and Titov.

“Ready?” she asked.

Liu switched his helmet light on. “Not sure how much use I’ll be underground instead of in the air, but I’ll do my best.”

Titov anchored a guide beacon and set its ping. “Let’s go find some intelligent life.” His voice dropped to a low murmur. “Maybe we can replace Martham,” he said with a grin.

A long, sloping ramp of packed earth spiraled down into the hole. Portions had slumped or were riddled with deep grooves where slim rivulets of rainwater had made branching paths. There was no rail and the ramp was slender, even in the places where it was whole.

“Whoever made this must have been really small. Or really graceful,” said Liu, clutching at the dirt wall as he sidled sideways past a hole in the ramp.

“Maybe it was for defense,” said Rebecca. “A bottleneck to protect whatever is underneath from being overrun.”

“I don’t think it worked.” Titov jumped back as the side of the ramp slid away under one foot. Liu caught him.

“Don’t assume anything yet. This could just have been a temporary entrance or one that isn’t used anymore. There could be a bustling city underneath us.”

“I don’t know, Emery,” said Liu, picking his way forward after her, “A city that pays no attention to what’s happening above? We landed not even three miles away. Anything on the surface must have seen us this close.”

Rebecca shrugged. “We haven’t seen anything on the surface. Maybe it’s like the ocean was to Earthlings. Barely explored with massive ecosystems untouched by whatever is down here. Maybe that’s why this ramp is so—” she leaped over a gap and turned to reach a hand back to Liu, “temporary. The only people that used it were scientists and explorers.”

“Madmen like us,” laughed Titov, springing past the hole. The light from above was receding as the path curled around on itself, the spiral tightening.

They fell silent, concentrating on the uneven ramp as the darkness took hold and their vision shrank to the three sharp rounds of light their helmets made. Emery could hear her own breathing, harsh and deep. It irritated her. The fabric of her suit lining felt too tight and damp. She tried to hang on to her excitement and push aside the discomfort.

“We should have brought Hackford here first,” muttered Titov. “Feels more like home. You’ve got walls around you instead of all that massive space with no edge.”

Rebecca stumbled and reached to steady herself on the wall, instead falling into open air. She grunted as her shoulder slammed into hard packed earth. Jagged lumps stabbed into her arm and hip. “Ow.”

Liu helped her up. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, just— there’s a tunnel here.”

“Check your suit,” said Titov, flooding her eyes with the light from his helmet. She squinted and held up an arm. He didn’t stop to apologize but pushed her carefully back into the side tunnel, gripping her arm and then her leg as he checked for tears. Titov blew out a shaky breath a moment later. “You’re safe. Just a scuff on your shoulder but it didn’t rupture.”

“Just— relax, Titov. Hackford’s fine. Leroux said her tests—”

“Hackford’s locked up in a plastic box. She’s scared witless. She’s not fine. And she was exposed up there. Not down here. For all we know whatever lived here died of some horrible plague. We have to be careful.”

Liu held up his hands in surrender. But it seemed to make Titov angry. He rounded on Liu. “You don’t get it. None of you, except maybe Al Jahi. You don’t have kids. The next gen is a distant concern. Something vague to worry about and chew over in Zachary’s with your neighbor. Like next year’s cloth production or how much fresh food has gone up at the market. Well, it’s not to me. I have Peter. Chione has Dia and Noura. We obsess about Spindling. About how many more months the Keseburg’s going to keep moving. About what’s going to happen to us. This is it, this is my only chance to save Peter. It’s not about if we can make a sustainable life here. It’s not about if we’re going to ruin some space porcupine’s life or kill off some insects with pesticide so we can grow food. I don’t care. You understand? It’s about my son. Even if it costs this planet a species— it’s my son.” Titov paused for a deep breath and carefully brushed some grit from Rebecca’s sleeve. “So. We are not bringing anything infectious back to the Wolfinger. Or the Keseburg. Or the surface at all. We’re going to be careful. We’re going to find Emery’s dead aliens and hopefully something useful. And we’re going to tell the Admiral that the planet is safe and that we should begin settlement as soon as possible. That’s what we’re down here for. So there are no questions and no long, drawn out surveys because of some sink hole. Peter doesn’t have that much time. Dia doesn’t have that much time. And several dozen others who are just a statistic to people like you.”

“They aren’t—” started Liu.

“Let’s go,” growled Titov. “This way, the ramp is too dangerous.” He pointed down the tunnel and headed off.

“What is it that I said?” whispered Liu into a private channel.

Rebecca shook her head. “It isn’t you. The medical team says the mobility suits are failing. Without a cure, Peter would be on a lung machine within five years. And after that…”

“Soil and Rain,” sighed Liu. He trudged after Titov and Rebecca followed them.