Chapter 112
Chapter One Hundred Twelve
Connor set the bag with his belongings in the bench behind Yemi’s seat, then buckled it into place with the loud clap of the harness lock. That felt like saying goodbye to a part of the self, like accepting death.
A shiver ran down Connor’s back. Was he doing that with this mission?
All the belongings of the others were secured to hooks or to each other. Everything of value had been stripped from the Lucky Sevens, until there wasn’t much space left in the Badger beyond a narrow central walkway.
Yemi turned, nose crinkled. “Connor brings dirty laundry.”
“It’s either pack that, or print out new clothes on the other ship.” Bringing up how strained the Hudijin would be carrying all of them would unnecessarily hurt morale, so Connor didn’t.
“Yemi prints out new clothes: shorts and T-shirts. Yemi celebrates big party.” The mechanic laughed, but he looked drained.
“I talked to Lem. You need to give that leg a rest, okay?”
“Yemi drives Badger with hands.”
Connor knelt behind the mechanic. “When you get clear of the butte, those scorpions are going to come out of the woods. I don’t think they can damage the Badger, so just keep it moving away.”
The mechanic winked. “Yemi drives in war.”
“I’m sorry about draining the battery power—”
Yemi raised a hand. “Yemi drives.”
Connor patted the mechanic on the back, then squeezed past the piled remains that defined everyone’s lives.
Outside the rest of the team had gathered, leaning against their backpacks. They looked better clear of the ship and its poisonous atmosphere, but none of them looked ready for another run through the woods.
Mosiah was the worst: hunched over, chest rising and falling shallowly.
In the light coming from the Lucky Sevens airlock, he could almost pass for a corpse. His cheeks had taken on color since arrival, but that color was faded now.
Were there shadows inside of him, like Connor had seen in the security video?
He would have to keep an eye on the old man.
Selen sauntered over, still showing all the energy she’d had before landing. Her attention was on the Badger as it powered on and circled around the Lucky Sevens before heading down the butte.
She licked her lips. “You up for this?”
Behind her, the dark woods brooded, threatening.
Connor shook his head. “No one’s ready for this.”
“Challenging me again? Seriously?”
“This is unnecessarily risky.”
She twisted around to nod at Mosiah. “Look at him. He won’t last another week.”
“He needs sleep, just like the rest of us.”
“What we need is for this to be over. We get off this planet, we’ll all be better.”
At least that much was true. “How well do you know this planet?”
Selen’s eyes came up to his slowly, slitted. “I came here with you.”
That look: She understood what was in his question.
Could he make it more explicit? “Sure. And you spent a night down here while I was stuck in orbit. Do you think you might have more insight from that extra time you spent here?”
“No.” She turned away. “But I’ve been thinking.”
“About?”
“You said this other ship—the Hudijin?”
“Right.”
“It has diminished capacity to support recycling?”
“We can fix that. I put all the spares we had in with Yemi. I should be able to print some more with time.”
“Fabricated parts don’t last as long as manufactured ones.”
“But that ship is in better shape than the Lucky Sevens. We can actually get ahead of the maintenance. We’ll be okay.”
Selen walked toward the edge of the butte and waved for him to follow.
Below, the Badger’s lights were a faint, green set of eyes searching the night. Exactly as they’d hoped, the buzz of giant flapping bug wings came from the woods. Dark green shapes separated from the even darker gloom of the trees.
The bugs swirled and climbed, chasing after the vehicle.
Selen chuckled. “This is our opportunity. Now. Right now.”
Connor saw what she was talking about—an empty path to the ruins, then through. It really did change the nature of the mission.
But they still had the long trek. They still had to get down into the well.
“What’s down there?” He didn’t even realize he’d spoken at first.
“In the well?” Selen shrugged. “More danger. We’ll deal with it. We’ve never had a chance to get there without being harassed or depleted.”
“I’ll get them ready.”
She squeezed his arm. “Not her. Not the archaeologist.”
“Elise? Why not?”
“Think about it. She doesn’t bring much value in a firefight. She’s an academic. Someone like that’s more trouble than they’re worth.”
“You’re not serious.”
“I am serious, Connor. It’s one less person to worry about getting down to the well. And when we get to this other ship, it’s one less person straining the recyclers.”
“You’d just leave her here?”
“She could stay in the Lucky Sevens. We’ll leave some dry food and water.”
He stepped back from Selen. “Is this some sort of test? Because I’m not going to pass.”
“Connor—”
“No. She knows how to handle a gun. She’s as good an engineer as me—better.”
“We need to be fully committed to this mission. You think she is?”
“I think she’ll do anything to get off this planet, just like the rest of us.”
Selen pressed a hand against his armored chest. “That’s just it: She’s not like the rest of us. We’re a team. She’s a survivor. She needed us to save her.”
“And she’s paid us back.” Connor took Selen’s hand from his chest. “It’s as simple as this: She goes with us, or I stay here with her.”
For a second, with only infrared from his contact lenses, Connor thought Selen’s face contorted with rage.
Then she smiled. “Just a test, like you said. You’re a good second.”
She walked past him waving her hands to get everyone to their feet. “Time to go!”
For a second, Connor imagined a chill breeze like the one in the ship blew through him.
Then that chill was gone, and he wasn’t sure what he felt.
Except that he was certain Selen hadn’t been testing him, at least not like she pretended she’d been.
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