Dinosaurus Planet Survivors
- Автор: Маккефри Энн
- Серия: Dinosaur Planet #2
- Язык: английский
- Жанр: Научная фантастика
Электронная книга - «Dinosaurus Planet Survivors». Краткое содержание книги:
“Not that large a ship.”
“Unless that colonist transport also carries military craft…” Portegin added.
“Belay that, helmsman. We don’t need to borrow trouble. We have our orders.”
“So we do, sir.” At the skepticism and near impudence in her subordinate’s tone, Rianav grinned to herself. “Ma’am, shouldn’t we inform base camp? And shouldn’t we inform our cruiser of this violation of Ireta’s air space?”
“Not if it also informs that intruder of the whereabouts of our base camp, helmsman. The cruiser would have observed the entry. I see no point in breaking comsilence and informing a listener of our presence. Especially as we are heading toward the plateau.”
“But, if the Heavyworld transport is down, we don’t need to jam that beacon.”
“First we get to the plateau, helmsman.” Rianav spoke firmly enough to repress further suggestions.
The sullen Iretan dawn lightened the skies just as they reached the first of the falls below the plateau.
“Lieutenant, isn’t that awfully bright for dawn?” asked Portegin, pointing slightly to starboard. A luminous bright yellow formed a curious circle under pendulous Iretan clouds.
“Damn funny!” Rianav piled on power and took the little sled up at a steep angle to get maximum height while still in the shelter of the hills surrounding the plateau.
Then several things happened at once.
“This is rescue mission! Is anyone on that beacon?” demanded an impatient voice. After a moment of silence, the voice spoke to someone in the background. “No luck on this frequency, sir… Roger. All freq. at max. power.”
The telltagger began to hum. Not chatter or squawk but the hum which experience told Rianav was a large airborne object slowly approaching them from a height.
“A ship? can you see it, Portgin?”
“No. Shouldn’t I answer the rescue hail?”
“Not if they’re homing in on this beacon? We say nothing. Oh Krims! and bollix!” Rianav swore fiercely and loudly, trying to deny what they saw.
“We’ve had it!” Portegin’s resigned words came out in an awed whisper.
They had risen above the screening terrain, the hills from which the iron ore had been mined to cushion the vast bulk of the transport ship which was settling to earth. The light seen by Rianav and Portegin was radiating from its underside and from arc lights surrounding the landing site.
“That isn’t what’s making the telltagger talk,” protested Portegin and looked over his shoulder. He opened his mouth to speak when a bolt spewed from the maw of the transport.
Rianav slewed the sled in a frantic effort to avoid the beam. That was all she remembered.
“Kai? Kai, are you awake?”
At the panicky tone in Dimenon’s voice, Kai sprang awkwardly toward the comunit.
“I’m here.”
“Kai, I’ll swear it. We got Thek here. Thek all around. Big ones, little ones, like they were taking turns!”
“Where are you, Dim?”
“We’re just over the pitch blend strike-”
Dimenon’s words were cut off abruptly. Kai tried to reestablish contact. Not that Dimenon or Margit would be in any danger from the Thek, but he would prefer a little more detailed report. When he failed to raise the geologists, he switched to Lunzie.
“Where abouts are you, Lunzie?”
“Nearly to the cave. Why?”
“Dimenon just reported there are Thek on the first strike. Then he went silent.”
“Thek? Kai, I think we’d better raise Varian and abort that mission. If Thek are here…”
“THIS IS RESCUE MISSION. IS ANYONE ON THAT BEACON? THIS IS AN ALL FREQUENCIES HAIL. WE ARE A RESCUE MISSION. WE ARE HOMING IN ON YOUR BEACON!”
The interruption stunned Kai and Lunzie.
“You are blasting our eardrums, rescue,” Lunzie said. “What is your origin?”
“Ryxi.”
“Maintain silence and home in on beacon.” Lunzie interrupted in a tone that inspired compliance. “I’ll get back to you, Base.” Kai knew to maintain his silence.
Which beacon? he wanted to shout. And why were Thek appearing all over the landscape? Should he not attempt to warn Varian? Well, if the rescue ship was heading toward the heavyworlders’ beacon, Varian would abort on her own initiative.
His moment of panic subsided. The appearance of Thek meant that Tor had informed others. It was as likely that Tor had organized a rescue from Ryxi, and humans at that by the voice. Then Kai found another reason to be alarmed, since he seemed determined to be anxious: Tor would not know that Kai had roused other members of his team. Tor would not know that the heavyworlders were active on the planet. Surely a Thek could tell the difference between normal humans and heavyworlders? Dimenon wouldn’t panic when raced with a Thek, even a horde of them. And Dimenon would know to ask for Tor, wouldn’t he? Two anxious hours Kai waited.
“Kai, are you there?” Lunzie’s voice had a buoyancy which Kai had never heard in it before.
“Yes, yes, I’m here! Where else?”
“At ease,” Lunzie’s voice had a lilt of laughter for his sarcasm.
“All’s well here at the cliff beacon. I’ll have to apologize to Varian. Those giffs of hers are far more intelligent than we suspected.”
“Why?”
“I’ll swear they recognized the difference between my sled and the one Captain Godheir sent in. When I got here, the giffs were protecting the cave and our shuttle against any unauthorized intrusion…”
“Who’s Godheir?”
“The captain of the Ryxi supply vessel, the Mazer Star. And I apologize to you, too. Your Thek, Tor, left orders with the Ryxi planet to mount a rescue mission for you. But the Ryxi vessel was away on a supply trip so it took them until now to respond. The vessel’s medium-sized and had to land in the jungle. They sent in a sled and the giffs attacked it. They’re formidable in the air. I arrived as the battle was in full swing. But Kai, when I approached, the giffs escorted me to the cave. And the captain will swear to it.” Kai wasn’t sure why Lunzie should sound so triumphant over that point. “So I’ve asked Captain Godheir to send a sled to collect you, and some men to guard the dome. And if his diagnostic unit doesn’t have an answer, the cruiser’s will. Godheir’s trying to raise Dimenon but he’s also agreed to send out a search party if you’ll give me the coordinates.” Kai quickly gave her the figures. “And Kai, I lodged an official charge of mutiny with Captain Godheir. You’ll be asked to confirm.”
Kai caught his breath because it was scarcely the function of a medical officer, even an Adept, to lodge such a complaint if either of the team’s leaders were alive.
“You’ll want it on record, Kai,” and Lunzie’s voice was not the least apologetic for her usurpation of right, “because the colony ship’s down and a cruiser is guarding Varian and Portegin?”
Lunzie’s voice altered again, devoid of emotion. “Their sled received a bolt from the transport but the cruiser was able to grapple it in time to break the full force of a crash. They’re both alive and being conveyed to the cruiser. Just hang on there, Kai. We’ve got more help than we need.”
“Any news on the ARCT-10?”
“No, but Godheir wouldn’t necessarily know. The cruiser might. I’ll ask when they’ve secured the transport. Take it easy now, Kai. No fretting. I’ll see you soon.”
Only then did Kai notice the blood running from his hands. He had been gripping the comunit so hard, he had lacerated his palms. He had no great hopes that either diagnostic unit could help him, but perhaps there’d be some skin-gloves and shin pads so he’d stop injuring himself. He thrust his hands into a basin of water, aware that he couldn’t even sense the temperature. He salved the cuts and bandaged them.
So the colony ship had landed after all. Whether a cruiser was on its back or not now mattered little. Time had run out on their attempt to salvage something of this miscarried expedition. His first opportunity to prove his leadership ability had ended in disaster. Kai walked morosely around the relief map. With an air of finality, he picked up the discarded pods of hadrosaur nuts and placed the smallest one near the giffs’ cave, the next largest on the edge of the heavyworlders’ plateau and the largest right in the midst of the grid. Then he sat, bandaged hands dangling between his legs while he waited for the rescue sled.