"It still smells fishy," said Tanner.
"Tell me about it," said Martin. "But what can we do? If they're genuinely in distress, we can't just sit back and watch them die."
Lowering himself into the command chair, Martin watched the spinning vessel on the screen and considered his options. By latching onto the ship with the Exogenesis's grappler device, he could stop its rotation…but then Exogenesis would be connected to the ship and open to energy bursts transmitted along the grappler's cables.
A pinpoint blast from Exogenesis's energy emanator weapons could stop the spin by disabling the malfunctioning thruster…but it might also ignite the fuel tank. A podcraft could accomplish such a surgical strike with more accuracy, but would be at a size disadvantage if the Vox ship attacked; though the Vox craft was about a fourth the size of Exogenesis, it was still significantly larger than a podcraft.
"They're dropping out of orbit," said Tanner. "Reentering the planet's atmosphere."
Staring at the screen with increasing frustration, Martin searched his mind for a solution that didn't involve opening Exogenesis up to attack or touching off an explosion in the Vox ship's engines. His thought processes weren't helped by the fact that he was running out of time.
"The fire's nearly reached their fuel tank," said Levy.
One thing was clear: whether or not the distress call was a ruse, the Vox were willing to see it through to the end. They were prepared to crash or blow up with their vessel if Exogenesis did not intervene.
Whatever their intent, Martin was not about to let them die.
"They're hailing us again," said Neruda. "They say they've lost all control of their ship."
"The fuel temperature's climbing," said Levy.
In the end, Martin could come up with only one rescue plan with an acceptable level of risk. Even that idea, he had to admit, could have hidden complications…but it was all he could think of at that moment.
Coincidentally, it was the same plan he'd decided to use to solve another problem a short while ago.
"How many people are onboard that ship?" he said.
"Three," said Levy.
"Can we get a teleporter lock on them?"
Levy worked at the science station a moment before answering. "Yes, sir."
Martin keyed the comm panel and opened a channel to the teleporter room. "Beam the three lifeforms off that ship out there," he said. "Immediately."
"The security team is on the pad right now," said Ensign Van Wyck.
"Beam-down is on hold," said Martin. "The team will take custody of our guests as soon as the transport is complete."
"Aye, sir," Ensign Jennings said in the background.
"Aye," said Van Wyck, sounding more agitated than ever.
As soon as Martin heard Lieutenant Debias' voice over the comm, he knew that the situation was under control. "We have a lock, sir," she said calmly. "Activating teleporter."
Less than a minute later, the viewer flared with light. Martin threw an arm up to shield his eyes, but the brilliance quickly faded as filters automatically dimmed the screen. There were still spots in front of his eyes, though, as he returned his gaze to the image of the starry field above the planet.
Instead of the spinning Vox vessel, he saw chunks of debris spinning in the planet's upper atmosphere.
"Did we get them?" he said.
"Yes, sir," Van Wyck said over the comm, relief mixing with pride in his voice. "We got them."
"The new arrivals are in custody, Lieutenant," shouted Jennings.
"Take them to the brig," said Martin, and then he switched the comm to medlab. "Dr. Plog, report to the brig. We've just beamed aboard some Vox who may need medical treatment."
"On my way," said Plog.
As he switched off the comm, Martin allowed himself to relax for a moment. The immediate crisis had been resolved, and the adrenaline surge that had been driving him was dissipating.
Now, he could finally return his full attention to other matters, like the returning podcraft and the endangered away team on the planet's surface.
That was exactly what he did…for the next fifteen minutes, anyway. After that, an explosion ripped through part of the Exogenesis, snapping him right back into crisis management mode.
*****
Chapter Seventeen
J'Tull scuttled forward on her hands and knees, heading away from one group of Vox and straight toward another.
It hadn't taken long for pursuers to come after her in the elevated tubes. At first, there had been only a few, and she had been able to evade them with relative ease, shunting into connecting passages and climbing or descending to different levels.
Now, though, the Vox had entered the tubes in force. Everywhere she looked, they scurried through the transparent channels, racing to apprehend her. For J'Tull, it was no longer a matter of finding a clear route; her only strategy was to follow the routes that offered the least resistance.
From her current vantage point, she could see that one such alternate path was available – a port a few yards ahead that fed into a downward sloping branch. It would lead her out from between the packs of Vox approaching from both directions…but it would not deposit her in a wide-open tube. Four Vox were already entering the sloping branch from the channel at its base, preparing to climb up into the tube that she wanted to descend.
If she did not follow that route, though, she would have to contend with four Vox attacking from in front and four from behind…plus the four in the tube when they completed their ascent. The logical choice was obvious.
J'Tull scrambled over the remaining yards to the port, then ducked her upper body into it. Bracing her feet on the opposite wall, she bent her knees and shoved off, sliding down the slope with arms extended.
The tubes lacked internal rungs or traction plates of any kind, presumably because the Vox did not need them to climb. As a result, J'Tull had been unable to scale the upward angled chutes until she had removed her boots and torn off the soles of her bodysuit; her bare feet had stuck to the polymer surface well enough to enable her to get up the slopes.
The same lack of traction that had inhibited her uphill climbs also accelerated downward travel, however. With nothing to slow her, she was able to slide right down the sloping branch, plunging toward the climbing Vox like a torpedo.
J'Tull raced down the tube, gathering momentum, and slammed into the first Vox in line. All four creatures were pushed back down the chute and out the exit port, piling up in the channel below.
Slipping out of the branch, J'Tull somersaulted over the Vox and landed on her hands and knees, then resumed crawling. She assumed that the Vox who had cornered her in the upper tube would slide down and follow her soon enough…but for now, the channel was clear in both directions.
As she scuttled along, J'Tull looked around, checking her bearings. Peering through the transparent tube network and surrounding buildings, she confirmed that she was still on track. Despite her many course changes in the passages, she was still closing in on her destination.
Each meter she covered brought her closer to the edge of the city. She had already skirted the mobbed park that she would have had to cross if she had stayed at street level; she knew that the podcraft rested in a field not far away, just beyond the city limits.
Though she could not quite see it yet, she knew where it was…and she knew that she could reach it soon.
If the Vox did not stop her in the tubes, that is.
Three of them were zipping toward her now, scurrying from the channel's far end. Ahead, another shaft intersected the tube, providing egress to either side, but she couldn't detour into it; if she followed it to the right, she would veer too far off course…and if she went left at the intersection, she would commit herself to a section of the network that was teeming with Vox.
Again, her choice was clear. Continuing past the junction, she headed for the approaching Vox…wondering, in the back of her mind, if she had enough strength for another fight.
Screeching, the creatures barreled toward her on all fours, picking up their pace when they saw that she was not going to flee into the junction. When they had closed to within a few yards of her, J'Tull rolled onto her back and drew her knees to her chest.
As the lead Vox bounded toward her, she shot both legs out and kicked it solidly in the head. The second Vox bolted over the first as it dropped; J'Tull brought her knees up and back suddenly as the creature sprang, propelling it over her head.
When the next creature charged, J'Tull lashed out with one foot; the Vox ducked to one side to avoid the kick…only to catch the other foot square in the face. The creature dropped on top of the first Vox, leaving J'Tull free to follow up with the second attacker.
She heard it moving behind her and rolled over, smoothly pushing up onto her hands and knees. The creature swung a clawed hand at her and she bobbed back, then caught the Vox's arm and wrenched it downward. As the Vox crashed to the floor, J'Tull chopped it in the neck with the side of her hand, striking a pressure point and rendering the creature unconscious.
Only when the third Vox collapsed did J'Tull realize that she was in trouble.
As she looked up from her opponents, her attention was drawn by activity in the surrounding tubes. If she had not been a Hephaestan, commanding complete control over her emotions, what she saw as she scanned the area would have been enough to leave her disheartened.
All of a sudden, the tubes were thick with Vox. Everywhere she looked, in every direction, the fur-covered creatures jammed the transparent channels. It was as if an army of Vox had materialized in the tubes via teleporter while J'Tull had been fighting her three attackers.
Except for those three creatures, her own passage remained unoccupied…but would not stay that way for long. Vox were converging on her from every connected tube, including the sloping branch she had slid down and the nearby intersecting channel she had passed. In a matter of moments, her position would be overrun.
And there was nowhere to go.
She would fight, of course, when the Vox overtook her…but she had no illusions about her ability to hold out for long. It was difficult to judge her endurance accurately, as she had long ago exceeded her own expectations, but she did not think that she would last five minutes against the endlessly reinforced horde.
Even with her amazing inner reserves of self-control, she could not suppress a wave of anger and despair. She had fought so hard and come so far, only to fall short of her goal. She was so close to the podcraft…so close; if only she could leap from the tube and glide down, she would light upon her sanctuary in a heartbeat. If only she were outside the tube, the onrushing horde could not take her.
If only she were outside the tube.
J'Tull had an idea. Hurriedly, she pawed through the few belongings her attackers carried in the belts and holsters they wore. One Vox had a knife strapped to his leg, and she snatched up the weapon.
Wrapping both hands around the hilt, she prepared to drive the blade up into the tube's ceiling. Earlier, she had hacked open a sealed polymer door with a hatchet; unless the polymer used to construct the tube network was significantly stronger, she expected to be able to cut open the ceiling with a knife.
Taking a deep breath, she plunged the knife upward, putting every iota of her remaining strength into the thrust. This was it, her last chance; if she failed to open the tube, she would have to settle back and await her pursuers.
The knife penetrated.
The polymer was tough, tougher than the door, but she was able to saw through it with great effort. Wrenching the blade up and down, grunting with exertion, she cut a rough circle in the material, just big enough for her to squeeze through.
As she worked, the sounds of her pursuers drew closer – voices screeching and yipping, running feet thumping in the tube. She didn't bother to look away from her task; she knew that the creatures were closing in and she was running out of time.
When the circle was almost finished, she stopped cutting and tossed aside the knife. Bracing her shoulder against the cut polymer, she pushed upward with all her might.
The portion she'd sawed through lifted, but the uncut segment held fast. She eased up for an instant, gathered her strength, and pushed again.
The screeches and running feet were almost upon her. Eyes pinched shut, teeth grinding, she redoubled her efforts, fighting to bend back the makeshift hatch.
She had to succeed. Failure would mean not only her own death, but the deaths of Swift, Turner, and Mariko. She had already failed to protect them once and would not permit herself to fail again.
She remembered her shipmates' faces as they were dragged away from her in the tower. The memory lent her a final surge of energy, which she directed against the polymer.
At last, the hatch gave way, bending back on the single segment that was still attached to the ceiling. J'Tull did not hesitate to boost herself up and onto the outer surface of the tube.
Kneeling at first, she quickly assessed the transparent span beneath her. It wasn't made to serve as a walkway, but she decided that the curve of the tube was just broad enough for her to walk along it.
As the noise and vibration beneath her signaled the arrival of her pursuers in the tube, J'Tull drew her feet up under her and slowly pushed to a standing position. She strode forward tentatively, testing her balance…then quickened her pace as she felt more sure-footed. Her bare feet clung to the surface well enough that she didn't think she would slip; barring a misstep, she believed she could proceed without falling.
Behind her, she heard chatter and screeching in the open air, and she broke into a jog. She didn't know if the Vox would follow her outside, and she could not afford to waste her head start.
As a brisk night wind flowed around her, J'Tull trotted forward, plotting her course. The city's edge was less than a block away, but she would have to thread her way along the crisscrossing maze of tubes to reach it.
Then, of course, there was the matter of getting to the ground. She hadn't quite figured that part out yet.
J'Tull veered left onto an intersecting tube, then ran onto a branch that angled toward the city limits. To get around a building, she had to make a series of turns and follow a long loop with an uphill grade; it wasn't steep, but it forced her to slow her pace and concentrate on maintaining her balance.
Though no one blocked her path, the Vox did their best to interfere from inside the tubes, howling and pounding on the polymer as she moved over them. The tubes didn't shake, but the rhythmic thumping of fists underfoot forced her to focus on each step with greater intensity.
Leaving the loop at its midpoint, J'Tull turned onto a short linking tube that intersected with a longer, level span. Once on the span, she resumed a jogging pace, moving as quickly as she dared.
As she switched to another tube at the next juncture, she finally understood why the Vox had not run out onto the tubes after her. They didn't need to.
The hum of a motor caught her attention and she flashed a glance to one side. A sled, piloted by a Vox, coasted along another span, hugging the curved surface. Up ahead, the span connected to the one she was on; if the sled was equipped to navigate junctions, it would be able to cut off her route…and knock her from the tube.
Realizing that she could not continue forward, J'Tull stopped in her tracks…and immediately picked up the sound of another motor. Looking back in the direction from which she had come, she saw another sled glide along a link; smoothly, the sled nosed over the junction with her tube and rotated, shifting toward her.
Turning, she saw the first sled do the same, switching to her tube without a hitch. They were moving toward her from both directions now.
Casting her gaze downward, she looked for somewhere to go. She had to abandon the tube she was on immediately, or she would be caught between the approaching sleds.
Plenty of tubes crisscrossed below her. Conceivably, she could leap from one to the next…though no leap would be less tha
n several yards, and landing without falling off would be a challenge.
Even if she didn't fall, though, she would face a difficult task. There now seemed to be sleds on every tube at every level, gliding along the transparent channels in a predatory ballet.
Sucking in a deep breath, J'Tull tried to decide what to do. Neither alternative seemed to offer much chance of survival.
As she stood there and worked the problem, the hum of motors drew closer from either direction.
*****
Chapter Eighteen
This time, Mariko's trip through the underground tunnels wasn't nearly so harrowing. The passages were still claustrophobic and convoluted, full of twists and sharp angles and drop-offs and cave-ins, but Folcrum set a humane pace and seemed genuinely considerate, unlike Nalo.
If Mariko slowed down or paused to rest, so did Folcrum. If she had to contort herself to squeeze through a tight space, Folcrum dug out the dirt walls around her as much as he could and talked to her to keep her calm. He never once left her alone in the pitch darkness to wonder if she had been abandoned to die.
That in itself made her happy that she had decided to go off with him. With each kindness that he demonstrated, she became more and more convinced that he wasn't leading her into a trap.
Still, she couldn't help but wonder where exactly he was taking her. He had never said…and the way the tunnels wound and angled in the perfect darkness, she couldn't tell if they were heading for the surface or deeper into the bowels of the planet.
The surface would be best, but she had a hunch that Folcrum's need for concealment was at least as great as Nalo's. She didn't really expect to see the sky any time soon…which was good, because she was prepared for their actual destination.
After a very long crawl through uninterrupted blackness, Mariko glimpsed Folcrum's hindquarters in front of her in a dim light filtering from somewhere up ahead. She could see her hands as they pressed into the tunnel floor…and then the rough red earth around her as the glow grew brighter.
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