by Pam Uphoff
Wxxo nodded at the teamers. "And we'll have people standing watch, waiting for a gate."
The grumbling died down a little. Being stranded on a strange world was more fun to read about than to experience. Especially when the most obvious source of food is giant rats.
Ocho worked over his piping, and shifted the water tank to the slab. Unfortunately the only space large enough was Ebsa's kitchen and dining area . . .
Ebsa topped off all of the crawler's water tanks, and filled bottles as well. The shower water was recycled, but they would still lose a lot of water.
We should have let Nighthawk recycle all the water. But really, no matter how hot it gets during the day, we can always come back at night and pump water out of Ocho's well bore; it goes deep.
He and Paer got drafted to help run heavy equipment. Ocho rearranged the gate area. They stacked meter-sized blocks of stone into two parallel walls, then a sizable chunk of the mess tent slab was pried up and transported to the gate area to bridge them and form a shelter the crawler could fit into. With lots of mass to slow down the heat during the day.
The day the temperature hit forty-seven degrees, all opposition melted.
As soon as the sun was down, they started.
Ebsa had dug down under the foundation at the southern end. Paer pulled the metal bars apart and handed him one. Nothing visible on one side, on the other, a bronze sheet stretching between the two bars. He shoved his side down the hole, watching the bronze sheet slide down the concrete, apparently unbothered by the gravel packed against most of it. He hooked the bronze sheet around the bottom corner of the cement slab and stood to hand the bar to Yeahza on the roof of the first building.
Yeahza stretched to get the bronze sheet over the tarp shade, and walked it forward. The edge of the bronze sheet showed no inclination to cut through anything.
Wxxo had had them park the utes in between the buildings. Ebsa climbed onto the first, balanced on the roof and reached up to take the bar. From this side, he could see the bronze squeezing down around the building. "This isn't going to be very popular. I wonder how much space it will span without sagging all the way down?"
Yeahza eyed it. "Yuck." He climbed across to the next building, and Ebsa handed the handle up to him. Across, he could see Paer and Octo relaying the other bar. He ducked down for a quick look. The bubble was draping down over the ute, but only sagging down a half meter between building and vehicle.
"There's plenty of free space for moving between buildings." Octo was kneeling and peering. He stood up and dusted off his hands. "I'm going to string up some ropes over the wider gaps, so we have some open spaces."
Ebsa trotted around to the far side to continue the relay.
The northern end of the center street had been left empty, in case they needed to back the crawler into it. Ocho was zigzagging rope across between tarps and the bronze bulged through a bit, but did give them a wide open space.
Much less claustrophobic.
Yeahza and Ocho handed down the bars, and climbed down.
Ebsa nodded to Wxxo. "We'll check in once a week—for us. That'll barely be a minute for you."
"Hopefully with good news." Ocho tapped his watch. "Minute and a half, and we'll come out to see what went wrong."
Ebsa nodded and pulled the handle across and gave it to Paer.
They were silent as they drove up to the gate area. Ebsa backed into the big garage. The bubble handles went in a cupboard. He set up the old beacon at the entrance where it would get shaded light. Plenty of power for working, but hopefully it would not get so hot it couldn't function. They set up the motion detector and a couple of blinking lights on either side of the garage.
Hello! If we don't see you, here we are!
Ebsa looked out at the quiet night. Not even any crickets. The stars were bright and brilliant. Please come get us soon, this is not a world I'd choose to be marooned on. Even with Paer.
He walked back inside, silently. It felt almost cold after the heat outside, chilly as his sweaty shirt cooled.
"So. Alone at last. Good thing you're still gorgeous with sweat dripping off your nose."
Paer snickered and wiped her face. "I need a shower." She caught his eye and started grinning. "Maybe after I get a bit more sweaty."
After a shared shower that used way too much water, he felt nearly human. Nice and cool inside the crawler. He touched a window and felt the heat.
Paer looked around and sighed. "We're not going to be going outside very often."
"Heh. Oh dark thirty for our exercises? Otherwise, this could induce cabin fever pretty quickly." Ebsa walked around closing up all the bunks.
Paer picked up a few things left around. "Well, there's the house cleaned in ninety seconds. I hope to hell I've got some good books to read."
"Ah, all the time to catch up on my reading, and I also have this nagging voice in the back of my head saying 'write the report' and 'go over the recordings and practice speaking Elvish' and things like that." Ebsa looked over at Paer. "Why does my subconscious hate me?"
"It's jealous of the excellence of your conscious mind. Hmm. And I've got my anatomy texts along. If I get really masochistic." She glanced out the window. "Tomorrow I'll challenge you to a race."
Ebsa stepped up to the driving deck. The crawler was pointed north, straight at the ring of the missing gate, dim in the night. "So . . . I suppose one of us ought to be awake at all times. In case opening one of those permanent gates doesn't cause static?"
"Yeah. Flip for who gets to sleep first?"
"Eh. Hand me my comp. I'll just sit here and read."
She brought it to him, and curled up with her own in the navigator's seat and fell asleep leaning on his shoulder.
They played cards. They spent a lot of time in bed. And slept a lot.
They went outside and exercised before dawn, every day. And spotted not a single bug.
Watched the temperature creep higher every day.
They took the bars outside and opened them. Wxxo looked up from his watch and grinned. "Has it actually been a week?"
"Yep. Still getting hotter. Dammit. You didn't notice a temperature change?"
Ocho shook his head. "It actually feels a bit cooler in here."
"Excellent. See you in another week."
Ebsa closed the bars. "Pity we can't open them inside the crawler."
"Well, so long as we keep the opening small, we probably could. I swear I'm going to experiment, once we're home. But I don't want to risk having an edge of the concrete slab slip out and hit the Crawler deck. I suspect the suspension is not up to the weight."
"And this would be an awkward time to ruin the crawler."
She shot a grin his direction. "Again."
He ignored that and stuck the bars back up on the shelf. "Next week we'll ask if it's still getting cooler, well, less One damned hot inside the bubble."
They meditated and practiced magic. It dropped the temps nicely. He tried to learn her medical techniques, she tried to keep up with his metal working. Exercised outside. Generally just before dawn. Until it stayed too hot for that.
Once a week they opened the bubble and stepped through. To let Wxxo know they were all right.
Ebsa looked over his shoulder at the shimmering heat. "You know, if we closed the bubble for four seconds, we could skip the hottest part of every day . . . you wouldn't mind if we missed a gate, would you?"
Wxxo snorted, stepping back from the oven outside. "Need a relief team?"
"No, we'd only get a minute of relatively cool air. We'll tough it out a bit longer."
They stepped back out and closed the bubble.
"A relief team would shorten the wait, wouldn't it?"
"Yeah." Ebsa stared down at the handles. "If you would like to take a day off, or a week . . . "
She bristled. "I'm fine. You're the one who wants out of this mess."
"Oh? And you like it here?"
Scowl. "No. But I'm sticking to doing my job."
"Well, so am I. So sorry about the grousing." Ebsa stalked over to his bunk and flopped down, rolled over and ignored Paer's thumping around the kitchen.
He rolled out at noon and took over. Paer's turn to ignore him while mostly actually sleeping.
He sat and watched the heat shimmers. Swatted the motion detector occasionally when it beeped about it.
He called up the feed on Uhci's instruments. The sun was ugly on all wavelengths, now with a huge prominence high on one side. What happened to the Sun, in this universe? They say the membranes split mostly because of astronomical events. But how does a star change suddenly? It would swallow up a world, without a burp. Well, maybe not Jupiter . . .
Researching relative sizes of things was interesting. He started making a list of things to ask . . . some one, some time. Is this world in a group with solar disturbances? If so, is the group related to the Hygeia branch? I've heard the theory that "something" hit Hygeia and fractured it, to create the four year comets. But it would have to be so much smaller than anything that would affect the sun . . . chunk of neutronium? Or, how about a brown star with at least a few asteroids in orbit around it. Even the solar system is so empty that it would most likely just pass through, maybe disturb a few orbits, while the sun disturbed its path. The collision of one of its asteroids with Hygeia would have been a rare fluke.
He stared at the pictures of the Sun. Something ten times the mass of Jupiter would still be only one percent of the mass of the Sun. Would even a direct, core-to-core collision do this? He looked blankly at his list and shrugged. "I don't have the math or astrophysical background to even guess."
"Guess about what?" Paer stretched. "Ebsa . . . Sorry to be cranky."
"Yeah, well . . . I started it by grumbling. Look, how about I step into the bubble, count to four, and come out. That should give you a bit of privacy for most of the night. If . . . if that's what you'd like."
She slumped. "I don't like, but I think I need it. I'll swap with you. Make it three seconds, then you can sleep before I take off."
"Deal."
They traded off, every other day for a week.
Kissed and made up.
And stayed alert for any sign of a gate.
***
"Fifty degrees. If it gets much hotter, we're going to have to bubble the whole crawler." Ebsa wiped sweat. "We could check back every month."
She nodded. "Let's fab up some paint and make a target or something . . . arrows all pointing into a circle. We need to make the handles really obvious to anyone who comes looking for us."
The motion detector beeped. Again.
Ebsa wiped his face again, stepped halfway up and reached to swat it. And stared out at the shimmering heat waves on the gray stone and cement . . . the dancing flash of light. He catapulted up to the driver's deck and stared.
Paer lunged for the door. Doubled back and grabbed a towel before jumping out into the oven hot air. She grabbed the old beacon and hustled back inside. Ebsa jumped down and closed the door behind her while she leaned the beacon in the corner and they climbed back to the driving deck.
"It could be a gate. I've never seen one opened from the other side." He slid into the driver's seat and flipped switches. Hit the accelerator. The crawler lumbered forward on soft tires and he turned carefully, lining up with the sparkling lights.
The light spread into a circle of gray. Illusion, heat distortion? No, it really is a gate.
Paer's hand dug into his shoulder. "Ours or the Elves?"
"I don't know, but by the One, I'm ready to go anywhere." He bit his lip. "Except it's up in the air. I can't drive it, we'll have to grab the bubble and run for it . . ."
Two figures dived through the gate, shimmering, shielded . . . they grabbed the sides of the gate and shoved it into the ground, before they jumped back through.
"I think that might be Xen . . . "
Ebsa took careful aim and cruised through. A slight jerk and lurch. He drove onto rough gray stone.
"Yes! There's Ajha and Xen, Ra'd, Nighthawk . . . " Paer jumped down from the deck and was heaving the door open even before he stopped.
"Close the gate! We've got everyone bubbled!" She jumped out.
Ebsa put all wheels in neutral and set the brakes. Leaned back and closed his eyes. Took a deep breath. Safe! Then he levered himself out of the seat and went to organize the last bits of the rescue.
Chapter Sixteen
16 Shaban 1408
Main Camp, World X 22845
Paer was explaining everything to Ajha and Izzo, with the Comet Fall pair listening in quietly.
Ebsa breathed a sigh of relief, then just breathed. So nice to have some humidity in the air. And I suspect it's not actually chilly.
Ra'd sauntered over. "So. Getting into trouble without me?"
"Yep. After your tutelage, I find I'm quite good at it."
Snort. "Let's just see about that." He stepped aboard the crawler.
Ebsa shrugged and watched him inspect the gun safe.
"What happened to the ammo I loaded in here?"
"Used it all."
"And you lost a shotgun."
Ebsa shook his head. "It's in the other bubble, with a fellow who's really good with it. And I hate to tell you this, but I let Ogly use the 20mm. He wasn't as good with it as you, but he beat the heck out of me."
"Ogly from school?" Nighthawk was frowning at the crawler. "You rolled it again, didn't you?"
"No! And I only added a couple of scrapes."
Ra'd hopped out shaking his head. "No ammo at all? No warrior should ever let that happen. Did you just coincidentally shoot the last whatever with your last bullet?"
"Rats the size of elephants. Nope. I had to go to crowbar and magic. Slice worked quite well. More impressive than the guns, frankly. But I wouldn't have wanted to try it without Speed."
Nighthawk snorted. "You need a sword."
"Yeah, one of those heavy types you guys use. Although when it comes to giant rats, I'd just as soon have had an ax."
"Out of ammo." Ra'd crossed his arms and glared.
"Henceforth, not only will I stop complaining about your ridiculous overstocking of ammo, I'm likely to add to it. Until I get over the memory of facing a hundred giant rats with only eighteen rounds for the BFG." Ebsa started taping at his comp. "In fact, since I'm probably going to be in quarantine, here's a couple of lists for you to forward to facilities, supplies. Yes, including ammo."
"That's not enough ammo."
"I don't want to give them a heart attack. I'll build up the stock gradually." Ebsa looked over his shoulder. "Looks like they're going to unbubble the camp. C'mon, there will no doubt be other people wanting to add to the supply list."
Ra'd followed, looking at the list. "A lot of cooking equipment. What did you do to your kitchen, Kitchen?"
Ebsa grinned at the old nickname. "My assistant cooks blew it up."
"Umm . . . "
"They're two of the critical burn patients. Poor kids. I kind of liked them. Like them. Dammit. Not sure even the infamous Xen Wolfson can save them."
The Comet Fall wizard looked over his shoulder. "I've sent Q to fetch the best medgicians she can shanghai. We'll try to save them all."
Paer held the handles vertically and spread them.
Wxxo and Ocho were still standing there chatting . . . spinning . . . starting to grin.
"Well. Here we are. Rescued." Ebsa took one handle from Paer and headed to the side. "This is an Empty World, and we're quarantined until they're sure we don't have giant bug eggs in our laundry."
"Sounds heavenly." Wxxo stepped out to meet the others.
Ebsa popped a corner of the bubble under the foundation, and trotted down the side . . . Getting the bubble off was much easier than putting it on. He handed the bag back to Paer and looked at her uncertainly.
"Did we actually get sick and tired of each other?"
She bit her lip. "I think it was just being stuck in a small hot box under stressful con
ditions. I . . . guess we need to think about it?" Her voice wobbled a bit.
"Yeah. By the third week, our constant togetherness was getting on each other's nerves. I didn't think there was such a thing as too much Paer."
She snorted. "We are not just casual lovers in between assignments." Her voice went small. "Are we?"
"No. We were just stressed and . . . in too small of a space and in danger for too long. Right?" Despite his best efforts, his voice wobbled into uncertainty.
Paer stiffened her shoulders. "Right. It was a pretty small bit of snappishness, anyway. Not a real fight."
"Yeah."
They turned their attention to the growing noise.
All the scientists were out, excited and chattering. Or complaining. "All that fuss for less than ten minutes in a bubble. Honestly, they could have just waited . . . "
"Six weeks, Dr. Leaf." Paer raised her voice. "The Subdirector of Exploration is sending in a quarantine and decontamination squad, and Disco is calling in some really good medgicians for the burn victims."
Dr. Itchy looked their way. "How long before we're out of here?"
Ebsa fielded that one. "About long enough to get your papers ready, all about the First Diaspora Eden Colony."
The astronomer grinned. "And the unusual solar activity there."
"And the Elf children."
"The language." Paer prompted.
"First Contact. And very well done, youngsters." Itchy beamed at them, then turned suddenly to hug his wife.
Thoughtful looks were exchanged among the scientists, a subtle shift in clumps, from social groups to work associates. Or, from the sharp looks, away from professional rivals.
Ebsa looked over at Paer. "And I'll bet they're hungry. I'd better get cooking."
Home
Mbassi was veiled, drooping. The plain girl with fire in her soul, that I begged my father to make a contract with. I cared nothing that she was a second daughter, with no demesnes to gift her future husband. That brilliant girl. When I spoke to her of my plans, I thought she shared them.
