“I hope somebody told that three-legged scumbag we still have a mass sensor in my suit," Horza said when Yalson caught up
with him. Yalson
looked over her shoulder, then said:
“Well, I told him, but I don’t think he believed me." She looked at Horza. “Is it working."
Horza glanced at the small repeater screen on his wrist controls. “Not at this range, but it will, when we get closer. We’ll
still find the thing,
don’t worry."
“I’m not worried," Yalson said. “You going to come back and join us." She looked back at the others again. They were twenty
meters
behind. Xoxarle, still chortling now and again, was in front, with Wubslin walking behind guarding the Idiran with
the stun gun. Balveda sat on the
pallet, with Aviger floating behind.
Horza nodded. “I suppose so. Let’s wait here." He halted. Yalson, who had been walking rather than floating, stopped, too.
They leaned against the tunnel wall as Xoxarle came closer. “How are you, anyway." Horza asked the woman.
Yalson shrugged. “Fine. How are you."
“I meant—" Horza began.
“I know what you meant," Yalson said, “and I told you I’m fine. Now, stop being such a pain in the ass." She smiled at him.
“OK."
“OK," Horza said, pointing the gun at Xoxarle as the Idiran went past.
“Lost your way, Changer." the giant rumbled.
“Just keep walking," Horza told him. He fell into step alongside Wubslin.
“Sorry I put my gun down on the pallet," the engineer said. “It was stupid."
“Never mind," Horza told him. “It was the sensor he was after. The gun must just have been a pleasant surprise. Anyway, the
drone saved
us."
Horza gave a kind of snort through his nose, like a laugh. “The drone saved us," he repeated to himself, and shook his head.
…
ah my soul my soul, all is darkness now. now i die, now i slip away and nothing will be left. i am frightened. great one,
pity me, but i
am frightened. no sleep of victory; i heard. merely my death. darkness and death. moment for all to become
one, instance of
annihilation. i have failed; i heard and now i know. failed. death too good for me. oblivion like release.
more than i deserve, much
more. i cannot let go, i must hold on because i do not deserve a quick, willed end. my comrades
wait, but they do not know how much
i have failed. i am not worthy to join them. my clan must weep.
ah this pain… darkness and pain
…
They came to the station.
The Command System train towered over the platform, its dark length glistening in the lights of the small band of people entering
the
station.
“Well, here we are at last," Unaha-Closp said. It stopped and let Balveda slide off the pallet, then put the slab with its
supplies and material
down on the dusty floor.
Horza ordered the Idiran to stand against the nearest access gantry, and tied him against it.
“Well," Xoxarle said as Horza strapped him to the metal, “what of your Mind, little one." He looked down like a reproachful
adult at the
human wrapping the wire round his body. “Where is it. I don’t see it."
“Patience, Section Leader," Horza said.
He secured the wire and tested it, then stepped back. “Comfortable." he asked.
“My guts ache, my chin is broken and my hand has pieces of your mass sensor embedded in it," Xoxarle said. “Also my mouth
is a little
sore inside, where I bit it earlier, to produce all that convincing blood. Otherwise I am well, thank you, ally."
Xoxarle bowed his head as much as
he was able.
“Don’t go away, now." Horza smiled thinly. He left Yalson to guard Xoxarle and Balveda while he and Wubslin went to the powerswitching
room.
“I’m hungry," Aviger said. He sat on the pallet and opened a ration bar.
Inside the switching room, Horza studied the meters, switches and levers for a few moments, then started to adjust the controls.
“I, uh…" Wubslin began, scratching his brow through the open visor of his helmet, “I was wondering… about the mass sensor
in your suit….
Is it working."
Lights came on in one control group, a bank of twenty dials glowing faintly. Horza studied the dials and then said, “No. I
already checked. It’s
getting a low reading from the train, but nothing else. It’s been that way since about two kilometers
back up the tunnel. Either the Mind’s gone
since the ship sensor was smashed, or this one in my suit isn’t working properly."
“Oh shit," Wubslin sighed.
“What the hell," Horza said, flicking some switches and watching more meters light up. “Let’s get the power on. Maybe we’ll
think of
something."
“Yes." Wubslin nodded. He glanced back out through the open doors of the room, as if to see whether the lights were coming
on yet. All he
saw was the dark shape of Yalson’s back, out on the dim platform. A section of shadowy train, three stories
high, showed beyond.
Horza went to another wall and repositioned some levers. He tapped a couple of dials, peered into a bright screen, then rubbed
his hands
together and put his thumb over a button on the central console. “Well, this is it," he said.
He brought his thumb down on the button.
“Yes!"
“Hey-hey!"
“We did it!"
“About time, too, if you ask me."
“Hmm, little one, so that’s how it’s done…."
“… Shit! If I’d known it was this color I wouldn’t have started eating it…."
Horza heard the others. He took a deep breath and turned to look at Wubslin. The stocky engineer stood, blinking slightly,
in the bright lights
of the power control room. He smiled. “Great," he said. He looked round the room, still nodding. “Great.
At last."
“Well done, Horza," Yalson said.
Horza could hear other switches, bigger ones, automatics linked to the master switch he had closed, moving in the space beneath
his feet.
Humming noises filled the room, and the smell of burning dust rose like the warm scent of an awakening animal all
around him. Light flooded in
from the station outside. Horza and Wubslin checked a few meters and monitors, then went outside.
The station was bright. It sparkled; the gray-black walls reflected the strip lights and glow panels which covered the roof.
The Command
System train, now seen properly for the first time, filled the station from end to end: a shining metal monster,
like a vast android version of a