freeze. At least, it dispelled the smell of smoke.
“Why are we following them?” she muttered.
“We’ve been invited to a feast. It would be impolite to refuse. Besides, they have spears.”
“They have spears, we have guns.”
He chuckled. “Whatever happened to we aren’t here to butcher the locals?”
That stopped her. How could she let uncertainty and fear affect her beliefs?
Embarrassed, she said, “I don’t like bugs.”
“Well, if they’re anything like the bugs on my home world, they are strong, warlike, and numerous. And they excrete pheromones. If we kill Kkrick and his friends out here in the open, we’ll have a hundred more on us before we can find a place to hide.”
Impani looked around at the plain of flat white stone and suppressed a shudder. She didn’t want to stay on this world. “Have you noticed that each drop seems a bit longer than the last?”
“You think there’s a time limit to our tour?”
“I think we’d better figure out what’s wrong with the ring before we’re left on a planet permanently.”
Trace nodded and fell silent. Impani increased her gait. How could ant creatures outpace her on such spindly legs?
Her thoughts returned to her belt. The buckle contained a homing device, she was certain. The belts must use a beacon to call the ring to their position. If the main ring needed such a device, it followed that each subsequent ring needed the same beacon in order to latch onto them. If they had a stronger beacon, it might jar the errant ring back into alignment. But how did they build a stronger beacon?
Her footing slipped. She caught her balance, suddenly aware that they climbed a slight grade. The flat stones lay upon themselves like carefully placed shingles.
Another squad of ants chattered and waved as they passed. One had a fist-sized spider impaled on the tip of a spear. He held it over a red fissure in the rock. The spider’s legs kicked then curled as if touched by extreme heat. It gave her the bizarre image of a campfire and marshmallows.
The rise steepened. Kkrick and his party climbed. They held the dead creature high overhead. Impani’s boots skidded. Stones skittered beneath her step. She perspired, although she felt thoroughly chilled. She wished she could sit beside a fissure.
The number of ants around them increased. Many wore kilts, but some were naked. Their smooth exoskeletons shone in the bright sun. They clicked their beaks and ogled them. Kkrick walked without preamble toward a hole in the ground.
She cringed. “We aren’t actually going in there.”
“Is that a problem?”
“Yes, it’s a problem. We’ll be trapped.”
“I don’t see that we have a choice. Besides, we’re handlers now. That seemed to hold some sway.”
She stared at the hole, sweating harder than ever. “What do you suppose is for supper?”
“I suspect it will be the creature we brought from the other world.” He shook his head. “I keep telling myself that dying of smoke inhalation is better than burning to death.”
“With any luck, the meat will poison them.”
One by one, Kkrick and his followers disappeared into the huge anthill.
Standing on the rim, she peered down into the darkness. “No.” She stepped back. “We can’t go in there. Too dangerous.”
“It might be more dangerous if we don’t.” Trace motioned at the many ants around them. He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Come on. We’re cadets. Don’t you want to know how these creatures live? They’re fascinating.”
“They’re bugs.”
“We need to eat something.”
“You said we couldn’t eat on alien worlds.”
“On a normal drop. But this isn’t normal. And I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”
Impani winced. He was right. Until they found their way back to the academy, they would need to keep up their strength.
“Go on down,” he coaxed. “I’ll be right behind you.”
She nodded but wanted to kick herself. From the beginning, she’d
“Why are we following them?” she muttered.
“We’ve been invited to a feast. It would be impolite to refuse. Besides, they have spears.”
“They have spears, we have guns.”
He chuckled. “Whatever happened to we aren’t here to butcher the locals?”
That stopped her. How could she let uncertainty and fear affect her beliefs?
Embarrassed, she said, “I don’t like bugs.”
“Well, if they’re anything like the bugs on my home world, they are strong, warlike, and numerous. And they excrete pheromones. If we kill Kkrick and his friends out here in the open, we’ll have a hundred more on us before we can find a place to hide.”
Impani looked around at the plain of flat white stone and suppressed a shudder. She didn’t want to stay on this world. “Have you noticed that each drop seems a bit longer than the last?”
“You think there’s a time limit to our tour?”
“I think we’d better figure out what’s wrong with the ring before we’re left on a planet permanently.”
Trace nodded and fell silent. Impani increased her gait. How could ant creatures outpace her on such spindly legs?
Her thoughts returned to her belt. The buckle contained a homing device, she was certain. The belts must use a beacon to call the ring to their position. If the main ring needed such a device, it followed that each subsequent ring needed the same beacon in order to latch onto them. If they had a stronger beacon, it might jar the errant ring back into alignment. But how did they build a stronger beacon?
Her footing slipped. She caught her balance, suddenly aware that they climbed a slight grade. The flat stones lay upon themselves like carefully placed shingles.
Another squad of ants chattered and waved as they passed. One had a fist-sized spider impaled on the tip of a spear. He held it over a red fissure in the rock. The spider’s legs kicked then curled as if touched by extreme heat. It gave her the bizarre image of a campfire and marshmallows.
The rise steepened. Kkrick and his party climbed. They held the dead creature high overhead. Impani’s boots skidded. Stones skittered beneath her step. She perspired, although she felt thoroughly chilled. She wished she could sit beside a fissure.
The number of ants around them increased. Many wore kilts, but some were naked. Their smooth exoskeletons shone in the bright sun. They clicked their beaks and ogled them. Kkrick walked without preamble toward a hole in the ground.
She cringed. “We aren’t actually going in there.”
“Is that a problem?”
“Yes, it’s a problem. We’ll be trapped.”
“I don’t see that we have a choice. Besides, we’re handlers now. That seemed to hold some sway.”
She stared at the hole, sweating harder than ever. “What do you suppose is for supper?”
“I suspect it will be the creature we brought from the other world.” He shook his head. “I keep telling myself that dying of smoke inhalation is better than burning to death.”
“With any luck, the meat will poison them.”
One by one, Kkrick and his followers disappeared into the huge anthill.
Standing on the rim, she peered down into the darkness. “No.” She stepped back. “We can’t go in there. Too dangerous.”
“It might be more dangerous if we don’t.” Trace motioned at the many ants around them. He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Come on. We’re cadets. Don’t you want to know how these creatures live? They’re fascinating.”
“They’re bugs.”
“We need to eat something.”
“You said we couldn’t eat on alien worlds.”
“On a normal drop. But this isn’t normal. And I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”
Impani winced. He was right. Until they found their way back to the academy, they would need to keep up their strength.
“Go on down,” he coaxed. “I’ll be right behind you.”
She nodded but wanted to kick herself. From the beginning, she’d
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