The Ruins of Mars: Waking Titan (The Ruins of Mars Trilogy) by Dylan James Quarles Page B
Authors: Dylan James Quarles
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said Harrison, raising the grappling hooks above his head. “Here goes everything.”
Indeed, thought Braun. Though he did not utter a sound.
Possessing the little Rover like a disembodied spirit, Braun rolled over to the statue of the praying woman and unfolded his new cutting arm. With absolute perfection and ease, he honed the beam of the laser down to a hair’s width then began cutting the rock between the statue’s back and the cave wall. Following the exact line of the original weld, he slowly separated the seam. A thin wisp of dust emanated from the laser beam as it cut through the stone like a hot knife through butter. Simultaneously repositioning the Rover while never missing a beat with his cutting, Braun moved in an arc around the statue as he worked. Finally, with an anticlimactic hiss, he turned off the laser and backed away from the praying woman.
“I am finished,” he announced.
“Okay,” sighed Harrison, the grappling hooks still clutched in his gloved hands.
Walking swiftly over to the statue, he pressed one of the balloon tips into a crevasse between her crooked elbow and her side. In the gap, the hook’s soft tip molded around stone then went utterly rigid as air within was vacuumed out. After repeating the process with the statue’s other arm, Harrison spooled out some cable from the winch and attached a titanium triangle brace between the two grappling hooks. Clipping the cable to the brace, he turned and trotted back behind the winch scaffold, motioning for the others to do the same.
“Braun,” he said, “take it easy at first. D ensity tests show that the statue is solid and intact, but it’s also millions of years old. I don’t want anything happening to her.”
“I understand completely,” replied the AI.
Leaping from the body of the Rover to the winch, Braun began to apply steady slow torque to the line. As it reeled in, the cable rose off the floor and straightened out, becoming taut.
Standing to the left of Marshall, Liu gazed not at the statue of the woman as it began to tremble, but at Harrison, his body prone like a cougar before the pounce.
Such passion, she marveled. Pure and innocent passion.
Her heart ached for his affection in that instant, and a tear pricked at the corner of her eye. She forced herself to look away.
Applying more torque to the winch, Braun noticed that the swarming patterns of energy seemed to be reacting to what he was doing. Again adding power to the motor, he puzzled at how the fractals strained, as if pulling the statue away from the wall was like uncorking a bottle of champagne.
“Careful,” breathed Harrison, his eyes trained on the woman as she began to inch forward. “Careful. Go slowly.”
With a swirl, the energy fields changed directions, passing like tiny arrows of light through the human explorers, forming halos around them that danced and quivered. Unprepared to resist the desire that clutched at his heart, Braun felt himself adding still more power to the winch, its motor singing against the weight of the statue.
Shuddering and twanging, the winch’s cable dipped and bucked as Braun pulled the woman forward another few centimeters.
“Careful,” Harrison hissed again, a tinge of panic in his voice. “Don’t stress the cable like that.”
Experiencing a detachment that grew from outside his being, Braun ignored the archaeologist and steadily upped the torque. The patterns of reality leaped away from the explorers, crowding instead around the back of a statue like water circling a drain.
It’s disappearing from the chamber, Braun heard himself think. It’s moving ahead, beyond the statue. I must follow it.
Suddenly and uncontrollably wanting above anything else in his entire existence to know where the fields were going, Braun increased the power to the winch one last time. Stressed and quivering, the cable began to make popping sounds as it threatened to tear itself asunder.
“Braun!” cried Harrison. “Stop!
Indeed, thought Braun. Though he did not utter a sound.
Possessing the little Rover like a disembodied spirit, Braun rolled over to the statue of the praying woman and unfolded his new cutting arm. With absolute perfection and ease, he honed the beam of the laser down to a hair’s width then began cutting the rock between the statue’s back and the cave wall. Following the exact line of the original weld, he slowly separated the seam. A thin wisp of dust emanated from the laser beam as it cut through the stone like a hot knife through butter. Simultaneously repositioning the Rover while never missing a beat with his cutting, Braun moved in an arc around the statue as he worked. Finally, with an anticlimactic hiss, he turned off the laser and backed away from the praying woman.
“I am finished,” he announced.
“Okay,” sighed Harrison, the grappling hooks still clutched in his gloved hands.
Walking swiftly over to the statue, he pressed one of the balloon tips into a crevasse between her crooked elbow and her side. In the gap, the hook’s soft tip molded around stone then went utterly rigid as air within was vacuumed out. After repeating the process with the statue’s other arm, Harrison spooled out some cable from the winch and attached a titanium triangle brace between the two grappling hooks. Clipping the cable to the brace, he turned and trotted back behind the winch scaffold, motioning for the others to do the same.
“Braun,” he said, “take it easy at first. D ensity tests show that the statue is solid and intact, but it’s also millions of years old. I don’t want anything happening to her.”
“I understand completely,” replied the AI.
Leaping from the body of the Rover to the winch, Braun began to apply steady slow torque to the line. As it reeled in, the cable rose off the floor and straightened out, becoming taut.
Standing to the left of Marshall, Liu gazed not at the statue of the woman as it began to tremble, but at Harrison, his body prone like a cougar before the pounce.
Such passion, she marveled. Pure and innocent passion.
Her heart ached for his affection in that instant, and a tear pricked at the corner of her eye. She forced herself to look away.
Applying more torque to the winch, Braun noticed that the swarming patterns of energy seemed to be reacting to what he was doing. Again adding power to the motor, he puzzled at how the fractals strained, as if pulling the statue away from the wall was like uncorking a bottle of champagne.
“Careful,” breathed Harrison, his eyes trained on the woman as she began to inch forward. “Careful. Go slowly.”
With a swirl, the energy fields changed directions, passing like tiny arrows of light through the human explorers, forming halos around them that danced and quivered. Unprepared to resist the desire that clutched at his heart, Braun felt himself adding still more power to the winch, its motor singing against the weight of the statue.
Shuddering and twanging, the winch’s cable dipped and bucked as Braun pulled the woman forward another few centimeters.
“Careful,” Harrison hissed again, a tinge of panic in his voice. “Don’t stress the cable like that.”
Experiencing a detachment that grew from outside his being, Braun ignored the archaeologist and steadily upped the torque. The patterns of reality leaped away from the explorers, crowding instead around the back of a statue like water circling a drain.
It’s disappearing from the chamber, Braun heard himself think. It’s moving ahead, beyond the statue. I must follow it.
Suddenly and uncontrollably wanting above anything else in his entire existence to know where the fields were going, Braun increased the power to the winch one last time. Stressed and quivering, the cable began to make popping sounds as it threatened to tear itself asunder.
“Braun!” cried Harrison. “Stop!
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