which they entered into the mission preparation room. They integrated their PASs and did a systems check upon plugging them in. Then, they waited for a moment before climbing onto the platform.
With the Russian now infected, they had lost a well-informed source. Who knows what else he could have revealed? Jave remained persuaded, despite his lack of knowledge on the relations of this species, that he was concealing important information. By going back to the original source, he hoped to find workable clues.
To his great surprise, Naakrit had informed him that he wouldn't be joining this expedition. He had used the pretext – because that was what it was, a pretext – that he couldn't take the cold. For sure, the frozen lands of Siberia were the polar opposite of a reptilian’s idea of hospitable, but their armor adapted to the needs of its wearer, including in the middle of hostile terrain. Despite his body's lack of heat regulation, he wouldn't have suffered from ice delirium.
The fact that he justified himself was a mark of respect accorded to a Combinate representative. Jave asked himself what was troubling the Primark to the point of letting him move away from the general quarters. His closest lieutenant, Kjet, would be accompanying them and had surely received specific instructions from his superior. As for the Sybarian, she turned on a sort of repulsor field around her, which kept the mercenaries at bay. An attitude fitting for her officer's rank.
Of course, there had been that subtle exchange before Oleg's questioning. That was the reason for her presence on the team which also included a T-J pilot. The latter welcomed them onto the platform of the Dubai tower. The emissary stopped for a moment. He raised his head.
The opal river went from one horizon to another.
“So, that's what it looks like when seen from the inside?”
The night sky wasn't uninteresting; it just lacked that special touch. From the worlds of the Collective, located on the outside of the galaxy that the humans called the “Milky Way,” the panorama offered a singular view of almost the whole luminous vortex, of its spiral arms made up of strings of sparkling points. The fresco inspired the erudite and the covetous. Always. Earth was a marvel, a grain buried in the middle of a series of sparkles and halos. Among the billions of stars, other seeds were hidden.
How many mercenaries could brag of such luck or misfortune
? the emissary asked himself.
The flight, shorter than during their New York escapade, went according to expectations. The trajectory brought them above the atmosphere then, according to the laws of physics which affected all points in the universe, the free fall ensued, until reaching an altitude and speed where the aerobic propulsion took over.
After that ballistic stage, the vessel circled above a carpet of dark clouds which revealed a gleaming satellite.
Humans had set foot there
, he remembered. The fact that they hadn't colonized their moon remained an enigma.
Did they want to go beyond their limits?
The question was important, because the response would surely determine their will to survive, which, considering the current situation, didn't fall under the category of speculation. Beaten by Naakrit, the species was on the brink of the cliff. Extinction awaited them in the abyss.
“We have arrived,” the pilot informed him.
The back hatch opened. A glacial wind rushed into the cargo hold. Jave closed his helmet and increased his CO2 flow. On his visor, a map was displayed in transparent colors. He raised one hand and Kjet advanced first. His black and grey armor disappeared from his view. When her turn came, the Sybarian started off with an assured step. The emissary exited the T-J last.
The night enveloped him as he fell towards a fuzzy sea.
He couldn't make out his comrades, but the plan reported their positions. They were already charging through a layer of clouds, which they crossed in a few seconds.
With the Russian now infected, they had lost a well-informed source. Who knows what else he could have revealed? Jave remained persuaded, despite his lack of knowledge on the relations of this species, that he was concealing important information. By going back to the original source, he hoped to find workable clues.
To his great surprise, Naakrit had informed him that he wouldn't be joining this expedition. He had used the pretext – because that was what it was, a pretext – that he couldn't take the cold. For sure, the frozen lands of Siberia were the polar opposite of a reptilian’s idea of hospitable, but their armor adapted to the needs of its wearer, including in the middle of hostile terrain. Despite his body's lack of heat regulation, he wouldn't have suffered from ice delirium.
The fact that he justified himself was a mark of respect accorded to a Combinate representative. Jave asked himself what was troubling the Primark to the point of letting him move away from the general quarters. His closest lieutenant, Kjet, would be accompanying them and had surely received specific instructions from his superior. As for the Sybarian, she turned on a sort of repulsor field around her, which kept the mercenaries at bay. An attitude fitting for her officer's rank.
Of course, there had been that subtle exchange before Oleg's questioning. That was the reason for her presence on the team which also included a T-J pilot. The latter welcomed them onto the platform of the Dubai tower. The emissary stopped for a moment. He raised his head.
The opal river went from one horizon to another.
“So, that's what it looks like when seen from the inside?”
The night sky wasn't uninteresting; it just lacked that special touch. From the worlds of the Collective, located on the outside of the galaxy that the humans called the “Milky Way,” the panorama offered a singular view of almost the whole luminous vortex, of its spiral arms made up of strings of sparkling points. The fresco inspired the erudite and the covetous. Always. Earth was a marvel, a grain buried in the middle of a series of sparkles and halos. Among the billions of stars, other seeds were hidden.
How many mercenaries could brag of such luck or misfortune
? the emissary asked himself.
The flight, shorter than during their New York escapade, went according to expectations. The trajectory brought them above the atmosphere then, according to the laws of physics which affected all points in the universe, the free fall ensued, until reaching an altitude and speed where the aerobic propulsion took over.
After that ballistic stage, the vessel circled above a carpet of dark clouds which revealed a gleaming satellite.
Humans had set foot there
, he remembered. The fact that they hadn't colonized their moon remained an enigma.
Did they want to go beyond their limits?
The question was important, because the response would surely determine their will to survive, which, considering the current situation, didn't fall under the category of speculation. Beaten by Naakrit, the species was on the brink of the cliff. Extinction awaited them in the abyss.
“We have arrived,” the pilot informed him.
The back hatch opened. A glacial wind rushed into the cargo hold. Jave closed his helmet and increased his CO2 flow. On his visor, a map was displayed in transparent colors. He raised one hand and Kjet advanced first. His black and grey armor disappeared from his view. When her turn came, the Sybarian started off with an assured step. The emissary exited the T-J last.
The night enveloped him as he fell towards a fuzzy sea.
He couldn't make out his comrades, but the plan reported their positions. They were already charging through a layer of clouds, which they crossed in a few seconds.
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