Earth Star(121)

‘Could just be because of the landslide,’ I said. ‘I’m reaching the steepest section now, so I’ll try and move from side to side to cover most of the slope.’

I worked from the left side across to the right, slid down further, then moved from right to left. I couldn’t see anything on the sensor other than a mess of earth, rocks and roots. I might have missed something, but I was sure Playdon wouldn’t. I was nearly at the bottom of the slope, and giving way to despair, when I saw something flicker on the sensor image. I paused, blinked the stinging sweat out of my eyes, and looked again. It would be so easy to imagine it was showing what I desperately wanted to find.

‘Are you seeing what I’m seeing?’ I asked shakily.

‘Looks like part of a tunnel to me.’ Playdon’s voice sounded a bit odd too. ‘I’ve no idea what that bright white line is. Can you rotate image?’

I rotated the image and the line became an equally bright rectangle. I stared at it for a second, then came to my senses and turned the hand sensor off.

‘Lost image,’ said Playdon.

‘I’ve turned it off. There’s something down there, so we have to be very, very careful now.’ I swapped to broadcast channel and took a deep breath. ‘This is Major Tell Morrath. There’s a tunnel at my current location, with the entrance blocked by a landslide. My sensors show something inside, probably a door, but they aren’t recognizing the material. I’ve cut sensors for now. We must keep active sensor scans of the tunnel to a minimum, and absolutely no sleds or lift beams go near it without my direct order. We’ve no idea how our technology may interact with this.’

I paused. ‘Pereth, we’ll have to work from below to clear the entrance to the tunnel. I’ll want to keep the sleds as far away as possible from any alien technology.’

There’d been dead silence on broadcast channel, but now there seemed a babble of excited voices. I had a weirdly giddy moment, and then realized Playdon was talking on the private channel.

‘What?’ I asked.

‘I said we’d better get you out of there, Jarra. Should we pull you up?’

‘If you can.’

It was a long struggle back up the landslide, with my arms and legs aching. Fian met me, pulling me back over the edge to safe ground. I instantly sat down and flopped backwards, heaving a sigh of utter relief.

‘Jarra, are you all right?’ Fian asked.

‘Just tired.’ A vid bee flew above me, and I waved my arm, making a swatting gesture at it. ‘Krath, keep your vid bee out of my way or I’ll kill it.’

‘Sorry, Jarra,’ said Krath’s voice. ‘We’re live on Earth Rolling News and everyone’s a bit excited.’

I groaned.

‘This is Colonel Riak Torrek.’

I sat up, startled to hear the Colonel speaking on broadcast channel.

‘I wish to thank all the civilian archaeologists for their continuing assistance,’ he said. ‘Major Tell Morrath and Captain Eklund are now taking a rest break until the access road is completed.’

‘We are?’ I said, fortunately not on any channels, though the vid bee was probably picking it up.

‘You heard him,’ said Playdon. ‘That was a thinly disguised order.’

Fian suddenly laughed. ‘I’ve got the Colonel on private channel, telling me to get Jarra back to our Field Command sled and make her rest.’

I couldn’t argue with the vid bee watching, so I turned on my hover belt and Fian and I headed back up through the trees. Fian still seemed to be having some sort of furtive conversation with the Colonel. I didn’t dare ask what it was about, but after a few minutes the Colonel opened a private channel to me.

‘Jarra, this is Riak.’

I was disconcerted by his use of his first name. ‘Uh, yes, sir.’

‘Jarra, you’re speaking to me as Riak, a fellow member of the Military family, and I hope a friend. This conversation is outside the chain of command.’

‘Uh, yes, … Riak.’

‘Jarra, I shouldn’t need to tell you how well you’ve done. You have to rest now, because we’ll need you to direct the excavation of the tunnel entrance.’

I made a noise of understanding and agreement, rather than struggle with calling him Riak again.

‘After that, Jarra, someone needs to go into the tunnel, and we don’t know how dangerous it will be. I’m dreadfully aware you and Fian didn’t enlist voluntarily. I drafted you into the Military, and you must not feel under any obligation to take any risks, but I can’t deny it’s your right to enter that tunnel if you wish.’