Lost in Barbarian Space(15)
The man sighed. “We’re right near it. It’s in the lake.”
She shook her head. “Of course it is. Great, just great. Dr. Brown, Dr. Lev’nan, what do you want to do?”
The archeologists murmured to each other for a moment before they straightened and turned to her.
“We’ll suit up and grab the breathers.” Dr. Brown was a plump, older woman. “Looks like we’re going to take a swim.”
“Roger that.” Honor looked at her three agents. “Derek, help the doctors and fire up the salvage droid. Braz, you take the left, Galla, you’ve got the right. Keep your eyes open, and let’s make sure we don’t have any visitors.”
Colm folded his strong arms over his chest. “We are not too far from the Wilds. It is not unknown for some of the darken beasts to slip over into the meadows to hunt. But it is unlikely during the day. They don’t like the sunlight.”
Everyone nodded. The security agents got to work, and soon the two archeologists were suited up and wading into the lake. They clenched small breathing units between their teeth. Honor watched as their heads disappeared under the water.
The small salvage droid followed them, floating in the air. It was dull silver, with a circular head and several arms dangling beneath it that made it look vaguely like a jellyfish. Each arm had a different tool attached to it. It sank into the water. If the archeologists found anything useful, the droid would haul it up.
Time seemed to drag on. The archeologists sent up short messages to Derek’s Sync to say they’d found something metallic and were working on it.
A moment later, Honor saw Colm staring across the meadow, hands on his hips. His gaze was narrowed.
She stepped up beside him. “Problem?”
He shook his head. “I can’t detect anything. I just feel—”
“Twitchy?” She looked across the sunny meadow. “I know that feeling. It usually pays to trust it.”
He nodded. “A warrior always listens to his instincts.”
Honor breathed deep. She didn’t scent anything off, or detect any vibrations under her feet.
Colm was watching her. “You do not have nanami.”
She smiled, enjoying his confusion. “Nope.”
“But your senses are enhanced. And in the arena…you moved fast, were stronger, and you anticipated my moves.”
“Maybe I’m just very good.”
He made a sound like a growl.
She decided to let him off the hook. “I told you about my homeworld, Predia. Well, Predians are hunters. We have naturally enhanced abilities. Not quite as good as what your nanami give you, but better than most.”
He nodded. “Nanami are not always a blessing.”
She detected something sharp in his dark tone, but then there was a splash of water.
They both spun. Something had risen to the surface, tugged upward by the salvage droid. Honor couldn’t tell what it was, but it was covered in a layer of green slime.
A second later, the heads of the archeologists bobbed up beside the object.
Dr. Lev’nan ripped his breather from his mouth. He was grinning. “It’s an ancient escape pod.”
Dr. Brown followed suit. “It looks like a Terran design.”
With the droid’s help, the two archeologists pulled the object to the shore. Honor and Colm waded knee-deep into the lake and helped drag it onto dry land.
The metallic cylinder wasn’t large, maybe as long as Colm and a few meters across. It was a single-person pod.
“Should we open it here and see what’s inside?” Derek asked.
Dr. Brown shook her head. “Even if it’s empty inside, it’s still a valuable historical artifact. We need to get back to the estate.”
Suddenly, she heard a scraping sound.
Honor turned and her eyes widened. Colm had drawn his sword.
“What is it?” She pressed her hand to her holstered laser pistol.
“We have company,” he said grimly.
Honor strained to hear. Nothing…then she stiffened. There. The faint pounding of hooves on dirt.
She pulled out her laser pistol. “Archeologists, stay with the pod and keep your heads down. Security team, weapons hot. We have company incoming.”
She saw four hargon beasts come over a rise.
Colm frowned. “Raiders.”
He said the word the same way she’d say scum.
She shot him a questioning look.
“They are not honorable. Thieves and cowards,” he said.
“Well, they’re not getting our find,” she said. “Everyone stay back.”
The raiders thundered closer. Honor got a brief impression of large warriors wearing a mishmash of clothes and leather armor. She lifted her laser pistol, the lead raider in her sights, and fired.