There were no life signs detected and the actual meet point coordinates still showed heat from the attack.
He brought the shuttle in as low as he dared over the site and turned on video to add to their scan data. Wisps of smoke still drifted up into the frigid air. A blackened circle had been carved out of the surrounding ice cover surface. And there might be a hole at its center. It was hard to tell.
There were no visible bodies.
“What’s that?” Riina asked, zooming a camera in on dark shapes off to one side of the impact crater.
Tim angled their path over the shapes so the cameras could get better views.
“Those are flyers. Ground vehicles perhaps,” she said.
“I am unable to connect with Dr. Walker’s flyer,” Veirn’s bit said over the comms. “All systems are completely offline.”
“I should check them out,” Trac said.
Tim wanted to object, but he’d have to gear up for the frigid temperatures and there was also a risk of atmospheric contamination left over from the attack.
He gave a sharp, reluctant nod and brought the shuttle down as close to the vehicles as he dared.
“What about…?” Tim wasn’t sure what to call the skitterfin, so he pointed at it.
“Fred will stay here with you,” Trac said.
Fred?
Trac lowered his arm until he touched Tim’s shoulder and the skitterfin unfolded its wings and three tails, scampered down Trac’s arm and wrapped itself around Tim’s neck.
He didn’t like it. It wasn’t painful, but the skitterfin was quite warm. And a bit prickly.
“Can I go, too?” Lt. Dish asked.
“No,” Trac said, activating the hatch and passing back into the rear of the shuttle.
The hatch hissed closed, leaving an awkward silence behind.
“He can act quickly,” Tim said, finally. “Without waiting for us to don suitable gear.”
“Oh.” Lt. Dish paused. “Right. That makes sense.”
“I’m still not picking up any life signs,” Riina said, “though the extreme cold might be masking them if they are geared up and on foot.”
It was a hopeful assessment, but right now all they had was hope.
The rear hatch registered as lowering, after a pause, he watched Trac approach the small array of flyers. None showed any sign of power, which made sense following the electro-magnetic strike. But in the light from Trac’s headlamp, he saw that two of the flyers’ doors hung open.
“I believe Harold accessed these flyers for supplies,” Trac said over the comms.
“Why Harold?” Riina asked.
“Only a robot could have broken into these vehicles,” Trac answered.
He was now surveying the ground around the vehicles. If Harold had survived the attack, then hope could turn into a small certainty. There was no reason for the robot to acquire supplies unless there was a human with him.
“I believe multiple humans walked this direction,” Trac said, pointing with his arm and his light.
It was in the general direction of the closest habitations. But it was an optimistic move. It was a long hike in the darkness.
“I’m going to follow the trail,” Trac said. “Follow me from the air.”
