And suddenly, Carver’s path turns vertical, and I wish I was in a vent.
“Right.” I dig through my pack for my pry bar because it’s the closest I’ve got to a pickaxe, and I climb. “Just like the mines.No harness. A ton of gear. One piece of metal between me and death.”
Rock still rains from the opening, so I wait until it stops, and Radar’s green eyes look down.
“Esthi?”
“I’m good. See you in a sec.”
I climb up the loose surface of the shaft slower than I’d like, but every hand and foothold must be brushed clean to the deeper, harder rock before I can trust them.
My goggles pick up an odd reflection in the rock. I pause. “Run element assessment.”
I squint as the goggles flash a variety of lights and scanners over the spot. It comes back as hydramidium.
“Score one for Esthielle, shitty miner, nerd, and archaeologist of Titans.” I pick free the softball-sized chunk and drop it into a stretch pouch in my bag. It’s a lighter metal but still a metal with a weight that I notice as I climb the rest of the way to Radar and Carver’s position. It’s bright out when I crest the surface.
Radar’s hanging onto a small dead tree and scanning the area. “Two patrols to the southwest. One scouring the landing zone. Looks like the outpost is on the other side of the forested hills to the north.”
“There’s a creek northeast of this hill, beyond this dead zone.” I pull up the map I drew on my tablet last week and pieced together with images I’d taken.
Radar nods as he looks it over, then glances in the direction of the creek. “Thanks. We’ll head through these hills, then make our way to the outpost along this canyon.”
Radar’s eyes flash green. Carver’s flash white, and he jumps down the tunnel.
Radar looks over at me.
“I can drag it.” I lift my pry bar.
Radar’s eyes flash again. “I am being told no. Not a chance in hell.”
He picks me up before I can protest, and jumps. My stomach smashes into my heart and makes my body tense.
Radar lands with jarring force, sets me down, and immediately backs up.
Armor steps out of the shadows, his comrade still across his shoulders. “Please stay with the group.”
“I did.”
“I cannot protect you if you wander off.”
Motioning to Radar, I mean to ask Armor how I’m breaking the group when I catch the plea in his eyes. He can’t watch over me if I run off with another group. And with the guilt he carries over their last mission, I think he’s going to be extra protective of all of us.
Armor runs a hand through his hair in exasperation. “Sorry, Esthi. You’re not a Titan. And I don’t have to follow your orders now that we are free. Do what you want.”
“Rarely do I do that,” I say. “I do what I need.”
“You’ve sure come a long way over many years for one person,” Karambit remarks in passing.
“My sister is not just a miner. She was trained in cybernetics, cyberpsyche transference, merge tech…the good stuff.”
This gets their attention. All of the Titans gather up around us as Carver continues ahead.
Atox dissects me with his red eyes. “A Creator?”
“Yeah. The upcoming generation. She only worked on Titan for a few months before the rumor of an attack made them start to move parts off the moon, and she came home to hide with us. So yeah, I need to get her back.”
Armor’s lips part like he doesn’t know what to say.
I pass him and follow Radar. “I was trained to keep her safe. I failed at that. But what I want doesn’t matter. Let’s just keep going.”
“Esthielle—”
“It’s fine.” I tilt my head back as tears blur my eyes. “Please, can we just keep going?”
Atox pats me on the shoulder and gives me a nod. “We will, won’t we, Armor?”
Armor joins me on my other side. “We will find her. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but we will.”
I nod, but I’m not so sure she can be recovered anymore.
