Page 34 of Lost in Barbarian Space

Honor pressed a button on her suit and a visor slid into place over her face. He didn’t like that he couldn’t see her eyes. He saw the glimmer of lights at the bottom of her visor.

She noticed him looking. “I have a small heads-up display. My suit can monitor the environmental factors as well as my body’s vitals.”

He grunted and pulled his coat around his shoulders.

She touched a control and the canopy slid back. The blast of cold and snow rattled his teeth. Clenching his jaw tight, he climbed out.

The wind was brisk, tossing snow around. His coat settled around him, and he flicked the hood up.

Now it was time to find what they’d come searching for…and at the same time, protect Honor from Ansar’s unwelcoming environment.

Trudging through the snow, Honor wondered how the stars Colm was going to cope in this without an enviro suit on.

She looked over at him and blinked. He had the hood of his fur coat over his head, casting his face in shadow. Snowflakes were already clinging to the fur.

He looked like a snow monster.

Derek and Dr. Behati appeared out of the wall of white. Derek held up his scanner.

She nodded. “Let’s get looking.” They fought their way through the deep snow, her boots sinking knee-deep. This could take far longer than she’d guessed. Even walking was hard.

Except for Colm. The damned warrior looked like he was out for a gentle stroll. He paused every now and then to kick snow away with his boot, studying the ground.

Derek’s scanner made a beep. They all stopped, and the agent crouched and brushed at the snow with his gloved hand.

Only to find hunks of rock.

Derek shook his head. “The rock has a high iron content. It seems to be setting the scanner off.”

Dammit. Could all the readings be false positives? “You think that’s what Abora picked up?”

Derek shook his head. “Don’t think so. The Drake’s scanners are more powerful.”

“Keep looking.”

The wind picked up. The snow was now small flecks of ice that pinged against her visor. She checked on Colm. He’d pulled his cloak tighter around himself, but seemed fine. Every now and then, he’d bend on one knee to scrape away snow.

Derek turned. “Nothing here, Agent Brandall. If there is, it’s too small to pick up. Maybe the rocks did ping the Drake’s scanners. I’ll need Ning to adjust for that.”

Honor pressed her lips together. “Okay. Let’s move onto the next location.” And get out of these frigid conditions and warm up. Even with her suit and gloves, her fingers felt numb. She spotted Colm, staring off into the falling snow.

“Colm?”

With no response, she trudged over to join him. “Colm? We’re heading back to the marlins. There’s nothing here.”

He kept staring. “There’s something moving out there in the snow.”

What? She turned, scanning around them. All she saw was fluttering white. “Easy to imagine stuff in these conditions.”

He glanced down at her, his face serious. “Stay close to me.” His voice was a deep rumble. “I didn’t imagine anything. There is something out there.”

She swallowed, her nerves itching. She looked again, trying to see what Colm was seeing. “I don’t see anything.”

“I wouldn’t either, without my nanami.”

She touched the side of her visor. “Drake, Brandall here. Are you picking anything up near us? Heat signatures?”

“Nothing,” Ning answered. “But the snow is interfering with our scans.”