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“I’m well aware.” I tugged the sleeves of my jacket down to cover my wrists and pulled my gloves up to cover any gaps before picking up the remaining sensors. “I need to get these last two sensors in place before the rain. I still have enough time to get them set up and adjusted before the real storm begins.”
“Then I could do it instead. I would be precise.”
“No, Andy. I won’t chance you getting stuck out in the storm.” I looked the android over. Sending him out would be too much of a gamble. “Stay with the ship and prepare the rest of the equipment to begin recording. Check the safety guards on the ship. And get the force field up. I don’t want any of that nasty weather getting in here.”
I opened the door to the Rabelo, Beta Class 880, and a gust of wind blasted me, grinding dirt into my face. I sighed and stepped out, closing the door firmly behind me. I hurried down the stairs and looked around to get my bearings. I had parkedNightfallinside a cave with a curved lip to block some of the wind. It would give us enough protection from the coming storm, but it would also not be too inconvenient for us to maneuver in and out of.
Sand and dust covered everything and whipped around in the wind. It wasn’t dense enough to obscure visibility yet, but it wouldn’t take long for that to happen. I checked my belt, making sure the GPS was strapped to it. Even if it became impossible to see, I could find my way back with that. I jogged towards the mouth of the cave.
We had arrived on Cadium barely an hour before. The ship had suffered a mechanical malfunction, forcing us out of hyperspace too soon. That had delayed us far too long for my comfort, but we still would have time to get all the recording equipment set up before the storm broke. The whole point of being on Cadium was to study the effects of the massive storm that occurred biannually. If I missed this opportunity, my employers wouldn’t be happy.
Dark mammatus clouds with uneven, bizarre-looking lobes hung low in the sky overhead. It was an eerie but beautiful sight, and one I didn’t have time to stare at. I jogged along the barren landscape, eyes peeled for the hill I had seen on the sensors when we first landed. It didn’t take long for me to find it, and I started the painstaking task of climbing the sandy dune.
Cadium was a desert planet, and close to uninhabitable because of its poor atmosphere and destructive storms. The land closest to the equator was usually scorching, while the poles were extremely cold and mostly covered in ice. There was very little in-between.
I used the sensors like walking sticks to help me trudge up the incline. I finally reached the top and paused to catch my breath. I didn’t have the luxury of time, so I didn’t rest long. I moved laterally along the crest for a good hundred feet, using the GPS to align with the ship at the right angle. I looked up at the sky and another gust of wind tossed sand into my face. The goggles did their job and kept the dust out, but I still had to wipe them off before I could shove the sensor into the sand.Only one more to go.I peered down at the GPS and set off again.
A ship appeared out of the dust and dirt on the far side of the dune. There was enough flat space between the dunes for it to land safely and be relatively out of sight. I frowned and kept moving. If someone was stupid enough to be out in the open during this kind of storm, then that was their problem.
Their closeness was a little unsettling, though. If they had ill intentions towards me, they wouldn’t have far to go. I doubted they were there for me or could even see me—not with all the dust—and the weather would have completely messed up their ship’s sensors by now. The strong electromagnetic field in the air would scramble even the best sensors. My GPS and recording equipment had to be specially made to withstand this kind of weather.
Resolving to ignore the ship, I trudged back through the sand to the other end of the dune. I double checked that I was in the right spot before pushing the sensor into the sand. I glanced back at the ship, more out of curiosity than anything.
I had to wipe my goggles off again before I could see a couple of people marching out from the ship. I shook my head and shoved the pole down until it hit something solid. I pressed the button on top so it would latch onto the rock and not blow away. The sand could collect in some places up to a dozen feet deep, but here it was only a few inches. I didn’t want the sensors to get sucked away by the wind. There was already a good chance I would lose at least one to the fire whirls.
With my task completed, I stopped to look down towards the ship again. The dust was getting worse; it was swirling around the air, making it hard to see. I started to walk back to my ship, but something stopped me, and I felt a tingle on my right palm. I glanced down at my gloved hand, as if I could see the tattoo beneath it. My palm started to burn. I knew better than to ignore a sign, so I grabbed a spyglass from my tool belt and put it up to my right eye, closing my left. I moved it around until I spotted the figures below.
There were two men with rags over their faces, but no eye protection. Between them they held a woman. Her head was down and all I could see was bright red hair, though the dirt attempted to mask the vibrant color. Her wrists were bound behind her back, and her feet were dragging. Suddenly, her arm jerked as though she was trying to pull out of their hands.
Instinct told me they had wandered too far from their ship. The men were obviously having trouble seeing, and the woman struggled in their grasp, slowing their progress. Their intentions towards the woman were evil; I could sense it. Even as I watched, the one on the left reached out and backhanded her, nearly knocking her to the ground. The other pulled out a gun, but a gust of wind blew dust into his face, and he threw his arms up before trying to rub his eyes clean.
My feet were sliding down the hill before I even realized I was moving. I shoved the spyglass into my pocket and pulled out my knife while I ran. As soon as I hit flat land, I spurred on faster, kicking up more sand behind me. The wind was blowing harder now, making it difficult to see more than a couple dozen feet in front of me. I navigated on instinct, catching little flashes of color here and there. The storm was almost upon us, but I had a little time.
The three figures appeared in front of me suddenly as the dust and sand momentarily cleared. The woman was on her back, arms still bound behind her, but her legs were free, and she swept one out and knocked one of the men to the ground. I heard him curse before the wind whipped it in the opposite direction. She rolled onto her side, coughing.
The one still standing had the gun, and though he was still trying to battle the wind, he lifted it and fired, just missing the woman’s shoulder. I sent up a brief prayer because I was still too far away to help yet. Another gust of wind kicked up, pelting the man with more sand. He cursed loudly, covered his eyes, and fired blindly, missing the woman wildly this time.
That gave me just enough time. I reached the man and smacked the gun from his hand easily. He jolted away in surprise, not having seen me approach. I struck out with my knife without pausing, catching him in the shoulder and slicing deep. He roared and pulled back. I followed the blow with a swift punch with my free hand. He stumbled away and tripped.
The other man had regained his feet by then, and he sprinted at me. I spun away from him, light on my feet despite the loose sand. He slid in the shifty ground, and I kicked his back, knocking him on his face. He hit the ground hard, shook his head, and got back to his feet. His buddy stood up as well and they both faced me, the woman seemingly forgotten.
I hadn’t forgotten her, though, and she had somehow pulled herself to her knees and was struggling to her feet. I didn’t look at her as I circled away, encouraging the men to keep their attention on me. I waited, holding my knife in steady hands. I false started to the right, and both launched at me on what they thought was an interceptive path. I stepped to the left and they banked, trying to change direction, but neither of them had the balance for a quick transition. I kicked at the one closest to me, catching him in the side. He grunted and grabbed my leg, holding me against him. I braced myself against his body and lifted my free leg to kick him. That one took him by surprise, and I landed a solid blow against his head.
He crumpled, releasing my leg. I kept my momentum as soon as I hit the ground, thrusting at the other man with my knife. He tried to get his upper body out of range by bending over backward, but he missed the woman stumbling up behind him. When his body tipped back, she swung her leg high and caught him right in the face with her heel. He went down.
I heard a crack of thunder too close for comfort and winced. The worsening conditions caused me to hesitate before attacking again.Move, Ethan. It’s too dangerous to be here.
We didn’t have the time to continue fighting. I eyed both men. They were crawling away, back in the direction of their ship. I could just barely see the ship lights, so I knew they’d find their way back unless they were complete idiots. This wasn’t the time to pursue them.
Instead, I went for the woman. I took her by the arm as she started after the men and pulled her in the opposite direction, back towards the dune. She opened her mouth to say something and was rewarded with a mouthful of sand. She choked and sputtered. I pulled her with one hand, and with the other I reached up and untied the bandana I wore around my dreads. I paused long enough to tie it around her face below her eyes. I didn’t have any spare goggles with me, so she would have to endure the grit. I used my knife to cut the bonds holding her wrists before retaking her arm.
She didn’t fight against me when I pulled her up the hill. I would have said something to reassure her, but it was impossible to be heard over the wind and thunder now. The dust was so thick I could barely see the woman. I held onto her tightly, knowing if we were separated, I wouldn’t be able to find her. I used my free hand to help pull us up the hill, and she did the same with hers.
The going was slow, and I prayed we would make it in time. The woman slowed me down, but I didn’t stop or let up on her, even when she would slide and lose her footing. I held her arm with an iron grip, probably bruising her, but I had to. If I let go and she fell, she was as good as dead. She would never survive on her own.
After far too much time, we finally reached the top of the dune. I surged forward, pulling her to the other side. My feet started slipping, and I knew we were going to fall. It would be the fastest way down the other side, anyway. I grabbed her with both arms, tucked her short frame under my chin, and let myself fall.
I took the brunt of the fall, and the sand cushioned some of the impact. I could feel more than hear her scream into my chest. I covered her head and held her as tightly as I could until we hit flat land. I rolled so that I landed on my back with her on my chest. I breathed heavily, already exhausted, and checked to make sure nothing was broken.
