A Lost Ship in a Dark Grave by Rene Astle

Author:Rene Astle [Rene Astle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Armchair Alien
Published: 2022-02-09T00:00:00+00:00

28: Harbin

Harbin smiled at Ray Skate’s scowl as the gangster flicked another bit of red foliage from his atmo suit.

“Are we done yet? We came. We saw. We found a mound. Common as mud.” Skate picked something else from his suit. “Or bloody leaves.”

“You’re the one who insisted on joining us to explore the planet.”

“No, I told you to go after the Lyra.”

“Why, when they didn’t find the Celeste?” Harbin stepped around a large rock to run the tip of his pulse rifle over the cleared patch of stone along the pyramid’s base.

“What makes you sure of that?” Skate waved a hand at the same area.

“Because they would have had more mass going out than coming in.” Liet shoved past the gangster to join Harbin. “Or there would have been two ships leaving.”

“They’d have called their angel, wouldn’t they?” Harbin lifted an eyebrow, suppressing a smile as Skate’s expression went flat. Then he shifted his attention to Liet. “Report?”

“Other sides are all the same.” She glanced back along the path that had disgorged them into this empty patch, then peered at the pyramid. “Except no clearing, no perpendicular paths.” She crouched in front of the stones, a grim expression on the sliver of face visible in the profile of her helmet.

Harbin stepped back, frowning at the solid stone — not so solid, according to the Argent’s scans. “I don’t like it, but we’ll have to wait for the scientific team to get here.”

“No, no scientists. And no waiting.” Skate pressed his hand against the stone above Liet’s head.

“That decision isn’t yours to make” His voice shifted to a whisper, his comms directed to Skate alone. “Lady Koning won’t leave this unexamined. Her team is already on their way.”

Skate stepped towards him, jostling Liet as he did. He came so close his helmet almost bumped Harbin’s. “The more people who know about this place, the more people to expunge.”

Harbin snorted. “Lady Koning’s people are the ones who do the expunging. She’ll decide if this needs to be scrubbed or shared with the Dominion.” He turned away from Skate to peer at the stone. “Hopefully, the scientists will have more success getting in,” he muttered, forgetting the others could hear every word.

“If we can’t get in, it’s time to go after the Lyra. They could be a solar system away by now.”

“Your pet archaeologist is still on board.” Harbin squinted at the pyramid and pursed his lips. “But you’re right, no use waiting. I’ll leave a small contingent to guard the ruins, then we’ll head out. Liet, head back to the ship and send Rao’s squad, prepped to stay.”

At his feet, Liet shifted. But it wasn’t to stand. Instead, she reached out and pressed her hand into the stone.

“Liet.” Harbin started to repeat his order when a rumble emanated from the pyramid. Stones fell away, like they were being swallowed by the hole that formed.

“How—” Skate eyed Liet.

“There was a hand print.” She shrugged, the movement barely visible in her suit. “I put my hand in it.

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