Adventures in Intergalactic Backpacking by Debra Dunbar

Author:Debra Dunbar [Dunbar, Debra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-12-30T20:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

We sat around for the rest of the day. I occasionally ventured outside and looked up, as if I could somehow divine from the sunless, artificial sky how long we had until nightfall. Eventually we rolled up our sleeping bags and pads, organizing everything in our packs so we could squeeze in the cans of tuna and extra water without it all being unbalanced.

“I’m thinking we should head out to the stream now and just be there when night falls,” Ethan said in an authoritative, take-charge tone that totally had my hackles up. “Walking around without a light as dark as it gets here? We might fall and break a leg. And the dicks might notice us sneaking out at night with a light.”

“Like they won’t notice us with our packs on, hanging out by the stream at night?” I countered. “And we’re going to have to have the light on anyway. It’s just as dark by the stream, and drowning is just as much an escape hindrance as breaking a leg.”

Ethan shouldered on his pack. “You can stay here if you want. I’m going.”

You can stay here if you want. I’m going. I mocked silently behind his back. Then I followed him out of the den, down the ledge and across the meadow to the stream.

I didn’t trust Ethan. It would be just like him to run off with the slug, leaving me behind. Although I’d never seen any proof of it, I was sure he could be suitably charming when he needed to be. Even with the language barrier, he might sweet-talk the slug into ditching me.

At the stream I filled up the large water filtration bag, and Ethan filled a slightly smaller one that I hadn’t realized he’d been carrying with him. Just like that dickwad to let me shoulder all the water duties when he had a filtration bag of his own the whole time.

With water duties done, we both sat down to wait. I was reluctant to take off my backpack in case I had to move quickly, so I propped myself against a tree and snoozed.

I woke abruptly to see nothing but blackness. The stream gurgled. Ethan snored beside me. And another strange and faint noise hit my ears. It sounded like someone welding, but there were no sparks. I swiveled my head toward the sound and watched as the blackness was rent by a line of bright white.

“Wake up.” I nudged Ethan. “He’s here.”

Ethan jerked awake, snorting and thrashing as if we were in a potential combat situation. I took an elbow to the ribs that had me cursing. After a few seconds of panic, he calmed down and stared at the sliver of white. It widened into a something big enough to walk through and I could clearly see the slug on the other side.

Ethan launched himself to his feet and ran for the escape. I did the same, annoyed that I’d bothered to wake him, or hesitated once I saw the opening.

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