Critical Path (The Critical Series Book2) by Wearmouth & Barnes

Author:Wearmouth & Barnes [Wearmouth & Barnes]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Sci Fi
ISBN: 1503093670
Publisher: WBP
Published: 2014-11-09T08:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Thick gray clouds conspired to smudge away most of the sky’s orange tint.

A rumble of thunder cracked overhead. Charlie stood under Augustus’ cabin porch, hands on hips, and surveyed the rooftops of Unity.

For the first time in weeks, rain started to fall. A good sign the planet was starting its recovery from the croatoans’ early stages of terraforming .

From the elevated position of the third step, he could see the whole town: the arena where he fought, the ludus, Aimee’s imposing residence, and the maze of scruffy houses and workshops crowding around the main dirt road.

Charlie gazed at the croatoan vessel poking out of the sinkhole between the steps and the town and thought about the plan. He felt responsible. Not for this vile hybrid place, but for the remaining human survivors and the planet destroyer perhaps already on course for Earth with orders for its destruction.

He had sacrificed himself once and felt this was a kind of a blessing. He had another chance to help his people, his planet.

Denver leaned on a wooden fence surrounding the porch. He stared toward the crops and root on the opposite steps with a look of disbelief.

“Where are the others? Are they okay?” Charlie said.

“They should be at a safe distance. I might slip away tonight to warn them off, and yeah, Gregor survived.”

“That’s a shame about Gregor, but they’ll figure something out. We need to stay here for now. If we try to leave, we’ll have to fight our way out. We can’t destabilize things as they are right now.”

“I know,” Denver said with resignation in his voice. Charlie could tell he was holding something back. Growing up, Charlie hadn’t really taught him how to express his emotions—mostly because Charlie couldn’t do that either. When he found Pippa’s body, her head smashed with a rock, he retreated within himself because if he let out what he felt, he knew he would crumble, and he had to be strong, for Denver, Mike, Mai, and the other survivors from that time.

It didn’t stop him from hurting inside, though. Didn’t stop him from wanting to confide in someone that even he, the great survivor Charlie Jackson, was tired and scared.

Charlie sidled up to his side and gripped his shoulder, squeezing understanding and love into him, knowing the kid was hurting and scared but too stubborn to show it.

Denver gave Charlie a quick nod and a smile, and suddenly the hurt on his face was no longer buried deep somewhere inside. “I still can’t believe we’re going in one of their ships. Are you sure Aimee’s telling the truth?” Denver said, changing the unspoken subject.

“I’m almost certain. Hagellan, the creature who ran the Earth program, gave her the information—”

Denver’s features twisted into a grimace. “Seriously? We should kill him for what he’s done. Why are you even considering helping?”

Charlie sighed. “Don’t think I haven’t been tempted, son. But bigger things are at stake. It appears that the croatoan standard mode of operation for troublesome planets is to annihilate them.

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