Mars Revolution: The Centauri Assignment by Michael Cole

Author:Michael Cole [Cole, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severed Press
Published: 2023-04-11T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

Flight Three-Thirteen.

The flight was long and dull. With the cover of night, there was little for the passengers to see through the windows. Only after the Merci Colony stop did things get exciting momentarily. The ship gunner had yelled out ‘flyers’ and armed his turret. A quick burst of plasma fire deterred a small swarm of winged creatures who had gotten a little too curious about the Whirlybird. “Good thing it was only three,” the gunner had said, “or else it would’ve been a real party!”

Two more stops were made after that, unloading passengers, and refueling. That process was aggravating for the Centauri platoon, whose sleep was interrupted so they could place their rebreathers on before the doors opened up. Only through the perimeter lights was Vince able to see the layout of the colony domes. There were some interior lights on as well, like streetlights in the World One cities. It was his first and only glimpse of Ortega Colony and Asagi Colony, two of the other settlements on the outskirts.

But with the coming of dawn came what seemed like a whole new world. The landscape here was different than that on the west. It brought to mind the term peaks and valleys, for every few miles, the landscape appeared to alternate between the two.

To the southeast was a large mountain. As they continued farther east, Vince realized it wasn’t just any simple mountain. It was a volcano.

Lovely.

“Wow!” Lucy said.

Vince did not share her glee. Both had read about the increased volcanic activity. For all he knew, that big piece of rock would burst at any moment. His daughter was suffering from what he called ‘it’ll never happen to me’ syndrome.

Her next “wow” came from the sight of a herd of ollubs feeding on the red plains. Like a herd of buffalo, they traveled in unison. Like their extinct World One counterparts, they had curved horns behind their eyes. Far more dangerous was the third horn, located on their nose. Like that of a rhinoceros, it was intended for uprooting sustenance, or gorging enemies.

Demonstrating that fact were two creatures on the right side. Two big bulls, angry at each other for some reason Vince and Lucy would never know, they touched horns. Like medieval swordsmen, they clashed with enough force to kick up dust. As the Whirlybird put the herd behind them, one of the creatures yielded, limping away while the other stood victorious.

As the flight continued, Vince watched the northeast. He could finally see the Blackout Hills. As many others had pointed out, it was more of a mountain range than a series of hills. Whichever it was, it resembled something drawn up from some artist’s demented imagination. Every towering rock had its own unique shape. Between his studies and the pure sight of it all, Vince knew it was a place where predators could easily hide.

The talkative Corporal Tarseas was awake by this point and watching the world go by. His interest was sparked by an erupting methane geyser which spat flames on the southwest.

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