Operation Inferno by Eric Nylund

Author:Eric Nylund [Nylund, Eric]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-375-98119-7
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2013-10-08T04:00:00+00:00

16

PRECIOUS CARGO

STERLING SQUADRON AND REBECCA’S TEAM landed on the flight deck at Titan Base. There was a near riot as pilots dropped out of their insect cockpits and ran across to each other, embracing, shaking hands, and clapping each other on the back. It was like it was everyone’s birthday, New Year’s Eve, and the start of summer vacation all at once.

The Resisters on Ethan’s side thought they were the last free-willed humans left on the entire Earth. To see Rebecca and her crew there among them—it seemed too good to be true.

It was the first time in weeks that Ethan felt hope.

Rebecca’s crew looked like they’d awakened from a terrible never-ending nightmare.

But Rebecca remained grim-faced. She crossed her arms over her chest and shouted out: “There’ll be time for celebration later, group.” She turned to Ethan. “We have to get our cargo to your medical facility ASAP. We’ve been racing the clock since this started. Which way is it?”

“You still haven’t explained—” Ethan started.

Rebecca held up one hand. “I will explain. But later.”

Ethan wanted to point out to Rebecca that this was his base, his command. But that was childish. Obviously she was worried. And it was clear that there was a crisis brewing. Issues like who was in charge weren’t important right then.

Still, it bugged Ethan to have Rebecca calling the shots in front of his people.

She must have picked up on his feelings, because she paused, sighed, and said, “Please, Lieutenant. It’s urgent.”

“Yeah, sure,” Ethan said. “Felix, give them a hand. Emma? Madison? Show Rebecca’s people the way to the infirmary.”

Madison and Emma saluted and immediately moved toward the flight deck exit, leading Rebecca’s people. Felix got Kristov and a half dozen other kids to help unload the luna moth carrier that Rebecca had ordered to rendezvous with their two squadrons en route back to Titan Base.

“If I might suggest, Lieutenant,” Rebecca said, “you and I should lend a hand, too. I’ll explain more as we walk.”

Ethan followed her to the luna moth carrier. The I.C.E. had seen some action. Half its silvery scales were scorched. The inside cargo space, big enough to drive a truck through, was stacked to the top with cylinders nine feet long, three feet across, and made of brushed aluminum. There was a small window on each cylinder. A tiny computer display had been epoxied next to each window, and the display winked with graphs and symbols Ethan didn’t recognize.

He peered though a window, but it was frosted over on the inside. He went to touch it, but instinctively jerked his hand away from the intense cold.

“Here.” Rebecca grabbed two hydraulically powered hand trucks. Each of the wheeled units could lift and roll a half ton of cargo. She rolled one dolly at Ethan. She then checked the displays of several cylinders, found one she was looking for, and slid her hand truck under one end and dragged it out a bit.

Ethan wheeled his hand truck around and slipped the edge under the cylinder’s other end.

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