Right Ascension by David Derrico

Author:David Derrico
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Tags: action, adventure, adventure action, ethics, fiction, military science fiction, morality, science fiction, scifi, scifi science fiction

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CHAPTER 12

The wind whistled through the narrow canyon, each jutting crag and sharp outcropping of rock adding its unique timbre to the raucous symphony of air. Dex and the Admiral trudged along the broken floor of the ravine, heading toward the increasingly bright reddish glow of the city in the rapidly failing light. Protected both from the winds and, more importantly, prying eyes by the heavy, hooded cloaks they both wore, the two officers traveled toward the Vr’amil’een city at a brisk pace, a pace they hoped would allow them to arrive before the short, cold Tu’oth’roor night had ended.

The bright glow of the city ahead, combined with the light of Tu’oth’roor’s two moons, was enough to provide the barest hint of illumination, casting a somber, blood-red tint on the uneven walls of the ravine. Dex rotated the dial on his flashlight from white to red, his light beam changing to approximate the hue of the city lights. Picking up the cue, Daniel did the same, unpleasantly finding that the red color favored by Vr’amil’een eyes was not as effective at helping him avoid the innumerable pits and spikes in the rocky ground below.

As they neared the city, a bend in the valley revealed a group of dancing reddish lights moving haphazardly toward them. They appeared to be flashlights, but they swung violently in random directions, as if their owners were more interested in the optical effect than actually lighting their way. Daniel noticed that Dex had quickly shut off his own light, hiding it in the folds of his cloak and leaving his right hand concealed thereunder, undoubtedly resting on his sidearm. “Both of us using lights would have been suspicious,” he whispered, speaking softly though Daniel was sure even sensitive Vr’amil’een ears could not hear them through the howling winds at this distance. “Just walk right by them. They won’t be expecting us to be sociable.”

They were near enough now that Daniel could make out three dancing flashlight beams, representing more than enough Vr’amil’een to handle both Dex and the Admiral if their intentions were to turn hostile.

Daniel pulled his hood farther over his face, nervously running a gloved finger over the tiny holographic emitter fastened to his chin, as if to check that it had not somehow spontaneously disappeared. He glanced quickly at Dex, completely indistinguishable from a normal Vr’amil’een even at this distance. Actual Vr’amil’een, however, were nocturnal, and thus possessed acute night vision and the ability to see infrared light, meaning that the darkness of night would offer Daniel and Dex little shelter against their sensitive eyes. Daniel hoped the holographic emitters would do the job.

The loud, resonant voices of the approaching Vr’amil’een could now be heard, and it was not long before it became apparent that they were thoroughly inebriated. Though Daniel could not be sure, he would have bet they had been ingesting large quantities of Un’qui’do, a particularly potent Vr’amil’een ale that was almost lethally toxic to humans, even in small doses.

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