The Down Deep by Catherine Asaro

Author:Catherine Asaro [Asaro, Catherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure, Crime & Mystery, Space Opera
ISBN: 9781982193508
Google: X1M70AEACAAJ
Amazon: 1982193506
Publisher: Baen
Published: 2024-07-02T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER X

Carnelian Tide

Ruzik stood tensed and on guard with Byte-2 and Tower, supposedly for the Majda queen, but he kept a closer watch on her officers. Although he’d begun to trust Lavinda Majda, her guards were another story. None of them had tats, scars, or cyb to mark their battle wins or build their buzz with other fighters. Captain Morah seemed competent. He’d wanted to dump the loudmouthed Warrick off a cliff, but gradually he’d realized she was more tactless than hostile.

The other guard answered to Lieutenant Caranda. These above-city types had no clue how to protect their privacy, the way they used their names so easily when strangers could hear. Caranda didn’t have a mouth like Warrick, but Ruzik felt her scorn in a way Warrick had never shown, as if Caranda shouted it through the canals until her malice toward the Undercity echoed everywhere.

Right now, trust or not, they had zero to do, both Majda guards and Dust Knights. They stood a few paces back from Karal, Bhaaj and the Majda queen, surrounding the people they’d been sent to protect. It felt like overkill. What, did they think the Deepers might attack? Yah, big threat. He worried more he might injure one of the fragile Deepers if he tried to nudge them away from the queen. Not that anyone came close. They went about their business as if no trespassers had shown up in their world.

Bhaaj, Lavinda, and Karal sat just outside the infirmary, using sheared-off rock stumps as chairs. Their seats circled a larger stump that acted as a table. Veins of quartz wove through the stone, sparkling in the light, which no longer seemed dim now that Ruzik’s eyes had adapted. He listened, ever vigilant, and he liked none of what he heard. He could protect them against violence, cold, starvation, and theft, but how could he defeat the red-sickness, an opponent that attacked with fighters so small, you couldn’t see them? He had no answer.

General Majda’s voice came out of Lavinda’s comm. “Doctor Rajindia, we’ve set up a holo link so you can talk with specialists at the Cries University hospital. With all that input, it shouldn’t take long to solve this. We will get a cure soon.”

“Thank you.” Karal sounded both exhausted and relieved. “I can set up holobooths here for the links.” She paused, then added, “I should get back to my patients.”

“Absolutely,” the general said. “Put my sis . . . t—omm.”

“Sorry,” Karal said. “We’re getting interference. Could you repeat?”

“Put Colonel Majda back on the comm,” Vaj said.

“Right away, ma’am. Here she is.” Karal nodded to Lavinda, then stood up and headed back to the infirmary. Although she still looked as if she carried a great weight, her step had lightened. It didn’t surprise Ruzik. She’d gone from fearing a plague that might wipe out the Deepers to a medical crisis she could solve.

Lavinda spoke into her comm. “Colonel Majda here.”

Vaj spoke curtly. “I want you out of there. Now.”

“We’re in quarantine,” Lavinda said.

“I’ll send responders with full hazmat gear,” Vaj said.

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