The Homecoming by Shane Shepherd

Author:Shane Shepherd [Shepherd, Shane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-12-07T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Kevin

The Orion

I wonder how I look right now, running as fast as my one good leg and the other wounded one can carry me. The thuds of Chen and June’s powerful boots echo behind me. Avoiding the swarm, we find our way through the stony caverns. Even though our adversaries are immune to bullets, I grip my sidearm as if it’s a lifeline. Maybe June’s explosives had taken one out of the way, but what if we encounter many more? And that was a huge possibility.

And as bad as our situation is, that isn’t the worst of it. Shrapnel from the explosion had torn holes in our armor. Unless Luke scurries over with three spare suits, we have little chance of reaching the Nexus at this point. Then there’s the matter of my injured leg…

“We have to get the remainder of the bombs from where we came in,” June says, her voice raspy from exertion. I nod and lead them farther up the shaft, my pace faltering as the events of the day catch up with me.

I know that Luke is only a few meters away, on board the Nexus II, and the airlock is exactly how we had left it. Maybe there’s a chance. “Luke. Come in.” I listen for a reply, hoping that their jamming field is no longer active. Static hisses in my ear and I grimace. “Looks like we’re all we’ve got.”

“Here,” Chen remarks, opening his sample bag. “Put them in.”

June takes a closer look at the bag. “Don’t you have anything that could help us out? Keep us awake or something?”

Chen sighs and reaches for a bottle and three needles, saying, “I should have thought of it.” He stuck her, before dropping the empty needle on the floor. The next person to have the point driven into his shoulder is me, and I clench my teeth in pain throughout the process.

“What is that?” I ask.

“What we need. It is a stimulant to keep us awake for a few hours at the very least,” Chen replies.

“Okay,” I say, and immediately feel better. My head feels less clouded and my muscles seem to be regaining some of their old strength. I’m not sure if it is the medicine or the placebo effect of knowing Chen has injected me with a stimulant.

June links the final five explosives to her detonator and wipes them clean.

“If I had to guess, I’d say these ones will be effective. A lot less gunk accumulated on the controls.”

“We need to move,” I say, leading the way and Chen follows, carrying his bag. I notice that June is holding on to one of the explosives the whole time.

I eventually stop when I round a corner in the hall and lean over to make sure it is okay to continue. As the tube winds its way upward, dim green lights radiate into the darkness, but no spiders or menacing four-eyed monsters are to be seen.

June slows down next to me and sighs heavily. “Where exactly is this going?”

I pull the datapad out of a magnetized pocket on my hip.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.