Threshold of Victory by Stephen J. Orion

Author:Stephen J. Orion [Orion, Stephen J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3
Goodreads: 35123105
Publisher: Scribed Starlight Press
Published: 2017-05-10T17:00:00+00:00

****

Mauler Gateship Tagged ‘Bandit-Nine-Zero’

Bryson IV Local Sector, Bryson System

27 April 2315

Evading detection on the enemy cruiser was proving to be far harder than Tarek had expected. The corridors the Maulers used for basic access were broad promenades to him, and each time he had to cross one he felt like a mouse scampering through the open. He’d imagined there might be maintenance ducts or pipes large enough for him to hide in, but they all proved to be well above reach.

He saw few Maulers at first, but their numbers began to increase rapidly. They prowled through the ship like hunting dogs, exploring each room, investigating equipment and surfaces with such intensity that it took him a while to recognise what was happening. They weren’t looking for him specifically, indeed they appeared to find these surroundings just as alien as Tarek did. Their behaviour was less like a ship security team and more like tenets inspecting a new property.

The other thing he’d realised immediately on seeing his first Mauler was that his sidearm was useless. He’d known academically that small arms were next to pointless against the enemy, but he’d hoped with his power he might be able to establish some cunning weakness. In practice, the cards had nothing for him, he was tiny, they were two and a half stories tall and broader than a cargo truck. The metal decking rang off their weighty steps, and it warped down where they stood, motion he imagined was imperceptible to them but distinctly unnerving for him.

Finding himself ahead of the sweep of curious new residents, he consulted his cards, asking to get back to the Arcadia as soon as possible. In the company of monsters, he couldn’t imagine a truer want, but he came up empty. It was unnerving but not entirely surprising. There had been no shuttles in the hangar bay, and he’d seen nothing resembling an escape pod. The balance of probability had always been that rescue would find him long before he could assemble some elaborate escape ship of his own.

He tried not to think of the other possibility, the one where there were no cards because he had put himself into a situation from which there would be no escape.

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.