Declination by David Derrico

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

The dropshuttle hit the moon’s surface hard, and Dex’s team sprang from the vehicle as soon as the hatch had slammed open. Dex emerged into a concealing cloud of thick gray dust, which made visibility through his plasticite faceplate nearly impossible. He ran blindly, heading for a narrow ridge that separated his team from the ground base. The dust cleared, and the Commander slid along the ground into the shallow ravine at the ridge’s base.

Dex’s team followed behind him, crouching behind the low wall and scanning the moon’s surface for resistance. There were no Vr’amil’een on the surface, and his readings indicated that even the gun emplacements Zach had expertly removed had been automated.

“Let’s move,” Dex barked into the headset, and sprang to his feet, using the moon’s lower gravity to help hurdle him over the ridge. He keyed his suit’s gravity boots to keep himself anchored to the small moon, and ran toward a small mountain up ahead. There was no resistance as his team approached the cliff face, and Dex scanned the outcropping to locate the exhaust duct, ten meters above.

“You don’t suppose the lizards have found the blueprints to this place yet, do you?” asked Zip over the headset. “It would be mighty inconvenient if there was a squad of foot soldiers waiting for us when we came in.”

“I don’t think so,” Dex replied. “They keep these ducts pretty well hidden precisely because they don’t want anyone doing what we’re about to do.” Dex looked up the mountain to where the invisible opening was. “Follow me up.”

Commander Rutcliffe disengaged his grav boots and climbed easily up the cliff. He reached the designated spot and keyed his nanocomputer to deactivate the chameleon tarp that disguised the opening. A small section of the mountainside shimmered and faded to a drab gray, still almost undetectable against the similarly-colored terrain. Dex carefully removed the tarp and peered down the duct, using his nanocomputer to scan for life forms. Satisfied, he hoisted himself over the hole and dropped down, buoyed slightly by a draft rising from within the mountain.

Dex dropped into a combat crouch, gripping his phaser tightly as he spun around. He had descended into a darkened crevice, illuminated only by a faint shaft of light permeating the darkness from above. One by one, his men entered the duct, the last pair remaining by the opening to await their return.

His helmet’s night vision system was unable to pick out much in the pitch-black tunnels beneath the base. The walls of the mine emitted neither heat nor radiation, and only the faint lines of glowing Duopasqualonium ore hidden within them gave Dex any guidance as he picked his way toward the base.

Dex cleared a corner and checked his nanocomputer to confirm that he was nearing the underground entrance to the mining base. The Duopasqualonium had thinned out this close to the entrance, making navigation more difficult. He halted his team and scanned the area for life forms.

His nanocomputer showed a pair of faint readings several meters up the tunnels, but he could not tell if they were miners or guards.

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