Foreign Land by J.S. Sherwood

Author:J.S. Sherwood
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: science fiction, hard science fiction, space travel, alien first contact, space exploration, sci fi
Publisher: Evolved Publishing LLC
Published: 2021-09-13T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Tashon closed his eyes tighter and gripped his hands around his head. He felt like his skull would shatter at the slightest turn of his neck. Cool metal pressed against his back, and he realized he had rolled into a wall. He opened his eyes. At some point he had lost his grip on the pipe. His body was crumpled in a corner. As his eyes began to focus he realized he was looking up a hallway toward the engine room. The angle was dizzying and Tashon would never be able to climb up it, even if he hadn’t just fallen from the sky.

He let out a wordless scream, his voice hoarse, and waited for a response. None came. With grunts and curses, he slowly sat up. His head spun with the effort, the ship seeming to shiver around him. He screamed again.

Someone above him coughed. “Tash?”

“Yeah.”

“I lost....” The voice fell into a coughing fit.

Tashon caught the accent through the gurgled voice. “Johann,” he said.

“I lost my damn comb,” Johann said.

Tashon smiled. Then he coughed and spat. The saliva was red with blood. “Who else?”

“Bodhi’s up here.” Johann paused. “The others too. But....”

Tashon could hear Johann stumbling around above him.

“Damn it. Bodhi’s the only one breathing.”

Tashon bit his lip and closed his eyes. They’d made it to Colony Six, at least. Barely. That urge to lie down and let it all fade away crept back into his mind. Instead, he slowly slid himself up the wall until he was standing, his back against the wall, staring up into the hallway. He had to find Smith. And, if he really had seen Evalee, would he also see her on the surface? There was no way to know.

“Can you get down here?” he called to Johann.

More stumbling and grunting from above. Then Bodhi’s head popped out from behind a wall, dangling toward Tashon.

“I’m going to let him slide to you.” Johann counted to three and let go.

Bodhi’s body slid slowly, his jacket squeaking loudly on the floor. The sound made Tashon wince. His head pulsed. Bodhi came to rest just to the right of Tashon, his feet pointed down the next hallway. Above, Johann let out a whoop and slid down in a sitting position.

Tashon grabbed Bodhi’s arms and started pulling him down the next hallway. Johann grabbed the feet. With no flat surface to walk on, it was slow going. Tashon had one foot on the wall and one on the floor. He dragged Bodhi along the corner where the two surfaces met. They arrived at another hallway that went up to the left and down to the right. They slid down and continued through three more hallways until they reached a door. They took a moment to catch their breath.

“He’s heavy,” Tashon said. “I think it’s your turn.”

“Nah. Too old.”

“Not too old to take on a bunch of terrorists.”

Johann nodded and shrugged. After a moment, he gasped. “Hell.” He shook his head. “Aleron’s body wasn’t there.”

“What?”

“It wasn’t there.”

Tashon leaned his head back against the wall.

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