Star Fire (Stars End Book 1) by M.R. Forbes

Author:M.R. Forbes [Forbes, M.R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Quirky Algorithms
Published: 2019-10-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 32

I keep going, following the alien’s path. I can see its footsteps in the mud—large, deep and still heading away from me. I slow up a moment later as I look at them, taking note of the way they seem to overlap and repeat, always going west.

The son of a bitch is patrolling. Guarding a perimeter of some kind. I would bet my ass on it, and in a sense I already have. He’s keeping watch, defending something north of our position. I have a feeling I know what it is.

I consider going back for Rozik. The problem is that if he’s here helping me, then he isn’t there watching Joie, and we don’t dare leave her alone without somewhere to hide. I need to check things out alone and confirm my hunch before going back for reinforcements.

Or maybe I’ll deal with the enemy myself. I’m not some raw cadet who’s never been in survival mode planetside before, and I know the rifle in my hands can punch through that armor of theirs. Let Rozik protect Joie while I clean up the area.

Can I do it? The rifle has a full load of ammunition, and I’ve got the element of surprise. Besides, I have a feeling the defenses here are light. All of the footprints in the mud are the same size, and from what I’ve seen the aliens are unique just like us. One guard to patrol the whole perimeter. It seems more like they’re going by the book than really trying to keep anything out.

I cut north, careful where I step to make sure I don’t disrupt the tracks. I don’t know for sure the aliens can’t see them, and I don’t want to leave a trace. I break into a run once I’m in the clear, skirting along the side of the slope as fast as I can. I want to get there and back to Rozik before he worries and comes after me.

As if he would worry about me.

I don’t have to go far before the object of my interest becomes vaguely visible through the haze of the falling rain. The uplink tower is a simple installation. A three hundred meter comm needle poking up into the clouds from the ground. The cement building beside it is home to the electronics that relay messages from Walton to the uplink and on to Spindle. The building also houses the reactor to power the electronics and the needle, along with living quarters for the maintenance techs who work on site.

I expect to see all that. What I don’t expect is the activity at the tower. Two aliens are standing near a large, reddish-brown device placed next to the needle and connected to it by a single narrow wire. The device is powered up, a series of lights flashing to indicate it's doing whatever it’s designed to do. My first thought is that the aliens hijacked the uplink to communicate with the mothership, but I dismiss it pretty quickly.

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