The Edge of the Abyss (Sequel to The Abyss Surrounds Us)

The Edge of the Abyss (Sequel to The Abyss Surrounds Us)

Author:Emily Skrutskie [Skrutskie, Emily]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Science Fiction / General
Publisher: North Star Editions
Published: 2017-04-17T18:30:00+00:00


16

In the late afternoon, the all-call snaps on. I don’t even need to hear Santa Elena’s words to know what’s happening—the ring of the speakers warming up is enough to chill my blood.

We’re near.

I stumble up to navigation in a haze. My limbs don’t feel right, but part of that might be the beating I took while being dragged behind the ship this morning. I don’t feel ready for this. I don’t feel ready for any of this.

“Mallory gave us an update,” Santa Elena says once we’re all assembled in the tower. “He’s kept the Kettle on Bao’s tail, but it hasn’t been easy. He says the Reckoner’s acting erratic. They’ve had a few close calls so far.”

“Clarify close calls?” Varma asks, his eyes flicking to the ship’s controls as if he’s already calculating how to steer us out of a potential path of destruction. Swift slouches beside him, staring at the ground. She was long gone by the time Chuck and Varma yanked me back onto the Minnow.

The captain looks grim. “Bao charged the Kettle. Mallory’s report makes it sound like a posturing thing—they were able to outmaneuver him and he lost interest. But it doesn’t bode well for what we’re about to try.”

“The Minnow can’t go near him yet,” I say, and Santa Elena nods.

“We’re calling a league-wide berth around the beast. We’ll keep on the outside of his range until we know for certain that we have him under our control. That part’s up to you and Varma.” The captain nods to him as he snaps to attention. “You go get the aft Splinter up and running.” She turns back to me. “And you. Suit up.”

I wear the armor. It’s a struggle to put it on by myself, but I flounder and pull and tighten until it sits properly on me, its weight dragging at my already-sore limbs. I clap the Otachi onto my right forearm and pull the straps tight. The extra protection is meant to stop bullets, but considering what I’m about to go up against, I feel like I need every layer of safety I can afford. Finally I hoist the signal beacon with one arm, tuck my helmet under the other, and make my way up to the deck above, where Varma’s already slumped in the cockpit of the Splinter.

Surprisingly enough, Swift’s there too, doing some sort of last-minute maintenance on the needleboat’s guns. She spins when she hears my footsteps approach, nearly whacking her head on the Splinter’s pneumatic docking arm as she straightens and faces me.

Over her shoulder, Varma, who’s terrible at faking anything, takes his best shot at disinterest.

I wish I could apologize. I wish I could tell her everything that the captain told me without getting gutted for it, because that’s exactly what will happen if I topple over Santa Elena’s carefully laid plans. My hand twitches forward, unbidden, driven by an impulse to grab her and bring her closer.

She gives an almost imperceptible shake of the head, and I can’t read the hard look in her eyes.



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