The Gender Fall (The Gender Game #5)(19)

So… the base is below us? I asked via the subvocalizer, accepting the straps.

Amber arched an eyebrow and gave me an impish smirk, then reached out and hit a yellow button. There was a hum overhead, and I looked up to see the lines of rope running from the front to the rear of the heloship begin to move. Two lines descended from the winch, and Amber reached out to grab them.

Pretty much. We’ll be going down the cliff face, she informed me as she bent over to hook up Owen’s harness.

I cocked my head, looking at the harness in my hand. Wouldn’t it be easier to just land in The Green?

Amber’s fingers flew over Owen’s harness as she tugged here and there to tighten it up, then ran the rope through several metal keys meant to tighten and prevent the climber from falling should part of the apparatus break.

The entrance to the base is actually in the cliff face, she replied as she worked. It’s faster to go down than to climb up the outside entrance.

I took a step closer to the open space, looking down into the featureless darkness. I didn’t share Violet’s fear of heights, but I did have a healthy respect for them. Yet Amber’s point was reasonable.

I began putting on the harness. Amber was there a moment later, helping me arrange the straps and tighten them. It was clear she had done this before, so I let her take over for me—this was something I definitely didn’t want to screw up. In the span of several breaths, she had tightened the harness and laced the rope through the anchor points. She gave a few more experimental tugs on it, then nodded.

As she straightened, she gave us both a serious look. All right, guys, here’s the deal. I’m going to lower you down, because it’ll just be simpler this way. Once you’re in, I will rappel down behind you, and then we’ll proceed into the base.”

Who will handle the winch on our ascent? I subvocalized.

Oh, I can do it remotely, Amber replied casually as she moved over toward the buttons controlling the winch. As she did so, Owen took a step forward and surrendered his weight to the harness, dropping a few inches out into space, his harness tightening and the rope jerking above him.

Then why not come with us? Maybe I was asking too many questions, but I wanted to make sure this mission plan was airtight.

Amber shook her head, pursing her lips through the mask. As much as I love this heloship, I have no idea what weights these ropes were tested at, or how much they are able to hold. It’s too much of a risk to go two on the rope. Especially with you strapping young men. She smirked. You’ve probably got a couple extra pounds of muscle.

Try twenty-five pounds, I thought, careful not to project that one out loud. I walked to the ledge and peered down into the abyss. I tugged once at the rope, then eased out away from the heloship’s floor, slipping my feet over the edge. I might as well get this over with quickly. My stomach gave a sickening lurch as the rope took my weight, and the harness jerked and tightened uncomfortably around my hips, but everything held.

Meanwhile, Owen grimaced, taking a new look at his rope. So you’re using us as guinea pigs? he asked Amber.

Amber laughed, and then nodded. If it makes you feel better, then technically, I used Violet’s cousin and uncle first.

It doesn’t, but thanks for trying, Owen quipped, and I smiled. I looked down past my boots as I swung slightly back and forth, surprised by my lack of vertigo now that the initial drop was over. And, I noticed, the adrenaline spike in my muscles had left me feeling even more awake. I suddenly felt bad for Violet’s fear of heights—she was obviously missing out on some fun.

Maybe we should change places, I said, looking at Amber with a wide smile.

She narrowed her eyes at me. Why?

Because I’m suddenly curious about what it’s like to rappel down.

Amber laughed in response, and then waggled the fingers of one hand while her other one reached out and hit a yellow button. There was a sharp jerk in the rope, followed by the high-pitched sound of the winch activating again. I gave her a dirty look as we descended, but I was more amused than anything else by now.

The whine of the winch quickly faded as we were lowered. We dangled maybe fifteen or twenty feet from the cliff face. In spite of the moon being out, the rock face was bathed in shadow. I carefully pulled out my flashlight and clicked it on, my beam joined by Owen’s.

My excitement at dangling over the edge and the adrenaline that it had initially created soon dissipated, and I quickly became bored as we dropped. The black and gray strata in the rock drifted slowly by, and I looked up, surprised to see the heloship wasn’t that far ahead.

Any way we can speed this descent up? I transmitted through the subvocalizer.

I would rather not burn out the rotors in the winch, replied Amber. But I’ll ramp it up a little.

Owen rolled his eyes at me. I shrugged.

The rope shuddered slightly under my hands, and the rock face began to move by more quickly. The sensation of falling increased, and I leaned into it, letting the fear and excitement drift over me and taking advantage of the adrenaline pumping through my veins. It was helping to focus my mind.

I felt myself starting to swing slowly around, turning away from the rock face. I stuck out a leg, trying to turn back toward the wall, but only managed to spin the other direction. I met Owen’s gaze as my front turned toward him, and he gave me a sharp look. What are you doing? he subvocalized, clearly amused.

My reply was another shrug as I attempted to steady my spinning. I’m not sure, I replied dryly. But you should try it—the view is spectacular. I continued to spin around, picking up speed, as the more I tried to remain still, the faster I spun. After a moment, I sheepishly admitted defeat. Can you… uh… help me out?