Polaris Rising (Consortium Rebellion, #1)(20)

“Brace!” Loch shouted. I crossed my arms over my chest and pushed my head back into the headrest designed for exactly this scenario.

We achieved a survivable rate of descent just two seconds before we slammed into the ground. I felt my chair give on its pedestal, absorbing some of the impact force, but we still hit hard enough to stun me for a few seconds.

The engines shut off, leaving behind a cacophony of alarms.

I hurt. I wiggled my fingers and toes before moving on to my arms and legs. Nothing appeared to be broken, but my whole body felt bruised from the inside out.

“You okay?” Loch asked after he silenced the alarms.

“You crashed our only escape vehicle,” I said. My voice sounded eerily calm to my own ears, like someone else was speaking.

I heard him groan and unclip from his seat. The sound of his pain did nothing to calm my temper. I unclipped my own harness with clumsy fingers. I felt heavy and slow. Only part of that was due to the crash—this planet had slightly stronger gravity than the Earth-standard most ships and stations used.

“You crashed our escape vehicle,” I said again.

“The landing was within tolerance,” Loch said. “Now get moving. Anyone who saw us come down is going to come investigate and we don’t want to be here when they arrive.”

I locked the pain and fear and anger behind a wall of icy calm. I found my rucksack and started filling it with food rations and water from the emergency supply. Water was heavy as hell, but I’d seen no indication of surface water, so I’d only have what I carried until we reached the city. I also threw in the ship’s first aid kit. It was heavy, too, but worth the weight.

A quick check of the outside temperature proved that I was underdressed. I grabbed a second set of clothes from the storage locker. They were too big, but they’d work as an extra layer. The clothes and several emergency foil blankets went into my pack. I’d kill for a heat field or two, but Captain Pearson had been too cheap to equip the escape shuttle with them.

There were no winter clothes at all in the storage locker. I put on two long-sleeved shirts and shimmied into a pair of too-big pants. A belt kept the pants up, the shirts tucked in, and the drafts out. I wrapped a final pair of pants around my head and neck like a weird scarf/hat combo. I looked ridiculous, but I hated being cold.

I was slightly gratified to see Loch was wrapping himself up in much the same way. “Ready?” he asked.

I downed a bottle of water and dropped the empty container. My pack was close to twenty pounds and not designed to carry that load. It would be uncomfortable, but it would get lighter as I went along. “Ready,” I said.

Loch nodded and picked up his pack. We headed to the exit at the back of the ship. He checked the tiny embedded window then opened the door. Ice-cold wind with a slightly acrid smell blasted through the opening. It cut through my layers like I was naked. If the city was more than a few hours away, we were going to be in deep trouble.

Loch disappeared through the door without a backward glance. I followed him out into the dim light.





Chapter 6




Brown rocks, brown soil, brown grass. Even the sky seemed vaguely brown in the twilight gloom. We’d been walking for what seemed like forever, but it was impossible to judge time because the sun hidden just behind the horizon never moved. At least it worked as a compass.

The extra gravity dragged at me, making every step a little harder than it should be. The cold bit at any exposed skin, and I couldn’t feel my hands, even though I’d pulled them into my sleeves long ago. My nanos would be healing any frostbite, but unfortunately they didn’t help regulate body temperature or give me any extra energy.

The sides of the canyon were steep and rocky. We were still on the canyon floor, trying to find a way up. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to climb out at this point.

Loch stopped and scanned the area. I dropped my pack and dug out a bottle of water. The air here was oxygen-rich but extremely dry. I’d be out of water before the end of the day. I laughed to myself, a little loopy. The day never ended here, so technically I’d be dead before the end of the day, too.

I pulled out an emergency blanket and wrapped it around my chest and waist between layers of shirt. Even with the constant movement, I was getting dangerously cold. I fumbled with my belt but finally got it secured.

I ate an energy bar then shouldered my pack and turned to Loch. “If we don’t find shelter and heat in the next two hours, I’m going to be in bad shape,” I said. I hated to admit weakness, but I knew my limits. Even another two hours was going to be pushing it.

He looked me over then nodded. “We’re almost there. This canyon runs next to Gamamine. We need to exit on the left, so keep an eye out for a route. I’d rather not scale the walls if we can avoid it.”

“Oh, I can avoid it,” I grumbled. I regretted our hasty departure from the ship. If it came down to it, I’d head back there and wait for rescue/capture. At least I’d be warm.

Loch didn’t bother with a response, he just turned and walked off. If he felt the cold, he didn’t show it. He moved easily, with a spare, efficient gait that was beautiful to watch. He looked like he was out for a Sunday stroll, not like he was trudging through the bitter cold in inadequate clothing.



By the time Loch stopped again, I could barely feel my legs. If I didn’t get warm soon, I was going to collapse.