Asgroggy as he was… Justno. Hisboots were probably safe enough but the joints of the EVA suits weremore vulnerable to puncture or cutting. Onestumble and I’d have a gut-full of bugs. Notrisking that for our enemies.
“Yeah,”Gabriella decided. “she’sdone.”
Aship this size didn’t stop quite as abruptly as an automobilehitting a tree, even while hitting thousands of trees. This much masstended to bleed off momentum more gradually.
Shegave it a moment, just to be sure they weren’t about to slideover a cliff or something, then she hit the restraint release. Shetried the outer hatch but, unsurprisingly, it didn’t feel likeopening.
Thewood fragments visible through the window were so compressed by theweight of the ship that the sap was oozing out to fill the fewair-pockets that still existed.
Sheopened the pod’s inner hatch and climbed back out into the securityoffice.
“Thanksfor nothing, youspecistasshole,” she told the pod’s orifice.
Thepod, not based on nanites, was much stronger than the hull. TheUniverse reminded her of that when a section behind her ruptured,spewing splinters and pulp everywhere.
Sheyelped as a sliver jabbed her in the backside but she’d beenincredibly lucky. She grimaced as she pulled the half-inch splinterout.
Nevermind about the pain,she told herself.Stay here any longer and the next hull rupture might put a two-footsliver through your head!
Sheheaded for the main exit, still carrying her weapon, though whetherthat was from luck or some sub-routine in her escape and evasiontraining, she couldn’t say.
Thedoors only opened part-way, then started to turn into wavy naniteribbons that looked sharp enough to slice her in half. That’swhy Humans put pattern-repeaters throughout their ships,her mind told her.
Sheedged out between the waving phalanxes of tendrils and startedheading up the central ramp. There was too much pressure against thelower hull so she’d need to exit from a higher deck. Theport hangar bay seemed a good option.
Itshould be high enough to be above the wreckage and there would be nophysical door made of nanites. With the patterns no longer reachingall of the ship, some parts would become… confused.
Adoor might know how to be a door but ask it to become an open doorand it might find out it has temporary amnesia. The one in securityhad and things had gotten a little slicey.
Shewasn’t alone anymore. She was surrounded by panicky Quailu and mostof them were foolishly trying to get down to the lower decks, notrealizing how deeply the Deathstalkerhad plowed her grave. Ifany of them had known she was an enemy, they were beyond caring atthe moment.
Gabriellareached the hangar level where some of the crew, at least, wereshowing a bit more sense. She spotted Memnon’s richly decorated EVAsuit and Ereshkigal was just in front of him, blasting at anyone whogot in their way as they headed for the same hangar.
Gabriellalet out a wordless scream of rage and gave chase. Her quarry hadn’theard her in the bedlam or, if they had, simply thought itunremarkable in a crashed ship filled with terrified crew-members.
Shewould have rushed them mindlessly, if it had been possible, but thecrush of Quailu saved her. She would have certainly drawn attentionif she’d attacked Memnon while he was surrounded by his ownretainers.
Asshe struggled against the tide, her thoughts cooled. Her attempt torush them ebbedand became a cool, methodical stalkingof her prey.
Shefollowed them into the hangar, which was empty, thecrew from here already struggling to trap themselves in the crush ofthe lower decks.
Theworst time for me to be here,Vikram thought as he watched a Quailu stumble out of the hangaropening and land badly, isprobably right now…
Thearmored alien had twisted an ankle as he fell and tumbled over on hisback. He tried to push himself up to a seated position but hismuscles froze up.
Vikramwatched in horrified fascination as the handful of spores stuck inthe more flexible joint panels between the Quailu’s arms andshoulders began pulsing.
Werethey already injecting larvae or was this still the poison? He took aheartbeat or two to realizethat another Quailu had jumped out, this time landing much better. Itlooked at the partially sitting Quailu and recoiled a few steps atwhat it felt there.
Thenewcomer saw him and drew a pistol. “Witch!” it snarled inImperial Standard, bringing up the weapon to aim at his head.
Ascream from above drew both of their gazes, luckily for Vikram, who’dbeen staring down the muzzle of a linear pistol. The gun wavered asthe Quailu half turned to face the new threat.
Ayoung Human woman, oddly dressed in the sort of shorts and t-shirtone might wear to bed but certainly not in public, came sailing outof the hangar bay opening, a spear elongating as she descended.
Theblade sliced off the hand of the armed Quailu with such ease it mighthave been cutting through a holo. TheHumanrecovered instantly asshe landed,the spear brought back, readyfor a thrust, her body balanced.
“Youcan create duplicates?” the Quailu gasped, holding her wrist. “Thesooner your kind are wiped from existence the…”
Ragnarok’sbeauty was balanced by harshness. The first Quailu to fall out of thecrashed ship had fallen prey to glowwhalespores. The second had developed a serious infection ofspear-in-mouth disease.
Theyoung woman slid the weapon sideways, her victim’s eyes bulging asthe blade slipped through tendon, bone and flesh as if none of itwere even there. The head tilted over, not quite fully severed fromthe body.
TheQuailu fell, twitchingamong more of the glowing blue spores. The circle of Ragnarokianlife…
Theyoung woman stared angrily down at her victim, breathing heavily. Shelooks like a goddess,Vikram thought, wits thoroughly scattered.
Buthe gathered them just in time. “Don’t move!” heurged, holding up his palms in emphasis. “You’re surrounded bydeadly spores. Let me come over there and get you.”
Shelooked at him, nose wrinkling and head tilting in surprise.“English?” shesaid. “Then you’re not one of Kolm’speople?”She looked around at the jungle. “Is this Earth?”
“Earth?”He stopped walking for a second, then resumed his careful advance,not wanting to test the soles of his boots if he could avoid it. “No,this is Ragnarok.”
Shefrowned slightly, looking at his face. “I remember you. You werepart of the wedding in orbit!”
She’sLady Gabriella,he realized. Howis she standing here in the middle
