The virgin & the bad boy (Gravity)

B2/Chapter 37/Go for Attack

We left and started up the rockface. As we did the winds were getting really bad. Everyone got blown. At times it seemed as if there was as much force trying to scrape you off the rock as there was pulling you to the ground. The dust and sand was hard on the equipment getting into every tiny gap. Up here on the high rock we spent more time putting our robot extension fingers through the cracks to get a good hold. We were climbing fast and hard and after an hour of this Kirk had unhooked himself before he tried and jump a gap. I hadn't known this as I was at the bottom of the pack, having led I was resting and I was pulling up a bag of weapons. My helmet was echoing with chatter over the cable net. We were constantly talking while climbing, giving advice and encouragement. I was concentrating on trying not to get the pack caught on any rocks when suddenly I heard Kirk go "SHIT SHIT". About the same instant I saw an orange camouflage mass fall past me. I followed him down as his suit inflated to protect him.

"Who was that?" I shouted,

"Kirk was trying to jump a gap," said John.

"Crap" I said.

"Look, he might make it to the ground." said John.

If this was normal climbing then he might be all right. In this wind you might be slammed, like a human squash ball, again and again against the sharp cliff wall. The wind could pick him up and drop him miles away. He might not land near any of Vaderman's message sentries on the ground. if he survived landing in one piece he could be faraway from an oxygen supply in six hours time. He was also one of the better climbers and I suspect as ex-military, and one of the better shots we had lost a lot. 

"What do we do?" Someone asked.

"There is nothing we can do for him. So we keep climbing and make them regret it when we arrive" Dante said.

After losing Kirk our early breakneck pace slowed down a bit. We reached the limit of the winch we had with use and fixed it to the rock and sent a cable down to the level of the base. I watched the cable waggle against the rocks. The we continued and after another hour we started to run out of what we called 'safety', various climbing implements which went into the rock and secure the safety lines. This was what the people behind us would be using to catch us up. Without the safety in the rock, they would slow down and potentially also get lost. I kept telling myself we were nearly there. The GPS said we were not far off but it wasn't getting a signal so it was really just guessing. Although I had anticipated it like the onset of Christmas, actually seeing the huge metal girder reaching down from through dust still surprise me. It was huge, like girder from heaven hanging next to the rock.

I climbed up to John and Dante, then took the lead. We found a ladder which made last 90 feet of the climb an absolute breeze. Then we spotted the black vent in the mountain where the drones flew in an out. I checked my watch mentally I was alright but I notice my hand shivering. We had about 45 minutes to get in and attack. It was then I noticed that the storm was dying away. Clearly whatever influence the solar ring had on the storm was been switched off by Vaderman. He or they were clearing away for the attack. There was 14 of us now. It was a risk but this was enough to take the base. We could seal off the control Centre. Dante had visited it once and told me it was empty in there. A couple of maintenance drones with more robots on the top of the cliff with easy access by elevator. It would be over an hour or more before the rest caught up with us. Let alone winch up the equipment. If we blocked the surface elevator we stood a chance.  I knew that Vaderman's attack was going to happen so I committed anyway.

"Okay Delta team climbs up to sabotage the elevator. Everyone else you have five minutes to power up and check your weapons.

I checked Dante's suit - we both carried stab injectors, blood pills, small side arms, light compact rail guns on full charge. I was ready and nodded.