Elizabeth and her crew were already racing through the groves when Brack's message came. "Brack! We're on our way now. What's happening there, anyone down?"
No answer but the static.
"Brack! Do you read me?" Elizabeth's pace quickened. Forr kept up with her, Lavell not far behind. Nyomee travelled
above them, in the treetops. Ana had already fallen a down twice. Her white body shell smeared
with globs of muck. Her knees ached sore. She struggled on, breathing razor blades. Cheeks
red, skin sticky with sweat.
They had been heading for Brack anyway, his position tracked on their bracelet. Brack's call was the gust at Elizabeth's back. It was a lead weight at Ana's ankles. Nothing, only static. Moments
after he reported a critical situation in a distress call, his com link went dark. Nobody wanted to
say anything. What could they say? Without the answers, the only option was to get there
faster. The trees began to thin out and the trail diverged. There was a dark descent into some
misty undergrowth. It had been savagely torn apart by a wild animal. Beyond it was a wider
path that led upwards. Without looking back, Elizabeth started her ascent.
The track was steep. Ana could barely scramble up the dirt track. Without trees to swing from,
Nyomee slipped back through the pack to her. "I'm fine," Ana panted out. Ana's blonde hair turned dark with sweat. Nyomee pushed her forward onto all fours. The shock took Ana's breath away. Dirt scratched at her skin. She looked across at Nyomee,
confused. Nyomee crouched onto all fours too and bound up the hill with speed and ease. Ana took a lungful of fresh air. She couldn't match Nyomee's pace, but the method was much faster
and less tiring. She caught the group at the top.
"What happened to you?" Elizabeth asked.
A cloud of dark dust clung to the wet mud across her armour and tangled in the knots of her
hair. Ana gasped for breath and a shook her head for Elizabeth to move on.
From the peak, they could see the palace in the distance. Purple flashed like glitter as energy
canisters were fired. While Elizabeth radioed Brack – no reply – Ana worried about Rusalka. Her
heart went cold as an orange explosion flared up.
YOU ARE READING
Black Hole Heartbeat
خيال علميBlack Hole Heartbeat is Star Wars if the stormtroopers didn't miss all the time. Like Cowboy Bebop meets Butch and Sundance, or Guardians of the Galaxy in the style of Pulp Fiction. Self confessed thief of ill repute, Elizabeth Ranger, runs head fi...
