Conflagration

The Only Way Out Is Forward

Lyssa's hangover symptoms were just starting to abate as she readied the HEVA suit for its deep dive the next morning. One of the Third Law medics had given her an injection of what he called a "military version of anaktisine." When she asked if that meant it was better, he'd told her that just meant it was cheaper.

She crouched at the edge of the platform and leaned out where the HEVA suit stood in waist-deep water upon the descent trolley. She held one hand on the suit's heavy exoskeleton for balance. The process of opening all of the suit's valves, running final checks, and making sure she had all of the equipment she would need was easy enough, but extremely important. Approximately fifteen minutes into the dive, she would enter the tenebricite shadow and lose all communications with the surface. She would be all alone with only whatever she brought with her. It wouldn't do to forget anything.

But she wouldn't be all alone.

Whatever was in the lake would be down there with her.

The lake's surface was deceptively placid.

Like it was waiting.

Lyssa tried not to think about it.

In the breast pocket of her coveralls, Lyssa had hidden the counterfeit control card. Now, she needed to transfer it to one of the HEVA suit's external pockets, but too many of the mercenaries were watching her. Including that creepy psycho, Tolbert. The new commander of the mercenaries had personally come from their headquarters on some offshore terraforming rig to supervise the dive. And now Tolbert stood over Lyssa watching her with that creepy prosthetic eye of hers. Lyssa had no idea what that eye could see, but she would bet it didn't miss much.

What Lyssa needed was a distraction. She looked to Erin who stood next to where Lyssa's small tool box was balanced precariously upon the edge of a shipping crate. Erin was wearing her Noémie pilot's uniform. She looked so much sexier in her uniform than she did in that ugly, ill-fitting Fourther dress she'd been wearing.

Lyssa put those thoughts from her mind. "Captain O'Connell, is there a set of blue-handled pliers in that tool box?" Calling Erin by her company title was their predetermined signal for Erin to cause a distraction. Additionally, Lyssa knew it annoyed some of the pirates when she referred to Erin as "Capt. O'Connell."

"I'll look. What do you need pliers for?"

"I never go on a job without my pliers."

Lyssa turned back to the HEVA suit and tried not to cringe at what she knew was coming. Within a few seconds, she heard it. A thud and clatter as Erin "accidentally" knocked Lyssa's tool box off the crate. She didn't look around as several of the pirates scurried to help Erin gather up the scattered tools. Quick as picking a pocket, Lyssa transferred the counterfeit control card from her coveralls breast pocket to the HEVA suit's external pocket. She hoped no one had seen her do it. If they had, the whole operation would be blown. With the deed now complete, she looked over her shoulder just in time to see her 10mm socket roll off the edge of the platform and into the water.

Great, she thought, I'll never see that socket again. But she was relieved to see that everyone's attention was focused on the distraction, including Col. Tolbert. "Goddamnit! Those tools cost money, you know."

"I'm sorry," Erin said. "It just fell. But I think we got them all. Here's your pliers."

All except my 10mm socket. "Thanks." Lyssa took the pliers. There was nothing left to do now. She was as ready as she was ever going to be. "Well, I guess I'm as ready as I'm ever gonna be..." Lyssa was unable to hide the tremor in her voice. The water felt like it was waiting for her.