Page 34 of Hainn

You have the lead,Daegan said. She had the feeling he didn’t need the warning she’d just issued but she required her conscience to be clear; to know she’d done her utmost to keep her fellow Badari safe. He issued an order to one of his men to release the buoy which would go to the surface and mark the spot for the observers and let them know the goal had been reached. He had probably already told Aydarr telepathically but it was best to have more than one way to signal.

She entered the wreckage, concentrating all her energy on identifying the markers she’d used the first time she made it to the flight deck successfully. The wreckage seemed to have shifted somewhat since her last visit. There was a current here, usually slow and steady but she guessed there could be eddies of energy from time to time. There had also been a minor earthquake a few days ago, with the epicenter being close to the lake. Fortunately the piece of the ship was so firmly embedded in the lake bottom it couldn’t move too drastically. She hoped.

With relief she reached the flight deck and swam inside. The space wasn’t huge and by the time Daegan and his menjoined her, it was quite crowded. She found herself getting claustrophobic.Do you need me to remain?She asked, controlling her nerves with difficulty.

Daegan glanced at the chaos around him and his eyes glowed golden as he noticed the modules with faintly blinking lights, indicating they maintained a level of power.You’ve done your job well, Daughter. It’s up to us now. Go meet Hainn and see to your lost alien lady.

The men repositioned themselves to allow her a path to exit and as she went she heard Daegan issuing orders for individuals to break out the tools they’d carried and begin working to extract the modules MARL wanted retrieved. There had been an extensive discussion with the AI about how to snap the components in and out of the framework holding them without doing further damage. Jezari wondered if the ancient devices could withstand being handled but the constant freezing cold at this depth was a good preservative agent. She’d mentioned at the meeting how the pottery shard she’d salvaged before had dissolved in the fresh air and been reassured by Elianna and MARL that the metal and other components of the modules would fare better.

Daegan said,We’re taking everything we can unbolt in the time frame we have available. Prioritize the ones MARL described but then we’re disassembling anything else that looks promising. No one is coming down here again so we need to be thorough and do it right.

She was a little surprised he’d left her in the telepathic loop but it was reassuring to ‘hear’ Badari voices. This trip was one too many for her comfort but there was no way she’d have allowed anyone to make the attempt without her as a guide.

We’re here, Hainn said as she neared the exit.

I’ll be right out. The cargo hold, or what’s left of it is about a hundred yards to the east. Remember not to touch the lakebed.

Hainn caught her as she emerged from the wreckage and gave her a quick hug while the three Badari with him grinned and pretended not to watch. Jezari pushed him away and started swimming to their destination. Hainn caught up in as flash and swam next to her.Are you holding up okay? Are you good for this trip into the hold?

I’m fine, worry about yourself,she said, trying to sound flippant.

At the entrance point to the hold, she paused and addressed the four men.This part of the ship is quite chaotic and there are a large number of Nindjak’s specimens floating in their containers so be prepared. The woman we’re here to collect is at the far end of the space, or was.

We’re ready,Hainn assured her.Got our nets and tools if we need to take anything apart. Good old Badari brute strength will work too.He held up his hands with the talons deployed.

She chided herself for deliberately delaying and reminded herself even Badari only had so much time to remain submerged, breathers on or not. They had the long ascent to go too. She clenched her jaw and swan into the murky maze of the ship’s hold. Things were as bad as she remembered and when she entered the main portion of the hold one bulkhead appeared partially collapsed, perhaps due to the minor quakes. Not allowing herself to hesitate again, she swam through the drifting animals and other trophies Nindjak had amassed and made her way to the other side of the hold.

The woman’s container was facing the other way, as it had been on her first trip here, but drifting slowly clockwise. The four Badari warriors gathered beside Jezari and waited for the movement to bring the victim face to face with them. Jezari heard curses on the mental link as she came into view.

You were right, she is beautiful in her own way,Hainn said.But tragic.I can see why she haunted your dreams. If you canmove out of the way, we need to get the globe she’s in into our nets and tow her to the exit.

Only too happy to relocate to a spot where she couldn’t see the woman—Ilynnis the goddess had called her—Jezari swam a bit higher and to the side, under a looming bulkhead. Hainn and his team wrestled the large net they’d brought around the container and then a second one for backup. When she’d asked where the nets came from, he’d told her several of their best men sat up all night making them. Two of the soldiers towed their burden toward the way they’d entered the hold. Hainn and the other man swam ahead to begin deconstructing the hole Jezari had used as an ad hoc entrance, since the container was too large to fit through.

She followed them, questioning why she wasn’t feeling more relief the job was nearly done and supposed it was because the woman wasn’t on the surface yet.

The water swirled and a globe full of alien insects came at her. Instinctively she batted it away and ducked but now there was a strong movement within the hold itself and she was struck by other containers, most of which bounced off harmlessly. One with sharper edges hit her on the forehead and she saw blood drifting in the water. Alarmed now, she was helpless as the whole place shifted in the grip of a stronger quake.

Hainn!

There was no answer to her desperate cry and something struck the back of her head with a thud. The pain made her wince and Jezari instinctively curled into a ball, trying to protect her most vulnerable areas, including the precious baby, tiny though it was at this stage. The bulkhead which had been leaning precariously came down with surprising force and with great effort she swam to dodge it.

Was this the lady of the lake’s bargain with Death? She could go if Jezari remained in the cold, watery tomb?

Panicking, Jezari thrashed in the water, trying to make progress toward the exit but not even sure she was going in the right direction.I’m not dying here, my baby isn’t dying here. Goddess, help me.

CHAPTER TWELVE

The tremor caught Hainn and his men by surprise. They were carefully extricating the bubble with the uncanny alien woman from the clutches of the wrecked ship when the quake hit, tossing them side to side with the movement. One soldier lost his grip on the nets but the other man hung on grimly with his talons and Hainn managed to wrap one hand around the warrior‘s ankle. All four of them clung to the ship wherever they could until the movement of the water eased.

With horror Hainn realized Jezari hadn’t emerged from the ship. He swam to the hole they’d used and stuck his head in but there was no sign of her.Head for the surface now,he ordered his team.I’m going back for the Daughter.

I’ll stay with you, Zyon said.You may need help.

Hainn didn’t argue. He clawed his way inside the ship, finding the way blocked by struts and drifting specimen containers. He and Zyon tore at the obstacles, shoving them out of the way. He was afraid if there was another quake the whole chunk of wreckage might collapse or be knocked loose from the lakebed and carried away by the now chaotic currents. Finally he made it to the hold area and found Jezari floating, limp and bleeding from the head.

Heart pounding he towed her out of the wreckage while Zyon swan ahead and cleared their path.

To the surface, now. Hainn swam to the line extending upward two miles, with the buoy at the end and he and his companion began a rapid ascent. Badari were immune to the pressure changes and didn’t get the bends so he was confident they could make good time on the ascent. Jezari had been wise not to let them rush the descent with all the work ahead of them but now there was an emergency.

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