Page 29 of Full Speed to a Crash Landing

Stabilizers: Neutral

Air gauge: 82%

Jetpack: Standby

“Hey, Rian?” I ask, reaching for another hold.

“Yeah?” He responds immediately, as if he’s been biting back everything he wants to say.

“I’ve got a long climb ahead. Talk to me?”

11

Are you asking me for a casual conversation as you climb out of a pit of death?” Rian asks.

“A little light banter couldn’t hurt the situation.” I have to scoot to reach another handhold. The security line does make me feel safer, as if I might be able to fall and not die, which is better than a hundred percent certainty the opposite direction.

“How’s the, er, weather down there?”

“Hot.” I swing out, my foot sliding until it catches the ledge I spotted. “Come on; you can do better than that.”

“Is distraction a really good idea right now, Ada?”

Okay, I’ll be honest. The warmth when he says my name?Thatis what’s actually distracting. Probably because he has no idea.

“Bold of you to assume you have anything witty enough to say to actually distract me,” I mumble, looking for the next handhold.

“If you’re going to insult me, I can just turn off this channel—”

“No!” I say a little too abruptly. I clear my throat. “No. Just...I don’t know. Tell me about yourself.”

“I feel like this is all a giant conspiracy to find out my darkest secrets. Did your jetpack really fail?” He’s teasing, but I don’t like the implication.

I have to push off a bit to grapple with my next step. It knocks the wind of out me when I slip, scramble, slip, grab.

“Ada?”

“Everything’s fine,” I say. “So, tell me about your childhood.”

Rian barks in laughter. “I’d rather swap places with you.”

“I can tell you about my childhood,” I offer. “But, you know, it was fairly typical. Boring.”

“Really?”

“You sound surprised.”

I pause, catching my breath. I’m feeling the weight of my jetpack and life-support unit right now. This shit’sheavywhen you’re clutching toeholds on a sheer cliff face. And unlike in space, this damn planet has gravity.

At least the temperature lowers the higher I climb. It’s still too hot outside for my suit to register a number, but the warning has reduced from neon orange to neon yellow, so that’s nice.

“What are the others doing?” I ask. “Because this is kind of a shitty job, not going to lie, and it would make me feelbetter if you told me Magnusson was rooting through cycler worms to try to find the next item you need.”

I scan the other data I’m tracking in my visor screen. Download at thirty-two percent; jetpacks on standby. Looks like I’m going to keep doing this the hard way.

“Yadav is checking seismic activity,” Rian says. “But what makes you think Magnusson is looking for another item?” He’s teasing. He knows I know the real mission he’s on is twofold. He’s been letting things slip intentionally for a while now.

“I’m hanging off the side of a cliff with something so valuable, you crossed the galaxy at top speed to get here for it,” I say. “Don’t play coy. Plus, I opened the box, remember? I know this thing you want is a cryptex drive.”

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