Page 94 of Galactic Sentinels: Vol. 1
“I need to fix the torch outside—to signal Wingo.”
The leeches must’ve messed with his brain too.
‘’Pherebos, you can barely see anything in this light. Do you really think it’ll be visible from the SIL? It’s orbiting over six hundred miles away!’’
‘’I know how far it is. But if we don’t try, we’ve already lost. This mini torch is incredibly powerful. The SIL is in the perfect position to catch the signal. It’s a laser beam—undetectable in daylight. I just need to mount it somewhere on the shell and leave it until Wingo locks onto it.”
“The only problem is… the exit’s below us. You’ll have to go back into the water.”
“I’ll be quick. I’ll try not to get spotted by the drones. Ma Faskaya… I’m sorry. You’ll have to wait here in the dark. I’ll be back soon.”
Before leaving, he kisses me—desperate, or maybe I’m just feeling desperate myself. Alone, in this ancient egg—or whatever giant creature laid it—with my hand half-eaten by a flesh-eating slug.
What a mess!
Chapter 25.
Pherebos.
I carefully slip out of our hiding place. I don't want to draw attention to our presence here. I'm not trying to attract the attention of the drones or the massive abyssal creatures with their oversized eggs.
I figured they’d be more active at night, and that the stench of niank oil would cover our scent. Looks like I was right—we’ve made it nearly two miles without running into a single one.
On the other hand, the niank grease, though sticky, has almost entirely disappeared. The smell is still there, but way less than when we made the crossing. My torso is pretty much a sore spot now, and I haven't seen the rest of it!
I quietly slide into the water, trying not to make a noise. This is my second time in the water today, and I'm focusing on the present danger instead of my past trauma. If the waves are going to put me through this ordeal, I have to prove myself worthy. Especially when my dear Ileana's life depends on it.
I open my eyes and take a look at the outside of our shelter. I've set the laser torch's beam to its maximumrange. Now, I just need to find a gap and wedge the lamp so it's pointing at 90° to the surface of the water.
I walk around this pretty big, hard-packed egg. Bird droppings and the passage of time have masked its distinctive regular shape, which is why I hadn't guessed what I was dealing with.
After searching for a while, I finally spot what I'm looking for in a small pile of fresh droppings. I use these to wedge in my laser beam. When I'm done, I head back to the opening to meet up with my partner.
I'm worried. The distance between us and the flat rock, the only possible recovery point for boarding the SIL, could be described as short if the waters weren't full of these creatures that eat people. Ileana and I are wounded, so we're weaker and slower than before. Escaping without too much damage is going to be extremely complicated.
I look at the complex, which is easy to see even from far away. There are a bunch of drones in the sky, which shows that things are busy over there.
Right now, a ship has just exploded. They don't know much more than that I took the opportunity to escape with Ileana.
Noviosk's not dumb; he figured the two events were linked and asked me about the info I gave him. Why else would I have risked running away? Based on what I've seen, the Srebat isn't the type to let something like that go. He'll probably do everything he can to find me and make me pay.
The good news is that, other than my escape, it looks like he's not suspecting the imminent arrival of theConfederation's armed forces. That'll only happen when Wingo picks up on my luminous message and sounds the alarm.
I hope it doesn't take long. The damage these carnivorous larvae have done to me is extensive, and the pain is dull and numbing. I don't think I can last much longer like this.
I pull myself up into the opening of the egg, but it's tough. In the dim light, I can barely make out Ileana's silhouette.
I quickly undo my jacket and block the opening. The drones will probably scan the area more meticulously, since it's the only one accessible from the complex for two people to swim. I'd prefer to avoid any risk and make sure they don't find out what this little rocky peak contains.
‘’But Pherebos, you can't see a thing!’’
‘’What an observational mind you have!’’ I whisper. ‘’Sweetheart, the drones are close. We have to stay quiet. Let's wait and rest for a bit.’’
‘’Okay, sure. But let me touch you first.’’
‘’My Faksaya, I appreciate the gesture, but this isn't the right moment or setting for that!’’
‘’Rhooo, men!’’ she grumbles softly. ‘’Women don't just have one thing to talk about, you know?’’
