Free Star Road by Matthew Costello, Rick Hautala Page B
Authors: Matthew Costello, Rick Hautala
The metal of his vehicle simply ... vanishing.
I’m next.
~ * ~
Ivan turned and looked into the back of the cabin.
He raised his pulse rifle, but held his fire for a moment and stared into the gullet of the machine—
Even if it is a machine
—eating through his SRV.
The thing seemingly made of metal and who knew what other substances. But then, on the shimmering surface, the way it rippled ... looking organic ... biological...
No time to study it now, he thought, and fired.
The stream of light caught the Road Bug full on, blowing it back and away from the ship. Another blast, then another, and it turned into a glowing mass of fragments that flared for a moment and then disappeared when they landed on the Road.
“You here yet?” Ivan said into his commlink.
Longest damn thirty seconds he had ever experienced.
He tried to remain calm.
More bugs, maybe even bigger ones, would come.
“We’re gonna have to do this on the fly,” the SRV’s captain said. “If I slow and stop, the bugs will be on me, too.”
“Right. Got it.”
The odds ... turning worse.
Now a side section of his IMT disappeared, ripped away.
A smaller hole. But metal— if that’s metal— jaws started digesting the skin of his vehicle, chewing from the side, right next to him.
“Go to your airlock and get ready to evacuate.”
“Gotcha,” Ivan said as he stood up from the helm.
A rattling from above.
Another Road Bug, this one landing on the top. The impact threw Ivan off balance, and he fell to his knees. His EVA helmet rang like a metal gong when it struck the cockpit wall.
No way, he thought.
He stood up fast, grabbing at anything for support. The suit—so damned heavy.
He wasn’t sure if the spiraling pinpoints of light were outside on the Road or inside his head.
The support beams of the vehicle’s ceiling started sagging inward from the crushing weight. And then a section of the roof three meters wide on each side simply flew away and disappeared inside the Road Bug’s maw.
Shaking his head to clear it and keeping one hand on the wall to keep himself oriented, he crossed over to the airlock in three long steps.
“Ready whenever you are,” he said.
Through the portal on the airlock, he could now see the metal flank of the SRV beside him, moving forward, then back, not daring to actually stop.
Amazing pilot, that’s for sure.
Before the SRV captain said anything, he slapped the door control.
But the door didn’t open.
A Road Bug must have taken out the electronics.
Ivan took a breath. Then he grabbed the manual override bar and pulled it. Nothing. Then another pull, and it finally moved. The outer airlock door slid open.
And then, there it was.
To his left, moving slowly past him—four meters away—the huge flank of the SRV. Leaning out over the Road and looking down the length of the vehicle, he made out the small, dark square of the open airlock hatch.
A black rectangle in the side of the much larger vehicle.
“Can you get closer?” he said.
Road Bugs might get him before he hit the airlock.
The SRV still sliding past him—slowing down but not stopping.
Then it started moving back.
Now or never.
Ivan placed both hands on the sides of the opened hatch and began shifting back and forth, getting ready, timing his jump as the opening moved steadily closer.
He would have only one chance at this. He saw bug activity on both sides.
He was totally exposed here.
Make it, and he would live.
Miss it, and he would find out all about the Road Bugs.
If the fall doesn’t kill me.
The opening loomed larger as it came closer.
The SRV moved in tighter, closing the gap. But still several meters away.
Could he jump that far without a running start?
He was bouncing on the balls of his feet,
I’m next.
~ * ~
Ivan turned and looked into the back of the cabin.
He raised his pulse rifle, but held his fire for a moment and stared into the gullet of the machine—
Even if it is a machine
—eating through his SRV.
The thing seemingly made of metal and who knew what other substances. But then, on the shimmering surface, the way it rippled ... looking organic ... biological...
No time to study it now, he thought, and fired.
The stream of light caught the Road Bug full on, blowing it back and away from the ship. Another blast, then another, and it turned into a glowing mass of fragments that flared for a moment and then disappeared when they landed on the Road.
“You here yet?” Ivan said into his commlink.
Longest damn thirty seconds he had ever experienced.
He tried to remain calm.
More bugs, maybe even bigger ones, would come.
“We’re gonna have to do this on the fly,” the SRV’s captain said. “If I slow and stop, the bugs will be on me, too.”
“Right. Got it.”
The odds ... turning worse.
Now a side section of his IMT disappeared, ripped away.
A smaller hole. But metal— if that’s metal— jaws started digesting the skin of his vehicle, chewing from the side, right next to him.
“Go to your airlock and get ready to evacuate.”
“Gotcha,” Ivan said as he stood up from the helm.
A rattling from above.
Another Road Bug, this one landing on the top. The impact threw Ivan off balance, and he fell to his knees. His EVA helmet rang like a metal gong when it struck the cockpit wall.
No way, he thought.
He stood up fast, grabbing at anything for support. The suit—so damned heavy.
He wasn’t sure if the spiraling pinpoints of light were outside on the Road or inside his head.
The support beams of the vehicle’s ceiling started sagging inward from the crushing weight. And then a section of the roof three meters wide on each side simply flew away and disappeared inside the Road Bug’s maw.
Shaking his head to clear it and keeping one hand on the wall to keep himself oriented, he crossed over to the airlock in three long steps.
“Ready whenever you are,” he said.
Through the portal on the airlock, he could now see the metal flank of the SRV beside him, moving forward, then back, not daring to actually stop.
Amazing pilot, that’s for sure.
Before the SRV captain said anything, he slapped the door control.
But the door didn’t open.
A Road Bug must have taken out the electronics.
Ivan took a breath. Then he grabbed the manual override bar and pulled it. Nothing. Then another pull, and it finally moved. The outer airlock door slid open.
And then, there it was.
To his left, moving slowly past him—four meters away—the huge flank of the SRV. Leaning out over the Road and looking down the length of the vehicle, he made out the small, dark square of the open airlock hatch.
A black rectangle in the side of the much larger vehicle.
“Can you get closer?” he said.
Road Bugs might get him before he hit the airlock.
The SRV still sliding past him—slowing down but not stopping.
Then it started moving back.
Now or never.
Ivan placed both hands on the sides of the opened hatch and began shifting back and forth, getting ready, timing his jump as the opening moved steadily closer.
He would have only one chance at this. He saw bug activity on both sides.
He was totally exposed here.
Make it, and he would live.
Miss it, and he would find out all about the Road Bugs.
If the fall doesn’t kill me.
The opening loomed larger as it came closer.
The SRV moved in tighter, closing the gap. But still several meters away.
Could he jump that far without a running start?
He was bouncing on the balls of his feet,
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