Free The Last Hunter - Descent (Book 1 of the Antarktos Saga) by Jeremy Robinson

“The boy speaks!”
    Now that she mentions it, I realize I haven't really said much of anything in the past three hours. Not that she’s given anyone a chance to speak. But I don’t recall laughing at her jokes, either.
    When she realizes I’m not going to take the bait and offer myself up for teasing, she asks, “What’s your interest in the first Clark Station? It’s nothing but a sheet of white, just like the rest of this frozen desert.”
    Despite my doubts about Collette’s intelligence, she has accurately described the climate here. The bitter cold saps all the moisture out of the air, turning it into snow or ice. This makes it one of the driest environments on Earth. And the coldest.
    I see Mira about to reply and cut her off. “Just curious.” I can tell Collette has no knowledge of my birth or the strange events surrounding it. If the story has been kept from new additions to the crew, it must have been at Dr. Clark’s request. And he’d been right about keeping it quiet. “My parents worked there,” I add.
    Mira is squinting at me, but then seems to understand. “My dad did, too...obviously, I guess.”
    Collette gives Mira a look like she’s a pitiful wet cat. “Really,” she says, her voice oozing sarcasm.
    I’m starting to not like Collette, but I press her for information. “So you haven’t been there?”
    “I’ve been there, all right. Clark Station Two is only about five miles beyond Clark Station One. I’ve driven over the site more than a dozen times. Like I said, nothing but snow. Ain’t nothing left.”
    “Nothing at all?” I say.
    “Unless you're some kind of physicist who can see things no one else can.”
    “Well, we already knew you weren’t a physicist,” I say, immediately wondering if she’ll take insult at the comment. The look of horror on Mira’s face supports this concern.
    But the thick woman guffaws. She holds up her hand. It’s hard to see as we bounce over a series of ice heaves, but the one detail I’m sure she wants me to see is hard to miss. Her hand is covered in grime and a layer of black sludge is trapped beneath her fingernails.
      “A mechanic,” I say.
    “Damn straight,” she replies, and then launches into a joke about blond mechanics.
    I tune her out, thinking about what she said. But my exhaustion suddenly catches up with me. I feel myself lolling over like I’ve been drugged. I hear Collette’s loud voice fade like she’s walking away. Then nothing.
    I dream of a jungle. It’s tropical and lush. The animal calls are like nothing I’ve heard before. Life surrounds me. I can’t see it, but I can sense it. Living, beating hearts. They’re getting closer. Hunting me. I long for home, for safety, but don’t know the way. The branches scratch me as I run, snagging my clothes, tearing my skin. The cries get louder. Closer. I feel heat on my neck. Something inside me changes with that heat. A sudden rage that spins me around to face my attackers. But I’m alone. That’s when I see it—a long gray building, like an airplane hangar. I recognize it immediately.
    I sit up, eyes wide. Awake. Collette is quiet now. Mira is staring out the window. A rising panic grips me. We’re going to miss it! “Stop the Cat,” I say.
    Collette snaps to attention, “We’re only a few miles away. If you have to pee, you can hold it.”
    “I need to get out,” I say, my voice gravelly with either sleep or anger. I can’t tell which.
    “Just let him out,” Mira says.
    “Look, kid, I know that—”
    “I’m going to throw up!” I shout. It’s a lie, but it gets the desired effect. Collette the mechanic would no doubt be in charge of detailing my lunch from the back seat. The Cat rumbles to a stop. I fling open the door with the desperation of someone who is truly about to puke. I jump to the ice, thrilled to be on my feet again, and run.
    I don’t know exactly where I’m running, only that I’m drawn forward. I’m focused on the ice, but feel