Free The Guardian (Coranite Chronicles) by Egan Yip Page A

Several riders began performing advanced tricks and spins; they sped down the practice course with utmost confidence and blazing speed. They cut through corners with ease and cruised down ramps flawlessly.
    Standing beside Darek, Slade said, “Nervous?”
    “I just started hover boarding today,” Darek replied. “Of course I’m nervous.”
    Kyrie said, “Why not go down and practice? Tomorrow is the competition.”
    Darek turned to Slade. “Are you coming? We could practice together.”
    Slade thought about it. “No, you can go alone. I want some time to search around town for info on Lyonil. I’ll let you know if I find anything.”
    “So I’ve got a day of practice. One day.” Darek looked once more at the riders. “I wonder if it’ll be enough.”
     
    CHAPTER 5
    Ship’s Rest
     
     
    There was a soft hissing noise as the cabin depressurized. The hissing grew louder as each lock on the hatch was disabled.
    “Unghh! Erghh! ARGH! It’s stuck! There’s no way to open this, Captain.”
    Captain Kite Ruthers snapped, “Stop whining, Berik. You’re acting like a little kid. Just kick it open.”
    “I tried. I really did. Even kicking won’t help now.” With a hint of excitement in his voice, Berik said, “Looks like we don’t have a choice. It’s time to pull out the sonic charge…”
    “Are you crazy? Wasting it on something like this?”
    “What? It’s okay. I’ve got more.”
    Kite groaned. “Move, you idiot! Out of the way! I’ll handle this!”
    Bang—Bang—Bang! The hatch flew open.
    Two men in spacesuits cautiously entered the dark cabin with their rifles armed and ready. As they examined the area, they saw that the Federation starship, the Seeker , had suffered more damage than they had expected. Much to their surprise, the hull of the ship actually looked like it fared better than the interior. The damage looked extensive. The walls and cables were torn apart, gushing out small flames and sparks of electricity.
    “Clear.”
    Kite said, “Switch to visor and lights.”
    “Switching.”
    Kite and Berik simultaneously lifted up the protective covers from the visors, disabling their night-vision, and turned on the flashlights of their rifles. Doing so allowed them to conserve the energy of the Crionium power cells in their suits.
    While Kite continued to inspect the room, he motioned with his gun for Berik to take the controls. Berik hastily rushed to the control panel, propped his rifle against the wall and entered in some commands. The blue screen flashed on and rapidly began displaying text.
    Kite asked, “Can you get the power back online?”
    “Power is still on,” replied Berik. “Only the lights are dead.”
    “Okay.” Kite walked back to the hatchway and slammed the door shut. “Pressurize the room.”
    “Pressurizing…done.”
    “Life support?”
    “Still online.”
    “Good.”
    They both eagerly removed their helmets and tossed them to the ground.
    Kite asked, “How about life signs?”
    His eyes fixed on the screen, Berik shrugged. “Scanners aren’t working right. There’s some interference…and some decks I can’t get readings on.”
    Kite walked over to Berik’s side and saw a map of the ship on screen, then tapped him on the shoulder. “Come on, let’s head to the bridge.”
    Berik nodded, picked up his gun and followed the captain out of the cabin.
    Kite glanced about nervously as they walked through the hall. The corridor felt tighter than usual, almost as if the walls were closing in; he could barely see how far the walls were apart.
    They swung their flashlights side to side, giving them fleeting visibility of the walls and floor. Kite aimed his light at the ground. A shadow slowly crept into view. At first, he thought it was his imagination. He raised his light and moved forward, just to confirm. After looking at the figure for a few seconds, he realized it wasn’t his imagination. There was someone standing against the wall.
    “Hey, you there.