are. We asked Baaax and Mair to check each helmet’s software. However, both of them said we’d have to wait a few weeks because they’re busy.”
“How long ago did you ask them?”
“About two weeks.”
I cleared my throat and coughed. Even though I was breathing stored oxygen from inside my suit, the fumes were strong. I shoved one hand over my sleeve. The face mask opened. I vomited. Then my eyes began watering.
Boma hacked, trying to clear his throat.
“What species are those bushes?” I asked in a hoarse voice.
“Reip Totus.”
Eighty feet down the bumpy gravel road, a flock of tan vultures glided onto the shoulder.
“What species are those?”
Boma replied, “Uim. They’re harmless, but they stink.”
I sniffed. They smelled like human excrement and rotten meat. Suddenly, they took off, toward the giag, and flew overhead. As I watched in disgust, indigo bird droppings splashed across the hood. Gradually, the stench grew stronger. Because I didn’t want to vomit again, I started breathing through my mouth, not my nose.
Boma coughed. “Welcome to Danig.”
Behind us, a guard blurted, “Ank.”
We drove by more grassy hills. On our left and right, all of them were partially covered by Mus Nantus.
I pointed at them as my stomach muscles tensed up.
Boma announced in a nasal tone, “Yes, I see them.”
The guards muttered, but they didn’t fire any grenades.
The trees didn’t attack.
Chapter Eighteen
Boma parked close to a mine entrance that had been dug into the side of a weed-covered hill. A small dump truck, a small transport vehicle called an SMT, drove out of the entrance. Close to the entrance, sixty feet above the ground, a bronze trapezoid-shaped interstellar craft descended. On both sides of the IC, which was designed to carry loads from a planet’s surface to orbiting space freighters, landing gear extended and the ship touched down, its bottom eleven feet above ground.
The SMT drove under the IC and parked. In the center of the craft’s belly, a hatch opened, revealing a large hole. Two robotic claws came out of the hole, grabbed the SMT’s load—a bucket filled with rocks—then pulled back inside the ship.
Boma blinked. “Jason, come with me.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Worik, everyone else, stay here. I’ll be right back.”
All the guards muttered, angry tones.
Boma and I jumped out, headed for the tunnel. He murmured, “Jason, Obno executives told just about everyone, including the guards, that this is a titanium mine. It isn’t. This is the biggest Perovskite mine ever. The deposits are all pure metal, not rock crystal.
“This is a secret, one you can tell Ieeb about, but don’t mention it anybody else. Make sure that she keeps the information to herself.”
I raised my eyebrows, shocked. “Perovskite metal?! It’s rarer than gold.” Chills ran up my spine. Although many robots, computers and starships used some gold circuits along with gold laser cables for their optical computers, pure Perovskite metal, a superconductor, was better than gold. Any LN robot, computer or starship with Perovskite in its hard drive would be slightly faster any robot, computer or starship that didn’t have it.
Boma rubbed his neck, a worried look on his face. “That’s true.”
I frowned. “This is terrible. If the LN get enough Perovskite, they’ll destroy Icir.”
Boma nodded, but didn’t say a word.
I whispered, “Why are you telling me this?”
“Unlike me, your ship has a laser transmitter. You could send a message to Icir.”
“Don’t any of the guards have a laser transmitter?”
“No. There is another complication. According to a friend of mine, one of the guards is an LN spy. Unfortunately, neither one of us knows who it is.”
“How do you know they’re a spy?” Was this information based on facts or rumors?
“My friend is worried that if the spy finds out who he is, he’ll murder my friend. If I tell you and the spy
“How long ago did you ask them?”
“About two weeks.”
I cleared my throat and coughed. Even though I was breathing stored oxygen from inside my suit, the fumes were strong. I shoved one hand over my sleeve. The face mask opened. I vomited. Then my eyes began watering.
Boma hacked, trying to clear his throat.
“What species are those bushes?” I asked in a hoarse voice.
“Reip Totus.”
Eighty feet down the bumpy gravel road, a flock of tan vultures glided onto the shoulder.
“What species are those?”
Boma replied, “Uim. They’re harmless, but they stink.”
I sniffed. They smelled like human excrement and rotten meat. Suddenly, they took off, toward the giag, and flew overhead. As I watched in disgust, indigo bird droppings splashed across the hood. Gradually, the stench grew stronger. Because I didn’t want to vomit again, I started breathing through my mouth, not my nose.
Boma coughed. “Welcome to Danig.”
Behind us, a guard blurted, “Ank.”
We drove by more grassy hills. On our left and right, all of them were partially covered by Mus Nantus.
I pointed at them as my stomach muscles tensed up.
Boma announced in a nasal tone, “Yes, I see them.”
The guards muttered, but they didn’t fire any grenades.
The trees didn’t attack.
Chapter Eighteen
Boma parked close to a mine entrance that had been dug into the side of a weed-covered hill. A small dump truck, a small transport vehicle called an SMT, drove out of the entrance. Close to the entrance, sixty feet above the ground, a bronze trapezoid-shaped interstellar craft descended. On both sides of the IC, which was designed to carry loads from a planet’s surface to orbiting space freighters, landing gear extended and the ship touched down, its bottom eleven feet above ground.
The SMT drove under the IC and parked. In the center of the craft’s belly, a hatch opened, revealing a large hole. Two robotic claws came out of the hole, grabbed the SMT’s load—a bucket filled with rocks—then pulled back inside the ship.
Boma blinked. “Jason, come with me.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Worik, everyone else, stay here. I’ll be right back.”
All the guards muttered, angry tones.
Boma and I jumped out, headed for the tunnel. He murmured, “Jason, Obno executives told just about everyone, including the guards, that this is a titanium mine. It isn’t. This is the biggest Perovskite mine ever. The deposits are all pure metal, not rock crystal.
“This is a secret, one you can tell Ieeb about, but don’t mention it anybody else. Make sure that she keeps the information to herself.”
I raised my eyebrows, shocked. “Perovskite metal?! It’s rarer than gold.” Chills ran up my spine. Although many robots, computers and starships used some gold circuits along with gold laser cables for their optical computers, pure Perovskite metal, a superconductor, was better than gold. Any LN robot, computer or starship with Perovskite in its hard drive would be slightly faster any robot, computer or starship that didn’t have it.
Boma rubbed his neck, a worried look on his face. “That’s true.”
I frowned. “This is terrible. If the LN get enough Perovskite, they’ll destroy Icir.”
Boma nodded, but didn’t say a word.
I whispered, “Why are you telling me this?”
“Unlike me, your ship has a laser transmitter. You could send a message to Icir.”
“Don’t any of the guards have a laser transmitter?”
“No. There is another complication. According to a friend of mine, one of the guards is an LN spy. Unfortunately, neither one of us knows who it is.”
“How do you know they’re a spy?” Was this information based on facts or rumors?
“My friend is worried that if the spy finds out who he is, he’ll murder my friend. If I tell you and the spy
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