Shades of Earth by Beth Revis Page B

possible so that we may more accurately relay the information we have gathered about the current population of threatening—
    Â 
    There’s a
pop!
and some more crackling sounds, and then suddenly the voice cuts out, drowned out by static. A high-pitched whistling sound rings in my ears as the screen goes black. The air is eerily silent, our communication with Sol-Earth severed once again.
    â€œWhat happened?” I ask as Colonel Martin bends over the computer.
    â€œI’m not sure. . . . ” He types on the screen, but it goes black. “Maybe the communication systems were damaged when you almost crashed my shuttle.”
    Before I can comment on his claiming ownership of
my
shuttle, gunshots boom behind us, so unexpected that I jump. Bledsoe crouches on the floor of the bridge, using the wall to steady her arm as she takes careful aim. I follow her gaze and see the—the
thing
—soaring above us, its talons outstretched, already eager to rip us to shreds. Another gunshot cracks out, followed by a piercing cry. The bird-thing changes direction but isn’t hit.
    â€œWhat the hell is that?” Colonel Martin says. His own gun is already in his hand, his knuckles white around the grip.
    â€œThat’s the same kind of creature I saw earlier,” I say, trying to keep my voice calm. “Amy said that it looked like a”—I try to remember the word she used—“like a dinosaur, a, um . . . a terro . . . ?”
    â€œI know what it looks like, damn it, but what is it?”
    I hide my smirk. So we’ve finally encountered something that’s capable of breaking Colonel Martin’s cool exterior. “Before we landed, we were warned about . . . ” I pause. It sounds silly to say, but there’s no other word for it. “Monsters.”
    Colonel Martin squints up at the creature soaring overhead. It’s huge—even this far away, it blots out some of the suns’ light.
    Bledsoe takes one last shot, but it’s clear the monster has flown too far away.
    â€œMaybe I did crash-land the shuttle,” I say, “but I think maybe one of those things knocked us off course.”
    â€œDon’t waste ammunition,” Colonel Martin barks at Bledsoe. She doesn’t lower her gun, but I see her finger slide off the trigger. “We should get inside; it isn’t safe here. I want to find out more about this damn ‘population of threatening’ whatever,” he continues, turning to me. “Bledsoe and I will go out with a group of eight more men. If we find one of the probes, we should be able to establish a secure, consistent communication link with Earth and get a better idea of what we’re facing.”
    Colonel Martin heads to the door. Bledsoe backs up slowly, her hand still on the gun. “Elder, I need you to keep your people calm.” Colonel Martin says this as a command, not a request.
    â€œI’m going with you,” I say.
    Colonel Martin pauses, his hand on the door. “No civilians.”
    â€œMy people need to see that we’re equal. They need to know that I’m involved, and I have a right to know what you say to Earth.”
    â€œOf course,” Colonel Martin agrees. “But in this moment, the important thing is for them to have someone to turn to. You need to be the strong core, the rock they can depend on.”
    â€œI—”
    Colonel Martin opens the door and herds me inside, Emma Bledsoe close behind. She slams the door shut and locks it. The air inside the shuttle tastes bitter and metallic compared to the warm, fresh breeze we’ve just left behind.
    â€œI need you
here
, Elder,” Colonel Martin says. “I need someone I can trust to protect the shuttle.”
    â€œBut—”
    â€œI’m leaving you with precious cargo: our people.
Your
people. Are you up to the task?”
    â€œYes,” I say,