We are in some deep shit, people. When you’re in shit up to your neck, the first thing you do is stop digging.”
The commander returned to the podium. “Here is your first order.”
He paused.
“Everyone, call me Jimbo.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Rand the Witch
“At that point I had no idea Barcus had survived and was also on the surface, starting a war of his own. Sure, I was angry. But he was biblical in his fury. So alone. But I was trained, silent running. He kept them occupied by killing a few thousand of those assholes. That distraction saved me I think.”
-- Solstice 31 Incident Investigation Testimony Transcript: Master Chief Nancy Randall, senior surviving security member of the Ventura's crew.
<<<>>>
Rand watched in her HUD as the figure in gray moved silently along the trail near the hidden shelter. When he rounded a large boulder, he saw a body, sprawled beside the path, facedown, arms stretched above its head, as if dragged there. The legs were straight and partially covered in leaves.
The man drew his knife and waited.
A few minutes went by without a sound, except for the breeze through the rocks and the shrubs. Cautiously, he approached. When he almost reached the body in the ditch, he sheathed his knife and took out a water skin as he turned over the body.
All he remembered, later, was pain and darkness.
***
Slowly, the man became conscious.
He tried to pretend he was still out but somehow failed. He became aware that he was blindfolded, naked and bound, tightly, professionally. He felt that he was indoors. There was a fire, not far away, to his right. He was on his back, tied to a wood surface with rough planks. Before he could assess further, a voice whispered to him in perfect High Speech.
“Who are you?” It was a deep, frightening voice.
The calm whisper, and those words, struck fear into him more than the bindings.
“Who are you?” was repeated. Followed by a crackling sound, and then an excruciating pain two inches below his navel. Was he just burned? Stabbed? He could smell urine from his loss of control.
“Do you understand me?” whispered the voice.
The crackling sound came again. He had answered before the pain came.
“Yes, Keeper. I understand.”
Rand raised an eyebrow. Keeper?
“Who are you?” The crackling started immediately this time.
“They call me Coff. I'm a tracker.”
He was visibly trying to calm himself through force of will. He was also, subtly, testing his bonds.
Very good, Coff.
“Why are you here?” Even more menace dripped from the whisper.
He paused too long. This time the pain was in his left foot. It was worse than the worst cramp he ever had. It was as if his leg was being crushed, or eaten while he still lived. It took him a few moments to realize he was screaming.
“I will ask. You will answer. Promptly.”
“Why are you here?” There was no hesitation this time.
“I was tracking something. Something big.”
“Tell me. All of it.”
Rand didn't know what to ask, specifically. She needed more info without giving anything away. It came out in a flood.
“I was moving south from where I spend the summers above the gorge in the north. I always come south in the winter. I cannot tolerate so much snow. I had gotten as far as Corrina Valley. I always take that route south. Fewer people.” His speech was degrading, shifting to something else. An accent or a dialect of English.
“Slow down. Speak.” There was more crackling.
“Forgive me, Keeper. I don't often speak High Tongue.”
“Why are you here?” There was more crackling.
“I was moving south in heavy rain. I decided to move through the night. I knew a warm, dry place that I could reach around dawn, where I could dry out and rest in comfort. Before I got there, I saw it.”
“What did you see?” The whisper her riot helmet made was specially designed to intimidate, to cause fear in crowd control situations.
“You won't believe me. Please
The commander returned to the podium. “Here is your first order.”
He paused.
“Everyone, call me Jimbo.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Rand the Witch
“At that point I had no idea Barcus had survived and was also on the surface, starting a war of his own. Sure, I was angry. But he was biblical in his fury. So alone. But I was trained, silent running. He kept them occupied by killing a few thousand of those assholes. That distraction saved me I think.”
-- Solstice 31 Incident Investigation Testimony Transcript: Master Chief Nancy Randall, senior surviving security member of the Ventura's crew.
<<<>>>
Rand watched in her HUD as the figure in gray moved silently along the trail near the hidden shelter. When he rounded a large boulder, he saw a body, sprawled beside the path, facedown, arms stretched above its head, as if dragged there. The legs were straight and partially covered in leaves.
The man drew his knife and waited.
A few minutes went by without a sound, except for the breeze through the rocks and the shrubs. Cautiously, he approached. When he almost reached the body in the ditch, he sheathed his knife and took out a water skin as he turned over the body.
All he remembered, later, was pain and darkness.
***
Slowly, the man became conscious.
He tried to pretend he was still out but somehow failed. He became aware that he was blindfolded, naked and bound, tightly, professionally. He felt that he was indoors. There was a fire, not far away, to his right. He was on his back, tied to a wood surface with rough planks. Before he could assess further, a voice whispered to him in perfect High Speech.
“Who are you?” It was a deep, frightening voice.
The calm whisper, and those words, struck fear into him more than the bindings.
“Who are you?” was repeated. Followed by a crackling sound, and then an excruciating pain two inches below his navel. Was he just burned? Stabbed? He could smell urine from his loss of control.
“Do you understand me?” whispered the voice.
The crackling sound came again. He had answered before the pain came.
“Yes, Keeper. I understand.”
Rand raised an eyebrow. Keeper?
“Who are you?” The crackling started immediately this time.
“They call me Coff. I'm a tracker.”
He was visibly trying to calm himself through force of will. He was also, subtly, testing his bonds.
Very good, Coff.
“Why are you here?” Even more menace dripped from the whisper.
He paused too long. This time the pain was in his left foot. It was worse than the worst cramp he ever had. It was as if his leg was being crushed, or eaten while he still lived. It took him a few moments to realize he was screaming.
“I will ask. You will answer. Promptly.”
“Why are you here?” There was no hesitation this time.
“I was tracking something. Something big.”
“Tell me. All of it.”
Rand didn't know what to ask, specifically. She needed more info without giving anything away. It came out in a flood.
“I was moving south from where I spend the summers above the gorge in the north. I always come south in the winter. I cannot tolerate so much snow. I had gotten as far as Corrina Valley. I always take that route south. Fewer people.” His speech was degrading, shifting to something else. An accent or a dialect of English.
“Slow down. Speak.” There was more crackling.
“Forgive me, Keeper. I don't often speak High Tongue.”
“Why are you here?” There was more crackling.
“I was moving south in heavy rain. I decided to move through the night. I knew a warm, dry place that I could reach around dawn, where I could dry out and rest in comfort. Before I got there, I saw it.”
“What did you see?” The whisper her riot helmet made was specially designed to intimidate, to cause fear in crowd control situations.
“You won't believe me. Please
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