"Left. Air lock. Hundred meters." She crouched
and darted away.
"Ram, stoop, bend, whatever it takes to shrink.
Stay close to the wall for as long as you can.
Everyone keep a few meters apart. Hodak, you stay
close to Ram and watch the rear. OK, let's do it."
Two burly men came around the end of a nearby
structure, stopped, stared at Ram as he rose
through the manhole, and then at each other. Zolan
caught both in a conical burst as they backed away.
They fell in silence.
Hodak and Zolan dashed forward. Each grasped a
set of ankles, hauled the bodies into the cul-de-sac
and dumped them down the utility hole.
Brad took a quick look in both directions and
nudged Adari.
"Go," he said.
Kumiko was at the air lock. Brad, Hodak and
Ram were well away from the cul-de-sac. Kumiko
stepped into the enclosure containing the suit racks,
her weapon up and level, safety off, finger a tiny
space from the trigger.
Two guards, sitting on a bench, rifles across their
thighs, gaped at her.
"What the hell," one of them yawped, raising his
rifle.
The other guard flipped the switch on a hand-held
transmitter and started to raise it to his lips.
Kumiko cut them down with a single sweep. She
raced up and across the long room, checking
alcoves, corridors and behind suit racks. Empty.
Ram entered, quickly followed by the others. Hodak
remained at the door, alert for intruders. Adari
moved across to the keypad control for the outer
air lock, and peered through the visi-screen. She
thumbed up.
Ram rummaged hastily among the space suits on
the rack. Adari left her position, grabbed a suit and
worked herself into it. Brad, Kumiko and Zolan were
halfway into theirs. Zolan moved to the outer door.
Hodak, suited up, called to Ram, who hurried over.
"Here's one you might squeeze into. C'mere, give it
a try."
Ram looked distastefully at the suit. "Well," he
muttered, "that's what happens to a giant among
pygmies. I couldn't find anything bigger than what
you've come up with. Give a hand here."
Adari joined them. Together, she and Hodak
shoehorned Ram into the suit and closed the seals.
Helmets fitted, they ran quickly through air tank
and suit connections security and pressure checks.
Minutes later they were ready for departure.
Brad motioned Kumiko closer, and they opened their
faceplates.
"Stay here until we return," Brad instructed,
"but keep your suit on. Now that we're all wearing
suits we can't be identified. So, if you get innocent
visitors, just incapacitate them. If anyone comes
looking for a fight, don't wait for an invitation."
Kumiko nodded and closed her faceplate. Weapon
in hand, she took up a position where she would
not be seen from the entryway.
Brad lumbered to the air lock and, a moment
later, the panel to the buffer space slipped aside.
Gesturing Ram, Zolan, Hodak and Adari through, he
stepped after them and closed and dogged the panel
leading back into the dome. He lifted the safety
cover and pressed a wall plate. With a swish of
escaping air, the outer doors slid up. They stepped
out.
##
A dozen taxis and space tugs were scattered about
on the ramp. Choosing the taxi most distant from
the others Zolan beckoned Hodak and Adari to follow
him. Moving as quickly as their suits and the light
gravity would allow, they reached the taxi and
climbed aboard. Brad and Ram brought up the rear,
turning often to watch other suited people moving
about. A ramp guard was some distance away,
gesturing among a knot of people. The Sentinels
remained unnoticed.
Reaching the taxi, Zolan and Hodak began to
adjust its controls, vector and power instruments.
Adari's helmet filled in the pilot position. Raising her
glove she beckoned frantically to Ram. He climbed
in beside her. Her hand on his helmet she spoke
rapidly, pointing at the instrument panel.
Brad watched Adari move back and out as Ram moved
into the seat she vacated. Bending forward, her
helmet touched Ram's as her gloved hands pointed to
where the depot was visible. She slapped Ram on the
shoulder and stepped back.
The jerry-rigged taxi rose slowly at first, gained
speed and disappeared into the backdrop of black
velvet and stars.