Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 91775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
We all gather together to look at our first glimpse of it. Well, I’ve seen it before, but the others haven’t. I watch Rem’eb’s face as his gaze settles on the old spaceship, wondering how strange it must look to him. He doesn’t even have science fiction movies to go off of like I do.
“It’s so old,” Chalath says grumpily, crossing his arms. “I wouldn’t trust that tech to cook me a meal.”
“It’s on its side,” Colleen points out, staring. “Or am I wrong?”
“You aren’t wrong,” Natalie reassures her.
“There was a big earthquake several years ago that made it tip over,” Harlow agrees. “But a portion of it has settled into a trench so it’s no longer moving, and there are rope ladders in place where it’s too steep to traverse. Just be careful and rope yourself to a buddy.”
Rukh moves closer to the sled he’s been tirelessly pulling, nudging Harlow closer to it. He points at a shadow in the distance. “Sky-claw. Be on your guard.”
“And it’s probably a good idea to rope yourself to your buddy sooner rather than later,” Harlow points out.
“What is sky-claw?” asks Noj’me.
“A bird-lizard,” Colleen says, a hand shading her eyes so she can look up. “A friggin’ huge one if what everyone says is right.”
“Very big, and very dangerous,” I agree, sliding my hand into Rem’eb’s belt. “Tell the others, Noj’me. We all need to tie together because if someone gets swallowed, the other person needs to attack it to let them go.”
“You…you’re not serious, are you? You’re shitting me, right?” Colleen states. “They can eat us?”
“One ate Josie,” Harlow agrees. “She almost died.”
After that, no one can get linked up fast enough. Ropes are passed around and we’re tied in twos. I’m bound to Rem’eb, who keeps a hand on me at all times, as if he’s worried I might get snatched away if he turns his head. Noj’me ties to Colleen, the brothers to each other, and Chalath looks thrilled to be tied to Natalie.
Natalie doesn’t complain. She doesn’t say anything at all. It’s hard to get a read on her, and I remember that she’s one of the ones that has no memories from before. Even her name is one that Flor gave her just so we had something to call her.
After the sky-claw sighting, we hurry a little faster toward the fallen ship. As we approach the base of the ship, the size of it becomes far more obvious to everyone. I’ve seen it a few times before, but I’m always struck at how something so large manages to fly through space. It’s got to be the size of a cruise ship in length, though not nearly as bulky as the monstrosities that offer vacation packages back on earth. Noj’me falls to her knees as we come to the base.
“The Mighty Oracle,” she weeps, raising her hands to the sky. “How great! Surely all knowledge is contained within.”
“Who’s gonna tell her it’s a shitty computer that probably needs a good power cycle?” Colleen jokes.
“Not me,” says Natalie, and points to Noj’me just a few feet away. “And you just told her. She can hear you.”
Colleen frowns at Natalie, then turns her attention to Noj’me. Her voice is kinder as she touches the other woman’s shoulder. “Come on. You can’t worship that thing. It’s just a really old bucket of bolts with a half-functioning computer.”
Noj’me allows herself to be pulled to her feet, wiping her cheeks. “Com-pew-turr?”
“It’s like a brain,” Harlow tells her. “Full of knowledge.”
Noj’me becomes radiant once more. “Yes?”
“Don’t lead her on,” Colleen protests. “You’re just setting her up for a world of hurt.”
“How would you describe a computer, then?” Harlow’s expression is patient. She kneels in front of the sled, smoothing her small daughter’s pigtails and straightening her rumpled clothes in a motherly fashion as the girl continues to hug her doll atop the sled. Harlow glances back over at Colleen. “She’s not praying to it for rain or asking it to smite her enemies. She thinks it holds a great deal of knowledge. Which it does. What part of all that is misleading?”
“I just don’t like her being led on, that’s all,” Colleen grumbles.
“Let’s just make camp,” I say, interrupting. “It hasn’t been all that long since someone was last here. We can probably use their firepit.” A short distance away, I can see the snow-covered remains of an old firepit and some rocks that encircled it. There’s nothing but a light crust over the pit, which means we’ll set up there. I gesture at it. “This area looks like it falls in the shadow of the ship, which means it’ll be a little bit colder overall, but we’ll also be protected from the sky.”
“We’re staying out here? Shouldn’t we go inside?” Colleen asks. “So, you know, we don’t get eaten by giant birds?”