"Pol, take steering."

The man grimaced silently as they switched places. With everyone crowded in the rear of the box, the weight might just be enough to angle the craft using the rudder and air brakes.

"You going fore?"

Hable nodded. "Listen for me."

…

Boots first, Hable inched down toward the hatch, keeping his legs wrapped in a firm grip around the rope. It was bright again now that they had cleared the shade of the midrock. He ignored the rapidly growing view of Ambiter as they began to pick up desce…

His heart stopped. Both Ambiter and Decceter were emblazoned at a crazy angle upon his mind in the second of totally unobstructed view his eyes were given. The sky, deep blue and littered with clouds above both lands, felt like a yawning abyss.

Then every…

"Haul up!" Hable ordered. The man at the column obeyed instantly.

"What in gods name are you doing?" Pol's voice screamed through the line. "We'll miss!"

There was no time to explain. At the nose of the box, Pol would only see their trajectory alter, but …

The cabin really began to shake. Several of the crew shouted in alarm. Hable slacked his jaw to keep his teeth from rattling.

"What-"

Pol's voice drowned beneath an immediate snapping that ripped through the air like a saw. Several concussive sounds burst…

Story is marked as mature

The pressure and light pushed reality to a distant howling sense in the first few seconds. Then the body begins to recover, a survival form of efficiency.

Hable gripped the steering column like a lifeline. Through it he felt the vibration of the craft hu…

"DRAW"

Launcher's voice echoed over the amplifier.

The box began to descend into what miners called the slingshot. The similarity in operation was not far off.

From the lowest seat, Hable glared upward at the two extra passengers. He wasn't the only one.…

"Launcher we can't bring these dods on a drop."

"No choice, I'm ordered, now you are. They're researchers from a university across the gap. Something about looking for ancient structures."

Hable's eyes went wide in disbelief, then fury. "You joshing me? T…

The box was just that: a three story block with porthole windows, taller than wide. It was not in the least aerodynamic. Structurally, though, it was sound. Sometimes that made a difference when landing, but the miners still didn't wear helmets. If you cr…

A shadow fell across the window. Hable glanced out, pen hand poised over his journal, his mouth slowly forming into a frown. The sky held only the ghosts of clouds. This shadow was cast by one of the midrocks, a large one. It's arrival meant-

Sure enough…

On clear nights you could see the distant glimmering pinpricks of light denoting the city's presence. It was tucked away amongst deep mountain ridges and thickly forested land, with hints of water hidden in the surroundings.

The view was beautiful this ti…