Paphos

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The sun set quickly on this planet and it would soon be getting too dark to see.  The team still perched in the entryway as they had been for over an hour, ever since Athen almost slid down to her electric death.  They argued over the safest way to get to that key panel.  Carolina’s dirt cloud showed them a great deal, but they still needed to study everything they could find before proceeding. 

“Carolina, you look sleepy.  Are you tired?” Austin asked.

“No, I’m fine,” she answered, though her eyes were drooping and she wavered on her feet.  Her cheeks looked flush red.  Austin felt her face, she was way too warm.

“Just do the dirt thing again,” Athen said, throwing her hands in the air.  Orlean and Helena chuckled together.  Engineers had no patience.  But a researcher could analyze this data until next week.

“If you insist,” Orlean said, giving in.  “I don’t know how much use our instruments will be here, there’s just so much interference, I don’t even think our radios will work right,” he said.

“That could be a big problem,” Austin said, still hoping someone sided with him.

“Not if we stick together, stay in groups,” Dmitry said.

Austin paced.  They would clearly miss dinner by now and soon it would be time to hit the rack.  “I’m heading back to the quadrohuts, it’s dinnertime, no one’s eaten, Carolina has had a long day,” Austin just finally said.

“Yeah, might be awhile before we proceed, you may as well,” Helena said looking like she wanted to join them. 

“Aye, we’ll be staying awhile, catch up in a few hours,” Dublin said.  Athen rubbed her face, Dublin looked at the time.  No one wanted to stop for dinner.

“I’ll go with you,” Dmitry said, looking at Austin.  “I’ll bring back some chow, and when it gets too late we can rotate shifts.  First shift will swap out in five hours, that gets everyone a little bit of sleep tonight,” Dmitry added.  “Come on,” he said motioning to Austin and Carolina.

“No,” Carolina said.  “I will stay.”

Austin looked at her for a moment before wrapping his arm around her.  “Sorry kid, you come with me,” he smiled.

“I want to stay,” she replied. 

“I said no,” Austin said.  He had to pull her by the shoulders to get her walking away from the wall.  For whatever reason, she did not want to leave.

The walk back was getting dark, soon Austin could barely see his own feet.  Their suits came with a utility non direction light, a glowing lime green, and without it they would never find their way home.  He held Carolina’s hand the whole time, wondering why it felt so warm still.  With the antibodies they all carried, fever should be nearly impossible.  Austin kept looking up at the speckled night sky, just to see some light.  Paphos’ night was like a black canvas of colored marbles and diamonds, utterly magnificent, and Austin would think of this view long after leaving a few weeks from now.  But somehow that glow wouldn’t reach the ground, as if the inescapable forest around them captured and snuffed the light.  Carolina let go of Austin’s hand and walked in front, Dmitry took the opportunity to walk shoulder to shoulder with Austin.

“We made an incredible find today, I’m sure you would agree…” Dmitry said.

“I do.” 

Austin wanted to say more, he wanted to say that everyone was acting foolish and that it was time to report this discovery.  But Dmitry had a way of controlling a conversation, and Austin didn’t need anything he said used against him somehow.  Then Austin thought of something, perhaps Dmitry wasn’t accompanying him back to the huts, maybe he was escorting him back.  Was this to make sure Austin didn’t contact the company on his own?  He hadn’t even thought of that until just now.