Deathstalker 03 - Deathstalker War

building in his head again. He couldn't give in to it now. He couldn't be seen to be weak. Not now. He hugged himself tightly and made himself breathe deep and slow. It didn't help much, it never did, but he had to do something… To distract himself, he leaned forward and concentrated on the sensor panels. He could feel cold sweat beading on his forehead. He hoped the others hadn't noticed.
    "I thought Harker had a personal beacon?" he said carefully.

    "He did," said Finlay. "But not long after he got here, he took it off and left it with the crash-landed ship. We don't know why. He could be anywhere by now."
    "He could even be dead," said Giles.
    "Think positively," said Toby. "At least we're getting a clear signal from the beacon. Hopefully his ship will provide clues as to where to look next."
    "Put us down right next to the ship, Campbell," said Giles. "And let us all pray that the trail isn't as cold as seems likely. Or we could be here for a long time."
    Finlay put the adapted cargo ship down on a great grassy plain, only a few hundred yards away from the remains of the crash-landed escape pod. The pod looked in rough shape, but the beacon came through loud and clear. There was no sign of life anywhere. Giles was first out, of course, gun and sword in hand. He glared suspiciously about him, taking his time, and then nodded for the others to join him. Finlay was quickly out the hatch to stand beside the Deathstalker, with Toby and Flynn hot on his heels. They moved slowly toward the pod, checking all the time for hidden booby traps.
    Evangeline and Julian were left behind to guard the cargo ship and keep things ready for an emergency takeoff, should one prove necessary. Uneasy in each other's company, they studied their surroundings a little more intently than they really needed to. According to the viewscreen and sensors, the grassy plain stretched away to the horizon in all directions, a vivid green so pure and unwavering it was almost unnatural. There was no sign of any life. No birds, no insects. The scene was completely silent, save for the quiet steps of the new arrivals approaching the pod. The sky was a brilliant blue, sharp and clear, with no trace of any cloud. It was a warm and comforting sky, almost hypnotic,
    the kind you could lie under for hours and never wonder where the time went.
    High up in the sky, the fat yellow sun had a big smiley face on it. Julian found that particularly disturbing. It made him feel like he was trapped inside a nursery school party.
    "How the hell did they do that?" he said finally, as much for the comfort of hearing his own voice as anything. The quiet was getting to him.
    "It's not that difficult," said Evangeline. "Some form of holographic projection, I expect. The real question is why anyone would want to."
    "All part of Shannon's dream, I suppose," said Julian. The headache was wearing off, and he was feeling human again. "Smell the air coming in through the hatch.
    Pure and rich and invigorating. Designer air. That's the kind of attention to detail that pulls in the visitors."
    Evangeline sniffed at the fresh air. "It's all right, I suppose, if you like it pastoral, but why is it so quiet? Where is everybody? Is this all there is?"
    Julian smiled slightly for the first time. "I very much doubt it. I can't see Shannon getting away with charging top prices just for this."
    "I don't know," said Evangeline. "After the pressures and hurly-burly of high Society, I can see some people paying a good price for guaranteed peace and quiet."
    "I wouldn't give you a bent penny for this," said Julian. "It's too quiet. It's as though… something is waiting to happen. Something bad."
    "Are you always this cheerful?" said Evangeline.
    "Mostly," said Julian. "Hang around and I'll break into a song and dance. You watch the instruments. I'm going to try a psionic scan. See if I can pick up anything."
    "Is that wise?" said Evangeline, her voice carefully neutral. "The doctors did
    say you were still supposed to be taking things easy."
    "I can pull my weight," snapped Julian. "If I thought otherwise, I wouldn't be here."
    He concentrated, his mind leaping up and out, searching for life signs and hidden surprises. He knew he shouldn't be doing this, but he had something to prove, if only to himself. The rest of his team blazed brightly around him, warm and comforting in their humanness. The crash-landed pod was dark and empty, all systems down, though the beacon shrilled endlessly,