Archiwum
- Index
- James Fenimore Cooper Oak Openings (PG) (v1.0) [txt]
- James Alan Gardner [League Of Peoples 02] Commitment Hour
- James Alan Gardner [League Of Peoples 07] Radiant
- 052. Darcy Emma James Family 01 Rozbitkowie
- James Fenimore Cooper Jack Tier, Volume 2
- James P. Hogan Giants 3 Giant's Star
- 063. James Julia Prywatna wyspa
- Curwood James Oliver Władca skalnej doliny
- James Patterson Cat & Mouse
- Frederik Pohl Heechee 3 Heechee Rendevous
- zanotowane.pl
- doc.pisz.pl
- pdf.pisz.pl
- lafemka.pev.pl
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Axler,_James_-_Deathlands_65_-_Hellbenders replied as the four piled into the
wag.
"Go, Jak," Ryan snapped as he closed the doors. The albino hunter wasted no
time. Putting the wag into reverse, he roared back toward the entrance to the
arena and away from the other wags in the convoy. In the dismal light of the
storm, he was unwilling to risk reversing the wag all the way through the
entrance and perhaps crashing it, so he put the vehicle into a skid and turned
it so that he could hit the entrance head-on and get out of the war zone.
As they broke through the almost solid wall of sand that was swirling at the
entrance, where the storm was being forced through the restricted gap, the air
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suddenly became clearer, vision less impaired.
"Where you want me to stop?" Jak asked.
"I don't," Ryan replied.
"But I thought " Krysty began, before Ryan interrupted her.
"Yeah, we were gonna regroup and evaluate, but that's all changed. That
coldheart hell in there is just gonna sort itself out in its own time. We need
to head back to the redoubt, see what happens then."
"Then I drive," Jak said simply, increasing his speed as they pulled away from
the arena of chilling and headed back for the Hellbenders' deserted base.
The redoubt was eerily quiet when they reached base. They parked the wag,
showered wearily and prepared food and drink in a subdued manner, hardly
speaking. It was only when they were seated in the now all too empty meeting
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Axler,_James_-_Deathlands_65_-_Hellbenders room that Ayesha spoke.
"Do you think any of the others will get back?"
Ryan shook his head. "I doubt it. They were ready to fight to the chilling,
like their leader. Correll was that fanatical, and he instilled that into all
of them. Even if a few of them survive the slaughterhouse, I doubt if they'll
have the strength left to get back, even if they get any of the wags going."
"But we owe it to them to wait," Krysty added.
They left it for two days, using the time to rest and recuperate. Ryan and
J.B.
scoured the redoubt for any armory materials that had been left behind, of
which there were few; Mildred and Krysty had better luck with the med lab
supplies;
while Doc and Jak squabbled good naturedly over the self-heat and food and
drink supplies.
Dean, meanwhile, joined Danny and Ayesha in starting to explore the old tech
that was in the redoubt. From the few things the young men had been able to
teach each other, Ayesha was able to add a little from what she had picked up
watching her father. It didn't take any of them much further on, and Dean soon
lost heart about being able to crack the secrets of the CD-ROM in their
possession, but it was a step in the right direction.
Dean also noticed something developing between Danny and Ayesha that made what
happened a few days later completely unsurprising.
As they ate, Ryan said, "I figure it's pretty clear that no one's coming back.
And I
also figure our chance of getting any of that old tech is pretty much gone, as
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Axler,_James_-_Deathlands_65_-_Hellbenders well. There isn't enough here for
all of us to survive, so I reckon we get a good night's rest, get it together
in the morning, then jump through the mat-trans."
"That should be interesting to see," Danny remarked, Dean having made him
familiar with the machine.
"That suggests you're not coming with us," the one-eyed man said.
Danny shook his head, then looked at Ayesha. "No, there's a lot here for us to
find out, then mebbe we'll try a jump and see what happens, or mebbe just go
back to Charity and see if we can get at the rest of the old tech. But, seeing
as you'll be gone and there'll be food and water to spare, mebbe we'll just
stay here for a while, out of harm's way," he finished.
"Shame. I'll kinda miss you," Dean said simply.
Ayesha looked at the companions. "I guess we'll miss you, too. But this is
something we need to do for ourselves."
"Parting is such sweet sorrow. You know, that's a phrase I recall from
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somewhere, but it eludes me somewhat," Doc said as he took Ayesha's hand and
kissed it. "No matter the origin is unimportant when the sentiment remains
constant."
"You are one weird old guy, but I do like you," Ayesha replied with a soft
smile.
The companions were gathered in the mat-trans unit to enter the chamber and
jump, ready for whatever fate may throw at them next. They turned and entered
the chamber, having made their goodbyes. Dean was the last to enter, and as he
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Axler,_James_-_Deathlands_65_-_Hellbenders did he stopped and turned to Danny.
"Remember, as soon as the mechanism locks then the comp starts charting the
course. Never been able to stand outside and see it, but if you watch, it may
teach you something. And mebbe one day we'll cross and you'll be able to tell
me," he said.
"Bet on it," Danny said with a tinge of regret in his voice.
Dean's last view of Danny and Ayesha was as he closed the door. He could tell
that they were already poring over the comp console, watching intently for the
mechanism to grid into action.
Dean seated himself, with some regret, on the chamber floor and watched as the
white, curling mist began to rise from the circular disks inset into the
chamber's floor and ceiling, and he and his companions stood poised on the
verge of another leap into the unknown.
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