The Cyber Chronicles VI - Warrior Breed Read Online Free Page A

roaring of the retro-rockets went on and on, the pod
vibrating. How much time had passed? Three hours? Four? It did not
look like he was going to last much longer, and she wondered what
she could do. The temptation to share her air with him was
overwhelming. She had no wish to survive him, anyway.
    Turning away,
she groped for the helmet's release catch, snapped it open and took
a deep breath before she pulled it off. Slipping it over his head,
she clipped it to his atmosphere suit's collar and waited, holding
her breath. Colour rushed back into his skin, turning his lips a
healthy shade of pink. His eyes opened wide, and he stopped
breathing while he found the catch and released it. He pulled the
helmet off and placed it over her head again.
    "You silly
girl," he muttered. "I appreciate it, but that wasn't such a good
idea. I'm deeply hypoxic now, and the cyber is pulling out all the
stops. That sudden rush of oxygen was almost toxic. Do you
understand?"
    She shook her
head, biting her lip at the unexpected reprimand.
    "It means my
system has adjusted to the low oxygen atmosphere, and one of the
things it's done is increase my blood's ability to absorb oxygen in
my lungs. Taking such a big breath of normal air overloaded my
system for a moment. It has helped, though, thanks."
    The roar of
the retro-rockets died away, leaving a deafening silence. Sabre
took her hand again and squeezed it.
    "Almost there.
We've reached an acceptable re-entry speed; now the autopilot will
adjust our trajectory. Not much longer."
    The pod
lurched, sending Tassin drifting off the floor, and Sabre pulled
her close, fending off the wall that moved towards them. It lurched
again, and another wall came at them. Sabre pushed it away with his
foot, and they floated in the centre of the pod, drifting towards
the far wall. The pod clicked and whirred, making its adjustments.
A deep affection for the little craft grew in Tassin, and she
silently wished it well in its attempts to save them. The floor
rushed up at them again, and Sabre cushioned the impact, letting
his knees bend and holding her close.
    "What's
happening?" Tassin murmured. "What's it doing?"
    "Adjusting our
entry vector with thrusters. By now it will have analysed the
planet's atmosphere, and it's adjusting our speed according to its
density."
    The pod
shuddered, making Tassin glance at Sabre in alarm. He appeared to
be half asleep, his eyelids drooping.
    She shook him.
"What was that?"
    "It's okay. We
bounced on the stratosphere. It's not good, but the pod will adjust
and try again."
    The pod
lurched on cue, sending them spinning across it, and Sabre fended
off the wall, his movements slow. The pod shuddered again, and this
time the tremors continued, growing more violent. Sabre smiled and
nodded, closing his eyes.
    "We've entered
the atmosphere."
    "Stay awake.
Stay with me."
    "I'm
trying."
    "How long
before we land?"
    He shrugged.
"That depends on how thick the atmosphere is."
    "Approximately."
    "Somewhere
between ten and fifteen minutes."
    The pod's
shuddering increased, and the hull made pinging, groaning
sounds.
    Tassin shook
Sabre again, trying to keep him awake. "Hey, what's happening?"
    "It's... the
atmosphere; it's burning the pod's outer skin. But it's designed
to... remain intact. Don't worry."
    "I'm more
worried about you. Please stay awake. If you fall unconscious, the
cyber might take over."
    "I'm...
trying."
    "I'm going to
put the helmet on you again."
    "No." Sabre
shook his head. "You've only got a few minutes of air left."
    "That's all I
need."
    "No. I'll be
all right."
    "You look
awful."
    "I'm
okay."
    The broken
panel rattled against the wall, and Tassin crouched on the floor
beside Sabre as gravity increased. The medical kit vibrated off the
couch and fell with a clatter. Sabre's head jerked up and his eyes
opened, revealing their glazed expression. His breathing was
stertorous now, rapid but laboured, as if he was running out of
energy to power his lungs. Realising that