Part 10

Harper's POV


Everyone went silent as the maru screeched and shuddered around us. We all looked around until our eyes landed on each other. We stood spooked and shaken. Dylan was the first to speak.

"Harper…what was that?"

"I'm not sure." I said grimacing at the next rusty whine that came from the small cargo ship. I paced slowly over the sensor controls and swallowed hard.

"Dylan…we're on ice...sitting above an underground river….it's cracking dylan." I said hoarsly. The maru lurched forward quickly sending everyone stumbling toward the cockpit. We stumbled into the cockpit just in time to watch a mammoth chunk of the planets surface fall through in front of us and get washed away in a highspeed river that the maru was leaning toward. The view was horrifying.

"Tyr..." Dylan commanded and he didn't have to say anymore. Tyr promptly sat in the captain's chair as the maru rocked precariously on the edge of the huge crack in the ice. The stream below ran astonishingly fast and we all knew the second we hit that water it would be over.

"Andromeda! Andromeda can you hear me." Dylan said pressing his neck communicator but he got nothing in response.

"There's to much interference…we can't get a signal." I squeaked anxiously running my fingers through my hair.

"Damnit!" Dylan said looking around in frustration.

"This isn't good." I said wiping the sweat away and trying to stop my hands from shaking. I hate being cold, earth was cold. and the thought of freezing to death in that underground ice river sent shivers through my spine.

"If we start up the engines it will defiantly melt through this ice and we'll all become human popcicles."

"This is stupid…I say we take our chances out there on the ice." Tyr said forcefully.

"How far down is that river?" Dylan said and our breaths caught as the ship rocked forward again dipping down even deeper this time. I pulled up the topography of the surrounding area sending my nimble fingers to work.

"Below the ice opens up into a huge cavern…We have to be in the worst possible spot…where the ice is the thinnest." I said with exasperation gesturing wildly with my hands to give them something to do other then shake.

"How far harper?" Dylan said annoyed.

"I don't know for sure…about…a kilometer …maybe a lot more…maybe a lot less." I said to Dylan and he rolled his eyes angrily at my vague answer.

"That's the best I can do! This isn't the Andromeda…we don't have sensors like she does."

"Tyr be ready to turn on the engines full power." Dylan said with that 'I've got a plan' look in his eye.

"Are you insane!" Tyr bellowed shaking his head angrily still opting to take a walk in the winter wonderland that wants to swallow us whole.

"Dylan we'll fall through!" I said not wanting to go with Tyr's idea but not much liking Dylan's either.

"That's exactly what we want…you said a kilometer to the river…if we fall through Then power up the engines at full power it should give us a quick enough boost to shoot us out of here.."

"I'm not sure about those readings! I could be way off."

"No matter what we do we're falling through that ice…we can do this." The ship went quiet and Tyr tensed.

"This ship may have sentimental value to Beka but it has none to me! I'm taking my chances out there!" He said…his face creased with determination.

"And do what? Fall through the ice? Where are you going to go? We can't send a signal to andromeda…this is our best chance of getting out of here." Dylan said and Tyr sat quietly.

"Do any of you have a better idea?!" Dylan spat.

Tyr scooted the pilots chair back and unbuckled his safety harness. He sat quietly for a second seeming to deliberate.

"You're a better pilot." Tyr said trying to stand but the ship lunged forward at the shift of weight and Tyr immediately sat back down in terror.

"I guess your gonna have to fly."

"I guess so" Tyr said quietly

"Alright guys I did the math…Tyr this is gonna be tricky…with the small gap we've got we've gotta pull up as soon as the ice starts to break." I said sending Tyr the information on his monitor and he nodded slowly. I was afraid…Tyr was genuinely worried. Worried about dying and worried about not being a good enough pilot. This would be so different if Beka was here…she'd know she could do it…she'd sit there spewing confidence reassuring all of us that this was gonna be another Beka story we could tell the patrons of the next bar we'd stumble into.

We could literally hear the ice cracking below us and I squinted to keep the tears of terror at bay. My hands were clinched around my console and all I could think about was how much I wished beka was here. How much I wish she was here to tell me to shut up and get it together and then miraculously get this tugboat to do more then it ever could.

The ship was quiet…only the sound of screeching and moaning was heard while the dismal reds of the surrounding lights and the random spurts of steam seemed to enhance our feeling of dread. We were waiting…waiting to feel the lurch and that sense of falling that shoves your stomach into your throat. Dylan clutched the railing behind Tyr while Tyr sat ridgid and ready…Nitzcheans had superior reflexes…I hoped that trait didn't skip over the kodiak who had our lives in his hands. The ship teetered forward and then rocked back slowly then there was a loud crack and it felt like gravity no longer existed…I screamed out as Dylan clinched down on the railing in front of him.

"PULL UP!" He screamed but Tyr with his superior reflexes had already beaten him to it. He strained fighting the marus tug to go downward. he revved back in the seat and the little ship groaned in defiance…The cockpit window was our portal to our impending doom…the river was getting closer and closer but slowly the nose was pulling up...I gritted my teeth..

"Come on! Come on!" I cheered on as bustle and confusion of our predicament limited my vocabulary and the only thing that pounded in my skull was survival. The maru's engines shudderd but we kept going, pushing her until we could hear the distinct grind of the engines reaching their limit and struggling to maintain. finally our decent downward became our Ascent upward and we burst through the ice above us with an eardrum bursting crunch.

"YES!" Tyr cheered forcefully and then breathed out all his tension and fear. He had did it…he had saved us.

Dylan walked over to Tyr and grabbed his shoulder and the tension that was once there was now gone…

"good job Tyr.." they both nodded sharing a mutual respect and set back to checking for damage.

"Dylan we have coms.." I said

"Andromeda…we're coming in." Dylan said and andromeda's familiar voice rang through.

"acknowledged."

Oh…Dylan…I think you should see this." I stuttered watching the monitor in front of me. Dylan walked over and became just as mesmerized as me. Beka sat at the cockpit with a gash bleeding from her head. Her voice sounded labored and her hair was wild. The vid feed was staticy and jumpy which only emphasized the panic in her voice.

"Andromeda…I've been shot down…by an unknown and am being pursued…" She said then looked over her shoulder suddenly. She promptly lifted her gun and fired a few desperate shots just as the video feed blinked out. I closed my eyes and Dylan grabbed my shoulder.

"She didn't even get a chance to send it…" I said looking away so they couldn't see the tear running down my cheek.

"That doesn't mean we've lost her Harper…She's a strong woman." Dylan said as andromeda ship came into view through the cockpit window.

"Beka…"Tyr said quietly while he prepared to dock.