The Trilisk Ruins by Michael McCloskey Read Free Book Online

Well, they are aliens after
all,” Thomas said. “I try not to make assumptions about things like
that. For all we know, this is just the local powerplant,
anyway.”
    “ Then why don’t we try some
of the other ruin sites?”
    “ Because we’re after intact
tech, and there’s a greater chance of finding intact stuff in a
place that still has power. The entire site might be sealed up
completely, utterly unaffected by the elements. That would be a
find that could make us, if we can get back off this
planet.”

Chapter Four
     
    Joe Hartlet barely breathed as he
examined the odd creature through the scope of his NX-37 sniper
rifle. It looked like a tentacled mollusk with a flat plate-like
shell, hanging upside down from a branch so the shell faced the
ground. It had at least three tiny eyestalks waving around,
examining its next potential meal, a big green fruit dangling in
front of it. The thing was about the size of a large
housecat.
    “ Here’s another one,” he
said. “Let me know when you—”
    “ The scan is complete, sir.
You may take your shot,” a clean, emotionless voice responded from
behind.
    Joe swept some of his black hair off
his face and centered on the target. He gently squeezed the
trigger. His beefy 110-kilogram frame easily absorbed the light
recoil.
    The round hurtled towards its target,
too fast for the human eye. While still dozens of meters from its
target, the bullet detected a wind drift from its logged
destination and corrected for it with tiny bristles on its surface
that could alter its drag. The projectile slammed into the
unfortunate tree dweller and tumbled through its innards, dropping
it from the branch.
    Joe searched through his scope for a
moment, looking for his target. He found it lying on the ground,
leaking red fluid. The thing looked very dead.
    “ Looks like it’s got
iron-based blood, anyway,” he noted happily.
    To Lieutenant Hartlet, this was a dream
job. Travel to strange planets, scan every type of lifeform,
catalog it, and make sure that it could be killed. After all, part
of his job was to identify species that were potential threats to
the UNSF personnel who were working on-planet. Besides, none of the
scientists ever complained if he brought in an extra corpse or two
for dissection.
    “ That would be consistent
with other life forms catalogued on this planet, sir,” the robot
behind him agreed flatly. It was a humanoid constructed of black
plastic and metal, its head smooth and featureless other than a
black plate where a human’s eyes would be.
    “ Okay. This critter is
definitely not a threat,” Joe summarized. “Let’s pick up some big
game. It’s kinda fun to plink at these things, but I doubt anything
that small could hurt humans anyway.”
    “ Size is only one of several
variables involved, sir,” the Series Seven commented.
    “ Agreed. I don’t care. Now,
big game,” Joe insisted. He scratched at the dark stubble forming
on his chin.
    “ I’m afraid we’re needed at
the base, sir.”
    Joe’s eyebrow rose, but he didn’t have
time to reply. His comm link announced an incoming message with a
mental flourish of musical notes. Joe connected and saw Commander
Mailson waiting to speak with him in his mind’s eye. He immediately
joined the channel.
    “ Hartlet here,” he
announced.
    “ Lieutenant. We have
something requiring your immediate attention.”
    “ Yes sir. What is it,
sir?”
    “ Looks like we have a
surprise visit from some smugglers. Over on Yarnitha.”
    Joe considered the news for a moment.
Yarnitha was the second largest continent on the planet. So far no
UNSF bases had been set up on it.
    “ Smugglers? That sure was
quick. We just got here. What’s the plan of action,
sir?”
    “ Here’s the suspected
landing zone,” the commander said. A map appeared on the link and
Joe mentally examined it. The continent of Yarnitha was displayed
with a wide red swath over about a third of its surface.
    “ I know, it’s large.