Shadows of Mars (Broken Stars Book 1) by I.O. Adler (best inspirational books .TXT) 📕

Moving fast only exaggerated the dizziness in her head as they rushed past doorway after doorway and along the upward-curving floor.

CHIRP!

It was coming after them. It careened into a wall just behind them as it stumbled, but the legs kicked wildly and it got up, only to throw itself across the corridor with a crash. But then it leaped again and almost bowled them over before plowing into a doorway and into a room. Its feet scratched and clacked as it once again rose to follow.

The chute in the ceiling stood open just ahead of them. Carmen boosted Jenna up.

Jenna paused just above her. “Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!”

The bot was out of the room and bounding forward. It barely kept itself upright as it gained momentum. The head had righted itself. The gleaming eye slit flashed as it locked on Carmen.

CHIRP!

She jumped. She caught a pair of handholds and propellered her feet, lifting her legs in time as the thing shot past beneath her and again slammed a wall.

Slipping…

Above her Jenna had wedged herself against the sides of the chute. She grabbed Carmen’s hand and pulled her up. Fingers slick with sweat, Carmen found the tiny handholds and they began to climb.

 CHIRP!

It stood beneath them. The head spun a few times back and forth and then it leaped upward, its one good forearm claw snagging a handhold. Its feet kept kicking until it got itself into the chute.

“Hurry, Jen! Hurry! Barrett, are you there?”

Agent Barrett appeared above them. His eyes went wide as he motioned for them to keep climbing. Like they needed the encouragement. The thing began ascending the chute, its three working limbs moving fast and deft like a disfigured spider at home in its web. Each arm had prongs that perfectly fit the handholds.

Her sister made it to the top of the chute, sat and turned, and grabbed Carmen by the arm. Carmen clambered over her and out into the corridor. Barrett helped pull her to her feet.

Jenna shrieked.

The thing had clamped on to her ankle. The gray metal prong had dug into her flesh and was dragging her back down into the chute.

Carmen gripped both of Jenna’s wrists and began to pull. “Barrett, help me!”

Jenna was being hauled downward. Blood coated her foot. She continued to scream. Carmen didn’t let go and continued to heave, trying to brace herself even as her sneakers were losing their purchase on the floor.

The bot’s pull intensified. It threatened to yank Jenna away from them. Barrett had straddled Jenna and had his one good hand on her belt. But inch by inch they were losing the battle.

Barrett let go and stomped on the hatch button.

Carmen cried, “No!”

The door snapped shut, cleaving Jenna’s leg off just below the knee.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Jenna screamed. Blood pulsed from the stump of her leg.

Barrett moved to help pull Carmen and Jenna away from the closed hatch now smeared with red. “We need to make a tourniquet.”

Carmen had to fight Jenna to get her to let go. The belt on Carmen’s jeans was thin but made from real leather. She pulled it off and began to fasten it above Jenna’s knee. It immediately became slippery from the blood.

“Tight,” Barrett said. “Tight as you can.”

She cinched it up. “Why did you close the hatch? We had her. We were going to save her.”

“That thing down there was going to kill her and us. I saved us.”

Tears streamed from Jenna’s eyes. She was weakly flailing at Carmen. Mewling. “Wanna go home…wanna go home…” Her face had gone pale. But the blood had mostly stopped.

Barrett kneeled and managed to get one of Jenna’s arms around his shoulder. “I can’t get her on my own. Help me pick her up. We take her to the shuttle and back to the harvester.”

Carmen wiped her eyes with her wrist. “She needs a hospital.”

“And I don’t see one here. Maybe something on the ship will help her.”

“Wait. Just wait.” She fought to think straight as she ran down the corridor towards the shuttle. Tried not to think about Barrett hitting the button. There was no time to even make the harvester, and once there, she knew her sister wouldn’t make it. The spaceship didn’t even have a first aid kit, let alone a trauma center and a team of surgeons.

CHIRP!

The Cordice robot was still lurking in the chute. A thump shook the hatch.

Carmen stopped to look over her shoulder. The chute remained closed. Did the bot not know how to hit the button? There wasn’t time to wait to see if that might happen. She continued towards the shuttle. She Who Waits was standing in the doorway.

“Please come,” Carmen called. “We need your help. My sister…she’s hurt.”

But the alien just stood there.

She ran up to her. “Can you hear me?”

The cloudy pattern beneath She Who Waits’ skin was still flooded with diamonds. Was this her busy signal?

“Wake up!” Carmen laid her hands upon the smooth shell and began to smack it with her open palm.

The flashing pattern stopped. The floating red light pulsed. “There has been a disturbance.”

“It’s my sister. A crazy robot attacked us. A door shut on Jen’s leg and she needs a doctor!”

She Who Waits spoke in a maddeningly calm tone. “I have communicated with the Cordice. They are not of a consensus whether to even speak with you.”

“Do they know we’re here? We’re on their ship! It’s their robot!” When She Who Waits hesitated to reply, Carmen slammed her with both palms and caused the Dragoman to hover back a few inches. “If we don’t do something, Jenna’s going to die. Is there anything on board your shuttle that can help?”

“I have no medical facilities.”

“Then what about back on the harvester?”

“With skill,