Truehearts & The Escape From Pirate Moon by Jake Macklem (ebook audio reader TXT) 📕

They sat in silent expectation, uncomfortable in the mud and the rain. When the alarm beeped on his surveyor, he started searching the sky, eyes peeled for their ride.

And then he spotted it.

The pod fell through the clouds, toward the iron moon. The triple chutes opened and it started to slow.

As they both stared, lightning struck the pod. Cam’s heart dropped into his stomach. Two of the chutes caught fire, burning away and disappearing into the clouds. With one chute left, the pod began to spin. Out of control, it ripped through the air and plunged into the water below. With his eyes locked on the splash, Cam watched his hopes sink beneath the waves.

  22: Ace

Ace dropped to her knees as the rain fell in sheets across the sea. She had let herself feel hope; now she dealt with the loss. Cam sat down next to her, his face pale with worry and fear. They sat that way, unmoving and silent, for a long time.

“Will they drop another pod?” Ace finally asked.

He sighed. “They’ll go pick up the landing pod, which I’m guessing has been washed away.” He swallowed against the lump in his throat. “So, no. No retrieval.” Cam adjusted his hat. “They’ll spin back around, try to grab the one that just dropped. No retrieval. After two non-retrievals they’ll assume I’m dead and move on.”

Ace sniffled and wiped her nose. “Just like that?”

“Yep. Just like that.” Cam’s voice was somber. “Probably won’t pay my death benefits, either.”

“Is there anything to do?” Ace asked. We didn’t make it this far just to die, did we?

Cam nodded. “We survive until we figure out how to get off this marble.” He sounded determined.

Ace gave a half-smile and sighed. “I was really looking forward to leaving.”

“I know, Red.”

“I’m sorry.” It’s my fault.

“What do you have to be sorry for?” Cam asked, confused.

“If you wouldn’t have come looking for me, or nursed me back to health you would…”

Cam motioned to the sky. “…still have just watched that pod get hit by lightning?” He looked Ace in the eye. “This isn’t your fault. This storm, the flooding, and the giant monsters trying to kill me would have still been here,” he asserted. “And as dangerous as this moon is, I doubt I would have made it here without you. So… you can just get over all that nonsense right now.” He stood up.

“Where are we going?” Ace asked. Her neck craned to look up at him, her eyes squinted to block the rain.

“There was a rock cropping a couple of miles that way,” he said as he pointed back the way they came. “I figure we can probably find cover there. Unless something there wants to eat us.”

“If there is, we’ll just eat it first. I’m hungry.” Ace extended her arm; Cam took it and pulled her to her feet. Together they walked back the way they had come. She followed as Cam led them to the strange rock structure he had seen.

The walk was slow and more mentally draining than physically. The muddy ground slurped at their feet, and Ace knew with each step they moved further away from their chance to escape. By now it’s probably miles from where it landed in the water. It would have at least been nice to get some supplies.

She checked the metal spike tucked in the cable tied around her waist; the only things she had other than her boots and the Tree-knocker clothes she wore. She studied Cam, making note of his gear. He carried his rifle in the nook of his arm, his polymer armor, a knife, and his hat. Ace shook her head. We are so shanked.

The heavy clouds spread as far as she could see. No break in sight. They continued to the rocks. Two rock towers over thirty meters tall leaned against a third pillar that was half their height. Smaller rocks were clustered around them. He’s right. Plenty of places to find cover and shelter. Plenty of places for things to live. Probably a whole nest of Shonda’s. Or more Tree-knockers. Shank this moon!

Cam held up his fist and dropped to a knee. Ace crouched and moved up next to him. Using the scope of his rifle, he peered over the plateau. Following his gaze, she spotted movement, tiny against the stone backdrop. “What is it?”

“The Not-buffalo. I think it’s more than one herd.”

Ace looked around the area. “More Tree-knockers?”

“I don’t see any, but let's stay close together, alright?” Cam glanced over.

Nodding, she said, “Sounds good to me.”

Together they closed the distance to the rock cropping. An immense structure, it looked manufactured, but by something much bigger than humans. The rocks had no seams or lines; they were natural, but the way they leaned together, holding themselves up, it seemed unlikely it happened naturally. Upwards of a thousand Not-buffalo moseyed and grazed on the expansive field beyond the rock structure. There were some hemp-like trees in the middle of the herd, thicker and much bigger than the ones on the valley floor.

They took their time sweeping the area for signs of danger. Checking for man-eating plants, Tree-knockers, and Shondas. As the day wore on, they circled the entire structure, discovering no threats on the outside. At the edge of the hillock where they had first approached, they found a large broken stone blocking an opening. Centuries ago, a massive boulder had broken away from one of the towering stones, and the edges had worn smooth over time. Exploring along the sides of the two leaning monoliths revealed two more large openings, one on each side that led deeper into the strange structure.

Cam clicked on the flashlight secured to the barrel of his rifle, aiming the beam into the tunnel. “I’m guessing both of the entrances