[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
flat ice floor covered with the skein of icerug threads. The alien seemed
disinclined to talk as it moved, and both humans were grateful, as they were
moving at a pace which would have made conversation difficult. When they
turned into yet another tunnel, this one quite simply hewn out of polished
ice, they sped up yet again. The humans saw that the floor of this tunnel now
contained only one wide band of aquamarine -- evidently this was Bright-Eye's
own territory, and they were now running at such speed that stepping on the
velvety ribbon of flesh was unavoidable. Richard puffed out an apology, but
the icerug emitted only a sound which their translator interpreted as, "It
means nothing." The alien slowed its speed, then, as though it had observed
the effort the humans were making in order to keep up while walking on the
slippery flesh. They had traveled nearly a half kilometer, along this deep
solitary tunnel, lit only with the glow from Bright-Eye, when Deirdre
stumbled, and muttered something about "moving sidewalks". Richard too found
it suddenly difficult to keep his feet, as the colored band on which he was
walking seemed to twist and jerk.
Neither person was alarmed; both assumed this jerky motion of the
icerug path was yet another manifestation of icerug physiology. Bright-Eye,
however, had stopped dead, and the glow from its midsection increased to
illuminate the entire tunnel, while its node sank down into its supporting
stalk.
"Icequake!" boomed the deep voice of the alien, in obvious panic, its
eye rolling around in all directions as it scanned the tunnel walls. Then they
all heard the ominous creaking, screaming, crackling sounds of frozen
substances under tremendous pressures. Chunks of ice spalled from the walls
and ceiling.
"The tunnel is collapsing upon us!" Booming incoherently, the icerug
seemed to melt before their eyes, shrinking down on its pedestal in a
desperate effort to protect its head and eye from being crushed.
"Get down!" yelled Richard, as the top of the tunnel started to push
down on the top of his head. Bright-Eye was now lying flat upon its own
carpeted path, its eye stalk contracted until its eye was resting beside its
larger globular head. The tough sixed-lobed nictitating membrane of the eye
was closed tightly shut over the vulnerable eyeball. The ice itself was
echoing, in grotesque parody, the groaning sounds of the terrified icerug.
Richard had heard those sounds from ice before, from icebergs and
glaciers, as they deformed and stretched, before succumbing to the
irresistible forces that shaped them. What chance had puny humanity against
such elemental power? Deirdre was alarmed, he saw, but she had no real inkling
of the tremendous danger they were in. The humans, first stooping, and then
kneeling in the slowly contracting ice tunnel, were forced to the floor along
with the icerug by the slowly collapsing ceiling.
"Deirdre! Make an arch!" gasped Richard, crawling towards the
vulnerable eye and head of the alien and curving his body over them. Deirdre
slithered over to cover the icerug's eye, and interlinking one arm and one leg
Page 99
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
with Richard's, added her strength to his, endeavoring to use their combined
muscles and bones in a probably futile attempt to resist the deadly,
increasing contraction of the ice.
"Increase suit pressure!" shouted Deirdre to her suit imp, and Richard
understood. Instantly, both people demanded pressure increases within their
carefully engineered suits, and soon -- yawning violently to alleviate ears
popping with pain -- they were answered with many atmospheres of internal suit
pressure. The tough glassy-foil suits stiffened, swelling until the elbow
joints were locked and rigid. The pressure from the ice above grew. Foxx's
small body trembled and chittered against Deirdre's throat; however, at a soft
command, the animal was still.
The entire head of Bright-Eye was now glowing in fright, and in the
weird blue bioluminescent glow, Deirdre was amazed to see her gloved hands
slowly sinking into the ice. She knew that even with the stiffened sleeves of
the suit helping to keep her elbow joints from bending, the bones in her
wrists and forearms weren't strong enough to do that. Once her arms had
penetrated into the ice above her elbows, however, the ice froze about the
suit material, adding support. The same thing was happening to Richard. They
were both sinking into the ice. But instead of her torso crushing down on the
vulnerable eye of the icerug they were trying to shield, Bright-Eye's eye and
head sections seemed to sink into the ice too, until finally Deirdre's chest
was supported by the icy floor of the tunnel, while the Bright-Eye's eye was
safe in a cavity in the ice below her. Deirdre was now completely encased in
ice and could no longer even move her helmet to look around.
At this point the distressed sounds of moving ice ceased, and the three
felt all motion within the now-shrunken tunnel stop. The sudden silence
registered in Richard's mind, and he felt a surge of hope; they were still
alive, although in such perilous circumstances he could hardly comprehend
them. Trapped, cut off from everyone, and surrounded by unyielding ice meters
thick -- they had little chance of escape.
Less knowledgeable about the severity of their situation, Deirdre [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl exclamation.htw.pl
flat ice floor covered with the skein of icerug threads. The alien seemed
disinclined to talk as it moved, and both humans were grateful, as they were
moving at a pace which would have made conversation difficult. When they
turned into yet another tunnel, this one quite simply hewn out of polished
ice, they sped up yet again. The humans saw that the floor of this tunnel now
contained only one wide band of aquamarine -- evidently this was Bright-Eye's
own territory, and they were now running at such speed that stepping on the
velvety ribbon of flesh was unavoidable. Richard puffed out an apology, but
the icerug emitted only a sound which their translator interpreted as, "It
means nothing." The alien slowed its speed, then, as though it had observed
the effort the humans were making in order to keep up while walking on the
slippery flesh. They had traveled nearly a half kilometer, along this deep
solitary tunnel, lit only with the glow from Bright-Eye, when Deirdre
stumbled, and muttered something about "moving sidewalks". Richard too found
it suddenly difficult to keep his feet, as the colored band on which he was
walking seemed to twist and jerk.
Neither person was alarmed; both assumed this jerky motion of the
icerug path was yet another manifestation of icerug physiology. Bright-Eye,
however, had stopped dead, and the glow from its midsection increased to
illuminate the entire tunnel, while its node sank down into its supporting
stalk.
"Icequake!" boomed the deep voice of the alien, in obvious panic, its
eye rolling around in all directions as it scanned the tunnel walls. Then they
all heard the ominous creaking, screaming, crackling sounds of frozen
substances under tremendous pressures. Chunks of ice spalled from the walls
and ceiling.
"The tunnel is collapsing upon us!" Booming incoherently, the icerug
seemed to melt before their eyes, shrinking down on its pedestal in a
desperate effort to protect its head and eye from being crushed.
"Get down!" yelled Richard, as the top of the tunnel started to push
down on the top of his head. Bright-Eye was now lying flat upon its own
carpeted path, its eye stalk contracted until its eye was resting beside its
larger globular head. The tough sixed-lobed nictitating membrane of the eye
was closed tightly shut over the vulnerable eyeball. The ice itself was
echoing, in grotesque parody, the groaning sounds of the terrified icerug.
Richard had heard those sounds from ice before, from icebergs and
glaciers, as they deformed and stretched, before succumbing to the
irresistible forces that shaped them. What chance had puny humanity against
such elemental power? Deirdre was alarmed, he saw, but she had no real inkling
of the tremendous danger they were in. The humans, first stooping, and then
kneeling in the slowly contracting ice tunnel, were forced to the floor along
with the icerug by the slowly collapsing ceiling.
"Deirdre! Make an arch!" gasped Richard, crawling towards the
vulnerable eye and head of the alien and curving his body over them. Deirdre
slithered over to cover the icerug's eye, and interlinking one arm and one leg
Page 99
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
with Richard's, added her strength to his, endeavoring to use their combined
muscles and bones in a probably futile attempt to resist the deadly,
increasing contraction of the ice.
"Increase suit pressure!" shouted Deirdre to her suit imp, and Richard
understood. Instantly, both people demanded pressure increases within their
carefully engineered suits, and soon -- yawning violently to alleviate ears
popping with pain -- they were answered with many atmospheres of internal suit
pressure. The tough glassy-foil suits stiffened, swelling until the elbow
joints were locked and rigid. The pressure from the ice above grew. Foxx's
small body trembled and chittered against Deirdre's throat; however, at a soft
command, the animal was still.
The entire head of Bright-Eye was now glowing in fright, and in the
weird blue bioluminescent glow, Deirdre was amazed to see her gloved hands
slowly sinking into the ice. She knew that even with the stiffened sleeves of
the suit helping to keep her elbow joints from bending, the bones in her
wrists and forearms weren't strong enough to do that. Once her arms had
penetrated into the ice above her elbows, however, the ice froze about the
suit material, adding support. The same thing was happening to Richard. They
were both sinking into the ice. But instead of her torso crushing down on the
vulnerable eye of the icerug they were trying to shield, Bright-Eye's eye and
head sections seemed to sink into the ice too, until finally Deirdre's chest
was supported by the icy floor of the tunnel, while the Bright-Eye's eye was
safe in a cavity in the ice below her. Deirdre was now completely encased in
ice and could no longer even move her helmet to look around.
At this point the distressed sounds of moving ice ceased, and the three
felt all motion within the now-shrunken tunnel stop. The sudden silence
registered in Richard's mind, and he felt a surge of hope; they were still
alive, although in such perilous circumstances he could hardly comprehend
them. Trapped, cut off from everyone, and surrounded by unyielding ice meters
thick -- they had little chance of escape.
Less knowledgeable about the severity of their situation, Deirdre [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]