Breeding Ground Part 5

The lieutenant hadn't exaggerated. The s.p.a.cecraft was bounced around so jarringly that Alex's teeth kept crunching together. She bit down-hard-onto one of the straps securing her to keep her teeth from chipping out of her mouth.

3,702,999 A.D.

And counting.

"We're going through!" Peac.o.c.k bellowed. "We going through and we're going down fast!"

4,878,999 A.D.

"What the h.e.l.l?" John asked incredulously. "Why does the atmosphere look red?"

Alex didn't know so she didn't bother to answer.

7,221,999 A.D.

"We're in!" Peac.o.c.k shouted. "I'm letting out the rotation wings."

The Methuselah II made one last hiccupping sound before its main engine went dead and its wings flew out.

"Aim for water," Alex murmured, the sensation of floating an almost-too-peaceful contrast to the previous bouncing around they'd done. She realized, however, that they weren't in the clear until they found water. "a.s.suming there is any down there."

"I can't visually confirm or deny that yet," Peac.o.c.k muttered. "I'm trying. I'm-yes! Yes! There is water down there!"

"This is the first time NASA has been obliged to put the full transformation of a s.p.a.ce vessel to the test," John said. "Here's hoping the submarine system works."

Alex blew out a breath. Like everyone else on board, her heart rate was far too high, her adrenaline pumping. "Kill the wings, Peac.o.c.k. We have to hit the water like a cannonball for the submarine system to go on autopilot."

"I hope the water here runs deep enough," John mumbled.

"Me too," Alex whispered.

She held her breath as the Methuselah II's wings retracted and the vessel went plummeting from the sky at dead weight, descending so rapidly it made her brain ache. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, clamping a hand to her forehead.

"Here we go," Peac.o.c.k drawled in a warning tone, causing her eyes to fly open. He engaged the protective shutters so that they closed over the window viewing area. It was extra rea.s.surance that there would be no shattering of the tough see-through diamond barrier when they hit bottom. "Ten seconds to impact."

Before they knew what they'd done, the four warrior-scientists had clasped each other's hands. Even Vlad had returned from the land of the dead long enough to ascertain that his number might be up next.

"Five seconds to impact," Alex breathed out. "Four. Three. Two. One..."

A jarring crash-thud sounded throughout the work pod as the explorers held tighter to each other's hands. They had hit water. Now it was just a question of whether or not the body of water they'd landed in had been deep enough to sustain the crash without exploding the vessel.

Ten seconds went by. Twenty seconds.

The surviving crew let out a collective breath of relief. They had done it. Against all odds, they were alive.

"Good job, Peac.o.c.k," Alex whispered. Her adrenaline was pumping and crashing so fast she felt nauseated. She imagined the remaining crew felt the same way. "Your flying saved us."

Peac.o.c.k looked too sh.e.l.l-shocked to form words. Alex's forehead wrinkled as she regarded him. She watched him swallow roughly, his Adam's apple bobbing once in response. She raised an eyebrow.

"He's looking at the date and time monitor, Alex," John rasped out. "I think you better take a look too."

She stilled. She had momentarily forgotten about that.

Alex inhaled deeply and blew it out. She forced her gaze toward the monitor, not wanting to look but realizing that she had to.

s.h.i.t.

Alex's eyes widened from over the hand she'd unconsciously clamped over her mouth. Goose b.u.mps formed on her arms as chills raced down her spine.

The monitor's final reading: 100,000,007 A.D.

Chapter Four.

It was another ten minutes, ten excruciatingly surreal minutes of staring at the time and date monitor, before anybody moved, let alone spoke.

"One hundred million and seven," Vlad breathed out. "Surely this must be wrong-"

"No," Alex interrupted in a monotone that could have rivaled Phariz's. "It's not."

"Let me get this straight," Peac.o.c.k said, his voice kept to a hush. He briskly rubbed the palms of his hands together. "We are the only survivors-not even the droids made it."

"Correct." She laid her head back on the console's chair with a sigh and stared at nothing.

"We crash-landed on Earth, but somehow managed to overshoot the landing by ninety-nine million, nine hundred and ninety-six thousand years, give or take a decade."

"Correct."

"We have no idea what's out there-h.e.l.l, the air might not even be breathable or the water might be contaminated."

She sighed again. "Correct."

"We have whatever supplies were in this pod before we hit the asteroid belt, which amounts to all of a single change of uniform apiece and two days worth of food and water. Maybe some ammo if we're lucky."

"That about sums it up," she murmured, her eyes unblinking.

"I see." Peac.o.c.k nodded. "And I'm the only one in here who thinks he might s.h.i.t his pants?"

John snorted at that. "Not likely, bro."

"Nyet," Vlad muttered. "I think I've beat you to that one, comrade."

Alex shook her head slightly, finding her first smile. "You okay, Vlad?" she murmured.

He sighed, glancing away. He was silent for a moment and then, "Did she go quickly?" He looked back to Alex, his nostrils flaring. "Lie to me if you must."

"She went quickly." Alex locked eyes with the Russian. "And that's not a lie."