The Eisenhorn TrilogyXenos(科幻战争)-第41章

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s　to　side　seams。
The　view　through　the　front　screen　seemed　to　be　in　black　and　white：　the　fierce　white　light　piercing　the　blackness　and　revealing　only
pale　grey　dust　and　rock；　and　the　occasional　sparkle　of　druse。
Medea　slowed　us　as　we　passed　over　more　fragmented　and　extensive　piles　of　breakdown　and　then；　under　Aemos's　instruction；
manoeuvred　us　down　into　the　throat　of　an　almost　vertical　chimney。　This　chimney　…　a　pitch　in　mining　terms　…　was　a　natural　formation；
possibly　an　ancient　lava　tube。　Slowly　revolving　laterally；　we　hovered　down　into　it。　Flowstone　caked　the　walls　like　swathes　of　creamy
drapery　and　quilled　bushes　of　volcanic　glass　sprouted　from　outcrops。　The　space　was　small；　even　for　a　compact　pod　like　the　one　we　had
borrowed。　Occasionally；　Medea　would　nudge　or　clip　an　out　thrust　of　quills　and　the　glass　fragments　would　fall　silently；　glittering；　into
the　pit　below。
About　two　kilometres　down；　the　pitch　opened　out　into　a　complex　series　of　curving　tubes；　sub…caves　and　sumps。　It　was　like　moving　out
of　an　oesophagus　into　the　complex　chambers　of　an　intestinal　tract。　The　flow…stone　started　to　show　more　colour：　steely　blues　with
milky　calcite　swirls；　mottled　reds　glinting　with　oolites。　Flinty　black　druse　and　other　clastic　litter　covered　the　smoothed　folds　of　the
ancient　floor。
Medea　pointed　my　attention　to　the　small　scanner　box　mounted　below　the　main　petrographic　assayer。　The　little　screen　was　awash　with
an　almost　indecipherable　graphic　of　ghosting　strata　layers　and　reflecting　lithic　densities。　Three　bright　yellow　cursors　showed　clearly　in
the　upper　quadrant。
'They're　coming　after　us；'　she　said。
'They　seem　to　know　where　we　are　right　enough。　How　are　they　tracking　us？'
'Same　way　we're　getting　such　a　clean　return　on　their　position。'
'Are　the　locators　on　this　crate　that　powerful？'
Medea　shook　her　head。　'They're　fine　for　the　immediate　locality；　but　they've　got　nowhere　near　enough　gain　to　penetrate　the　rock。'
'So？'
'I　think　all　these　prospector　pods　have　high…powered　beacons；　probably　built　into　flight　recorders。　They'd　need　them　for　routine　search
and　recovery。'
'I'll　take　a　look。'
I　swung　out　of　my　seat　and　moved　back　down　the　pod；　stooping；　and　using　the　overhead　hand…rails　to　support　myself。　Aemos　was　still
at　work。　He'd　fired　up　the　pod's　mineralogicae　auspex；　and　was　running　a　complex　cross…search　for　the　spectographic　fingerprints　that
appeared　on　the　Adeptus　Mechanicus　transmissions。　He　didn't　even　have　the　scrolls　open　any　more：　the　complex　subtleties　of　the
colour　bars　had　long　since　been　committed　to　memory。
Every　few　minutes；　he　consulted　the　main　chart　and　called　a　course…correction　to　Medea。
At　the　rear　of　the　pod；　between　racks　holding　old　rebreathers　with　perishing　rubber　visor…seals；　I　found　a　small　crawl　space　into　the
engine　bay。
I　stuck　my　head　and　shoulders　inside；　and　shone　around　with　a　lamp…pack　I'd　unbuckled　from　one　of　the　rebreather　sets。　A　simple
process　of　elimination　directed　me　to　a　fat　metal　drum　clamped　to　the　underside　of　the　gravitic　assembly　and　the　housing　for　the
kinaesthetic　gyroscopes。　Adeptus　Mechanicus　purity　seals　secured　its　cover。

I　slid　back　out　into　the　cabin；　selected　a　medium　plasma　cutter　from　the　tool　web；　and　went　back　in。　The　hot　blue　tongue　of　the　cutter
sliced　the　drum's　cover　off　and　fused　its　pulsing　innards。
Back　in　the　cockpit；　I　saw　we　were　now　travelling　down　a　wide　cavern　that　was　barbed　with　oily　dripstones　and　varnished　with
incandescent　blooms　of　moon…milk　and　angel's　hair。
'They　look　lost　already；'　Medea　remarked；　nodding　at　the　scanner　box。　She　was　right。　The　yellow　cursors　were　moving　with　nothing
like　the　same　confidence。　'They　were　milling；　trying　to　reacquire　our　signal。'
WE　TRAVELLED　FOR　two　more　hours；　through　small　flask…chambers　gleaming　with　cavepearls；　across　vast　low　seas　of　chert　and　lapilli；
between　massive　stalactites　that　bit　tunnels　in　two　like　the　incisors　of　prediluvial　monsters。　Domepits　and　sumps　sheened　with
brackish　alkaline　water　and　the　smoke　snaking　from　nests　of　fumaroles　betrayed　the　fact　that　there　was　now　a　rudimentary
atmosphere：　methane；　sulphur；　radon　and　pockets　of　carbon　monoxide。　Venting　cases　from　Cinchare's　active　heart　and　the　gasproducts
of　chemical　and　gravito…chemical　reactions　built　and　collected　here；　far　below　ground；　leaking　only　slowly　up　to　the　airless
surface。　Hull　temperature　was　increasing。　We　were　now　about　fifteen　kilometres　down；　and　beginning　to　feel　the　effects　of　the
asthenosphere。
'Hey！'　said　Medea　suddenly。
She　slowed　the　pod；　and　swung　it　around；　traversing　the　lights。　We　were　in　a　gypnate　chamber　where　the　chert…covered　floor　was
scalloped　by　several　gours　formed　by　water　eons　before。　Several　side　spurs　led　away　into　tight　pinches　or　were　revealed　on　the　chart　to
pinch　out　no　further　than　twenty　metres　in。
'What　did　you　see？'　I　asked。
'There！'
The　spot…lamps　framed　a　black　shape　that　I　thought　for　a　moment　was　just　a　jagged　pile　of　boulders　and　stalagmite　bosses。　But　Medea
roved　us　in。
It　was　a　prospecting　pod；　similar　to　ours；　but　bearing　the　crest　of　Ortog　Promethium。　It　had　been　crushed　and　split　like　an　old　can；　the
stanchions　of　its　cabin　protruding　from　the　metal　hull　like　ribs。
'Hell…'　Medea　murmured。
'Mining's　a　dangerous　job；'　I　said。
'That's　recent；'　Aemos　said；　appearing　at　our　shoulders。　'Look　at　the　tephra。'
'The　what？'　asked　Medea。
'It's　a　generic　term　for　clastic　materials。　The　dust　and　shale　bed　the　wreck's　lying　on。　Move　the　lamp　round。　There。　The　tephra's
yellowish…white　gypnate　all　around；　but　it's　scorched　and　fused　under　the　wreck。　Mineral　smoke　from　the　fumaroles　we　passed　just
now　vent　back　down　here　and　cover　everything　with　oxidised　dust。　I'd　wager　if　it's　been　there　more　than　a　month；　the　powder　would
have　overlaid　the　scorching…　and　coated　the　wreck。
'Pop　the　hatch；'　I　said。
THE　SUBTERRANEAN　ATMOSPHERE　seemed　scalding　hot　and　I　began　to　sweat　freely　the　moment　I　jumped　down　from　the　sill。　I　could
hear　nothing　except　my　breath　rasping　inside　my　rebreather　mask。　I　trudged　round　to　the　front　of　the　hovering　pod　into　the　cones　of　its
lights；　and　saw　Aemos　and　Medea　in　the　lit　cockpit；　both　hidden　behind　rebreather　masks　of　their　own。
I　waved　once　and　crunched　off　over　the　dusty　sill；　my　bootcaps　catching　the　occasional　geode　which　scattered　and　flashed　in　the　light。
There　was　no　mistaking　the　blast　holes　in　the　wreck's　hull。　Sustained　fire　from　a　multi…laser　had　split　the　pod　wide　open。　I　shone　my
hand　torch　in　through　the　rents　and　saw　a　blackened　cabin　space；　burned　out。
The　three　crew　members　were　still　in　there；　at　their　posts；　reduced　to　grimacing　mummies　by　the　acidic　air；　and　by　the　hundreds　of
glistening　white　worms　that　writhed　and　burrowed　as　my　light　hit　them。　It　figured　that　with　its　hot；　wet；　gaseous　interior；　Cinchare　was
a　far　from　dead　world。
More　troglobyte　things　scurried　and　squirmed　around　my　feet。　Long…legged　metallic　beetles　and　inflated；　jelly…like　molluscs；　all　drawn
to　this　unexpected　source　of　rich　nutrients。
Something　moved　beside　me　and　slammed　into　my　left　hip。　I　fell　hard　against　the　broken　hull；　cursing　that　I　hadn't　been　wearing　my
motion　tracker。　It　came　in　again；　and　this　time　I　felt　a　sharp　pain　in　my　left　thigh。　I　kicked　out　with　a　mask…muffled　curse。
It　was　about　the　size　of　a　large　dog；　but　longer　and　lower；　moving　on　lean　hind　limbs。　Its　skin　was　nearly　silver；　and　its　eye…less　head
was　just　a　vast　set　of　jaws　filled　with　hundreds　of　transparent　fangs。　All　around　the　maw；　long　sensory　bristles　and　tendrils　twitched
and　rippled。
It　lunged　again；　its　thin；　stiff　tail　raised　high　as　a　counterbalance。　This　thing；　I　guessed；　was　top　of　the　food　chain　in　Cinchare's
lightless　cavities。　Too　big　to　force　its　way　inside　the　wreck　to　get　at　the　corpses；　it　had　been　lurking　outside；　feeding　on　the　carrion
worms　and　molluscs　that　had　congregated　on　the　crash。
With　a　twist　of　its　head；　it　had　a　good　grip　on　my　left　ankle。　I　could　feel　the　tips　of　its　teeth　biting　through　the　heavy　leather　of　my
boot。
I　managed　to　tug　my　shotgun　from　the　scabbard　on　my　back　and　shoot　it　through　the　torso　at　point　black　range。　Viscous　tissues　and
filmy　flesh　scattered　in　all　directions　and　the　thing　flopped　over。　By　the　time　I　had　prized　its　jaws　off　my　boot　with　my　knife；　the
carrion…eaters　had　begun　to　swarm　over　it　and　feed。
WE　MOVED　OFF　again；　down　a　gour…lined　spur　and　into　a　cavern　breathtak…ingly　encrusted　with　glass…silk　and　billions　of　cavepearls。

'There's　been　fighting　down　here；'　I　told　Aemos　and　Medea；　raising　my　voice　to　be　heard　over　the　re…cycling　cabin　air　as　we　pumped
the　last　of　the　coarse　Cinchare　gas…soup　out。
'Who's　fighting　who？'
I　shrugged；　and　sat　back　to　tug　one　of　the　predator's　broken　fangs　out　of　my　boot　leather。
'Well；'　said　Aemos；　'You'll　be　interested　to　know　that　the　cavern　with　the　wreck　in　it　matched　one　of　the　spectroscope　traces　from　the
Mechanicus　transmissions　exactly。'
'How　long　ago？'
'About　two　weeks。'
'So…　Bure　could　have　been　the　one　who　did　the　shooting。'
'Bure…　or　whoever's　sending　transmissions　back　to　the　annex。'
'But　why　would　he　take　out　a　prospector　pod？'　I　wondered　aloud。
'Rather　depends　on　what　the　prospector　pod　was　trying　to　do　to　him；'　said　Medea。
Aemos　raised　his　tufty　eyebrows。　'Most　perturbatory。'
ANOTHER　THREE　HOURS；　another　two　kilometres　down。　It　was　damn　hot；　and　the　air　outside　was　thick　with　venting　steams　and　gases。
Fumaroles；　some　large；　some　in　scabby　clusters；　belched　black　smoke　into　the　caves；　riddling　some　areas　like　honeycomb。　Several
caverns　and　domepits　were　home　to　luminous　acidic　lakes；　where　the　geothermals　steadily　simmered　the　water。　Gorges　and　the
occasional　pitch　showed　flares　of　red　light　from　lava　rivers　and　asthenospheric　cauldrons　of　molten　rock。
We　no　longer　had　to　rely　on　the　lamps。　The　cave　systems　were　lit　by　streams　of　glowing　magma；　flaming　lakes　of　pitch　and
promethium　and　thick；　sticky　curtains　and　rafts　of　bio…luminescent　fungi　that　thrived　in　the　heated　ducts。　The　pod's　air…scrubbers　were
no　longer　able　to　remove　the　scent　of　sulphur　from　the　cabin　air；　and　the　cooling　system　was　inadequate。　We　were　all　sweating；　and　so
were　the　interior　walls　of　the　cabin。　Condensation　dribbled　down　the　bar