The Descent

'Listen  to  you,'  Gitner  jeered.  'You  sound  like  teenagers  who  just  got  jilted.  This  is business,  people.  A  race   for  survival.   Walker   just   jettisoned   a   bunch   of   empty stomachs. I'm surprised he didn't do it sooner.'

Ike  came  over  from  the  cache  site  with  a  piece  of  paper  in  one  hand,  and  Ali  saw  a row  of  numbers  on  it.  'Walker  left  a  portion  of  the   food  and  medicine.  But  the communications line is destroyed.  And they  took all their weapons.'

'They've  left us  here  like  a  speed  bump,'  someone  cried.  'A  sacrificial  offering  to  the hadals.'

Ali grabbed Ike's  arm, and her expression made them pause. Suddenly her visitor  in the  middle  of  the  night  made  sense.  'Do  you  believe  in  karma?'  she  asked  Ike,  and they  followed her to the buried blanket of guns and knives'.  It  took  less  than  a  minute to dig it out. Then it took an hour to argue about who got which of the weapons.

'I  don't  get  it,'  Gitner  said.  'Ike  saves  the  guy.  But  then  he  gives  the  hardware  to  a nun?'

'It's not obvious?' said Pia. 'Ike's  nun.' They  all looked at Ali.

Ike  detoured it. 'Now we have  our chance.' He finished loading his sawed-off.

In  the  depot  they  picked  through  the  boxes  and  cans.  Walker  had  left  more  than expected,  but  less  than  they  needed.  Further,  his  men  had  plundered  care  packages sent  down  to  the  scientists  by  anxious  families  and  friends.  The  interior  of  the  sand fort was littered with little gifts and cards and  snapshots.  It  added  insult  to  the  crime, and put the scientists into greater  despair.

The  scientists  numbered  forty-six.  A  careful  accounting  showed  they  had  food  for

1,334  man-days,  or  twenty-nine  days  at  full  rations.  That  could  be  stretched,  it  was agreed. By halving their daily intake, the food would last two months.

Their   exploration   was   dead.   All   that   remained   was   a   race   for   survival.   The expedition  faced  two  choices.  They  could  try  to  return  to  Z-3  –  Esperanza  –  on  foot. Or  they  could  continue  in  search  of  the  next  cache,  more  supplies,  and  an  exit  from the subplanet.

Gitner  was  adamant:  Esperanza  was  their  only  hope.  'That  way,  at  least  we're  not dealing with a complete unknown,' he said. With two months' rations, they  would  have time  enough  to  reach  what  was  left  of  Cache  III,  splice  the  comm  line  together,  and call  in  more  supplies.  He  called  anyone  who  did  not  agree  a  fool.  'We  don't  have  a minute to waste,' he kept  saying.

'What do you think?' they  asked Ike.

'It's a crapshoot,' he said.

'But which way  should we go?'

Ali  could  tell  that  Ike  had  made  up  his  mind.  But  he  wanted  no  responsibility  for their decisions, and grew  quiet.

'There's  nothing  but  hole  to  the  west,'  Gitner  declared.  'Anyone  that  wants  to  go east, go with me.'

Ali  was   surprised   when  Ike   turned   crafty   and  bartered   with  Gitner   over   the weapons. He finally let go of the rifle and  its  ammunition  and  the  radio  and  a  knife  for an extra  fifty days' rations of MREs.  'If  you  don't  mind,'  he  said,  'we'll  just  take  a  stab around this water.'

Now  that  he  had  the  majority  of  the  weapons,  food,  and  followers,  Gitner  didn't mind at all. 'You're off your  nut,' Gitner told Ike.  'What about the rest  of you?'

'New territory,'  said Troy,  the young forensics expert.

'Ike's done okay  so far,' said Pia. Ali didn't defend her choice.

'Then we'll remember  you,' Gitner said.

He  quickly  wrangled  his  crew  together  and  got  them  packed  for  their  journey, prodding them with the possibility that Walker  might  decide  to  reclaim  what  was  left. There  was  little  time  for  the  two  groups  to  say  good-bye.  People  from  each  coalition were  shaking  hands,  bidding  one  another  to  break  a  leg,  promising  to  send  rescue  if they  got out first.

Just  before  leaving,  Gitner  approached  Ali  with  his  new  rifle.  'I  think  it's  only  fair that you give us your  maps,' he said. 'You don't need them. We do.'

'My  day  maps?'  Ali  said.  They  were  hers.  She  had  created  them  with  all  the  art  in her, and saw them as an extension of herself.

'We need to remember  all the landmarks possible.'

It  was  the  first  time  Ali  actively  wished  Ike  would  stand  up  for  her,  but  he  didn't. With everyone  watching, she gave  the tube of maps to Gitner. 'Promise to take  care  of them,' she asked. 'I'd like them back someday.'

'Sure.' Gitner offered no thanks,  just  hitched  the  tube  into  his  backpack  and  started up  the  trail  beside  the  river.  His  people  followed.  Besides  Ali  and  Ike,  only  seven people stayed  behind.

'Which way  do we go?'

'Left,' said Ike.  He was so sure.

'But Walker went right with the boats, I saw him,' Ali said.