James Axler Deathlands 034 Stoneface

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fell up against the freestanding console pedestal. The one-eyed man stepped in
close, ramming the muzzle of the SIG-Sauer under his fleshy chin, forcing his
head back at a painful angle. His ID badge proclaimed him to be HOWARD.
"Are there beetles in the cave, Howard?" he snapped.
"Only one," the man gasped. "Programmed for surveillance and defense."
"Can you override the program from this console?"
Howard stared at him as though he were insane. "Why?"
"Answer me!"
"Yes, there are manual overrides here."
Hauling the man away from the console, he turned him around to face it. "Show
me."
J.B.'s face stared at him from the small screen in the center of the panel.
Behind him, Ryan could make out Krysty, and his head went light with relief.
Howard fiddled with a button or two and announced, "The beetle is controlled
from here now."
"Can you speak through it from here?" Ryan demanded.
Howard's trembling finger touched a square grid. "Talk into that. The
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communication channel is open."
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"J.B., Krysty," Ryan said loudly, "can you hear me?"
On the screen, J.B., and Krysty's expressions went blank, then lit up with
relief. Both of them started talking at once, so Ryan had to say, "Is everyone
with you? Jak and Doc?"
"Yes, lover," Krysty replied. "Where are you?"
"In the Anthill. Have you found the gateway in the cave?"
"No," J.B. answered. "The place is as black as a swampie's hind end."
Turning to the terrified Howard, Ryan said, "Where's the gateway in there?"
"Only a few hundred yards ahead. You can guide them to it with the beetle."
"Do it."
"We copy that, Ryan," J.B. said. He glanced behind him. "I think Hellstrom's
on our heels, though."
"Forget him."
"Where is Mildred? Is she with you?" Doc asked.
"Not yet," Ryan replied.
J.B.'s lips compressed. "What do you mean?"
"We'll talk about it when you get here. Follow the beetle to the gateway
chamber, get inside and I'll transport you all here."
"Then what?"
Ryan grinned mirthlessly. "Then we'll plan our next field trip."
He watched both the screen and Howard's hands, as under his ministrations on
the
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nds%2034%20-%20Stoneface.html controls, J.B., Krysty, Doc and Jak followed the
beetle to the mat-trans unit. It was an exact double of the huge one in the
control room.
"No controls here!" Jak exclaimed as they reached it.
"They're up here," Ryan responded.
He glared at Howard. "Aren't they?"
Howard nodded several times and flipped up a cover on the console. Beneath it,
inset into the surface, was a set of buttons and tabs.
When his friends were inside, with the armaglass portal secured, Howard keyed
in the transport sequence. Ryan watched the screen, through the beetle's
electronic eye, as tendrils of white mist crept up around the figures inside
the chamber. The tendrils were shot through with crackling fingers of static
electricity. A very bright light began to glow behind the glass.
From the chamber in the control room a sound like a fierce rushing wind grew,
rising louder and louder. Light flashed on the other side of armaglass walls.
The light swelled, growing in intensity in tandem with the hurricane noises.
Both the light and sound faded at the same time.
Howard fidgeted with his tie. "Are you done with me?"
Ryan ignored him, running around the console and grabbing the handle of the
gateway chamber. Mat-trans jumps usually had a debilitating effect, making the
jumpers weak and often sick for a while. Ryan hoped that this short jump
wouldn't incapacitate his friends.
He might need their firepower.
When he popped open the door, he saw Jak, Krysty, Doc and J.B. struggling to
rise. They looked a bit dizzy, a little disoriented, but not faint or
sluggish. Ryan helped Krysty to her feet, and she held him in a crushing
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