"—oober! Goober, do you read?" D'Rett's voice, broken by static. "A massive sandstorm coming in from the south. Satellites picked it up. Are you on your way back?"
Cody grabs the comm. "Negative. We're still at Brishar."
"Damn." Even through the interference, D'Rett's concern is clear. "That storm is a monster. I don't think it's safe to fly through. Is there somewhere you can seek shelter?"
Cody looks at me. I look at the approaching storm. We cannot outrun it. The shuttle might survive a flight through it, but the visibility will be zero and the winds could easily slam us into a rock formation or worse.
"We can find a place," Cody says into the comm. "There are buildings here, caves?—"
"Good. Get to shelter and stay there until the storm passes. We'll try to maintain comm contact, but these storms play hell with—" The transmission dissolves into static, then silence.
"D'Rett? D'Rett, do you copy?" Cody tries adjusting the frequency, but there is nothing but white noise.
I grab his arm. "We need to move. Now."
"Where?"
"The springs." The answer is obvious. "The cave goes deep enough that the storm cannot reach us. The ship will fit inside the entrance. If we leave it in the open, it could be damaged or buried."
Cody does not argue. "Let's go."
We run.
The wind is already strengthening as we race back through the abandoned settlement. Sand swirls around us, stinging any exposed skin. I yank my goggles down over my eyes and pull the edge of my wrap over my nose and mouth. Cody does the same without breaking stride. By the time we reach the plaza, I can barely see the community center through the haze, even with the goggles' protection. The roar of the approaching storm fills my ears.
Cody keeps a firm grip on my hand as we reach the shuttle. He hits the ramp release and pulls me inside with him, not letting go until we're both through the hatch. Then he throws himself into the pilot's seat, and the ship roars to life.
"Hold on!" he shouts over the rising wind.
The shuttle lifts off right as the storm hits.
The ship shudders as the leading edge of the sandstorm slams into us. Through the viewport, the world disappears into a swirling chaos of brown and orange. Sand and debris pepper the hull with a sound like a thousand small fists. The ship rocks violently, and I grip my seat restraints with white-knuckled hands.
"Come on, come on," Cody mutters, fighting the controls. "Just a little further…"
He is flying blind, using only instruments and memory, trying to get us to the cave entrance before the storm tears us apart. The shuttle lurches sideways, then drops suddenly, and my stomach flips.
Then, through the swirling sand, I glimpse dark rock. The familiar shape of the cave entrance. Cody sees it too and banks hard toward it. The roar of the storm cuts to a muffled rumble as we pass inside, the shuttle's lights illuminating the cavern walls.
Cody sets us down with an audible thump. Outside, the storm rages, a wall of howling wind and sand visible through the viewport, but we are out of its reach.
Cody slumps back in his seat. "Whew. That was a rough one."
"We need to go deeper." I am already unbuckling my restraints. "The entrance may not be safe if the storm worsens. We could make camp down by the springs?—"
"Right. Let’s grab what we need."
We move quickly and efficiently. Cody opens the storage compartments and pulls out field gear and emergency rations.
"Bedding from the bunks?" he asks.
"Yes. Anything that will make us comfortable. We may be here a while."
He strips the two bunks at the rear of the ship, gathering mattress pads and pillows and blankets into an unwieldy bundle. I sling the utility pack over my shoulder and grab the case of supplies.
"Ready?" he asks.
"Ready."
