Home Front (Star Kingdom #7) - Lindsay Buroker Page 0,148

need to deactivate it. But first, we need to render the drill inoperable so it can’t get inside.”

The device sailed down, its articulating legs spreading out and shifting direction to help with the landing. Landing and attaching itself to the hull.

“You’re going to send one of the crushers to do all that while you stand safely back, right?” Kim asked.

Casmir hesitated again.

“Use them for your eyes and hands and stay back here,” Kim said.

Maybe it was silly—if a huge explosive detonated, fifty feet wouldn’t make a difference, but the device could have other defensive measures, attacks that the nearly indestructible crushers might survive.

“I am in armor,” Casmir pointed out.

“Use the crushers anyway. Or I’ll use Rache’s gift on you.” An empty threat, since she hadn’t brought the katana along.

“I guess it’s not psychedelic mushrooms then.”

“No. It’s pointier.”

The device settled on the hull, and hooks on the ends of the metal legs burrowed into it as if they also had the power to drill.

“Right, go check it out, Zee, Joseph, and Levi,” Casmir said. “Please be careful. Send close-up photos back to me and see if there are any panels you can open. Also, watch for booby traps. I’m positive there will be booby traps.” His gauntleted fingers groped in the air, as if he could barely imagine not rushing over there and checking the device himself.

Kim suspected the crushers wouldn’t be able to do their jobs for them, but they could at least act as the bomb squad and determine if that thing had defenses. If it was safe, aside from the possibility of the horrific virus inside, then she and Casmir could go in.

Reuben remained at Kim’s side with two of the other crushers and continued to keep her from floating away. She wished there had been time to hunt down magnetic boots.

“Can they hear you?” she asked.

“No. I’m sending the message over my chip to them too. I’m just talking out loud for your sake. Ah, good. There’s a zoom option in my faceplate.” Casmir circled the device until he could see something on the side, then crouched down, observing as the crushers approached the device.

Kim’s helmet lacked all the fancy upgrades of combat armor, but she opened her kit and pulled out a scanner to see what it could tell her. In particular, she wanted to know if there was a heated interior chamber where a virus might be kept warm and viable. Freezing it wouldn’t kill it, but it would neutralize it until it thawed. Dubashi would have wanted it to be a threat immediately.

The drill extended, and it started burrowing into the hull of the station. That would be stronger than the rock of the asteroid but not nearly as thick. Kim worried they didn’t have much time. Judging by the way Casmir shifted his weight around, he was nervous too.

The crushers reached the device and fanned out around it.

“There’s a panel right there,” Casmir said. “As soon as you check for booby traps, see if you can open it, please, Zee.”

“I’m scanning the device,” Kim said. “It’s putting out an energy signature beyond what I believe is powering the drill, and I believe the interior is hollow. Possibly holding a canister of the virus. Possibly holding explosives. Or both.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” he said as the crushers ran their hands over the outer shell.

“You better stay farther back.”

“Unfortunately, there’s nothing to access, no wireless accessibility. All of its commands seem to be self-contained. We’ll need to gain access manually to derail it.” Casmir seemed to be talking to himself more than to her, working things through.

One of the crushers formed his fingers into a screwdriver and removed a panel that took up a third of the device. But as soon as he removed it, he flew backward like a cartoon character zapped by electricity.

He struck the asteroid ceiling twenty feet above and bounced off. He twisted, trying to grab the rough rock to keep from floating free, but he wasn’t quite fast enough. With nothing to grab, the crusher started floating slowly back toward the hull.

“And there are the booby traps.” Casmir lifted a hand. “Zee, can you get Levi?”

Zee pushed off, angling himself toward the other crusher. He hooked his cohort and his momentum took them both to the ceiling. They pushed off back toward the station and landed beside Casmir again, locking their soles to the surface.

The panel had slowly tipped downward, leaving the interior exposed. Kim could see some of