De’Ath’s calculations were solid, and by rights we should have pulled into Edwards with a healthy 20-minute lead on the worms to load our passengers and baggage onto the Ark in a leisurely way. But the condition of the road meant we arrived with smaller worms nipping at our tailpipes and the larger worms barely five minutes behind us. We cut a carload of Lamplighters loose as soon as the tower hove into view so they could haul ass over to it and start scrambling up the stairs to the summit. They were waiting at the top just as Marion parked herself with uncanny precision in perfect alignment with the tower, and as soon as Stark’s launch code was typed into the keypad, the Ark’s hatch opened and the Martians-to-be filed inside. They immediately began throwing out all the protective film, shrinkwrap, and styrofoam packing material from the consoles in the cockpit, and young MacReady had the honor of christening the Ark’s SHITGO throne by virtue of being the kid most likely to soil the flight deck if he didn’t get let into the head first.
Channing and De’Ath ran breathlessly up the stairs, a kid tucked under each arm. “Time to go!” hollered Channing as the Ark rocked with a hollow-sounding BONG!!! I sneaked a glance outside in time to see a worm apparently trying to mate with the Ark.
Clank and Balthar pulled up outside the launch bunker and dove inside. The Major’s new 911 pulled up right behind them, and the Major paused before following them, narrowing his eyes at the approaching mass of worms. “Oh, bloody hell.”
Balthar bellowed, “Get in here! Don’t be a fool!”
“I’ve got less than twenty miles on her!”
“Get in!!”
Jane shoved the Major into the bunker as she passed, slamming the door shut.
“Marion, are you installed and prepped for transit?”
“Affirmative. Are you prepared to relieve me?”
“Affirmative. You are relieved. Godspeed, and may the Craftsman honor all your warranties, express or implied.”
“Per fæx ad astra.”
Clank smiled. “Keep the shiny side up, lady.”
Then, in unison, Marion and Clank shouted "FREEZE!!"
Everyone froze where they were. The kids sat silently buckled into their seats. Nobody made a sound.
NOW, JUNIOR.
And five miles to the north, the E.A.R.A.C.H.E. fired one last time.
“Well, that’ll certainly attract the worms,” I thought.
Click to embiggen and Launch!
Nah, Major, the worms are fried, but your ride is okay.
The Earthlings left behind peered upward past the charred worms.
“In the roar of an engine, he lost everything. And became a shell of a man, a burnt out, desolate man, a man haunted by the demons of his past, a man who wandered out into the wasteland. And it was here, in this blighted place, that he learned to live again…”
“Quiet, Balthar, don’t get all maudlin. Anyone seen Jane?”
