Waiting Weapon

Steve, she whispered, her voice going up an octave. Theres something moving between us and the rover. God, I dont believe this is happening!

Rick forced a swallow down his drying throat. Andrea was right. There was motion between two broken columns near the yellow all-terrain vehicle. This was no ghostly figure, though he wished it were. What he saw instead was the hood of a camouflaged oval shell roughly twice the size of a serving platter. It bobbed silently through yellowed stalks of high weeds. He had seen pictures, but never thought he would witness this first hand. Its a MeAukin mine.

Its not supposed to be here, she said, shaking her head. This place is safe. Its always been!

Trying to keep his own wits and voice steady, Rick used his helmet microphone. Major, weve got mine activity up here. Rick glanced around for some kind of cover, spying a dark space beneath a tilted slab of wall they passed earlier. Were heading for shelter.

Dont move, you wont make it, Steve answered. Were on the way. Get as low to the ground as you can, Doctor.

Rick motioned to Andrea, only to find her staring over his shoulder. He turned around and froze, afraid even to take a breath.

It stood on the trail they just traversed, the lethal relic poised on camouflaged machine legs like a large walking clam. Rick moved to keep between it and her. Blunt twin barrels tracked him from an aperture between the upper and lower shell.

Youre MeAukin, Andrea said in a slow careful voice. Try speaking with it.