After discussion it was agreed that they would all go to the next point, and Sunniva could show Rafe how to install the sensor. Then she and Rafe would go on while Marcus built the converter, and if Rafe was able to place another sensor correctly they could split up, doubling their effective workforce.
“All right.” Sunniva stretched, trying to push the aches out. “Let’s go.”
The crawler bumped along the trail to the first point. Marcus leant on the side rail as Rafe brought his plane over the crawler in a series of loops, the engine humming as it zipped through the air. Sunniva looked up, shading her eyes with her hand, and let her dragon’s vision bleed through to watch the way Rafe’s little craft swooped along the currents and updrafts around the rocky hillside.
Fly, her dragon said, insistently, and pushed.
Sunniva barely managed to hold on. Her hand lengthened into claws, and her shoulders were suddenly too tight for her jacket. Not now. Work first.
Rafe met them at the first point, on an overhang a short distance away from the trail. The short walk had left him breathless again, Sunniva noted. She could see why Marcus had worried. She set the sensor down on the rock she’d chosen.
“You’re familiar with basic matrix tech.” She didn’t make it a question. She’d seen the chemicals on his fingers, and that plane of his had to be more than Earth technology.
Rafe gave her a wry grin. “Somewhat.”
She went through the installation process with him. He was a quick study, attentive and dexterous. Marcus began fetching the converter from the crawler.
Rafe waited until he was out of sight before flipping the integrator into the air and catching it again. Sunniva glanced over. “What is it?”
“He likes you.” His eyes were on hers, seeing more than she wanted.
“He doesn’t have a choice.” She finished her calibration. “I’m not going to take advantage of that.”
“No.” Rafe put the integrator down. “No. In fact, you’re working to actively prevent that, which is admirable. And then you’re planning on leaving, which looks less admirable and more like running away.”
This time, it was she who didn’t have a choice. “I can’t stay here if Giels doesn’t want me to.”
“You’re talking about other people again. What do you want?”
What did she want… She’d wanted the guild, and then she’d wanted Marcus, and nothing ever turned out the way you expected it. She looked at Rafe, who could manipulate Dreki tech and needed a cure, and instead had to make do with an ever-narrowing future.
At least her dragon’s desires could be more easily satisfied.
“I want to race your plane to the next point,” she said. “Do you have space for the sensor?”
He did. Marcus waved them off. Sunniva’s dragon pirouetted around the plane, now overtaking, now falling behind, dodging around the slopes of the mountain. The sun was warm on her wings, and she could see the air masses shifting and building. Another storm coming.
If she got all the sensors placed beforehand, she could use it to test
her new network. She took back control from her dragon with effort, encouraging her to fly directly to the next point.
The work went quickly. By late afternoon, all the sensors were up. Sunniva sat back on her heels as Marcus brought over the last converter. She felt for the control matrix and counted the internal points of light, one for each sensor.
Rafe had disappeared off towards his plane while she was finishing. He came back now, walking slowly, and sat down next to her. He was holding something.
“Here.”
It took her a moment to work out what it was. A Dreki matrix, probably a vehicle controller originally, now wound around with wires and small metal devices that she didn’t recognize.
“This is for your plane.”
Rafe nodded. “I charge it — well, we have a few generators.”
“Hidden,” Marcus put in. “Obviously.”
“It’s very clever.” Sunniva turned it over, feeling inwardly for its presence, which was a mix of familiar and strange. He hadn’t manipulated the matrix directly, the way she or any other Dreki would have, but whatever he’d put around it had much the same effect. “An impressive rock for your collection.”
Rafe looked baffled, but Marcus snorted. “Exactly.”