Page 136 (1/1)
“Shit,” Holden said Then: “Thanks” He killed the comm panel and closed the locker “I’ll need a full-on hazard suit Which means I’ll be better in the radiation, and not bullet resistant at all”
“How et yourself massively irradiated before it catches up with you?” Naomi said
“Sarin Naoain and said, “A Whatever’s the hardest thing we’ve got on board”
“Okay,” Amos replied
Holden opened his equipment locker and took out the assault rifle he kept there It was large, black, and designed to be inti It would immediately mark anyone who carried it as a threat He put it back and decided on a pistol instead The hazmat suit wouldany ency If he earing only a service pistol in a hip holster, ithim out as part of the proble, and the ship flooded with radiation, there would be a big probleht, and the protomolecule was linked even without a physical connection, then the goo on the King knehat the goo on Venus knew Part of that was how huether, ever since it had disassehast But it also meant it knew a lot about how to turn humans into vomit zombies It had performed that trick a million times or so on Eros It had practice
It was entirely possible that every single hu was now a vomit zombie And sadly, that was the best-case scenario Vo death to anyone with exposed skin, but to Holden, in his fully sealed and vacuum-rated hazmat suit, they would be at worst a mild annoyance
The worst-case scenario was that the proto humans now, the ship would be full of lethal hybrids like the one he’d fought in the cargo bay That would be an impossible situation, so he chose to believe it wasn’t true Besides, the protomolecule hadn’t made any soldiers on Eros Miller hadn’t really taken the time to describe what he’d run into there, but he’d spent a lot of ti for Julie and he’d never reported being attacked by anything The protoressive and invasive It would kill a million humans in hours and turn the on But it invaded at the cellular level It acted like a virus, not an arht It made what he was about to do seem possible
He took a compact semiautomatic pistol and holster out of the locker Naoazine and three spares, but she didn’t speak He had just pushed the last round into the finala large red suit behind hione truly wrong Should be plenty for the levels they’ve got in that ship Max exposure time is six hours, but the air supply only lasts two, so that’s not an issue”
Holden examined the bulky suit The surface was a thick, flexible rubbery substance It ernails or teeth, but it wouldn’t stop a knife or a bullet The air supply was contained under the suit’s radiation-resistant skin, so it , aard lu the suit to hi it told hi fast in this, will I?”
“No,” Aht If the bullets start flying, you’re fked”
Nao the e once you hit the surface She’s a pro, and this is her show But I need you to keep Prax safe, because he’s kind of an idiot The only thing I ask you to do is get that irl safely off the moon and back to this ship”
Amos looked hurt for a ets to him or that baby will already have killed me And that ain’t easy to do”
Holden pulled A “I feel sorry for anything that tries No one could ask for a better crewman, Amos Just want you to know that”
A back”
Holden shot a look at Naohed for a h to rattle his teeth “That’s bullshit,” A for Holden to reply, he headed out to the crew ladder, and then down to the deck below
Naoainst the bulkhead and drifted over to Holden Air resistance brought her to a stop half a ravity he’d ever ing her to him The expression on her face told him it wasn’t what she wanted She just floated in front of hi, then reached out and put one long, slender hand against his cheek It felt cool and soft
“Don’t go,” she said, and so in her voice told hiing his way into the hazh a alley Airl You know he does, and you knohy Prax has to be there Bobbie keeps theot the bulky suit over his shoulders and sealed up the front but left the hels came on when he hit them with his heels, and he pushed down to the deck and stuck there
“You?” he asked Naoainst a thousand zombies any day of the week But you don’t know the CIC any better than Avasarala does How does that ain,” she said “That’s not fair”
“But,” he said, “tell the Martians thattheir planet makes us even on this whole ‘you stole our warship’ issue, okay?” He kneas ht of the moment and immediately hated himself for it But Naomi knew him, kne afraid he was, and she didn’t call him on it He felt a rush of love for her that sent electricity up his spine and le