“You are thinking about a handful of individuals, Captain Rackham. I am thinking about all of China. Flying a military aircraft toward that lander could be perceived as an act of aggression and exacerbate the situation. We are trying to maintain peace, and your blatant insubordination is threatening our efforts. You have ten seconds to comply and change your course, or we will drop you from the sky.”
Mazer waved his hand through the holofield to make Shenzu disappear. Then he blinked out a quick command to start a ten-second countdown on his HUD. “Reinhardt, get us close to the ground. Stay on course, but keep us low and use as much cover as you can find.”
Reinhardt put the HERC into a manageable dive. “We won’t be invisible, mate. It’s broad daylight. If they’re sat-tracking us, they can put a precision-guided missile on us and drop us like a rock.”
“Then go faster,” said Mazer.
Reinhardt scoffed. “Get lower and go faster? These are jungle mountains, Mazer. You want me flying us into a cliff face?”
“Then fly as fast as you can as safely as you can. The closer we get to the lander, the better our chances are with the Chinese.”
“Isn’t the opposite true?” said Patu.
“Technically, yes,” said Mazer. “But the Chinese’s biggest fear is that we’ll provoke the aliens. If they fire on us when we’re close to the lander, they risk it looking like a provocation to the aliens. So the closer we get, the safer we are. Hopefully. Punch it, Reinhardt.”
“You sound unsure,” said Fatani.
“I am unsure,” said Mazer. “I could be completely wrong. But I think the Chinese are smarter than that.”
“We’ll know in three seconds,” said Patu.
The second countdown reached zero just as the HERC leveled out from its dive above the trees at the crest of a low-level mountain. The aircraft flew straight for a moment, then the mountainside dropped away, descending toward the valley below. Reinhardt dropped the nose of the HERC as well, level with the terrain. They plummeted down the mountainside like the front car of a roller coaster on its first big drop. Mazer felt himself rise slightly in his seat and tighten against his restraining harness, the valley floor rushing up toward them at a sickening pace. Reinhardt pulled up at the last instant, and they all dropped back into their seats, Mazer exhaling and unclenching his fists.
“Easy,” said Patu. “He said faster, not suicidal.”
Reinhardt hit the throttle, taking advantage of the flat valley floor to pick up speed. “They’re one and the same, Patu, my queen of the rice. One and the same.”
The next mountain was coming up fast. Mazer scanned the radar and heat sensors displayed on his HUD. He didn’t see any incomings.
“Sky looks clear,” said Mazer.
“That doesn’t mean we’re home free,” said Fatani. “They could have fired a missile from Beijing for all we know. Might take a minute to get here.”
“Which is exactly why they won’t fire at all,” said Mazer.
The HERC rose sharply up the mountainside. They flew in silence, rising and falling with the landscape, shifting slightly off course here and there in the hope of evading detection, always scanning the sky around them, watching for incoming threats. None came. A minute passed. Then two.
“Looks like you called their bluff,” said Fatani.
“Or they fired something our sensors can’t detect,” said Reinhardt, “and it’ll blow us up any second now.”
“Not funny,” said Patu.
“Hey, if the Chinese can make a mole vehicle that drills through solid rock,” said Reinhardt, “nothing would surprise me.”
“What if Shenzu’s right, Mazer?” said Fatani. “What if we’re kicking the hornet’s nest here? This species doesn’t know what we are. They might think we’re a missile fired on them. We could start a war.”
“The war is already on,” said Mazer, “despite what the Chinese would like to think. If any of you disagree speak up now. I can’t force you to come along. You heard the colonel. He gave us direct orders. If you come, you will almost certainly be court-martialed when this is over. You need to know that. Your career will be over. If you want to back out now, say the word and I’ll set you down here. You can tell them I forced you to come this far. That goes for you, too, Reinhardt. If you want to sit out, say so. I can fly this thing if I have to.”
Reinhardt snorted. “You can’t fly the HERC, Mazer. Keeping it in the air and landing it when you need to is not flying. That’s driving. Flying is what I do. It’s an art. And you, sir, are no artist.”
“We’re all in, Mazer,” said Fatani. “Nobody’s for turning back. But Shenzu has a point. We might incite a response.”
“It can’t be avoided,” said Mazer. “We’re not abandoning the people on the ground. Patu, any luck with that sat feed?”