Read The Trilisk Supersedure for Free Online Page B

opening.”
    “What
do you think it’s doing? Or should I say they?” asked Cilreth.
    “Maybe
that spot ran out of nutrients,” Telisa suggested. “Or maybe it hunts that way.
Maybe we should grab a sample?”
    “Good
idea,” Cilreth said. She took a small container from her pack. She put the trap
in front of one, encouraging it to slide inside. Just in case, she held the
clear plastic so her hand was shielded by the container. Magnus watched the
entire operation intently. The capture was uneventful. Cilreth captured another
one and then sealed the container.
    They
turned around and put space between themselves and the expanding ring of worms.
Magnus stared at her captive creatures for a moment.
    “Let’s
leave the container out at camp for a while. Make sure those things can’t get
out of that.”
    Cilreth
nodded. “Good idea,” she said.
    “I’ll
never look at those trees the same again,” Telisa said, checking the horizon. “There
must be billions of them. What if they all crawl off the stalks at once?”
    “Then
we’re getting the hell out of here,” Magnus said. “Maybe I need a flamethrower
module for the scout robots.”
    Telisa
laughed and Cilreth joined in.
    “What?
I’m just trying to be prepared,” Magnus said.
    “Now,
where were we?” Telisa said, walking back toward the building’s grille.
    The
scout machine had made good progress on the opening. Magnus ordered the scout
back with his link. Then he stepped forward and grabbed the exposed corner.
With a huge heave, he ripped the vent from the wall.
    “So
much for the door. If it ever was one,” Cilreth said. “Who’s first?”
    But
Magnus was already crawling through. Telisa followed with Cilreth in the rear
again.
    Some
ambient light already filtered in through another vent from above as well as
the open hole behind them. Cilreth took out her own light to get a better look.
    A
series of metal frames were set into the floor, three of the walls, and the
ceiling. The frames held old metal machines with gears and rods, but no wires.
The only empty wall lay toward the outside where they had forced their way in.
    Cilreth
shined her light on one of the metal frames on the floor before her. At first
glance they all looked to be the same type of machine. Four metal struts rose
from the floor to secure the one she examined.
    “Okay.
I can’t place this thing. But it’s simple, primitive,” Cilreth thought aloud.
    “Yes.
Something was being rolled through it, or around it. Paper? Cloth? It could be
a place where pre–electronic age books were created, or a clothing factory.”
    Cilreth
looked at Magnus. He shrugged. “As you say. Something rolled or pressed. Could also
have made wire or thin metal foils, or could have been used to squeeze water or
liquid out of something. This is not very advanced stuff, unless some of the
machines have rotted away and we’re just looking at the structural skeletons
that remain.”
    “They
made good use of the space,” Telisa noted, looking over the same machines
hanging from the ceiling.
    “Yeah,
they’re mounted everywhere, even the ceiling,” Cilreth agreed.
    “Any
other first impressions?” Magnus asked. He looked toward Telisa.
    “These
grilles lead out in all directions,” Telisa said. “So unless this is a prison,
or mausoleum or something, they must be doorways.”
    “Then
why are they all fused closed?”
    “The
dimensions of the doorways are considerably smaller than the room. Our own
doors are relatively tall. The creatures must be the size of those grilles.”
    “But
the grilles are solidly in place. I’m not so sure they’re doors.”
    “If we
can see where that one goes, we might find out,” Telisa said. She pointed
toward the one opposite their break-in spot.
    Magnus
knelt before the grille on the far wall and shined his light through the vents.
“There’s another open space through it. Large.” He set the light down and
grasped the grille with his gloved hands. He