Adjusting her course to a slightly less steep angle, Connelly maneuvered in to intercept the sinking victim. She reached the body quicker than anticipated, still cruising at full speed. The impact knocked the breath out of her and caused whoever it was to flail. Probably thought an alien predator was having a go. Connelly wrapped her arms around the person's shoulders. She arched her back and resumed her vertical rise.

Connelly felt the hand of whoever she was carrying searching across the side of her body. The hand stopped on Connelly's com system, adjusting the settings. Connelly had a sneaking suspicion about who she was holding. Only one person could be so in control after a near death experience. The suspicion was confirmed when a voice echoed in her headset. "I adjusted your com to the emergency channel."

Choi.

"What's our situation?" Connelly asked as they surged headlong into the tunnel.

"Peterson's still on the surface. His strength has been enhanced and he's still under Europhid control, but appeared to be suffering from a fever. He was covered in sweat. Can I ask why we're rising so quickly? These suits need time to adjust to pressure changes."

Just as Connelly was about to reply, she no longer had to. The first effects of the explosion reached them. A swarm of rapidly rising bubbles roiled toward the surface, pushed upward by the outer edge of the shockwave. "Just hold on tight," Connelly said.

A pulse of compressed water, squeezed up the ice tube, enveloped them from below. They were immediately propelled to the full speed of the shockwave.

Connelly looked up and saw a clean white hole above. The sphere was nowhere in sight. The guys had reached the top and had already locked the sphere down. The path was clear. Using the propulsion pack to guide their speedy ascent, Connelly kept them directly centered. She did her best to squeeze Choi even closer. The next part of their journey would be the most risky, especially for Choi. If Connelly let go of her, there would be nothing to stop Choi from being launched straight up into space.

*   *   *   *   *

The Surveyor was shaken so violently that Harris's vision became a blur. He was forced to work the controls by memory, which became a more and more difficult task as the Surveyor's descent became maddening.