Colonization (The Seamus Chronicles Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

at random and throws them out the back door.
    I can see Sofie standing idly several feet away from the rear of the plane. Her pale color has turned what I would call a light green. My eyes are locked on her face and I see nothing other than her.
    Running, I reach the end of the cargo ramp and leap off. My feet are wet before I hear the splash. The water comes to my knees and I feel like I can see it rising.
    Once I get to Sofie I thrust the medicine into her hand. She manages a half hearted smile, but I don’t stay with her.
    The life raft that dad had inflated is floating away. Rather than throwing supplies into the water or trying to carry them we can float them. The water is already deep as I get to the mid point of the plane. Fear of being eaten or attacked sends a shudder down my spine. It’s possible but I need to push it out of my head.
    Diving in I can feel the cool water on my lips and in my hair. Surfacing. I gasp for breath and am slightly surprised at the lack of taste from the moisture in and around my mouth. This water is incredibly pure and it has a negative impact on my buoyancy.
    Swimming is not as easy as it was on Earth and my muscles burn. I kick and pull as the raft gets closer. My clothes and shoes slow me down and threaten to drag me under. Just when I fear that I may be in no mans land with no energy left to go back and too far to keep going forward. my hand hits the raft.
    The raft is designed to save lives and I feel that it has just saved mine. There are ropes and handles hanging from the inflatable. My hands find a hold easily and I rest for a few heartbeats before facing back to shore and kicking.
    Progress is slow and I wish a wave would come and push me towards dry land. After several minutes I stop and try to focus. My unfocused action has me traveling towards shore but away from the plane.
    I can see my dad standing on the cargo ramp looking for something. His eyes search the water and follow the fuselage of the plane up towards the nose. Then he sees me and waves. If he wanted to dive in and come help me I wouldn’t complain, but instead he disappears back into the plane. I return to swimming the inflated raft back to where it can help.
    The next time I look up to get my bearings I see mom unfolding what appears to be another raft. She is moving quickly but well under control. A second later there is another inflated life raft and I put my head back down to keep pushing for the plane.
    Grace would have been a much better choice to chase after this life raft. Dad used to joke that she was part dolphin. I can remember one summer at my grandparents’ lake house she would swim down fifteen feet and pull up rocks I couldn’t have lifted on land. Still, I’m proud of myself for acting and not looking for someone else to undertake a physical task.
    My hand finally touches the metal edge of the ramp and I lift my soaking head up to see Liam.
    “Hey Seamus.” He says as if I just returned from a casual swim.
    “Grab this and tie it to the plane.” I command him.
    It takes most of my energy to climb up on the edge of the cargo ramp. Dad must have raised it some because the ground it rested on earlier is now underwater.
    Henry and Dad appear in the cargo hold with Jake’s body dangling between them. On the other side I see mom and Grace struggling with another folded up life raft. Liam is walking back towards the pile of supplies and shoving boxes out of the way.
    Jake’s body is tossed into the life raft I just returned. From out of nowhere Remmie appears and climbs into the raft with Jake. I guess this will be the ambulance. Sofie should be in here, where is she?
    Looking back to where I had given Sofie the medicine I can see that she is now waist deep in the water. That means it has risen almost a foot in what can’t be more than fifteen minutes. Her color looks improved but she is not moving to lend a hand, a clear indicator that she is still sick.
    “Do we have the still yet?” I call