On the Trail

The trail led north and west along an emerald stream that rushed through the floor of the Honaghaaghi Canyon. In six hours, the sprained muscle in my left leg permitting, I might make it to the safety of Four Corners.
But the Shareholder asset managers might find me first.
They’d used a drone to down my jacked shuttle with an EMP, forcing me to belly flop the tiny ship along the canyon’s eastern rim. I almost skidded right over the edge.
If they hadn’t already, they would soon explore the wreck site and figure how I’d used the nanofusion gloves and boots to climb down the rough canyon wall.
Might have their own, letting them spider-crawl down here. Or they might just track along the rim and snipe from above. Or send another drone. Less personal that way. More business.
Something ticked in the canyon, like a twig breaking, and it echoed around me.
I looked back to see a few dusty red rock chips falling off a bigger boulder.
Just gravity, I thought. For the moment.