Tiklik stood before him, just inside the hexagonal vent tunnel. The robot reached forward with its front two arms and planted the wide cliff-climbing gecko grip pads on Tarkos’s shoulders. Tarkos’s slide backward stopped, earning him enough time to plant his two gloves firmly on the springing metal, and claw toward the stone lip of the tunnel entrance. He pulled himself forward once, twice, moving quickly because Tiklik pulled hard at his heavy armor, helping him. Tarkos managed finally to reach far enough forward to slap his right hand flat and hard on the stone floor of the vent tunnel. The glove gripped.
The pull of Tiklik abruptly let go. Tarkos jerked back, sliding to the end of his fully extended arm. But he did not fall. The glove held. He looked up, and saw that lasers ha
