28: Deva
Deva
The Aethon was even larger close-up. The wheels towered over Deva’s head, their tread deep enough to take her whole hand. She felt dizzy looking up beyond the wheel-arches. And there was even a staircase up to the cab—not a ladder, or a few steps, but a staircase.
“Feel that!” Lander said, laying a hand against the bodywork.
She did. “Wow! So smooth. And warm. Active surface?”
“Yep. Micro-sensors, feeding back to the cab. Anything even breathes on this beauty, the pilot gets a ping.”
“Is that all over? Must cost a fortune.”
“And some! Should be all over, but they cut corners. Only a couple of sensors on the roof, fore and aft, and only plain super-strengthened bodywork there too. Underside’s active, though. Guess they want to guard against explosives. There’s a scann
