Author: Derin

<<First .......... <Prev .......... [Archive] .......... [Glossary] .......... Next> The interpreter led the way down the tube. I followed closely, taking the opportunity to study them. They must have been watching me, too, because even though I was kind of drifting between hatches rather than actually walking, the interpreter’s faux-arms and legs moved in a … Continue reading 2: Shanghai

<<First .......... <Prev .......... [Archive] .......... Next> .......... Last>> The dandelions have started to bloom. Specks of yellow dot the patches of green spread across the largely dead sands on the slopes just out of sight of the colony, and it’s well past time to take samples to see how the seeded microbial communities in … Continue reading 170: BLOOM

<<First .......... <Prev .......... [Archive] .......... [Glossary] .......... Next> As any decent stargazer will tell you, you can’t do it in the city. You can’t do it in a town either, really, not properly. Too much light pollution. No; to properly see the stars, you have to wait for a moonless night and head out … Continue reading 1: Fuck Photography

<<First .......... <Prev .......... [Archive] .......... Next> .......... Last>> The next day is full of preparation. The first thing we do is set up a meeting between our ground crew, a handful of Hylarans (Hive, Celti, Elenna, Max and Dr Kim, chosen for their existing proximity to us and expertise in relevant fields), and the … Continue reading 169: INDEFINITE

<<First .......... <Prev .......... [Archive] .......... Next> .......... Last>> We tell Max that we have something important to talk about and there will be a big decision for the colony to make, and a setmeet is arranged for that very night. I know they’re expecting some sort of retaliatory demand for either the kill switch … Continue reading 168: PROPOSAL

<<First .......... <Prev .......... [Archive] .......... Next> .......... Last>> I expect Max to show up sooner or later to try to figure out what we’re so upset about and start doing social damage control before we can relay our complaints to the ship and make a much larger diplomatic incident, so I explain as quickly … Continue reading 167: UNBREAKABLE

<<First .......... <Prev .......... [Archive] .......... Next> .......... Last>> “What did you do?!” I ask the doctor, collapsed on the floor and struggling for breath. But he can’t talk right now, so I look instead to Max, who takes another step back. “The doctors just provided healthcare,” they say. “You and the captain were reasonable, … Continue reading 166: FREEZE

<<First .......... <Prev .......... [Archive] .......... Next> .......... Last>> We head back to our own living dome, dodging random Hylarans who want to talk about what just happened with the ship. That’ll still be fresh news tomorrow. Once alone, I explain calmly, neutrally, everything that has happened since I collapsed talking to Hive. It’s been … Continue reading 165: FIGHT

<<First .......... <Prev .......... [Archive] .......... Next> .......... Last>> Captain Klees and Tal turn immediately to face the direction of the radio tower, way on the other side of the colony. I don’t waste time with questions. Sharing two breathing masks, the three of us make our way as quickly as possible towards the tower. … Continue reading 164: FAWN

<<First .......... <Prev .......... [Archive] .......... Next> .......... Last>> The chip in my hand isn’t mine, obviously. Mine is still in my own arm. Tal or Captain Klees would’ve had to load the code onto one of theirs and then cut it out. I wonder how secret this whole operation needed to be – did … Continue reading 163: FLIGHT