Ebisu. Unidentified Starscraper. Near Lacaille 8760 G. Crew: Unknown. Destination: Unknown. Time of arrival, T—18 hours...

  In a fsh, the Ebisu shut down its engines. Like a colossal cavalry spear, it hovered silently, dragging itself through the void with seeming slowness. For a year, the engines had burned at full power on the outskirts of Lacaille 8760, as if there were no tomorrow. The tantrums of the Ball Lightning were hurled in the form of jets of psma and Hawkins radiation through the Starscrapper's colossal thrusters. Any mistake could be catastrophic. A fifteen-year journey that could have ended in a fraction of a second due to an unstoppable cascading failure.

  The ninth pnet awaited them. Percival, swollen, heavy and full of gravity. A pnet three times the mass of Jupiter, its clouds forming brown, white and grey stripes, its rings casting sharp, bck shadows on its swirling atmosphere.

  Any inexperienced astronaut would have been intimidated by such a space maelstrom, and would have given in to the invisible but relentless gravitational tides that pulled them into a slow, steady fall. But for them, it was the final push they needed. AKANE had calcuted enough power to anchor itself in orbit and let gravity take over.

  After plotting the final approach vector, and on the verge of completing a fourth orbit, the engines glowed again with the power of a thousand suns. Using the pnet as a cosmic bowler, Ebisu veered off the elliptical path to enter its final straight, accelerating at 1 G.

  Inside the ship, the crew remained in a deep and icy coma. In their pods, they seemed oblivious to the infernal roar that threatened to tear the ship apart. But for the moment, they were blissfully unaware. They had work to do ahead of them. A mission awaited them, and as far as they were concerned, they were te.

  The reason for their presence? Unknown. They were off the regur routes. The next ship, the Isolda, would not arrive for another six months. With the speed of light as an insurmountable limit, they remained blissfully ignorant of the hell unfolding in Lacaille 8760. Ebisu's situation, however, was a mystery. It was not a simple stop, nor an accidental course deviation. They had a goal in mind and would achieve it regardless of the circumstances. The problem was that the crew of the Chronos and the colonists were the st to know.

  Aboard the Chronos...

  —. This thing is taking root. — Max said lowly as he looked out of the window overlooking the inner garden. He meant the corpse of the fairy. In a few minutes it had stopped looking like a body and turned into a pulsating mass of tumour, while yellowish tendrils gradually spread over the ground. A horrible smell, though subtle, like a mixture of sour and sweet, lingered in the air. It had to come from that unclean growth.

  —. They always do. — Naomi commented, standing next to him, looking at this abomination on the ground, fifteen levels below them, but already rger than a man —. There doesn't seem to be a definitive way to kill them. They stay alive even after they're dead. —

  —. In Lohengrin, we saw a "corpse" eat a cell. — commented Satoshi, who had joined them to observe this twisted work of art that seemed alive in a pathetic way.

  —. What do you mean it ate it? — Max asked.

  —. Literally. — Satoshi replied —. We left one of those infected bodies in a cell when everything went to hell. To make matters worse, we had weapons and supplies there. When our group went back to get them, the cell was gone and most of the seal was gone too. — Max wrinkled his nose in disgust, and Satoshi suddenly fell silent.

  —. How come? — he continued —. What do you mean, the cell was gone? —

  —. There was a huge tumour in its pce. It looked like a huge, toothy stomach that branched out and swallowed not only weapons but also suits, lockers and desks. The fireflies must have thought it was food, and that part of the seal turned into a digestion chamber — he replied —. It smelled like hell, like being inside a volcano... —

  —. Or inside a stomach — Max added. His eyes were glued to the structure the corpse was transforming into. The tendrils extended somewhere. Maybe towards them. Sooner or ter it would reach them and just the thought made Max shudder —. Damn it. Shit. Motherfucker. — he muttered under his breath —. Harding? —

  —. I'm coming. — grunted the head of security as he approached. He moved forward determinedly and at a rexed pace. Without anyone saying anything to him, he approached the gap to have a look, too, and Satoshi made room for him. When he saw that thing, he turned his face away in disgust.

  —. Did you have a pn before I met you? — Max inquired.

  —. What kind of pn? —

  —. Survival and contingency. — he replied, sounding like the man behind the captain —. A way to regain control of the ship. Get to the command bridge and isote all affected sections. Hell, even get to the escape pods and call for a rescue. — Hearing this, the old man ughed as if someone had told him a joke.

  —. Kid, there are no more escape pods. — Harding expined —. EREBUS has ejected them all. —

  —. What?

  —. Shuttles too, in case you're wondering. — Gavin added from across the room as he took stock of the supplies after the meal —. We're trapped. —

  —. But why did EREBUS do this? — Max asked —. It's to protect us. Zhang assured me there wouldn't be any more outages. Not after the PDCs incident. —

  —. Maybe some way to put the ship in quarantine. — Murat observed, sitting at the center table, staring into nothing —. He concluded that the ship was fucked, and the crew too. He couldn’t let this thing reach the sor system. Humanity as a whole is worth more than the crew of a Starscraper. It’s a paradox. But he did it anyway, and since he failed to protect us, he shut down. —

  —. Oh, great. — Max replied —. So our pn is to sit and wait, right? —

  —. Basically. — Harding answered —. If the route stays as it is, Isolda will arrive in 6 months. Until then, all we can do is hold on. — Max nodded slowly with his hands, as if weighing those words, and returned his gaze to the corpse. He got the impression that one of the tendrils had branched out.

  —. Well, that thing out there is preventing us from doing that. — he commented, observing that twisted mass —. According to Satoshi, it will keep growing nonstop. In three days, something like that ate a police station back in Lohengrin. If you ask me, we don’t have six months. In a week, it will catch up to us, and by then, we won’t have anywhere to go. — The old man’s gaze became wild, fixed on that tent aberration, and Naomi turned to Max with the expression of a frightened cat, as if seeking answers.

  —. Fuck. Fuckin shit. — was Harding’s response.

  —. And we have another problem. — Gavin added —. There are no supplies for six months. In the best—case scenario, it will be five days. With or without that thing out there, we’ll have to go out for more. —

  The rest, who seemed oblivious to the conversation, turned around. Ayna’s expression was like she had just heard a death sentence. The walls of that refuge suddenly became a prison, and it felt like they were closing in around them.

  They had to act. Max wondered, what would Matkovich do in his pce? How would he guide his crew through that hell? But there were no answers, because the captain was dead. He was taking his pce. Therefore, it depended on him to find a solution.

  But no matter how much he tried to find them, he couldn’t, and he felt like he was on the edge of a precipice. The fall into the abyss was imminent. And instead of solutions, that idyllic vision kept repeating in his mind, which, more than ever, seemed impossible. A life outside the Chronos. He and Naomi. And Lay. They would be together again. Nothing would separate them again.

  Max eventually succumbed to fatigue and fell asleep. Cuddled up with Naomi, they wanted to find rest. He wanted to escape that nightmare and dream of the blue of Lake Galle, the green of the pines, and the red Martian soil. Instead, he found himself back in the Firefly Forest.

  The same nightmare repeating, over and over, trying to reach Lay in the darkness. And when he was about to reach her, he stumbled, and she slipped from his hands. He shouted her name.

  —. Lay! — but only silence answered him, along with the echo of his own screams that the vastness of the forest seemed to return mockingly —. Lay! — and the fireflies appeared once more. That imposing, incorporeal presence overwhelmed him, burning him with a million eyes. The voices of the forest whispered to him. But there was something that changed this time. He could recognize one of the voices that spoke to him.

  —. You must take charge. — the captain ordered, with his aged but authoritative tone. But more than giving him security, Max felt it as a threatening reminder, as if he were escaping from torment, and the ghost of the captain was his executioner. In the face of this, Max had only one response.

  —. I can’t. — he said through sobs —. I can’t do it. — while he saw himself, lost in the Firefly Forest, knowing he had lost Lay once more.

  ***

  Max awoke with a start as the sound of creaking and scratching tore him from his sleep. For a split second he wondered if the sound was a figment of his imagination. A faint creak, like the sound of paws skittering, echoed again. His doubts were dispelled. Something was rummaging through the canvas.

  He sat back abruptly, his heart pounding and his head spinning. He was surprised to find Harding already on his feet, gun in hand, crouched in the doorway. Turning to look at the mattress, Max saw that Naomi was gone.

  The scream caught in his throat as she tapped him on the shoulder. Silently, she had jumped out of her alcove, grabbed her weapon and brought the psma saw to Max. Sometimes he forgot that his girlfriend was still a Bck Shadow and that the programming was still dormant. At least as an involuntary reflex.

  –. There's something in the undry. – Harding warned Max in between muttering and shouting, moving his head towards the corridor. The rest of the people in the room woke up and came out of their mattresses, pulled by fear and the expectation that one of those monsters had entered. Or worse, that the tumour growing outside had reached them with its tendrils. The sight of a jagged stomach in the former barbecue pit made Max shudder. He wondered what the rest of the ship looked like, but deep down he didn't want to know.

  Oscar reached for a wrench, his knuckles white from the effort. Murat, Satoshi and Lexner carried firearms, and Yakiv slid the single clip into his psma pistol with nervous, stilted movements. The rest hung back with a mixture of drowsiness and watchfulness, grabbing at anything that could be used as a weapon.

  –. Ayna! Wake up! – Yakiv's voice broke the silence with a commanding whisper.

  There was no reply. His sleepy, alert eyes scanned the rest of the group and he realised that his wife was conspicuous by her absence. Max's skin crawled with goose bumps.

  Scratches and creaks could be heard clearly and then Max pressed himself against the door frame, facing Harding. The old man noisily removed the safety from his gun and shook his head.

  –. Follow me. – he ordered without speaking. Max took a shuddering breath and followed the head of security with a knot in his stomach. Murat and Satoshi followed in his footsteps, and Lexner had stayed behind. He ordered Yakiv to stay behind, but Yakiv paid no attention and advanced with his gun raised and his finger dangerously close to the trigger.

  As they advanced, Max noticed the eerie glow at the intersection. The emergency lights had a yellowish tint and were streaming in from the half-open door of the undry room. It was a sickly light, like that of the Firefly Forest.

  The shadows danced and twisted with each step. Max's heart pounded against his ribs and he gripped the psma saw so tightly that his fingers ached. Fear coursed through his veins and his muscles cramped as cold sweat drenched his body.

  –. Stop. – Harding ordered, raising his fist, and then they were standing at the door. The creaking grew louder. There was no doubt any more, something was crawling in there. The mere thought of a fairy hanging around the undry room made Max's stomach turn. Even more so when he remembered the horrible immortality of these monsters. She should be dispatched immediately. The chief waved his finger.

  –. 1, 2, 3... – Without a word, Harding kicked open the door. The decay welcomed her with open arms as soon as she stepped inside. Provisions were strewn about. Packages of penami bars were opened and crumpled. Crumbs littered the floor, the remnants of a frantic search.

  They turned their fshlights on the culprit. As they advanced, Max's senses sharpened like a razor. His breathing rumbled in his ears, heavy and erratic. With his hands on the psma saw's ignition, he prepared for the worst.

  His soul left his body as he took in the scene before him. It was not a monster plundering the supplies, but Ayna Kumar. As the light bathed her hunched body like a necrophagous monster, her tear–filled eyes turned towards them. Her dishevelled hair framed her haggard face, and pieces of crumbling protein cake fell between her trembling hands. Her cheeks bulging, she struggled to chew the stolen food like a desperate squirrel.

  –. Alyana, for God's sake... – Yakiv's voice was weak and he hesitated as he tried to approach her. But panic had created an invisible barrier between them. Her face full of guilt and remorse, Ayna sobbed hysterically as she poured bites into her mouth, swallowing as if she was pouring them straight into her stomach.

  Gavin put his hands to his head as he looked at the mess. Food that should have sted several days was now strewn all over the pce. Textured proteins. Penami bars. Protein cakes. Food crumbs everywhere. Ayna had barely finished one portion when she opened another and tossed it into her mouth, consumed by a ravenous hunger.

  For Max, it all made sense. They were six months away from rescue, which was far from certain, and they had less than a week's worth of food. Staying in the shelter was no longer an option. The mixture of cornering, fear and desperation triggered a panic attack and the woman choked on a st meal.

  In one swift move, Harding snatched the feast from her. Ayna's eyes widened in panic and her mouth opened to her stomach as a primal, ragged scream tore through the air. As if possessed, she leapt over the wreckage. She didn't care about anything. She just wanted to eat.

  Yakiv lunged at her, wrapped his huge arms around her, and yanked her away from the food, screaming as if she were a cornered animal. Everyone watched in astonishment as the scene unfolded, while Gavin scratched his head frantically, trying to rationalize the disaster.

  –. Help me! – screamed the engineer, and then Harding and Lexner came at him, trying to grab the woman's arms. But then she drove her elbow into her husband's face, completely defenceless. Yakiv's roar echoed through the chaos as a crimson river gushed from his nose.

  Harding went flying with a jerk, as if hit by a train, and as Lexner raised his gun, she smacked him in the face, and his body tumbled through the air like a rag doll, whipping against some empty crates that did little to break his fall.

  Max's heart caught in his throat as he witnessed the harshness of high gravity on his own crewmates. Ayna was unaware of her own strength and at that moment she was a danger to everyone, even herself.

  –. Somebody stop her! – Delih bellowed in desperation, and then Satoshi shakily pointed the gun at the woman, his finger fumbling with the trigger and his teeth chattering with nerves, as Ayna pounced on the scraps of food. Oscar made him put the gun down.

  Limona came out of nowhere and rammed her knuckles into her stomach. Out of breath, Ayna fell to her knees. Her body gasped for air and her mouth opened, dropping pieces of barely chewed food. Before she could regain her footing, Murat and Biagio grabbed her feet and dragged her away from the food, towards which she tried to crawl, still dazed.

  As if a button had been pressed, Ayna regained consciousness and began to scream like someone possessed. Waving her hands, she tried to hold on, to reach for the food she was gobbling without thinking. Her hands hit something metallic; the gun Harding had dropped.

  She grabbed it without thinking, her finger on the trigger, and by the time Harding realised, he was barely breathing. The scene seemed to unfold in slow motion as it happened. Biagio and Murat let go of her and she was spinning on the floor, ready to shoot them without thinking. For a split second, Max almost saw them both die.

  Naomi seemed to leap out of the shadows and with a quick, efficient movement she snatched the pistol from his hands and dropped the magazine. Ayna failed to raise a cry as Naomi's arms crossed over her neck in a rear naked choke.

  Ayna struggled. But she made no attempt to remove the prison that was strangling her, instead straining to reach a pile of Penami sticks that y scattered on the floor. With a strong tug, Naomi pushed her away, even with the naked choke attached. Ayna's movements grew weak as her eyes turned white as the air escaped her and breathing became an impossible task. Her arms went limp in the moment of unconsciousness.

  That was it. It was over. But something was wrong, and Max noticed it immediately. It was no longer Naomi who was strangling Ayna. Instead, the Bck Shadow had appeared. Her green eyes were dull and a sinister, cold, expressionless face dominated her face as her forearm dug into her victim's throat like a steel vise.

  –. For God's sake, Naomi. – Max's torn voice cut through the air. Naomi, stop! You're killing her, please! – but she ignored him, and seemed to squeeze even harder. Ayna's face was turning a cadaverous shade of purple, and her tongue was falling limp, on one side, out of her mouth –. Naomi!!!! –

  Harding appeared out of nowhere, and tried to struggle with her. It was useless, like a child trying to move an android. Yakiv joined him and tried to hug her from the ribs, while a still half–stunned Lexner tried to pull her arms off him, trying to break the prison that closed relentlessly around Ayna's neck.

  Max's heart shattered, and a lump in his throat rose from helplessness, seeing how it was that everything they built for years was vanishing in less than a minute. He lunged at her and tried to struggle, knowing it would be a futile effort. When he put his hands on her, he didn't recognize her. Her touch had become cold, like that of a dead man. Like a machine. Like a Bck Shadow.

  –. This is not you, Naomi. Please, I beg you. – he begged her between cries and sobs. From one moment to the next, the light returned to Naomi's eyes. Horror suddenly fshed across her face, like waking from a nightmare, and she quickly released Ayna from her bonds. She colpsed, panting, and before she could wonder what had happened, she found herself flying through the air, flung from her victim between Harding and Yakiv.

  The weight of her actions soon hit her as the horrified looks of the crew fell upon her. She looked up and met Max's gaze, frightened, disappointed, helpless. Like a broken dam, the tears flowed uncontrolbly and Naomi's crying became an unstoppable torrent.

  –. I'm sorry. – her voice broke into a fragile whisper –. I don't know what happened. Please, I'm sorry... – her confession choked on a sob, with an expression of deep self–loathing.

  Max knew what had just happened. He had tried to ignore it, but the signs had been there since they had arrived at Lacaille 8760. Naomi had lost control again. What would it be like next time? The moment Bck Shadow's programming came to light again and she was free, they would have no way of stopping her. She was a potential killing machine. Horrified, Max realised how uncertain the future seemed. Not just Chronos', but his and Naomi's.