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Chapters (102)
  1. Cover
  2. DAW BOOKS PROUDLY PRESENTS THE SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS OF W. MICHAEL GEAR:
  3. Dedication
  4. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. 82
  87. 83
  88. 84
  89. 85
  90. 86
  91. 87
  92. 88
  93. 89
  94. 90
  95. 91
  96. 92
  97. 93
  98. 94
  99. 95
  100. 96
  101. EPILOGUE
  102. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kalico paused for effect, then added, “Oh, and if you are breaking contract, you will have to negotiate your own transportation from the Pod to the mainland. Neither the Director, nor I will be obligated to get you there.”

Michaela spread her arms. “People, I keep coming back to the fact that we’re here. That’s just the way it is. Yes, it’s dangerous. Yes, we’re going to lose more of us over the coming months. But the best chance we have is with each other. We’re family. Bonded by all those years of privation on Ashanti. This is what we’ve trained for. Not sweeping out barracks or being eaten in the bush while we look for gold.”

Michaela let them chew on that for a moment before stating, “As your Director, here’s what we’re going to do: Tonight we’re going to occupy ourselves by rethinking survey protocol and methodology. Determine how can we do our jobs with the least amount of risk.”

Kevina Schwantz asked, “What about the BMT? That huge thing that I saw eat a torpedo. What do we do about creatures like that out in open water? It was plenty big enough to have destroyed the launch if it had had the chance and motive. Looking back, I think Felix and I were lucky to get back alive.”

Hailwood clapped her hands together for emphasis, side stepped, and replied, “Jaim, you’re a design engineer. Any ideas? Maybe a harpoon? Depth charge?”

“We have plenty of explosives at Corporate Mine,” Kalico offered. “Jaim, you might have Dik Dharman hook you up with Ghosh and Stryski at the mine. If you want, you can work with them and Tyrell Lawson at PA. If you need Lawson to fabricate some kind of device, we’ll work out any compensation through Corporate Mine’s account.”

Yoshimura raised his hands. “Wait a minute. We’re here less than a month, and we’re already talking about exterminating creatures? Essentially going to war with the planet? Doesn’t this sound a lot like what we did to Earth? How we ended up precipitating one of the largest mass extinctions in the planet’s history?”

Michaela glanced at Kalico. “Supervisor? Do you have any thoughts regarding this?”