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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

Yoshimura used a glass rod to scoop some of the slime up, stood and studied it in the light. “Well, I wanted a word alone with you. I thought you did a pretty good job with that speech at breakfast. You got everyone charged up and gave us all a boost. Okay, so the Supervisor’s off to deal with a disaster at Corporate Mine, but Michaela, ultimately we’re going to pay for what we did.”

“Yosh, what could I do? I keep thinking that maybe, if Shin was just here, we could have sidestepped this whole calamity.”

“You were trapped. Had to side with the vote.” He chuckled as he studied the goo on the glass rod. “A vote, can you imagine? When did we start doing that?”

“On Ashanti. Once it was apparent what kind of trouble we were in, we had to have community consensus. It was that or we’d have started murdering each other when things got tense. Survival hinged on group harmony being more important than interpersonal differences, grudges, and jealousies.” She gestured her futility. “What I didn’t get was how frightened and anxious our people are. That they could rally around surly old Anna, of all people, shows how deep the problem lies. But how could they blame Aguila?”

“Because Aguila’s an outsider. And she’s the face of The Corporation that sent us here, had us locked in Ashanti, and landed us in this little Pod out in the middle of an ocean full of nasty creatures that can kill us. If you’ve got to have a scapegoat, she’s made for it. She comes across as hard and uncaring. Not one drop of empathy for an individual’s suffering or feelings. She’s as tough as the scars on her face, hands, and arms.”

“Our fate hangs by a thread, Yosh. This disaster at Corporate Mine might have been the only thing that saved us. Bottom line, up front? Whatever happens out here, we are on our own. Get it?”

“Yeah, you stressed that at breakfast. But saying it and understanding it might be two different things.”

“Help me get it through people’s heads. Back home, The Corporation was always there. Rescue was always just a call away. On Ashanti, it was the crew. For a while, here, it was Aguila, and what little she had to offer. But that just flew east with the seatruck.”