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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

Mother was staring hard at him now. “I know that look. Is something wrong? Are you feeling sick? Hiding it from me?”

“No, Mama.” He felt better and gave her a relieved smile. Things like feeling oily and his arms doing stuff he didn’t ask them to, that was different. He’d been sick before and thrown up, and his guts had hurt. What he was going through was really different from being sick.

Mother clamped a hand to his forehead, feeling for fever. Then, relieved, she straightened. “I’ve got to go. We’re taking the subs out today, and with Shin gone, I have to monitor the control board. I want you to go to the cafeteria. The other children will be there. Bill can keep an eye on you, and Iso will be in and out checking.”

“What about Toni?”

“Sweetie, Toni’s really sick. We can’t figure out where he could have come in contact with TriNA. We’ve been so careful about the sample collection. And Toni has never been out of the Pod. He couldn’t have touched the subs or the UUVs. We’re doing everything we can to trace the etiology of the contamination.”

Felix wondered what etiology of contamination meant.

She gave him a relieved smile. “Okay, I’m off for the tube. You trot yourself down to the cafeteria, and you don’t leave until either Father or I come to get you. Got that?”

“Yes, Mother.”

“Then, off you go.” She pointed at the door.

Felix led the way. After she turned off and worked the pressure hatch for the tube that would take her down to the Underwater Bay, Felix stopped at the cafeteria door. Willed himself to stand still. Then he lifted his right arm, extended his hand to the door latch. Didn’t touch it.

Lowering his arm, he willed himself to keep his arm still. Focusing on the latch—but ordering his arm to stay put—he nevertheless watched it rise, felt the touch of the latch as his arm opened the door.

How weird was that?

43

Dressed in a chamois-hide shirt, claw-shrub-fiber pants belted at the waist, and her quetzal-hide boots, Kalico straight-armed the door to the conference room in the big dome. She wasn’t sure how this was going to go. Her crew chiefs, engineers, and head techs were all seated around the table, some standing in the rear.

She had thought to hold this in the cafeteria, with all of her one hundred and thirteen people. But not after that debacle back in the Pod. Not that her people were anything like the Maritime Unit, but fact was, Kalico felt gun-shy after the lambasting she’d taken. Far better that she limit this to her administrative staff. She’d still get a feel for the mood her people were in.