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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

“That’s quetzal TriNA sharing your memory, and there’s probably going to be a lot more as I come to grips with this stuff. But the thing that I understand now? It’s how far I will go to protect you. I promise to respect your memories. I will not pass judgement. That’s part of your heart, and I will honor and cherish it. I give you my word.”

He saw the welling of her tears and pulled her close, reveling in the feel of her firm body against his.

In the end, she pushed back, wiping the wetness from her eyes, and gave him a wary smile. “I’ll take that promise. Listen. I did things. Stuff I’m not proud of. Like Pak and Paolo. That Talina? That woman? She’s not necessarily who I am today.”

“Way ahead of you. I, uh, sort of have the same problem, as you’re now well aware. God help me if you ever get memories of the man I was. You’d puke and put a bullet in my head just out of principle. Humans live messy lives. Some of us learn, and while we can’t change the sins of the past, we can learn from them. Use what shames us to make us better people.”

She gave him a halfhearted nod. “Yeah, well I was falling in love with Cap. That night on the river? That was special for the both of us.”

“I know. I could only hope to be so lucky.”

She gave him a wink. “Keep talking like you are, and you just might.” A pause. “But, in the meantime, come on. It’s light enough that we can see mobbers before they see us. Let’s go find my rifle and your pistol. I’m half-starved, getting thirsty, and there’s breakfast at the dome.”

“You’ve got it.” He reached down for his newly crafted spear.

As she started off along the canyon rim, she called back, “Thank God it was Cap. Could have been worse. Could have been good old Bucky Berkholtz.”

Bucky? The guy who’d run off with Beth at that graduation?

Dek was smart enough to bite his tongue before he said anything that would have gotten him shot or tossed off the cliff.

66

The way Tobi Ruto saw it, things really couldn’t get any worse. He passed the pressure hatch and started down the stairs in the tube, headed for the Underwater Bay. The UB was supposed to be on his daily inspection and maintenance routine. After Bill’s gruesome murder, no one had done anything according to schedule. The situation was too appalling and incomprehensible. Tobi couldn’t rid himself of the memory of Bill’s body. Every time he thought of it, it made his skin creep. He’d loved Bill. Everyone had.