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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

An odd, hump-shaped form could be seen midway between the hatch and the sub. Whatever it was, the blue-green goo covered it in a thick blanket.

“That’s algae!” Dharman muttered. “But where the hell did it all come from?”

“The stuff that’s been building up on the pilings and bottom of the Pod?” Iso asked. “What’s it doing in the UB? And where are Bryan and Tobi?”

Dharman accessed his com. “Bryan? Tobi? Report to the com center. Bryan? Tobi? Report immediately.”

Michaela struggled for breath as the seconds passed, the speakers silent.

“I don’t understand,” Iso cried. “Where’s my husband?”

Dharman started playing with the Pod’s cameras, checking inside and out as he flashed through different rooms and corridors, the landing pad, the seatruck deck.

Michaela, a wooden feeling in her breast, said, “They never left the UB.”

“How do you know?” Dharman asked.

“The hatch is open.” She swallowed hard, seeing the panic in Iso’s eyes. “Go back to the UB cameras. We’ll check the records to prove it, but think it through. Tobi hasn’t checked in, missed his lunch. Doesn’t answer com. Bryan goes down to check on him, cycles the hatch, and steps in. He sees the algae, something happens. He doesn’t make it back to close and dog the UB side.”

“Then where is he?” Iso demanded. “Where is my husband?”

“Dik,” Michaela heard herself ask from someplace distant, “Can you get a close up of that hump between the sub and hatch? Yes. Right there, where that . . .”

She didn’t need to finish. As the camera zoomed in, she could see the shape was humanoid, and that despite the thick covering of biomass, a protrusion had the distinct shape of a skeletal human hand. Whoever was under that lump was being devoured.

70

Eight of us are dead. The words kept repeating in Michaela’s head as she took her place in the front of the cafeteria. Everyone was present with the exception of Gabarron, who remained upstairs to keep an eye on little Toni and the other sick infants and children, and to ensure that Felix didn’t somehow escape from his room. Though, given that a code was necessary to open and close the door to his makeshift prison, that was a long shot.

Michaela had motioned her people forward, asked them to sit at the front tables. The sight of the empty chairs in their usual spots was too much to bear. Seeing only ten of her adults with the empty tables behind them was bad enough.