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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

“Maybe she’s not in there.” Sheena sounded disappointed. Then, “Look! There’s Dik! He’s trying to get to the cafeteria!”

The pounding of bare feet faded as they charged down the hall.

Michaela sobbed in relief.

They will be back. You know they will. And they won’t stop next time.

So, what to do? In here she’d be trapped like a rat in a jar.

If only I had a weapon!

Wait. That was it. The only chance she—or any of them—had. But could she do it? Did she have the courage to open that door and make one last desperate attempt at survival?

Carefully, every muscle trembling, sobs in her throat, Michaela climbed out of bed, tiptoed to the door, and listened. The hallway was silent for once.

Shivering in fear, her broken arm cradled tight, she reached for the latch, felt it cold on her fingers, and turned it.

83

Yosh shouldn’t have fought. It was his fault. That’s all there was to it. Grownups had to understand. But they didn’t. Yosh had tried to take the ax away, and that was unacceptable. Felix stood in the cafeteria, Sheena behind him. Each drop of blood falling from the ax blade spattered in a starburst on the sialon floor. That same bright red as the blood pooling around Yosh’s sprawled body.

Sheena appeared after checking the kitchen and stopped beside Dik’s bleeding body. She carefully scanned the cafeteria for any other grownups. Her eyes, like his, had been aching, changing. Now they reminded Felix of black lenses, like a camera’s. Deep and bottomless. He wanted her to come hold his hand. Listen to the Song that now filled the Pod. Then they’d both get that bursting tingle of delight that made them gasp and stiffen. Instead of being Felix and Sheena, they came together, like fading into each other. He could feel her, like he was inside her, and she was inside him. Hands clasped like that, it took a couple of minutes, but he knew what she was thinking. And she said it was the same for her.

“Yosh shouldn’t have tried to take the ax,” he told Sheena as she stepped across Dik’s bloody corpse and came trotting between the tables. She barely gave Yosh a glance and took Felix’s hand. That warm, wet, and slick feeling started as soon as they locked fingers.

“Grownups don’t understand. I should feel sad for Yosh.”