Throughout a series of these flashes, Choi watched the Europhid field. The motion was faint, but she could see that they reacted to the light. If they react to light this dim, Choi thought, the sun's light must be extremely powerful. Choi wondered if this extreme sensitivity to light was part of how the Europhids survived in such an extreme environment.

The lightning stopped flashing as the storm mellowed. The landscape descended into a ceaseless darkness. If Choi couldn't feel the seat of the ATV beneath her and the warmth of her breath within her facemask, she might believe she'd entered limbo. She forced herself to look toward the horizon occasionally, to focus on the small band of stars visible past the outline of Jupiter. They looked brilliant, but the light they cast on the surface of Europa was imperceptible to Choi's eyes.

But what about the Europhids?

A flash of light, which may have been on par with previous displays, though it seemed brighter, shot through the clouds of Jupiter, momentarily revealing a mass of angry swirled clouds. Choi looked away from the harsh light and down at the Europhid field.

What she saw made her shudder.

Choi gripped the sides of the ATV. I must have seen wrong, she thought. It isn't possible.

Moving slowly, Choi reached for her headlamp and switched it on. The blinding glow of light shot stabs of pain through her eyes and she had to shield her face from the majority of the view while she readjusted. She only hoped her eyes adjusted before... No.

She was wrong.

She had to be.

Choi moved her hands slowly away from her face and looked out over the Europhid field. The majority of the field looked the same. The closest area, only ten feet from her perch atop the ATV, held Choi's gaze. She had taken samples, at least thirty of the Europhids, and sealed them in level five containment units. She had carefully and methodically tagged them and placed them inside the ATV's storage trailer.

But the eight foot swath of ice she had cleared was now covered. The Europhids were back!

Choi slid off the ATV and moved toward the back of the ATV's trailer. She kept a close eye on the field as she moved. Her breath came slowly, and her head began to pound with tension. She shook her hands out as she reached for the trailer's handle. She took hold of the door and unlatched it. Swinging the door open, Choi jumped back, unsure of what she would see.

She felt a measure of relief when she saw that all the containers were still fixed in their places and secure. At least the Europhids weren't smart enough to mount an escape from sealed containers. Still…