Choi looked down at her suit, remembering its impregnable capabilities. If Peterson had been wearing a PMS at the time, the Europhid's stinger would have never pierced his hand. Choi stepped toward the Europhid field and stretched her legs.

Time to test a theory.

If all the Europhids had the stinging ability and used it as a defense mechanism, they would defend themselves if attacked. Of course, she realized the flaw in her logic; they had been harvesting the Europhids without incident. But they had been transplanting the samples, not killing them. Choi lined up with one of the largest specimens at the border of the field. She remembered her childhood, playing soccer with her brothers. She could kick better than all three of them. She wondered if she still had the magic touch.

She was about to find out.

Bounding forward, Choi reached the Europhids in two long strides. She swung her leg forward and connected solidly with the large Europhid. The impact was both soft and solid. She could feel the outer layers of the Europhid tearing as her foot severed its flesh. As her kick followed through, Choi saw the Europhid tumble up and float away like a football toward the goal posts—oozing red fluid. It soared nearly one hundred feet before landing in a dense portion of the field.

Choi bent down to the ruined Europhid. Nothing had attacked her during the assault, and as she waved her hand over the site, the Europhids remained motionless. Not one of them showed signs of aggression.  "Huh…"

Choi stood up and prepared to kick a second Europhid. She thought a repeat attack might put them more on the defensive. Her muscles tensed as she took her first step forward.

A looming shadow arched across her path for just an instant, but it was enough to make Choi flinch and stumble. She fell to the ice, landing only inches away from the field. Her head pounded as her heart pumped hard. Her subconscious shouted at her consciousness: you are not alone!

Choi climbed to her feet, darting her eyes in every direction, searching for the source of the shadow. She realized that the shadow had been cast by the light of the ATV, meaning that whatever created it had passed between her and the vehicle, which was only feet away.

Wishing she could hear, but knowing it was impossible in the vacuum of space, Choi had to rely on her eyes to warn her of danger. She felt entirely underprepared. Sweat beaded on her forehead and rolled into her eyes, stinging them. She blinked to relieve the pain, unable to wipe her eyes through her facemask.