At the height of her long arc over the ice, Choi was able to see TES in the distance. Even in the dim light cast by the sun's reflection on Ganymede, TES was easy to make out. Its solid black surface stood out in stark contrast against the pure white ice.

Choi nearly let go of the ATV as she saw Peterson. He was a hundred yards from TES and closing fast. If she didn't intercept him in time, the TES crew didn't stand a chance. Choi kept the ATV's wheels spinning at full speed. All she had to do was control the landing and she'd be able to continue the chase without missing a beat.

I can do this, she thought, as the ATV began descending towards the surface.

"Round two, Peterson," Choi said. "Round two."

*   *   *   *   *

Peterson—the real Peterson—realized he'd become a consciousness without a body. The things he'd seen—that he'd watched his own hands do—he could never have done. After losing control of his bodily functions, he had watched helplessly as he clubbed Harris and left him for dead. He could only observe as he appropriated a lander, stalked Choi and ultimately attacked her.

The long minutes as he hauled Choi's motionless body to a hole in the ice were among the most torturous of his life. He had no idea what had become of her since he shoved her inside and watched her be swallowed down.

It was the Europhids. All of it.

He couldn't begin to comprehend how they'd rendered his mind inert or how they were controlling his limbs, but they were. And that's what kept him from going insane. Blaming the Europhids gave him direction, focus, something to think about other than the horrific deeds he had done. What he wanted, more than anything, more than regaining control of his body, was revenge.

Revenge for Harris.

Revenge for Choi.

Revenge for whatever the Europhids would do with his body next.

He would kill every last one of the little shits until they were wiped off the face of Europa.

"That is why you must be destroyed."

The voice had returned. Peterson clearly remembered his previous encounter with the voice that claimed to be God. He knew it wasn't true. God wasn't a fucking red cucumber.

"You're not God," Peterson said inside his mind.

"No?"

"No."

"Then who?"

"Europhids."

"A ridiculous name. I am God."

"Why bother speaking to me?"

"To understand."

"God understands everything."

The silence that followed inside Peterson's consciousness could have lasted seconds or minutes. In his current state, time had lost all meaning for Peterson. A deep sense of discomfort filled his thoughts, distracting him. It wasn't painful, but the feeling of dread generated within his psyche was intense. Knowing he was under some form of attack, Peterson stubbornly pressed on. "God does not need this body. God does not need me to kill. And God does not fear anything."

"I am not afraid of you."