Robert looked toward orbit and saw a dimly lit object falling at him among the frozen snow and ice floating gingerly to the surface. He rolled to the side as Willard yanked Peterson back. The object hit the ice more gently than Robert thought possible, as though it had slowed its descent. Robert's eyes adjusted and he saw two PMS dressed bodies standing in front of him. But they weren't standing for long. Both slumped to the ice, exhausted.

Robert stepped forward. "Kathy?"

Connelly flipped onto her back and shot Robert a bright, but weary smile. "Hi, big guy."

Laughing, Robert threw himself on top of Connelly and squeezed her tight. She reciprocated his embrace.

"Thought I'd lost you," Robert said.

"Couldn't let that happen," Connelly said. "You just found me."

"Umm, guys?" Robert looked away from Connelly's smiling face and found Willard staring straight up. "Somebody mind telling me what the hell that is?"

Robert climbed off of Connelly and set his own eyes to the sky. Fluttering above him, beyond the frozen water that had been spewed from the TES hole, was a newly created star field, blinking in and out of existence. Robert squinted at the objects. He'd never seen anything like it. "I have no idea."

Thousands of glittering diamonds floated between Europa and Jupiter. What bothered Robert more than not knowing what he was looking at was that they were getting larger. Fast. He was about to offer a theory when the ice shook violently. He turned toward the source of the impact and saw a ten foot square of solid metal stabbing into the ice like a giant Chinese star.

"It's Harris," Choi said coldly as she stood on wobbly legs. "He's activated the emergency crash protocols."

Peterson sat up straight, suddenly revived. His eyes were wide. He glanced at the vertical sheet of metal gouging the ice, and then back up at the twinkling sky. "I know I've done some awful things, and my opinion might not matter to anyone anymore, but I'd like to make a suggestion."

All eyes were on Peterson. He was back to normal, but seriously on edge, and as far as Robert could tell, with good cause.

Peterson grunted as he climbed to his feet. "Run," he said.

Robert looked up. Running would be useless. There was no escape. The swath of falling panels covered an area larger than any of them could run. "There's no running from this," Robert said. "There's too many."

As though to reinforce Robert's observation, two more of the panels struck the ice, both within fifty feet.

"Not from them," Peterson said. "The Europhids. They're going to kill us! They're going to kill us—ack!" Overcome by some kind of paralysis, Peterson twisted his body into a sick position and fell back onto the ice. His breathing regained its rapid pace.

Connelly's voice filled Robert's ear. She had the voice of a commander again. "Everyone get down!"