The pit stretched below them, vast and seeming to bubble like a cauldron of black ooze. Her team clung to each other.

The Cymics can see us, Mitzi realised as a multitude of white specks—the human skins—began to appear on the surface. They’ll come for us.

“Climb,” she gasped, struggling to breathe despite the pain in her ribs. “Whoever’s at the end of our chain, climb up and get into the ship. Quickly.”

Ellen gave a terrified whimper then began to scramble up them, grabbing their hips and shoulders, anywhere she could get a foothold. Mitzi closed her eyes again as nausea grew in her stomach, but she felt the girl climb over her and grab the rope ladder. She was quickly followed by a second suit, then a third, and Mitzi forced her eyes open again.

The tendrils were already rising towards them, growing like unnatural trees. Eight of them aimed for the ship. They’re too fast. We’re not going to get away in time.

Eoin, the last of their human chain, grabbed for the rope ladder. Mitzi caught a shimmer of light reflected from one of the grenades on his belt—she pulled it loose and let it drop.

Finally free of her teammates’ weight, she looped both hands through the bottom rung of the rope ladder and held on tightly. She could just barely see the grenade spiralling downwards before it disappeared between the vast tendrils that were seconds away from snatching at her feet.

Wouldn’t it be awful if it was a dud. Delirious with pain and exhaustion, she chuckled at the idea.

Then a burst of light burned out of the shadowy pit between the tendrils, followed by a bellowing roar. The tendrils fell away, thrashing and shuddering as the fire burnt them.

“Fly higher,” Mitzi murmured, hoping Nic would hear her over the commotion.

The fire below her wasn’t fading as she’d expected, and her eyes widened. She’d forgotten the tendrils had been basting in the reactor’s fuel. They acted like fuses; the fire raced over them, flickering downwards towards the reactor.

Will that be enough? she wondered groggily, feeling her grip on the ladder slacken as something shook it. Or will the defences kick in before the fire can spread?

The ship was rising, and the motion of the ladder threatened to throw her off. She felt drained and didn’t even have enough energy to raise her head to check that her team were safely inside the ship.

They’d better be. I got them this far. If they somehow manage to die now, I’ll be so mad at them.

She relaxed her grip and felt the ropes slip out from under her arms, but instead of the gentle falling sensation she’d expected, something grabbed her hand and pulled her up.

The fresh bout of pain from her ribs cleared her head. When she opened her eyes, gasping in aching breaths, she found herself on the floor of the ship. Skye and Eoin were on each side, dragging her inside. Someone slammed the door behind them, and she heard Nic speaking, though she couldn’t make out the words.