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Back Seven Devils
Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1.
  4. 2.
  5. 3.
  6. 4.
  7. 5.
  8. 6.
  9. 7.
  10. 8.
  11. 9.
  12. 10.
  13. 11.
  14. 12.
  15. 13.
  16. 14.
  17. 15.
  18. 16.
  19. 17.
  20. 18.
  21. 19.
  22. 20.
  23. 21.
  24. 22.
  25. 23.
  26. 24.
  27. 25.
  28. 26.
  29. 27.
  30. 28.
  31. 29.
  32. 30.
  33. 31.
  34. 32.
  35. 33.
  36. 34.
  37. 35.
  38. 36.
  39. 37.
  40. 38.
  41. 39.
  42. 40.
  43. 41.
  44. 42.
  45. 43.
  46. 44.
  47. 45.
  48. 46.
  49. 47.
  50. 48.
  51. 49.
  52. 50.
  53. 51.
  54. 52.
  55. 53.
  56. 54.
  57. 55.
  58. 56.
  59. 57.
  60. EPILOGUE
  61. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  62. ABOUT THE AUTHORS

<Sen. Comm. Felix Rhys-X-49:> Supplies incoming, but continue work until then. Your usual quota of ichor by the end of the moon is expected.

<Comm. Arctus Talley-I-32:> Understood. In His name.

<Sen Comm. Felix Rhys-X-49:> For the glory of Tholos.

Ariadne pressed her lips together. She tapped the next file, from just a few weeks later:

Data log: 71 days ago:

<Comm. Arctus Talley-I-32:> Respirators have arrived, but despite this, the miners continue to sicken. Please see the attached file for a catalog of symptoms. Dr. Octavia Byze-M-71 is attending them, but so far, they are not responding to treatment. It does not appear to be contagious but acts like atmospheric poisoning. This is new—over the last five years I’ve been on this planet, I’ve never seen anything like this. Ten dead, and the medic center is filling up fast. Your command, sir?

<Comm. Arctus Talley-I-32:> Senior Commander, what are our next steps?

<Comm. Arctus Talley-I-32:> Sir?

<Comm. Arctus Talley-I-32:> Any time now. Sir.

Ariadne clicked open the med file for a miner. Chloe Marinos-C-1. Age: 39 Tholos years. Notes filled out by Dr. Octavia Byze-M-71.

First day: Patient experienced nausea and vomiting two days ago. Pulse 96 beats per minute—elevated from last recorded 58. Breathing heavy, labored. Eyes puffy. Skin sloughing on palms. Buildup of dark red liquid at corner of eyes and ear canals, and genitals. Swelling of lymph nodes in the neck and under the armpits, which were lanced. Medications ineffective.

Third day: No improvement. Physical health deterioration. Continued leaking of darkened blood from nose, mouth, gums, rectum, eyes, ears. Patient sleeping up to eighteen hours a day.

Fifth day: Patient’s teeth loosened in mouth. This isn’t the most medical description, but they were like chalk. She keeps spitting them into the bowl at her bedside. She keeps trying to speak to me, but I can’t make out her words, and she doesn’t know how to write. I’m making her comfortable.

Seventh day: Patient deceased.

With a small sound, Ariadne hesitated before clicking the next name, but Eris nodded for her to continue. Nikolas Lasko-J-14. Age: 19 Tholos years. Patient deceased after five days in the med clinic, same symptoms but more progressed by the time he was admitted.

Beside Eris, Clo was gasping as Ariadne pulled up the next name and the next name and the next. Each case file was virtually the same, but the longest anyone managed to hold out was fifteen days.

Fifteen days.

More names—gods, thousands of them. Tens of thousands. Eventually just names and time of death, no notes. Every miner on Ismara.

Ariadne loaded Talley’s last log. He was noticeably thinner, and he coughed wetly.