Cover

Dedication

To my parents, Kimphuong and Dungchi, who journeyed from Vietnam and gave us a future: thank you for helping me become the writer I am. And to my sister, Milla, who has always had my back no matter what, even when my head is in the clouds and I forget to pack pants on our trips together.

And for Jeremy, without whom this book would not have been written; whose endless love and support carries me constantly to new horizons; and who is always ready for the next adventure.

Personnel Manifest of the YT Deucalion

PERSONNEL MANIFEST OF THE YT DEUCALION

Human Crew

Commander Daryl Wick—Mission Commander

Sergeant Michael Boone—Combat Specialist (Primary)

Officer Valentina “Hunter” Hanover—Combat Specialist (Second)

Captain Vincent Sagara—Security Officer

Officer Reimi Kisaragi—Roboticist, Engineer, Mechanic

Dr. Eric Holt—Physicist

Dr. Wan Xu—Exobiologist, Biodome Designer

Dr. Elly Ma—Climatologist

Dr. Kel Fulbreech—Exogeologist, Cartographer

Officer Natalya Severov—Surveyor

Dr. Michelle Keller—Psychologist (Primary)

Dr. Grace Park—Psychologist (Second)

Dr. Ata Chanur—Physician, Medical Officer

Android Crew

Dylanex—Security AP. Model: ‘Myrmidon,’ CX-400

Ellenex—Medical AP. Model: ME-900

Jimex—Custodial AP. Model: JM-200

Philex—Domestic AP. Model: DA-200

Megex—Domestic AP. Model: DA-200

Timex—Labor AP. Model: RT-100

Brucex—Labor AP. Model: RT-100

Conex—Labor AP. Model: RT-100

Dianex—Engineering AP. Model: EG-500

Jerex—Explorer AP. Model: UN-600

Curtex—Navigator AP. Model: LI-600

Allex—Research AP. Model: RK-800

Joex—Research AP. Model: RK-800

1.

The day after they landed on the new planet, Park woke to a pair of strong metal arms pinning her down.

Against all instinct, she ignored her initial sense of terror and automatically relaxed her body; she recognized an android’s grip when she felt it, and her rational mind—the one that overrode the panicky animal one—knew that it was impossible for an android to hurt her.

Still. It wasn’t a comfortable thing to look around and realize she had no idea where she was. She tried to focus her unusually bleary eyesight on whoever was holding her: she’d had her vision genetically corrected a few years ago and had already forgotten what it was like to be poor-sighted, which didn’t help the bubbling panic.

“Where am I?” she croaked. She noticed her lips were cracked and sore, but they’d been like that for months, dry from the endless vacuum of space.

The android above her turned their head, looking off to the side as if asking for permission to speak. She thought she could make out blond hair, twisted in a tourniquet-like braid. Ellenex, then, the ship’s medical android. No other robot on the ship had yellow hair.