[52]

Saren yawned. “Not likely. Go to sleep.”

Brushing aside the soft command like so much Armali silk, Nihlus propped himself up on his elbows. “But it’s possible.”

Saren didn’t answer.

“It is, isn’t it?” he muttered. “Let me guess. It’s going to take a miracle.”

The fold-out cot creaked when Saren finally turned to face him, catching his eyes. “Statistically speaking.”

“Oh yeah? What are those statistics telling you?”

Continue reading [52]

[47]

“My mama walks the streets so it’s fine
I won’t be forever young but I’ll be forever kind
Tender eyes oh tender lips
Let’s run away to where stars shine…”

The streets are heavy with fumes. Sweat. Excrement. The unmistakable stink of rotten dextro food is making him queasy.  The air hums — the life support on this station is old, and prone to giving out once in a while. Whole sectors vented. That’s why he’s never out of his mag boots, why he always has a mask tucked away somewhere. Half of those “incidents” are planned, after all.

Continue reading [47]