Chapter 33 · The Moon Wakes Up

The first pod cracked open before we even hit the ground.

I saw her through the viewport. Me. Younger maybe, or just less beat up. She came out of the cryo gel screaming, hands clawing at the glass like she was still drowning.

Senna grabbed my shoulder. "Kira—"

"I see her."

"There's two hundred more."

"I know."

The shuttle touched down hard on the lunar surface. Dust kicked up in slow motion waves. Through it I could see the pod farm stretching out in rows, half-buried in regolith. Some of the pods were already open. Gel was leaking out, freezing into weird crystal patterns under the dome lights.

Senna hit her comm. "Vega, you getting this?"

Static. Then Vega's voice, tight. "I'm seeing it. Fleet's got birds inbound, ETA nine minutes."

"We don't have nine minutes."

"Then move faster."

I unstrapped and headed for the airlock. My hands were shaking. I kept seeing Echo's face right before I pulled the trigger. The way the code had just—collapsed. Like a person made of sand.

Senna caught my wrist. "What's the play here?"

"I don't know."

"That's not good enough."

"I know that too." I pulled free.