When the cockpit door opened, and first Captain Scott and then the gunner, Jordan, came down, the only thought in his paranoid mind was: Maybe they're on to me.

Captain Scott looked at the passengers-but especially me, Nahara thought-taking them all in at a glance.

Evaluating them.

"Where are we?" Rodriguez asked.

"Well, Doc, after what we just went through, we're lucky to be on solid ground."

Drop the snark, she told herself.

"We're making an unscheduled stop. We're in the Nakai System."

"Can we get off the vehicle?" Rodriguez asked. "Stretch our legs?"

Edgy. Tense. Something's bugging him, too, Nahara thought. That actually eased his paranoia.

"You folks sit tight. We're going to have a look around. See what's going on."

"Why?" Nahara asked, his voice shaking. "Is something wrong?"

"Looks like nothing out there but ghosts," the Chippie said.

Nahara turned and looked at Sinjira as she stared out the window. Her face was pressed against the Plexi.

"I have to get out," Rodriguez said, unbuckling and standing up.

Tense, Nahara thought, but trying to hide it. He'd make sure to keep an eye on this one. He's up to something.

Maybe he knows something. Shit, maybe he's the one who's been on to me the whole time.

"Sorry. No one's going anywhere until we check out the terminal."

"I have an important message waiting for me on the Pod System. If I don't get it-"

"I'm not risking civilian lives," Captain Scott said sharply. "Not saying there's any risk. Still-"

"I'm not a civilian. I'm traveling under World Council orders." Rodriguez eased into the aisle, stretching to his full height. "I have to get that message."

Yeah, Nahara thought. What's up with him? World Council orders to do ... what?

"This is an unscheduled stop," Scott said. "How do you know your message pod will even be here?"

"Because they took all contingencies into account and arranged to send pods that could be accessed at every way station along the route."

Nahara had to admire the man's tenacity.

Captain Scott struck him as someone who didn't take any shit from anyone.

Definitely keep an eye on him.

"I have to go, too," Nahara blurted out, surprising himself.

Now Scott turned to him, rolling her eyes.

Nahara stood up. "I know the standard layout of the way stations. I can get us in and out of here fast, if that's what's needed. Get any equipment you need for repairs."

Scott and the gunner exchanged glances. Obviously, they didn't like how this was going.

But what choice do they have?

Finally: "All right. You two can come. But stay close."

18.

THE STATION.

"Where's the main station office?" Jordan asked, taking point several steps ahead of the group.

He had armed Naraha and Rodriguez, though he wasn't convinced either of them could handle a weapon.

He held his own pistol out, scanning the area, but his handheld thermal scanner showed no evidence of life in the immediate area.

"The station control office?" Nahara said. His voice was tight-high-pitched. "Standard layout. It's at the rear of the main building. We can access the main computers there, too."

"So where's the pod bay?" Rodriguez's voice was a bit shaky.

"Close to station control."

Jordan had taken an immediate dislike to this planet.

The gravity was Point 2 above Earth Standard, so he felt sluggish. Heavy. Slow reflexes.

The blue star that was its sun cast thin shadows; the entire world looked washed out.

Like it's fading.

Without having to be told, Annie moved to the right of the entrance doors of the main building while he swung to the left, signaling the others-Nahara and Rodriguez-to hang back.

Simultaneously, he and Annie nodded and stepped forward to trigger the automatic doors.

Jordan wasn't surprised when they didn't open.

Annie cast a quick glance at him.

"Power's out."

To Nahara: "Doesn't the terminal have auxiliary power?"

"Only for the essentials-computers and communications."

"I would think getting in and out of the building might be considered essential," Jordan said. He didn't like belaboring the obvious. But this didn't bode well.

Thinking: What the hell happened here?

Stepping over to the manual door, he pushed the metal bar to open it, but it, too, didn't budge.

Locked from the inside?

No choice, then.

He waved Annie away from the door. Then he gave the Plexi in the door a quick blast with his pulse pistol.

It shattered, spreading a wide, white spiderweb across the surface. Jordan stepped up to it and kicked it in. Shards of Plexi rained like spilled diamonds onto the floor.

As soon as they were inside, something to his left caught Jordan's attention.

Something on the floor.

A body.

Human.

He pointed it out to Annie, who nodded.

Performing a 360-degree sweep, they approached the body. Jordan wondered if Annie might be shocked by what she saw. But he'd seen enough death as a grunt fighting the Northwest Uprising.

You grew ... kind of used to it.

Kind of.

Definitely a man-or what had been a man.

His face was a tangled mess of ripped flesh. His throat had been torn away in one large chunk, exposing the glistening white knobs of his spine. His eyes so wide.

And empty.

Staring sightlessly up at the ceiling. Is that where what killed him had come from?

"Jeezus-not good," Annie said, shaking her head.

"We know one thing."

"And that is?"

"We're not dealing with a human killer."

He looked down at the scanner.

The only life signs were from the small SRV party.

Good, he thought.

Annie nodded.

"Okay. Station control's this way. Up a level," Nahara said, signaling them over to the nonmoving escalator.

Still scanning their perimeter, Jordan led the way up the steps with Nahara and Rodriguez close behind. Annie brought up the rear. Heads pivoting like searchlights.

Then, just as they reached the top, Jordan heard a noise.

A low growl.

He looked at the scanner.

We've got company.

He dropped to one knee, pistol extended, gripped firmly in both hands.

Then, down the corridor-so dark-something moved.

And then-incredibly fast-it charged, and then launched itself at him.

He pulled the trigger.

Annie yelled when she heard the first shot. She started up the stairs, pushing past Nahara and Rodriguez to get to Jordan.

"Jordan!"

Only one shot.

Jordan usually didn't have to fire twice.

But what if he missed, and...?

She heard an enraged howl-unearthly, a sound that made her stomach tighten.

It filled the air, echoing in the empty corridor.