Page 3 of Fallen from the Stars

As he caught his breath, rain fell on his back. Its rhythm seemed deliberate, as though it were part of a song primarily played by instruments he could not hear. He closed his eyes and let himself feel everything — the drumming rain, the wet, rough sand beneath him, the rasp of briny air in and out of his lungs, and the throbbing aches in his limbs.

He pushed himself up slowly and climbed atop the egg-like object. He slid his palms over its surface to locate the tiny seams he’d felt before, but they were too narrow to even slip a claw between, and he could identify no release mechanism nearby. Even the edges of the glass seemed to blend smoothly into the rest of the exterior, offering no purchase for the tips of his claws.

Vasil rolled onto his back and turned toward the sea. The roiling waves were black and foreboding, but the sky bore the faintest hint of gray — a whispered announcement of approaching dawn? It felt as though days had passed since he’d leapt into the water to chase the unknown object. Could it only have beenhourssince he’d been on the beach near his den, contemplating what relationship he might hope to build with his daughter now that her parentage had been confirmed?

He lowered himself from the object and moved onto the long grass bordering the beach, where he eased onto the ground. Fumbling around in the dark wasn’t likely to release the woman, especially when he knew nothing about the object’s purpose or functionality. But he couldn’t just leave her locked inside. If she yet lived, there was no guarantee of her continued survival. What if her air supply was limited or somehow tainted?

What if she was already dead?

He swept trembling arms and tentacles over the ground in a feeble search. All he needed was a rock with enough weight and he could attempt to break the glass.

His eyelids drooped, and his head dipped unintentionally. He shook himself, clawing at alertness, but his mind remained oddly hazy.

Breaking the glass could do her harm, and Arkon…Aymee…they are not here to tend her if she is wounded…

His limbs gave out beneath him, and he sagged onto the grass.

No one to help her.

Imust help her.

He raised his head to look at the object, but it was too heavy to hold up. Everything was too heavy.

Vasil sank into darkness; it washed over him like seawater at high tide.

Chapter 2

“Theodora. Theo! Theo, wake up!”

Theo gasped and jolted forward as her eyes snapped open. Her harness cut into her chest, stealing the breath from her lungs. She struggled against it, yanking at the straps, but it held fast. The air felt thin; despite her rapid, ragged breaths, she couldn’t get enough oxygen.

“You need to exit the pod,”Kane said through their neural link. He’d been the familiar voice inside her head for years, and hearing him grounded her enough to ease her panic. If only a little.

“No shit,” she rasped.

“The pod’s internal systems have been damaged. You will need to use the manual release for the hatch.”

“And what am I going to find out there? Am I going to be able to breathe, or is the air going to kill me?”

“Yes, you’re going to die when you open it. It should be a slow and painful death, quite entertaining for me. Or you can just stay put and fall into a gentle sleep.”

Her groping fingers finally found the harness’s buckle. She pressed the button, and the straps’ restrictive pressure finally relented.

“Your sarcasm is so not helpful right now, Kane. Remind me to have you wiped and rebooted the next time I’m in for evaluation.” Pulling her arms free, she swept her hair out of her face and leaned forward, extending her arms to twist and pull each of the four emergency releases around the hatch two at a time. There was a loud hiss.

“You’d never do that, Theo.”

Breath ragged, Theo rolled her eyes. “Of course I wouldn’t.”

She placed her hands on the hatch and pushed. It didn’t budge until she moved off the seat and bunched her legs beneath her, opening just a crack. Salty, chilly air flowed in through the gap. The hydraulics kicked in a moment later, and the hatch swung upward to its fully-open position.

Theo inhaled deeply as she stared up at a gray, overcast sky. The air was sweeter than anything she could remember — nothing like the heavily filtered, recycled air she’d been used to for most of her life.

“Well, I’m not dead yet,” she said, straightening her legs to stand upright.

“Yet,” Kane emphasized.

“Dick. Oh wait, you don’t have one.”

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