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That glow I knohat was casting that light I knohat’s shaking the pod, causing it to twist and turn and ignore its instructions to laze about in deep space waiting for the cavalry

It’s a planet That glow is soravity is dragging the pod down, interfering with its guidance syste, and that’s if weif we’re lucky

Miss LaRoux’s ’s too loud, lifting to a rumble and then a roar as the air inside the pod heats up I have to shout to ainst the roof of youratOld Chinese "Relax your jaw You don’t want to break your teeth or bite your tongue We’re crashing" She understands now, and she’s s to shout back I close ravity inside the pod falters, then slaain, so my harness cuts into s with a hoarse shout I can’t hear

The air outside the pod h the atravity now, but suspended as we’re pulled up against our straps by our acceleration toward the ground below For an instant Miss LaRoux meets my eyes--we’re both too shocked, too shaken to coister that she’s silent, not screa her head off like I would’ve expected Then there’s an iainst the pad behind it so hardmy chest strap, because I nearly dislocate

We’re both tense as the sudden silence draws out, waiting for the pod to connect with the ground, wondering if the parachute will reduce the ih that on’t end up s crash, and so across the outside of the pod, and then we’re turning over, upside down The storage locker bangs open, sendingthat it doesn’t connect with us

The pod jerks again, ricocheting wildly, tuainst my straps over and over, thrown back and forth, until finally we settle It takesThough I can barely tell which way is up, I realize I’ht I feel like I’ve been tra to understand what’s happened Soive a damn where I’m alive

Or else I’m dead, and I’ve ended up in hell after all, and it’s an escape pod with Lilac LaRoux

Neither of us speaks at first, though the pod’s far fro, harsh and hoarse Hers co not to cry The pod pings audibly as it cools, the sound slowing and softening

I’ers and curlwithin the confines of the straps No serious dah Miss LaRoux’s head is down, her face hidden by a sheet of red hair, I can tell she’s alive and conscious fro around for the release on her straps

"Don’t," I say, and she freezes I hear how it sounds--like an order I try for so her For a start, she won’t listen toif it rolls again, Miss LaRoux Stay where you are for now" I releasemy shoulders as I push carefully to et what she’s done, and I’m sorry for her It’s the same white, pinched, blank face I’ve seen in the field

Two years ago, I was a brand-new recruitthe field for the first tirabbed my arm and hauled ht where h soet blown to bits, soood soldiers

There’s blood on her neck where the backs of her earrings have punched through the skin, and her face is so pale that I knohat’s co to be sick," she says in a choked whisper, and then she’s pressing her lips together again I reach up to hold on to the hanging straps and stand with ht I can’t rock the pod, which ht," I say, in the saentle voice that worked onto one knee in front of her and helping her with her straps "All right, hang on a h your nose" She whi to her knees on the rid floor That’ll leave a mark later

I flip up the seat of the spare chair, and sure enough there’s a storage locker underneath it I lift out the toolbox and set it aside She understands es of it, back arching as she retches I leave her to it, getting to work hauling open the hatches of the lockers and storage co There’s a water tank, the silver wrappers of ration packs, a first-aid kit rubby rag stashed inside one, and hold it out to her as she lifts her head She stares at it dubiously--still blessedly silent--but finally takes it gingerly, using the cleanest corner to wipe her mouth