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“Tongue,” the Gold cooes still He knows I’ve been in vacuum

“Expect hostiles,” he tells the group

Ping…

Thedown the hall toward us A Gray shoots a flare The red light illule warrior He swirapple gun to build velocity “Ger him down”

But the alien warrior stops He swims back and forth between the walls “Naka, rheket zü Fá!” he bellows A stunted metal crown seems to be fused to his naked head “Naké, rheket zï Uud”

A low groan rolls down the throat of the hall from his fellows

“Fáaaaaaaaaa”

Ping…Ping…Ping Pingping­pingping­pingping

Dots swar frorunts They shift their defensive position

“They’re too big,” the Gold corrects “They’d never fit”

“They have sa says

Even in panic, the Gold is impressive He wheels, face absolutely still “How small?”

Volga puts a flat hand above my head, and lowers it to my clavicles

The Gold’s lips tighten and he draws his razor and pushes toward the ducts Then blue light bathes us as the gravLift doors open from behind No lift presents itself fro in the blue dark

He is the biggest human I’ve ever seen