Part 34 (1/2)

The Doctor chuckles again. 'Quite a feeling is it not? You can grasp and connect these ethereal filaments as though they were real. And so repair the systems.'

'Please, Doctor. I must concentrate.' He senses how uncomfortable we are at his presence. Retreats.

When he speaks again it is through the wrist-comm.

'Tovel's had some experience of the way these Schirr circuits work. Let us seek his help. Then the two of us can advise you.'

We study the schematics, brooding. We have never much appreciated the advice of others.

There's only silence as we wait. Then, stealthy footsteps.

The sound of something coming.

To continue in Creben's viewpoint, select section 18 on page 227

To switch to Haunt's viewpoint, select section 11 on page 215

3.

Frog

What you looking at? Ain't nothing going on. Except kilo on kilo of fresh Schirr meat on our bones. So unfair. You know we only joined the military to lose some weight? That and to get away from home. Maybe find a home. While we still had half a face.

Wonder how much of it we got left now.

Don't wanna think. Just gonna lie here and talk aloud. It's a good voice we got now. s.e.xy, you know? Swear we're turning ourself on here, even saying prayers. Just lying real still, praying.

I'm gonna go on feeling sorry for myself, you know. You should go somewhere less dull.

Haunt's found something you might find kinda interesting.

Switch to Haunt's viewpoint. Select section 5 on page 202

4.

Tovel

Step after step on pins and needles down the tunnel. We can't stop looking at our hands. Knew a pilot in the volunteers who lost his hands once. Not from any war.

Accident. All he could say was, 'I'll never fly again. I'll never fly anything ever again.' We felt so sorry for him. We knew what it would be like if it happened to us. Not just to lose a part of us, but the part that made made us what we were. us what we were.

Now we look at our hands and we keep telling ourself, 'I'll never fly again.' Not through pity. Because we're scared if we take us some s.h.i.+p up out into the skies it's gonna be Schirr.

A Schirr s.h.i.+p. And the Schirr'll be our best buddies and we'll take them wherever they want to go.

'You all right, mate?' Ben says quietly. He keeps looking at us. Thinks we don't see him doing it. Thinks we can't feel him sneaking inside to check this miserable tunnel looks the same through our eyes. Bill we don't blame him. He's only scared, like we are.

'Tovel?' Ben prompts us 'I'm a good pilot. Did you hear Haunt say that?'

'Yeah, course.'

We shake our head. '”Turn this thing around,” she said. Do you remember back in the control room? ”Turn this thing around before...” She never finished. 'We stop for a second.

We don't quite know how to cry with our face the way it is.

And I couldn't finish it for her either.'

Ben's silent for a few moments. Then he says: 'It ain't over yet.' He sounds optimistic.

We listen to him and we want to believe it. But it feels like a part of us is just drifting away. Watching the changes happen from somewhere far away. Cut off with no way to get back.

And then we can't walk any more. Our legs won't respond.

We stare at them. Ben calls our name but we barely recognise it. We start to beat our legs with the hands that aren't our own. We shout at them.

But we shut up when Ben starts yelling in our head. He's telling everyone we've fallen. That we can't go on any more, and he doesn't know what he should do. We hear other voices but they're vague, quiet.

It's so dark. No sign even of that stupid weed. Pitch dark.