FSE

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formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 10

"And that's when the guy said, 'I don't know how those bottles got there.' Like fifteen hundred bottles of bootleg Franzian ale just magically appeared on his ship."

Jason laughed along with Steve while Meriah tried to find some frame of reference in the story. It was so far outside her experience that she didn't know if it was a joke or if it was simply an amusing story. From the look of the other Mrr'tanou across the table from her, she wasn't the only one having trouble.

Stargazer was not what she expected when she met him in the docking bay halfway through unloading the cargo that was slated to be shipped to the surface with them. He stood even taller than Jason, which meant he towered over her by a good meter and a half. He was tall and lanky and he looked like someone had stretched his limbs out for him while he was growing up. Everything was in proportion, though, just that the proportion was skewed vertically.

He had some of the most intricate patterns Meriah had ever seen in another Mrr'tani's fur, and she couldn't stop tracing them as they made their way through his fur. She knew that he'd caught her looking more than once, but the amused look on his face told her that she had nothing to worry about. The thing that surprised her most about him was the readiness with which his mind linked with hers. With Jason dampening the links for her, she couldn't acknowledge what had happened, and he was calm and easy-going enough that she couldn't tell if he'd felt the link or not. Until she knew more, though, she didn't dare try to find out.

"That sounds like that old bat you found trying to take Avalonian Lion pelts stuffed in her luggage. Who did she say she was?" Jason asked.

"Princess of Praetoria!" Steve answered with raucous laughter. Meriah just shook her head. Some of the names were sounding familiar to her, after the reading that she was able to do before she left Silverwell, but she'd never been to these places, and she didn't have a frame of reference. Finally, she decided that she'd had enough of being on the sidelines.

"Pardon, but why is it funny that a princess was transporting pelts?" she asked. "We're not royalty and we're transporting elk hides and S'cree feathers."

Steve gave her a good-natured grin. "My dear, Praetoria is ruled over by men. They're an old style of government and religion, and the day a woman becomes princess is the day that old Hades will finally grow its ice caps back."

"Hades?" Meriah asked, shaking her head.

"Where did you say you found her, Jason?" Steve asked, not taking his eyes off Meriah. "She's so quaint."

"Met her on Silverwell," Jason answered, slipping his arm around her shoulders. "Marcus told me she needed a ride, so I picked her up. Didn't know how handy she was, though."

Meriah glared at him and punched him lightly on the shoulder.

"Hey!" he growled, grinning widely. "You are. You're downright good to have in a fight."

After the altercation with Lucian, she'd taken the bandage off her ear to try to forestall any other questions about it. When the bandages were off, though, it hadn't returned to its usual erect position. Instead it was still bent over and she couldn't move anything but the base. She was just thankful that she didn't have the bandages around it any more.

"So the customs guys told me," Steve said shaking his head. "I went back and watched the footage and I can't tell you how satisfying it was to see that little goon running out of the Pride with his tail between his legs."

"It was even better that Meriah here slapped him hard enough that if it wasn't for the lip on that hatch, he'd have rolled down the ramp on his ass. Damn trackers."

"Everyone must earn a living," came a soft voice and Meriah's eyes were drawn to Stargazer. "It is unfortunate, however, that some choose to earn it by ensuring sentient beings are murdered."

"Why don't you sugar coat it a little, Stargazer," Jason said with a snort.

"Angry words serve no purpose, Jason. I tried to teach you that when we were together in Silverwell, but you listened then just as well as you do now."

"They serve plenty of purpose," Jason retorted. "They make me feel a hell of a lot better."

"That is your affair, then. Use them if you wish, but I will continue to refrain."

Jason shook his head and Stargazer turned his eyes on Meriah. It wasn't until she met his gaze full on that she noticed the uniqueness of his eyes. Deep purple irises surrounded the distinctive cats-eye pupil, but there were flecks of silver scattered throughout the purple background.

"Why did you choose to leave Silverwell, Meriah?" he asked. "There are not many who do."

Meriah was silent while she thought about her answer. She didn't want to tell this Mrr'tani the wrong thing.

"My master, Marcus, granted me my freedom after I saved his life and the life of his mate. I have never been off Silverwell and I wished to travel." That sounded good enough to her. "I wanted to see the places I read about in his library."

"Marcus is a tolerant master, but I have never heard of him allowing anyone access to his library, let alone a servant. You must have held a special place."

Meriah paused again, frantically searching for a reason that Marcus would have let her into his library, something that wouldn't arouse suspicions. As she was wracking her brain trying to find something, there was a gentle tug on the link between her and Stargazer. She narrowed her eyes and watched his face. The only sign he gave of noticing was a subtle quirk of his lips.

He knows, she thought to Jason.

Of course he knows, Jason thought with a touch of humor. I imagine he figured it out the minute I asked Steve to bring him along. He'll be our introduction to the elders when we get to the surface.

And you didn't think to tell me? Meriah asked.

Sorry, I thought you'd figure it out.

Meriah shot Jason an angry glare and made her disapproval plain over the link before she went back to speaking to Stargazer.

"I was his gamekeeper," she said. "And I was his friend."

Stargazer nodded and regarded her for a moment longer with his serious eyes before he finally smiled.

"If Marcus considered you a friend, then I will do no less. Welcome to Avalon, Meriah."

"Now that you all have the introductions out of the way, suppose you tell me what you've got for me, Jason," Steve said.

Jason pulled a small package from his pocket and handed it across to Steve. When he opened it, Meriah recognized the small bag inside as one of the ones that the laborers on the estate used to store things. Steve opened the flap and Meriah smelled a pungent spice from within. He shook out a little of the contents, spilling a small pile of dark and pungent-smelling dried leaves.

"Ah, just perfect," Steve said, lifting his hand to his face and inhaling the scent. "Marcus always gets the blend just right."

Meriah looked curiously at Jason and cocked her head to the side.

Later, Meriah, he thought to her. There are things you have yet to learn about doing what we do. But don't worry, I'll teach you in time.

Meriah left her comment unsaid and turned back to Stargazer.

"You're going to come down to Avalon with us?" she asked.

"I am. You'll want someone other than a spacer to introduce you to the Mrr'tani in Rawsss'a'Mrr'sarr."

"Hey," James said, shooting a glare at Stargazer. "Us spacers aren't that bad!"

"Indeed," Stargazer replied with a serene smile, "but though you are known there, you do not have the recognition to introduce another."

"Alright, alright. You've got me there," James said as he stood up to get another round of drinks from the bar. Meriah sipped gingerly at hers, still not fond of the taste of alcohol.

"When do we leave?" Meriah asked, trying to conceal her eagerness. It didn't seem to work.

"When James and Steven are finished conversing," Stargazer said with a pointed look at Steve.

"Cool your jets, furry ears," Steve said, grinning. "The two of us haven't seen each other in ages. We've got some catching up to do."

"I see," Stargazer sighed. He regarded Meriah for a moment longer and his eyes wandered to Jason when he came back to the table. "Then perhaps you'll allow me to steal your copilot for a time while the two of you finish your business. It seems the proper thing to do is offer a tour."

A subtle tug of curiosity and concern made itself known through Jason's mind to hers and she nodded. "I'd like that," she answered.

Remember that we're still joined, Meriah, Jason thought to her. If you need anything, I'll be there.

I'll be fine, Jason, she replied. Besides, I have to learn to do things for myself out here in the wide galaxy.

"Go on, you two," Jason said aloud, making a shooing motion with his hands. "Shuttle's slated to lift at three quarters seventh, so don't be late. I don't want you costing me money, Stargazer."

"I shouldn't dream of it, my friend," Stargazer answered, standing and holding his arm crooked for Meriah.

Meriah slid her arm into his and they walked out of the bar together. The physical contact between them made it harder for her to hold her mind back from his, but she managed with a little bit of effort, still cautious and wary about making her full presence known to the stranger, even though Jason trusted him.

He said nothing while they walked and he started down a corridor that was lined with windows. It seemed to run the circumference of the station, and every window that they passed offered a view of the planet below. She forgot about Stargazer for the moment and let her eyes drift out and over the huge green sphere.

"This is your first time off Silverwell, isn't it?" Stargazer asked.

Meriah nodded. "Yes. Well, no, I was born somewhere else and brought to Silverwell by my parents, but I can't remember that. This is the first time I remember being off Silverwell."

"It is the same. Though things that happen before our consciousness can remember them do have an effect on us, the wonder remains for the first memorable experience."

They stopped walking and Stargazer led her to one of the windows. "Avalon is almost everything anyone could wish in a planet in this galaxy. The climate is temperate with an exceedingly long growing season, and even at the equator, it stays quite pleasant. If you desire snow, there are resorts at the poles known the galaxy over for their skiing and other winter sports."

Meriah chuckled, eyes drifting to the small bit of white that she could see at the very top of the sphere. "I do enjoy winter, but I prefer spring and fall. Hunting season was my favorite at Airgidbaile."

"Of that I have no doubt," Stargazer said, grinning. "I would expect no less from Master Marcus' gamekeeper." He looked down at her and when he spoke again, his voice was soft. "I was saddened to learn of Lyria's passing. I understand you were her apprentice."

"Yes," Meriah said with a nod. "She taught me everything about being a gamekeeper."

"She is missed terribly by those who knew her. She was a genuinely decent Mrr'tanah."

"Thank you," Meriah said quietly.

"If you would like a truly magnificent view of the planet, I know just the place. I will warn you, though, that it is not well frequented by most, so if you feel uneasy being away from others, then it may not be the best location."

Meriah gave him a lopsided grin. "Is it that obvious?" she asked.

"Not at all," he answered. "I have merely dealt with many who are newly off their worlds, and many who are newly free. Many Mrr'tani have a great deal of trouble learning to trust others."

"That you told me from the start about it being quieter and more alone makes me inclined to trust you, Stargazer. And James seems to have faith in you. That's good enough for me."

"Very well," Stargazer said, turning down the hallway.

They stayed silent for the walk to the elevator and for the descent within. It wasn't until the doors opened once again that Stargazer spoke again.

"Come, but please be mindful of your step."

Meriah followed him out of the elevator and her breath stopped. Just outside the lift was a raised platform suspended in the center of a plastisteel bubble. A railing wrapped all the way around to keep visitors safe, and she could see a small hatch off to the side that she assumed led to a ladder. When she stepped to the railing, she could see all around her, the stars burning steadily off to one side and the entirety of one hemisphere of the planet visible below and to the other side.

"It's beautiful," she said, voice breathless.

"Indeed. I always find time to come here at least for a few minutes every day. It reminds me that there is infinite beauty in the galaxy, and I am lucky enough to witness it every day."

"Those are good thoughts to have," Meriah said, still trying to look at everything through the bubble.

"I will admit, though, that I had another motive for bringing you here, one that I could not be honest about on the deck above."

There was a sharp pang of reluctance coming from his mind and Meriah turned towards him. Her hand moved instinctively to her belt and the knife on it.

"Do not worry yourself, Meriah," he said. "I will not harm you. Far from it."

He looked over her head at the star-speckled blackness and Meriah could feel him gathering his thoughts. Finally they settled down and his eyes met hers again.

"I know what you are," he started simply. "Though I cannot feel you as I have been able to other Frr'a'narr'ahn, Jason would not have called for me for an introduction if it wasn't the case."

"He said you would know," Meriah said cautiously.

"I suspected. But the way that he acts around you confirms it. He's careful not to draw too much attention to you, and with that he is flawless except to someone who knows him as well as I. But there is something else as well. He cares for you."

"Yes," Meriah said with a smile. "We've become close friends on the journey between Silverwell and here."

"Indeed," Stargazer said. "You may open your mind to me, Meriah, should you wish. You do not have to work so diligently to keep yourself concealed."

Meriah considered for a moment and then relaxed the rigid control that she was exercising over the link to Stargazer's mind. The link flared again and pushed to the fore, just as strong as James' link was.

"Ah, as I suspected," Stargazer said. "You are a Frr'a'narr'ah of the Mountain clan. I am also of the Mountain clan."

"Is that why you're so...bright?" she asked.

"Yes. Clanmates will always be stronger in your mind than others." Stargazer closed his eyes and breathed a deep sigh. Contentment filled the link between them, something deeper and more satisfying than Meriah had felt before. When he opened his eyes, he chuckled.

"Forgive me. It has been so long since a Frr'a'narr'ah touched my mind. You must know the feeling that comes with the Mrr'ouwff. The feeling of completion."

Meriah nodded. "It always feels right when another one forms, but no one else has ever reacted that way before."

"While I am not one with the gift, I am sensitive to the Mrr'ouwffi. I've only felt it twice before, and none have been as fulfilling as yours."

Meriah didn't know what to say, so she said nothing, choosing instead to watch Stargazer and bask in the emotions she could feel from him.

"I am sorry for being so withdrawn at dinner, Meriah. When Jason invited me, I thought I knew what was going on. I expected to meet you and then to hear later on that you were caught and sent to the council. But having been in the same room and not having felt a thing from you, that is something that I've never experienced with any other Frr'a'narr'ah."

Meriah ducked her head and brought her eyes back out to the planet, feeling Stargazer step up behind her. She didn't want to hear what he had to say, and everything in her told her to demand he stop, but she couldn't.

"I can see now why Night Star has chosen you."

"Lucien called James that when he came on board with the customs inspectors. Why?" Meriah asked.

"It is his true name. Every free Mrr'tani has a human name, the one that the masters, or sometimes even our own parents give us. It is the one by which we are known to the galaxy. But we also have our true names. It is the one by which other Mrr'tani refer to each other. It is a sign of our freedom."

"Is Stargazer your true name?" Meriah asked.

"Yes. Steven and James both use my true name, as I consider them both the best of friends. I would die to protect either of them, and they would do the same."

"Why do you call James by his human name, then?"

"He prefers it when he is outside Rawsss'a'Mrr'sarr. It allows his dealings to go more smoothly with the humans, since he doesn't feel the need to set himself apart from them. The humans see a benefit in that."

"I can understand," Meriah said. "I tried to fit in all my life in Airgidbaile."

She looked out the window at the planet that was so very different from the one she grew up on. This one had air that could be breathed without the aid of domes covering whole cities. It had forests that could be seen from all the way up here. She could make out rivers snaking their way through the landscape and she wondered what it would be like to not have to live under a dome.

"It makes you feel small, doesn't it?" Stargazer asked.

"It makes me miss Silverwell," Meriah replied quietly.

"While I cannot help you return there currently, I can perhaps ease the sense of loneliness. There is a courier ship leaving tomorrow and her first stop will be Silverwell. Perhaps you would care to write a letter to master Marcus?"

Meriah smiled and turned to lean herself against the railing, putting Avalon out of her vision and out of her mind for the moment.

"I already have one. Will they take more than one?"

"Of course," Stargazer said. "How many?"

"I used to write letters to Lyria every day after her passing, but since I've left Silverwell, I've started writing them to Marcus, to my father, instead."

She smiled when she felt the amused shock at her announcement of Marcus as her father, but it settled down quick enough when he finally worked out what she meant.

"Ah, Mistress Susan. It makes much more sense now. Only someone close to Marcus' heart would be able to have unfettered access to his library."

"Now you know," Meriah said.

"Indeed." Stargazer looked over her once again at the planet hanging in space and then turned and offered his arm once again. "If you are finished admiring the view, we should return to the bar. I assume that whatever nefarious dealings Steven and Jason have going on have concluded by now."

"Lead the way, Stargazer," Meriah said as she slid her hand into the cook of his arm. "If you don't mind me calling you by your true name."

"There is none that I would wish call me that name more, miss Meriah," Stargazer said. There was an emotion behind the words that she'd felt before when she was lying in bed with Jason curled around her. It was a determination and a dedication, but it was deeper than simply friendship. With the way it felt in her mind, she knew that there was much more to be discovered about Stargazer, and to her surprise, she was looking forward to learning even more about him.

***

By the time they returned to the bar, Steve and Jason were both laughing again and there was a lavish spread of food on the table between them. It looked like they'd hardly even touched it.

Even with Meriah being as cautious and on guard as she was, dinner was still a happy affair. Between Jason's stories of his travels since the last time he had been to Avalon and the banter between him and Stargazer and Steven, she found herself quite entranced. They all seemed content enough to let her be her quiet self and just sit and listen to them all.

Eventually, the evening wound down to a close and Meriah, Jason and Stargazer bid Steve good night before heading back to the docking bay. By the time they arrived, the first shuttle of cargo was already on its way to the planet, and all that was left was to take the three of them down. Meriah eyed the small shuttle dubiously and Jason must have felt her trepidation because he sent a comforting wave of assurance down the link.

"Don't worry. The pilots fly these things down all the time. If it comes down to it, I can fly them too," he said, laying a hand on her shoulder.

Meriah tried to take comfort in his words and his confidence, and it did help, even just a little, to hear him say it. She nodded and walked beside him to the hatch, then climbed inside. It was a small craft, with only two rows of seats behind the pilot's compartment. Eight seats plus the two in the front, and it was only slated to take the three of them.

The human pilot quirked a curious eyebrow at her as he watched her from his seat, and she noticed his eyes lingering on her bent ear before they settled on her face. She turned away and found a seat in the rear row near one of the windows, then made herself busy strapping in, looking up only when Jason sat himself next to her. Stargazer took a seat on the other side of the center aisle in the same row.

"All set?" the pilot asked.

"Yep," Jason answered. "Ready to go."

"Got her all buckled in?"

Meriah glared at the pilot and Jason chuckled. "Why don't you ask her?"

The pilot looked properly chastised and nodded before fixing his eyes on Meriah.

"Do you need any help, miss?" he asked.

"No," she answered simply. She could feel a part of herself wanting to be more polite, and to thank the man for his concern, but she could also feel the part deeper inside her that took strength from Jason's resolve. It was a part of her that she didn't realize that she had, and she recognized it as being tired of being talked down to by humans.

The pilot looked at her for a moment longer, as if he expected her politeness to win out, and when she said nothing and stared back at him, he shrugged and turned his seat around.

A wave of pride flowed over her and she looked up to Jason's face in time to catch a pleased nod.

Remember, Meriah, his voice said in her head, you're free now, and you bow to no one.

She answered him with a shy smile and soon she felt the rumble of the shuttle's thrusters coming to life beneath them. It wasn't the spectacular liftoff that her last had been, with the Pride blasting itself free of Silverwell's gravity on a plume of smoke and dust. In fact, if it wasn't for the fact that she saw the docking bay walls moving outside the window, she wouldn't even have known that they were moving at all.

The industrial metal walls of the bay gave way to the star-speckled blackness of space and even the visual sense of momentum disappeared. She watched for a few minutes and then turned back to the interior of the shuttle. Stargazer was leaning back in his seat with his eyes closed, his breathing even. She smiled at the restful, dreaming energy she could feel along his link.

"I feel like I'm going to be out of place down there with the free Mrr'tani," she said quietly, not wanting to disturb Stargazer.

"Don't worry, Meriah. All of us who were owned felt that way at the beginning. We're all taught to be suspicious of free Mrr'tani, so we've come to expect that newcomers will feel uncomfortable at first. You'll get over it, though."

Meriah opened her mouth for another question when a sharp stab of anxiety hit her mind. She turned her head to the front and her good ear perked with interest. A bright red light flashed on the panel in front of the pilot and a moment later, a loud alarm sounded.

Jason had already noticed Meriah's attention shift, and she knew by now that he'd felt the same stab of fear that she had. He was up and out of his chair faster than she could say anything.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he bolted to the seat next to the pilot.

"Port stabilizer's gone and it took the fuel line with it. We're venting," the pilot replied. Meriah noted the terse professionalism in his voice, able to recognize Jason's competence even through the stress.

"Can we abort, head back to the station?" Jason asked.

"No, we're too far in the gravity well. We're going down one way or the other."

Meriah listened, feeling the tension ramping up. She gave a gentle nudge down Stargazer's link and felt him stir and then wake beside her. It only took a moment for him to figure out what was going on and the awareness slowly filled the connection.

"Stargazer!" Jason called from the front. "Get the fuel line. Behind your row under the deck panels!"

Stargazer unbuckled his belts and heaved himself over the back of the seat, then started tossing deck panels aside. Meriah heard a hiss and the rumble of the engines quieted some.

"It is done!" Stargazer called as he stood up. Instead of returning to the seat he was in, he sat beside Meriah and buckled himself in. He took a moment when he was done to look over her harness as well.

"You may want to hold on, Meriah," he said quietly to her.

"Lock the fins back. We'll ride the thermal shield through the atmo and then glide. I've got twenty seconds on the counter-grav chute," the pilot said.

He and Jason worked well together and Meriah felt the concentration between them. It was like two wires just barely off plane, though, in her mind, and she knew that they could work better if lent her help. With barely a thought, she touched the two minds together within her and thoughts began to flow between them. She sensed an awareness in Jason of what was happening, but the pilot was too busy with his controls to notice the shift inside him. She was counting on the human being too blind to her kind to know what was happening or to be curious about it.

Fire flowed against the skin of the shuttle and she watched the flames lick at the outside of the window as the shuttle shook around her. There was hardly a need for spoken commands between the pilot and Jason, so the shuttle was eerily quiet save the rumbling of turbulence.

Another part of Meriah's mind reached out to Stargazer, and she felt his utter confidence in Jason's ability to get them out of this. She took comfort in that, and even more in the feeling of Stargazer's hand when he reached across the seat to take hers. He caught her eyes and nodded as the turbulence slowed, leaving only the rush of wind against the hull.

A loud clunk sounded on both sides of the craft and when she looked out the window, she could see a wing locked into position. She craned her neck and looked down in time to see a large carpet of forest stretching out beneath them, moving slowly as the wings began to catch the air and carry them horizontally. It was still moving up to meet them faster than Meriah was comfortable with.

"It's going to be rough," Jason said. "Stargazer, no matter what happens, you stay with Meriah."

"I understand," he answered.

"What do you mean, 'whatever happens?'" Meriah asked.

"We're going to crash. The counter-grav isn't going to slow us enough to make it easy."

Be still, love. If something happens, Stargazer will take care of you. She heard his voice and felt his calm and she let it enfold her.

"Okay. Just get us down safe," she said.

"We'll live, at least I'm sure of that."

Meriah nodded and looked back out the window, breath fogging the plastisteel as she panted. She watched the ground coming up even faster to meet them and her hand squeezed tight against Stargazer's.

"Everybody hold on!" the pilot called.

Stargazer wrapped both his arms around her and pulled her body forward, covering her body with his. They waited for what seemed like endless seconds and then the world erupted in sound and motion as she felt her body almost folded in half.

"Counter-grav active. Brace, brace, brace!" the pilot called.

Meriah wanted to look up, wanted to find James, but she could still sense him, his mind flowing into hers. She opened the walls between them and between her and Stargazer and let all three flow together. The seconds seemed like years with the three of them joined, but before she was ready, there was a tremendous crash of shattering plastisteel and rending metal.

The shuttle was built to withstand emergency landings, and it did exactly what it was supposed to do. Pressure points buckled and shifted the stresses away from the passenger compartment. It didn't prevent all the damage, though.

Meriah caught sight of the shattering windscreen from the corner of her eye and she saw the gout of blood erupt from the pilot's seat as one massive shard impaled him and pinned him through the chair. His body stopped the splinter, though, saving Jason from the same fate.

As the ceiling crumpled, one of the conduits fractured and was blown inward, propelled by the force of the erupting coolant and the momentum of the shuttle's impact. Stargazer saw it in time to pull Meriah to the side, and though he managed to save her life, the hot metal shaft buried itself in Meriah's thigh, spearing its way through her flesh and cauterizing as it went.

Meriah's scream of pain was drowned out by the remainder of the carnage being wrought around them, and she felt her grip on consciousness fading. A sharp jolt from Jason along the link kept her awake even against her overwhelming desire to sink into oblivion.

Stay with me, love, he called to her. He and Stargazer both lent her mind strength and together dulled and shared the pain enough to keep her awake. When the shuttle finally rested, the pain was finally just bearable.

A quick check along the link let all three of them know that the others were alive, though there was no question as to the pilot's condition. His body was still pinned in the seat and his blood soaked every surface of the cockpit, including Jason's fur.

Jason was the first to move, dragging himself out of the chair to make his way back to Meriah and Stargazer.

"You're both okay?" he asked.

"I am unhurt," Stargazer said through gritted teeth. "But Meriah is injured."

Jason knelt down beside her and surveyed the damage while Meriah tried to keep breathing. Her breaths came more as ragged sobs than the deep breaths she was trying for.

"It's not bleeding, but there's coolant everywhere," Jason said, prodding gently. Every time his finger touched her, her vision dimmed. She leaned her head back to keep from throwing up.

"She will need a physician soon," Stargazer said. "You know what the coolant will do when it is in her blood."

"I know, Stargazer. It looks like the wound is sealed, so we'll hope for the best."

He looked out the window across Meriah's body and there was an unmistakable press of anxiety and frustration. Meriah turned her head to the plastisteel and her heart fell when she looked out.

They were perched on the side of a hill and as far as she could see, there was nothing but the forest canopy.

"Well," Jason said, grim determination coloring his voice and the link, "looks like we've got some hiking to do."