[Southward and a little westA thousand kilometers at bestHere in Area Fifty-oneIs where they took us, all undone.Other ships are here as wellTheir fate, like ours, is sad to tell.]

Dirck took a deep breath, refusing to believe what he'd seen as he exited to the core system, so rattled he almost logged out directly but caught himself just in time, instituting another surge of panic at what the consequences would have been.

Win demagnetized and then pried off the power chamber faring and tossed it aside. Then he started to laugh. And dance. And slap Dirck on the back. And dance some more. He was laughing so hard he was crying.'Hey,' Dirck said, the entertainment value of his friend's behavior rapidly depreciating. 'Don't you think we ought to do what we have to and get out of here, before they send another veke?

But before either of them could move a sudden blast of energy shattered the car's rear window, sending glass fragments soaring through the morning air in a lethal wave of sparkling terror.

Red, orange and green geometric designs painted its body as well as the flimsy collar around its neck. The creature flicked its tail and blinked its deep-set eyes, apparently oblivious to their presence."That's a yraglian lizards," Deven whispered. "We need to stay back. They smell really bad if you upset them. I mean, really, really bad."Dirck nodded, unsurprised that the first native creature he encountered on Cyraria represented it so well.

[Psi waves travel far and wideFaster than the speed of lightLimitless is their domainTime does not their rate detain.]

With his hair tied back and about three days worth of beard Win looked more like a vagrant than a comm guru. Except for those keen, blue eyes. Eyes currently alive with that uncomfortable piercing quality, as if he were reading his mind.

Since cristobalite amplified and focused psi waves, understanding and reason were quickened to peak performance.

Creena's eyes met his and her heart leapt with raw, uncontained emotion.

Oh, yeah. They killed him, all right. Some guy, who just happened to be linked to Troy, walked into a Territorial Caucus and toasted him with a lasomag.