Distant Horizons/Chapter 2

Chapter two

Shia woke up with a start. He listened. But the only sound was the constant scraping of the internal computer chips and the beeping of the instruments. Shia looked around. There was nobody else in the chamber. Hando, Trisha, Ghoel and Ghai were nowhere to be seen. Shia felt uneasy. Cold. Afraid. There was something awkward about the situation here. He was alert. No sound came from the other rooms. He had remembered that Hando put the engines on full thrust, but there was no sound coming from the engines of the ship. Slowly, confused, he walked down the corridor to the bridge. He entered the cockpit. Neither Hando, nor Ghai was present, and so Shia sat down in one of the pilot chairs. He felt light, almost weightless. And although he was alert and aware, he could hardly feel the cold on his skin. He peered out of the viewport, and was met with perpetual horror. Straight in front of him, a huge black sphere blocked his view. Inside there was nothing, no light, no matter, nothing. It came closer. Closer and closer each second. The space around them became blacker and blacker. Until the huge shape engulfed the Distant Horizons. At that moment, Shia felt a surge of unbearable heat and energy, as if both his body and mind were being slowly destroyed. He surged and wretched. Then he fell to the ground. He vomited all over the floor of the ship. Blaring white lights went on. The worried faces of Hando and Ghai loomed above him. And then suddenly he felt cold, he realized he had had a nightmare. Around him the rest of the crew knelt on the floor of the sleeping quarters. The long, big lipped face of Ghoel loomed on the ceiling above him. The lights were on, making a faint electric hum. Ghai Fek held a blinding white torch and waved it to and fro in Shia’s eyes. Hando knelt by him on one side, Trisha on the other. “T’sall right, I’m awake” groaned Shia. “You were thrashing around like hell man” said Ghai, his tone worried and scared. “What did you see?” asked Trisha. She sounded worried and concerned as much as Ghai did. Shia shifted a little. He had fallen out of bed and had landed on one of his Lekku. And that hurt. His head tail was probably badly bruised. When he shifted, he felt a warm wetness near his head and realized that his Lekku was bleeding. But what had he seen. He shuddered. What was that? Was that a... black hole? He tried to remember. Whatever it was, it had seemed real. Incredibly real, more than anything he had seen before. “What did you...” “Yeyea, wait” said Shia, still trying to concentrate. It had been normal. Almost like real life. He had walked down the aisle and into the cockpit of the ship. And there he had seen it. Something huge and dark and powerful, powerful enough to obliterate their ship and everybody inside. A black hole. Black holes could destroy anything. Ships, planets, perhaps even stars. Still, it was just a dream. It was by far the worst dream and the worst physical and mental experience he had ever had, but it was still not real. Every passing second, the images began to drift away from his mind. The huge black shape became less and less real, until could hardly even picture it. “Never mind, Trisha” sighed Shia, “never mind”.

Hando stretched in his pilot chair. The olfactory organs below his eyes tingled. He blinked. The smell of the twi’lek’s vomit still reeked across the ship. He worried about Shia, wondered what had happened to him. Probably just a common illness. Damn, this situation was getting worse by the minute. First the life support issues, and now people were becoming sick. Hando knew there was one battered 2-1B medical droid onboard, battered, rusty and probably dysfunctional. And if they all got sick, he didn’t believe any would survive. Trisha entered the room. “Good’ Mornin” grunted Hando. Trisha didn’t reply. Hando smirked. Firstly, it wasn’t morning. It was space, and it could be any time of day. And secondly this morning was hardly a good one. Below them, a field of space rocks drifted through space. They had reached the asteroid field, but Hando questioned why he had decided to go here. There was nothing here, absolutely nothing but frozen rocky debris. Slowly, the ship Distant Horizons came back to life. Somebody bustled around in the kitchen, Shia maybe. Ghai plodded past the cockpit on his way to the aqua-sonic shower. Ghoel’s head extended from the ceiling and turned to the door, and the Wol Cabbasshite slid through into the corridor. Hando turned to Trisha. She didn’t look at him. Obviously, his fiancée was troubled about their relationship. And he could understand it all. He knew girls could be very emotional about life, especially when things started not being perfect. But he thought again. Trisha was being annoyingly emotional, and not talking to him. But she did not care about perfection and an easy life. She had fought as well as all of them. And she had not changed her attitude when Hando was injured. Or when he was sick. Or when he was taken into captivity. They had sometimes fought and quarrelled, but always made up afterwards. And this time, Hando was aware of what was troubling Trisha. It was that they had spent no time together. For he knew that whether Trisha was fighting arguing with him or kissing him in bed, she needed his company. He looked at Trisha again. She stared out of the view ports pretending not to see him. He grinned at her, and then he started to laugh. Very slightly, the corners of her smooth green mouth began to crease upwards in a smile. Hando sighed, and gently put his hand on hers. She turned her head to him. “C’mon Trish, were in this together, yea?” he said. Trisha hesitated, and then finally nodded. Hando knew this was going to get uncomfortably emotional pretty quick, and although he loved Trisha, he still preferred to have a fun and quirky relationship rather than something overly emotional. Just then Shia entered the cockpit, followed closely by Ghai. Ghai’s right arm was stretched out, and Ghoel hung from his elbow. “There you are” Said Hando, as Shia came and sat in one of the passenger seats. “And just in time” he muttered quietly to himself. Obviously not quiet enough, for at that moment, Trisha glared at him scornfully, her red eyes angry and frustrated. “Whatever”, he thought. “You okay Shia-Boy?” he added. “Yeah, I’m good.” The twi’lek replied, “I don’t know what I had. Maybe something I ate, I dunno” Hando gave a sigh of relief. It wasn’t like that single vomiting fit had gotten Hando worried about the twi’lek dying, but still the prospect of ever loosing Shia hurt so much that he had to force it out of his conscious mind. “Hey people put yo earrings in” said Ghai. Everybody immediately inserted their magnetic scramblers. Ghoel could now speak. “Okay people” said Ghoel, and followed with what sounded vaguely like the Vacuum-breather equivalent of a yawn, “I don’t need talk. Ghai, could you put me on the Ceiling please.” With a shuffling and amused sniggered from Hando and Shia, Ghoel was stuck back on the Ceiling. “Thanks” he muttered. Hando turned away and looked back out of the view port. He was taken by an immediate shock which caused him to flinch. Shia remembered his nightmare, and shoved past Ghai to look out of the viewport. The asteroid belt disappeared a few thousand kilometres in front of them in a huge Nebula. Suddenly, Hando raised his hand and pointed out of the viewport. “Hey, I think I know what we got here.” He said, “I think this asteroid field is actually an Oort cloud.” “A what cloud?” muttered Ghai. Hando looked back at him. The big herglic was not even looking at him, paying no attention and staring at Ghoel, who had stolen a roasted Sarlacci from him. Hando turned back to the viewport. “Shia, my point is that I think we might have just entered a star system.” “Wow, for real” grunted the twi’lek, “so?” Hando smiled. “We go into the nebula and look for planet.” Suddenly Shia felt the spine tingling shock, the need to vomit and shiver. Yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get sick. The duros turned to him. His red eyes were worried. “Something wrong?” he asked. Shia didn’t reply. Something struck his mind. He had the worst conscience imaginable. He was one hundred percent certain this would end in disaster. “No” he said. “We can’t. We can’t go through the nebula”. “Why not man” demanded Hando, passively. “What do you mean why not god ‘dammit” shouted Shia, “you got no idea have you? You’d open the fucking airlock if we told you to, you’d have walked in to a fucking rancor pit if you had too many. Why the hell are you deciding on Kriff-all idea like that man? There could be anything in those, quote, “lovely white and red clouds”. These places are too dangerous.” “Damn Shia, calm down brother” exclaimed Hando, “tell me, what’s up.” “You don’t get it do you?” replied Shia, more calmly, “nebulae are lethal. There could be space storms in there, baby stars, nuclear flares...” “Oh yeah sure” said Hando, annoyed, “and probably also a million black holes and shit like that. Trust me man, that shit is told by mad, lost spacers.” “Yes, exactly” said Shia, “and we are mad, lost spacers, in case you haven’t noticed, or do you call flying straight into a nebula a sane idea.” “Whoa you...” “And you won’t know whether these spacer tales are true or not until you find out yourself. I thought we had enough problems. There’s probably nothing, yeah sure, but there could be Oswafts, Nebrays, space slugs, space dragons, you know. And of course everyone thinks of this as a myth, but half of these myths have turned out true” Hando sighed and chuckled hysterically. “I never would have taken you for a coward, Shia.” “And I never took you, Hando, for a blistering fool and insane space junkie” Trisha stared at Hando, and Hando rose from his seat. Just then, the Distant Horizons entered the nebula. It became cooler and darker inside. Ghai looked up. His eyes widened and glinted. He looked worried. Ghoel was still. He gazed through the viewport. “Shia, you just relax” said Hando sarcastically, “I know you’re in a bit of a state”. Shia felt a surge of primal fear anger, hate and aggression. He lunged at Hando before the duros could sit back down. He grabbed his shoulders and pinned him to the wall. “I’ve been playing around with you for long enough Hando” he whimpered, “we always do shit your way. You’ve never taken my advice.” Hando was silent, still in Shia’s grasp. The nebula outside turned a darker, colder colour. Currents started to whip the ship about. There was turbulence. But as the ship swayed and jerked, Shia still held firmly onto Hando, and everybody was silent. Shia peered out the viewport at the raging wind currents in the Nebula, and then turned back to Hando. “You see. This might very well be the last of your terrible decisions.” Hando snarled and shoved Shia. Whatever this half insane sucker wanted, he wasn’t going to get it. “Yeah, sure brother” he said savagely, “This is what you want, fine. YOU GET IT YOU GOD DAMN...” “That’s enough” boomed Ghai. He pushed Hando aside with one arm and Shia with the other. “Okay, right, Hando, I suggest we get out of here. We’ve already taken enough damage.” “Oh, yeah, so you’re in charge now are you” said Hando, “THIS IS MY SHIP”. “But this is our lives Hando! Don’t you get that? Were supposed to survive not take stupid fucking risks like this.” “I’ve got a fucking...” “We don’t care if you have a god damn blaster” roared Ghai. “Yeah, Jabba the Hutt got shot 5 times by storm troopers and got away with a few burns” shouted Shia. “Jabba the Hutt was killed with a fake gold chain by some girl from the rebel alliance” shouted Hando. “Why the hell are we talking about...” The ship rocked, and Ghai crashed to the ground. Hando drew a blaster. Shia drew a blaster. And on the floor, Ghai drew a blaster. “I’m set for stun by the way” growled Ghai, “I don’t like killing my friends.” There was silence. “What’s that” gasped Trisha out of the blue. Hando turned and faced Shia. “She’s seen a space slug!” he gasped mockingly. Instinctively, the twi’lek’s gaze darted to the viewport. “There it is” said Hando, “See it”. But Shia didn’t move. He was frozen to the spot. Ghai looked up from his place on the floor, and his face twisted. He began to sweat violently. Ghoel too, was transfixed, gazing out of the viewport. Suddenly, Hando realized his dilemma. A terrible, cold shiver crept slowly down his spine, and he felt the fear eating away at his mind, his soul. Hando began to tremble and shiver. Slowly, he turned his head towards the viewport, and was met with an unspeakable horror. The nebula was wild. The black clouds of swirled around violently, and the ship began to shake. In front of the ship, a huge vortex was swallowing the gas and dust. Is whirled about violently. “PULL UUUUUUUUUUUUUP” screamed Hando. But no use. The ship rocked and turned over, and it was snagged by the vortex. The crew of the Distant Horizons was shaken and tossed. Hando was flung against the transparasteel viewport. In a futile effort, he yanked at the drive leavers. The ship shook with the force, but continued to move inwards. Hando looked up. The clouds parted. In front of his nose, Hando saw it. He was face to face with the most dangerous thing in the universe. A huge sphere of total darkness. A black hole. He saw the very light in the cabin twist and bend. He felt queasy and sick. The black hole came closer and closer. It swallowed gas, asteroids, debris, everything. Hando stared back, the rest of the crew were writhing and squirming, in mid air, but to no avail. Hando tried to scream, but no sound came out. He couldn’t even expel the air in his lungs. Hando felt a tug, and watched, as his body started to stretch. He became longer and longer, thinner and thinner, and the cockpit of the Distant Horizons became narrower and narrower. He watched as the hole became more and more close. And then, with horrible screech, the Distant Horizons was swallowed. Hando saw the world distort and blur around him. Suddenly, his mind slowed. His body slowed. Time slowed down, until everything gradually came to a halt. Hando could actually feel thoughts creep through his brain. He gave the mental command to raise his head. A few seconds later, he began to gaze out of the viewport. His eyes peered towards the centre of the hole. Nothing, absolutely nothing, could be seen. A few seconds later, his head obeyed a brainwave to look backwards. He turned. The light in the shuttle distorted Hando, and everything looked long and bent. His head was about half a mile from his shoulders. He saw the stretched body of Shia drifting in the endlessly long cockpit. The twi’lek was in tears, long thin tears. He looked at Hando, but now there was no anger in his gaze. Only love. Only caring. Then suddenly, in the distance, at the back of the hundred mile cockpit, a huge light blazed. Hando felt a spark of power, raw energy. His head turned back to the viewport. The centre of the blackness was no longer there. Just a huge, blinding white light. Suddenly he could move again. He felt queasy as the cockpit shrunk again, and then grew again, stretching in all directions. He felt the life go back into him, as his body was energized. Powered hot and alive. Hando felt amazing. He felt like he could hurtle the Galaxy into oblivion. He felt as powerful as a supernova. He flashed his gaze around, and looked everywhere at once. Everything was hyper-alive, aware, and powerful. The Distant Horizons came closer to the blinding white spot. Until at last with a surge of raw power, the ship tore into the light. The power was incredible. The ship was hurtled around endlessly. Hando, Shia, Ghoel, Trisha and Ghai spun around faster and faster. Every now and again, Hando saw the white part, and the familiar space reappear. He saw the white dots of stars, the black void, and every now and again he felt the familiar worldly feeling. Happy memories of space began to come to mind again, and soon Hando began to laugh happily. He remembered the smuggling runs, the fights with imperials, and new republic. The Distant Horizons spun faster and fiercer, and more and more black space showed. Soon, the crew became more and more alive and aware, and soon they were all laughing merrily, watching the spin go faster and faster, the white grow less and less, until at last, with a surge of energy, the Distant Horizons was hurled away. Hando fell back down to the ground. The familiar feeling of space travel. He watched as the stars spun around in the sky, sometimes nearly turning to star lines, sometimes bringing forth faint tinges of the blue of hyperspace, but gradually slowing down. Slowly but surely, the Distant Horizons came to a halt. Hando Likir collapsed back in the pilot’s seat. He and the rest of the crew panted, trying to get their breath back. Then they began to laugh. Hando kissed Trisha’s lips and the two were silent, while the rest of the crew laughed on in sheer joy. Hando turned to face Shia. The twi’lek was already gazing at him. He nodded to Hando, and smiled. An enigmatic smile, Hando thought. What he really meant, he was still unsure. However, Hando smiled back the same. He turned his chair to face the rest of his crew. “What was that?” he whispered. “That” said Ghoel through his earpiece “is a White Hole.” “A White Hole” grunted Ghai, “I think I might have heard of that before.” “A white hole” said Ghoel, “Is our link. If a black hole in one universe connects with a white hole in another universe, a bond is formed, through which we may pass” “What?” gasped Trisha. “Are you seriously suggesting that were... yes. That would all add up.” “Cringe on it or accept it, my friends” spoke Ghoel, “but we are here. In another universe. With no way out.” “Suppose that means I don’t have a price on my head” muttered Shia. “Yeheeea,” laughed Ghai, “Id seriously like that scaly monster Bossk to work this out. He won’t fall on the idea, no way. Unless he’s stupid enough to land in a black hole.” “Like us,” added Trisha. “Trandoshans often commit ritual suicide in situations such as those,” said Shia, rubbing the slightly scarred back of his right Lekku which he had landed on while falling out of bed. “So would I,” countered Trisha, “so would anybody with more sense than us.”

“Hey Shia,” said Ghai, “Didn’t you say that the bounty hunter Cad Bane...”

“From the same crazy black hole-loving species that Hando comes from, yes I knew him. Please continue.”

“Hey why are you still so mad at him Shia,” cried Trisha, “Thanks to him you won against, like, a million bounty hunters?”

“And got sucked out of the universe to somewhere we can never live” growled Shia, “I’d like to see you try land on the nearest planet in the nearest system in the nearest galaxy in the nearest cluster in the nearest supercluster in the nearest whatever-cluster. I mean we haven’t even got the Hyperdrive. And don’t forget were in a different universe. There could be any random unknown laws of physics and all that, all the fabric is probably filled with antimatter, and we don’t even understand the laws of time around here. I mean, were completely lost.” “You know, Trisha, Shia’s got a point. If I had a huge price on my head, I’d rather run from the bounty hunters rather than hide somewhere you can’t get out. And, yeah okay, you don’t need to give up all hope, but don’t try landing anywhere around here, seriously. I mean, when two different types of matter collide, they make a real viscous blast. You take like a teaspoon of alien matter to our universe you can use it to blow up a city, but if you land a 500 tonne freighter made up of something out-of-universe, well; you blow up a planet... probably” “More importantly you blow up yourself” grunted Shia, “I mean you don’t know what I’ saying brother. Subatomic particles and Gamma rays is what you turn into.” “Okay people, calm down,” sighed Hando. “I admit I was wrong, taking you here.” I’d thought that was a normal black hole back there, I mean, I thought we’d all just gradually get spaghettified into atomic width. But we didn’t. And now, yes, we are lost. And this time I am sure there is no way out. But one thing I also would care to remind you all of is that we are not much more hopeless here than we were back in our own universe. I mean, we’d been drifting, in empty space, for months. If we hadn’t all worked till we collapsed on the floor, we could have been suffocated, killed and eaten by baby sarlaccs, smashed by asteroids... anything.” “So what your saying is here there are no sarlacci or asteroids, and the life support recharge works, and so now we simply have to wait until the food runs out, is that it?” groaned Shia, spitefully. “Before this happened, there was a small chance of somebody rescuing us, but now, there is no chance of anybody rescuing us, especially since we seem to be in complete blackness, with no stars anywhere...” “Really?” said Trisha, “I thought...” Trisha looked out of the viewport. Her eyes were met by the most outstanding sight. There was nothing. Absolutely nothing in the sky. She saw nothing. There were no stars, nebulae, galaxies... “What the kriffing hell?” gasped Hando. Suddenly, Ghoel’s head darted down from the place he had been cowering, and the wise Wol Cabbasshite spoke: “I think I know where we are he said” At that moment, the sky lit up. The light came in through the viewport, and the crew of the Distant Horizons was temporarily dazzled. And as the light faded, Hando saw a huge ornate wall of light. Around the ship, a series of gleaming doors appeared, leading away into gleaming light tunnels. The walls changed colour, from pink to purple, to blue, to red, and huge chandeliers appeared above the ship. Walls changed to floors, and the ceiling appeared in different places. It was like a palace. Not a king’s palace, but a god’s palace. A gargantuan palace in space. Endless glowing white corridors appeared in all places. Stretching onwards for what could be thousands of kilometres. Ornate decorations and works of art adorned the walls. The insides of this palace were so huge, that the ship flew through them. “OH.........MY...........GOD” whispered Shia, as the Ship flew through the amazing scenery. “This is a subject of Wol Cabbassh legend” announced Ghoel, “and of the beings from my home planet many actually believed it exists. I couldn’t help having a hunch that it existed, even though it seemed so impossible. But now, as we fly through it, I finally have the answer.” “What is it” gasped Ghai. “It is the core of the Multiverse” whispered Ghoel. “And it can take any form you wish. All you must do is think of what you want.” Ghai’s expression was confused, but Hando took the chance. He had grown up on the dry, arid planet Duro, but what he wanted to see was the opposite. He wanted to see life, nature, and magic. He wanted to see a forest. One of the magic forests he had seen on the HTV when he was small. And so he thought, and concentrated and wished. Immediately, the scene changed. Instead of a grand, clean palace, the space around them turned green. Huge rocky spires rose from below, and above, a blue and crystalline sky came into view. Goosebumps began pocking Hando’s skin as he shivered slightly at the beauty of the surroundings. He was completely bedazzled, confused, but at the same time he understood everything that was transpiring here. From below, coloured stars and sparks began to rise slowly, as if by magic, and huge trees began to move out from the oblivion below. Coloured fairytale-mushrooms began to rise from the ground, and creatures began to crawl from the rocks. It was like an early morning in a magical forest. Dew was rising from the ground, and the leaves from the trees were dripping and wet. A small, cool, white moisture vapour cloud hit the cockpit and blew around the view port. Suddenly, Hando realized he had made himself an atmosphere. “Switch to repulsorlifts” cried Shia. They were going to land, for the first time in months. And now, they were going to breathe fresh air. Hando leapt up in surprise and ran out of the cockpit. Ghai Fek then laughed; “Come on, let’s go!” Ghai grabbed Ghoel from the ceiling and ran after Hando, and Shia and Trisha followed. Hando raced to the airlock and opened the inside blast door. He took a deep breath of the stale, artificial air of the ship. Almost a pity, for he had gotten so used to the stale air, he had almost felt a sense of belonging. He put his finger on the control panel. He took another final breath. Either he would die instantly or he would taste the fresh air he had always craved. He would take his chances. His heart was pounding inside his body. “No need to wait”, he muttered to himself, and he pushed the button. Slowly, with a noisy creak, the rusty outside airlock began to open. A blast of air rushed past Hando, almost knocking him off his feet. Beside him, Ghai laughed. And Hando held his breath. The airlock door rose, and for the first time in months, Hando saw the surface of a world he breathed in deeply, the cold, damp, fresh rainforest air. He wanted this breath to never end. He wanted to fill his lungs forever, and he did try, until he couldn’t breathe in any longer. He coughed and spluttered, and found himself gasping for breath, breathing the rainforest air, enjoying it, loving it. He looked to his left, and saw the others. Shia’s face seemed to be deep in thought, his eyes still, his expression bland, his Lekku flapping in the wind. Hando gazed back out over the landscape. Unlike anywhere he had been before, there was no horizon. The trees, the rocks, and the rising mountains went on endlessly, to a point where the eye could see no further. Hando looked downwards and shuddered. Down below, he saw chasms which went down and down. Forever he thought grimly. Ghai Fek broke the grim silence: “Oy Hando, I’m going back to the pilot station. Think about landing somewhere, eh?” he boomed. “Yeah, good point,” called Hando, “put her down. Anywhere. I would like to know where the Hell we are.” “Acknowledged,” cried Ghai, and strode back inside. Hando looked back out. He loved the coolness of this place. Even though the wind was beating on his face, and small drops of rain were beginning to fall from the grey sky overhead, smacking so hard against his brow that he wondered if they were hail. He soon realized that they were. Hando winced as the wind blew stronger and more furiously. Tiny chunks of ice began hurtling at his face, peppering him. “Uhhh,” cried Shia, “forget it guys!” And the green twi’lek strode back into the ship for cover. “Oy Hando,” cried Ghoel through his earpiece, “make this place change!” “I thought Wol Cabbasshites could survive in space,” cried Hando. Trisha then spoke up, her voice somewhat breathless and raspy: “Come on Hando, d’you think were gonna explore this place in this?” “Why don’t you do it? It’s not like Ghoel gave me some special power” “Oh fine, wait.” Trisha concentrated, and closed her eyes. She imagined Coruscant. One big city; with huge towers and bustling streets, malls, shops, hotels, operas, everything she could ever want. She saw the alliance rebuilding the senate. She saw the scaffolds on the Jedi temple. The picture was clear in her head. And now, this place should look like this as well. Shouldn’t it? She opened her eyes. It was colder than ever. Now it was hardly as beautiful as it had been minutes ago. It was no longer a stunning, damp, early morning scenery. It had slowly changed into a dark, rainy, windy storm. “Hando!” cried Trisha. “Okay, sorry, I’ll try, just...” A huge bolt of lightning lit up the sky. A crack of thunder shook the ship as if it had been hit by turbolaser. Hando staggered back. Trisha glanced down. She saw his boot slip and he lost his footing. She dashed in and grabbed Hando’s arm with hers, and she grabbed the side of the airlock with the other. Hando fell, and dangled, holding onto Trisha’s arm. Hando’s hand was wet with sweat and moisture. It began to slip out of Trisha’s grip. Trisha looked down in desperation. “Hold on to me,” came the voice through her earpiece, “quick!” Trisha glanced back at Ghoel. His expression was sincere. She pulled herself up with her free arm, and with all her strength, she latched onto Ghoel. Ghoel pulled. Hando’s hand slipped further, and he and Trisha held onto each other’s fingers like hooks. The cold made Trisha’s hands numb. She tried to pull, but her muscles seemed dead. Ghoel pulled with everything he had. Trisha gazed down at Hando, and she saw the determination in his face. With all his might, Hando grabbed hold of the Ship’s platform with his free hand. Trisha released him, and Ghoel released her. Hando shook his aching hand, and then gripped the platform. Slowly, the Duros pulled his freezing body back up onto the ship, and sprawled on the floor. Trisha dragged him inside and shut the airlock, and then pulled him to his feet. He raised his hand signifying the need to catch his breath, and then finally raised his head. Trisha had leaned him against the wall, and was herself pressing against his body, smiling seductively. They both watched silently as Ghoel turned the corner into the bathroom. Trisha then turned to him. “Okay?” she said softly, casually, rocking to and fro away from him. “Sure,” he grunted. “Clearing about 40 clicks ahead,” called Ghai from the cockpit, “you want me to put her down?” “Yeah,” answered Hando, “and then we can rest, ya?” “Sure,” cried Ghai. And as if by magic, the sky of the jungle-world they were in darkened, and night fell over the core of the Multiverse. “Good night people,” cried Hando as he and Trisha made their way to the sleeping quarters, “tomorrow we’ll see what this place has got.