deep inside their stomachs.
“Run,” said Saskia, pushing Maurice ahead. A rain of colored pebbles was falling with a lovely clattering noise.
“Stay calm…” soothed Judy. There was another crash and a sound of tearing paper. Quickly they walked to the exit. Maurice unclenched his fists as they stepped out of the hold. A wave of green apples rolled past their feet as the door slid shut behind them.
“Aleph!” Judy’s voice suddenly sounded muffled in the calm of the carpeted corridor. “Can you hear us?”
“Yes, Aleph,” Saskia said. “Why didn’t I think of him? Aleph, do something to stop this!”
Aleph’s voice spoke from Maurice’s console.
“I’m sorry, I don’t think there is anything I can do. I’m a systems repair robot, not a counterincursion specialist. I suggest you get yourself into those active suits you had delivered as quickly as possible.”
“Of course,” said Maurice, “the active suits!”
Saskia’s eyes were wide. “The suits? Do you think that FE knew we would need them?”
Aleph was still speaking. “…the outer hull of your ship is already disappearing. Do you want to see?”
A viewing field sprang to life right in the middle of the corridor. The black-and-white checked teardrop of the
“Oh, hell,” whispered Saskia. “Maurice, what have you done? They’re eating up the hull. Look. You can almost see straight into the little hold!”
As she spoke, the door to the little hold seemed to creak slightly and a pattern of black-and-white stripes came to life upon it, coming up into existence from nothing. Letters formed in the center. HULL
INTEGRITY BREACHED. DO NOT ENTER.
“Maurice, think!” said Judy. “There must be something we can do?”
Maurice gave a shrug. He felt strangely calm, now that all of his decisions had been taken away.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I told you, I have no idea. I think we should get away from this corridor, however. Those VNMs could be through the door in no time.”
“The active suits,” said Saskia. “Edward got them to stow themselves in the locker near the living area. Oh, hell. Edward.”
“Yes, what about Edward and Miss Rose?” Judy asked quietly. Maurice and Saskia exchanged looks; they hadn’t been thinking about the other two.
Maurice spoke up. “We should get the suits first, they’re closest. Then I’ll go to Edward’s room. You fetch Miss Rose, Judy.”
They ran. On past the conference room, into the living area. Edward was there already, wringing his big hands together. A glass lay on its side by his feet, apple juice soaking into the dark carpet.
“What’s happening, Judy?” he called out.
“Don’t worry,” replied Judy. “We’re all going to put on active suits. Saskia, you come with me. Maurice, you stay here with Edward and help him.”
“Active suits? But I thought they were dangerous!” Edward was now dancing back and forth. Judy had already opened the locker and taken out three suits. She passed one to Saskia.
“You carry this. I might need help to dress Miss Rose.”
Maurice pulled two more suits from the locker, their thin material sticky beneath his fingers.
“You have to be completely naked under the suit,” explained Maurice. “It needs to interface with you totally. Don’t force it on: stroke it gently; let it get used to you.”
Quickly he undressed. Edward did the same.
Maurice’s suit was green. He fiddled with the neck, trying to get it to expand. It did so, but oh, so slowly. Edward
