We arrive at our destination, a long, low house. Plants grow on the flat roof, and a public park stretches in front of us, with an artificial lake in the middle, fountains of water shooting into the sky.
Domes come in standard sizes. I’ve been in all kinds—the crowded, squalid ones, the ones that are plasteel and glass jungles, nary a plant in sight. The Noturn domes are about the most spacious, airy, and welcoming ones I’ve seen, and they’re cleverly designed. Trees, bushes, and shrubs provide natural filtration. The water dampens the resonance. The environment is both beautiful and practical.
“This is nice,” Naomi exclaims. “I have to be honest—this isn’t what I imagined a mining planet would look like.”
“Me neither,” I reply. I wonder if this is the work of Director Lashi’vi. The Cindifin Fourthborn has never set foot on Noturn—it’s too much of a risk—but the settlement nonetheless bears her touch.
We enter the house. The front door opens into a long rectangular space. In the front of the house is the kitchen and a living space. In the back is a large refresher and an even larger bedroom.
The floofs are in the living space, still in their cage. Smart move by Resi. As soon as we walk in, they shriek, hoot, and chitter indignantly, letting us know how badly they’ve been treated, and lamenting about their suffering.
I roll my eyes at the fuss they make. Naomi, who has a softer heart than me, lets them out. Predictably, they bound off in three separate directions, ready to inflict maximum chaos.
I want to stay with Naomi. Watch her snuggle the three monsters. Walk through the house and watch her discover its features.
But I'm acutely aware that I'm on borrowed time. “I need to talk to the others,” I murmur. “Will you excuse me for a few minutes?”
“By others, do you mean Sixth? He’s a scientist, isn’t he? Are you going to get a second opinion on what happened to you?”
She's pretty perceptive. “Yes.”
She flashes me a blinding smile. “Good.” Then her expression grows serious. “Watching you faint was the scariest thing ever. I really don't want to have to go through it again.”
The scariest thing ever? The rogue scientist tortured her for months on end, and she withstood it with courage. And she’s afraid of me fainting? I don't know how to respond to that.
“I'll make sure it doesn't happen again.”
She laughs. “You’re going to will yourself better? If anyone can do it, Danek, it’d be you.”
A door from the bedroom leads to a small, screened-in porch. The floofs haven’t discovered it yet, so I make my way there, shut the door, and activate a cone of silence around me. Then I comm my brothers.
They immediately shimmer into existence around me. Kadir wears a frown on his face. Someone who doesn’t know him as well as I do might think he’s annoyed, but I know better. Kadir is anxious. “You landed over three hours ago,” he says tersely. “You were supposed to check in as soon as you touched down. What happened?”
“You worry too much,” I reply lightly. “Did anyone ever tell you that?”
Sixth comes closer to me and stares at my face for a long instant. “Your color doesn't look right. Something is wrong.”
Kashrn. I was hoping to lead up to this in a way that wouldn’t cause them to panic, but it's too late for that. “I had something of an extreme reaction to Noturn,” I say lightly. “The moment I got out of the shuttle, it felt like my head was being squeezed in a vice. There was an overwhelming amount of pressure.”
Sixth’s brows draw together. “And it's gone now?”
“For the moment. According to the scientist here, those with a high concentration of Draekon genes are more susceptible to Noturn’s resonance field.”
“Interesting,” Sixth says. “But irrelevant right now. Danek, do you have a med kit?”
I had a feeling Sixth was going to ask for it, so I grabbed it from my luggage before I commed my brothers. “You need a blood sample?” I ask, holding it up.
“Yes. Ruhan, can you connect me to Danek's med kit so I can look at the results?”
“Piece of cake.”
“Cake?” They look far too worried for my liking, and I seize advantage of the diversion. “Why are you talking about cake? Are you hungry?”
Ruhan chuckles. “It's something Lani says. It's a human expression. Sixth, you're in.”
“Good.” Sixth is all business. “Danek, stick a vial of blood into the scanner, please.”
I stab a syringe into a vein. Bright blue blood gushes into the vial. When it is full, I detach it and drop it into the med kit’s scanner.
We’re all silent as Sixth examines the results. “Oh, this is not good.”
“What is it?”
“For starters, your blood pressure is dangerously high. Your nitrogen levels are elevated. Your heart is beating faster. All of this is affecting your central nervous system.”
“I didn’t understand a word of that. Pretend I’m not a scientist, Sixth, and explain using very simple words.”
“Did you lose consciousness?” he demands.
“Yes.”
Mirak inhales sharply. Kadir’s expression darkens. Damn it.
“How long were you out?” Sixth continues relentlessly.
Damn it again. Any minute now, they’re going to start to fuss. “A little over two hours, I think. The scientist injected something into me. I think it was called—”
“Cranisum,” he replies. “Yes, I can see its effects. It's providing some temporary relief, and your genes are doing the rest. But this planet is not good for you. Normally, you are pretty close to invulnerable. You heal fast. You can't be easily hurt. Right now, none of that is true. On Noturn, you are mortal.”
“It’s like kryptonite,” Ruhan interjects. “Ah, okay. The story Lani told me finally makes sense.” Kadir turns to look at him, and Ruhan shuts up. “Never mind. Not important now. Pretend I didn't say anything.”
“I have to be careful while I’m here, right? That’s what you’re saying to me?”
Sixth shakes his head. “No, you need to get out of there. This is damaging your body,
