“YOU LEFT THEM?!” JC yells.

“Hauser will protect her until Maxtin’s contingent arrives,” Scott says.

“I get Amye voting for this but not you, Scott,” JC scolds.

“Australia’s the first officer. It was an order.”

“It’s not healthy to leave her.”

“Did you sense something?” Scott asks.

“No. I just don’t like Australia not being on the Dragon.”

“I know you had future visions,” Scott says.

“It’s not a vision, Scott.”

“The sooner we reach Guil III, the sooner we return to Australia,” Amye adds.

“The final hyperspace jump will take half a day. Do we know anything about this planet to expedite our search?” Scott says.

“I’ve searched the ISN. There was a planetary survey conducted by the IMC. There are pyramidal ruins on a northern continent and some sealed information labeled…vis majeure,” JC reports.

“Are you sure?” Amye asks.

“You worked for them,” says JC

“Raised by them,” Amye corrects. “It means an unexplainable reason for dropping a contract. The IMC never lets go of a contract.”

“There is no one to make a contract with. The planetary reports show no intelligent life. It’s a jungle world with little animal life.”

“And no mineral value,” Amye mumbles to herself.

You know what’s there.

“We search the ruins first,” JC suggests.

“Local, but every planet offers mineral deposits. The IMC would take a loss in profits if it meant preventing competitors from using a competing source,” Scott says.

“The cat has to know something,” Amye snaps.

“Nothing. And the Hex Darmight yields no more information,” JC says.

“If Reynard’s not near the ruins, it would take months to scan the planet for a single life-form.”

He’s dead. You’ll never find him.

“We’ve already taken weeks to reach him,” Amye says.

“He’s alive. He just has to find a focal point to our reality.”

“Dig through the IMC reports. You’re best qualified to decipher them. Find what reason caused them to abandon the planet.”

“I don’t like this. The IMC doesn’t neglect a planet once they have scanned this thoroughly. Something drove them from that planet.” Amye turns her head toward the voice in the control station next to hers. Kymberlynn uses the armrest as leverage to suspend her body long enough to tuck her feet under her.

You know what happened.

“Don’t look so surprised. You know I’m not dead. The IMC had hidden agendas about their hidden agendas,” Kymberlynn says.

You know how they are. What they do.

“You know how they operate,” Kymberlynn reminds her. “If you love him, remember. You know how to save him. If you hadn’t failed your test, you’d be with me right now.”

“I don’t need to go through the scans. If JC accessed this report on the ISN, it’s the public version. Doug should mask her search. They track who’s investigating certain planets.”

“Suggestions, Amye?”

“We’ll never access any ligament survey information. Only what they want people to know. But if they didn’t release the planet for other mining operations to stake a claim…they’re monitoring for something valuable.” Amye turns to Scott. “Once we slip from hyperspace, scan for high-orbiting satellites in a polar orbit.”

“Brilliant.” Kymberlynn claps.

“If there are any, hack in and check the scans for the last twelve days since Reynard disappeared. Any energy disruption on the surface will have been recorded.”

“What makes you think there will be an energy signature?” Scott asks.

“Crossing interdimensionally has to leave behind some kind of energy. The Sandmen may do it naturally, but an Osirian will need mechanical means,” Amye says.