ncontrollably. Some deep, instinctive part of her-a muscle memory from a past life-urged her to do something. Her fingers twitched, as if trying to gr

hed the

Federation capital city was a death wish. Survival

o a stop beside her, its engine a near-

expression a perfect bl

r voice sickly sweet

coin arced through the air, landing with a

ater. She didn't feel anger. She didn't feel humili

cold, wet metal. She straightened up and loo

of the coin along the expensive paint job. It left a long, ja

nd walked away, melting into the crowds

echoed behind her, but it was

he pulled up the file on Tartarus-7. It was worse than she thought. A failed terraforming project, a former min

her inside a prison. Her stomach tightened involuntarily, a cold knot of something she hadn't felt in a long time. She

Good evening, citizen," it buzzed in a synthesized New York accent. "Tickets to

nt pass at the bot's sensor. "One w

contract." It whirred, clicked, and spat out a flimsy, yellowish paper ticket. A set of glowing

supplies. The flight attendant, a surly man with a stained uniform, verified the mandatory transport voucher on her pass f

e ship finally shuddered to a halt, the rear cargo door groaned op

odel, painted in faded camouflage, with heavy treads and a boxy

m its speaker. "Identity conf

blinked

two conflicting data points: "military dependent" and "new hire." But the sanitarium's need for a cook was appar

sides, a sharp, coppery smell hung in the air, mixed with the unsettling hum of raw, u

s bag out onto the dusty tarmac. "Goo

ing to steal her rations back on Earth. The look that promised a slow, p

off, leaving her alone on the landing pad with

rey concrete, surrounded by a shimmering, occasionally sputtering ene

ts," Unit 007 stated, its mechan

credit coin still clutched in her hand. The

liation had just become her key to a new life. She could almost picture

r cele

cared about the hunt. And this wasteland, this p

cavernous entrance. A gust of cold, damp air washed over her,

ared her shoulders, and follo