Bieber's Finger. Craig Nybo

that the cloud would draw predators. “To the ship,” he ordered.

      The three Ice Beetles wound their way through the undergrowth toward the vessel.

      When they reached the clearing, they gawked up at the USS Arlington. A host of lights festooned its outer hull, placed in symmetrical patterns around the ship’s skin. The lights undulated in different colors, in a pattern, mesmerizing, almost hypnotic. Chi admired the Earth creatures for their innovation. The Ice Beetles had made tremendous technological strides. But they hadn’t even approached the likes of the magnificent ship.

      Something snapped in the jungle. Chi wheeled around just in time to see a flash of brown fur as a creature dashed into concealment. Without saying a word, he took chase, moving quickly over the uneven ground, using all eight of his rakes to compensate for the precarious rubble. He darted to where he had seen the creature perched on a fallen log. He stood up tall and looked through the trees and vines. Whatever had been there had fled quickly and stealthily.

      “This is disconcerting,” Gnasher said from behind Chi.

      “What is it?” Chi asked.

      Gnasher reached out with one rake and touched the fallen tree on which his commander stood. The creature had left a handful of tracks in the soft moss. “Voles.”

      Chi took the COM POD out of his exoskeletal pouch and raised Winkle, who had sequestered himself to the bridge. “How close are we to launching?” Chi asked.

      Winkle’s voice came through the COM POD, perturbed. “We’d be further along without the infernal interruptions.”

      “We have confirmed the presence of Voles in the vicinity,” Chi said.

      The line went dead for a moment. Chi’s COM POD hissed its icy drawl. Chi raised it to his mouth again. “Not to mention that every predator in the region will soon be upon us. We can’t put out a smoke signal without expecting visitors.”

      “You’d better come to the bridge,” Winkle said and clicked out of communication.

      Something in the jungle took off, running from one point of concealment to another. Chi tried to spot the creature, but it moved too quickly. “I’m going to find Goorn and get her on board,” Chi said to Gnasher. “I need you and Stig to keep watch out here. If any Voles have made it on that ship, they will multiply and we will be over-run within days.”

      “Chances are good they are on board,” Gnasher said.

      “If we wait here too much longer, we are going to have a fight on our hands that we can’t win. If there are Voles on board, we’ll deal with them in space.”

      Gnasher looked into the jungle, scanning for movement, listening for rustling. Undoubtedly, predators had been gathering since they had arrived at the USS Arlington. And if there was one Vole, there would be many more.

      •

      Chi found Goorn lying on her back in a clearing, looking up at the sky, her face relaxed into a natural smile. He watched her for a moment. Somewhere along the way, Chi had lost that youthful freeness. The wonder of life had been kicked out of him battle by battle. Chanters like Goorn seemed to hang onto that youthful energy. Chi wished he could share her optimism and light. But he couldn’t afford to let his guard down. He’d seen and done too much.

      “Goorn,” Chi said.

      Goorn slowly opened her eyes and smiled up at Chi.

      “Time to get to the ship. There are Voles in the area.”

      Goorn’s smile drooped away as she stood up. The two of them walked back to the USS Arlington.