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‘Ilke!’ barked Jancz.

She shifted the muzzle back a fraction. ‘Yeah?’ Her reptilian eyes glistened through the suit film at him. Then she blinked in recognition. She gave a belly laugh and glanced across at her partner. ‘He’s the one we took the ’zoon from.’

Ludjer Jancz didn’t blink an eyelid. ‘I know. Kill him.’

MIRA

I know you, Mira Fedor.

Mira felt a shiver run through the biozoon’s outer skin. She sat up straighter. Sal?

You remember me.

Of course. You helped me.

I have communed with your mate, Tasy-al, who rests alongside me. What are you doing here, touching me?

Sal, can you let us come aboard? W-we cannot reach Insignia, and we’re in danger.

I can see that.

Mira waited. She knew, from her brief encounter with the hybrid once before, that it was perverse and damaged.

I have news for you. I have a new captain, it said finally, almost jauntily, ignoring her plea.

Ludjer Jancz is not good for you, Sal. There are others that would be kinder. He took you illegally.

Not him, the hybrid scoffed. Jancz is no longer my captain. It made a sighing noise. I have moved on.

Would you ask your captain, if we might board?

I could.

Sal, Jancz is dangerous. He’ll hurt us. Please …

Sal remained silent as Jancz and his Balol partner got out of the TerV and approached them.

Sal! Mira cried.

I don’t need to concern myself with your problems, Mira Fedor.

The other one has a weapon. See … she will kill Josef.

Josef? The hybrid’s tone sharpened. Who is this ’esque that you call Josef?

Josef is your true captain, your legal captain. Do you remember him?

The sound of a series of explosions froze them all, delaying the hybrid’s reply. Across the dunes, Medium cracked open, its skin ripping apart like watery overripe fruit. The glow grew brighter as an enormous glittering carapace emerged, shivering and shaking bits of the ship’s outer hull from itself.

Even Jancz and Ilke stopped and turned to watch.

‘Josef!’ called Mira, recovering first.

Josef, repeated Sal.

Mira’s cry shook Jo-Jo from his trance, and he lunged for Jancz. The pair tumbled into the sand and wrestled.

Jo-Jo was the stronger of the two, but neither of them was a match for Ilke, who casually stepped forward and lifted them apart. She let go of Jancz, dropping him to his feet. Then, loosening her weapon again, she shoved it under Jo-Jo’s jaw.

My Josef? exclaimed Sal.

Si. Jancz tricked Josef and stole you. He’s been looking for you ever since.

The Post-Species stole me?

What do you mean, the Post-Species?

The corporeals, Ludjer Jancz and Ilke.

Jancz and Ilke are Post-Species?

Of course. Sal sounded perplexed and irritated by Mira’s ignorance.

Then yes. The Post-Species stole you. And they’ve been cruel to you, binding your fins.

The hybrid emitted a sound somewhere between a screech and a squeal, and shifted in the sand; an impossibly large floundering whale, its tail pounding the dune and its gills venting odd noises.

Mira crawled away from its side.

‘Crux!’ shouted Jancz, backing away towards the TerV. ‘Ilke!’

The ’zoon’s cephalic fins began to strain against their cruel restraints. Each screech seemed to stretch them further, and sent more sand and rocks blasting out from underneath it.

‘Ilke!’ bellowed Jancz again. But the Balol was transfixed, glancing between the strange creature emerging from the discarded skeleton of the Extro craft and the thrashing squealing ’zoon before her.

When one of Sal’s cephalic fins ripped free and wavered in the air though, Ilke began to run. She leapt into the TerV, and Jancz sent it skimming up over a dune.

But the ’zoon was quicker than them. It flicked its freed and powerful fin in an arc, and slammed the vehicle.

The TerV split apart, tossing Jancz and Ilke into the sand.

The fin lifted and pounded the bodies again and again, until there was nothing left of them but fin marks in the sand.

‘Josef, look!’ cried Mira, pointing. Sal’s egress scale had opened. ‘Sal‘s letting us in.’

Jo-Jo got to his feet