From the yawning rift comes a deep, thunderous roar, and with it, a detonation of blinding light.
Amid shrieks of the monsters, the starship's terminal hisses with static, and Asimov's voice cuts through the chaos—
This is Babylonia, broadcasting on all frequencies. Priority emergency relay to the F.O.S. starship—
Distress signal received. Babylonia will guide you home.
First, make for the F.O.S. Monument. Remove the manual physical seal and activate the deep-space beacon.
Then restart the main engines. Full thrust, synchronized to the beacon. Babylonia will be waiting at the outer perimeter.
We're out of time. I don't know how much of this transmission is getting through, so commit this—
Unlock the deep-space beacon inside the monument. Restart main engines. Maximum thrust.
And leave everything else to us!
Deep-space beacon, engines...
The F.O.S. Monument and the engine room both lie at the starship's stern, a long way from the fragile safety they've carved out here.
...Can we actually pull this off?
Doesn't matter. We're doing it.
The F.O.S. Monument stands on the opposite shore of the Fog's endless sprawl. Vanessa stares across at it, then lets the last of her doubts fall away.
Let's move. Safe zone first. We should regroup with the Gray Raven Commandant.
Nearby, in another compartment, Alpha is still hunting the giant Chimera.
Strangely, the creature wants no direct confrontation, bolting the very moment she draws near.
■▃▂■■▇▃█▂▄▇■▃█—
It appears to be in tremendous pain. Its life is draining away...
...
