39 Michiko braced herself as the warship entered the netherscape. She remembered the negative light. She would never forget it. The ship moved, then stopped. Moved, then stopped. The very rhythm made her remember her first visit here. The light was too bright; she couldn't see anything. But she knew what was coming. “It's okay for now, everyone,” she said. “They're just ingesting us.” “Fantastic,” Keltie said. The light faded. Outside, the negative netherscape grew clearer. A rocky, barren landscape. She gulped. The last time she had been here, her three friends had died. Ashley, Rudy, and Hassan. They were the reason she was here, the reason she was back. Yet she didn't feel any more powerful. The sucking mouths roared. MAWHRGH! MAWHRGH! MAWHRGH! “Those things sound viciou

