10
Mia, The Phantom
Xenon Alpha, the moon filling our view screens, was beautiful. Unlike Earth’s moon, this one rippled in waves of reds, oranges, and browns, more like Saturn than the bare rock I was used to, Earth’s moon was always glowing silver with darker craters. I had no idea what this one looked like from Xenon itself, but the dark black spot we were heading toward reminded me, not of the caterpillar I’d imagined in the briefing, but now a black leech sucking the moon’s blood. I had no idea where that creepy image had come from, but I didn’t like this place. It felt… wrong.
“How long until we’re in range?” I asked.
“An hour, give or take.” Kass sat at the pilot’s controls as I monitored every bit of energy, frequency, or light approaching or leaving the moon. His presence, whi
