CHAPTER 9
Bria walked to the end of the spoke, where it opened into an empty bay lined with huge, ominous machines. She walked past them without hesitation, turning to the open hexagonal gateway on the left that opened onto the outer ring of the station. The gate did not close. The floor in the ring did not resist her. She made quick progress, until she came to a small, empty chamber in the ring hall. She estimated that she had come more than half way to the bay where the Ulltrian ship waited. In this smaller chamber, blue light gleamed from small, harsh lights lining the wall. A pale line revealed a round portal in the center of the floor, closed over the ocean, and the metal creaked against the growing water pressure as the station sank. Somewhere water dripped, leaving a hollow
