Chapter 33
Calvin jerked awake, grabbing for his comm unit. He stared at the silent, dark cylinder in his hand, unable to understand why it wasn’t blinking. He was certain he’d heard it buzzing. A grating shift and groan behind him and muttered conversation reminded him where he’d finally been exhausted enough to fall asleep.
The broad paved area in front of Marine Medical was crowded with bodies, most of them as unmoving as Calvin had been. The barest light breaking through low clouds on the horizon showed easily fifty or sixty still bodies, humans and Ajarans scattered throughout, packed in tight.
When Calvin had staggered up the hill well after sunset, he’d joined fifteen at most.
The woman wedged against him, the owner of the comm that woke him, stopped talking. She turned onto her
