Chapter 12
Atower of ice, the illuminated edge of the ice plate thrust up out of Europa’s surface at a 45-degree angle, grew bigger as the aliens flew at its base towing Europa Nick’s space cabin. The ice was dark and mixed with streaks of red and orange, pitted and shadowed. A small hill of ice that had calved from the underside of the ice lay tumbled beneath like rubble from a devastating earthquake. It must have been something, the release when this plate burst up out of Europa’s flexing surface. Like a super-earthquake back home, the plate giving way to be shoved nearly two hundred meters up into the air.
Nick hadn’t lessened his grip even though it wouldn’t matter if the team crashed into the base of that ice tower. If they were determined to dash themselves and him to pieces, he co
