Chapter Two
By the time Carl landed the shuttle a few miles from the capital, the passengers were subdued and quiet. Makey had joined Sayen, Carl, and Jas in the pilot’s cabin. The obese man sprawled unmoving in his seat, a large pool of blood beneath him. None of the passengers had made a move to attack, so either there were no Shadows among them, or they were remaining anonymous.
Landing a space shuttle on an area of unprepared, natural landscape didn’t hurt the shuttle, but it destroyed the surrounding area. When they opened the doors, the smell of burning plants and scorched earth drifted inside. As they were trying to figure out a way to traverse the ten-meter drop to the ground unharmed, one of the passengers spoke up.
“Hey, what’s going on? What’s going to happen to us?”
“It’s t
