25
The freighter came apart, the Tyral Pirate fighters firing with lethal precision. Josh's body floated through a burning gap in the hull and into the vacuum of space, his hands reaching out as he stared with eyes as black as eight balls.
"Help me!" His face twisted in pain.
Austin Stone jolted, kicking the seat in front of him. Blood pumped through his ears with the force of a cannon shot. A bead of sweat dripped down his cheek.
"You okay?"
The passenger next to him turned, the tablet in his hands momentarily forgotten. He wore a green flight suit with the Lobera patch.
Austin blinked and shook his head. "Sorry."
"Bad dream?"
He nodded. "Yes."
"They pass."
Austin leaned forward and rubbed his face. Outside his window Earth's moon passed, the blackened craters drifting past his
